Book Reviews
I typically post between two and three book reviews a week. Please refer to my review policy if you’d like to submit a book for consideration. I invite you to subscribe to my newsletter to get a summary of my reviews once a month.
Book Review: The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley
What's that you say? Another Alan Bradley book? Why yes please! The Golden Tresses of the Dead by Alan Bradley is the tenth installment in the Flavia de Luce series, which begins after a short period of time has gone by since the last Flavia book, The Grave's a Fine...
Book Review: Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page
I love a good work of fiction that focuses on marriage. Do I want to read a true story about marriage? Not particularly. But do I want to read about a fake couple and all the trouble they have without feeling guilty or voyeuristic? Absolutely. This is one of the...
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: Books About Kindness pt. 2
Ok I know what you're thinking-where's part one? I wrote a guest blog post for the not-for-profit organization Calgary Reads where I highlighted some new and notable picture books about kindness, and that was my part one. This post is my part two because you can't...
Book Review: Once More With Feeling by Meira Cook
When I comment on other people's book blogs, I frequently find myself saying similar things; in particular, I frequently admit that I love a good book that deals with nothing at all (like the literary version of Seinfeld). People's mundane lives, the things that...
Book Review: Transcription by Kate Atkinson
When Transcription by Kate Atkinson came out in September 2018, there was lots of buzz around it. Many said this was Atkinson's best book to date, and it has been on a bunch of 'best of 2018' lists. Despite this hoopla (and I use the word 'despite' on purpose, because...
Book Review: Heat Wave, A Paradise Cafe Mystery by Maureen Jennings
Yes, that's right-THAT Maureen Jennings has embarked on a new series of mysteries featuring a sassy and capable female detective by the name of Charlotte Frayne. Murdoch Mystery fans are sure to love this new heroine just as much as they loved Murdoch himself, and for...
Book Review: Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale
I came across Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale when I received a copy of it in a 'loot bag' from a bookish event here in Calgary last year (yes, they exist, although these super fun events are few and far between!). It sat on my shelf until recently, but I...
Book Review: The Spy and the Traitor by Ben MacIntyre
So when I first received this book in the mail I thought: 'great my 96-year-old Grandpa will love this one!'. But when I noticed a few other books arrived on my shelf that dealt with spies and espionage, I thought I'd give this one a whirl to see how it stacked up to...
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: Spring Picture Books That Have Nothing to Do with Spring
Clearly I struggled to come up with a theme to tie all these picture books together, but sometimes I just get a bunch of kids books in the mail, so I decided to write a blog post about them. All of these titles are newly released this spring, and if your household is...
Book Review: Our Animal Hearts by Dania Tomlinson
I wanted to review Our Animals Hearts by Dania Tomlinson because it features a mythical sea creature rumoured to live in the depths of the Okanagan Lake. I've swam in that lake, and as the ever-ready detective I am, kept my eye out for this loch-ness like animal/fish....
Video Book Review: Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Just wanted to give a big shout out to all the book bloggers out there that urged me to give this one a go; you know who you are! Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is by far the oldest book I've read in awhile (it was published in 1938), but I loved it, so I've recorded a...
Book Review: There There by Tommy Orange
I love reading books written from an Aboriginal perspective. Everytime I do, I feel a bit closer to understanding an aspect of indigenous culture, which as a Canadian, comes with a new sense of urgency that I believe a growing part of our population shares in. You can...