Book Reviews

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 …

Why: While browsing the bargain table at Barnes and Noble, the cover of this novel caught my eye. Then, as a knitter myself, the simple, straightforward title drew me in. Finally, the synopsis on the back seemed as if it …