Even though I have contacted the plague, I am still enjoying reading my short story advent calendar and sampling my chocolate advent calendar ( side note: I can’t taste the chocolate right now, but the texture still delights me). Smokey takes front seat in this video today because she was missing the limelight. I also…
It’s getting to be that time of year folks! December starts tomorrow, and I’ve got my advent calendars (yes, that’s plural) locked and loaded. To mark this special time of year, I’m going to be posting a video each day on my youtube channel until Dec. 25. They’ll be short and sweet, recording my unveiling…
If the title of this book is confusing, the subtitle will make everything clear: A Collection of Soho Crime Christmas Capers. As you can see by the cover of the book, it’s all about ‘Christmasy’ stories of crime, and who doesn’t love to read a holiday-themed book at this time of year? There are 18…
I’ve got strange reading habits and preferences, I’m totally aware of that fact. One of these unique tendencies is the fact that I love coming-of-age books, but I don’t read a lot of YA (young adult). ‘When else are people coming of age?’ you might ask. Well, the answer to that is quite simple: we…
I loved this book. I didn’t think I would, because it’s about two things I don’t typically enjoy reading about: American politics (ugh) and dystopian futures (double ugh). I picked up American War by Omar El Akkad despite these hesitations because I had read some positive reviews of it, and the author was featured in…
I’ve always followed Canada’s annual book awards, enjoyed reporting on them, etc. But sometimes we miss out on some amazing titles that don’t make it on these lists, so for my most recent book segment on the CBC I wanted to draw attention to the hidden gems that are still worth our time . You…
Ten Dead Comedians by Fred Van Lente is a fun murder mystery based on Agatha Christie’s most popular book And Then There Were None. According to Christie’s ‘official’ website, And Then There Were None is the best-selling crime book of all time, and it’s no wonder why, it has a fabulous premise: ten strangers are lured…
I can’t remember ever reading a book or story by Alistair MacLeod before today, but I do know I should be ashamed of this fact because he’s one of Canada’s greatest writers. Although he died in 2014, his legacy still lives on in his writing, as well as through his son Alexander MacLeod (pictured below) who is…
I rarely do meme’s (or it is memes?) on this blog because my reading is typically dictated by the book events or author interviews I’m scheduled to do. However, this seemed like a really easy one to join in on, and it appears other book bloggers are having so much fun doing these together, so…
I had requested a few books from NeWest Press awhile ago, so I had Darwin’s Moving by Taylor Lambert on my shelf for at least a few weeks, if not months. Then, at my most recent Wordfest event, I came across someone who looked vaguely familiar to me, although I wasn’t sure why. After introducing…
It’s hard to imagine a woman named “Norma” as exotic (sorry to all the Normas out there, but you know it’s true), but the latest release from famed Helsinki-based writer Sofi Oksanen features just that: a “Norma” with a fantastic secret. Oksanen’s Norma has hair that grows at an incredible rate, she has to cut…
I loved this book. Brother by David Chariandy is a must-read, and I completely understand why it’s making all the prize lists this Fall. It recounts the childhood and early adulthood of a sensitive Michael, and his older brother Francis. They live in a small apartment in the Toronto suburb of Scarborough with their extremely…
