The following are a handful of good books I read in the fall of 2024. Two of these are set on the Canadian prairies, two were on the Giller Prize shortlist, and one was shortlisted for the Booker Prize. This Bright Dust by Nina Berkhout (Goose Lane Editions) I used to cry easily while reading; … Continue reading From the Library: dust, hair, smoke, and blood
Marcie wrote a post recently about community: what it is and the importance of it whether it be in real life or online. Over the years (11 of them now) I have treasured this online community of readers and bloggers; you've shared my enthusiasm for books, publishers, authors, and reading as well as shared with … Continue reading Highlights of 2024
A big thank you to Rebecca and Cathy for hosting Novellas in November again this year. It's a fun way to sneak in some short books that might otherwise be overlooked or forgotten about. (Many of the novellas I read this year came through my library's interlibrary loan department. #loveyourlibrary) Novellas allow me to fit … Continue reading #NovNov: Novellas in November (in December) 2024
Literary Wives is an on-line book group that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books. Four times a year, we post and discuss a book with this question in mind: What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? Don’t forget to check out the other members … Continue reading #LiteraryWives: Euphoria by Elin Cullhed
Green Gables, PEI, Summer 2010 November 30, 2024 marks Lucy Maud Montgomery's 150th birthday, and Sarah Emsley has been hard at work gathering scholars and fans together to contribute pieces of writing inspired by LMM. Sarah's blog has been hosting a tribute to LMM this month called "'A World of Wonderful Beauty': L.M. Montgomery at … Continue reading #Maud150: A Celebration of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s 150th Birthday
I confess that I almost missed Margaret Atwood Reading Month this year. I remembered it in September and October, but it wasn't until November 15th that I realized it was November at all and that MARM had been going on already for a full two weeks. But I was determined not to miss it, so … Continue reading #MARM: Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2024
David Huebert's last story collection was leading up to this novel; Chemical Valley was filled with characters who lived and worked in southern Ontario's oil country. Oil People takes a closer look at the same area's history in the oil industry by weaving a tale about a family that spans 125 years. The book alternates … Continue reading Oil People by David Huebert
It's hard to say who I admire more: a person who spends chunks of their life underwater with oxygen tanks strapped to their back, or a person who spends chunks of their life on their feet with a backpack filled with necessities strapped to their back. In Search of the Great Canadian Shark by Chris … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: Chris Harvey-Clark and Emily Taylor Smith
Hearty is made up of 18 essays about food: andrea bennett cooks food, they eat food, they grow food, and they write about how food has shaped their life. I am always here for books about food. "When I cook, I make hearty food. For subsistence but, just as importantly, for pleasure. To keep myself … Continue reading Hearty: On Cooking, Eating, and Growing Food for Pleasure and Subsistence by andrea bennett
It was mostly a coincidence that I read three new novels within a month that are set in the Maritimes and involve the supernatural. A most satisfying and happy coincidence. I started with Rose Sutherland's A Sweet Sting of Salt, which I read for my Real Life book club. Historical fiction, set on the south … Continue reading The Supernatural: Rose Sutherland, Nancy Taber, and Michelle Hébert
Consumed by Ink 