I don’t normally review YA books, which is why I wasn’t familiar with the author emily m. danforth. She’s the writer behind The Miseducation of Cameron Post which is apparently quite popular, so I have no doubt her name is familiar to many who read YA widely. Plain Bad Heroines is her first novel for…
Caught up in the buzz of Fall book season again, I jumped at the chance to review Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia which seemed to be on everyone’s must read lists for 2020. My blogger bud Melanie over at GTL reviewed this book a few weeks ago with a warning that the first 150 pages…
How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa most recently appeared on the Scotiabank Giller Prize longlist, and we’ll find out on October 5 if it makes it to the shortlist. Interestingly, it’s a collection of short stories, written by a poet. It’s rare that a collection of short stories appears on an award list like…
Every once in a while during my reading travels, I unknowingly pick up a book that speaks directly to me in that particular moment in my life. Because I read so many books, and consciously pick ones that I think I may like, this doesn’t come as a shock, but still, I sometimes feel as…
A few months ago I was scrolling through a publishing catalog and I came across a work of literary fiction all about pirates in the 1700s, so obviously I had to read it! Old-timey pirates; I find them equal parts fascinating and scary. I was curious to see if these pirates would be depicted as…
Do you have to be in a book club to enjoy this book? Absolutely not! Will you enjoy this book if you can find humour in just about any situation? That would be a resounding ‘yes’! Humour and horror mix strangely well together, and when you throw in a bunch of stressed-out housewives from the…
Imagine my delight when realizing the author of my favourite children’s picture book had penned a novel for adults! I didn’t care what the topic was, whether it was fiction or non-fiction, I wanted to read it right away, and I’m relieved to say I loved it just as much I loved her writing for…
This is the second book about opioid addiction that I’ve read in the past few months. Although that seems a bit strange, we are learning that in the background of the Covid-19 pandemic, an even bigger problem is looming, killing more people than ever before: drug overdoses. Long Bright River by Liz Moore is both…
Although it’s difficult to write in the voice of a child, I’ve had pretty good luck finding authors that do it well. This is why I had such high hopes for All The Lost Things by Michelle Sacks, a work of fiction about a Dad abducting his 7-year-old daughter Dolly. It seemed like it would…
Lately I’ve felt a desperate, renewed desire to get outside and enjoy the warmer months as best as possible. Perhaps it’s because of the pandemic restrictions, but even though it’s only mid-July I’m worried that summer is slipping away without my fully enjoying it, so I’m doing all I can to soak up the sun…
I’m always excited to announce a book review from a new (to me) publisher. Invisible Publishing is wholly Canadian, and based on this first offering of theirs that I’ve read, it’s a small press you should pay attention to and support with your hard-earned book bucks. The Union of Smokers by Paddy Scott is a…
Ever since reading There, There by Tommy Orange a few years ago, I’ve been eager to buy more books about the American Aboriginal experience. These books are hard to find (at least as a Canadian, they seem be hard to find), and other than Louise Erdrich, I’m having trouble thinking of other Native American writers…
