Ten years ago Linda Grant wrote a book called The Thoughtful Dresser, The Art of Adornment, the Pleasures of Shopping, and Why Clothes Matter, which gives us permission to enjoy being fashionable without being burdened by the guilt and sin of vanity. Grant’s book was recommended by Sue Burpee in her High Heels in the Wilderness fashion blog which is an excellent resource for baby boomer…
Browsing Category Books
Caroline Adderson’s A Russian Sister is entertaining, engaging and well-written
You don’t have to be a fan of Russian literature (which I am) to enjoy A Russian Sister by Caroline Adderson. It’s a novel of historical fiction written with Anton Chekov’s sister as the main character. Actually, there are three main characters: Masha aka Maria Chekov, and her friend Lika Mizinova, with Anton Chekov providing plot complications. Adderson thought a look at the famous Russian author’s…
A case of identity theft unlocks multiple mysteries
Identity theft is a particularly devastating kind of fraud and deception. It can take years to sort out one’s affairs after someone taps into your personal data and takes over your life. You Can’t Catch Me by Catherine McKenzie is the fictional account of such a crime. It hit home with me because a couple of years ago I had my wallet stolen from my purse…
Emma Donoghue delivers an intense best-seller with The Pull of the Stars
Best-selling author Emma Donoghue’s newest novel The Pull of the Stars is a timely commentary on history repeating itself. The story takes place during the Spanish Flu pandemic in the final days of World War I. Julia Power is a twenty-nine-year-old nurse who recovered from a relatively mild dose of the potentially fatal disease so she is considered immune and able to return to her work…
Lady Thelma Furness was the other woman King Edward VIII loved before Wallis Simpson
When a first-time novelist produces a best-seller, it’s no small achievement. After reading, The Woman Before Wallace, A Novel of Windsors, Vanderbilts and Royal Scandal by Bryn Turnbull I can see why her book became such a success. And historical fiction is my favourite genre. It’s well-written, engrossing, and especially satisfying when the author is a fellow Canadian. It’s the story of Lady Thelma Furness, King…
Author treats communist rule in Ukraine with unusual humour
Do you ever read a book and find yourself thinking, “How on earth did the author ever come up with this stuff”? That was my reaction to Good Citizens Need Not Fear by Maria Reva. It’s a satirical commentary on life in Ukraine during perestroika in the late seventies—and I absolutely loved it. Who would have ever thought communism could be treated with humour? She could…