Category Books
This is not a crime novel. This is a very literary novel exploring what happens after a young girl disappears, and is never found. What happens to the town over time as this incident becomes part of their collective history.
Two sisters are forever impacted by the events of their childhood in Russia. The story of Anna Grieve and her fragile older sister, Esther, begins in Russia in the 1880s. The vicious persecution of Jews has come to such a… Continue Reading →
Cherie Dimaline focuses on the characters at the heart of her story; the narrative drives home the loss of culture, abuse, and murder they have faced as a minority population.
I kept having to put the book aside as I was getting visibly anxious for Dr. Edith Vane. Everything just kept getting worse and worse.
From the curious (and debauched) mind of Jason Shiga, known for high-concept graphic novels, comes Demon: a four-volume magnum opus about the unspeakable chaos that one indestructible man can unleash on the world—and the ridiculous body count he leaves behind…. Continue Reading →
I wanted to read An Extraordinary Destiny after hearing Shekhar Paleja read in May at a Read Local BC event. I guess Paleja’s theatre background shone through, as he did accents and voices for different characters, and delivered the subtle… Continue Reading →
I don’t recall how I initially heard about His Bloody Project: Documents Relating to the Case of Roderick Macrae by Graeme Macrae Burnet, but it was probably when the Man Booker longlist was released in July. EarlyWord, a librarian book… Continue Reading →
Homegoing read like a series of interconnected short stories, vignettes into the lives and struggles of these people. It was powerful, striking, and made me crave so much more.
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman grabbed me with its name and cover design before I even knew what it was about. Yes, I’m that much of a book nerd. But, as I began to read the synopsis about a… Continue Reading →
After having read and enjoyed Horns, when I heard about the latest book by Joe Hill, The Fireman, I immediately put a hold on it at my library. I was lucky enough to be one of the first patrons to… Continue Reading →
The first in a YA high fantasy series, Throne of Glass is the story of Adarlan’s Assassin, who has been captured and put to work in a slave camp. Where most die within weeks, Celaena has survived an entire year…. Continue Reading →
The Blackthorn Key by Kevin Sands is a middle-grade adventure novel, with a hint of darkness. It centers around Christopher Rowe, an apprentice to apothecary Benedict Blackthorn during the 17th century. I enjoyed reading The Blackthorn Key by debut author… Continue Reading →
Described as “Doctor Who meets Sherlock“, I had high expectations for Jackaby by William Ritter. And while the book was certainly enjoyable, it wasn’t quite the same level of The Doctor or Sherlock Holmes (at least the new Benedict Cumberbatch… Continue Reading →
I really wasn’t sure what to make of Grasshopper Jungle by Andrew Smith, which I picked up to read for the Forever Young Adult Book Club. The novel is a coming-of-age story which takes place during the apocalyptic breakout of… Continue Reading →
I’m a big fan of historical fiction, but I don’t know what it is about WWII, but I’m continually drawn to books set in and around the Second World War. I picked up Code Name Verity from the library a… Continue Reading →
Young adult books tread a fine line between sounding believable, being enjoyable for the reader, and appealing to the (mostly adult) purchasers. Unfortunately this can sometimes result in books hitting the reader over the head with morals and lessons. Because… Continue Reading →
I picked this up from the library after seeing it was a Forever Young Adult Book Club pick for July. I knew Rainbow Rowell was a YA author with all the buzz around Eleanor & Park (which is on my… Continue Reading →
I didn’t really intend to read Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, as it didn’t really sound appealing to me. But as it became more of the “everyone’s talking about it” type of book, I made an impulse decision. I spotted… Continue Reading →
Vancouver is famous for our temperate rainforest climate, the beautiful mountains and ocean, as well as being called one of the “most liveable cities” in the world. However, the city also has unaffordable housing costs for many residents, is called… Continue Reading →
Rabbit Ears by Maggie de Vries is a gritty YA novel from the perspective of two sisters, one of whom is spiraling into trouble and hiding a painful secret. A brave and unflinching look at one vulnerable young woman living… Continue Reading →
Today is the inaugural BC Book Day, celebrating the achievements and significance of BC’s book publishing industry. As explained in the press release from the Association of Book Publishers of BC, “On April 9th the BC Legislature will celebrate the… Continue Reading →
I’ve been dragging my heels on this review because I feel conflicted. I was excited about the sequel, even though I have qualms about the over-abundance of series, and I was thrilled when the publisher sent me a copy for… Continue Reading →
When the fifth book in Alan Bradley’s Buckshaw Chronicles, Speaking from Among the Bones, ended with a series cliffhanger I was in tatters. The book’s story arch had been resolved and then Bradley threw a curve ball at the de… Continue Reading →
I went to a nearby bookstore (which unfortunately is not an independent) to pick up two books that came out last week. I’ve been anticipating them since before Christmas—The Dead in our Vaulted Arches by Alan Bradley and Hollow City… Continue Reading →
I devoured this book in less than 24 hours during exams and really loved entering the realm of the Seven Kingdoms that author Kristin Cashore has created. Katsa has been able to kill a man with her bare hands since… Continue Reading →
