Title: You’re Not Fooling Anyone When You Take Your Laptop to a Coffee Shop: Scalzi on Writing Author: John Scalzi Publisher: Subterranean Press Format: eBook Rating: 4 out of 5 I read a lot of books about writing in 2012. Take a look for yourselves in the archives. Although the authors I read occupy different niches… Continue Reading
Title: The Universe Within: From Quantum to Cosmos Author: Neil Turok Publisher: House of Anansi Format: eBook Rating: 3 out of 5 I have a hard time understanding the universe. Not in the figurative “why don’t things work the way I want them to” sense, but in the literal “why do things even exist” sense.… Continue Reading
Title: The Shadow Scholar: How I Made a Living Helping College Kids Cheat Author: Dave Tomar Publisher: Bloomsbury Rating: 3 out of 5 Format: eBook Something interesting happened when I publicized my decision to become a freelance writer: more than one person told me that I should consider writing papers for university and college students. I, being the kind… Continue Reading
Title: Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking Author: Susan Cain Publisher: Crown Publishers Rating: 4 out of 5 Format: eBook It probably won’t surprise you to know that I’m an introvert. Hell, I work in editing and content management, and I write lots of book reviews online. My life… Continue Reading
Title: The Big Short: Inside the Doomsday Machine Author: Michael Lewis Publisher: W.W. Norton & Company Rating: 4 out of 5 Format: Print I am not a financial expert. I understand the underpinnings of the financial crisis that started in 2008 well enough, but all of the cogs and gears within that unholy machine –… Continue Reading
Title: The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business Author: Charles Duhigg Publisher: Random House Rating: 3 out of 5 Format: eBook In many ways, habits define us – the routes we take to work; the things we eat, drink, or inhale; the ways we interact with others. But… Continue Reading
Title: Salt: A World History Author: Mark Kurlansky Publisher: Knopf Canada Rating: 3 out of 5 Format: Print Back when I was in university, I read a lot of academic papers about food security, food systems, and cultural norms surrounding food. Margaret Visser’s Much Depends on Dinner is one of my favourite non-fiction works, and… Continue Reading
One of the pitfalls of being an editor is that I tend to notice patterns in whatever I read. Eventually, if I notice a trait or pattern often enough, it will stick out like a sore thumb, and I focus on finding new instances of the pattern instead of enjoying what I’m reading. Sometimes, though,… Continue Reading
Title: Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter Author: Carmen Aguirre Publisher: Douglas & McIntyre Rating: 4 out of 5 Format: eBook My last book review was for On a Cold Road by Dave Bidini. This time, I’ll talk about another Canada Reads book – the one that actually won the contest. About the book:… Continue Reading
Title: On a Cold Road: Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock Author: Dave Bidini Publisher: McLelland & Stewart Rating: 3 out of 5 Format: eBook I was spurred to read this book because of its inclusion on this year’s “Canada Reads” shortlist. Of the 5 books on the list, I’ve read 2 so far –… Continue Reading
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