Lesley Choyce has written a crazy number of books; over 80 for adults, teens, and children. I only own one that I deliberately bought a few years ago because I was anxious to read it. It is still unread. He also lives in Nova Scotia. All of this to say that I'm wondering what makes … Continue reading The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil by Lesley Choyce
Category: Canadian Lit
Giller Longlist: We’ll All Be Burnt In Our Beds Some Night by Joel Thomas Hynes
When I started reading this book, I had no idea what to expect. With a title like that, and a cover that looks like the world is on fire, and almost all the praise and reviews using the word "gritty". ("Gritty" means gross, right? Yes. And other things.) But the thing is, once I got … Continue reading Giller Longlist: We’ll All Be Burnt In Our Beds Some Night by Joel Thomas Hynes
Rose & Poe by Jack Todd
A fable for adults, Rose & Poe is also a re-imagining of The Tempest from the point of view of Caliban (Poe) and his mother (Rose). My thoughts on the book are from someone who has never read The Tempest, and only knows the bare bones of it. I might be missing some cool connections to the … Continue reading Rose & Poe by Jack Todd
2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist
The Giller Prize shortlist is out! The Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books over the course of the next 6 weeks, and will be choosing a shadow winner a few days before the official Giller Prize announcement on November 20th. Rachel Cusk for her novel Transit, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd My thoughts: Unfortunately I wasn't a … Continue reading 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist
Literature on the Black Loyalists of Nova Scotia
This spring and summer I got reading about Black Loyalists in Nova Scotia, inspired mostly by reading Lawrence Hill's Black Berry, Sweet Juice and by the subsequent discussion I had with my sister. Around the same time I also read Steal Away Home by Karolyn Smardz Frost. All of this made me want to know … Continue reading Literature on the Black Loyalists of Nova Scotia
Angie Abdou: Between, The Canterbury Trail, and The Bone Cage
I finally decided to pick up one of Angie Abdou's books this summer. I've been meaning to for years now - I wish I could remember what it was that prompted me to do it - it was something I read about her last book, Between. So that's the one I started with. I loved … Continue reading Angie Abdou: Between, The Canterbury Trail, and The Bone Cage
The Blue Castle Readalong: #ReadingValancy
Back in May, Sarah Emsley extended an invitation to read and discuss The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery in November. May was a while ago, but November is coming up fast, so this is a friendly reminder. Please join us by commenting, talking about the novel on Twitter (hashtag #ReadingValancy), and/or by writing a blog … Continue reading The Blue Castle Readalong: #ReadingValancy
The 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist
This is the 24th anniversary of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, a prize that was founded in 1994 by (the late) Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his wife, the late literary journalist Doris Giller. The prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each … Continue reading The 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist
Three Page-Turning Debuts: “Hum If You Don’t Know the Words”, “All Is Beauty Now” and “So Much Love”
Hum If You Don't Know the Words by Bianca Marais This book is about living in South Africa in the 1970s, it's about what happened after the Soweto Uprising in 1976, it's about a little white girl who lost her parents and an older black woman who is searching for her daughter. And it's about … Continue reading Three Page-Turning Debuts: “Hum If You Don’t Know the Words”, “All Is Beauty Now” and “So Much Love”
A Bird on Every Tree: A Collection of Short Stories by Carol Bruneau
Carol Bruneau has been getting some standout reviews recently for her new story collection, A Bird on Every Tree. James at The Miramichi Reader says that Ms. Bruneau "writes with a graceful precision and has a deftness with words and their cadences". A reviewer at The Coast calls Ms. Bruneau "a master of imagery". A … Continue reading A Bird on Every Tree: A Collection of Short Stories by Carol Bruneau
Consumed by Ink 