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: Serpents Rising by David A. Poulsen
I just finished reading a great mystery by a great Alberta author. And by the way, he's also got another job as a rodeo announcer, when he's not writing (see video below). David A. Poulson has written over 20 books, some for kids, some for adults, but according to...
Defending Us Conductors by Sean Michaels
So, the Giller Prize is upon us. In just a few short days, an author's life will be changed forever. No, this is not an exaggeration, this IS a life changing prize, especially now that it is worth $100,000 (basically the equivalent of 10 years of working for most...
Book Review: The Freedom in American Songs by Kathleen Winter
Before I launch into my next book review, I wanted to put up a bit of a disclaimer. The author's books that I have and will continue to review that were part of my Afternoon Tea event at Wordfest last week will all be receiving positive reviews. I'm not being biased,...
Liebster Award
Last week, Elsie Ohem, who I've never met but will be continually grateful to, nominated me for the Liebster Award. I have no idea what this award is, but I'm so honoured to be nominated for ANYTHING that I will gladly participate in this chain-letter type thing that...
Book Review: Leaving Tomorrow by David Bergen
So as my hosting gig draws closer, I have quickly realized that I should be getting these reviews up quicker than I have been in the past. In my defense, I am taking a professional writing class this fall, so the majority of my online creativity is going towards my...
Book Review: The Last Days of the National Costume by Anne Kennedy
I am lucky enough to be hosting a Wordfest event this year, which means I was the giddy recipient of a box of books a few weeks ago. The festival sends each host a copy of the book(s) that will be included in the event they are managing, so in my case, I was sent six...
Book Review: Riel Street by Colette Maitland
Although this book is described as a novel in the press release, I think of it as a book of short stories, as each chapter can easily stand on its own. Taken together, the chapters are not cohesive enough to create one story, but I don't believe that is a negative...
Book Review: A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
I know, I know. It's been way too long since I've posted a review of a book on here. It took me an entire month to finish this last one, which is quite unusual for me, even though the book was 700 pages long. I don't want you to misinterpret my tardiness for a dislike...
Book Event: Back to (Writing) School with Author Ian Williams
Last night at the Barley Mill Pub in Eau Claire, I had the pleasure of attending another successful and educational Writers Guild of Alberta event. Recently named University of Calgary writer-in-residence Ian Williams gave a thought-provoking yet still entertaining...
My Favourite Kids Books
My Dad is coming to visit me here in a few weeks, which always makes me a bit nostalgic for my childhood. Living far apart from my family is hard, so when I have people come to visit, it inevitably brings back memories that I'd forgotten since I moved away from home....
Book Review: California by Edan Lepucki
Does anyone else have a sneaking suspicion that the world's population is headed straight for a major disaster, and every day we get closer to the eventual annihilation of our species? No, I don't really believe that either, but a lot of people do (a lot of them are...
CBC Books’ Writers to Watch: the 2014 Edition
I have some observations on the most recent "Writers to Watch" list from CBC Books: Not surprisingly, it is a diverse list in both authors and their publishers. I would expect nothing less from the CBC. I have heard of none of these writers. A few years ago, when I...