Finished! - The final three reviews to complete the 1st Canadian Book Challenge. I actually read 21 books by Canadian authors during the allotted time but haven't reviewed all of them yet. The 2nd challenge starts tomorrow! Join us! A Bird in...

Spider's Song by Anita Daher - About Spider's Song: AJ, stuck in Yellowknife with her grandmother, meets a man from her mother's past. An intense story with a prickly yet sensitive main character and the added feature of a lesson for parents. I enjoyed it....

The Curse of the Shaman by Michael Kusugak - About The Curse of the Shaman: Instead of agreeing to an arranged marriage for his daughter, a short-tempered shaman cursed young Wolverine, much to the delight of the shaman's grumpy animal spirit. This was a fascinating book that I...

A Killing Spring by Gail Bowen - About A Killing Spring: The head of the School of Journalism at Joanne Kilbourn's university is found dead in a scandalous position. Meanwhile, one of Joanne's students is missing and her friend Jill is not acting like herself. The...

After River by Donna Milner - About After River: Hiring an American draft dodger to help out on the farm has long-lasting effects for a close-knit British Columbia family. Fans of Crow Lake, especially those who liked the feel of the story, will most likely...

Sointula by Bill Gaston - About Sointula: A woman sets out in a stolen kayak to find her estranged son with an incompetent travel writer as her companion. I don't know that I would want to spend time with any of the characters but...

Sign of the Cross by Anne Emery (and other stuff) - About Sign of the Cross: A young woman has been murdered and all of the evidence points to Father Brennan Burke. An entertaining fast-paced mystery with a good cast of characters. I will definitely be reading everything in this...

The Other Side of the Bridge by Mary Lawson - About The Other Side of the Bridge: Arthur Dunn and Ian Christopherson live in a small community in Northern Ontario and their lives intertwine when Ian asks for a job on Arthur's farm. Even better than Crow Lake and...

Icefields by Thomas Wharton - About Icefields: On a climbing expedition in 1898, Dr. Ned Byrne slipped into a crevasse in the Arcturus Glacier. What he saw while he waited for rescue would haunt him for the next 25 years. Quiet, understated, well-written, and...

South of an Unnamed Creek by Anne Cameron - Good story, good sense of time and place, too many main characters. Full review: South of an Unnamed Creek by Anne Cameron This book was my choice for the Yukon for the Canadian book challenge. Canadian book challenge update:...

Saving Jasey by Diane Tullson - Another review by K! As usual, one of the panelists on Canada Reads is really annoying me. And I miss Bill. I'm 2 for 2 on the eliminations although I think Icefields will be booted next. Also, I added...

King Leary by Paul Quarrington (and other stuff) - Given how much I disliked the book at the beginning, I was surprised by how much I cared at the end and how affected I was. Full review: King Leary by Paul Quarrington This book was my choice for...

Crow Lake by Mary Lawson - Beautifully written with a tragic story, believable characters, and a good sense of place. Full review: Crow Lake by Mary Lawson Also, K's second review: Lost in the Barrens by Farley Mowat...

The Big Why by Michael Winter - I didn't like Kent, I didn't like the random punctuation, and I wouldn't say I liked the book exactly but I did admire it. Winter is a talented writer and this book made me curious enough that I will...

Atonement by Gaétan Soucy - Atonement is an odd and oddly fascinating book about the perils of memory and the benefits of forgetfulness. It won't be to everyone's taste because, as I said, it's odd. I liked the book but I think it will...