The final novel in Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials trilogy is on the book shelf this week, and I was curious to know if it would have the same effect on me as it did when I first read it eighteen years ago. I remembered nothing of the final half of the book after a…
Category: The Book Shelf
The Long Walk (1979) – Stephen King as Richard Bachman
King’s first novel, written, not published, is a gripping thriller that terrifies and captivates, from the first page to it’s haunting conclusion. Writing under his pseudonym of Richard Bachman, the story follows Ray Garraty a young teen in an alternate timeline where a totalitarian government has assumed control, and all of it is overseen by…
Marvel Studios 101: All Your Questions Answered (2018) – Adam Bray
Avengers: Infinity War is just a few weeks away, and DK Canada is going to make sure you are completely prepared for it with their handy new reference guide, Marvel Studios 101. Laying out the Marvel Cinematic Universe the book gives you the proper viewing order, as well as in-depth look at characters, locations and…
The Subtle Knife (1997) – Philip Pullman
This week I returned to Philip Pullman’s His Dark Materials Trilogy by diving into the sequel, The Subtle Knife. It picks up right after the first novel, The Golden Compass, as we follow young Lyra and her daemon, Pantalaimon on her adventures. She finds herself in a strange world, having passed into another realm, unlike…
The Running Man (1982) – Stephen King as Richard Bachman
Despite being a fan of the 87 Schwarzenegger flick, I’d never read the original source material, so being long past due, I dug into it and was delighted to find that the novel was a completely different experience, and worthy of a cinematic adaptation in its own right. Ben Richards lives in the slums, a…
The Golden Compass (1995) – Philip Pullman
Having just recently rewatched the film version of Philip Pullman’s The Golden Compass, I was eager to revisit the novel, which I had read only once about twenty years ago. I remember enjoying the series, but can’t remember anything that happened in the third book of the trilogy, only recalling that I cried a lot….
Star Trek: Deep Domain (1987) – Howard Weinstein
It’s time to delve into strange new worlds, and new civilisations again as I boldly go venturing into the next novel in the Pocket Book Star Trek series. Set between the events of Star Trek: The Motion Picture and Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, the novel has a bit of an ecological theme,…
Children of Dune (1976) – Frank Herbert
Thus week, I returned to the desert planet of Arrakis, also known as Dune. The third book in the series picks up some nine to ten years after the last novel, Dune Messiah. The last novel ended with Paul Atreides, Maud’Dib, wandering into the deep desert in the Fremen tradition of discarding the old and…
Seven Fallen Feathers (2017) – Tanya Talaga
Seven Fallen Feathers is a defining book. It is a haunting, distressing and angering discourse on racism and loss in Northern Ontario, and across Canada. Talaga, a dedicated and insightful journalist turns her investigative eye, shining it like a spotlight onto a piece of Canadian life that many of us are loathe to discuss, accept,…
The Maltese Falcon (1929) – Dashiell Hammett
Sam Spade. Almost some ninety years on, the name still conjures images. One can see Bogart, fedora atop his head, overcoat hanging on his frame, cigarette dangling from his lips while he has a heater in one hand, and a dame on the other. No matter your experience with Spade, brought to life incredibly in…
The Mind Reels 