Minister Without Portfolio - Michael Winter (Hamish Hamilton, 2013) While books set in Newfoundland or written by Newfie authors definitely qualify as Canadian fiction, the more I read the more I feel like they belong in their own category. I've yet to visit Newfoundland but through books I've come to view it as a somewhat separate entity… Continue reading Book Review: Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter
The Bellman's Secret - Heidi Barnes (Rare Bird Books, 2019) I read Heidi Barnes' first book (and the first in what is supposed to be The Bellman Trilogy) back in 2016 and...I didn't like it. (You can read my review here.) So when I was offered a copy of The Bellman's Secret by Rare Bird Books, I'll… Continue reading Book Review: The Bellman’s Secret by Heidi Barnes
Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking - Susan Cain (Crown Publishers, 2012) I'm a definite introvert and I'm willing to bet that if you're the sort of person who spends a lot of time not only reading books but following blogs on the internet that talk about reading books,… Continue reading Book Review: Quiet by Susan Cain
Fathers and Sons - Ivan Turgenev (Penguin Books, 1975) Reviewing classic books always feels a bit strange to me because what can I add to the years of literary conversation surrounding an author like Turgenev? So instead I'll focus on what I enjoyed. This was my first read by Turgenev but his work has been… Continue reading Book Review: Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev
Divided Loyalties - Nilofar Shidmehr (Astoria, 2019) New and different voices and particularly voices coming from other cultures and histories are something that I'm always on the look out for. So I was excited to get my hands on an Advance Copy of this short story collection. Each story centres around an Iranian woman. The… Continue reading Book Review: Divided Loyalties by Nilofar Shidmehr
When Breath Becomes Air - Paul Kalanithi (Gale Cengage Learning, 2016) How to classify this book? It's a contemplation of life and death. It's a love letter to a wife and daughter. It's a poem of praise to the beauty of the world and a rage against the fragility of the human body. Paul Kalanithi… Continue reading Book Review: When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi
A Month in the Country - J.L. Carr (New York Review Books, 2000) I was blown away by this book. In just 135 pages Carr creates an entire summer. A village full of evocative and fascinating characters and an exploration of life, death, and love. After seeing A Month in the Country on a list of books recommended by… Continue reading Book Review: A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr
Radiant Shimmering Light - Sarah Selecky (Harper Avenue, 2018) My first reaction to Lilian Quick, the narrator and protagonist of Radiant Shimmering Light, was that I did not like her. I came close to setting the book aside and returning it to the library unfinished but decided there was potential for her to change and so kept… Continue reading Book Review: Radiant Shimmering Light by Sarah Selecky
In Our Mad and Furious City - Guy Gunaratne (MCD x FSG Originals, 2018) Contained within 48 hours in London, set mostly in an area known as the Estates, five characters will come together in violence, hope, and a sort of love. Based loosely around the 2011 London riot, these 48 hours take place after… Continue reading Book Review: In Our Mad and Furious City by Guy Gunaratne
Educated - Tara Westover (Harper Collins, 2019) It feels strange to write a book review of such a personal memoir. Tara Westover's memoir of growing up with survivalist parents and a paranoid father who kept them out of school and away from doctors is compelling and very readable. It also feels incomplete. Westover grew up… Continue reading Book Review: Educated by Tara Westover
Karissa Reads Books 