Book Review: Valentine in Montreal by Heather O’Neill

Valentine in Montreal - Heather O'Neill (Harper Collins, 2025) I received an Advance Uncorrected Proof of this book from the publisher. All opinions are my own. On Sale July 15, 2025 Why, I wondered when I heard about Heather O'Neill's newest book, is this coming out in July? Surely, a February release would have made… Continue reading Book Review: Valentine in Montreal by Heather O’Neill

What I Read: July 2024

Read: God in the Dock - C.S. Lewis (Collins, 1979) The Whalebone Theatre - Joanna Quinn (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) The Little Friend - Donna Tartt (Alfred A. Knopf, 2022) Grief is the Thing with Feathers - Max Porter (Graywolf Press, 2014) The Capital of Dreams - Heather O'Neill Did Not Finish: Santa Evita -… Continue reading What I Read: July 2024

20 Books of Summer 2024

This will be my second year participating in Cathy's annual book reading challenge. I like it because of how incredibly relaxed it is. Choose 20 books that you want to read in June, July, and August and then read them and report. You can choose fewer than 20 too and at the end nobody judges… Continue reading 20 Books of Summer 2024

Best Fiction: The Fifth Annual Karissa Reads Books Literary Awards

Hello and Welcome Back to the final installment of the Fifth Annual Karissa Reads Books Literary Awards! Undoubtedly, most of what I read is fiction so this final category is the Big One. I have my top 5 below but some other titles I greatly enjoyed reading in the past year are (in no particular… Continue reading Best Fiction: The Fifth Annual Karissa Reads Books Literary Awards

What I Read – March 2022

Read: When We Lost Our Heads - Heather 'Neill (HarperCollins Publishers, 2022) Red Paint - Sasha taqwsablu LaPointe (Counterpoint, 2022) Animal Person - Aexander MacLeod (McClelland & Stewart, 2022) Heartbroke - Chelsea Bieker (Catapult, 2022) The Figgs - Ali Bryan (Freehand Books, 2018) The Annual Migration of Clouds - Premee Mohamed (ECW Press, 2021) Nicholas… Continue reading What I Read – March 2022

Quotes from Here and There…

While I have a few book reviews mulling around in my head, I thought I'd share a few quotes from things I've read lately. I don't always include a lot of quotes in my reviews but when I read and something particularly strikes me as insightful or thoughtful or beautiful, I will copy it down… Continue reading Quotes from Here and There…

What I Read – February 2022

Read: The Odyssey - Lara Williams (Zando, 2022) Circe - Madeline Miller (Little, Brown, and Company, 2018) The House in the Cerulean Sea - T.J. Klune (Tor, 2020) Jack - Marilynne Robinson (McClelland & Stewart, 2020) The Lonely Stories edited by Natalie Eve Garrett (Catapult, 2022) Did Not Finish: Lucia - Alex Pheby I picked… Continue reading What I Read – February 2022

What I Read – July 2017

Woefully lately but in the interests of keeping track (for myself because I'm sure no one has been waiting with baited breath), here is what I read in July: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O'Neill (Harper Collins Publishers, 2017) Stay With Me by Ayobami Adebayo (Knopf, 2017) Meddling Kids by Edgar Cantero (Blumhouse Books, 2017) Himself by Jess… Continue reading What I Read – July 2017

Book Review: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill

I've read all of Heather O'Neill's published work and reviewed two of them here. (Daydream of Angels  and Lullabies for Little Criminals) Obviously, I enjoy her work and thankfully her latest novel didn't disappoint. If you like O'Neill's previous work, then I think you'll be pleased with The Lonely Hearts Hotel. Using Montreal once again as her setting,… Continue reading Book Review: The Lonely Hearts Hotel by Heather O’Neill

What I Read – June 2017

This felt like kind of a strange reading month for me. I started off by reading Alexie's memoir and Verghese' back-to-back, while also working my way through Chesterton's autobiography. While I enjoyed each one, it also felt like a lot of male experiences and I was itching for some feminine perspective to balance it out.… Continue reading What I Read – June 2017