The Devil and the Dark Water - Stuart Turton (Harper Collins Publishers, 2020) This was a fun read. Historical fiction, mystery novel, adventure story. Most of the action takes place on board a ship called the Saardam, travelling from Batavia (modern day Indonesia) to Amsterdam in the 17th Century. The ship belongs to The Company… Continue reading Book Review: The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton
A Children's Bible - Lydia Millet (W.W. Norton, 2020) This is a weird little book. Part coming-of-age, part apocalypse story, full of Biblical references, told in something of a first person plural narrative. I actually picked it up from the library because I read a negative review of it on Instagram. The things this reviewer… Continue reading Book Review: A Children’s Bible by Lydia Millet
I received an advance e-copy of this book thanks to the publisher and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. Having recently read my first book by Thomas King (see my review of Indians on Vacation here), I thought I'd give his latest book a try too. While I knew before starting that Sufferance would be… Continue reading Book Review: Sufferance by Thomas King
I spent a lot of this book being annoyed and disappointed, waiting for something, anything, to happen, wondering where Bronte was going with this staid and plodding narrator of Lucy Snowe. Somewhere in the second half though I began to think, Maybe she's doing something here. Maybe there's more happening. Maybe Lucy Snowe is not… Continue reading Book Review: Villette by Charlotte Bronte
The Past is Red - Catherynne M. Valente (Tordotcom, 2021) I received an Uncorrected Proof of this book which will be on sale July 2021. All opinions are my own. Tetley Abednego lives in Garbagetown and she thinks it's the most beautiful place in the world. Dry land is a myth and the world as… Continue reading Book Review: The Past is Red by Catherynne M. Valente
We Want What We Want - Alix Ohlin (House of Anansi Press, 2021) I received an Advance Reading Copy of this book. All opinions are my own. Publication Date: 27 July 2021 Alix Ohlin's previous book, a novel called Dual Citizens was shortlisted for the Giller Prize but it wasn't my personal pick as I… Continue reading Book Review: We Want What We Want by Alix Ohlin
Forgiveness - Mark Sakamoto (Harper Collins Publishers, 2014) Mitsue Sakamoto was a newlywed living in Vancouver when she, along with her family and hundreds of other Japanese-Canadians, were sent east of the Rockies by the Canadian government. Seen as a threat during World War II although many of them were Canadian citizens, born in Canada,… Continue reading Book Review: Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto
The Orange Tree - Carlos Fuentes (translated from the Spanish by Alfred Mac Adam) (Harper Perennial, 1994) This book consists of five semi-linked novellas. I say semi-linked because you can certainly read them individually and the connections between each are subtle. However, when read together, they flow and they really do make the best sense… Continue reading Book Review: The Orange Tree by Carlos Fuentes
How to Raise a Reader - Pamela Paul & Maria Russo (Workman Publishing, 2019) This is an easy to read and idea-filled book geared toward parents who want to install a love of reading in their children. It's not so much about how to teach your child to read as it is about how to… Continue reading Book Review: How to Raise a Reader by Pamela Paul & Maria Russo
The Quiet American - Graham Greene (The Viking Press, 1967) This is not Graham Greene's best work but even subpar writing from Graham Greene will have something worthwhile to it. The narrator of this novel is Fowler, a British journalist, stationed in Vietnam. The Quiet American was first published in 1955 so this isn't the… Continue reading Book Review: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Karissa Reads Books 