Oscar by Mauricio Segura, translated by Donald Winkler

Going into this book I knew who Oscar Peterson was, where he came from, and what kind of music he played. I'm not a big jazz fan, but it's hard not to admire the way he plays the piano. However, I didn't know anything else about his life, so I am glad to have had … Continue reading Oscar by Mauricio Segura, translated by Donald Winkler

Madeleine Thien and Zoe Whittall

By a happy coincidence I read two books this summer by Giller Prize shortlisted authors, Madeleine Thien and Zoe Whittall. I chose Dogs at the Perimeter to fill the letter 'T' position for my A-Z CanLit project. And the urge to read Zoe Whittall came out of reading Buried In Print's review of The Best Kind of … Continue reading Madeleine Thien and Zoe Whittall

Summer Reading: ‘The Naturalist’ and ‘The Mystics of Mile End’

  The Naturalist by Alissa York Any woman might marvel at a feather, but it takes a special turn of mind to appreciate a scale. [Walter Ash] I was so excited about The Naturalist when I saw it was coming out. I mean, it has a turtle on the cover! Two years ago, her last … Continue reading Summer Reading: ‘The Naturalist’ and ‘The Mystics of Mile End’

Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

When I found out that The Socratic Salon was going to be discussing Last Night in Montreal, I decided to jump on board. Station Eleven was one of my favourite books last year, and I was curious about her others. This seemed like a good chance to check one out. The group who participated in … Continue reading Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel

Mᾶn by Kim Thúy

Kim Thúy makes every word count in her new novel, Mᾶn.  She says so much with very few words. Her writing is beautiful and poetic. Life caught me when I fell... The story tells about Mᾶn's new life in Montreal as a cook at her husband's restaurant. There is a lot of wonderful detail describing the … Continue reading Mᾶn by Kim Thúy

Cockroach by Rawi Hage

At first, I wasn't so sure I liked this book, but by the time I had finished, I felt differently.  I didn't love the story, but his writing drew me in and pulled me along.  I was curious to know what was going to happen to this poor man in the end. Cockroach is the … Continue reading Cockroach by Rawi Hage