A light-hearted look at baby boomer lifestyle, fashion, current events, and more . . . .
Are you in the mood for an adventure? How about joining an expedition in search of the south pole in Antarctica? Make it even more intriguing by attempting the trip in the year 1897. That’s the beauty of books. Thanks to author Julian Sancton’s Madhouse at the End of the Earth , we can join the crew of Norwegian, Belgian, Danish, French and other nationalities on…
When I finished reading Five Little Indians by Michelle Good (which was excellent, by the way), I was in the mood for something completely different—light, undemanding and escapist. So, I read three books that demanded no heavy thinking and presented me with no moral or social dilemmas to contemplate. Three of these books are sort of ‘romance-y’ which is most certainly not my normal choice of…
It’s appropriate that on Canada Day, July 1st, I should review a book by an excellent Canadian author. After reading and loving The Speed of Mercy by Christy Ann Conlin, I found it hard to categorize the book. Was it a mystery? Was it a thriller? Was it a murder story? Perhaps it was a combination of all three categories. However you want to interpret…
Hot Stew is a fun romp in London’s brothel district British authors have a gift for coming up with the most interesting plot lines and an abundance of colourful characters. Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley is such a book. Set in the red-light district of London’s Soho district, it’s a David and Goliath story about a small group of sex workers who are trying to save…
Is it a coincidence that I started reading Five Little Indians by Michelle Good the same week we read in the newspapers about the discovery of a mass grave containing 215 bodies of Indigenous children in Kamloops, B.C.? Governments at all levels as well as the Catholic church (although it wasn’t only Catholic churches that ran residential schools) have a lot to answer for. It’s hard…
A few years ago I read The Artist’s Way by Julia Cameron, which was considered the benchmark for understanding and releasing your creativity. It’s a brilliant book with an abundance of suggestions and inspiration for uncovering and channelling your creative energy. Cameron encourages us to spend a few minutes each day hand-writing in a notebook our “Morning Pages”—daily thoughts and random mental meanderings designed to help…
