Moonfleet - J. Meade Falkner (Puffin Books, 1994) This novel, originally published in 1898, is a great example of how a sense of pacing and adventure can change for readers over time. Moonfleet is an adventure story, clearly meant for young readers (probably boys, given the time), featuring smuggling, buried treasure, and shipwrecks. It has… Continue reading Book Review: Moonfleet by J. Meade Falkner
Little Eyes - Samanta Schweblin (Riverhead Books, 2020) I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof of this book. All opinions are my own. On sale date: 5 May 2020. Little Eyes walks a disconcerting line between horror and science fiction, existing in a world almost precisely like our own. The opening chapter demonstrates immediately the kind… Continue reading Book Review: Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin
The alphabet is, obviously, the foundation of literacy. There are a LOT of alphabet books out there for kids, with all kinds of themes and illustrations. These are some of the favourites in our household. Pearl knows her ABCs now and is beginning to recognize a few simple words. Rose remains largely illiterate. ABCers -… Continue reading Reading with Pearl & Rose: Alphabet Books
Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi (Anchor Canada, 2017) The scope of what Yaa Gyasi achieves in Homegoing is truly impressive. In just over 300 pages, she lays out eight generations, two branches splitting out from one woman. The story begins with two young women, Effia and Esi. Daughters of the same woman, they grow up in… Continue reading Book Review: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
The Moment of Tenderness - Madeleine L'Engle (Grand Central Publishing, 2020) This collection of short stories from Madeleine L'Engle is comprised of both previously published work and stories never before published. It includes stories she wrote as a very young woman and ones that show a more experienced hand. As many other readers are, I'm… Continue reading Book Review: The Moment of Tenderness by Madeleine L’Engle
As it did for so many, Easter looked very different for our family this year. For us, Easter is centred around gathering with our church - a Good Friday service, sometimes an early morning beach service on Sunday morning, followed by the main service at church, full of excitement. For the past four years we've… Continue reading Easter 2020
Lost Boy Found - Kirsten Alexander (Grand Central Publishing, 2020) I received an Advanced Reading Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. In the interest of full disclosure I will confess that I read the first two parts of this, skimmed most of the third and then jumped to the end to see… Continue reading Book Review: Lost Boy Found by Kirsten Alexander
It's been one month since the night Peter and I learned there were confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our town. We live in a small community, located a forty minute ferry ride from Vancouver. So although we aren't far from the Big City, it can feel very separate. Yet that night we knew what people… Continue reading Life: One Month
The Mercies - Kiran Millwood Hargrave (Little, Brown and Company, 2019) In Finnmark, Norway in 1617, a sudden storm strikes out of nowhere one day, killing forty men in the small fishing village of Vardo. This represents almost all the men of Vardo and in the months following the women left behind must figure out… Continue reading Book Review: The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave
One of the most fun things for me as a parent is introducing my girls to the books I loved when I was a kid. I hadn't read anything by Laura Ingalls Wilder in years but when Pearl turned four last year and we started reading chapter books with her at bedtime, I thought we'd… Continue reading Reading with Pearl & Rose: Laura Ingalls Wilder
Karissa Reads Books 