About a year ago I reviewed a work of fiction called The Subtweet by multi-disciplinary artist Vivek Shraya, and along with many other critics I really enjoyed it, so I was excited when another one of her books People Change landed on my doorstep a few months ago. Unlike Subtweet, this is a short work…
I may be giving you the wrong idea by calling this book a true crime. Don’t Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman isn’t about a murder, but it most definitely details the committing of a crime, numerous crimes, hundreds of little acts that constitute breaking the law. It explains the development of NXIVM, an…
In case you’re wondering why I’ve been reading so many thrillers about the perils of parenting lately, my latest segment for radio is all about this topic, so don’t worry, I’m not experiencing any mid-life parenting crises! Nothing more than usual anyway. It does beg the question though, why are there so many books that…
I’ve had this book on my shelf for awhile now and I didn’t get to it earlier because of other reading commitments, but I was really excited to finally dive in because a) it’s been getting exceptional reviews and b) I loved another book similar to it, Queenie. Although very different from what I expected…
Motherhood is such a hot topic in fiction these days, and why shouldn’t it be? There are lots of feelings and events to muddle through in this time of life, and like parenting in general, the capacity and opportunity for trauma is endless (LOL). One aspect that seems ripe for endless debate is the decision…
The more I read, the more eager I am for a challenge, or at the very least, the more I want to read stories that aren’t entirely straightforward or obvious. After the entertaining Harry’s Trees from last week, I headed back to my book shelf in search of a book that would push me, so…
The Canlit community is abuzz over Zsuzsi Gartner’s debut novel, The Beguiling. Despite this being her first novel, Gartner is a well-established pillar of the Canadian writing community. She’s been shortlisted for a Scotiabank Giller Prize for her short story collection Better Living Through Plastic Explosives, she’s edited a zany collection of science fiction titled…
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…
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…
Easter is my favourite holiday because the chocolate selection is exceptional at this time of year. Cadbury is my go-to brand of chocolate (#notsponsored) and they bring out all the showstoppers in March and April; cream eggs, mini eggs, lil’ scoops, I love them all. As all parents do, I’ve passed along my preferences to…
I had wanted to read this book for awhile now, and when I saw the author speak at a Wordfest event earlier this year I was struck by how eloquent and honest she was, which finally convinced me to pick it up. Joanne Ramos immigrated to America from the Philippines when she was 6. She…
When I was little, every holiday, even manufactured ones like Valentine’s Day were exciting, usually because it meant I was going to get something sugary to eat. Only a few things have changed since then; instead of getting chocolate from my parents, I now get it from my husband, and now that I’m a Mom,…
