Independent Book Reviews for Independent Readers.
James 
There comes a point early on in the reading of Howard Mansfield’s newest book The Habit of Turning the World Upside Down (2018, Bauhan Publishing) when you realize that you thought you understood what “property” meant, but in actuality, you didn’t.… Continue reading
Poor Ramya. A Hindu woman in her late 40’s finds herself out of work (due to downsizing), separated from her husband, childless and nearly friendless. Plus, she is suffering from depression. So much so that she cannot even motivate herself to fill out her papers to get EI assistance.… Continue reading
Over the years, Flanker Press of Newfoundland & Labrador has published a vast array of books, both Fiction and Non-Fiction, including the excellent historical fiction books of Gary Collins. Operation Wormwood (2018) is a fictional crime thriller that was interesting to read, to say the least.… Continue reading
It is time to announce the winners of the 2018 “The Very Best!” Book Awards! For the first time, I have chosen to restrict the awards to three categories: Best First Book (fiction or non-fiction), Best Fiction, and Best Non-Fiction.… Continue reading
Jeannette Lynes’ new book about The Small Things That End the World (2018, Coteau Books) begins with two BIG things: Hurricane Hazel in 1954 and Hurricane Katrina in 2005. In between these two monumental storms plenty of “little things” happen to the three main protagonists, Sadie Wilder, Faith Crouch and her daughter Amber.… Continue reading
Less than one month after publishing these memoirs, Mr. Knockwood died on June 16, 2018 at the age of 88. He suffered from pneumonia and heart failure, which is not surprising, as he had only one lung, having lost the other to TB years ago.… Continue reading
A few years back, I enrolled in a distance education program that was technology-based. At the last minute, the powers that be decided (likely for accreditation reasons) that they need to give us introductory courses on critical thinking, conflict resolution and so on.… Continue reading
Canadian author John Moss has created a different type of private investigator in Harry Lindstrom: a retired philosophy professor that now specializes in murder cases. The remaining member of the Lindstrom & Malone team (Malone was his wife), he inhabits an apartment in downtown Toronto which he shares with the “ghost” or rather, the voice of his deceased wife, Karen.… Continue reading