Merriam-Webster Dictionary I don’t know about you, but I love this idea. Certain moods call for certain books, and I for one always feel better after a bit of reading. But first of all, in case it bears mentioning: Nevertheless, in the spirit of bibliotherapy, may I present my extremely unqualified “prescriptions” for books to … Continue reading A Little Bit of Bibliotherapy
Photo by Amador Loureiro on Unsplash Lately, I’ve been thinking a lot about language. Since I am an editor, writer, book reviewer, and library branch assistant, this might not shock you. But, specifically, I have been thinking about the way in which language shapes reality, and the unconscious choices that we make with our words, … Continue reading Language Matters
Summer won’t officially start for another couple of weeks, but unofficially there are unmistakable signs of it having arrived. For one, my cats are pretty much permanently stretched out into long tubes on any cool surface they can find. For another, fans have been pulled out of storage and turned on. The air is hot … Continue reading Summer Reading Roundup
I’m a discerning reader. Well, okay, some might call me picky. For many years I maintained that I didn’t like contemporary fiction at all, and I only read old books (not always classics—I had, and still have, a deep love of the so-called "middlebrow" novel). Of course, I was simply looking in the wrong places. … Continue reading Something Old, Something New
Literary paper dolls. Has anyone had a better idea, ever? I'm a little bit late to this party, but starting in May 2019, The Paris Review writer Julia Berick partnered with illustrator Jenny Kroik to create: "what us bookworm-clotheshorse child-adults have always wanted: literary paper dolls." The first one in the series was my very … Continue reading Rereading Old Favourites: an Interlude (with Paper Dolls)
Going to the Maritime provinces is a long-held dream of mine. Since my childhood introduction to L. M. Montgomery, I have been convinced that Prince Edward Island must be the pinnacle of beauty, and, by extension, the rest of Atlantic Canada can't be far behind. And so I was extremely happy to immerse myself in … Continue reading Salt Water, Myth, and Memory: The Speed of Mercy by Christy Ann Conlin
What do you get when you stir together some classical literature, the experience of transmasculine transition, a strict religious upbringing, and a razor-sharp wit capable of seeing and skewering the absurdity of life in pitch-perfect language? Well, you get this book. I have been a fan and follower of Daniel M. Lavery since the days of … Continue reading William Shatner, The Rapture, and Anticipatory Abs: Something That May Shock and Discredit You by Daniel M. Lavery
Ah, the literary mystery. I'm not talking about works of literature here; I'm talking about real life mysteries involving books and authors. Classic enigmas, like where did Agatha Christie disappear to for those eleven days? Or, What was the story behind Edgar Allan Poe's death? This particular literary mystery may not be quite on par … Continue reading Janet Dailey and the Curious Case of the Missing Author
I don't often find a contemporary mystery novel that hits the spot. As I've mentioned before, I think that contemporary mysteries swing too far either to the cozy or the bleak. This is why, when I want a mystery fix, I always reach for the detective fiction from the Golden Age (the 1920s-40s). The authors … Continue reading Isabel, Isabel, didn’t worry. Isabel didn’t scream or scurry: The Adventures of Isabel: An Epitome Apartments Mystery by Candas Jane Dorsey
It's time for another seasonal roundup! I do love a good seasonal read to really wallow in the unique characteristics of whatever time of year I happen to be experiencing. I think I would hate living in a place that didn't have seasons. Right now, in my part of the world, spring is creeping in. … Continue reading Springtime Reading Roundup
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