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…
I don’t read a lot of historical fiction, although I do like to dabble every once in awhile, and The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave caught my eye because it deals with witches, at least, the idea of them. It’s also based on a true story, which again, appeals to me, because I like the…
Mystery readers are a picky bunch, and I’m allowed to say that because I count myself as one of them. The pacing needs to be tight but not rushed, the detective needs to be believable but not unlikable, and the solution better be conclusive but not obvious. And don’t get me started on too many…
Let me set the scene for you: two kids live in an extremely isolated cove, their parents die, and they are forced to harvest and catch their own food as a means of survival. That’s it. That’s the book. And in the words of the author-who would want to read about that? I would actually,…
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…
Has anyone else noticed the spate of ‘women in war‘ books lately? Not that I’m complaining, but when you read a few novels that are all very similar in topic, you tend to judge them a little more harshly without intending to. I wasn’t ‘wowed’ by The Huntress by Kate Quinn, but I definitely enjoyed…
How do you feel about books that jump from one time period to another? Is it jarring? Does it annoy you when it’s in a suspense novel especially? Of course it does, when you’re on the cusp of a cliff (hanger), you want to leap to the next page as quickly as possible to find…
I love a good work of fiction that focuses on marriage. Do I want to read a true story about marriage? Not particularly. But do I want to read about a fake couple and all the trouble they have without feeling guilty or voyeuristic? Absolutely. This is one of the reasons why I loved Dear…
When Transcription by Kate Atkinson came out in September 2018, there was lots of buzz around it. Many said this was Atkinson’s best book to date, and it has been on a bunch of ‘best of 2018’ lists. Despite this hoopla (and I use the word ‘despite’ on purpose, because book buzz tends to be…
I wanted to review Our Animals Hearts by Dania Tomlinson because it features a mythical sea creature rumoured to live in the depths of the Okanagan Lake. I’ve swam in that lake, and as the ever-ready detective I am, kept my eye out for this loch-ness like animal/fish. Many people will know this creature as…
I didn’t realize this until half way through, but this is the second book I’ve read by Diane Setterfield. The first book I’ve read of hers is called Bellman & Black, which I read back in 2014 but didn’t write a review for (according to my 2014 list). Anyway, I don’t remember much about that…
I’m not sure I’ve ever actually read the classic Dickens story A Christmas Carol from beginning to end. Sure I’ve seen the adaptations, but I’m not as familiar with it as I would like to be. So when Miss Marley, an imagined prequel to A Christmas Carol landed on my doorstep a few weeks ago,…
