There is no shortage of books on parenting; people who have children and (annoyingly) people who don’t have children all feel compelled to give advice on this subject. But what many of these books fail to acknowledge is the power of circumstance, and how the environment one grows up in can influence the parent, their…
It’s hard to imagine what it would feel like to have a famous parent. I’m sure there are numerous accounts online that I could dig into, but I’d much rather read a fictional account of it; it feels less like voyeurism and more like personal enlightenment when reading about a character as opposed to a…
If you read Nicole Lundrigan’s last book The Substitute, you’ll have a good idea of what you’re in for in her latest novel, Hideaway. Both books deal with traumatized children, neglectful parents, and big family secrets. These sound like heavy topics, and they are, but the unsettling atmosphere that made The Substitute such an enticing…
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…
As I write this review, I’ve got a soundtrack of ’80s music playing softly in the background; at the moment, it’s “Live to Tell” by Madonna. I normally require near-quiet to write, but I’m hoping the music will offer some inspiration as I think back to my experience reading Someday Jennifer by Risto Pakarinen. I’ve…
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…
Some may cringe at the thought of reading a book written in the voice of a six-year-old, but once you get past the simplistic dialogue and extraneous words, the story behind the boy is a spectacular one. For those who read Room by Emma Donoghue and enjoyed it, you’ll understand the pleasure in ‘looking behind…
When a book opens with a family tree, you can expect a few things; there will be many characters, there will be drama, and you will have to refer back to said family tree throughout the book to ground yourself in what’s going on. If any of those things intimidate or bore you as a…
The last thing anyone wants to hear right now is a warning. Haven’t we had enough of those? Even our traffic signs are being switched over to reminders about good hand hygiene. Although I agree this is all necessary, I’ve reached my limit of cautionary tales right now. Or, at least I THOUGHT I did,…
I’m reminded of a particular quote: “This might hurt a little. Be brave.” when I think of The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. That sentence appears at the beginning of Megan Gail Coles’ book Small Game Hunting, but it’s all too applicable to this novel as well because Reading Nickel Boys will be painful. I…
A staple of the Alberta book scene, Todd Babiak is a familiar name to most. In addition to his talents as a writer, he is quite simply, a very funny person. He hosted the Alberta Literary Awards a few years ago, keeping the audience laughing throughout, and believe me, this is no easy task (I’ve…
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…
