Oh jeez guys, oh jeez. I seem to have been on a streak lately, reading books about children dying, being kidnapped, and other horrible things. Billie Livingston’s The Crooked Heart of Mercy continues this terrible theme as it begins with the accidental death of a two year-old, while he is at home with him Mom…
The good folks at Penguin Random House Canada heard that I had a kid, so they sent me a picture book to enjoy with my daughter. They didn’t ask for a review in return, but I feel as if it’s the least I can do, so here it goes, a review of a kid’s book:…
Yes, the queen of Can-Lit herself has found a place on my blog, but why has it taken this long for me to review one of her books? She was one of my favourite writers growing up, and I continue to enjoy her zany (if somewhat ominous) stories as they continue to roll out, so…
If you’ve read a few of my past posts, you’ll notice I’ve read a few ‘downers’ lately. Not bad books, but sad books all the same. So, I skipped ahead on my to-read shelf (I generally try to read books as they are sent to me) to The Happiness Equation, by Neil Pasricha. I’m glad I…
Warning: another tragic story coming up. I’m not sure what it is lately, but the books I seem to picking off my to be read (TBR) shelf are heartbreaking. Good, well-written, but heartbreaking. Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys is based on the real-life maritime tragedy of the Wilhelm Gustloff, which to my surprise, has…
If I was an organized reader and blogger, I would have read this book a few months ago in time for the Canada Reads debate that happened in early March. But, I clearly missed that boat, so my apologies; here is my very late review of the second place winner of Canada Reads 2016, The…
Sometimes, it’s nice to be reminded how truly unique being a woman is. What I mean by this, is that Mona Awad, debut author of 13 Ways of Looking at A Fat Girl has deftly captured the true essence of a woman’s complicated relationship with her own body image; a topic that most females have…
I have fond memories of my parents reading aloud Linwood Barclay’s witticisms from the Toronto Star newspaper when I was a kid, eating pancakes while they laughed at his latest opinion or humour piece. Back then, they enjoyed reading what he had to say and now I share the same love of his writing today, even if…
So I finished the 563 pages that was Jonathan Franzen‘s latest tome Purity, and my mind is not changed about him. I still think he’s the definition of a literary snob, but he’s also a fantastic writer. Sigh, I hate being so conflicted about books; if I really like the book, I really want to…
I have a bad habit of judging a book by its author. It’s not fair, especially when I haven’t actually read any books by that writer, but I hear other people’s opinions of them, and I recall reviews I’ve read about their other books, so I think I know what I’m going to read before…
Sleep. I’m obsessed with it since having a baby. How much am I getting? How much is my baby getting? Is it enough? Is it too much? Is it at the right times of day? When will I ever be able to sleep in again? Probably never, but a girl can dream (pun intended). So…
Being a parent is hard, that’s probably a universally accepted fact by now. My theory is that it’s so difficult because it forces you to confront your personal weaknesses and shortcomings so abruptly, and all at once. Being a single parent is a challenge that I can’t even begin to fathom, as I am not…
