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’
Fans of Alexander Macleod's short stories have been waiting for this book to come out since his last story collection Light Lifting, in 2010 (which beme a Giller Prize nominee). Like in Light Lifting, the stories in Animal Person are rich enough to keep us satisfied with re-reading until the next collection, even if it … Continue reading Alexander MacLeod Short Stories: Animal Person
The Library Book by Susan Orlean: In The Library Book, Orlean chronicles the LAPL fire and its aftermath to showse the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives; delves into the evolution of libraries across the country and around the world, from their humble beginnings as a metropolitan charitable initiative to their current status … Continue reading What I’ve Been Listening To: Books, Bodies, and Bacteria
Literary Wives is an on-line book group that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books. Four times a year, we post and discuss a book with this question in mind: What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? Don’t forget to check out the other members … Continue reading #LiteraryWives: Red Island House by Andrea Lee
Four incredible books from Atlantic nada: one from Newfoundland and three from Nova Scotia. Gruesome murders, foster homes (for both two-legged and four-legged creatures), mothers and sons in critil conditions, a st of furry (and feathered) characters, and #Snowmageddon. Beneath Her Skin by C.S. Porter (Nimbus Publishing) I don't usually read crime novels, but this … Continue reading From the Library: Lisa Moore, Nicola Davison, Chad Lus, and C.S. Porter
This book surprised me with its complexity of familial relationships and marriage; the perspectives we have of ourselves versus the ones others have of us. The Winter-Blooming Tree focuses in on the Neiderhauser family in Humboldt, Saskatchewan. [The setting made me realize how few books I've read set in Saskatchewan. I learned that Humboldt--named for … Continue reading The Winter-Blooming Tree by Barbara Langhorst
Literary Wives is an on-line book group that examines the meaning and role of wife in different books. Four times a year, we post and discuss a book with this question in mind: What does this book say about wives or about the experience of being a wife? Don’t forget to check out the other members … Continue reading #LiteraryWives: The Sentence by Louise Erdrich
The Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award celebrates the very best of Atlantic nadian Fiction. I try to read as many of the nominated books as I n. You n find more information about this on my Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Reading List page. Like the Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction, all three nominees for … Continue reading Thomas Raddall Atlantic Fiction Award: Michelle Butler Hallet, David Huebert, and Sharon Robart-Johnson
It's Atlantic Book Award season! There are twelve awards under the umbrella of the Atlantic Books Awards. To see all the nominated books, authors, illustrators, and publishers visit atlanticbookawards.. And you n follow along on Twitter @AtlBookAwards. Happily, the short fiction titles are from a few of my favourite independent publishers. Chemil Valley by David … Continue reading Alistair MacLeod Prize for Short Fiction: David Huebert, Amber McMillan, and Claire Wilkshire
Consumed by Ink