I’m starting to read books in anticipation of my Father’s Day CBC segment in June, which means I’m picking up novels that don’t normally fit my tastes. I scan my bookshelves and look for stories that don’t generally interest me, and that’s how I start to put together my list of book recommendations for Dads…
I may be giving you the wrong idea by calling this book a true crime. Don’t Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman isn’t about a murder, but it most definitely details the committing of a crime, numerous crimes, hundreds of little acts that constitute breaking the law. It explains the development of NXIVM, an…
Beartown by Fredrik Backman is another book I picked up at my local library (curbside that is, apparently Calgary has the highest COVID numbers in the North America at the moment so libraries aren’t open right now). I’ve wanted to read it for awhile since I discovered how much I enjoyed Backman’s writing when I…
I’ve been reading some wonderful mysteries lately, so imagine my surprise when I added yet another 5-star book to my goodreads list! The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton is the first book of his that I’ve ever read, but now I see why everyone loves this author. Despite its length, I was…
Whenever I come across a successful author trying their hand at a brand new genre, I’m a bit skeptical. Why bother trying something completely new when you’ve figured out the successful formula to your writing; just give us what we want! But of course I’m no artist, and we should always encourage others to try…
I’ll admit to requesting this book because of the title alone: Other People’s Children by R.J. Hoffmann seemed liked the type of catty novel that describes the judgements we make about how people raise their kids ( we all do it!). So imagine my surprise when this book is anything but catty, when it turns…
This may be the one and only time I say this, but for once I don’t resent the fact that this is an extremely long book: 600 pages! Moonflower Murders by Anthony Horowitz is a classic whodunnit, and although the references to Agatha Christie in the blurbs are a stretch (how dare you, nothing will…
It’s important that as you read my review, you understand that this is my first Joe Sacco book. Of course I’ve heard of him, but Paying the Land is the first book of his that has really appealed to me, maybe because it’s rooted in Canada and deals with Indigenous issues which I am fascinated…
Even though Charity by Keath Fraser is only a novella (114 pages in length), it felt more like a novel, diving into a multitude of topics; drugs, body image, parental responsibility, ageism. Summaries of a few different people’s lives are included, but much of what elicits its emotion is what is left unsaid or never…
Many Canadian book lovers will be familiar with the author Kerry Clare, as she has her own wonderful blog where she reviews books, plus she’s the editor at 49thshelf.com which is a helpful resource for those looking to find the latest books being released in Canada. Clare’s second novel is Waiting for a Star to…
I’m so excited to tell you about this classic mystery The Mirror Crack’d From Side to Side by Agatha Christie. I’ve been dying to read this book for awhile thanks to FictionFan and her consistent recommendations of this bestselling writer, but I rarely get an opening in my reading schedule, and I feel terrible about…
This book surprised me. Based on its cover, and its publisher (Cormorant Books), I was expecting a very literary novel, something with drawn out descriptions and hidden meanings, usually a bit slower in pace. Instead, I found a page-turner of a novel in The Good Son by Carolyn Huizinga Mills, something I raced to finish,…
