Book Reviews

Furiously Happy is, in my humble opinion, something that should be read by anyone who struggles with any kind of depression, anxiety, or other mental illness, as well as those close to someone who does. Lawson uses absurd and hilarious …

Kim Barker details the behind-the-bylines reality of war-zone reporting in her memoir, The Taliban Shuffle: Strange Days in Afghanistan and Pakistan.  The book was released to little fanfare in 2011, but reached the bestseller list this year as Tina Fey …

This is not your average book review. This is also not your average survival guide. This is a written plan for how to “defend yourself when the lawn warriors strike (and they will)” by Chuck Sambuchino. Fear not. Now that you know …

I suppose it’s not really that much of a surprise that a lover of thrillers, horror, and mystery, such as myself, would absolutely adore Gillian Flynn’s Sharp Objects. I sped through the novel at a record pace (she sure knows …

“I went to the woods because I wished to live deliberately, to front only the essential facts of life, and see if I could not learn what it had to teach, and not, when I came to die, discover that …

Why: The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller caught my eye while browsing the bargain table at Barnes and Noble. I had certainly heard of the title, but had no idea what the novel was about. Knowing it was …

Why: A long time friend was actually on the launch team for this book and sent me a copy even as I was anxiously awaiting my turn at the library! The tagline was really what attracted me to the book …

“There is a striking resemblance between the act of love and the ministrations of a torturer,” opined my husband’s favourite poet; I had learned something of the nature of that similarity on my marriage bed. And now my taper showed …

This novel can be described with the following list of very interesting adjectives: quirky, ironic, karmic, squirrelly, political, joyful, maddening, hilarious, emotional, awkward, and even Pynchonesque at times. Is your interest piqued? It should be! I had a good time reading …

Why: This reference book was actually a gift from Literary Quicksand founder, Joli. I was just starting to get back into knitting seriously after teaching myself in high school (with little success), and Joli surprised me with this in a …