Shadow Giller: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

I put off writing my review of The Wonder for a couple of weeks after reading Kim's excellent review. I couldn't see how I could add anything more. But I have taken some time to forget about what she wrote so that I can concentrate on my own notes. Fans of Emma Donoghue will surely … Continue reading Shadow Giller: The Wonder by Emma Donoghue

Willem de Kooning’s Paintbrush by Kerry Lee Powell

Willem de Kooning's Paintbrush was longlisted for the Giller Prize, is a finalist for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize, and a finalist for the Governor General's Literary Awards. So, of course I had to read it. As I have mentioned before, I prefer novels to short stories. However, short stories have their place in … Continue reading Willem de Kooning’s Paintbrush by Kerry Lee Powell

Shadow Giller: Yiddish For Pirates by Gary Barwin

Gary Barwin's imagination knocked my socks off. History and adventure come together in this remarkable tale full of word play and wit, all told by a 500-year-old Yiddish-speaking parrot. So, you ask, how did this shell-less cheder-bocher - schoolboy - drawn from the waters of Ashkenaz find himself on the Spanish Main, the blade of … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Yiddish For Pirates by Gary Barwin

Shadow Giller: The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

[Rape Culture's] most devilish trick is to make the average non-criminal person identify with the person accused, instead of the person reporting the crime...                                                               … Continue reading Shadow Giller: The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

Giller Longlist: The Two of Us by Kathy Page

This is one of the few books on the Giller Prize longlist that I hadn't heard of. It's also one of the only two short story collections on the list. The other being Willem De Kooning's Paintbrush by Kerry Lee Powell. Admittedly, short story collections aren't my usual fare, but this is a strong collection … Continue reading Giller Longlist: The Two of Us by Kathy Page

2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

There are 6 books on the Giller Prize shortlist this year. The Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books over the course of the next 5 weeks. We will be choosing a shadow winner a few days before the official Giller Prize announcement on November 7th. Mona Awad for her novel 13 Ways … Continue reading 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

Shadow Giller: The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler

The first thing I noticed about The Party Wall, even before reading the first page, was the story/character sequence; ABACADABACADA. Intriguing, right? Then, after about four stories into it, I had no idea where any of it was going (a good thing). Even more enticing are the little clues giving us hints as to when … Continue reading Shadow Giller: The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler

The 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist

This is the 23rd anniversary of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, a prize that was founded in 1994 by 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 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize Longlist