I wanted to fit this book into my current reading queue as I was delighted to discover it was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, and already sitting on my bookshelf. Wait Softly Brother by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer is a (somewhat?) experimental novel, one that I wasn’t exactly sure I fully grasped, but found myself getting…
I wasn’t surprised to see David Bergen’s latest book Away From the Dead make the Scotibank Giller Prize longlist this year. He’s a serious writer, with seriously impressive award wins and nominations in his past. I last read a book of his in 2014, which you can read my review of here, and I felt…
When the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist was announced in September, I was delighted to learn that a few books on my shelf were part of it, The Clarion by Nina Dunic being one of them. Coming in at a scant 203 pages, this is a short novel published by a very small press; two great…
I had read mixed reviews of A Grandmother Begins the Story by Michelle Porter. Many heralded it as a must-read for Canadians, a compliment often used for books about Indigenous people. But some complained it was difficult to follow because of the alternating perspectives. I found it a unique and compelling read as I really…
A slim work of fiction, The Relatives by Camilla Gibb is an understated book that’s been hiding away on my bookshelf for two years. But I love Gibb’s writing, so even though it took me awhile to get to this one, I finally settled in to enjoy it this past week. The emotions are big,…
Whew. This book terrified me, and not in a spooky fun way. It terrified me because I have a daughter, and this is a coming-of-age novel about a teenager who is struggling her way through life as a female. Sharp Edges by Leah Mol is about a lot of things, but it’s mainly about growing…
Books about books will always pique my interest, but when highly lauded author Patrick deWitt releases one, I get even more excited. I had really high hopes for The Librarianist and it did not disappoint. It’s a quiet novel about a quiet man, with glimpses of humour and humanity throughout its 300ish pages. The majority…
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…
