I just realized that I have a trio of books that represent present, past, and future. All three are new books from authors I have read and loved. A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renee Lavoie (2021) Not long ago I read Lavoie's Autopsy of a Boring Wife in which Diane's husband leaves her … Continue reading From the Library: return of the boring wife, an apocalyptic love story, and some feminist historical fiction
A wide-ranging trio of books; a fascinating Atlantic Canadian memoir, a heartbreakingly good novel about residential school trauma, and a joy-of-a linked story collection. The Dome Chronicles by Garry Leeson (2019) The Dome Chronicles doesn't look like the type of book I normally gravitate towards - physically, it's tall and wide and floppy, kind of … Continue reading From the Library: Michelle Good, Garry Leeson, and Carol Bruneau
When I learned that author Jane Doucet was from my neck of the woods, I made it my mission to read her books. Happily for me, her books are so much fun that it was a piece of cake! Jane Doucet "never planned to write fiction, but when she looked for a lighthearted novel about … Continue reading Jane Doucet: ‘The Pregnant Pause’ and ‘Fishnets & Fantasies’
I have thrown together a bunch of books I've been meaning to write about for ages but for various reasons haven't done it yet. Not, as you will see, because I didn't like them enough. It hurts me not to write about the books I've liked. But it's tidy-up time at our house and I've … Continue reading Miscellaneous: Waves, Trees, Fires, Missing People, and Multiple Lives
This book is missing a few things: fully-developed characters, a narrative arc, a sense of cohesiveness. What is this book about? I don't really know. Yet I still read it. In fact, I read it with great interest, wondering what the author was going to come up with next. Writing is hard work, often unrewarding, … Continue reading Q&A with Jeff Bursey, Author of Unidentified man at left of photo
Inspired by Eva's post, I decided to finally give audio books a try. I started with non-fiction and have continued with it since I had very bad luck with the one fiction title I tried listening to. And it's a great way to fit more nonfiction into my reading. To my great delight, I have … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: Women’s Stories, Living in the Woods, MS, Missing Youth, and a Self-Help Journey
I decided to put a hold on this book after my interview with Chris Benjamin; Doing Time is one of the books he had recently read and recommended. (He had also spoke highly of Carol Bruneau's Brighten the Corner Where You Are, and that turned out well!) I was surprised by how invested in this … Continue reading Doing Time: Writing Workshops in Prison by Carole Glasser Langille
The Golden Gift of Grey is set in the midwestern United States - a far cry from the first two stories in this volume, both about small town fishing and mining families in Cape Breton. However, there are many similarities between this, The Boat, and The Vastness of the Dark, some of which are identified … Continue reading Alistair MacLeod Short Story: The Golden Gift of Grey (1971)
The Atlantic Book Awards Festival and Gala take place from May 6th to May 13th. I tried to read as many of the books as I could before then--and I'm happy with the number I was able to read--but getting them all written about was a different matter altogether. So, here are a bunch of … Continue reading Atlantic Book Awards: Mothers and Daughters, Nuns, Opiates, Stonings, and Missing Left Arms
Much has been made of Maud Lewis and her art over the years: baby books, art, biographies, even a movie. She is well-known here in Nova Scotia - I remember learning about her in school over 30 years ago. Since then, more has come to light about her life, or, more likely, more has been … Continue reading Brighten the Corner Where You Are by Carol Bruneau
