I read Wonder and The Lifters back to back and so it's hard not to compare them in my mind. While they are two very different books, they are geared toward the same age. The key difference that stands out to me in this regard though is that while The Lifters has an appeal likely… Continue reading Book Review: Wonder by R.J. Palacio
I've read Toni Morrison's Bluest Eye previously and had a vague idea of what Beloved was about so I knew I was in for a heavy read. To be honest, I'd put off reading this novel for that very reason. Yet as I read Beloved, I was reminded that sometimes it's important to look closely… Continue reading Book Review: Beloved by Toni Morrison
Where to start talking about a book like Winter's Tale? Almost more of a philosophical venture than a novel; it's magic realism, fantasy, historical fiction, a little bit of cyber punk. There's even time travel. Sort of. Blurbs will tell you that Winter's Tale is the story of Peter Lake, a thief who falls in… Continue reading Book Review: Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin
Having previously read Michael Redhill's Consolation, and having found it a bit boring, I wasn't all that excited for his latest novel. But it sounded interesting enough that when I had the chance of getting an advanced copy, I decided to take it. I'm happy to report that it's definitely not boring. Jean is a… Continue reading Book Review – Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
She had watched other women with infants and eventually understood what she craved: boundless permission - no, the absolute necessity to hold and kiss and stroke this tiny person...Where else in life, Mabel wondered, could a woman love so openly and with such abandon? Eowyn Ivey brings a powerful edge to this re-telling of a… Continue reading Book Review: The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey
One of the great powers of fiction is to bring history alive. A good, well-written novel can teach the reader more than ten history books. And may access find readers who would never pick up a history book. Like many in North America, I know very little about Chechnya. It's history is long and complicated… Continue reading Book Review: A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
Steven Price was one of my favourite professors when I was in university. I took a few courses with him, including a grammar class that remains one of the most practical courses I've ever studied. All that to say, I was biased to like By Gaslight before I even started it. However, I didn't particularly… Continue reading Book Review: By Gaslight by Steven Price
When a friend loaned me a copy of The Dirty Life I wasn't that excited. I don't read a lot of memoirs and it's rare that they appeal to me. My friend also happens to be a little more of a hippy than I am and I wasn't sure I was interested in reading a… Continue reading Book Review: The Dirty Life by Kristin Kimball
Joseph Boyden is easily one of the best Canadian writers currently being published and I'm a big fan. His latest offering is much shorter than his three previous works - I read Wenjack in two sittings over a couple of days - but brings forth all his familiar talent. What sets this brief story apart… Continue reading Book Review: Wenjack by Joseph Boyden
I make no secret of the fact that Ann Patchett is one of my favourite authors. So when I found out she had a new book coming out this fall, I immediately pre-ordered it. I'm happy to report that Commonwealth doesn't disappoint. Patchett's latest novel begins in the 1960s at a christening party. Franny Keating is… Continue reading Book Review: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
Karissa Reads Books 