Book Confessions

I was chatting with Rissi, Kara and Jamie on twitter and they had done this, so I stole it

(with the exception of "picture of your bookshelf thingy; because I cannot CHOOSE a favourite. Last night i was kinda tied between my Patrick O'Brian sea-faring shelf, my Sherlockiana and my LM Montgomery scholarship. They are all special ).

super excited with books!!!!

What are your top three book pet hates?


1.) Italicized prayers: in CBA fiction when there is a break in narrative to have the character thinking a prayer, noted by italics--- often it seems forced and often silly ( are you really praying for God to help you find feminine hygiene products in the work bathroom) and often it is the tell-tale sign of a book that is not organically a faith journey; rather a secular book that with the inclusion of a few throwaway prayers is targeted to the Christian market


2.) Love triangles: like, serious love triangles. Not the heroine or hero naturally finding themselves attracted to a person clearly wrong for them as they undergo a journey toward the person they are meant to be with.




3.) Children: precocious children with childish dialect to emulate the way a toddler talks. URGH



Describe your perfect reading spot

As I mentioned to Anne Mateer here, I can read anywhere. I do like reading in coffee shops or outside (in philosopher's walk in Toronto), I read on the subway to work every morning, I read in bed a lot every night and I love reading with a glass of wine or a pint on a patio (now that it's summer ) or curled near a fireplace in the winter. I have a few favourite pubs in my city I frequent. One in cabbagetown, One near the Elgin theatre and a few in the West End. I am a nomad reader. I got a massive sunburn reading by the river in Etienne Brule park last weekend.

Tell us three book confessions.

1.) I don't really like first person present unless it is super well written (holla, Christa Parrish)


2.) I have trouble embracing books that have become super big or popular --and that it is the "Thing" to read. I am wary of them


3.) It will take a lot for me to read a book that only has four or five stars on amazon. Honestly, if there is not some variance of opinion it cannot have sparked debate and if it hasn't sparked debate or variance of opinion, it might just be too rosy-coloured for me.


When was the last time you cried during a book?

I was reading an author friend's yet-unpublished (SHAME) manuscript over the weekend and I bawled.


How many books are on your bedside table?

A Place in His Heart

Paris Letters

the galley of Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer

Saving Amelie

Washington's Spies




What is your favorite snack while you’re reading?


I drink copious amounts of tea. I like microwave popcorn or jelly bellys. I live by myself so I often eat dinner while reading


Name three books you would recommend to everyone.

This is hard. But here are three books that during my long and established career as a bookseller really garnered the most enthusiasm:

1.) Deafening by Frances Itani

2.) The Blooding of Jack Absolute by CC Humphreys

3.) That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan


and, of course, I recommend Horatio Lyle and the Blue Castle to every kindred spirit....


What is your biggest reading secret?

I will give every author two chances. Just in case there was a book of theirs that didn't sit with me, I wasn't in the mood, or the subject matter was off. After that, nope. Strike out ;)