I loved this book so much. The characters, the atmosphere, all of it. Very much a right book at the right time situation!

60-something career actress Lulu Blake is onstage, playing Winnie in Happy Days, when she forgets her lines. Shortly thereafter she returns to her small hometown, the titular Snow Road Station, to attend a wedding and to nurse her wounded pride.

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Thammavongsa has written two books of fiction, and both have won the Giller Prize. It's an impressive track record, and this was an impressive book. I wasn't expecting too much from a novella about a day at a nail salon, but I ended up really loving this. Engaging, witty, thoughtful, and subversive, Thammavongsa says a lot with a little. If you are a fan of short form, character based writing, I highly recommend this one!

"Rules, conventions, morals, reality itself, all exist so long as their existence is convenient to the preservation of power. Otherwise, they, like all else, are expendable."

I've had this one out from the library for about 6 weeks now, and kept passing it by and choosing another read, but I couldn't quite bring myself to return it (don't worry library people, I properly renewed it! There ain't no flies on me!). I'm so glad I finally picked it up, because it is going to end up on my best of the year. And can we take a moment to appreciate the beauty of this cover?

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I'm a sucker for this sort of combination of nature writing and personal essay, so it's no surprise that I loved this one. Renkl does a wonderful job of narrating, you can really feel the joy and wonder she finds in the natural world around her. But if I could go back and do it again I would probably choose print, and savour it slowly as it moves through the seasons. This is written as a sort of secular devotional, and is best treated as such.

Adamson's The Outlander is one of my all time favourite novels. I pre-ordered this one and had it in my hands the day it was released. And then it sat on my shelf for over five years. Because I was so excited that I was worried it wouldn't live up to my expectations. But sometimes the right book jumps off the shelf at just the right time. It was a pleasure to return to the wilds of Western Canada and meet Mary's son Jack.

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I just realized I'm behind on reviews! Prepare to be review-bombed....

I love a story of female friendship, especially one that is not afraid to delve into the dark corners and grey areas. Because life is not always pretty, and we do not always support the choices of those we love, and friendships can wax and wain, but they can also sustain us through it all in sometimes unexpected ways.

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#MondayMood

@monalyisha @jamiearc (and anyone else who may be interested, of course!) I just saw that Tara Gereaux has a new book coming out in March. She's coming to a Books and Brunch event run by my local bookstore, so I think I just might have to volunteer!

"The world would count itself lucky if we were vultures or crows. An actual vulture turns death into feathers, and actual crow turns flesh into flight."

“Personally, I loved Anne because she reminded me of me. Once, I was a chatty, imaginative, restless child roaming about my island‘s woods with my friends. Anne was as relevant to me as any character I had ever read.“

CBC Radio host Antonio Michael Downing has an article out about discovering Anne of Green Gables for the first time, and it is a delightful read: https://www.cbc.ca/books/thenextchapter/antonio-of-green-gables-9.6975635

When I die, freeze dry my body and turn me into fertilizer for a tree.

Roach's exploration of what happens to human bodies postmortem is fascinating, and often stomach churning, and definitely makes you think. The audio narration is wonderful, the casual conversational style matching with Roach's wry humour, but also showcasing the curiosity that drives her books.

Currently listening to the tagged, and the chapter I'm on is bringing to mind good ol' Mrs Lovett: https://youtu.be/E1i23Yw4_tQ?si=DoUZFHgFTCK_Ptnr

#IYKYK

#TuesdayTunes @TieDyeDude

I watched (and loved) the movie years ago, and finally got around to reading this one. I think it's best to leave space between the two, whichever you do first, as they are so different from each other. But I loved this story of women's power, the strength of female community and family, love, and the perils of shutting out the ones who love you.

This was delightful. Steves' decision to stick with his mostly unfiltered 23 year old diary entries brings an innocence and naiveté, and the underlying message is timeless: opening your mind and life to other people and cultures expands your knowledge, heart, and empathy. Thank you to @TheBookHippie for putting this one on my radar, listening to it was a lovely way to spend a few hours!

Rosé and reading time ( @BarbaraBB I think you've really started something 🤣 )

I LOVE this. New Booker Prize announced, The Children's Booker Prize. Celebrating the best of middle grade fiction! Two adult judges will select a Shortlist, and then work with three young judges to select a winner. So awesome.

https://thebookerprizes.com/the-childrens-booker-prize?utm_source=substack&utm_m...

While I think she could have chopped about 50 pages off the back end of this one, I really did love this Jackson Brodie ♥️

Because each book is an ensemble narrative, with Brodie as just one part rather than a traditional MC, they really live or die on those "secondary" characters. And I loved Crystal and Harry and their step mom/son relationship so much, and the return of Reggie Chase.

Just one more to go!

We do not care that there are still a million things on our to-do list. The last week and a half has been stressful and has taken its toll on my mind and body. So right now, all I want to do is read a good book, drink Diet Coke, and eat snacks. So, guess what I'm doing until it's time to pick up the kids?

#WDNCW #WeDoNotCareWednesday @dabbe

P.S: 25 pages in, and this book has me HOOKED

It was the last couple chapters that brought this one up to a low pick for me.

I found this to be an interesting story, and I appreciate the many threads Summerscale was trying to weave together here: the murders themselves; the lascivious nature of the press and public interest in them; the racial tensions of the time; public attitudes towards women, sex work, and violence towards women.

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This is the song I've been singing since I woke up this morning! WE'RE GOING TO THE WORLD SERIES!!!!

https://youtu.be/qag6w_Tp50A?si=4zp8hUtn17Jk5KKS

LET'S PLAY BALL!

#TuesdayTunes @TieDyeDude

Right?!?! I just want to know if we'd be book friends! Or if it's something that I'm not familiar with and need to look up on Litsy RIGHT NOW! I don't think that's too much to ask....

Love this

I will follow TMC anywhere they want to lead. Is this one as good as The Last Devil to Die? No, but that's a hard act to follow. It is still a great time, and well worth a read. I particularly liked the extra attention given to Ibrahim.

I found the discussions on who is the best James Bond a bit too unnecessarily cheesy for my tastes, but I'm okay to overlook the eyeroll ;)

I really hope there's a second book coming! Caution to readers: one storyline is left in a cliffhanger!

This is my second of Abdullah's thrillers, and she's quickly becoming a favourite. Examining physical and sexual violence against women, the shame and stigma of reporting (or waiting to report), cultural ideas and feelings of shame, and society's need for "good victims." All in a tightly paced, page turning thriller.

On Independent Bookstore Day, this was the title most recommended by visiting authors, so I've been waiting for my library hold for almost six months now! Thankfully, it was well worth the wait.

A blend of light and funny comedy, with a thoughtful examination of rage and what pushes a person to their breaking point. Three people, under various pressures, derail their lives in moments of anger.

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My #hyggehour is not the calmest today, but I finally daughter to sleep, I'm all cozied up, the Blue Jays are playing and I've got a good book for company. It was a stressful afternoon, so this is just what I need!

A different kind of #BeautyBreak today! Let's Go Blue Jays!

(insert obligatory apology for non-book related content here)

Delightful, thoughtful, smart, witty, fresh, and utterly original. I went in with very low expectations, but then I fell completely under its spell.

Julius Julius is an advertising agency with a history stretching back to ancient Pompeii. Within its labyrinthine walls, a hot shot account rep is vying to rebrand lumber while dealing with sexual harassment from one of the agency's ghosts;

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Not my favourite Jackson Brodie so far. It took far too long to get into, and I found it unnecessarily complicated at parts. But they can't all be winners, and I'm still looking forward to the rest of the series!

I'm always excited for a new Janice Hallett, and as a former Triviamaster at my local Brewery this one was the perfect palate cleanser for me. It is ridiculous and over-the-top, the first section is a bit overlong and repetitive, but I just don't care. It was as entertaining as I'd hoped, and I thoroughly enjoyed the ride.

This is an absolute gem of a book from the National Book Awards Longlist. A story of a life lived in Beirut, always keenly aware of the shadows of conflict, war, and corruption, but also embracing the vitality of life. Thoughtful and engaging, at times devastating and tense, but with a beautifully balanced humour throughout.

@squirrelbrain I think you'll like this, IMO it's worth the purchase!

As seems to be the way with Prize-listed books this year, I really liked this but fell short of loving it. A story of small town prejudice and family secrets, and of the many ways one can be an outsider.
It's a bit of a slow start, with some unnecessarily purple prose at the beginning - it seemed to be trying to establish lit fic cred. But once the family story gets underway and secrets begin their unveiling, it finds its groove. #GillerLonglist

"I began many a battle feeling indomitable and ending up prostrate and vanquished, my mother's flag fluttering, its pole staked right through my heart. I knew of no one else who could use sighs as a lethal weapon."

"I'd forgotten how goofy my sister could be. I suppose this happens with absence. Our perceptions of each other flatten, unchallenged by evidence that might form a clearer, fuller image. We become faint notions of ourselves rather than the tangle of contradictory details we actually are."

Alright #GillerLonglist, let's see what you've got!

#MondayMood I don't have to respect your opinion if your opinion disrespects the humanity of others.

(The credit at the bottom of the image is cut off, this is from Blair Imani, follow her on your other Social Media of choice for awesome content, her Smarter in Seconds series is so worth your time!)

A slow night at work, so I'm starting in on the next Jackson Brodie. Wasn‘t expecting to find a character with a degree from my alma mater! I've never seen it referenced outside of CanLit.

You know when a book gets SO MUCH hype it's almost too much, so you just half to let it sit on your shelf for a few years before you read it? I did that with Bunny, and finally decided to pull it down in advance of the second book coming out this fall.

I absolutely devoured this one. It is a weird, wild trip of a novel that kept me both entertained and completely enraptured by its dark, twisty world. Loved it.

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An engaging crime novel, but I have to say I'm shocked this was on the Booker list. Judging it purely on its own merits it was a decent thriller, well crafted and developed story (but slightly let down by its ending, which I felt came together too rapidly at the close). But for a crime novel to be listed for the Booker, I was expecting more depth and it just wasn't there for me. Still, an enjoyable read and I look forward to more from Bauer!

A dual timeline narrative confronting the legacy of colonization from an Indigenous perspective.

In the 1850s, Mulanyin leaves his coastal home to come of age in a colonial town, where tensions between the local Indigenous community, newly arrived colonists, and ex-convicts are always simmering. He dreams of returning home with Nita, and believes that someday soon the white people will return across the sea and leave their land to heal.

cont'd

Parts of this were interesting and engaging - especially when the authors focused on the titular disease throughout history, various attempts to treat and prevent, etc. It read like compelling popular science, and was a decent listen. But when they venture into mythology and pop culture - werewolves, vampires, and zombies - it was far less compelling...

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Taking a little breakfast reading time 💕💕💕 (if you put yogurt on a fruit crisp, that makes it a healthy breakfast choice, right? 🤣)

I freaking loved this one. I inhaled it. You can feel the cracking, oppressive summer heat from these pages. The narrative choice of multiple POVs encircling these sisters who refuse to bend to patriarchal society. Beautifully unsettling. I always hesitate to compare books and authors to those who came before, but this feels like the heir to Shirley Jackson. Highly recommend.

Catching up on reviews! #BookerLonglist edition

While this one has some pacing issues, I'm glad I stuck with it to discover its many, murky layers. A story of family disconnection and buried trauma, I appreciated the thematic ideas of a flashlight's focused beam obscuring more than it illuminates, and how difficult it can be to see the full picture of those closest to us.

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This is not a drill!!!! Now, to wait patiently until next summer.... if only I was a patient person!

If you need me in June 2026 - don't. I'll be reading this 👇

Maggie O'Farrell announces upcoming novel Land | Hotpress https://share.google/09j45hGuNJWEWnofh

The Wild and crazy trio are back to school today! So I'm savouring some quiet on the porch with my book and my tea 😁👍❤️

(My middle kid is incapable of taking a serious picture, he's a natural born ham!)

"The girls, the infernal heat, a fresh-dead body."

There's nothing like a good book and a cup of tea on a beautiful morning ?

While I didn't love this one quite as much as Very Secret Society, it was still a worthy follow up. All the found family, cozy magic vibes. Talking foxes and zombie roosters. The ending fell a bit short, but all in all a lovely time if you're looking for cozy fantasy.

This was a great break from Booker reading! Engaging, entertaining, and interesting history and mystery (of sorts?) about rare egg collectors and thieves. Loved it.

This was definitely a #BlameitonLitsy pick - thank you to @sarahbarnes for your review which put this delight on my radar!