Calgary Through the Eyes of Writers by Shaun Hunter isn’t a book I’d typically read; it’s an anthology of writing about Calgary, so it’s not meant to be read all the way through, which is pretty much the ONLY WAY I read books. But, I did just that, read it all the way through, and…
Full disclosure: Fran Kimmel is a good friend of mine. Luckily, I know she also writes amazing books too, so I was more than delighted to review her latest book No Good Asking. Her first novel The Shore Girl is sort of a cult classic in these parts, I’ve come across many people who list…
Ah yes, it’s that time of year again; when parents breath a sigh of relief as they children trot back off to school, and parents of younger children (like yours truly) experience the first-time thrill of sending their kids to preschool and having time to themselves EACH AND EVERY DAY!!! It’s hard to believe it’s…
God this was a funny book. The Figgs by Ali Bryan is absolutely hilarious, and I knew it would be, based on how much I enjoyed her first novel Roost, which also mines the hilarity of family, child-rearing, and the domestic sphere in general. The Figgs centers on a family who finds themselves in increasing turmoil….
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, seems to be doing an admirable job of managing it, contributing to…
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 events. And as I mentioned before, to keep my…
I think Will Ferguson is hilarious, in person and in writing. Full disclosure; he’s a Calgarian, so I get to see him around quite a bit, which is why I know he’s funny on and off and page. We’re not buds or anything, but I would comfortably call us literary acquaintances here in the city,…
I’ve got strange reading habits and preferences, I’m totally aware of that fact. One of these unique tendencies is the fact that I love coming-of-age books, but I don’t read a lot of YA (young adult). ‘When else are people coming of age?’ you might ask. Well, the answer to that is quite simple: we…
I’ve always followed Canada’s annual book awards, enjoyed reporting on them, etc. But sometimes we miss out on some amazing titles that don’t make it on these lists, so for my most recent book segment on the CBC I wanted to draw attention to the hidden gems that are still worth our time . You…
I had requested a few books from NeWest Press awhile ago, so I had Darwin’s Moving by Taylor Lambert on my shelf for at least a few weeks, if not months. Then, at my most recent Wordfest event, I came across someone who looked vaguely familiar to me, although I wasn’t sure why. After introducing…
Writing a review about a book that describes a child dying is always a difficult task, especially for a parent that always thinks the worst (I have an overactive imagination!), but I’m trying to choose my words carefully because I don’t want you to be scared off. It doesn’t help that it’s a translation, and…
I’ve always wanted to be a book reviewer, but when I was younger I saw this as an unattainable goal, like being a celebrity or something. I thought to myself “who cares what I think about books? Just because I read a bunch of them doesn’t mean I’m in any position to give a critical…
