I have been itching to write about these books since reading them - since before I finished reading them. These stories are brilliant and addictive and I wanted them to last forever. Late Breaking (2018) Late Breaking is K.D. Miller's most recent book, and it's the one I read first (thanks to the folks at … Continue reading K.D. Miller: ‘Late Breaking’ and ‘All Saints’
Dionne Brand's Love Enough is the 22nd Bookmark on the CanLit Trail. I'm happy that Dionne Brand has a Bookmark, and I'm happy that I have finally read one of her books. "Brand is our great observer - of actions, of emotions, of the little things that often go unnoticed but can mean the turn … Continue reading Project Bookmark Canada: Love Enough by Dionne Brand (2014)
I read The Grimoire of Kensington Market a few weeks ago, and am only just now getting to write about it. Fortunately, it doesn't seem to be the kind of book that fades quickly. The images I took in as I read are still dancing around in my head. In the meantime, I've also had … Continue reading The Grimoire of Kensington Market by Lauren B. Davis
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
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
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
"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
As with Genevieve Graham's novel, Come From Away, A Circle on the Surface is inspired by the rumours of German U-Boat sailors coming ashore along Canada's east coast during the Second World War. The heart of the novel, of course, is not about German soldiers, but of a marriage and how it is impacted by … Continue reading A Circle on the Surface by Carol Bruneau
Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq What a physically beautiful book this is, with its white jacket and red edging. I hate to take it back to the library. There are snippets of beauty between the covers, too - but like the long bright summer days and the cold dark winters of the north, the moments … Continue reading Two From the Giller Longlist: “Split Tooth” and “Vi”
As with The Luminous Sea, the cover of this lured me right in. Covers with sea creatures on them always catch my eye, so when I saw this book on the "new book" shelf at the library, I grabbed it. The first thing I noticed when flipping through the book is that all the chapters are … Continue reading Land Mammals and Sea Creatures by Jen Neale
Consumed by Ink 