Here are my book reviews and commentary on books. Also find me on GoodReads.
Billed as the first fiction out of North Korea, The Accusation is the first book to come from a writer still living under the regime. The stories told are heartrendingly simple stories that reflect on the duplicity and awful ironies North Koreans must encounter every day. One story tells of a woman who uses contraceptives […]
The year certainly got off to a great start with reading The Break. I can easily say this will be one of my favourite books of 2017, even though January is not yet over! The Break is the story of a close community of Métis women in Winnipeg and their encounters with violence. The story […]
Having just purchased my ticket to the annual Giller Light Bash, my thoughts are turning to who will win the prestigious honour this year. I’ve only read two books from the six-book shortlist; I’m really excited about both these choices. They are both really strong books that highlight current issues dealt with by women: body […]
I finally finished reading Fifteen Dogs. I say finally because it’s been on my list since last fall when it won Canada’s most prestigious fiction prize, the Giller Prize. I also say finally because I’ve been reading it in fits and starts over the past month. Not because it hasn’t held my attention but simply […]
Fiction lovers be warned: you will love this novel by Rachel Cusk! Outline is a novel without apparent plot yet it tells many stories. Our narrator is travelling to Athens to teach a creative writing course. We learn very little about her save for this bit of personal history, yet we learn so much at […]
Us Conductors garnered its author $100,000 when the debut novel won the 2014 Giller Prize. One of my personal goals is to read as many Giller-nominated books each year as I can manage. I’m not usually that successful in completing the goal, but I do manage to get through my share of some great Can-Lit […]
I was in just the right mood for this excellent read about coming to terms with family when you’re from a dysfunctional family. Twenty-year-old Noushcka is on a journey to grow up — but how does she do it when she was raised by a kooky grandfather, abandoned by her teen mom, and her absentee […]
Why have my last two novels involved horrible suffering of babies? It’s almost too much to bear! I’m reading these books while my five-month baby sleeps in the other room — I can’t help getting up and checking on him when I read about these horrible things the babies in the books go through. Heart-breaking! […]