Marie-Renée Lavoie writes in French, but has become one of my ‘must read everything (translated) authors’. She’s the author of a hilarious series of books that follow Diane, a disgruntled divorcee. You can check out my reviews of those two books here and here. Her latest book Some Maintenance Required, translated by Arielle Aaronson includes…
The bestselling Women Talking by Miriam Toews is one of those books that I never read when it first came out in 2018, but have wanted to ever since, especially based on the success of its film version this past year. A popular Canadian author, Toews is often on the bestseller and award lists, but…
Although I stay mostly off social media these days, I dip into Twitter every now and then, which piqued my interest in the new release from Canadian author Amy Jones. Pebble & Dove is her latest novel, which is a lighthearted take on family politics and the bonds we draw and break within that sphere….
It’s hard to define Mad Honey by Katie Welch in terms of genre; we begin with a literary novel steeped in family history and resentment, slowly move into the territory of a mystery, and end up in the world of a thriller. Despite these leaps, the plotting is well done and I couldn’t read this…
I’ve been chatting about books on CBC Calgary’s afternoon drive home show for about 10 years now, so I’ve gotten a clear glimpse behind the curtain of live radio. That being said, there’s A TON I don’t know about this industry, and the inner workings on the morning show here are still a mystery to…
I purchased What Strange Paradise a few years ago, shortly after Omar El Akkad won the Giller Prize for writing it back in 2021. When he wrote it, he likely didn’t assume many readers would already be familiar with the book The Boy on the Beach by Tima Kurdi, the real-life account of what his…
When this book arrived on my doorstep for review, I remember getting excited about its unique premise; Night Watch: The Vet Suite by Gillian Wigmore is a collection of 3 novellas all about rural veterinarians. I promptly forgot about it for 2 years, but finally picked it up after searching for something on my bookshelf…
After a promising review by fellow book blogger Naomi, I was convinced I should pick up the latest release from Canadian writer Pauline Holdstock. Confessions with Keith is a look at a year in the life of a wife and mother who is barely holding on. I love tales of motherhood, and the frantic scribblings…
Here in Canada we are lucky to have a rich publishing landscape of Indigenous voices, and the numbers are only increasing. In fact, many books on the current and previous bestseller lists are Indigenous writers. I don’t see the same representation in American publishing, and I heard the Native American writer Tommy Orange speak when…
While preparing for a ‘spring books to watch’ segment on my monthly radio appearance, I chose The Fake by Zoe Whittall for two reasons; one, I keep seeing it mentioned everywhere, so obviously the publisher has been successful in creating ‘buzz’. Secondly, it’s a work of fiction about a con-artist, which is always a fun…
Growing up in Ontario means I’m still learning about the Western Canadian books that everyone has read. I moved out west to Calgary 14 years ago now, and even though I’m firmly embedded in our publishing world here, I’m not familiar with what’s considered a ‘classic’ and what all the kids read in high school….
The phrase ‘love marriage’ means different things to different people, but in the context of the book Love Marriage by Monica Ali, it refers to the fact that Yasmin’s Indian parents formed a relationship based on love alone; an assumption for many, but a radical idea for some. Is this the goal for everyone: to…