If you were ever wondering how to pick up a maid in Statue Square, you will quickly find the answer to your question in  Rea Tarvydas’s debut collection of short stories (whew, am I right?). Statue Square by the way, is a real place in Hong Kong, and I’ve tracked down an image of it…
I’ve been struggling to form a definitive opinion on American Female by Emily Carpenter. I don’t review self-published books like this very often, but Carpenter sent me a lovely, personal email asking me to consider reviewing it awhile back. She then included a cute little thank you card with the actual book, which is why…
Does anyone have their new year’s resolutions figured out yet? I don’t, and I rarely stick with resolutions anyway, but I like to read self-help books around December and January because I find that’s when an inner focus is really necessary. The Power of When by Michael Breus, PhD is a really fascinating read. And…
Are you a boring person? Then you are going to LOVE this book! Just kidding, lots of people are going to like this book, in fact I think I’ve found the perfect Christmas gift for anyone over 70 years old, who as we know, are a difficult crowd to buy for; they have everything, and…
I find myself reaching for ‘important’ books these days. ‘Important’ in the sense that I know they will be difficult to read, but I feel as though I have to read them any way, because I’ll gain perspective into a difficult world that more people should be aware of. Fifteen Lanes by S.J. Laidlaw is…
Memoirs from female comedians seem to be coming fast and furious these days. Books by Mindy Kaling, Tina Fey, Anna Kendrick, etc. are all examples of this extremely popular trend in books right now. Personally, I hate trends, I’m the person with a giant scowl on my face as people tell me all about this…
Aren’t human voices annoying? I feel the exact same way, which is why I am so delighted to talk about The Wildings by Nilanjana Roy, a book that includes NO HUMAN DIALOGUE whatsoever. So what does it include then? Cat dialogue of course (which sounds very similar to human dialogue, but obviously much cuter, and…
All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda is definitely unique. And that’s a real compliment for a book that’s about young woman disappearing, as this is hardly a ground-breaking premise for a story. It’s a classic mystery, but told backwards. We begin by learning about two missing girls-one who disappeared 10 years ago, and the…
I was really surprised to discover that Harmless Like You by Rowan Hisayo Buchanan was her first book ever published. It’s beautifully written in the way that only students of creative writing can accomplish, which isn’t a slight against her, it’s simply an observation that she’s clearly studied literature in many forms. Take this short…
So it’s funny that I’m writing this review today, of all days. Mainly because I was lucky enough to meet the author of Teardown, Clea Young this week for the very first time. But I’ve spoken to Clea many times in the past, we’ve shared many laughs together, as well as many frustrations, but Monday night…
It seem as though I’ve been on a string of reading really good books lately, and of course this Scotiabank Giller Prize nominee was no different. The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall has alot of hype surrounding it, and I totally understand/want to perpetuate this hype. It has a unique premise, engrossing characters,…
Clearly I’ve been missing out on a well-known fact; Ami McKay is an amazing writer. Many people are already aware of this, she’s a popular Canadian author, and has won lots awards for her previous books. I’m not sure why it took me this long to discover her, but I’m so glad I did. In…
