If you’ve ever wished yourself out of a conversation at a social event, try bringing up the colorful subject of personal wealth – and watch people disperse immediately! On Class by Deborah Dundas is the seventh in the Biblioasis Field Notes series. In this short, pamphlet-like book, Dundas explores the complicated world of class; the…
Quickly becoming one of my ‘must read everything authors’, Samantha Irby has released a new book of essays just in time for the start of my summer reading. Quietly Hostile looks like her other books; a bright cover with a random animal on the front, and it reads exactly like her other books too: hilarious….
In honour of Father’s Day this month, I’m reading and reviewing books that feature father figures for my upcoming radio segment. The Boy and the Mountain; A Father, His Son, and a Journey of Discovery by Torbjørn Ekelund and translated by Becky L. Crook fit the bill perfectly. It’s a slim work of non-fiction that…
As I was perusing a publisher catalogue a few months ago, a non-fiction book caught my eye: Madame Restell, The Life, Death and Resurrection of Old New York’s Most Fabulous, Fearless and Infamous Abortionist by Jennifer Wright. Why did this particular work interest me? I don’t typically jump at reading books about history, especially American…
I don’t mind a true crime book now and then. I definitely prefer the fictional thriller or detective novel over the factual, but every once in awhile a case catches my interest, and Murder at Teal’s Pond by David Bushman and Mark T. Givens did just that. It describes the murder and investigation of the…
A few weeks ago, our kitty Makita (pictured above) gave us a little scare. She stopped eating and drinking for almost 6 straight days, and was in and out of the animal hospital. It was finally determined she was suffering from a bad sinus infection, so luckily a week of antibiotics has returned her to…
Do you ever see a book and immediately realize it’s written just for you? Seeing the title and cover on this one was an instant hit of recognition for me; Send Me Into the Woods Alone, Essays on Motherhood by Erin Pepler made me feel like I was its ideal audience. It’s a very short…
Some of my Canadian readers will recognize my next title. Superfan: How Pop Culture Broke My Heart by Jen Sookfong Lee has gotten lots of recent and positive coverage in the media, and I tend to enjoy non-fiction essays with a lighter touch, so I opted to give it a try when the publisher sent…
I was put onto this book by a social media post from an old friend of mine who I had lost touch with. She was diagnosed with two forms of aggressive cancer, one right after the other. During her treatments, she spoke highly of the bestselling book Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl,…
Happy Valentine’s Day! As I continue my ‘month of love’ reading, this work of non-fiction about the marriage of Rosalie and Issy Sharp, the Canadian founders of the billion dollar hotel chain The Four Seasons, is up next. I expected to read a book about a challenging marriage to a high-powered CEO, but instead A…
I’m currently reading my way through a few self-help books in anticipation of my January radio segment, focused on New Years resolutions. It will likely have aired by the time I get around to posting this, but I just finished reading Workday Warrior by Ann Gomez and a few of her tips and tricks are…
Although the title of this book may seem as though it’s the latest thriller to hit the shelves, it’s actually a lot scarier than that. Generation Dread by Britt Wray is a work of non-fiction, exploring the increasing climate anxiety that many people are experiencing, especially younger generations. Despite some of its dire predictions and…
