The Blythes are Quoted - L.M. Montgomery (Viking Books, 2009) As a kid, I loved L.M. Montgomery's books. They were cozy and sweet and always had a happy ending. I read and re-read each one; I owned most of Montgomery's books and got the others from the library. I read the series and the novels… Continue reading Book Review: The Blythes are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery
Every Little Scrap and Wonder - Carla Funk (Greystone Books, 2019) When I was in university, I had a professor with whom I took several poetry workshops. These were three hour workshops, often full of intense conversation. Sometimes they began at eight in the morning and we dragged ourselves out of bed, barely dressed, and… Continue reading Book Review: Every Little Scrap and Wonder by Carla Funk
The Innocents - Michael Crummey (Doubleday Canada, 2019) Michael Crummey is an absolutely beautiful writer. His prose is evocative and thoughtful and unique. He does description of place in fresh and fascinating ways. His books are usually quite character-driven while also maintaining a certain distance between reader and character. His protagonists are eery, otherworldly, a… Continue reading Book Review: The Innocents by Michael Crummey
October has not had a great start in either the book review or the book reading department. I've completed 3 books and DNFed 2 others and am contemplating abandoning a current read. In an effort to break the cycle, I'm sharing a bit of what I've read so far as well as some recent life… Continue reading Mid-Month Check-In and Happy Thanksgiving!
Lampedusa - Steven Price (McClelland & Stewart, 2019) Lampedusa is a quiet, contemplative novel about a man close to death. It opens in Sicily, in Palermo, as Giuseppe Tomasi, the last prince of Lampedusa learns that he is dying of emphysema. Giuseppe is an older but not old man, prematurely aged by both his smoking… Continue reading Book Review: Lampedusa by Steven Price
Read: The Fall - Albert Camus (Alfred A. Knopf, 1957) To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee (Warner Books, 1982) Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee (HarperCollins, 2015) The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? - F.F. Bruce (William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1981) Everything Under - Daisy Johnson (Jonathan Cape, 2018) Milkman -… Continue reading What I Read – September 2019
My Sister, the Serial Killer - Oyinkan Braithwaite (Anchor Books, 2018) This book was not what I expected. For some reason, I thought the serial killer sister was more of a metaphor but no, our main character and narrator's sister is, in fact, a serial killer. A serial killer, we learn, is defined as someone… Continue reading Book Review: My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Half Magic - Edward Eager (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2016) This is a sweet, old-fashioned story about four siblings who discover a magic coin. The eldest, Jane, picks it up on the sidewalk one day and quickly discovers it grants wishes. Except that it only grants half the wish. So when Jane wishes for a fire,… Continue reading Book Review: Half Magic by Edward Eager
As I read through K.D. Miller's short story collection, I began to create a web of characters, drawing lines between the names that appeared on the pages of various stories. The stories are linked in the most satisfying type of way. Existing in the same world, primarily taking place in Hamilton or Sackville, the characters… Continue reading Book Review: Late Breaking by K.D. Miller
Grand Union - Zadie Smith (Penguin Press, 2019) I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof of this book. All opinions are my own. I've read three other books by Zadie Smith and have always sort of generally enjoyed her writing but never been quite wowed by it. (My unpopular opinion is that I liked The Embassy… Continue reading Book Review: Grand Union by Zadie Smith
Karissa Reads Books 