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: Find You in the Dark by Nathan Ripley
It feels like I've been reading a lot of 'dark' books lately, non-fiction mostly, so I searched for a 'guilty pleasure' read to lift the guilt I had been weighed under by reading such devastating memoirs. Strange to some, I chose a thriller, a pretty violent one at...
Book (Zine) Review: Fashion Revolution Fanzine Issue 01
This is definitely a first for this blog-the review of a 'zine', which is defined by urban dictionary as basically a cheaply made publication filled with passion. I love this definition because it perfectly describes this fashion revolution zine. I ordered it awhile...
Book Review: The Unravelling by Clem Martini and Olivier Martini
I'll admit I was dreading reading this book. It's a memoir based on the lives of Clem Martini, his brother Olivier Martini and their mother Catherine. It includes haunting, beautiful images drawn by Olivier, who suffers from schizophrenia (although based on the book,...
Book Review: The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien
In the past, I've made comments on this blog that basically follow the theme of "it's usually the parents' fault" when referring to stories about adult break downs and shortcomings. I of course say this a bit tongue-in-cheek because I'm a parent myself, and now that I...
Book Review: At This Juncture by Rona Altrows
Whenever I personally know the author of a book I'm reviewing, I always like to state that outright. Rona Altrows and I are regular acquaintances in the Calgary literary scene, it's a small industry here in cowtown so we inevitably run into each other at various...
Radio Segment: Difficult to Read Yet Memorable Memoirs
So this will be my last radio segment for a few months as I hunker down and give birth to my second child soon. Strangely, I chose quite dark, depressing books to speak about on-air for this one, which doesn't bode well for my mood in general, but I think I give...
Book Review: The Grave’s a Fine and Private Place by Alan Bradley
Long-time readers of this blog will already know how much I love the Flavia de Luce novels by Alan Bradley. Perfect examples of the cozy mystery, these books depict the precocious 12 year old Flavia who solves mysteries that seem to fall in her lap. Much like my other...
Book Review: The Dead Husband Project by Sarah Meehan Sirk
It’s been awhile since I’ve really LOVED a short story collection, but I can finally say that The Dead Husband Project by Sarah Meehan Sirk is definitely one of the best I’ve read in a long time. Each piece in this collection is strong and emotionally affecting, but...
Book Review: Into the Sun by Deni Ellis Bechard
I'm really torn between my conflicting thoughts on this book. Into the Sun by Deni Ellis Bechard is extremely ambitious, it goes into many in-depth descriptions of various people's lives, starting from their childhood and ending with their deaths, all within a...
Video Review: Bolt and Keel by Kayleen Vanderree
So, I don't normally review 'coffee table' books but I made an exception for this one because it's a picture book of cats on outdoor adventures. Yes, you read that right, cats are in canoes, hiking mountains and perching on paddle boards in the great white north that...
Book Review: The Last Girl by Nadia Murad
I've been reading more non-fiction lately...not for any particular reason other than publishers just seem to be churning out more these days so I'm receiving more for review. Although I read far more fiction than non-fiction, I find real-life stories stick with me for...
Book Review: Hysteria by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
My Canadian readers will probably be familiar with this latest can-lit thriller: Hysteria by Elisabeth de Mariaffi. It's just come out, and it's getting a hysterical amount of press (obviously I had to use that adjective somewhere in this review, but I promise I won't...