If you know Ontario, you know the places like Crow Lake. The tiny towns, the stone of the Canadian Shield, the smell of the lakes in the summer, the way the trees grow. Mary Lawson effortlessly creates a fictional space out of this real world. Crow Lake the town isn't real but Crow Lake (Vintage… Continue reading Book Review – Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Tag: Book Recommendations
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 – 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 – 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
Book Review – The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
I'm a few years behind on this train but let me be the most recent person to tell you this: The Golden Mean (Random House Canada, 2009) by Annabel Lyon is a great book. Lyon brings an extraordinary amount of humanity and relevance to the historical story of Aristotle in Macedon. While the action of… Continue reading Book Review – The Golden Mean by Annabel Lyon
Why I Hate “Beach Reads”
A day off and a sunny afternoon. Sitting on my deck, plus 20 degree weather, a yummy berry smoothie. It occurred to me that Gabriel Garcia Marquez' News of a Kidnapping was kind of a dark read on such a beautiful day. Not that anyone should be surprised that a true story of kidnappings in… Continue reading Why I Hate “Beach Reads”
Eight Highlights of the Weekend
1. Pulled pork and beer Friday night. 2. This arrived in the mail. Total surprise from a friend. So awesome. In case any of you were wondering, yes, it's always okay to send me beautiful signed copies of books. Especially books I love. 3. A trip to Vancouver (aka "The Big City") This included such… Continue reading Eight Highlights of the Weekend
International Women’s Day – A Book List
March 8th is International Women's Day. I am very aware that I live in one of the best times and places to be a woman. No, it's not perfect and there is much work left to be done, but I'm also very, very fortunate. In honour of this day, I thought I would share with… Continue reading International Women’s Day – A Book List
Book Review – Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card
Note: I try my best not to give away important plot points in my book reviews. However, since Speaker for the Dead follows the plot of Ender's Game, there will be information in the following review that "spoils" Ender's Game. You don't have to read Ender's Game before reading Speaker for the Dead but they… Continue reading Book Review – Speaker For The Dead by Orson Scott Card
Book Review – The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
I can distinctly recall the picture on the front of the Vancouver Sun. It was a computer-generated idea of what Jesus might have looked like. The man was neither greatly attractive or unattractive. He was an ordinary, Arab-looking man. He had dark skin, dark hair, and dark brown eyes. He looked nothing like the pale,… Continue reading Book Review – The Jesus I Never Knew by Philip Yancey
Karissa Reads Books 