A few days ago, I received a lovely email from Donna Bailey Nurse regarding my book review of Marina Endicott’s Close to Hugh. Like myself, she was disappointed it didn’t make the Giller shortlist, but she also wanted to share with me a wonderful piece she did on Endicott for the literary magazine Black Iris. For those…
As the countdown to the Giller Prize ticks along, I’m reading and reviewing as many nominated books as I can. Next up on my list is Marina Endicott’s Close to Hugh. I have a soft spot in my hardened little heart for Endicott. She splits her time between Toronto and Alberta (Edmonton), so she goes…
I recently finished reading Elizabeth Hay‘s new book His Whole Life. And I loved it. Obviously, because Elizabeth Hay is great. I’ve also been helping the wonderful Shelley Youngblut program the 20th anniversary of Wordfest this year. So…they filmed me (nervously) reviewing this book as part of the festival preparations. Should I stick to doing…
Well the Giller Longlist has been announced, and it’s a good one! I may be a bit biased, simply because I’ve read and loved many of the books on the list, but it’s also pointed to a few I need to hurry up and read. You all know by now that I loved Patrick deWitt’s…
So, the Giller Prize is upon us. In just a few short days, an author’s life will be changed forever. No, this is not an exaggeration, this IS a life changing prize, especially now that it is worth $100,000 (basically the equivalent of 10 years of working for most Canadian authors, if not more). But…
So as my hosting gig draws closer, I have quickly realized that I should be getting these reviews up quicker than I have been in the past. In my defense, I am taking a professional writing class this fall, so the majority of my online creativity is going towards my course work, rather than this…
I know, I know. It’s been way too long since I’ve posted a review of a book on here. It took me an entire month to finish this last one, which is quite unusual for me, even though the book was 700 pages long. I don’t want you to misinterpret my tardiness for a dislike…
I have some observations on the most recent “Writers to Watch” list from CBC Books: Not surprisingly, it is a diverse list in both authors and their publishers. I would expect nothing less from the CBC. I have heard of none of these writers. A few years ago, when I worked in publishing, I’m sure…
Oh hi there Alberta book lovers (and book lovers in general). Many of you may already be aware that the Alberta Literary Awards Shortlist was announced, but if you’re not, you can find the list of nominees here. There, now that you’re up to speed, you can decide whether to purchase your tickets or not….
Two important things happened this week in the Canadian book scene. The first, and probably most interesting (yet complicated) is the fact that the Writers Union of Canada will now allow self-published writers to join their ranks. Find out more about it here on their website. Some of you may not be aware of this,…
Short stories aren’t for everyone, I realize that. In my personal experience, only the dedicated book lovers can really grow attached to short stories. They’re rarely on the best-seller list, and Indigo doesn’t really push them, so many publishers are reluctant to publish them for fear that they won’t sell well. Which, quite honestly, they…
