Nothing so reminds you like the sea that the enemy of life is not death but loneliness. For some reason, the names of the men who vied to reach the South Pole are far better known than those who competed to reach the North. I know about Scott and Amundsen and, of course, Shackleton, but… Continue reading Book Review: The Navigator of New York by Wayne Johnston
Tag: Book Review
Book Review: What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
Grace is a small word with a big meaning. It deserves to have an entire book devoted to the subject (or multiple books) and Yancey is an excellent choice to tackle the subject. He delves deeply into grace here. What is it? What does the Bible say about it? Why is it important? And what… Continue reading Book Review: What’s So Amazing About Grace? by Philip Yancey
Book Review: Beijing Confidential – Jan Wong
It's hard for me to believe that it's been almost ten years since I last set foot in China. It's been even longer since I've been to Beijing - all the way back to the summer of 2002. Since then, the city has hosted the Olympics and, no doubt, changed drastically. Jan Wong details many… Continue reading Book Review: Beijing Confidential – Jan Wong
What I Read – April 2015
The First Person and Other Stories by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton, 2008) I once tried to read a novel by Ali Smith, lost interest part way in and returned it unfinished to the library. I did finish reading this short story collection but now, less than a month later, can't remember much about it. I… Continue reading What I Read – April 2015
What I Read – January 2015
Since weekly book reviews seem to be something I can't accomplish right now, I thought I'd post mini-reviews of everything I read this past month. January's been busy but I managed to squeeze in a fair amount of reading and finished 9 books. The Birth House - Ami McKay (Vintage Canada, 2006) I did write… Continue reading What I Read – January 2015
Book Review – The Birth House by Ami McKay
"Why would you read a book like that right now?" was Peter's reaction when I told him I'd just finished reading a novel about birth and midwives in the early 20th century. "I'm not sure," I had to admit. "But it wasn't scary." Partly, I think, I read The Birth House (Vintage Canada, 2007) now… Continue reading Book Review – The Birth House by Ami McKay
Book Review – Butterflies in November by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Butterflies in November (Black Cat, 2014) is an Icelandic novel first published in 2004 but only recently translated into English. What is this book about? A woman's husband announces his desire to divorce him. She cooks a goose. She goes on a road trip with her friend's child (for some reason). She meets some men.… Continue reading Book Review – Butterflies in November by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Book Review – Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
Alone in the Classroom (Emblem 2011) begins with a murder and the tension grows from there. In fact, the rate of revelation and tension in this novel is infinitely impressive. Our narrator, Anne, begins with the story of the death of a young girl, occurring when her own mother was young. It is also the… Continue reading Book Review – Alone in the Classroom by Elizabeth Hay
Book Review – To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris
A couple of chapters in and To Rise Again at a Decent Hour (Little, Brown & Co, 2014) began to make me feel like I need to book a dentist appointment. Though probably not with Paul O'Rourke, the main character, narrator, and dentist of the novel. Paul is outwardly successful - he owns his dental… Continue reading Book Review – To Rise Again at a Decent Hour by Joshua Ferris
Book Review – A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
This is a book I've been wanting to read for a long time and it did not disappoint. I was familiar with Rachel Held Evans' writing through her blog - mostly posts circulated by friends. And while I've never followed it religiously (pun!) I've generally appreciated what I've read from Evans. A Year of Biblical… Continue reading Book Review – A Year of Biblical Womanhood by Rachel Held Evans
