If you love a good mystery novel - with a private eye who smokes too much, drinks too much, likes to comment on a lady's legs (and calls them "gams"), but always gets the job done - you owe a debt of gratitude to Raymond Chandler. The Big Sleep is Chandler's first novel, published in… Continue reading Book Review – The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler
Some books should come with a warning. Something like, "You're probably going to cry before this book is through. Even if you think you're not a crier." All My Puny Sorrows (Knopf Canada, 2014) is Miriam Toews' sixth novel. Like the first five, this novel involves Mennonite characters. Though while being Mennonite is key to… Continue reading Book Review – All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
I'm rather inclined to think of Tell the Wolves I'm Home (Dial Press, 2013) as a young adult novel. That's certainly not a bad thing, I just think teenagers would benefit from reading this one. June is 14-years-old and her favourite person in the world has just died. Her uncle Finn, a talented artist, her… Continue reading Book Review – Tell the Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
Today Canada celebrates its 147th birthday. In honour of the occasion, I would like to present to you the top 50 novels you should read if you want to be A Well-Read Canadian. And who doesn't, right? This idea was inspired by this list, as well as my general love of listing books. My criteria:… Continue reading The Well-Read Canadian
Disclaimer: I've met Bill Gaston in real life and because he's a super nice person, it likely colours my review. That said, he is an award-winning Canadian writer so I'm not the only one being nice to him. After all that, I don't feel bad saying that I generally prefer his short stories to his… Continue reading Book Review – The World by Bill Gaston
Happy first day of summer! As you may recall, I am anti the so-called "beach read". Life's too short to read poorly written books. That said, last summer I attempted to tackle (again) Ulysses by James Joyce and failed (again). Partly because that honking great book was not the right choice to backpack through Europe… Continue reading Summer Reading List 2014
Anne Michaels excels at a certain kind of historical fiction. Historical fiction that pulls you deeply in to a character's life. A fiction that feels like the best family history you could hear, like someone you love whispering their secrets in your ear. I had high hopes for The Winter Vault (McClelland & Stewart, 2009)… Continue reading Book Review – The Winter Vault by Anne Michaels
I'm willing to bet that most people who were teenagers in 1999 remember where they were when they find out about the Columbine shooting. It was a sort of JFK assassination for our generation, a year and a half before the World Trade Centre towers fell. It wasn't the first school shooting and it wasn't… Continue reading Book Review – We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
This tiny novel - only sixty-nine pages - is really more of a short story. Yet, by offering it to us in book form, Zadie Smith confers on The Embassy of Cambodia (Hamish Hamilton, 2013) a greater depth and weight. Fortunately, this story deserves it. The Embassy of Cambodia focuses on Fatou, a domestic servant… Continue reading Book Review – The Embassy of Cambodia by Zadie Smith
I did not like this book. I remember when it was released and when it was selling out in stores and was at its height of popularity. Even now, people ask for it and seem to enjoy it. I just don't understand the appeal. The Art of Racing in the Rain (Harper Perennial, 2008) is… Continue reading Book Review – The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein
Karissa Reads Books 