I am a big believer in always having markers, crayons, and basic art supplies easily accessible to my kids at all times. For one thing, it makes it much easier to tell them to ‘play on their own’ when they have this kind of stuff handy, but more importantly learning to express oneself is an…
A few months ago I reviewed a book on this blog that raised the question; why read a book when you know it is going to be disturbing? Because I am a paid book critic, I consider it my duty to read all kind of stories, even when they don’t appeal to me. The breadth…
I’ve got another work of climate fiction for you; a genre based on some of our worst anxieties based on what the world may look like as we continue our climb into warmer temperatures. What’s different about Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop is that it takes place right in my backyard of Southern Alberta. And while…
It seems strange to admit, but the cover of Infinite Country by Patricia Engel is the first thing that drew me into it, which is rare for me; I’m rarely swayed by the cover of a book, but I loved the metallic rainbow panels in between the detailed pencil sketches. These three animals, the condor,…
In case you’re wondering why I’ve been reading so many thrillers about the perils of parenting lately, my latest segment for radio is all about this topic, so don’t worry, I’m not experiencing any mid-life parenting crises! Nothing more than usual anyway. It does beg the question though, why are there so many books that…
Is there any greater pleasure than reading a book by your favourite author? Probably, but whenever a David Sedaris book is released, even one that’s only a selection of previously-released stories, I celebrate! He is my favourite author, and it’s my goal to one day see him read live. The Best of Me still held…
Do not let the drab cover of this book fool you; the pages are full of colourful, vibrant female characters with passion in their hearts, despite World War II raging on around them. Censorettes by Elizabeth Bales Frank is about a young group of British women who read and monitored postal correspondence for hidden Nazi…
Does a book cover with hot pink letters and the word “Ladies” in the title give you a certain impression of what you’ll find inside? If you’re anything like me, you may write a book off simply based on its colour scheme alone (why does it have to be pink for god’s sakes?) but if…
I couldn’t help myself, I HAD to read this season’s buzziest book, The Push by Ashley Audrain. You may recall I reviewed a book that dealt with some dark subject matter a few weeks ago, and I was warned that The Push was a slightly lighter version of Daniil & Vanya, so I prepared myself…
A new genre is emerging in books, and it’s called ‘climate fiction’. Typically dystopian (because how could it NOT be?) it describes a future in which the environmental impacts of global warming are no longer escapable by anyone, and life as we now it know has been drastically altered because of the selfish acts of…
Valentine’s Day is no doubt going to look a little different for many this year, and for me especially this is going to become a family holiday more than it ever has in the past, because what else am I going to do on a freezing-cold Sunday in the house with my kids? Plus, having…
I’ve had this book on my shelf for awhile now and I didn’t get to it earlier because of other reading commitments, but I was really excited to finally dive in because a) it’s been getting exceptional reviews and b) I loved another book similar to it, Queenie. Although very different from what I expected…
