I did not request this book, I did not pick it out of a publisher’s catalogue. Instead, it landed on my doorstep, and when I realized it was all about video games and the people who make them, I was…less than enthusiastic. Still, its focus fit the theme of a CBC segment I was recording…
Yet another book that takes place on a boat, The Rebellious Tide by Eddy Boudel Tan is a more serious, character-driven novel that tackles the class divide that is so painfully obvious on a cruise ship. Much like the book The Swells that I read a few weeks ago, the exploitation of those who work…
These past few weeks I’ve been checking my news feed every few hours, hoping for a break in the case of missing author Dawn Dumont and her son, and I’m happy to report she has been found safe with her son, in the U.S. There will be some difficult times ahead for them, as it…
I save all my ‘summerish’ books for reading in July and August, and because The Swells by Will Aitken takes places on a boat, I figured it would be a great novel to dive into while at my family cottage. At first glance I thought this book would make for great dockside reading considering the…
While on vacation I indulged by reading my favourite author of all time, David Sedaris. I picked up this quirky little collection of animal-themed stories Squirrel Seeks Chipmunk at the Calgary Reads book sale a few months ago, and because this is a departure from his typical books of essays, I was excited to read…
I’m finding it harder and harder these days to find a simple mystery among the new books released each month. So many big publishers seem to be churning out a never-ending barrage of thrillers, yet the good ol’ fashioned mystery seems to be falling out of style. This is where small presses like Second Story…
I’m in the midst of preparing my ‘hot summer fiction’ segment for CBC Calgary, and I knew as soon as I read the first review of Every Summer After by Carley Fortune that I’d have to include this novel in my annual round-up. Canadians are buzzing about this one as it’s a first-time author (but…
When a Ruth Ware books lands on my doorstep, I get excited. I’ve read every single one of her books published, and really enjoyed all of them. Because she’s writing in such a crowded genre, I’ll recognize certain tactics of suspense, or a stretch in truth or reality here or there, but overall I can…
The blurb on the cover of Jennifer Weiner’s latest book The Summer Place reads “The undisputed boss of the beach read” (The New York Times), and based on the drawing of a woman lazily floating around in a hot pink inflatable doughnut on the water, all signs point to this being a light read. It’s…
This is a story that will stay with me for quite awhile. The details, setting, and circumstances may fade from my memory, but I’ll always remember the protagonist Meena – the woman who sacrificed her body for those she loved. Honor by Thrity Umrigar* is a bestselling novel, many people have read it, including thousands…
It’s a great title, right? It’s definitely one of the reasons I picked up this book about books, but I was quite pleased that this work of contemporary women’s fiction held my attention to the very end based on the character development alone. The Messy Lives of Book People by Phaedra Patrick is focused more…
A brief look at the cover of this book immediately relays the fact that it’s written for me, at this exact point in the year. As my thoughts turn to summer vacation and reading on the dock (my favourite place to be), I can easily picture myself sitting in this red Muskoka chair, drinking a…
