The Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak “Us Dunbar boys. From oldest to youngest: Me, Rory, Henry, Clayton, Thomas. We would never be the same...I should tell you what we were like: Many considered us tearaways. Barbarians. Mostly they were right: Our mother was dead Our father had fled” (14-15). I was afraid to read … Continue reading The Bridge of Clay
Author: Lisa Helm
The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
Every once in a while I find a treasure. Actually, I went seeking this treasure. I Googled “Best books of 2019”, and up popped The Boy, The Mole, the Fox and the Horse. I thought I’d find it in the children’s section, but bookstore had it shelved under “graphic novel”. Truthfully, there should be a … Continue reading The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy
142 Ostriches by April Davila
I read this novel over the weekend, actually over the course of a Saturday between loads of laundry. While I was changing my whites from the washer and into the dryer I would wonder “why aren’t Tallulah‘s ostriches laying eggs? Are they sick? Heartbroken?” I became quite invested in Tallulah‘s ostriches and worried about their … Continue reading 142 Ostriches by April Davila
Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
You know, in a warped, conniving, murderous way I’d say this novel is a story about friendship. Nina and Lachlan are grifters who scope out mansions of the rich and steal “only what won’t be missed”. It’s a profession Nina comes by naturally seeing how she was raised by a mother who earned a living … Continue reading Pretty Things by Janelle Brown
Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
It is the dead of winter where I live, -35C with snow and a killer wind chill. There is nothing else to do but go straight home after work, crawl under a quilt and read. Thankfully Simon and Schuster Canada through Netgalley sent me an advanced reading copy of Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel. … Continue reading Darling Rose Gold by Stephanie Wrobel
The Education of an Idealist
When I was thirteen, I wanted to be a Secret Service Agent. I clipped all the articles from the newspaper that covered the attempted assassination attempt of Ronald Reagan. I would imagine myself dressed in a black suit carrying a gun. Years later, I wanted to be a journalist. Instead of protecting politicians, I would … Continue reading The Education of an Idealist
A Nearly Normal Family
A Nearly Normal Family by M. T. Edvardsson The Sandells are a perfectly normal family leading a perfectly normal life. They play Monopoly, go on hikes, listen to podcasts. Their reality is normal, yet sometimes mundane everyday reality. Until one day they get a phone call from a lawyer saying their daughter Stella has been … Continue reading A Nearly Normal Family
In Love with the World
One of my New Year's reading resolutions is to increase my exposure to non-fiction. I'm always looking for ways to help keep my anxiety under control, so I figured if I read In Love with the World about the journey of a Tibetan Buddhist Monk I may get some pointers. And Pointers I did find! … Continue reading In Love with the World
When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
I was given an advanced reading copy of When We Were Vikings By Simon and Schuster. This is a wonderful story of a young woman given a life filled with all sorts of battles. Zelda is up for the fight. She has a fascination with the Vikings, in fact, she believes she is a Viking. … Continue reading When We Were Vikings by Andrew David MacDonald
What Was Your First Chapter Book?
Do you remember the very first chapter book you read cover to cover ON YOUR OWN as a little kid? How grown-up you felt. That feeling that you had accomplished something huge, a grand achievement. I signed my first out of the school library when I was in third grade. We returned from the library, … Continue reading What Was Your First Chapter Book?
Little Women
Beware, spoilers abound. I must have been around eleven years old when I first read Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. My mother had a collection of classic children’s literature ranging from Black Beauty to Aladdin, Aesop’s Fables, to Little Women. I think I read it in the matter of a day. I loved it. … Continue reading Little Women
From Mansions to Madness
From Mansions to Madness Remember my review of The Poisoned Thread from a few months ago? Well, since then, I have had the pleasure of reading two more of Laura Purcell’s novels. Let’s start with The Silent Companions, the first of her novels. Purcell portrays her protagonist, Elsie, as an unreliable narrator. I mean let’s … Continue reading From Mansions to Madness
Cartier’s Hope
Cartier’s Hope by M.J. Rose This certainly isn’t the first time I’ve read M.J. Rose and it definitely won’t be my last. Her novels always present opportunities for escaping the mundanity of our everyday lives. With history, mystery and romance Cartier’s Hope doesn’t disappoint. It’s New York in 1910 where we met Vera Garland, a … Continue reading Cartier’s Hope
