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.
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: Sweetness in Every Page
I'll admit that the suggestion of 'treats' in the titles of these books appealed to me, as I've got an insatiable sweet tooth. And the dynamic author and illustrator duo Jory John and Pete Oswald have a popular streak of books behind them, so without even flipping...
Book Review: Even So by Lauren B. Davis
What's the difference between a good and bad person? What makes a person selfish? Can regularly volunteering at a food bank cancel out the sins of cheating on a partner? Even So by Lauren B. Davis asks all these questions, and although not all of them are answered...
Book Review: Circus of Wonders by Elizabeth Macneal
Years ago I read the book The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and really enjoyed it. Since then, many similar 'circus' books have been successfully published and sold. The circus setting is one that gives authors a great deal of characters, conflicts, and magic to...
Book Review: State of Terror by Hillary Rodham Clinton and Louise Penny
Louise Penny is a well-known Canadian treasure; most adore her Chief Inspector Armand Gamache novels, and although I haven't read many myself, I intend to when I have the time (i.e. when my kids are grown and out of the house). Until then, I'll dive into her one-off...
Double Book Review: Through the Garden and What the Soul Doesn’t Want by Lorna Crozier
Poetry isn't something I read often; every once in awhile I'll pick it up, but I really don't look forward to it, and there are way too many novels on my shelf to ignore. But you may find it surprising to hear that my second favourite author (David Sedaris is my...
Book Review: The End of Craving by Mark Schatzker
I will fully admit to choosing this book based on the cover alone; the single square of chocolate signaled to me that within these pages, I may find the solution to my chocolate addiction. Now don't get me wrong, I would never give up eating chocolate entirely, but I...
Book Review: The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery
I don't get the chance to read classics all that often because I'm usually reading the latest releases from publishers, which is of course exciting and I'm grateful for that opportunity BUT I also follow lots of bloggers who extoll the virtues of classic reading, and...
Book Review: The Maid by Nita Prose
When I first heard about The Maid by Nita Prose and the enormous buzz it was getting a few months ago, I knew I would love it. A cozy mystery about a quirky maid written by a well-regarded Canadian book editor? Sign me up. Now it's being made into a movie, and was...
Double Book Review: Brené Brown at Work and Home
I'm not quite sure what prompted my purchase of Dare to Lead by Brené Brown, perhaps I saw it listed on some leadership book list and decided I needed to take the plunge. I read a few pages when I first got it, and then quickly abandoned it for more fun (fictional)...
A Summary of my 2021 Reading
With another year of reading and blogging under my belt, I've come to the realization that writing out the entire list of books I read each year is a waste of time. And because time is something I have less and less of these days, I figured it made more sense to use...
Book Review: Lucky by Marissa Stapley
This book was sent to me months ago, and I'll admit I didn't have immediate plans to read it simply because I had so many other thrillers ready to go on my shelf. But then, Lucky by Marissa Stapley was chosen by Reese Witherspoon's Book Club, and I usually enjoy her...
Book Review: #1 and #8 in the Lane Winslow Mystery Series
I do believe I've stumbled upon a new must-read mystery series for my Canadian followers. Why just Canadian? I'm not sure you can get the Lane Winslow Mystery Series past our borders as its published by small press Touchwood Editions, so if you are having trouble...