It's summer. Our narrator is at a nice restaurant in Amsterdam - small portions, high prices, you know the kind - with his wife and his brother and his sister-in-law. It's one of those restaurants and his brother is one of those guys. The type of guy who can get a reservation at a moment's… Continue reading Book Review – The Dinner by Herman Koch
Category: Book Reviews
Book Review – Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
"I am trying to remain open to new realities, not blaming God when my expectations go unmet but trusting Him to lead me through failures toward renewal and growth." What I appreciate most when it comes to Philip Yancey's writing is his honesty. I think he's a wise man but he never pretends to have… Continue reading Book Review – Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
Book Review – Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
If you know Ontario, you know the places like Crow Lake. The tiny towns, the stone of the Canadian Shield, the smell of the lakes in the summer, the way the trees grow. Mary Lawson effortlessly creates a fictional space out of this real world. Crow Lake the town isn't real but Crow Lake (Vintage… Continue reading Book Review – Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Book Review – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Harold Fry goes down the street to mail a letter and ends of walking across England. This is the basic plot of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Bond Street Books, 2012) and it has many of the hallmarks of a classic hero quest. Harold is a decent guy, recently retired, married to Maureen, father… Continue reading Book Review – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Book Review – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
After years of my life spent in bookstores, I was excited to read Robin Sloan's first novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Harper Perennial, 2012). It was, therefore, disappointing to discover that the story I thought was about books was actually an ode to technology. To the point that I began to wonder if this novel… Continue reading Book Review – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Book Review – I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Having previously read The Book Thief, I should have suspected that Markus Zusak is not a straightforward novel writer. Yet the conclusion of I Am The Messenger (Knopf, 2005) still came as a surprise to me. Ed Kennedy is a nineteen-year-old cabdriver. He's from the rough side of town and he's on the right track… Continue reading Book Review – I Am The Messenger by Markus Zusak
Book Review – Little Children by Tom Perrotta
I get frustrated with books like Little Children (St. Martin's Griffin,2004). Any book that tries to make a comment on the lives of a group of people is bound to get some things right and some things wrong. Little Children is about a neighbourhood of young families. Parents in their late twenties and early thirties… Continue reading Book Review – Little Children by Tom Perrotta
Book Review – Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
I loved this book. I loved the premise, I loved the characters, I loved the setting. Truly excellent. Ursula Todd is born on 11 February 1910. She dies immediately, unable to take her first breath due to the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. Ursula Todd is born on 11 February 1910.She grows up to… Continue reading Book Review – Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Book Review – Looking for Alaska by John Green
As a former teenage girl, I think what I appreciate most about John Green's writing is his characters. Looking for Alaska (Dutton Juvenile, 2005) was Green's first novel. While not as breathtakingly awesome as his more recent The Fault in Our Stars, it's definitely still a solid young adult read. Looking for Alaska begins with… Continue reading Book Review – Looking for Alaska by John Green
Book Review – Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
This is the third novel by Michael Chabon that I've read. (Read my reviews of The Yiddish Policemen's Union or The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay.) Obviously, I enjoy his writing. Telegraph Avenue (HarperCollins, 2012) has Chabon's usual blend of colourful imagery and quirky characters bumbling about in a finely-realized setting. Telegraph Avenue revolves… Continue reading Book Review – Telegraph Avenue by Michael Chabon
Karissa Reads Books 