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
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
Bellevue Square - Michael Redhill (Doubleday Canada, 2017) A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles (Viking, 2016) The End We Start From - Megan Hunter (Hamish Hamilton, 2017) Ghost Warning - Kara Stanley (Caitlin Press, 2017) Winter's Tale - Mark Helprin (A Harvest Book, 1983) All rivers run full to the sea; those who are apart are brought together; the… Continue reading What I Read – October 2017
"This book is so weird," was my almost constant thought as I read Lost in September. It wasn't until I was around three quarters of the way through that I felt I had a handle on what I was supposed to believe/see. Sometimes that made for a frustrating reading experience but overall, Winter handles it… Continue reading Book Review: Lost in September by Kathleen Winter
I wasn't sure about reading this short novella, about a woman who has a baby as London is flooded and she is forced to flee her home, while at home with my own newborn baby. The good news is the book is not disturbing or upsetting. The bad news is it's not much of anything.… Continue reading Book Review: The End We Start From by Megan Hunter
This collection of short stories focuses primarily on adolescent girls. The stories are compelling and readable and not at all familiar with my experience of being a teenage girl. Which isn't to say that they don't ring true but by the time I got to the end of the collection, it felt like the intensity… Continue reading Book Review: How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer
I'm not sure that Pearl has ever actually seen a train but she sure seems to enjoy stories about them. And there seem to be multiple classic children's books revolving around trains. Our story selection tends toward mid-20th century and I'm having trouble thinking of more modern train stories. Any suggestions? Pearl's favourite of these… Continue reading Reading with Pearl: Train Edition
One of the signs of a compelling book for me is when I want to tell other people all about it. Or when I lay awake after reading it, thinking over various parts. All We Leave Behind did both. Carol Off is a well-respected CBC journalist with a long career. (For those non-Canadians, that's the… Continue reading Book Review: All We Leave Behind by Carol Off
Someone recommended this book to me and I was drawn in by the lovely cover and was excited to read this story based on Russian myth and lore. While it didn't match my high expectations, it was a readable and enjoyable story and a twist on a fairy tale that might not be familiar to… Continue reading Book Review: The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden
Karissa Reads Books 