Monniblog

monnibo + blog = monniblog

Author Monnibo

Monica (aka monnibo) is a Vancouver blogger working in publishing. She blogs about life on the West Coast of Canada, including arts & crafts, book reviews, technology and various geeky things.

Start-and-stop-itis

Question for the knitters out there: Are you often indecisive when it comes to a project? Even when you’re over the halfway point? That is what happened to me with my Argante shawl (yarn: Socks that Rock). I was loving… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill

I’ve been hearing about Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill for a few years now in the Canadian Lit scene as it was a finalist for the Governor General’s Award and won the 2007 Canada Reads. When it popped… Continue Reading →

Learning to Quilt at Spool of Thread

In the beginning of November I took a class at Spool of Thread called 3, 2, 1… Quilt! It was a beginner quilting class which was perfect for me because I already know how to sew and work a machine… Continue Reading →

Stash Enhancement

No, I have no knitting to show. But I do have lovely lovely yarns. Non-yarnies, look away now. Yarn-a-holics, grab a towel, you might drool. First up, my package from The Loopy Ewe: I decided to see what all the… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Room by Emma Donoghue

I have taken so long to write a review for Room by Emma Donoghue because I don’t really know what to say other than “love love love love it!” I’m still having difficulties expressing what I liked so much about… Continue Reading →

Literary Award Season is Upon Us

It’s a very exciting time for book people this time of year. All the major prizes are announcing their long lists, or shortlists, or winners. Lots of great book chatter happening. I’ll sum things up as best I can. In… Continue Reading →

VIWF: Suffer The Little Children

On Wednesday night last week (October 20th)—the second day of the Vancouver International Writers & Readers Festival— I headed down to Granville Island to see four authors discuss writing about the parent/child relationship. The complex love between parent and child… Continue Reading →

Canada Reads 2011 Recommendations

Canada Reads will be celebrating it’s 10th anniversary in 2010/2011 and have decided to change things up a bit. Before, Canada Reads picked five Canadian public figures and had them champion books for a week-long debate in February. The books… Continue Reading →

VIFF: Cry Rock & Mammalian

While looking through the Vancouver International Film Festival program guide, I was very interested in seeing both Cry Rock and Mammalian. Ironically, I discovered they were screening together on Monday, October 11th. They both have similar themes — documentaries looking… Continue Reading →

VIFF: Winds of Heaven — Emily Carr, Carvers, and the Spirits of the Forest

One of the films at the Vancouver International Film Festival that was highly anticipated was Michael Ostroff’s documentary about Emily Carr — Winds of Heaven: Emily Carr, Carvers, and the Spirits of the Forest. Carr is one of BC’s most… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest by Stieg Larsson

The final installment of the Millenium Trilogy by Stieg Larsson began where The Girl Who Played With Fire ended — with Lisbeth Salander in the hospital and near-death with a bullet to the head. From there, the claws came out… Continue Reading →

VIFF: In the Wake of the Flood

Yesterday, Friday evening I went to see a screening at the Vancouver International Film Festival (aka VIFF or “Film Fest”) called In the Wake of the Flood. The film is about Atwood’s latest book tour for The Year of the… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: The Lady Elizabeth by Alison Weir

I finished The Lady Elizabeth a few weeks ago and haven’t been able to muster a review. I think it’s a little bit of ambivalence; I enjoyed the book, but it lagged a bit in places. I read Innocent Traitor… Continue Reading →

FO: Malabrigo Rasta Scarf

This was probably the quickest knit I’ve ever made, even counting the two times I ripped half of it out. The pattern is the Super-Fast, Ultra-Cozy Scarf by Jen Reilly [Ravelry link]. It called for US 19 (15mm) and CO… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Come, Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant

Come, Thou Tortoise is a heart-warming book with really lovable characters. There was subtle humour with a quiet yet engaging plot. Audrey is brilliant, quaint, silly, admirable, and really just honest-to-goodness good. The book jacket blurb doesn’t do the novel… Continue Reading →

Crafty Mojo Returns

On Sunday I went to a different fabric store to look at the selection of blue-patterned fabric. Last time I went to Dressew because it’s right by my work, and I liked the fabric I selected but I didn’t love… Continue Reading →

Crafty Mojo

I’ve made substantial progress on my shawl! I am quite impressed with Argante and may even knit Gaenor. It would look quite gorgeous with my new Unwind Yarns. Unfortunately, today I have totally lost my crafty mojo. It’s not the… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Mockingjay by Suzanne Collins

I finished the final book of the Hunger Games trilogy in three days, about the same length of time it took me to read Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Read: Review for book one of the series,… Continue Reading →

House Guest

Henry’s not quite sure what to make of him. They sniff each other, they ignore each other, they frighten each other when the other moves suddenly… I’m going to be very amused for the next two weeks. The bunny’s name… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Extreme Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean

I’ve been a fan of Stuart McLean’s Vinyl Cafe books since I was a kid. I was given Home From the Vinyl Cafe for Christmas when I was maybe 11 or 12. When I found out Stuart McLean also had… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Annabel by Kathleen Winter

Kathleen Winter’s first novel, with House of Anansi Press, is the story of a young Labrador family secretly raising their hermaphrodite child as a boy. Winter’s prose is lyrical and lonely, yet relatable. Wayne’s story is magnetic, powerful, and has… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: The Book of Awesome by Neil Pasricha

The Book of Awesome is actually not that awesome. Some blog-to-book stories have been very successful and some blogs sell a lot of funny merchandise, but The Book of Awesome doesn’t stand up. Based on www.1000awesomethings.com, Neil Pasricha started the… Continue Reading →

Look at my Lace!!

That’s right, I’m knitting a lace shawl! The pattern I decided on was Argante by Corrina Ferguson (Rav link) and I’m using 1 skein of Blue Moon Fiber Arts Socks that Rock in colourway “Garden Daze” (Rav link). I was… Continue Reading →

Book Review :: Bloodsucking Fiends by Christopher Moore

Christopher Moore is a hilarious fiction writer. The first novel of his I read, A Dirty Job, had me laughing out loud. Then I picked up Fool, a satirical comedy loosely based on Shakespeare’s King Lear, which I also enjoyed…. Continue Reading →

Book Review :: The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon

I’ve been meaning to read The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon for a few years because I’ve heard extraordinary things about it. It came out in 2003, was a #1 international bestseller, and received… Continue Reading →

« Older posts Newer posts »

© 2026 Monniblog — Powered by WordPress

Theme by Anders NorenUp ↑