I hadn't had any interest in this until recently. My prior experience with graphic novels was less than engaging, and the glimpses I'd had of this one did not make it appealing - dark and violent, with animals in clothes. However, in 2022, a school board in Tennessee decided to ban the book (the day... Continue Reading →
Held, by Anne Michaels. Pub 2023
Anne Michaels is, to me, a favourite and not nearly prolific enough writer. Her Fugitive Pieces remains an all-time favourite novel (might be time for a re-reading). Her second novel, Winter Vault, was not as good, both empirically and by comparison. With Held, she has burst out again as brilliant IMHO. Her writing style is not for everyone. It... Continue Reading →
The Wayfinders, by Wade Davis. Book report #31 (2023)
The Wayfinders, by Wade Davis. Pub 2009 I've had this book for many years, likely not long after it was published. I recall reading a few previous books in the series - especially Payback (Margaret Atwood) and A Short History of Progress (Ronald Wright) - and purchasing this one when it came out. After starting it, I think I... Continue Reading →
Pandexicon, by Wayne Grady. Book report #31 (2023)
Pandexicon, by Wayne Grady. Pub 2023 I don't recall where I first heard of this book, but I know it was in the last month or so, likely on a podcast of some kind. Needing a book to fill the language category, this seemed like a timely fit, and promised (according to the cover) to... Continue Reading →
All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days, by Rebecca Donner. Book report #30 (2023)
All the Frequent Troubles of Our Days, by Rebecca Donner. Pub 2021 I can't remember when or where I first heard of this book, but it would have been last fall sometime, as I bought a copy for myself and sent a copy to a friend. Rebecca Donner is the great-great-niece of Mildred Harnack, an... Continue Reading →
Transcription, by Kate Atkinson. Book report #29 (2023)
Transcription, by Kate Atkinson. Pub 2018 I have a few Kate Atkinson's on my shelf. I've "read" (on Audible) a few other books of hers, and especially enjoyed Life After Life. She is also a mystery writer, with the Jackson Brodie series (also quite good). I wanted to try her in print so see if she's... Continue Reading →
Washington Black, by Edi Edugyan. Book report #27 (2023)
Washington Black, by Edi Edugyan. Pub 2018. I've had this one on my shelves for a while now, and recall starting it at least once but getting distracted from it as it seemed to be going in a very bleak direction. But a few months ago, another reader friend mentioned having finished and enjoyed it,... Continue Reading →
Tauhou, by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall. Book report #24 (2023)
Tauhou, by Kōtuku Titihuia Nuttall. Pub 2023 This was an impulse purchase last month when picking up some other books. I've been encountering situations with Indigenous communities and relations more and more in my work, and so this book seemed like perhaps a timely way to engage with those, however obliquely. However, the author herself... Continue Reading →
Hangman, by Julie Burtinshaw. Book report #21 (2023)
Hangman, by Julie Burtinshaw. Pub 2022 I purchased this book because it is written by a friend-of-a-friend, and because I thought it was something my mom might enjoy. This is the story of Canada's first official executioner, one John Radclive (or Ratley or Ratcliffe or Radcliff as he variously calls himself). Drawing heavily on Radclive's... Continue Reading →
Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Book report #20 (2023)
Unnatural Death, by Dorothy L. Sayers. Pub 1927 The third in the Wimsey series, and by far my favourite so far, the eccentric Lord Peter takes on a pseudo-murder investigation, almost on a whim, thus setting in motion a series of additional crimes and murders that ultimately lead to the capture of the killer. Sayers... Continue Reading →
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