This book is delightful. I thoroughly enjoyed my time on the road with Lansing Meadows and Evan Cornfield as they made their way across Canada en route to Winnipeg, Manitoba where Lansing is to receive a lifetime achievement award for his contribution to Canadian folk music. (The title of Fallsy Downsies comes from the conditions of employment … Continue reading Fallsy Downsies by Stephanie Domet
Category: Canadian Lit
Icefields by Thomas Wharton
... Mom said that in Jasper there used to be two sure signs that winter was over. One was the glacier lily poking up through the snow, and the other was Doctor Byrne stepping off the train. Icefields takes us to Jasper Alberta, where in 1898 Doctor Edward Byrne falls into an ice crevasse. While … Continue reading Icefields by Thomas Wharton
Year 2 of Reading CanLit
A couple of days ago, I was reminded by WordPress that my blog is now 2 years old. This year just flew by! Last year, for my 'blirthday', I focused on the Canadian content of my blog, since challenging myself to read more CanLit was the reason I started blogging. I'm doing the same thing this … Continue reading Year 2 of Reading CanLit
Canadian Poet, John McCrae
100 years ago, John McCrae, Brigade Surgeon and Major of the 1st Brigade Canadian Field Artillary, wrote In Flanders Fields after the death of his friend Alexis Helmer. In Flanders fields the poppies blow Between the crosses, row on row, That mark our place; and in the sky The larks, still bravely singing, fly Scarce … Continue reading Canadian Poet, John McCrae
Confidence by Russell Smith
Russell Smith's stories are full of the kinds of people and events that I don't usually enjoy reading about, and almost none of his characters are likeable. Yet, I felt strangely compelled to read on. And, he nails the dialogue. From a review at Now: "You may loathe his characters - almost all of them … Continue reading Confidence by Russell Smith
Captive by Claudine Dumont
I can finally say that I have a psychological thriller to recommend. I first saw this book when C.J. at ebookclassics reviewed it. The next time I heard of it was when the 2015 Governor General's Literary Award lists came out. Emma is miserable. She goes to work, comes home, drinks too much. Then, one … Continue reading Captive by Claudine Dumont
Every Blade of Grass by Thomas Wharton
When I saw Laura's description of this book on Good reads, "Quiet, beautiful, a heartbreaker.", I knew I wanted to read it. I really can't describe it any better than that. But, maybe I'll elaborate... Martha and James meet at a conference in Iceland in 1974, she as a journalist, he as an ecologist. Almost … Continue reading Every Blade of Grass by Thomas Wharton
The Illegal by Lawrence Hill
Imagine having no place to live, because the country you call home wants you dead? Imagine having to always be on the run, never knowing who you can trust? And, imagine that all this is happening even though you have done nothing wrong, beyond the desire to live and be with your family? It was … Continue reading The Illegal by Lawrence Hill
The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
Goodreads Synopsis. The reviews for this book seem to be all over the place; some people love it, some hate it, and most are somewhere in the middle. The characters are twits (Stan is a jerk), the plot gets a bit crazy, and there's a lot of sex - obsessive, illicit, fetishist, and even robot … Continue reading The Heart Goes Last by Margaret Atwood
If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie
I've had this book for a while; picked it up a few times, put it back down for something else. But, when the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize Long-list came out, and this book was on it, I finally decided to dive in. If I Fall, If I Die is about an agoraphobic mother and her … Continue reading If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie
Consumed by Ink 