I felt like it was time for another short story from Alistair MacLeod's Island collection, and thought it would be nice to find one appropriate for summer. So I chose As Birds Bring Forth the Sun - sounds summery, right? (I can hear those of you who know this story laughing at me already.) How … Continue reading Alistair MacLeod Short Story: As Birds Bring Forth the Sun (1985)
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2018: Longlist
This is the 25th 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 of the … Continue reading Scotiabank Giller Prize 2018: Longlist
Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
This is the second book by Catherine Leroux I've read. The first was The Party Wall, which the Shadow Giller jury (of which I am one) chose as their 2016 winner. In both cases I have found that Leroux's books are not just well-written stories (although they are that, too)... they are also cleverly imagined … Continue reading Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung
From the first paragraph of this book, I was hooked. 1979: This was the year the parents in my neighbourhood began killing themselves. I was eleven years old and in Grade 6. Elsewhere in the world, big things were happening. McDonald's introduced the Happy Meal, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran and Michael Jackson released his … Continue reading That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Remember Eileen? I'm a fan of that book, despite its depressing heroine and its disturbing weirdness (or probably because of it). Sure enough, Moshfegh has delivered another weird story with an unlikable character. And, once again, it was hard to put down. I had started "hibernating" as best I could in mid-June of 2000. I … Continue reading My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Women Talking by Miriam Toews
I like most of the books I read, but I especially appreciate unique ways of telling stories. Miriam Toews wanted to write about the events that happened in the Manitoba Colony of Bolivia. Between 2005 and 2009, in a remote Mennonite colony in Bolivia named the Manitoba Colony, after the province in Canada, many girls … Continue reading Women Talking by Miriam Toews
Two Post-Apocalyptic Books Worth Reading: “Moon of the Crusted Snow” and “The Marrow Thieves”
Evan is a young Anishinaabe man who belongs to a small community in Northern Ontario. The North wasn't always a part of their territory, but the community is working to make it their new home, and working to bring back the language and many of the traditional ways. When the community first loses internet and … Continue reading Two Post-Apocalyptic Books Worth Reading: “Moon of the Crusted Snow” and “The Marrow Thieves”
Come From Away by Genevieve Graham
Previously, I have read Genevieve Graham's Tides of Honour, which is a love story set during WWI and the Halifax Explosion. Come From Away takes place during WWII, a generation later. Danny and Audrey Baker's children are grown - their three boys away fighting in the war and their daughter, Grace, at home with them. … Continue reading Come From Away by Genevieve Graham
#LiteraryWives: First Love by Gwendoline Riley
Literary Wives is an on-line book group that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books. Every other month, 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 of Literary Wives … Continue reading #LiteraryWives: First Love by Gwendoline Riley
Vacation Time
This year my family and I are going on a little road trip. To see some relatives, to see some new places, to explore some big cities, check out a few museums and parks. And beaches. (We know it's going to be hot!) I'm also hoping to track down a couple of literary Bookmarks. Perhaps … Continue reading Vacation Time
Consumed by Ink 