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: How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior
Did you enjoy the book Where'd You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple? If the answer is 'yes', you will most certainly enjoy How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior. And if you hated Bernadette? You're going to want to pass on this book, because it's VERY similar....
Book Review: Daniil & Vanya by Marie-Helene Larochelle
Hoo boy, this book is tough. It's a difficult story, disturbing on many levels, but compulsively readable at the same time. There are, thankfully, trigger warnings at the beginning, (they call them 'content notes'), so I'll reiterate that before my readers go any...
Book Review: To Tell You the Truth by Gilly Macmillan
It's officially the end of my online book club, because now that I'm increasing my day-job hours, I just don't have time to run this group on my own time. Still, I'm ending it on a high note with Gilly Macmillan, a queen of thrillers that never disappoints. Her latest...
Book Review: The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles
I've had some great luck with historical fiction lately, and my 5 star reading streak continues with The Paris Library by Janet Skeslien Charles. It helps that this novel is all about the power of reading and its ability to build resilience, which is something I've...
Book Review: Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh
Motherhood is such a hot topic in fiction these days, and why shouldn't it be? There are lots of feelings and events to muddle through in this time of life, and like parenting in general, the capacity and opportunity for trauma is endless (LOL). One aspect that seems...
Book Review: The Sow’s Ear Cafe by Holly Quan
It's been ages since I reluctantly agreed to accept a copy of The Sow's Ear Café by Holly Quan. My review policy states I no longer accept unsolicited books, and I typically hold true to that rule, but I received such a persuasive email from Alberta author Quan I...
Books I’ve Read in 2020
What to say about this past year that hasn't already been said? As an avid twitter lurker, I've seen mostly negative things written about these past 12 months, and it's no secret why this was the worst year of many people's lives. My family has muddled through these...
Book Review: The Finder by Will Ferguson
I'm a proud Calgarian and the fact that Giller Prize winning author Will Ferguson also lives in Calgary is just the tip of the iceberg of our wonderful writing community. I've been posting lots of local book reviews lately for good reason, we have a wealth of...
Book Review: Group by Christie Tate
If you had the chance to secretly sit in on someone's private therapy session, would you? Does hearing about the drama and disappointments of someone else's life make you feel better about yours? I would personally answer 'yes!' to both those questions, but I may be...
IveReadThis Jr. Edition: A Cozy Canadian Christmas
How did we get here so quickly? I know everyone may not feel the same way, but this year flew by for me and my family. My kids are near to bursting with excitement for Christmas so I'm trying to calm them down by doing some quiet reading with them. And what better to...
Ivereadthis Jr. Edition: Christmas Across the Ages
I've got an almost 6-year-old, and an almost 3-year-old, and luckily they both enjoy sitting and listening to me read books that suit both age groups, but I do realize there will come a time when my oldest may not want to sit through the same books my youngest does....
Book Review: The 19th Christmas by James Patterson and Maxine Paetro
This is the first (and most likely the last) James Patterson book I'll ever read. It's not that I didn't like it, in fact I enjoyed it, it was highly entertaining and I flew through the pages. Still, I finished the book and thought, what was the point of this? The...