This is a group of books I read several months ago and am just catching up on now. They are by no means the only books by NS authors I've read this year, or recently. For example, I wrote about some short story collections a few months ago, a memoir by Marjorie Simmins, and a … Continue reading Catching Up With Nova Scotia Authors and Books
OC Publishing is a tiny press out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. Small but mighty. So far, I've sampled and enjoyed a delightful middle grade fantasy novel set on the Isle of Skye, a fast-paced mystery/thriller set in Dubai, and a well-researched historical fiction novel set in England and Wales during the time of Henry VIII. … Continue reading OC Publishing: Julie Strong, Carolyn J. Nicholson, and Anne Louise O’Connell
I was always going to read this book; a memoir, in part, about Marjorie's move from Cape Breton to Truro, Nova Scotia. I wanted to read an account of a newcomer moving to the town I've lived in for the past 22 years. But, now that I've read it, I can recommend it to any … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: In Search of Puffins by Marjorie Simmins
We're Not Rich by Sue Murtagh (Nimbus Publishing) I loved this debut collection and wrote about it for The Seaboard Review earlier this year. Below is a short excerpt of my review. You can read the rest of it here. As many of my favourite story collections do, We’re Not Rich examines the lives of ordinary people … Continue reading Nova Scotia Short Story Collections: Sue Murtagh, Carol Bruneau, Amanda Peters, Chris Benjamin, and M.V. Feehan
Might This Be A Greenhouse? by Katie Cameron Katie Cameron's chapbook is #2 in a series of chapbooks being published by Qwerty Magazine at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The joy in reading Katie's chapbook begins with the table of contents. Titles like "Mom Asks Me When My Anxiety Started," "I Could Never … Continue reading Poetry Month: Katie Cameron and Deborah Banks
The Wisdom Found in Hen's Teeth (Pottersfield Press) When I read Been There, Ate That a couple of years ago, I felt like Jules and I had a lot in common. I could relate to her nostalgia to the junk food of the 80s and 90s; we share a similar sense of humour and playfulness … Continue reading Jules Torti: hen’s teeth, coincidences, gastro-intestinal matters, and being weird
Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley Many Canadians around my age first knew Sarah Polley as the "Story Girl" in CBC's Road to Avonlea. More recently, she's known for her work directing Alias Grace and Women Talking, movies based on books by Margaret Atwood and Miriam Toews. Sarah Polley's memoir touches on major events … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: child actors, brushes with death, food additives, reconciliation, family histories, and climate change
Two Newfoundland novels with a cast of male characters. Vigil takes on the small town, working class life, while Hides takes on middle class families from St. John's. Neither of them show a clear pathway to happiness and success, but both excel at the use of language and humour to tell their stories. Vigil: Stories … Continue reading Breakwater Books: Susie Taylor and Rod Moody-Corbett
The following are a handful of good books I read in the fall of 2024. Two of these are set on the Canadian prairies, two were on the Giller Prize shortlist, and one was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. This Bright Dust by Nina Berkhout (Goose Lane Editions) I used to cry easily while reading; … Continue reading From the Library: dust, hair, smoke, and blood
Marcie wrote a post recently about community: what it is and the importance of it whether it be in real life or online. Over the years (11 of them now) I have treasured this online community of readers and bloggers; you've shared my enthusiasm for books, publishers, authors, and reading as well as shared with … Continue reading Highlights of 2024
Consumed by Ink 