This is a group of books I read several months ago and am just catching up on now. They are by no means the only books by NS authors I've read this year, or recently. For example, I wrote about some short story collections a few months ago, a memoir by Marjorie Simmins, and a … Continue reading Catching Up With Nova Scotia Authors and Books
I was always going to read this book; a memoir, in part, about Marjorie's move from Cape Breton to Truro, Nova Scotia. I wanted to read an account of a newcomer moving to the town I've lived in for the past 22 years. But, now that I've read it, I can recommend it to any … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: In Search of Puffins by Marjorie Simmins
The Wisdom Found in Hen's Teeth (Pottersfield Press) When I read Been There, Ate That a couple of years ago, I felt like Jules and I had a lot in common. I could relate to her nostalgia to the junk food of the 80s and 90s; we share a similar sense of humour and playfulness … Continue reading Jules Torti: hen’s teeth, coincidences, gastro-intestinal matters, and being weird
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
Death by a Thousand Cuts by Shashi Bhat The stories in Death by a Thousand Cuts are devastating, funny, and completely accessible. She makes reading feel easy and then drops a thought bomb on you that makes you realize how intentionally-crafted these stories are. In Dealbreaker, Asha is trying to find a partner through online … Continue reading From the Library: Shashi Bhat, Chelsea Wakelyn, and Lisa Brideau
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: Recipe for a Perfect Wife
Lásko by Catherine Cooper Lásko (which means "love" in Czech) is a story that surprised me and took me to places I wasn't expecting. When Maja was seven, her mother disappeared. Now that Maja is grown, she has the same urge to leave her fiancé in Canada and disappear. I imagined a story in which … Continue reading Freehand Books: Emily Saso and Catherine Cooper
I loved Frances Peck's novel The Broken Places, so was excited to see she had a new book coming out. While The Broken Places is about the aftermath of a big earthquake on the British Columbian coast, Uncontrolled Flight is about the aftermath of a plane crash that takes place while fighting British Columbia's wildfires. … Continue reading Uncontrolled Flight by Frances Peck
My goal for MARM this year was to start tackling the big book of Burning Questions. I now present to you my findings (and thoughts) in the order in which I found them (and thought them). Upon opening Burning Questions and checking out the extensive Table of Contents, I skimmed it to see if any … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month 2023: #MARM
I have read Ali Bryan's Roost and The Figgs and loved them both. This summer, she published two more books, and I decided to round it off by also reading her YA novel. Presented in the order in which I read them. Coq (Freehand Books) Several years ago, I wrote about Roost, a book by … Continue reading Ali Bryan: Coq, The Hill, and The Crow Valley Karaoke Championships
Consumed by Ink 