I haven't read one of Carol Shields' novels in such a long time that it was an obvious choice for the letter 'S' in my A-Z CanLit Project. But, which one? There are so many good ones to pick from. In the end, I went with Unless because of the premise: Reta Winters, 44-year-old successful author … Continue reading Unless by Carol Shields
Tag: Toronto
Three Years With the Rat by Jay Hosking
I'll admit that I thought the title of this book was strange. But when I read the author's background, I was intrigued and hoped he had used a part of his neuroscience-y mind to write this book. He did, but not so much that the average reader can't follow what's going on. Just enough that … Continue reading Three Years With the Rat by Jay Hosking
In the Skin of A Lion by Michael Ondaatje
The first sentence of every novel should be: "Trust me, this will take time but there is order here, very faint, very human." In the Skin of A Lion was my last read of 2015 and the 'O' book for my A-Z CanLit project. So, it's about time I write about it. I think I've … Continue reading In the Skin of A Lion by Michael Ondaatje
The Devil You Know by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
I went into The Devil You Know hoping to be scared silly, but that's not what happened. It's more a smart look into the way we have been taught to fear life. It is creepy and horrifying (it's about rape and murder, after all), and suspenseful at times, but don't expect it to make you … Continue reading The Devil You Know by Elisabeth de Mariaffi
Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
Update: Winner of the 2015 Scotiabank Giller Prize and Rogers Writers' Fiction Prize. Fifteen Dogs is the most creative and unique book I have read in a long time. It was funny, smart, inventive, moving, thought-provoking, and I didn't want to put it down. I had to know what was going to become of all the … Continue reading Fifteen Dogs by André Alexis
Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder
I feel like it took me a long time to finally get my hands on this book. I put in a request for it at the library as soon as it appeared on the short list for the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize. I had made up my mind to read them all. I had already … Continue reading Girl Runner by Carrie Snyder
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Station Eleven follows the storylines of four main characters. Their stories span from thirty years before the Collapse to twenty years after it. The Collapse refers to the Georgia Flu pandemic that spread around the world in a matter of weeks and wiped out most of humanity. What remains are sporadic communities where most of the inhabitants stay … Continue reading Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Kicking the Sky by Anthony De Sa
I was looking forward to this book, knowing that it was written from the perspective of a twelve-year-old boy. My own son is eleven, so I thought it might be fun to get inside this character's head. I didn't exactly get the results I was hoping for, but I did get a brilliant look into the culture … Continue reading Kicking the Sky by Anthony De Sa
Consumed by Ink 