Anthony Horowitz is very good at his job. He threw out some excellent red herrings and I was left guessing until the very end. Highly recommended.

Had to stop for 10 minutes for a sing along with Tay Tay #swiftieswhoread

A rare book: a realistic yet funny will they won‘t they romance about a couple whose been married for a long time. Lots of focus on mental health and motherhood. Think Sally Rooney by way of This is 40. I really loved it.

I like novels like Homecoming that jump around in voice and time to form a coherent polyphonic picture. This was like that but with less of a sense of how the jumps were connected until the (hurried) ending. I was very much here for the horror and folklore. Any time there‘s a two headed cobra, count me in! This is five for me from the #womensprize longlist; so far they‘ve all had something special about them.

A sweet story about families made and found set in the 1970s on Vancouver Island.

Fourth of my Women‘s Prize longlist reads. I usually get engrossed in long WWII narratives and this was no different. The story of an unlikely friendship with a prisoner at Buchenwald and a German officer‘s wife. Told from the POV of the prisoner, the husband, the wife, and a chorus of bystanders.

I can‘t remember the last time a book I‘ve enjoyed this much took me so long to read (5 weeks). Defne is a Turkish Cypriot in love with Kostas, a Greek Cypriot, in the 1970s. Much sadness ensues. Some chapters are narrated by a fig tree - which I found twee at first. It all made sense by the end.

I haven‘t been reading much at all lately, but really enjoyed this audiobook. It‘s a middle grade mystery with a main character inspired by the author‘s experience living with OCD.

Alllllrighty then #readersgonerogue what do you think of these picks? Any catch your fancy?

Eight year old me would have been in heaven. This adventure sees two besties solve a mystery with the help of etymology, code breaking, and a hint of magic. Good fun.

Absolutisme riveting middle grade novel about the aftermath of abuse and the path to healing.

Excellent staycation reread

Dreamy. Expansive. Digressive. Mythic. These are just some of the words I‘d use to describe this fascinating novel. Amber predicts her son Dash‘s death and his great aunt sets about making sure the prediction doesn‘t come to pass. Think Stephen King by way of Toni Morrison.

This shortish novel started with such promise: a group of friends and acquaintances decamp to a country estate to wait out COVID. People were hooking up, old jealousies resurfaced, I enjoyed it - even if the characters were Unlikeable. By the end I didn‘t care at all - it was a slog to get through.

This book had a lot going for it: set in Siberia, atmosphere, mad cover love. I liked Teig and Prentiss‘ friendship and Teig‘s sad backstory. Ludmilla fell flat for me and my interest in the horror waxed and waned. Plus I though the language barrier between characters set up in the first half was too easily resolved in the second.

It‘s a rare treat to read a whole book in a single day. Though sometimes ridiculous, I was riveted by the twists and turns about an assistant-and-would-be-writer and the famous writer she assists. Loved the Moroccan backdrop as well. Good fun.

Accidentally ordered three books this week. All the titles start with question words. This pleases me greatly. Up first.

Excellently narrated story of a traumatized boy who learns to run to instead of running from.

Gilda is a lesbian atheist with anxiety. So naturally when she reaches out to a local church for support she ends up with a job?!? If you‘re into the premise (I was) you‘ll be into the book. I related uncomfortably hard at times. #rhinosforever

I love how “consistently courageous “ Yang‘s novels always are. This one is no exception. Three sibs who were raised in Hong Kong leave for America at the beginning of the pandemic. They leave their father behind. This bighearted novel deals with families apart, sibling relationships, navigating uncertainty, ADHD, and anti-Asian hate. But most of all love.

A delightful adult picture books celebrating the intelligence and sly utility of cats. It‘s delightful. Earl approves.

A beautiful novel about how a young artist is made.

I told myself I‘d read one essay a day for six days and read six a day for one day. Polley writes thoughtfully about motherhood, childbirth, child actors, sexual assault, living with a brain injury. She has a keen eye for self-observation and doesn‘t shy away from complexity.

I wanted to know what was going on until about headway through when I was very nope about the whole thing. It did feel uncomfortable that this particular story was told by a man. (I also really hope Ariel says obrigada instead of obrigado in the final version.) #netgalley

Every group of friends needs a place to belong and for Wolf and her friends that place is their tree fort in Birchwood. It‘s Wolf‘s favourite place on earth and one that allows her to feel connected to her ancestors. When Birchwood is in danger, the friends devise a plan to save their favourite place.

Earl and I made light work of this middle grade novel in verse today. Betsy and Lizard are BFFs since forever. Only Betsy suspects Lizard isn‘t always good for her and Betsy‘s mother - a linguist interested in endangered languages- thinks Betsy needs to spend time away from Lizard to bloom. The girls pick an endangered language at random and set to work saving it. A beautiful look at the things we say, the things we don‘t, and the affect both have

A fun middle grade eco-horror that takes place right here in BC. I lost a smidge of enthusiasm when I realized late last night it was going to end on a cliffhanger.

Beautiful cover. Great idea. Depressing as hell. Not sure it went anywhere in the end.

Earl and I tore through this story of an ex-wife and the clone her partner left her for. I could listen to Xe Sands read all day long.

Four Kate DiCamillo novels in a weekend! Prepping for our interview on March 3rd requires all the snacks.

Silly, heartfelt first fiction about a would be cowboy and his horse.

DiCamillo really has the intersection of classic fairy tale and Brene Brown all sewn up. #audiostitching

Phyllis is our Mme Bovary / Anna Karenina / Edna Pontellier in 1960s England. She chucks her marriage to a Foreign Officer for a romance with someone young enough to be her son. No ‘punishing suïcide‘ but the ending still broke me quietly.

Nao was born in Japan and raised in the US. She takes a gap year in Japan and bonds with the other residents of Himawari House. A sweet look at life between two cultures and early adult friendships. Much less intense and dramatic than my own gap year experiences, but still a fun read.

Lofty plans

Nothing happened. I couldn‘t put it down.

13 Ways of Looking At A Fat Girl meets The Glass Castle ish. Each story in this novel gives different insight into who Astra is from the POV of significant people in her life. A super quick and emotional read. As a daughter who had a conflicted relationship with her father, it got me right there.

It‘s 💯 like this book was written for me: a murder mystery set in the Stalinist Soviet Union that leans heavily on the history of the Siege of Leningrad and music history. I was so there for all of it. And many of the grim details were based in fact. Will re-read.

This graphic novel tackles very heavy subject matter with more lightness than it warrants. I‘d recommend it to fans of Alan Gratz‘s Refugee looking for a fast paced survival story set against a historical background.

Really enjoyed this charming first fiction novel. Jasmine is a gem - she reminds me of my middle child - she knows her own mind and is determined to help the men in her family point mochi.

Earl and I very much enjoyed this big hearted historical novel about a young Polish girl starting a new life in Cuba in the 1930s.

Reread this old family favourite today. It holds up well. All the feels.

Up next…

I reread this old favourite and now I want soup.

What in the sweet holy hell is wrong with my copy of this book? Have you ever seen anything like it?

I browsed bookstores downtown today for the first time in years. It was heavenly and I got caught up and bought the tagged book and a new bookmark (though I needed neither strictly speaking)

A fun fast YA comic: dystopia, drama, a little romance.

I wanted a light, quick rom com for a crazy busy week. It kind of delivered? I wanted it to follow a more conventional storyline than it did. The character development in the last quarter seemed to come out of nowhere to me.

My reading buddy is a hide and seek champion