Book Snaps Archive

All My Rage takes us from Lahore, Pakistan (then) to recount the story of Misbah and Toufiq (who are Salahudin’s parents) to (now) in Juniper,...

Sometimes, just reframing the question can make all the difference. Dr. Bruce Perry and Oprah Winfrey collaborate in this conversational narrative...

A monumental exploration of the biology of human behavior from neuroscientist Robert M. Sapolsky.

Teaching is a career that suits me-- I love the creativity required to plan lessons; I love working with kids, talking to them, helping them, laughing with them...

A contemporary YA novel that brilliantly balances magical realism with a grounded coming-of-age story.

Books as gifts are always delightful, providing a sort of innocuous blind-date excitement. Took this gem along as a roadtrip companion and I really...

One of my favourtite podcasts is Armchair Expert. Dax Shepard, and his co-host Monica Padman, interviewed Stanford professor and psychologist Anna...

An exceedingly honest (and slightly unprofessional) love letter to teaching from Tom Rademacher.

A haunting dystopian novel about censorship, identity, and the power of art to resist oppression.

I love all of the books by Swedish-author Fredrik Backman, and this one, the third in the Beartown trilogy, is absolutely no exception. (You can see...

There are four stories woven into the Shusterman’s brilliantly conceived novel, Roxy. Brother and sister, Isaac and Ivy Ramey, are accompanied as...

A fun inagural read for my book club full of fantastic women with whom I love to read! We had a great discussion about Carrie, tennis, and one of...

Two Feminist Snaps! Special thanks to my cousin, Susan, for passing this gem along! I thoroughly enjoyed the time spent with the characters in this...

Two Sprited Snaps!! This is how it is: a brilliant fairy tale of the unpreictable, messy, complicated, joyous journey of parenthood and...

My last post was a year ago. That seems likely, and also sort of sad. It was a long, drawn-out, painful year. We went back to school hopeful: cheeks...

Less was reccommended by my friend, Bonnie Creber. It was the perfect, lighthearted way to begin enjoying summer break. There were a few things...

Ummm. This one was weird. Really weird. It’s hard to write about why I struggled with it. Suffice it to say, I felt weird reading it and wanted to...

A compassionate and unflinching queer coming-of-age story. Little Dog writes a series of letters to his mother in order to make sense of his place in...

I loved this book! The quote on the cover reads: “It’s like being wrapped up in a big gay blanket. Simply perfect.” Reccommended to me by my...

Another wonderful recommendation, this one from my colleague Catherine Tait. Woodrow (Woody) Nickel takes us along for his journey of a lifetime to...

A great recommendation from my friend and former colleague, Janet Sloan. Eighteeen year-old Stella Sandell is accused of murder, and that changes...

Alright, alright, alright. This was a blissful surprise. It was peripherally on my radar ( a few casual “you should read this”… had come my way)…...

This was a professional read, obviously. It led me to enter Dueck’s Twitter contest by tweeting a photo of myself and Teddy with the book. We...

Finding peace and happiness within a global pandemic wasn’t always easy– so this just sorted of landed when it needed to. Nina and Kate share stories...

Two (very loud) snaps. Brene Brown has been accompanying me on my walks, in my earbuds, via Spotify, within her two amazing podcasts, Dare to Lead...

Angie Thomas takes us back seventeen years, to the Garden, where she first introduced us to Maverick Carter, unravelling the back story of Starr...

Jenny Lawson is a vulnerable, courageous, and hilarious memoirist. I love the way she openly discusses depression and anxiety, and the hilarious way...

After just bingeing the Netflix series “The Crown” I fell in love with Kate Quinn weaving the story of Osla, a debutane World War Two codebreaker and...

Reni’s book is a deeper exploration of her 2014 blog post of the same title. She explores issues from eradicated black history to the political...

Two snaps for a prize winner! Trust won the 2023 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction! The novel is set in the early 20th century and divided into four parts...

Two big snaps for a Pulitzer Prize winner! (Kingsolver's Demon Copperhead along with Diaz's Trust earned the 2023 Prize for Fiction)...

On the night of April 19, 1989, a 28-year-old female jogger was brutally attacked and raped in New York’s Central Park. After prolonged police...

Always take second chances. This was a novel that got reshelved a long time ago, when I couldn’t see it’s pure loveliness. When I got to the bottom...

There are tattoos that people decide to get because they hold meaning to them. There are also tattoos imprinted on people without their consent....

It is a trope in several films you have likely seen. Pan by the long table with donuts and black tar coffee poured from a large silver urn into small...

More wonderful writing and captivating story telling. Robinson moves neatly through the mess of Jared Martin’s life. He is a sixteen-year-old pot...

I can’t say enough good things about Fredrik Backman. I do however say good things about his novel Bear Town here; Us Against You here; and Britt...

White people can’t really talk about racism. Racism is a loaded and pejorative term that white people go out of their way to shun. The fragility...

Powerful. Smart. Gripping. Alicia Elliott’s collected essays explore a large array of topics that include but are not limited to: poverty,...

This year’s Canada Reads has had many winners in my mind. This is yet another amazing contestant, and I loved it. The subject matter is...

I watched this series recently on Prime Video. I really enjoyed it. I knew it was first a book, and so I had to backtrack and read it. The book was...

A really fun read! Jenkins Reid explores a unique format for storytelling in this fictional oral history that reads like the transcript for a rock...

You have likely heard of Brene Brown from her powerful TED Talk on the power of vulnerability. Brown is a research professor at the University of...

I think I would like to be friends with Glennon Doyle. She is thoughtful, intelligent, and fierce. She reminds me of many women I am lucky to call...

Some of the best stories are the ones lived and not made up. From the Ashes was heart-wrenching and traumatic– but also honest, poetic and...

This. This is the history book, that’s not a history book– but a narrative about race interspersed with the history of why black people have been...

If you think we don’t need another book that explores what it is like to be the target of racism in America, then you are not paying attention. As I...

This was a staff book club pick– and a real winner! When we came together (on Zoom) to discuss it — it had our unanimous praise. If you have not...

I wasn’t expecting much from this one. The central idea of the novel clings to the pretense of a dinner in which you could select five guests, living...

Young Adult authors are exploring more and more topics that expose readers to the uncomfortable truths of our world. Patron Saints of Nothing takes...

One of this year’s (indefinitely postponed) Canada Reads Selections. I liked it, but I am not so sure it meets the criteria as the: “one book to...

So, Oprah chose this one for her Book Club– and boy, did it stir up some controversy. The complaints about the book mix concerns with its execution...

You probably don’t know who Chanel Miller is. For a long time, she was known as Emily Doe, or more memorably, the rape victim of Brock Turner, the...

Finished this great story poolside on vacation this week! Weiner tells the inter-woven tales of sisters, Jo and Bethie. From their days as young...

This book came highly recommended and I scrambled to get it in my Amazon cart. It did not disappoint. All Gen X women: a must read! The quote that...

I dismissed Jodi Picoult out of hand in the past. But by relinquishing whatever pretences I had about Picoult, I have been pleasantly surprised with...

What a messy love story. He, 19. She is married and 43, but a chance coupling on the tennis courts sparks the connection that weaves them...

If you’ve read Coupland’s work before (Generation X, Shampoo Planet, The Gum Thief, Miss Wyoming, Hey Nostradumus!... ) then you are prepared for the...

It’s a saccharine sweet love story; wildly predictable; and short on captivating writing. But, it is told from a point of view and about characters...

This is the first of five YA reads in a Book Relay I am participating in. Our Literacy Lead never lets us down when she recommends titles, and this...

I think Trevor Noah is a brilliantly witty and savvy political analyst. I think he does outstanding work as the host of The Daily Show. When I saw...

Ellen Hopkins does not shy away from tough topics– and she delivers them to a dedicated YA audience that embraces her use of both poetry and prose to...

Dr. Rudine Sims Bishop wrote in a scholarly essay a powerful metaphor for books: Books are sometimes windows, offering views of worlds that may be...

This is a compelling and riveting YA novel set far in the future. A future in which all disease has been cured, and humans live forever. Except for a...

I’ll admit, this one took me two tries. The first time I gave up much too easily. I picked it up again with the intention of finishing, and I am glad...

Norris Caplan is the son of Haitian parents, living in Montreal and loving Canadian things like hockey, specifically the Montreal Canadiens. But now...

Another win in the YA category! We all play roles in our lives, and Mara plays many: she is a twin; a daughter; a girlfriend; a friend; a student;...

This was a lovely surprise, a gift from my dad. I’ll savour a glass of bubbly in a whole new way now! This unique historical fiction tells the true...

Two Snaps!! I inhaled this one!!! It is a sensational YA novel adapted from the Broadway smash-hit. Beware: after reading you’ll want to book a trip...

I thought the structure of this novel seemed compelling; there was a mixture of what looked like poetry, lists, and prose. It is introduced as a...

This New York Times Best Seller came highly recommended by friends who had read it, and it did not disappoint! Owens writes in an elegant prose that...

Almost unbelievable. Like, when Oprah couldn’t seem to wrap her mind around James Frey’s memoir… but here it was, wildly incredible– but just...

Laurie Halse Anderson is well-versed in writing compelling novels for Young Adults. Her best-known novel, Speak, became a finalist for the National...

This title drew me in– it tackles a problem I have wrestled with myself as an English Language Arts teacher. Discussion of the book had a lot of...

I was lucky to have attended a conference in which Myron Dueck was the keynote speaker. He is funny, energetic, and engaging, but most importantly,...

I don’t usually go for who-dunnits, but I am trying to explore different genres in my reading in order to better recommend titles to...

Consider this a primer for young feminists. Jennifer Mathieu drops us into Vivian Carter’s high school– and her high school looks a lot like high...

In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by global warming, Frenchie and his compatriots are on the run from the Recruiters. Indigenous peoples have the...

Because life got busy, and I didn’t sit to write a reflection on this novel as soon as I should have, perhaps it isn’t getting the best review...

This is a great YA read. What I liked the best was the interspersion of a podcast in which the presenter is trying to make sense of the disappearance...

Another YA novel from Angie Thomas, author of The Hate U Give. Thomas creates strong voices for her central teenage characters that rap with swagger...

Date read: March 20, 2019. Another touching and authentic novel for Young Adult readers! Grace has a home-life that makes her desperate for...

Date read: March 5, 2019. This was a great beach read! It was light and funny and yet probing and cutting. Newly-divorced and on her own for the...

Date read: February 13, 2019. Quite simply, I loved this memoir. Knight takes you chronologically from his parents’ suburban home in Oregon as a...

Date read: January 20, 2019 I didn’t mean to finish it in one go… but I couldn’t stop! A graphic memoir that had me riveted, engaged and in tears. A...

Date read: January 20, 2019 Brash, acerbic and a little bit ‘feminasty.’ Expertly mixing social commentary, political satire and off colour jokes—...

Date read: January 6, 2019 The last of the holiday novels. It may be a bit formulaic, a trait of Picoult’s I am not really fond of, but I think...

Date read: January 19, 2019 These are some interesting characters to spend time with. The story traces a fall from grace: from the elite of the New...

An unbelievable story of courage and determination.

Deep, powerful writing about complex, riveting female characters. Roxane Gay’s non fiction writing is powerful and academic– her fiction is...

Another lovely book, thoroughly enjoyed. Can’t wait to bring it to school to loan to a reader!

Another amazing YA read. An excellent look at how hate and fear destroy lives mixed with a more hopeful message of tolerance and love.

This was a bit of work. In it, Pinker takes on scientific questions- how language affects thought, as well as questions from headlines and everyday...

Because I totally loved Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl, I was compelled to buy this next novel. This was so good! An amazing read. Going to say, it’s...

I had mostly written Jodi Picoult off, but I am so glad my neighbour loaned me this one, and that I had an open mind. I loved it. An absolutely...

Another tough look at race and privilege. A good story, but lacks the emotional rigour of the last read.

I wanted to like it. Maybe, but not really. I sort of cared about the characters, but I found them hard to relate to.

The rock stars of English Language Arts teaching bring it in spades. This professional read had me very excited about planning for next year’s...

Tough-talking, in-the-trenches reporter, Charlie LeDuff, writes an irreverent but compelling analysis of Trump’s improbable success. Great read!...

If Trainspotting was set in Newfoundland. You’ll love it in spite of yourself.

Date read: July 24, 2018. I was held captive by this memoir. It arrived from Amazon in the mail, I literally read it all day. Utterly fascinating....

Date read: August 1, 2018. An interesting tale retold from an alternative perspective.

Date read: August 10, 2018. Predictable and contrived. Meh.

Date read: August 19, 2018. Another compelling story. Written by a physician– an interesting slant on the medical profession.

Date read: August 29, 2018. Amazing YA novel! Two very loud snaps! I was riveted to this story. My students also loved it. A painful and harrowing...

Date read: September 5, 2018. A long, beautiful, heart-breaking love letter… an amazing YA novel. One I book-talked with my young readers.

Date read: September 11, 2018. The love of two sisters is stretched to its ultimate breaking point. I have a brother, perhaps I didn’t connect, or...

Date read: September 21, 2018. Wow! What a book. Such an amazing true story, thoughtfully and insightfully told. This riveting nonfiction book for...

Date read: October 6, 2018. I liked it. I felt sorry for Pinch, one of the main characters, throughout. There are lively and well drawn characters,...

Date read: October 9, 2018. Loved it. Was riled by it. My haunches were rankled, my dendrites were alight. If 1984 and The Handmaid’s Tale got...

Couldn’t sleep. Put on a fire and finished this one. Loved it! An engaging story with the most aberrant of narrators whose own professed...

I think I may have liked it. New genre for me. Tried sorting out how I felt but I was still confused and couldn’t decide.

Date read: October 14, 2018. Only the intro to this book can explain it and my engagement with it: “Between 2005 and 2009 in a remote Mennonite...

Date read: November 5, 2018. Finished late at night in the dark with a flashlight. Used to do that to read past curfew. Did it last night because I...

Date read: November 17, 2018. Woodward does not hold back, he allows us a ring-side seat, but… do you really want to be that close to this...

Date read: December 2, 2018. Such a wonderful story. Thoughtful, insightful, well written. Lines still tossing about in my mind. This is the fourth...

Date read: December 3, 2018. Read this poem/letter in one sitting. I told you already to read everything Reynolds writes… still true. This book is...

Date read: December 16, 2018. Spent some more time in Fredrik Backman’s little hockey town in the forest. So many stories and thoughtful messages...

Date read: December 23, 2018. A sweet story, and a lovely tour of music, complete with its own Spotify playlist. Thanks so much for the loan,...

Date read: December 28, 2018. I was intrigued by this title and I didn’t know much about Rachel Hollis, but her picture made me think she was quirky...

Date read: December 29, 2018. A great reminder about allowing students choice about how and what they learn. A great refresher and way to infuse...

Young Adult– but does not hesitate to take on complicated race issues.

I inhaled this. Written in short, fierce, narrative verse it spans all of sixty seconds of time and the intensity is palatable. Amazing Young Adult...

A thoughtful and touching YA novel about what family really means, and that’s not necessarily blood.

Great thriller with a twist I did not see coming. Great for plane rides and snow days.

Couldn’t wait for my book club to discuss this one! An irreverent look at: age, sexuality, feminism and religion. A great read.

Third I’ve read by this author. He does not disappoint. Great story about second chances. If you are reading his books in order: readers will...