In 2013, I read 32 books. While nothing to sneeze at, I felt the number was kind of low so I resolved to read more books in 2014. I'm pleased to report that I accomplished this goal and, in fact, more than doubled the number of books I read. With great difficulty, I have attempted… Continue reading What I Read 2014 – A Year in Review
I thought that being big and pregnant this year would give me a new perspective on Mary. A new point of view, maybe, on that young girl, carrying the saviour of the world. And while I'm more sympathetic than ever for her ride to Bethlehem on a donkey and sleeping in a stable (I can't… Continue reading Blessed Are You Among Women
At the beginning of the season, I set myself a goal of 18 books I hoped to read in the coming fall. (You can read that post here.) I didn't cross off everything on the list but I did read a lot of great books. Here's how I did. 1. Shotgun Lovesongs by Nicholas Butler… Continue reading In Conclusion: My Autumn 2014 Reading List
It's feeling festive around here. Last Saturday, this was my view while eating breakfast: That's right - the first snow of the season! (Hey, that's a West Coast winter for you.) It lingered briefly and is now not much more but a distant memory. Maybe we'll get some more one day. It was a slightly… Continue reading Christmas Comes to Halfmoon Bay
Butterflies in November (Black Cat, 2014) is an Icelandic novel first published in 2004 but only recently translated into English. What is this book about? A woman's husband announces his desire to divorce him. She cooks a goose. She goes on a road trip with her friend's child (for some reason). She meets some men.… Continue reading Book Review – Butterflies in November by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
This weekend, Peter and I took off for a couple of days to the furthest reaches of the Sunshine Coast - Powell River! Peter had been before but I never had so it seemed an appropriate getaway for the weekend before my birthday. Waiting at the Earls Cove ferry terminal. We had better luck with… Continue reading Powell River Getaway
The most Canadian things that have happened to me lately: Plugging in our car overnight. The man seated next to me at the medical lab commenting, "It's busier than a Tim Hortons in here." Living on the west coast, we don't get extreme temperatures (in either the highs or the lows) but it's been cold… Continue reading Clear Skies and Mushrooms
We re-arranged our living room recently. Peter accuses me of nesting but I'm sticking firm to my claim that it was his idea. Doesn't really matter though - either way we get to watch the view while we eat breakfast. And now we have this sweet little reading corner. The perfect place for an evening… Continue reading Bring on November
Alone in the Classroom (Emblem 2011) begins with a murder and the tension grows from there. In fact, the rate of revelation and tension in this novel is infinitely impressive. Our narrator, Anne, begins with the story of the death of a young girl, occurring when her own mother was young. It is also the… Continue reading Book Review – Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
A couple of chapters in and To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (Little, Brown & Co, 2014) began to make me feel like I need to book a dentist appointment. Though probably not with Paul O'Rourke, the main character, narrator, and dentist of the novel. Paul is outwardly successful - he owns his dental… Continue reading Book Review – To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris
