What strikes you first when you begin to read Mãn (Random House, 2014) is its unique format. Each chapter of this slim novel reads like a long poem. The headings are unobtrusively displayed in English and Vietnamese. Most of the chapters are less than a page. They are vignettes, moments. Given their brevity, they are… Continue reading Book Review – Man by Kim Thuy
Today marks four years since the bright, sunny day on which Peter and I got married. While four years is not a monumental anniversary, it is one that deserves to be celebrated. Because I think our marriage deserves to be celebrated. It has been four good years. Four years of getting to know each other… Continue reading Four
This weekend, I got a full on literary experience, compliments of the Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts. This is the longest running Canadian Festival of its kind (this weekend marked 32 years) and features a wonderful line-up of Canadian authors. It's always a delightful mixture of big name writers and up and coming… Continue reading Celebrating the Written Arts
I was about halfway through The Bluest Eye (Plume, 1994) when a friend asked me what I was currently reading. "It's pretty heavy, right?" she asked. I glanced at her little girl, munching apple slices next to me at the kitchen counter. "Yeah. It is." Racial tensions, domestic abuse, poverty, incest. Yeah, pretty dark. While… Continue reading Book Review – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
With a very warm July and early August, our backyard is bursting with fruit. Yesterday was the first cooler day with a little bit of rain and so I decided to devote myself to dealing with some of this. Those are yellow plums, figs, and apples from our yard and a zucchini from our neighbours'.… Continue reading Backyard Harvest
Last weekend, Peter and I took a long weekend trip south of the border - down Seattle way! We headed over Friday evening after work and made it through the Peace Arch by sunset. We were in Seattle together at this same time three years ago so we knew some of the places we wanted… Continue reading Hello August
Karissa Reads Books 