I'm going to have to take a break from Margaret Atwood. I love her novels, but her short stories have left little impression on me. (And let's not even mention my recent run in with The Heart Goes Last...).

There are only two stories in Wilderness Tips that I can remember and that were of some interest to me - Uncles and The Age of Lead.

The latter caught my interest because it makes reference to the Franklin expedition, which is an event I have some interest in.

Other than that, the stories are well written and quite subdued. Each deals with some quiet desperation involving its main characters. There are no punches or fireworks, but a long and slow unfolding of the story or theme. 

I read a lot of really amazing books this past year and though I did not complete the 50 books challenge (I fell three books short) I spent a lot of time reading and engaging with literature. So, overall a success!

Out of the amazing books that I read this year I would like to spotlight my top five reads. Now, I'm going to be honest; I don't remember which books I read earlier in the year, so this list mostly consists of books that I read in the later half of the year.

5: Let it Snow by John Green, Maureen Johnson, and Lauren Myacle. This short story collection was just so fun! Now warranted, this book probably only made it onto my list because of the great mood I was in while reading it. It was just so nice to sit back and enjoy these three sweet, funny romances. So much fun. I gave it four and half out of five stars.

4: Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood. I love Atwood's writing. She's an old favourite of mine. (Her sentences are just gorgeous.) But the reason that this book made it on to my top five is because this was the first collection of short stories I've ever read cover-to-cover. And I absolutely loved her stories. Her writing, as always, was breath-taking, her plots were unique and engaging, and her character had a special quality to them that made them all feel real in a mysterious way. Overall, this is a great collection of short stories. I gave it four and a half out of five stars. Definitely worth a read.

3: Fifth Business by Robertson Davies. I read this book, which is the first in a trilogy that I desperately want to complete, for my Canadian Fiction course last summer. It was amazing. The voice of the novel was phenomenal and the focus on religion, saints, magic, and mystery was absolutely enthralling. It had such real and engaging characters and such profound comments on religion. Such an interesting read and one I would definitely recommend. I give this book five out of five stars.

2: Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami. So good. Just so good. I absolutely love Murakami's writing. He gives such a unique, mesmerizing quality to his characters. They feel real, but at the same time magical and surreal. And it's so interesting to read books set in Japan. Also Murakami's ability to write settings! Yes. Yes. Five out of five stars.

1: Sputnik Sweetheart by Haruki Murakami. My favourite book of the year! And tied for my favourite book of all time! This is the book that introduced me to Haruki Murakami's writing and I absolutely love it. Great characters, great writing, amazing metaphors, and a dash of magical realism to keep everything together. Five out of five stars. 

And finally, my spotlight author of the year: This should come as no surprise…it's Haruki Murakami! I am so happy that I was introduced to his work this year! And I can't wait to read to read more of his books.

Overall, 2013 was a great reading year! I can't wait to see what 2014 has in store.

Bye!

Hello!

November turned out to be a really great reading month. I finished reading a total of 6 books! Unfortunately, only one of these books was from my November TBR. 

The first book that I read and completed was Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood, which is a delightful short story collection. I have already posted my review.

After that I started reading Haruki Murakami's Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman, which I was unable to complete. I got stuck around the half-way point and lost motivation to read this book. This is unfortunate because I really love Haruki Murakami, but for some reason I find it hard to get through his short stories. This is not at all the case when it comes to his novels.

The next book I was able to complete was Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews. I read this in a single sitting and really enjoyed it. It was the perfect thing to get me back into the rhythm of reading. I have already posted my review for this. 

The next book that I read was actually a manga! I really love manga and anime, but I haven't had the chance to read in this medium for quite a while. Not since high school! I read the first volume of Pandora Hearts, which was written and illustrated by Jun Mochizuki. I really enjoyed this first volume, and I'm definitely considering picking up the next volume. I do not plan on doing a full review for this.

Then I read Elizabeth Smart's By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. This book was recommended to me by my Canadian Literature professor last summer. It's a very poetic and musically written book that focuses on the author's affair with British poet George Barker. This was an interesting read with highly emotional prose. As such, I don't think that I was able to fully grasp the work on a first reading. 

After seeing the new and amazing Catching Fire movie, I couldn't help but rereading Catching Fire by Suzanne Collins! I really enjoyed reading this book this time around. I liked it when I first read it in high school, but I feel like watching the movie actually made this book better. I know. Weird. It was great having the chance to reread a book. I don't get to do that often. 

The last book that I completed this November was John Boyne's The Boy in the Striped Pajamas. Such a lovely, haunting read. I did a full review, which I have already posted. If you haven't already read this, I would really encourage it. 

So, that's my reading wrap up for November. Even though I didn't stick to by TBR, I regard November as a reading success! What did you all read this month?

Bye! 

This is going to be a biased review because Margaret Atwood is one of my favourite authors. I hadn't read any of her short stories until this collection and I really enjoyed her writing in this medium. A few of my favourite stories are "True Trash," "The Bog Man," "Uncles," "The Age of Lead," and, of course, "Wilderness Tips." These stories stood out for me in particular (and for very different reasons), but I actually really enjoyed all of the stories.

I really enjoyed how most (or all) of Atwood's stories had a frame structure. Most of the stories recounted a lifetime from a distilled and unique present. This is something that's new to my short story experience. Most of the stories that I've read are focused on the action of the present; however, I really enjoyed this method and think that it worked to great effect in Wilderness Tips.

I also really liked that most of the stories were set in Toronto, or Canadian summer camps. As a Canadian, it's interesting to read more stories set in my homeland.

Overall, this is a brilliant collection of short stories. If you like short fiction or Margaret Atwood and haven't read this you definitely should check it out.

Bye!

Hello friends, 

Reading break is coming up, so I'm hoping to get a hefty bit of reading done this weekend. Today, I'm planning on finishing Wilderness Tips by Margaret Atwood. Then I will start reading Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami. Hopefully, I will be able to finish this by Monday. 

What at will you be reading this weekend?

Bye!