Bafflingly, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams has been called “A black Bridget Jones” by Kirkus Reviews, which in my mind, does a huge disservice to this taut, intelligent and dark read. Although the protagonist is searching for Mr. Right, men are clearly not the solution to any of her problems, in fact, the author uses her…
Every Little Piece of Me by Amy Jones is a book that will make you cringe. You’ll cringe because of the character’s actions, you’ll cringe because you’ll recognize the destructive behaviour they consistently engage in, you’ll cringe because you’ll see how your activity on the internet can cause these negative reactions, and you’ll cringe because…
The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron is a unique sort of book; one of the two narratives it includes is told from the perspective of a Neanderthal, someone who doesn’t have developed language capabilities or a significant matter of reference that is relatable to us modern-day humans. Aside from a few necessary exceptions, (Cameron allows…
Two years ago I spotted the book You Belong to Me by Colin Harrison in a publisher’s catalogue, and I remember being intrigued by the premise, so I requested it for review. It was compared to The Da Vinci Code, but with more of a thriller-noirish aspect to it and to me that sounded unique,…
I’ve been on a reading streak of chick-lit/contemporary women’s fiction lately (I basically use those terms interchangeably now) and I’ve noticed a few trends within the genre, one of them being the inclusion of a rich or celebrity-like character in every story. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but There’s a Word For That…
Ok, prepare yourself; this is a heart-wrenching read. Not this review (hopefully!) but this book: Alice & Oliver by Charles Bock. I must have been feeling particularly masochistic when I read the blurb in the publisher’s catalogue and requested it anyway. Alice and Oliver are happily in love and overjoyed at their new baby daughter…
Stay Up With Hugo Best by Erin Somers is one of those books that takes place over a specific, short period of time; in this case, it’s the Memorial Day long weekend in the United States. This type of timeline usually works to add heightened drama to the proceeding narrative, infusing everything with a time-sensitive…
I love the suspense that a storm brings to the fore in a fictional book; as the winds change, so do our expectations as a reader. This story begins with a storm, and ends with the same storm, pushing the reader in all different directions and time periods, raging through each character and their own…
Awhile ago, I reviewed two books with very similar topics; wealthy families living in New York, marriage, the struggle to balance your life with kids, etc. Although I enjoyed those books, I’ve just discovered a much more nuanced, well-written version of those, and it has got me so excited I’m looking for excuses to bring…
Dream Sequence by Adam Foulds is a little gem of a novel. Short, beautifully written, engaging characters and an exciting ending; what else could a reader ask for? There are two main characters; Kristin is an attractive young woman who’s just gotten a divorce from a wealthy man, previously her boss (insert eyebrow raise here),…
Most books that get sent my way for review are ones I’m interested in reading right away; mystery, thriller, suspense, literary coming-of-age stories, even the occasional memoir. But every once in a while, something is sent to me that’s clearly out of my reading comfort zone. Lipstick Voodoo by Kristi Charish is one of those…
Based on the cartoon-like cover, and the back cover stating “2019’s most uplifting read”, one would expect Professor Chandra Follows His Bliss by Rajeev Balasubramanyam to be a certain type of book; one that features a helpless and bumbling protagonist that falls apart at the beginning then eventually comes to see the error of his…
