The theme for Canada Reads 2017 is "the one book Canadians should read now", and the debates will air on March 27 to 30. Here are the five books being debated this year, in the order of when I read them. Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis, defended by Humble the Poet, a rapper, poet and … Continue reading Canada Reads 2017 Mini Reviews
Category: Canadian Lit
Emily Readalong: Emily Climbs
Contains spoilers! When it came to writing the sequels to her novels, Anne of Green Gables and Emily of New Moon, L.M. Montgomery "felt little interest". According to Mary Henley Rubio in The Gift of Wings, it was "only her personal discipline that got her through the sequels, where her feisty heroines had to be … Continue reading Emily Readalong: Emily Climbs
Sex and Death: Stories, edited by Sarah Hall and Peter Hobbs
What civil lives we lead. So mannered, so controlled. Everything tidy and safe, everything put in its place. How hard we try not to be frightened, not to let the mind and body misbehave, not to come undone. Look at us in our ties and our stockings, taking vitamins and buying prophylactics, arranging mortgages and … Continue reading Sex and Death: Stories, edited by Sarah Hall and Peter Hobbs
Lemon by Cordelia Strube
Lemon completely took me by surprise. First, I wasn't expecting to love it (and her) so much. Second, I wasn't expecting it to break my heart. And third, I wasn't expecting it to be so relevant. Lemon is a coming-of-age story that deals with bullying, violence against women, and a search for a place to call … Continue reading Lemon by Cordelia Strube
The Break by Katherena Vermette
[Goodreads synopsis] When Stella, a young Métis mother, looks out her window one evening and spots someone in trouble on the Break — a barren field on an isolated strip of land outside her house — she calls the police to alert them to a possible crime. In a series of shifting narratives, people who … Continue reading The Break by Katherena Vermette
‘Glass Voices’ by Carol Bruneau and ‘The Memento’ by Christy Ann Conlin
Glass Voices by Carol Bruneau (2007) I read this book as part of my little unofficial Halifax Explosion fiction project, which includes other books, such as Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan, Black Snow by Jon Tattrie, and The Blue Tattoo by Steven Laffoley. This book made a nice compliment to the others in that it's … Continue reading ‘Glass Voices’ by Carol Bruneau and ‘The Memento’ by Christy Ann Conlin
Emily Readalong: Emily of New Moon
Many people are familiar with Anne of Green Gables, but Emily of New Moon is not as well known. I'm not really sure why this is... but an article at Literary Hub suggests it's because "Anne has always wanted us to know her; Emily has never been sure." One of Anne's characteristics is that she is … Continue reading Emily Readalong: Emily of New Moon
Playing Catch-Up: Kate Evans and Beatrice MacNeil
The Inward Journey by Kate Evans (2016) Sylvia is not yet 70, but she is going blind and in a nursing home, and fighting it every step of the way. She complains about the food, the care, and refuses to try new ideas to learn how to cope with her loss of vision. In the style … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up: Kate Evans and Beatrice MacNeil
Playing Catch-Up: Yasuko Thanh, Jared Young, and Margaret Atwood
I read these books back in December, and was hoping to find more time for each of them, but they are starting to get away from me... Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains by Yasuko Thanh This book is Yasuko Thanh's debut novel, and was the winner of the 2016 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Award. The story … Continue reading Playing Catch-Up: Yasuko Thanh, Jared Young, and Margaret Atwood
The Blythes are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery
The Blythes are Quoted, the last book in the Anne series, is a short story collection made up of stories about people who are the friends/neighbours/acquaintances of the Blythes. In every story the Blythes are mentioned or quoted, sometimes fondly, sometimes not-so-fondly. I would like to write everything about this book. I would love to … Continue reading The Blythes are Quoted by L.M. Montgomery
Consumed by Ink 