It's rare that I really neglect my child in order to read a book, but I came pretty close while reading The Secret History. Tartt provides all the suspense of a good mystery, mixed in with a lot of thoughtful philosophy, strong characters, and great writing. Our narrator is Richard, a young man who… Continue reading Book Review: The Secret History by Donna Tartt
As a parent, I look forward to the day when I can tell my kids that I remember the world before the Internet. That I can remember the first iPads, the days before everyone had an e-mail address, or the time when - if you wanted to have a telephone conversation - you had to… Continue reading Book Review: Telephone Time – A First Book of Telephone Do’s and Don’t’s (Reading with Pearl)
There's a lot to applaud in Sunil Yapa's debut novel. He combines words and creates scenes in unique ways, blending words unexpectedly to create a moment or invoke a sense. His descriptions are detailed without tipping over to the realm of overkill and the results are characters and scenes that are easy to visualize. The… Continue reading Book Review: Your Heart is a Muscle the Size of a Fist by Sunil Yapa
The convergence of literature and religion is something that has long interested me as a reader, a writer, and a Christian. It's rare that I'm quite satisfied with the way Christianity and the Christian life and walk is portrayed in art (this was one of my primary complaints with such books as Good to a… Continue reading Book Review: The Heart of the Matter by Graham Greene
I was really excited about this book when I first heard about it. A modern day animal story, an adventure and a journey to reunite between a boy and his fox. I expected something like The Incredible Journey or The Trumpet of the Swan. I hadn't read Sara Pennypacker before but I love Jon Klassen's… Continue reading Book Review: Pax by Sara Pennypacker (Reading with Pearl)
Flanagan's novel of Australian soldiers in World War Two is well-written. I wouldn't say too well-written but the detail of certain horrors it describes is hard to take. I don't know that I've ever felt so physically ill while reading a novel before. Reading this was often like someone - Flanagan, I suppose - holding… Continue reading Book Review: The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan
David would have the throne, the crown, the line of descendants that the Name had promised him. But for the rest of his life, he would be scalded by the consequences of his choices. My task would be twofold: To stand up to him, and to stand by him. To awaken his conscience, and to… Continue reading Book Review: The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks
Although In the Skin of a Lion generally wins top spot when it comes to my favourite book, The Sun Also Rises is a close second. A glance at my shelves will tell you that I'm a Hemingway fan. I even have a t-shirt with the original, Art Nouveau book cover on it. Hemingway was… Continue reading A Friday Favourite: The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
I love Anne Michaels' novels (Fugitive Pieces and The Winter Vault) and so was excited to hear she had written her first children's story. The Adventures of Miss Petitfour is a slim book, comprising several short tales of Miss Petitfour, who lives with her sixteen cats and likes best to travel by tablecloth. The accompanying… Continue reading Book Review: The Adventures of Miss Petitfour by Anne Michaels (Reading With Pearl)
Well, I finished it. I took my sweet time but I finished reading Don Quixote. I made my first attempt at Don Quixote in 2008, on the recommendation of someone whose book taste I usually agree with. I think I read most of the Part I before I sheepishly returned his copy and promptly left… Continue reading Book Review: Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes
Karissa Reads Books 