From the Library: Home Children, A Pandemic, A Cult, and Jane Austen

The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham I had hoped the trunk would outlive me. That once I was gone, someone could dust it off, open the latches, and discover the treasures old Gran had hidden away. Without me to tell the story, no one would be able to figure it out. It would remain … Continue reading From the Library: Home Children, A Pandemic, A Cult, and Jane Austen

2019 Prize Lists and Prize Winners

If you follow the shadow jury at Kevin from Canada, you may already know that we chose two shadow winners this year - The Innocents by Michael Crummey and Reproduction by Ian Williams. I am happy to say that Ian Williams took home the Giller Prize this year for Reproduction! Congratulations to all the finalists … Continue reading 2019 Prize Lists and Prize Winners

The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil by Lesley Choyce

Lesley Choyce has written a crazy number of books; over 80 for adults, teens, and children. I only own one that I deliberately bought a few years ago because I was anxious to read it. It is still unread. He also lives in Nova Scotia. All of this to say that I'm wondering what makes … Continue reading The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil by Lesley Choyce

2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

The Giller Prize shortlist is out! The Shadow Jury will be reading and reviewing these books over the course of the next 6 weeks, and will be choosing a shadow winner a few days before the official Giller Prize announcement on November 20th. Rachel Cusk for her novel Transit, published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd My thoughts: Unfortunately I wasn't a … Continue reading 2017 Scotiabank Giller Prize Shortlist

A Bird on Every Tree: A Collection of Short Stories by Carol Bruneau

Carol Bruneau has been getting some standout reviews recently for her new story collection, A Bird on Every Tree. James at The Miramichi Reader says that Ms. Bruneau "writes with a graceful precision and has a deftness with words and their cadences". A reviewer at The Coast calls Ms. Bruneau "a master of imagery". A … Continue reading A Bird on Every Tree: A Collection of Short Stories by Carol Bruneau

The Greatest Hits of Wanda Jaynes by Bridget Canning

Imagine you performed an unintentional heroic act that was caught on video and shared with the world. What would you do? How would you react? This is the premise of Bridget Canning's debut, The Greatest Hits of Wanda Jaynes. It's fun, smart, thought-provoking, and very relevant to the world we live in right now. Wanda … Continue reading The Greatest Hits of Wanda Jaynes by Bridget Canning

Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane

But from childhood my one wish and ambition was to write. I never had any other or wished to have.  - L.M. Montgomery Maud is a fictional account of Lucy Maud Montgomery's life between the ages of 14 and 17. Melanie Fishbane writes in detail about Maud's family, friends, and possible romances. Maud grows up … Continue reading Maud: A Novel Inspired by the Life of L.M. Montgomery by Melanie J. Fishbane