Station Eleven - Emily St. John Mandel (Harper Avenue, 2014) At the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness - Andrew Peterson (Water Brook Press, 2008) Swimming Lessons - Claire Fuller (House of Anansi Press, 2017) Prayer - Timothy Keller (Dutton, 2014) I Capture the Castle - Dodie Smith (Red Fox, 2001) A Grief Observed… Continue reading What I Read – November 2016
Month: November 2016
Book Review: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
One of the great powers of fiction is to bring history alive. A good, well-written novel can teach the reader more than ten history books. And may access find readers who would never pick up a history book. Like many in North America, I know very little about Chechnya. It's history is long and complicated… Continue reading Book Review: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Book Review: By Gaslight by Steven Price
Steven Price was one of my favourite professors when I was in university. I took a few courses with him, including a grammar class that remains one of the most practical courses I've ever studied. All that to say, I was biased to like By Gaslight before I even started it. However, I didn't particularly… Continue reading Book Review: By Gaslight by Steven Price
Book Review: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
I read a review of A Grief Observed recently that suggested this is a book read primarily by the bereaved and I think that's a pretty fair assessment. This is a book read by those who have experienced loss and who are struggling. I've read it once before, more than a decade ago, but it… Continue reading Book Review: A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis
Book Review: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
If you like Jane Austen - Pride and Prejudice in particular - you will probably enjoy this early twentieth century twist on a familiar story. If, like me, you find Austen rather dull and her characters frustrating, you might want to skip I Capture the Castle. Set in the 1930s in England, this is the… Continue reading Book Review: I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
No, this isn’t her hair cut
When I'm out and about with Pearl I typically have some form of this conversation with a stranger: "How old is your little fellow?" "She's twenty months." "Oh, I'm sorry, I thought..." "Yeah, she doesn't have much hair yet." It really does not matter what she's wearing. Wearing a floral-patterned romper, wearing her pink coat… Continue reading No, this isn’t her hair cut
Book Review: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
(Update: I neglected to mention originally that I read this book in an Advanced Reading Copy and the novel will be published in January 2017.) Swimming Lessons is the story of a family told from opposite directions, a mystery and a disappearance in the middle. In the present day storyline, sisters Nan and Flora return… Continue reading Book Review: Swimming Lessons by Claire Fuller
Book Review: At the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
For young readers looking for a new and fun fantasy series to launch into, Peterson's Wingfeather Saga might be a perfect fit. Goofy and adventurous, the first book in this quartet, At the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, has lots going for it. Set in the land of Skree, overtaken in recent years… Continue reading Book Review: At the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson
Book Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
This post-apocalytic story has several unique features that make it stand out from the usual fare in this increasingly popular genre. The apocalypse here is brought about by the Georgian Flu, a virus with an insanely quick incubation period and a fatality rate of approximately 99%. The novel follows three intersecting stories and timelines: Before,… Continue reading Book Review: Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Monday Thoughts
Grief is a strange, lurking beast. While I'm prepared for it in many ways, it surprises me at so many other moments. Sometimes I can ready myself, steel my thoughts against it. And sometimes it simply appears. Pearl and I went to get our flu shots today and I'd forgotten one of the questions they… Continue reading Monday Thoughts
Karissa Reads Books 