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: The Half Brother by Holly LeCraw
Before I started reading The Half Brother, I scanned the blurb on the inside cover, quickly assuming I was going to be embarking on a thriller. Why did I think this? I seemed to recall Holly LeCraw's last book The Swimming Pool being of that same genre, and I...
Book Review: Time Will Say Nothing by Ramin Jahanbegloo
Conflicting emotions! This is exactly what Time Will Say Nothing brought out in me, although I will admit I wasn't sure it would bring out any emotions, because it's very philosophical. One fact about me: I actually hate philosophy; I took one course in it in first...
Book Review: A Spool of Blue Thread by Anne Tyler
A spacious, well-made house with a wrap-around porch full of family and laughter. This is the idyllic setting of Anne Tyler's latest, A Spool of Blue Thread. I know I'm not the only one who has pined over a house with a huge porch and shiny swing where people...
Book Review: God Telling a Joke and Other Stories by Dave Margoshes
I love reading short stories. I seem to flip through them faster than a novel, simply because it it forces you to reach the end of one story before you put your bookmark in. I also find (and I know I've said this before) that they're typically better written than...
Book Review: Delicious Foods by James Hannaham
Delicious Foods: what a wonderful sounding title! Before I read the first page, I imagined this book would be full of tantalizing recipes and cooking stories mixed into a heart-warming tale of family drama. In reality, the story is nothing like this, but what I do...
Book Review: Flying Time by Suzanne North
I absolutely adored this book. I wasn't sure I would, because it appeared as though it would be a war-time novel bogged down with historical details (which I don't particularly enjoy), but instead, Flying Time turned out to be a coming-of-age story that I couldn't put...
Book Review: Welcome to the Circus by Rhonda Douglas
Short stories! What a refreshing change from the every day novel that we so typically read, and what's even better, you can pick it up and put it down without feeling guilty. So, basically, they are perfect for parents with newborns, whose moods can change between...
Book Review: Wes Side Story by Wes Funk
I'm writing this review in December 2014, although I don't expect to post this until April 2015 or later (side note; my predictions were correct, as I'm posting this on May 21!) The wait is due to the fact that I've read Wes Side Story as part of a judging panel that...
Book Review: Suitcase City by Sterling Watson
Suitcase City: a place where the margaritas are cold, and the danger is hot! Ok that may not have been the best tagline (and to think I used to be a book publicist!) but this gives you a good idea of where this book gets its inspiration. The story takes place in...
Book Review: Rose’s Run by Dawn Dumont
Rose's Run by Dawn Dumont is another book I had the pleasure of reviewing while on the jury for the Saskatchewan Book Awards. It's published by Thistledown Press, whose books don't normally come across my desk, so I was delighted to crack this one open. Dawn...
Judging a book award: the most rewarding/time consuming job on the planet
I had the good fortune of being a judge for the 2015 Saskatchewan Book Awards that were just handed out this past weekend. I was on the panel that decided the winner of the City of Saskatoon and Public Library of Saskatoon Book Award: Manny's Memories by Ken and...
Book Review: If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie
I've been missing in action on this blog for a few weeks, and I'm sorry about that, although I did just have a baby a few weeks ago, so I'm going to assume that's a valid excuse for my lack of posting. Speaking of children, this is a great segue into my next review:...