I bought this book as a gift for a seven-year-old I know so the true test will be whether or not she enjoys it. In the meantime, here are my thoughts. Jaundice and Kale are sisters who enjoy looking at wallpaper, watching grass grow, and eating plain cheese sandwiches. Their parents went out to run… Continue reading Book Review: The Unintentional Adventures of the Bland Sisters (Book One): The Jolly Regina by Kara LaReau
Author: Karissa
Death is Swallowed Up in Victory
Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting? Today is the first day of the autumn season. A year ago, I sat in a hospital, swallowing back tears, repeating to myself the lines from that famous psalm, "Even though I walk through the valley of… Continue reading Death is Swallowed Up in Victory
Book Review: The Good People by Hannah Kent
With her second novel, Hannah Kent confirms that she is a master of historical fiction. As with Burial Rites (read my review here), Kent uses a true historical story to build her novel around. This time the setting is early 19th century Ireland and the tale revolves around "the good people" - the fairies and… Continue reading Book Review: The Good People by Hannah Kent
Book Review: Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida
This collection of short essays (plus an interview and a short story) follows Higashida's previous book translated into English, The Reason I Jump. I haven't read Higashida before and while The Reason I Jump may provide some helpful context and personal history, I don't think it's necessary to have read it first. It also… Continue reading Book Review: Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 by Naoki Higashida
Book Review: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Heart's Invisible Furies follows the life of Cyril Avery, beginning in the 1940s and jumping ahead every seven years and, in doing so, also outlining the history of Ireland in the 20th century and many of the changes it went through. We begin with Cyril's mother, publicly cast out of her church, family, and… Continue reading Book Review: The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne
Book Review: The Golden House by Salman Rushdie
Salman Rushdie's latest novel begins with the arrival of Nero Golden and his three sons in New York City, on the day of Barack Obama's inauguration. These four men have appeared in the city under mysterious circumstances, from an unnamed country, with assumed names. They move into a close knit, wealthy neighbourhood with a… Continue reading Book Review: The Golden House by Salman Rushdie
Book Review: The Wonderlings by Mira Bartok
I didn't finish reading this book. A few short chapters in, I realized that I was most definitely not the target audience and I simply wasn't being grabbed by what was happening on the page. That said, I do feel like I can recommend it because Karissa ages 8 - 12 would have loved this… Continue reading Book Review: The Wonderlings by Mira Bartok
What I Read – August 2017
The Bear and the Nightingale - Katherine Arden (Del Rey, 2017) Teardown - Clea Young (Free Hand Books, 2016) Fall Down 7 Times, Get Up 8 - Naoki Higashida (Random House, 2017) The Golden House - Salman Rushdie (Random House, 2017) Currently Reading: The Beauty Myth - Naomi Wolf The Wind is not a River… Continue reading What I Read – August 2017
Book Review: Himself by Jess Kidd
When I think of books to compare Himself to, nothing springs to mind. When I think of how to describe Himself, the first word that comes to me is "Irish". This book is very Irish. From the setting to the dialogue, maybe even to the mystical elements it contains. Mahoney, an orphan from a young… Continue reading Book Review: Himself by Jess Kidd
The Rest of the Summer (So Far)
As August quickly approaches its end, we've started to look ahead to the fall in our household. Peter's work schedule changes to its more regular hours in a couple weeks and so the rhythm of our days will revert back to its more ordinary flow. In the meantime, we are enjoying our last days of… Continue reading The Rest of the Summer (So Far)
Karissa Reads Books 