Useless Etymology: Offbeat Word Origins for Curious Minds by Jess Zafarris: REVIEW Synopsis Proud word nerd Jess Zafarris takes us on a fun ride through the origins and evolutions of everyday English words and phrases. My Review I’ve had SO much fun with this book. So much word-nerdery! So many fascinating factlets about language! Don’t…
On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent by Brian Stewart: REVIEW Synopsis Brian Stewart talks about his experiences as a foreign correspondent for CBC and NBC from the 1970s to early 2000s. My Review I’ve seen Brian Stewart’s face on my TV my whole life, coming from an avid CBC-watching household, so I…
A New New Me by Helen Oyeyemi: REVIEW Synopsis Kinga’s just a girl trying to make it through the week, but it just so happens that a different Kinga alter wakes up every morning. As each Kinga leaves a diary entry of her day for the other Kingas to read, it becomes apparent that at…
6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk: REVIEW Synopsis Agatha is an author dealing with depression-induced writer’s block, so her husband comes up with a seemingly perfect solution to get her juices flowing again: he gives her a train ticket from Toronto to Montreal. Six hours on a train with stunning views to inspire her and…
Isola by Allegra Goodman: REVIEW Synopsis A novelization of the true story of Marguerite de La Rocque, a 16th-century French noblewoman who was marooned on an island for her “sins” after her guardian forced her to accompany him to North America. My Review Okay, I get the hype now. This book is gorgeous, captivating, and…
The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey: REVIEW Synopsis This is a difficult book to summarize without spoiling anything, so I’ll let the Goodreads summary do the talking: “After a very different outcome to WWII than the one history recorded, 1979 England is a country ruled by a government whose aims have sinister underpinnings and…
Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing by Susan Aglukark and Andrea Warner: REVIEW Synopsis Susan Aglukark, an award-winning Inuk singer/songwriter here in Canada, tells the story of her happy early childhood, a childhood trauma that changed everything, and her long journey of healing. My Review Susan Aglukark has always meant a lot to me. Her biggest…