When I was in my first year or two of blogging, I would marvel at the bloggers who were hitting five years plus. But now I know how fast the time goes by. In celebration of my 5th year, I've compiled a list of some of the best Canadian books I've read and reviewed on … Continue reading Five Years of Consumed by Ink: 100 Recommended Canadian Books
Category: Canadian Lit
Shadow Giller: Motherhood by Sheila Heti
I can see why Motherhood is getting mixed reactions from readers. For one thing, the entire book takes place inside the narrator's head - so we get to hear her every thought. Hearing someone's thoughts for pages at a time can start to feel claustrophobic - a whole book that dwells almost entirely on the … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Motherhood by Sheila Heti
Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Covers Images #MARM
After much dithering, I've decided to look back on the first cover of each of Margaret Atwood's novels. There have been many different covers for her novels over the years. Let's have a look at a small sampling... The Edible Woman - McClelland & Stewart (1969), Virago (1980), Bantam (1991), Surfacing - McClelland & Stewart … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Covers Images #MARM
Shadow Giller: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Since this book first came out, I have been captivated by the octopus on the cover. What is an octopus doing on the cover of a book about an escaped slave? Well, let me tell you... It starts in Barbados in 1830, when the plantation master's brother comes to visit. "Titch" asks for the "use" … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2018: Beginnings #MARM
Welcome to Margaret Atwood Reading Month. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, either in the comments or on your own blogs, about your first encounters with Margaret Atwood and/or her work. From what I hear, many of us here in Canada first experienced Margaret Atwood in school. Not me. I remember Alice Munro and … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2018: Beginnings #MARM
In the Wake by Nicola Davison
"Memory plays tricks. Memory is another word for story, and nothing is more unreliable." -- Ann-Marie MacDonald, Fall on Your Knees Emily and Daniel have moved back home to Nova Scotia, with their 3-year-old son Ryan, after living in Alberta for ten years. Emily is excited to be back by the ocean, but it also … Continue reading In the Wake by Nicola Davison
Shadow Giller: Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric DuPont, translated by Peter McCambridge
Songs for the Cold of Heart is a big book. It took me over a week to read it. But I loved every minute of it. What a ride. Louis "the Horse" Lamontagne from Riviére-du-Loup Quebec, and his daughter Madeleine, are at the heart of this story. However, there are so many other wonderful characters … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric DuPont, translated by Peter McCambridge
A Circle on the Surface by Carol Bruneau
As with Genevieve Graham's novel, Come From Away, A Circle on the Surface is inspired by the rumours of German U-Boat sailors coming ashore along Canada's east coast during the Second World War. The heart of the novel, of course, is not about German soldiers, but of a marriage and how it is impacted by … Continue reading A Circle on the Surface by Carol Bruneau
Two From the Giller Longlist: “Split Tooth” and “Vi”
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq What a physically beautiful book this is, with its white jacket and red edging. I hate to take it back to the library. There are snippets of beauty between the covers, too - but like the long bright summer days and the cold dark winters of the north, the moments … Continue reading Two From the Giller Longlist: “Split Tooth” and “Vi”
Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale
As with The Luminous Sea, the cover of this lured me right in. Covers with sea creatures on them always catch my eye, so when I saw this book on the "new book" shelf at the library, I grabbed it. The first thing I noticed when flipping through the book is that all the chapters are … Continue reading Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale
Consumed by Ink 