Might This Be A Greenhouse? by Katie Cameron Katie Cameron's chapbook is #2 in a series of chapbooks being published by Qwerty Magazine at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The joy in reading Katie's chapbook begins with the table of contents. Titles like "Mom Asks Me When My Anxiety Started," "I Could Never … Continue reading Poetry Month: Katie Cameron and Deborah Banks
David Huebert's last story collection was leading up to this novel; Chemical Valley was filled with characters who lived and worked in southern Ontario's oil country. Oil People takes a closer look at the same area's history in the oil industry by weaving a tale about a family that spans 125 years. The book alternates … Continue reading Oil People by David Huebert
Dear Haider is a debut novel by Lili Zeng. It is told in the first person by Elizabeth or “Liz” as she prefers to be called, a 20-year-old Chinese-Canadian woman living in Montreal who is spending her summer doing a paid internship in Germany. An only child, and a musical prodigy, she was never quite … Continue reading Dear Haider by Lili Zeng (Baraka Books)
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 was so happy to be back at Mavillette Beach, after Jennie Morrow took me there in her book Bird Shadows. Situated along the French Shore of Nova Scotia, I spent many summer days there, sometimes in the thick fog--so thick you couldn't see the waterline from where you were sitting if the tide was … Continue reading Nothing In Truth Can Harm Us by Colleen René
Three new novels from three established Nova Scotian authors. This is Becca Babcock's second book - I wrote about her first book here. This is Lesley Crewe's trillionth book - I wrote about her last book here. Leo McKay's debut story collection was shortlisted for the 1995 Giller Prize. I wrote about his self-published novel … Continue reading Three from Nimbus Publishing: Lesley Crewe, Leo McKay Jr., and Becca Babcock
These three books took me from western, to central, to eastern Canada. And from the future, to the past, to almost the present (the 1990s). I loved them all. Greenwood by Michael Christie (Random House) I'm so happy I finally read this book. I've been wanting to read it since it came out, and have … Continue reading From the Library: the future, the past, and the 1990s
Whenever I look at this author's name, I mistakenly see Melanie Watt, who is a Canadian children's author. And for one second I think to myself, I didn't know Melanie Watt wrote an adult novel! Just for s split second. And then I'm slightly disappointed that I'm not about to encounter Scaredy Squirrel or Chester … Continue reading The Inland Sea by Madeleine Watts
Wonder World by K.R. Byggdin (Enfield & Wizenty) When I saw the cover of this book (a jar of pickles?), I knew I had to read it. (And--although Byggdin grew up in Manitoba--they are now living on the East Coast.) Isaac Funk has been living in Halifax for ten years; for ten years he has … Continue reading From the Library: Community, growing up, and pop tarts
This is a novel made up of stories highlighting different stages of a woman's life. I loved this book for the structure, the humour, and the character's flaws. Not to mention the Halifax setting - as you know, I always appreciate a local setting. There is an incident that takes place early on in Nina's … Continue reading The Most Precious Substance on Earth by Shashi Bhat
Consumed by Ink 