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 every three weeks.
Book Review: All The Lost Things by Michelle Sacks
Although it's difficult to write in the voice of a child, I've had pretty good luck finding authors that do it well. This is why I had such high hopes for All The Lost Things by Michelle Sacks, a work of fiction about a Dad abducting his 7-year-old daughter Dolly. It...
Guest Post, Reading My Way to Resilience: How I Created Sue’s Stokvel
For those who have been following my blog regularly, you will know what a big fan of book clubs I am. Calgary is full of innovative bookworms, and I wanted to highlight some of the other wonderful book clubs that my readers should know about. Sue-Shane Tsomondo is a...
Book Review: Hello, Summer by Mary Kay Andrews
Lately I've felt a desperate, renewed desire to get outside and enjoy the warmer months as best as possible. Perhaps it's because of the pandemic restrictions, but even though it's only mid-July I'm worried that summer is slipping away without my fully enjoying it, so...
Book Review: The Union of Smokers by Paddy Scott
I'm always excited to announce a book review from a new (to me) publisher. Invisible Publishing is wholly Canadian, and based on this first offering of theirs that I've read, it's a small press you should pay attention to and support with your hard-earned book bucks....
Book Review: Becoming A Man, The Story of a Transition by P. Carl
As a book-lover, I'm constantly encouraging people to read. As a person who leans a little to the left, I'm also a big proponent of reading books that introduce people to new ideas and perspectives, especially those voices that you may not have in your everyday life....
Book Review: The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
Is the idea of visiting a remote glass hotel off an island a terrifying thought, or a welcome one? Personally, I love immersing myself in nature, so the idea of sitting in a five-star resort with not another soul in sight (other than the staff mixing my cocktails) is...
Book Review: The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Ever since reading There, There by Tommy Orange a few years ago, I've been eager to buy more books about the American Aboriginal experience. These books are hard to find (at least as a Canadian, they seem be hard to find), and other than Louise Erdrich, I'm having...
Book Review: No More Nice Girls by Lauren McKeon
Although this book was published right before the recent Black Lives Matter protests and Coronavirus pandemic its publication is even more timely considering what's gone on in the world since March. No More Nice Girls, Gender, Power, and Why it's Time to Stop Playing...
Book Review: The Dishwasher by Stephane Larue
As I write this review, The Dishwasher by Stephane Laure, translated from the French by Pablo Strauss was named winner of the Amazon Canada First Novel Award just a few days ago. A prize devoted to first-time novelists only, it's a highly-coveted way of launching...
Book Review: The Whisper Network by Chandler Baker
This is a deliciously naughty novel. Whisper Network by Chandler Baker is about a large sports agency with a robust legal team, and the office politics that go on inside its glass tower of prestige. I'd be lying if I said this book didn't make me miss going into an...
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: Bees, Soup and a Grouchy Old Lady
2020 has been a difficult year for most, and yes, I realize how much of an understatement that is. It will come as no surprise that I've turned to my trusty bookcase for guidance, but books can be a bridge of understanding and empathy for children as well. When things...
Book Review: I’ve Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy
Well I've been meaning to read this book for over two years (sorry, I had to!), and with the renewed necessary focus on ending racism there really is no better time to sit down and enjoy yet another masterpiece by David Chariandy. I've Been Meaning to Tell You, A...