Asia is a continent of extremes. As countries like China and India grow in global power and importance, I think more people are realizing this. Asia holds extreme wealth and extreme poverty in the same hand. Rich Crazy Asians (Doubleday Canada, 2013) focuses on the extremely wealthy population. This is a novel. Novels don't necessarily… Continue reading Book Review – Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
Tag: Book Review
Book Review – The Confabulist by Steven Galloway
I'll admit that I've never quite gotten the fuss over Houdini. Does there really need to be another book about him? That said, having enjoyed both The Cellist of Sarajevo and Ascension by Steven Galloway, I gave The Confabulist (Knopf Canada, 2014) a shot and I'm glad I did. The Confabulist contains stories within stories.… Continue reading Book Review – The Confabulist by Steven Galloway
Book Review – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
How much would you do for someone you love? What would you sacrifice? Where is the line between right and wrong? What does it mean to be a parent? These are all questions that The Light Between Oceans (Scribner, 2012) forces the reader to ponder. We all want to believe that we know right from… Continue reading Book Review – The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman
Book Review – Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney
There's a reason very few books are written in the second person. It's a difficult feat to pull off without sounding like a Choose Your Own Adventure novel. The problem, of course, is that, at some point or another, the reader will stop and say, "No. That isn't me. I didn't do that." And the… Continue reading Book Review – Bright Lights, Big City by Jay McInerney
Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill
There is a fragility and a terror that surrounds all childhood. Yet, at the same time, there is a security in the naivety of children. When you're a child, the only life you know is the one you live and so it can take years to realize the dangers you've been through. As trite as… Continue reading Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill
Book Review – The Dinner by Herman Koch
It's summer. Our narrator is at a nice restaurant in Amsterdam - small portions, high prices, you know the kind - with his wife and his brother and his sister-in-law. It's one of those restaurants and his brother is one of those guys. The type of guy who can get a reservation at a moment's… Continue reading Book Review – The Dinner by Herman Koch
Book Review – Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
"I am trying to remain open to new realities, not blaming God when my expectations go unmet but trusting Him to lead me through failures toward renewal and growth." What I appreciate most when it comes to Philip Yancey's writing is his honesty. I think he's a wise man but he never pretends to have… Continue reading Book Review – Reaching for the Invisible God by Philip Yancey
Book Review – Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
If you know Ontario, you know the places like Crow Lake. The tiny towns, the stone of the Canadian Shield, the smell of the lakes in the summer, the way the trees grow. Mary Lawson effortlessly creates a fictional space out of this real world. Crow Lake the town isn't real but Crow Lake (Vintage… Continue reading Book Review – Crow Lake by Mary Lawson
Book Review – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Harold Fry goes down the street to mail a letter and ends of walking across England. This is the basic plot of The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry (Bond Street Books, 2012) and it has many of the hallmarks of a classic hero quest. Harold is a decent guy, recently retired, married to Maureen, father… Continue reading Book Review – The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Book Review – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
After years of my life spent in bookstores, I was excited to read Robin Sloan's first novel, Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore (Harper Perennial, 2012). It was, therefore, disappointing to discover that the story I thought was about books was actually an ode to technology. To the point that I began to wonder if this novel… Continue reading Book Review – Mr. Penumbra’s 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan
Karissa Reads Books 