Novellas in November is being hosted this year by Rebecca at BookishBeck and Cathy at 746Books. I try to participate each year - some years I manage to read more than others. The two I've read this year are both excellent, both translations, and very different from each other. Manam by Rima Elkouri, translated by … Continue reading Novellas in November 2022: #NovNov22
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
Both Translated by Donald Winkler I knew going into these books that they weren't going to involve the usual things, but I also didn't expect to be quite as shocked by them as I was. Kevin Lambert's work has won several awards in Quebec, and Querelle of Roberval has just recently become a finalist for … Continue reading Kevin Lambert: ‘Querelle of Roberval’ and ‘You Will Love What You Have Killed’
I just realized that I have a trio of books that represent present, past, and future. All three are new books from authors I have read and loved. A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renee Lavoie (2021) Not long ago I read Lavoie's Autopsy of a Boring Wife in which Diane's husband leaves her … Continue reading From the Library: return of the boring wife, an apocalyptic love story, and some feminist historical fiction
I have to confess, it's been a while now since I read these books. Particularly The Electric Baths. But that doesn't make them any less good - it just makes my job a lot harder. Both of these books are published by QC Fiction. I have had the pleasure of reading several books by this … Continue reading QC Fiction: The Electric Baths & Tatouine
The first thing I have to say about these books is that each one deserves it's own post. So very good in their own unique ways. Three from Atlantic Canada, one from Quebec. Are You Kidding Me?! by Lesley Crewe, Nimbus Publishing Lesley Crewe is wildly popular here in Nova Scotia. Her books at the … Continue reading From the Library: some laughs, some crime, a coma, and a narrative meditation
Autopsy of A Boring Wife, translated by Arielle Aaronson I've always thought it terribly pretentious to gather all your loved ones in one place in order to say: the two of us, right here right now and in spite of the overwhelming statistics, declare that we, temporarily bonded by the illusion of eternity, we are … Continue reading Marie-Renée Lavoie: ‘Autopsy of a Boring Wife’ and ‘Mister Roger and Me’
Songs for the Cold of Heart is a big book. It took me over a week to read it. But I loved every minute of it. What a ride. Louis "the Horse" Lamontagne from Riviére-du-Loup Quebec, and his daughter Madeleine, are at the heart of this story. However, there are so many other wonderful characters … Continue reading Shadow Giller: Songs for the Cold of Heart by Eric DuPont, translated by Peter McCambridge
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”
When I saw this book at the library and read that it was about a "grotesque fat woman getting larger every day", I immediately thought of Melanie's quest for fat-positive books which prompted me to bring this one home and read it. I have to admit that, from the blurb on the back of the … Continue reading Mile End by Lise Tremblay, translated by Gail Scott
Consumed by Ink 