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: A Lady and her Husband by Amber Reeves (1914)
Dazzle Patterns by Alison Watt
As some of you may know, I have been working on a little project the last couple of years; reading novels that have a connection to the Halifax Explosion. On December 6th of this year, 2017, it will be the 100th anniversary of the Halifax Explosion. One of the things I find compelling about reading … Continue reading Dazzle Patterns by Alison Watt
2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner
Congratulations to Michael Redhill whose book Bellevue Square is the winner of the 2017 Giller Prize! As many of you may already know, the Shadow Giller also chose Bellevue Square as our winner. If you're interested in knowing how this came about, visit the home of the Shadow Giller, Kevin from Canada. For a replay … Continue reading 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner
Giller Shortlist: I Am a Truck by Michelle Winters
Trucks play a big part in this story of a rural Acadian couple who have been together for almost 20 years. The only thing Réjean seems to love more than his wife, Agathe, is his black Chevy Silverado. The Silverado was reported sitting next to the highway with the driver-side door open just eight hours … Continue reading Giller Shortlist: I Am a Truck by Michelle Winters
Canadian Books On the International Dublin Literary Award Longlist 2018
This year there are 16 Canadian books on the International Dublin Literary Award longlist. 8 Canadian books on the list that I've read and reviewed (Click on the book titles to see my reviews.) Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien - winner of the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize and 2016 Governor General's … Continue reading Canadian Books On the International Dublin Literary Award Longlist 2018
Giller Shortlist: Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
What I love so much about readng the Giller books is that there are always surprises. I'm often reading books I hadn't heard of before, books from authors I've never read before, and books I know very little about. Add the fact that the books have been carefully chosen by a handful of smart and … Continue reading Giller Shortlist: Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
Giller Shortlist: Minds of Winter by Ed O’Loughlin
The title for Minds of Winter comes from The Snow Man by Wallace Stevens, which I thought was fitting. Most of the characters in this book are drawn to the polar regions of the world. No sooner have they gotten back from an expedition and they're off again, despite the very real dangers. Many press … Continue reading Giller Shortlist: Minds of Winter by Ed O’Loughlin
5 Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Like The Blue Castle #ReadingValancy
Lucy Maud Montgomery wrote The Blue Castle in 1924, at the same time as she was attempting to write Emily's Quest. Unlike the last Emily book, LMM enjoyed writing The Blue Castle. In The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery Volume III: 1921-1929, she writes "I have enjoyed writing it very much. It seemed a refuge … Continue reading 5 Reasons Why I Shouldn’t Like The Blue Castle #ReadingValancy
Giller Longlist: Brother by David Chariandy
If you're looking for that one beautiful gem, David Chariandy's Brother just might be it. It's raw and honest, and the writing is as smooth as silk. Michael and his older brother Francis are close as they grow up in 1980s Scarborough, the sons of a single hard-working mother from Trinidad. Francis was my older … Continue reading Giller Longlist: Brother by David Chariandy
The Boat: A Short Story by Alistair MacLeod #1968Club
Joining in on the 1968 Club this week seemed like a long shot for me until I came across this short story by Alistair MacLeod, published in 1968 and the first story in the collection Island. The Boat A Midwestern University professor looks back at his childhood in 1930s Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. He grew … Continue reading The Boat: A Short Story by Alistair MacLeod #1968Club
Consumed by Ink 