2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner

It's been a couple of weeks since the big Scotiabank Giller Prize announcement, and I am behind on my wrap-up post for this event. So, if you're sick of hearing about the Giller Prize by now, by all means, tune out. However, because I have done this the past two years on my blog, I … Continue reading 2018 Scotiabank Giller Prize Winner

Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Children’s Books #MARM

Once I knew Marcie and I were going to go ahead with MARM, I started collecting odds and ends of Margaret Atwood books and stories, including as many of her children's books I could find through my library. Up In the Tree, written and illustrated by Margaret Atwood (1978) The first book for children Margaret Atwood … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Children’s Books #MARM

Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Quotations #MARM

This month, I have discovered that Margaret Atwood seems to have a wise word for just about everything. Let's have a look... Youth: "When you're young, you think everything you do is disposable. You move from now to now, crumpling time up in your hands, tossing it away. You're your own speeding car. You think you … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month: Quotations #MARM

Shadow Giller: An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

An Ocean of Minutes had me in its grip. I was so invested in the outcome, I couldn't put it down. I had high hopes for it, too, when I read that it involved time travel and a flu epidemic. But how was Lim going to make her book stand out from other dystopian novels? … Continue reading Shadow Giller: An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

Shadow Giller: French Exit by Patrick deWitt

Frances and Malcolm, mother and son, a wealthy pair of callous social outcasts, have just found out that all their money is gone. They have to make big changes, but neither are inclined to work for it - what will become of them? ("... her blood thrilled at life's gruesome pageant.") Frances's friend, Joan, offers … Continue reading Shadow Giller: French Exit by Patrick deWitt

Five Years of Consumed by Ink: 100 Recommended Canadian Books

When I was in my first year or two of blogging, I would marvel at the bloggers who were hitting five years plus. But now I know how fast the time goes by. In celebration of my 5th year, I've compiled a list of some of the best Canadian books I've read and reviewed on … Continue reading Five Years of Consumed by Ink: 100 Recommended Canadian Books

Shadow Giller: Motherhood by Sheila Heti

I can see why Motherhood is getting mixed reactions from readers. For one thing, the entire book takes place inside the narrator's head - so we get to hear her every thought. Hearing someone's thoughts for pages at a time can start to feel claustrophobic - a whole book that dwells almost entirely on the … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Shadow Giller: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Since this book first came out, I have been captivated by the octopus on the cover. What is an octopus doing on the cover of a book about an escaped slave? Well, let me tell you... It starts in Barbados in 1830, when the plantation master's brother comes to visit. "Titch" asks for the "use" … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan

Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2018: Beginnings #MARM

Welcome to Margaret Atwood Reading Month. I'm looking forward to hearing from you, either in the comments or on your own blogs, about your first encounters with Margaret Atwood and/or her work. From what I hear, many of us here in Canada first experienced Margaret Atwood in school. Not me. I remember Alice Munro and … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2018: Beginnings #MARM

In the Wake by Nicola Davison

"Memory plays tricks. Memory is another word for story, and nothing is more unreliable." -- Ann-Marie MacDonald, Fall on Your Knees Emily and Daniel have moved back home to Nova Scotia, with their 3-year-old son Ryan, after living in Alberta for ten years. Emily is excited to be back by the ocean, but it also … Continue reading In the Wake by Nicola Davison