• Book Reviews

    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…

  • Book Reviews

    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…

  • Book Reviews,  Writing

    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…

  • Book Reviews

    The Woefield Poultry Collective

    I don’t think I’ve ever done a book report that wasn’t required by some curriculum. My goal this year is to finish reading 50 books. I like a little wiggle room for times when the book I am reading is tiresome and it takes longer than a week to read so that is why 52 is just too much of a goal. The book I have recommended the most this year so far is: The Woefield Poultry Collective, Susan Juby This one is worth the price of admission as a satirical look at an NYC girl deciding to make a go of running a farm she inherited. Very few books…