Of course it started with a conversation. We were chatting about Margaret Atwood’s books - the ones we haven’t read yet and the ones we want to reread - and it quickly became clear that we could spend a year at this. Why not start with a month? So, here is Margaret Atwood Reading Month: … Continue reading Margaret Atwood Reading Month: November 2018 #MARM
Tag: Canadian women writers
The Luminous Sea by Melissa Barbeau
Anyone who loves the sea, or feels drawn to stories of the sea, will likely feel drawn to The Luminous Sea by Melissa Barbeau, like I was. I was even nervous going into this book - I so wanted it to be good. Happily, it is more than good - it is splendid in every … Continue reading The Luminous Sea by Melissa Barbeau
Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page
Dear Evelyn is the story of a long marriage (over 70 years), and how that marriage and the individuals involved change over the years; sometimes in a good way, often not, but always in a way that is moving and complex. Harry and Evelyn meet and fall in love right before the Second World War, … Continue reading Dear Evelyn by Kathy Page
Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
This is the second book by Catherine Leroux I've read. The first was The Party Wall, which the Shadow Giller jury (of which I am one) chose as their 2016 winner. In both cases I have found that Leroux's books are not just well-written stories (although they are that, too)... they are also cleverly imagined … Continue reading Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux, translated by Lazer Lederhendler
That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung
From the first paragraph of this book, I was hooked. 1979: This was the year the parents in my neighbourhood began killing themselves. I was eleven years old and in Grade 6. Elsewhere in the world, big things were happening. McDonald's introduced the Happy Meal, Ayatollah Khomeini returned to Iran and Michael Jackson released his … Continue reading That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung
Guest Post: Dian Day’s The Madrigal
The Miramichi Reader is an excellent site that champions Canadian Literature and small publishers, with a focus on Atlantic Canada. For the second time, James Fisher and I are doing a book review swap for which James has chosen to read and review The Madrigal by Dian Day. Dian Day is the author of The Clock … Continue reading Guest Post: Dian Day’s The Madrigal
Catch My Drift by Genevieve Scott
Catch My Drift is a compelling novel about a mother and daughter, living together while also living their own private lives. Over the span of twenty years, the chapters alternate between Lorna's story (in third person) and Cara's (in first). Lorna had dreams of standing out in her sport of swimming. But first she was … Continue reading Catch My Drift by Genevieve Scott
The Honey Farm by Harriet Alida Lye
The Honey Farm has produced a lot of buzz since it came out. In advance praise for the book, Kirkus calls it "lush" and "poetic", Quill & Quire claims that it "evokes gothic tropes and a rippling aura of foreboding", while Iain Reid calls it "mysterious, suspenseful, and unnerving". In his review at The Miramichi … Continue reading The Honey Farm by Harriet Alida Lye
In the Field by Claire Tacon
After reading In Search of the Perfect Singing Flamingo, Claire Tacon's new book, I discovered that she already had a book out called In the Field, published in 2011, and that this book is almost entirely set in rural Nova Scotia. The Setting It's no surprise that I love that this story takes place in … Continue reading In the Field by Claire Tacon
Sarah Selecky #2: This Cake is For the Party
While I was reading Radiant Shimmering Light, which I wrote about last week, I was also reading Sarah Selecky's short story collection, This Cake is For the Party. I have to say, and this is rare for me when comparing novels with short stories, that I'd be hard pressed to say which I enjoyed more. … Continue reading Sarah Selecky #2: This Cake is For the Party
Consumed by Ink 