Imagine this: It’s Christmas Eve and after receiving a brand-new book from your family, you cozy up in your favorite reading nook or in front of the fire with a mug of hot cocoa and spend the rest of the evening reading.
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June is National Indigenous History Month and June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada, so my reading app gave me some suggestions of books by Indigenous authors. I picked up a short book, A Stranger at Home, by Christy Jordan-Fenton and Margaret-Olemaun Pokiak-Fenton, about Margaret-Olemaun’s experience returning home from residential school. This is the sequel to Fatty Legs, her experience at residential school, but I have not read that one yet. I’ll probably pick it up later on this month.
What it is like to be A Stranger at Home Read More »
April 23 is World Book Day, also known as World Book and Copyright Day or International Day of the Book. It is a day to celebrate reading, publishing, and copyright. The day was first conceived of in 1922. April 23 was selected as the death date of Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra and William Shakespeare.
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with characters who are starting over or starting a new venture. Many books begin with a character setting out on a new adventure, from cozy mysteries to coming of age young adult literature. Here are some of my books that feature a character who leaves behind her old life to start on something new.
A New Year—Starting Over Read More »
Verses for the Dead is book #18 in the Pendergast series by Preston & Child. If you have read any of the rest of the series, you know that Agent Pendergast (FBI) prefers to work on his own, but in this case he is paired up with a junior agent to “assist” him (ie. spy on him and report any rogue behaviour to their boss.) A serial killer is on the loose, and Pendergast is the only one who seems to have any idea how to pursue the investigation.
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books, to tell the truth) is that of personal power. What does Reg (or another character) do when faced with an insurmountable obstacle? In Reg’s case, being a paranormal setting, it may be something as big as a magical being intent on taking over the world. That’s a pretty big obstacle. But in other series, it may also be Chloe’s struggle with homelessness and a traumatic history. Or Renata’s ongoing battle with mito and paranoid schizophrenia.
Personal Power in Fiction Read More »
Yes, I’ve done Christmas in July a couple of times before. Who doesn’t like reading a stack of holiday reads on the beach? Or squeezing it in sometime between work and bed? It is escapism at its finest.
Of course, if you are in Australia, you can actually read about picturesque snowy scenes (or dangerous snowbound murder mysteries) while it is cold outside. Pull your chair up to the fire and grab a blanket and cup of hot chocolate!
Let the fake snow fly, it is Christmas in July! Read More »
It’s hard to believe that it has been sixteen years since Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight hit the scene. On the other hand, it has been almost that long since I last read it, and there is a lot that I only have vague impressions of. When I saw Midnight Sun, a retelling of Twilight from Edward’s perspective at my library, I thought “why not?” I enjoyed Twilight (though not as much as The Host—I am far more interested in action/suspense than romance) and it’s always nice to have something added to the canon.
Meeting Old Friends in Midnight Sun Read More »
Father’s Day is coming! How about some books to celebrate dads?
Many of the characters in my books are or were street kids and/or foster kids and they tend to have abusive or absent fathers. So I thought I would highlight a couple of them who had good relationships with their dads. I have also pulled together a sampling of other books showcasing good father/child relationships. I hope you find something here that you like!
Books for Father’s Day Read More »
I often look through national observances to see what topics people will be talking about that I have addressed in my books. Some observances are silly, like National No Pants Day (May 7), National Limerick Day (May 12), or Put a Pillow on your Fridge Day (May 29). Others are quite serious.
Read Your Way Through May Read More »
