My brother, who knows the author, gave me a copy of Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist, for my birthday. My big brother and I have similar taste a lot of the time, especially in books and music, and he's one of the smartest people I know so I'm always happy to receive a… Continue reading Book Review: Your Heart is the Size of Your Fist by Martina Scholtens
My main problem with The Luminaries was that it was too big. Not too long - I definitely could have read more from Catton. The book is over 800 pages and in hardcover it was just too large for me to hold with one hand. And since I do much of my reading these days while… Continue reading Book Review: The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton
First things first, I liked Rules of Civility better than A Gentleman in Moscow, Towles' first book and I think I'm in the minority in this opinion so I'll explain why. Both novels are well written and Towles clearly excels at bringing historical time periods to life, whether that's New York in the 1930s, as seen in Rules of… Continue reading Book Review: Rules of Civility by Amor Towles
Generally speaking, I don't enjoy books centred around bookstores. I find they tend to romanticize an experience I've known very well in the real, practical world. So I didn't begin 84, Charing Cross Road with high hopes, despite the fact that it was recommended to me by a bookseller. In the end, it surprised me. This… Continue reading Book Review: 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
My Favourite Reads of 2017: Do Not Say We Have Nothing - Madeleine Thien The Break - Katherine Vermette The Lonely Hearts Hotel - Heather O'Neill Silence - Shusaku Endo All We Leave Behind - Carol Off The Golden House - Salman Rushdie You Don't Have to Say You Love Me - Sherman Alexie The Good People - Hannah Kent Bellevue Square - Michael… Continue reading What I Read – 2017
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 received an Advanced Readers Copy of this book, which will be released March 27, 2018. Being a moderate fan of Dave Eggers I either avoid nor search out his work. I find him to be guilty of over-writing, which made me more curious how his style might translate to a book for young readers.… Continue reading Book Review: The Lifters by Dave Eggers
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
Lou and her dad live a simple life, just the two of them, in a small town. When her dad dies unexpectedly, Lou boards a bus and heads to Toronto. There she moves in with her older brother, Jonah, and creates a community of sorts in the midst of the big city. There's her… Continue reading Book Review: Ghost Warning by Kara Stanley
Karissa Reads Books 