book reviews
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Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke
Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke My rating: 5 of 5 stars Great! Not as risqué as Juliet Takes a Breath but filled with heart and new friends. The sport story is refreshingly not too serious but at the same time emphasizes collegiality and ensemble for building a supportive culture outside of the PFF ring. I…
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Takedown by Ali Bryan
Takedown by Ali Bryan My rating: 5 of 5 stars OMG. Big ugly gulping sobs. I devoured this book. It haunted me until I gave in and read another chapter. Ali Bryn this is a masterpiece. Congratulations — you may have converted a non-sportie, former Wrestlemania-loving teen to try that kickboxing class again. Or maybe…
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Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline My rating: 5 of 5 stars It’s difficult to write this review without creating spoilers so I advocate caution if choosing to read ahead. I love the way that Dimaline portrays Winifred as a protagonist who is almost watching her life from the sidelines until she meets…
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Everything Beautiful is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman
Everything Beautiful Is Not Ruined by Danielle Younge-Ullman My rating: 5 of 5 stars Of all of the books nominated by the Ontario Library Association for the White Pine program this year in the Forest of Reading, I really liked this one and I would put it in my top 3 of the season. Firstly…
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The Colony by Audrey Magee
The Colony by Audrey Magee My rating: 5 of 5 stars This book was so wonderfully written. Magee’s style of dialogue somehow emphasizes the lilt of this Irish dialect and the tension between the characters. Other critiques have said it’s about art and war but I think it’s about voice — young James and the…
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Our Voice of Fire by Brandi Morin
Recently I had the opportunity to hear Brandi Morin speak in recognition of Canada’s national day of Truth and Reconciliation. Brandi expertly spliced together news reels that she had covered about the Indigenous stories across the globe of their struggle for recognition and reparation. She finished her talk by reminding us that the Indigenous struggle…
threadbare beauty 