Book Reviews
Book reviews by Kristine Laco
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Book Review: Hench
This was a pleasant surprise. I picked up Hench based on CBC Canada Reads defense by Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. Truly, if we are talking chicken and egg here, the egg was CBC Canada Reads and the chicken was Paul Sun-Hyung Lee. I love Kim’s Convenience and think he’s hysterical so why wouldn’t I like a book he likes? Evildoers at a temp agency is where we find our protagonist, Anna. Even villains need someone to help with filing and coffee. So Anna goes from villain to villain until she finds herself at a press conference that goes horribly wrong. A superhero shows up to save the day. The hero injures…
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Why Reading Books As An Adult Is Important
I read about a book a week. This year has been more difficult with the family at home most of the year, but I’m still on track to get sixty books done this year. Some are stinkers, some are great, but with each completed work, I take away something. The characters fade away, but the reason for reading gets me to open another book. We understand, intuitively, that children need to read and/or be read to establish their vocabulary, develop their imagination, improve their literacy skills, and entertain them, but what about us? Why do I recommend to my family that they pick up a book? It is not just…
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Book Review: Hench
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A Review: The Darkhouse
The Darkhouse, Barbara Radecki “Fifteen-year-old Gemma’s life on a small New Brunswick island with her father, Jonah, is not an exciting one. Her mother ran off when she was an infant, and Jonah, an amateur scientist, spends most of his time conducting experiments he thinks will one day bring him fame. But when a woman arrives on the island, Gemma tries to play matchmaker—only to discover Jonah’s secret journals, which hold terrifying secrets about both their lives.” Truth #1: I just noticed now that this is listed as a young adult novel. Other than the protagonist being a young adult, I would not have pegged it. There are some adult…
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Book Review: Hench
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A Review: The Getaway Car
Working on my current manuscript, I have been reading a lot! Writing is reading. You can’t do one without the other. Although I have enjoyed plenty of fiction, I have also been researching with some great reads on writing. I have a pile of books on the topic that will be absorbed at some point, but for now I’ll talk about the ones I have completed since isolation. First is: The Getaway Car, Ann Patchett You will not find it on Ann Patchett’s website, Amazon, or Barnes and Noble. But you can download it here for free. It is a 75-page essay on her biggest lessons in writing. I can…
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Book Review: Hench
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Murder at St Margaret
If you have never heard of or read a cozy mystery, you are in for a treat. They are quick beach reads that features an amateur sleuth, no gore, a hint of romance, a steady pace as the protagonist investigates, and it is all set in a lovely place–in this case Oxford. I had never read a cozy mystery before but my friend Lynn wrote this so I jumped at the chance to be one of her first readers and reviewers. Even though she is my friend, I don’t recommend books to friends that I didn’t fully enjoy myself. This book, I recommend! Murder At St Margaret is an engaging…
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Book Review: Hench
