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: Ordinary Wonder Tales by Emily Urquhart
At first glance, Ordinary Wonder Tales by Emily Urquhart may seem like a book appealing to only academics. It's a book of essays, a notoriously challenging genre that rarely hits the bestseller list unless it's written by a celebrity or David Sedaris, but this...
Book Review: Strange Sally Diamond by Liz Nugent
There's been lots of hype around this latest book by Liz Nugent. I read her first novel a few years ago and found it sufficiently creepy, so I was happy to give Strange Sally Diamond a try when it was sent my way. A few books into their career I find many thriller...
Book Review: A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter
I had read mixed reviews of A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter. Many heralded it as a must-read for Canadians, a compliment often used for books about Indigenous people. But some complained it was difficult to follow because of the alternating...
Book Review: On Class by Deborah Dundas
If you've ever wished yourself out of a conversation at a social event, try bringing up the colorful subject of personal wealth - and watch people disperse immediately! On Class by Deborah Dundas is the seventh in the Biblioasis Field Notes series. In this short,...
Book Review: The Whispers by Ashley Audrain
When a colleague of mine mentioned that she had raced through Ashley Audrain's latest book The Whispers, I asked if I could borrow it to read myself. I rarely read books that aren't my own, simply because I have a shelf bursting with books I already committed to...
Book Review: The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson
Continuing on my recent 'books about books' kick, I picked up this thick paperback called The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson, which promised a snapping good story. It delivered; on both the good story, and the warm and fuzzy feeling when reading about the...
Book Review: The Drift by C.J. Tudor
Toeing the line between horror, action thriller, and dystopian drama, The Drift by C.J. Tudor is a book with a very specific audience in mind. Although it contains elements of many different genres, it mostly includes a significant amount of death and violence. Some...
Book Review: The Relatives by Camilla Gibb
A slim work of fiction, The Relatives by Camilla Gibb is an understated book that's been hiding away on my bookshelf for two years. But I love Gibb's writing, so even though it took me awhile to get to this one, I finally settled in to enjoy it this past week. The...
Book Review: The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry
I was in need of a lighter story that I knew would whisk me away into a well-developed plot. Also: books about books!!! The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry is a work of historical fiction focusing on the mystery of a lost story and its connection to a...
Book Review: Zero Days by Ruth Ware
Her 8th and latest book, Zero Days by Ruth Ware is a slight departure from what she's known for; thrillers, mysteries, gothic suspense are more typical of her backlist. Instead, this new release is more akin to an action movie, following a very similar plot to the...
Book Review: Sharp Edges by Leah Mol
Whew. This book terrified me, and not in a spooky fun way. It terrified me because I have a daughter, and this is a coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is struggling her way through life as a female. Sharp Edges by Leah Mol is about a lot of things, but it's...
Book Review: The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt
Books about books will always pique my interest, but when highly lauded author Patrick deWitt releases one, I get even more excited. I had really high hopes for The Librarianist and it did not disappoint. It's a quiet novel about a quiet man, with glimpses of humour...