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
Category: Book Reviews
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
What I Read – 2013
This is the closest I'll get to any sort of "2013 in Review" type post. What better way to look back at a year than to see what I read in those 365 days? Several I reviewed here (click the title to read the review), but many I didn't, so I've listed every book I… Continue reading What I Read – 2013
Book Review – Reality Boy by A.S. King
Reality Boy is not a book I would have read if I hadn't been given a copy. This is a young adult novel about a teenage boy. I'm not exactly the target audience. However, I thought the premise of Reality Boy was fascinating. Gerald is almost 17. When he was five, his family was featured… Continue reading Book Review – Reality Boy by A.S. King
Book Review – This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
For a book lover, there are few greater things than finding an author you love who is still alive. The thrill of falling in love with a new book is only made greater when you learn that its author is a contemporary who is still writing. At least, that's how I always feel about Ann… Continue reading Book Review – This is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett
Telling the Truth in Fiction
I used to work in a bookstore. One day, an older gentleman came in looking for our non-fiction section. This question becomes something of a joke to anyone who works in a bookstore; every part of the store that isn't fiction is non-fiction, after all. I didn't question the man though, merely told him where… Continue reading Telling the Truth in Fiction
Karissa Reads Books 