Book Review – The Confabulist by Steven Galloway

I'll admit that I've never quite gotten the fuss over Houdini. Does there really need to be another book about him? That said, having enjoyed both The Cellist of Sarajevo and Ascension by Steven Galloway, I gave The Confabulist (Knopf Canada, 2014) a shot and I'm glad I did. The Confabulist contains stories within stories.… Continue reading Book Review – The Confabulist by Steven Galloway

Book Review – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

This book was okay. That's exactly what my dad always refers to as "damned with faint praise" but I can't muster up much more enthusiasm about The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry (Viking, 2014). I wish I could because I know a few people who read this novel and enjoyed it immensely. I simply don't… Continue reading Book Review – The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry by Gabrielle Zevin

In the Valley

I've celebrated Easter my whole life. It is the pivotal week in the Christian calendar. Those three dark days when evil seemed to win. And then, sunrise service on Easter Sunday, coloured eggs in a basket, Jesus arose. Love wins. Good triumphs. God is not dead. I've heard the story a hundred times. I've told… Continue reading In the Valley

Book Review – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

How much would you do for someone you love? What would you sacrifice? Where is the line between right and wrong? What does it mean to be a parent? These are all questions that The Light Between Oceans (Scribner, 2012) forces the reader to ponder. We all want to believe that we know right from… Continue reading Book Review – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman

Book Review – Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney

There's a reason very few books are written in the second person. It's a difficult feat to pull off without sounding like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. The problem, of course, is that, at some point or another, the reader will stop and say, "No. That isn't me. I didn't do that." And the… Continue reading Book Review – Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney