I received this book as an Advanced Reading Copy. It will be available for sale September 25, 2018. Most of what I know about leprosy comes from the Bible. That might sound like the set-up for a joke but it's true. Leprosy seems like one of those old-timey diseases that only people in Biblical times… Continue reading Book Review: Confessions of a Teenage Leper by Ashley Little
Book Review: The Boat People by Sharon Bala
I almost didn't finish this book. It is well-written, well-researched, and compelling. It was shortlisted for the most recent Canada Reads competition. I'd read several very positive reviews. (Anne's over at ivereadthis.com forced me to move the book up my To Read list.) I did finish The Boat People and I'm glad I did but it was… Continue reading Book Review: The Boat People by Sharon Bala
Life in April
Rose was six months at the very end of March and so we have started introducing solid foods. This was her face when she first tasted apple sauce. (Pearl was thrilled for Rose to start eating real food and really wanted to hold the spoon for her little sister. Later she told me that this… Continue reading Life in April
Book Review: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
This was the fourth book I've read by David Mitchell and his work surprises me each time. If you've read Cloud Atlas then you may know Mitchell as an author who isn't afraid to play with form. But what really impresses me about Mitchell's novels is how entirely different they are from one another. Black Swan… Continue reading Book Review: Black Swan Green by David Mitchell
What I Read – April 2018
READ: Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains - Yasuko Thanh (Hamish Hamilton, 2016) I went to school with Suko and so was familiar with her unique style and had an idea of where her interests lie. This historical novel set in Vietnam lined up with my expectations and I love her short stories (Her collection Floating Like… Continue reading What I Read – April 2018
Book Review: Brother by David Chariandy
I've had David Chariandy's Brother on my To Read list since it made the Canada Reads list but when FictionFan reviewed it I knew I needed to bump it up the list. (FictionFan's review here.) Brother is set in Scarborough, in the 1980s/early 90s. Scarborough was incorporated into Greater Toronto in 1999 but at this time it was… Continue reading Book Review: Brother by David Chariandy
Book Review: Our Endless Numbered Days – Claire Fuller
I read Claire Fuller's most recent novel, Swimming Lessons, (review here) last year and was intrigued enough by her writing to seek out her previous book at the local library. I'm glad I did because I actually liked Our Endless Numbered Days quite a bit more than I liked Swimming Lessons. A book part of that is the… Continue reading Book Review: Our Endless Numbered Days – Claire Fuller
What I Read – March 2018
Read: The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern (Doubleday Canada, 2011) More style than substance though I enjoyed it while I was reading it. A month (or less) later, I can't remember much but it entertained me at the time. And No Birds Sang - Farley Mowat (McClelland & Stewart, 1979) Mowat is a Canadian classic and I've… Continue reading What I Read – March 2018
What March Looked Like
Does this picture sum up how Pearl feels about her baby sister? Actually, Pearl is a great big sister and is often (not always) eager to help. She likes to get me diapers and blankets and choose clothes for Rose. She likes to bring Rose toys when Rose fusses and will gleefully tell me when… Continue reading What March Looked Like
Book Review: The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
I've read one novel (Boy, Snow, Bird) and a short story collection (What is not Yours is not Yours reviewed here) from Helen Oyeyei and it was interesting to go back and read her first novel. Icarus Girl is a strange, surreal, sometimes confusing novel. None of that is surprising, having read Oyeyemi previously, especially her most recent… Continue reading Book Review: The Icarus Girl by Helen Oyeyemi
Karissa Reads Books 