The Wonder TrailI checked out Steve Hely’s “The Wonder Trail: True Stories from Lost Angeles to the End of the World” for a few reasons: 1. He’s a former staff writer for “30 Rock”, which I think is one of the funniest North American sitcoms of all time; 2. Los Angeles is featured quite prominently […]
Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis I was first intrigued by this book when I saw it on the Globe and Mail’s “Best Books of 2015” list, because it involved two things I really like to read about: dogs and mythology. Fifteen Dogs: An Apologue, by André Alexis, opens with two of Zeus’ sons, Hermes and […]
the particular sadness of lemon cake For nine year old Rose, having her mother bake her favourite lemon cake for her birthday is a real treat, until the day she bites into it and can feel all of her mother’s despair and sadness in the otherwise tasty morsel. At first confused, Rose has trouble grasping […]
by Kevin SandsIt’s 1665 in London, England. Christopher Rowe is an apothecary’s apprentice. His master, Benedict Blackthorn – a well-respected, if slightly absentminded, apothecary, is teaching Christopher all about combining ingredients to create powerful medicines, as well as codes and puzzles that help to keep recipes for said medicines a secret. Suddenly apothecaries all over […]
What the DickensBy Gregory Maguire On a dark and stormy night, after the power has gone out and the food is almost gone, the Ormsby children are tired and frightened. Their parents have left them in the care of Gage, an older cousin, and the rest of their neighbourhood has been evacuated. Determined to be […]
by Lauren Wolk Annabelle lives a steady life with her parents, grandparents, two younger brothers plus aunt in a small Pennsylvania farming town. The arrival of the new girl Betty shakes things up and not in a good way. Annabelle quickly learns the new girl is a relentless bully who threatens not only Annabelle […]
Little Black Lies by Sharon BoltonI read this book in a day. I got home from work and sat down on the sofa with a cup of tea and this book to pass time before dinner. When I finally looked up and away from the page, the sun was rising. Every sentence was perfect. The […]
Eating DirtBy Charlotte Gill Imagine a life of dirty, tough work out in the backcountry. Imagine that the wilderness is home for eight months of the year and that you can’t have a proper shower or get any real privacy during this time. Then imagine that this is the life you choose for yourself. This […]
The Buried Giant The Buried Giant, by Kazuo Ishiguro, is a fantasy novel that covers the journey of Axl and Beatrice, a couple who set off on a journey to find their son, who they have not seen for some time, and actually do not remember very well. As the story moves along with their […]
The Last Thirteen: 13 By James Phelan Sam, Eva and Alex are average teenagers, but their dreams are intense and sometimes frightening. Sam has been sent to a psychiatrist to deal with his dreams and the aftermath of a traumatic event. But when Sam’s school is raided by “national security agents” and he is whisked […]