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
I've previously read Chesterton's The Man Who was Thursday (review here), Orthodoxy, and some of his Father Brown mysteries and generally enjoyed Chesterton's writing. So I thought it might be interesting to read his autobiography, first published in 1936. Autobiography is, perhaps, a misleading title. What this book really is is a series of essays,… Continue reading Book Review: Autobiography by G.K. Chesterton
I've fallen behind in reviewing books but am working to catch up and get some reviews posted next week. In the meantime, here's what I read this month: Eileen - Ottessa Moshfegh (Penguin Press, 2015) The Dark and Other Love Stories - Deborah Willis (Hamish Hamilton, 2017) She was glad that was done. What a… Continue reading What I Read – March 2017
A quick disclaimer to say that I know Deborah Willis but only a little bit. We were in the same program at university but she was a couple of years ahead of me and we briefly worked at the same coffee shop and then we worked at rival bookstores. I read her first short story… Continue reading Book Review: The Dark and Other Love Stories by Deborah Willis
I I'd previous read one novel by Helen Oyeyemi (Boy, Snow, Bird) so I had some idea of what to expect from her writing. Oyeyemi's stories exist in a slightly alternate universe of magic, discomfort, and romance. There is something delightfully disorienting about her world. It's almost like ours but some of the details are… Continue reading Book Review: What Is Not Yours Is Not Yours
Here I Am is 500+ pages and it took me about half of that to begin enjoying the novel. Having read Foer's work before, I was sure my commitment would pay off. At the same time, my expectations of Foer's work led to some initial disappointment with Here I Am. Foer's two previous novels, Extremely… Continue reading Book Review: Here I Am by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Conjoined - Sookfong Jen Lee (ECW Press, 2016) Here I Am - Jonathan Safran Foer (Hamish Hamilton, 2016) Jacob was a man who withheld comfort but stood at thresholds long after others would have walked away. He always stood at the open front door until the car pool drove off. Just as he stood… Continue reading What I Read – February 2017
The Autumn season is prime book-reading time. The rainy and cold weather means I want to stay inside and read and there seem to be so many books to read. The autumn is when many new books are released (leading up to Christmas) and many of the major literary prize winners (and shortlists) are announced.… Continue reading What I Read – October 2016
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
It's hard to review a short story collection. You're not discussing and evaluating one plot, one set of characters - you're dealing with many. How do you approach that? Which do you focus on? I recently got to hear Bill Gaston talk about and read from Juliet Was a Surprise (Hamish Hamilton, 2014). He… Continue reading Book Review – Juliet Was a Surprise by Bill Gaston
Karissa Reads Books 