May is short story month, so I’m going to be reviewing a few here in the next few weeks, and I’m starting with a local Calgary author. Good Victory by Mikka Jacobsen is a collection of 11 stories, published by Freehand Books, whose office is located about a half hour walk from my house; you…
Before you begin to wonder if I’ve taken a sharp turn in my reading interests, let me assure you this title is a reference to the city the characters travel to: Paris. The use of ‘rooster’ itself isn’t that obvious in Coq by Ali Bryan, instead it’s an invitation to open up this book and…
Growing up in Ontario means I’m still learning about the Western Canadian books that everyone has read. I moved out west to Calgary 14 years ago now, and even though I’m firmly embedded in our publishing world here, I’m not familiar with what’s considered a ‘classic’ and what all the kids read in high school….
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…
The subtitle of Sharon Butala’s latest book This Strange Visible Air is: Essays on Aging and the Writing Life. Maybe it’s because I’m keenly aware that my forties are now in my sights, or maybe it’s because I recently discovered I may have trouble digesting gluten and the thought of a life stretched out before…
A book of essays about reading? Sign me up! It will come as no surprise that I loved Big Reader by Susan Olding. Each piece revolves around a particular book, a form of reading, a page in the life of being a writer, and reading experiences evolving over a lifetime. There are even a few…
I’m no dancer, but I FEEL like doing a little jig of excitement when I see Indigenous author Dawn Dumont has a new book coming. She is without a doubt one of my favourite writers, and in my humble opinion, one of the best Canadian writers working today. If you have never read one of…
I’ve got another work of climate fiction for you; a genre based on some of our worst anxieties based on what the world may look like as we continue our climb into warmer temperatures. What’s different about Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop is that it takes place right in my backyard of Southern Alberta. And while…
When I really love a book, it’s difficult to pinpoint what elevates it above all others. I suppose it’s a bunch of things; character, plot, writing, but also the lack of issues I can point to that disappointed me. With all this in mind, I’ve decided The Student by Cary Fagan is one of my…
Recording a book review for book tube was a great excuse to brush my hair and put on a little make-up, so I did just that for my latest read, This Has Nothing To Do With You by Lauren Carter. I still wore stretchy pants though, there’s no way I’m needlessly wearing jeans while this…
So I know Halloween is over, but I’m the type of person who likes to read spooky stories all year around, especially in the winter when I’m curled up by my fireplace. Agnes, Murderess by Sarah Leavitt landed on my doorstep unexpectedly, so the good folks at Freehand Books must have known how much I…
Those of us who are lucky enough to have the luxury of living in peaceful countries may be asking themselves what we can do to help the refugee crisis; I would argue our first job is to listen to their stories in an attempt to understand what they are fleeing from and why. With the…
