As soon as October 1st hit, we were decorating our house orange and black. Not only do we bring out the ghosts and spiderwebs, we focus our reading on Halloween books to get the kids excited (in a sugar-free way) about the coming holiday. Below I summarize the 4 books we received, and my kids’…
Although it sat on my shelf for a few months, Astra by Cedar Bowers wasn’t pushed to the top of my stack until it appeared on the Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist. I wish my reading wasn’t a slave to the prize lists, but I must admit it helps me narrow down my selection when faced…
I got about halfway through The Last House on Needless Street by Catriona Ward and debated closing the book for good – I just wasn’t sure I could handle it anymore. The writing itself was not the problem, it was what the characters were doing to each other, or at least, what we are led…
September 30 is now officially Truth and Reconciliation Day here in Canada. Among other things, it’s intended to help bridge the gap between settlers and Indigenous people, recognizing the harm that has been done in the past, and working towards reconciliation in the future. Like many people across the country I was given that day…
It was only a year ago that I reviewed Stephen Graham Jones’ last book, The Only Good Indians, which I really enjoyed, so I jumped at the chance to read his latest release (just in time for the beginning of the spooky season) My Heart is a Chainsaw. Don’t like blood and guts? You’ll want…
Poison for Breakfast by Lemony Snicket I’ve technically read one Lemony Snicket book before; his picture book The Bad Mood and the Stick is a favourite in our house because it’s so delightfully odd and the rainbow ‘bad mood’ is a gorgeous little illustration. I had of course heard of the famous Lemony Snicket from…
With so much anger, division, and suspicion flying around these days, a book about cults seems extremely timely. How do people become so entrenched in their individual views, that they begin to isolate themselves from their loved ones? When someone struggles to maintain a sense of normalcy, to fulfill their daily obligations to their job…
Very rarely will I have the foresight and planning to read a book well before its release date, and post the review to coincide with its hype and subsequent launch. Luckily I’ve managed to do just that today! Some sources have claimed that Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr is one of the most anticipated…
It was a mistake on my part to not give the first book in this series, Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie its very own full review on my blog because it’s a stand-out novel for me. I’m finally righting that wrong and giving the second in the series, A Boring Wife Settles…
Do you see what I did there? For anyone who has read a Sally Rooney novel, you’ll know how sex plays a role in her writing, which is a fact I’ve most recently become aware of since I read all three of her books. Her publisher contacted me and asked if I’d like to see…
I am continually impressed by the eclectic mix of books that Matt Haig has published in the past few years. The first book of his I read was historical fiction, then I moved onto a work of non-fiction which I failed to write a formal review of, but talked about on the radio a few…
I love reading about a fed-up lady. There is nothing more entertaining than reading the inner (and sometimes outer) thoughts of a middle-aged woman who is just sick of it all. One of my favourite books in past years was this little gem, which is why I was so eager to read Her Turn by…
