Book reviews and literary thoughts.
My favourite read of 2019 was Marianne Power’s Help Me: One Woman’s Quest to Find Out if Self-Help Really Can Change Your Life. In this nonfiction page turner, freelance writer Marianne Power recounts her "year of self-help", in which she studied and followed a different self-help book every month for a year. Without giving away … Continue reading Self-help books shouldn’t stress you out
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is coming to Toronto next year. So, three years after I initially read and wrote about the so-called eighth book in the Harry Potter series, I decided to pick it up again.
Almost everyone I know wishes they read more. In the age of scrolling, streaming and packed schedules, picking up a book and sticking with it can seem like a daunting task. Even though I love books, my own “to read” stack has been growing for years, and I’ve had a hard time sticking with a … Continue reading Audiobooks for the soul
Anyone who knows me knows that Harry Potter is my favourite anything of all time, that I'm a bigger fan of the books than the movies and that I have LOT of opinions on the subject (see previous Potter Worship posts for reference). I've noticed that there are some Harry Potter quotes that are absolute … Continue reading The seven most underappreciated Harry Potter quotes
"Beware of Doors." I recently popped into an Indigo in downtown Toronto and found a four book box-set of Neil Gaiman paperbacks for $12.95. It was the exact same feeling you get when when you find out that the perfect cardigan you've had your eyes on is suddenly 50% off. I basically threw my money … Continue reading Neverwhere Forever
More than five years after first reading it, I decided to once again pick up Kazuo Ishiguro's critically-acclaimed novel Never Let Me Go. A surprisingly dark coming-of-age story about three friends growing up in England - first at a progressive and arts-focused private school called Hailsham, and later in a group of isolated cottages - before … Continue reading Told and Not Told
A spoiler-full review of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. Please don't read this if you don't want to have the play spoiled for you. For spoiler-free commentary on the story, you can listen to my interview on CBC Radio as part of a panel discussing the anticipation of the play, and the outpouring of … Continue reading Harry Potter is afraid of pigeons and this post is full of spoilers
When I received an e-mail from a CBC Radio One producer asking if I was interested in being on a panel about the anticipation surrounding Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, I promptly skipped around my apartment and responded with an enthusiastic "OF COURSE!" It was so cool to sit in the studio and chat … Continue reading CBC Radio One Cares About My Harry Potter Thoughts
"There are certain advantages to being outcast," said Zacharias. "One is set at liberty from many anxieties. There is no call to worry about what others will think, when they already think the worst." - Sorcerer to the Crown, a Sorcerer Royal novel Late in 2015, a friend sent me this article and recommend that … Continue reading Held by Bonds of Gratitude
I spent this weekend completely reorganizing my bookshelves. I have a lot of books, mostly thanks to growing up in an academic household (my parents are professors) and of course because of my English degree. I also have a bit of a book obsession. I've acquired books over the years by purchasing them on a whim, … Continue reading Bookshelves
Around this time last year, two of my girlfriends mentioned that they were listening to audiobook recordings of Harry Potter. I was blown away by the very notion of such a thing. I read Harry Potter obsessively from the ages of 10 to 18 and then hardly touched the series for nearly seven years. However, last … Continue reading Stephen Fry Reading Harry Potter Will Change Your Life
One of my favourite quotes from one of my favourite poems in one of my favourite books.
Gloria Roheim McRae is no ordinary 29-year-old. Not only is she an experienced professional with a wealth of knowledge and skills, a Master’s degree, and her own business... she is unapologetic in everything she does. I had the pleasure of meeting Gloria earlier this year when she and I were involved in the same project (a … Continue reading #BYOBBook: Not Just for the Self-Employed
