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The Japanese LoverBy Isabel Allende The Japanese Lover is a love story steeped in history, using San Francisco as a backdrop for its measured progression. The book opens with Irina, a care aide at Lark House, a seniors’ home in San Francisco. Irina’s life begins in poverty in her native Moldova. As an immigrant to […]
Smoke Gets In Your EyesBy Caitlin DoughtyIn preparation for Caitlin Doughty’s second book I thought I would re-read her first. This member of the Order of the Good Death is a YouTube favourite of mine. I regularly enjoy her Morbid Minutes and Ask A Mortician series.Doughty writes very much like she speaks, making this an […]
Minds of WinterBy Ed O’Loughlin In 1845, the Erebus, an Arctic exploration vessel captained by Sir John Franklin was lost to the harsh conditions of the North. Neither man nor artifact was ever recovered from this expedition and there has been much speculation about what happened to the ship and its crew. However, historians […]
Don’t I Know You?by Marni Jackson There is a slightly surreal quality to Marni Jackson’s debut novel, Don’t I Know You? A novel broken into short stories, each one following Rose McEwan’s life from 16-60. These stories go through Rose’s life chronologically, and each one contains a pop culture figure as a central character role […]
The Husband’s SecretThe Husband’s Secret by Liane Moriarty The Husband’s Secret was an unexpected choice for me as I don’t usually seek out mystery, and am always wary of it getting too dark and creepy. Luckily Liane Moriarty filled the bill on a great, suspenseful read. A mysterious sealed letter from her husband- to […]
The Sisters Brothers By Patrick DeWitt Patrick DeWitt’s The Sisters Brothers is an old western with a modern twist. Even if you don’t like westerns (like me), you might like this one. Hilarious and grotesque at the same time, The Sisters Brothers is surprisingly funny and doesn’t shy away from a bit of self-reflection. The […]
All the Ugly and Wonderful Things All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood is a book that will stay with me for years to come. I have never read anything like it, and don’t expect to ever find something like it again. Be aware this book will make you lose sleep and wreak […]
Lost in the Backyard By Alison Hughes I love survival stories, and this is a good one! Flynn is 13 and couldn’t care less about nature or the environment. He finds camping pretty boring and he doesn’t pay attention in his Outdoor Ed. class. He is far more interested in his phone and his Nike […]
The Best Mistake MysteryBy Sylvia McNicoll Stephen Noble tends to worry a lot. His mom often says that he makes too much out of things. But when the fire alarm goes off at school and all the kids get sent home without even getting their agendas, Stephen suspects something is really wrong. Later that afternoon, […]
Mae and June and the Wonder Wheel By Charise Mericle HarperThis post was originally published in Canadian Materials, Volume XXIII, Number 16, December 23, 2016. June is always open to making friends, and when Mae moves in across the street, it looks like a perfect opportunity. But potential friendship is almost thwarted by the disagreeable April, […]