This is a novel made up of stories highlighting different stages of a woman's life. I loved this book for the structure, the humour, and the character's flaws. Not to mention the Halifax setting - as you know, I always appreciate a local setting. There is an incident that takes place early on in Nina's … Continue reading The Most Precious Substance on Earth by Shashi Bhat
The first two of these books are Atlantic Canadian, written by women in the last couple of years, and reminded me of two of my favourite childhood characters. The third is American, written by a man over 60 years ago, and reminds me of nothing I've read before. New Girl in Little Cove by Damhnait … Continue reading From the Library: Anne Shirley, Mary Poppins, and a very smart mouse
"Highlights of 2021" might seem like an oxymoron, but when it comes to books there was so much goodness for me last year. I broke my personal reading record, even if I don't count the audiobooks I listened to. This surprised me, because I have a tighter schedule this year and had to do some … Continue reading Highlights of 2021
In which I talk about the final installment of Andre Alexis' Quincunx, the final Giller shortlisted book, the latest from a prolific Nova Scotian author, and the debut of another. Ring by Andre Alexis I think many Andre Alexis fans have been anxiously awaiting the fifth book in his Quincunx. On the other hand, I … Continue reading From the Library: Love, Letters, and Listeners
A few years ago I read Africa's Children: A History of Blacks in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia by Sharon Robart-Johnson. In it, there was a short newspaper clipping about the murder trial of a young, enslaved girl named Jude who was beaten to death in the early 1800s. In Jude and Diana, Robart-Johnson gives voice to … Continue reading Jude and Diana by Sharon Robart-Johnson
I just realized that I have a trio of books that represent present, past, and future. All three are new books from authors I have read and loved. A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renee Lavoie (2021) Not long ago I read Lavoie's Autopsy of a Boring Wife in which Diane's husband leaves her … Continue reading From the Library: return of the boring wife, an apocalyptic love story, and some feminist historical fiction
A wide-ranging trio of books; a fascinating Atlantic Canadian memoir, a heartbreakingly good novel about residential school trauma, and a joy-of-a linked story collection. The Dome Chronicles by Garry Leeson (2019) The Dome Chronicles doesn't look like the type of book I normally gravitate towards - physically, it's tall and wide and floppy, kind of … Continue reading From the Library: Michelle Good, Garry Leeson, and Carol Bruneau
When I learned that author Jane Doucet was from my neck of the woods, I made it my mission to read her books. Happily for me, her books are so much fun that it was a piece of cake! Jane Doucet "never planned to write fiction, but when she looked for a lighthearted novel about … Continue reading Jane Doucet: ‘The Pregnant Pause’ and ‘Fishnets & Fantasies’
This book is missing a few things: fully-developed characters, a narrative arc, a sense of cohesiveness. What is this book about? I don't really know. Yet I still read it. In fact, I read it with great interest, wondering what the author was going to come up with next. Writing is hard work, often unrewarding, … Continue reading Q&A with Jeff Bursey, Author of Unidentified man at left of photo
I decided to put a hold on this book after my interview with Chris Benjamin; Doing Time is one of the books he had recently read and recommended. (He had also spoke highly of Carol Bruneau's Brighten the Corner Where You Are, and that turned out well!) I was surprised by how invested in this … Continue reading Doing Time: Writing Workshops in Prison by Carole Glasser Langille
Consumed by Ink 