The bright colours of this cover initially drew me into reading Muddy People by Sara El Sayed. I was reading it at my hair appointment and even my hairdresser remarked on how beautiful it was – you just can’t help but like it! The cheerful colours may mislead some readers however, not everything is happy-go-lucky…
Just in time for Christmas, I received the third and latest installment in the Paradise Café Mystery series, Cold Snap by Maureen Jennings. Although not truly a holiday tale (it’s quite dark) it does happen to take place right before Christmas, and as I read it, Calgary was experiencing its own cold snap, so it…
Reading holiday books as Christmas draws nearer is a tradition I truly cherish with my kids. We all get excited to pull out the favourites from the years before, and discover the new gems that publishers send my way for review. I didn’t receive as many as I typically do this year, which I’m grateful…
I was at a book event a few weeks ago chatting with my bookish friends (usually a mix of publishers, authors and librarians, the best kind of people) when I was introduced to a local author. She pitched her new book to me, which I just had happened to have on my shelf anyway, (one…
I came across Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson in a publisher’s catalogue, and requested it for some unknown reason (likely, on a whim). It sat on my shelf until it was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, which prompted me to a) remember I even had a copy of it and b) make a…
I don’t like watching dystopian films – I cringe all the way through the movies that depict our last few days on earth due to some asteroid, climate event, or alien invasion because I’d rather not watch something so hopeless. But I don’t mind reading a dystopian novel, often because the narrative will be focused…
I recently posted a review of a novel that made me grateful for the job I currently have in the charitable sector, and by total coincidence, right after that I picked up a non-fiction book that outlines the challenges of working in the charitable sector. Building Unity by Michael ‘Piecez’ Prosserman is a memoir /…
It was pure coincidence that I read this book during a particularly busy time at my day job, but while Careering by Daisy Buchanan is all about a thankless pursuit of a dream career that doesn’t exist, I’m lucky enough to work in the un-glamourous but particularly fulfilling industry of non-profits and charities where I…
We all know social media platforms aren’t good for us. Low self-esteem, fear of missing out, general depression and envy are some of the more common side effects that most people experience and are aware of when it comes to their participation on these sites. But The Chaos Machine by Max Fisher takes this knowledge…
One of the reasons I read is to gain new perspectives, and learn about lives I wouldn’t otherwise come into contact with. This can be done by reading both fiction and non-fiction, which is why I reached for The After Party by A.C. Arthur. It’s a mystery novel that takes place in present day Baltimore,…
Back in February I was lucky enough to sit in a theatre audience and listen to David Sedaris live and in-person, try out some of the stories from his upcoming release, Happy-Go-Lucky. Based on what he read and how he spoke of it, I knew it was going to have some darker moments. This collection…
I had seen brief reviews and mentions of The Sentence by Louise Erdrich around, but never received it from the publisher for review, so accepted the fact I wasn’t likely to read it. But then I read a great review of it by Consumed by Ink which outlined that it was a ghost story that…
