Yeah... it didn‘t happen. Between the subject matter which was very dark and heavy, and the lack of chapters with very little breaks, it wasn‘t for me. Judged by the cover and it was a fail.
Yeah... it didn‘t happen. Between the subject matter which was very dark and heavy, and the lack of chapters with very little breaks, it wasn‘t for me. Judged by the cover and it was a fail.
Oh boy this novel is hovering on becoming a DNF. I‘ve basically done everything I can to pick up other books to read. It is good, but it‘s hard. It might be a book that takes me a year to read. Slowly working on it and trying to give it a chance.
My next Canadian read! Heading to the East Coast! I‘ve been hearing that this one packs a punch.
44 min. This narrator is terrible and it's not the Newfie slang that's bad. The characters change but it feels like a run on and I can't tell if they're connected.
Hearing about a drunk woman getting sexually assaulted while she's puking and saying no hits way too fucking close to home.
It's important for people to write this and read it but for some, those feelings, those memories live so close to their surface, reading becomes reliving.
Anyone else listened to this and just felt completely annoyed and put off by the narrator? I don't think I've ever hated the narration of a book so much! I'm maybe 30m in and don't think I can keep going.
When your eye pillow matches your book cover. 😀 Started another title from my shelf today, this one from Newfoundland. I'm not from there, but some of the expressions are familiar, in particular using 'right' as an adjective.
I have a huge stack to read today. I can‘t seem to decide on just one..
My first DNF of the year and it was a quick decision. Just couldn't get into the storylines or connect with characters at all.
-2/10 Not recommended
I forced myself to finish it in hopes it would get better, or at least make sense. This book is about one day, at a restaurant, from numerous characters perspectives. There is so much backstory and excruciating detail from each character, that you completely lose track of the actual story premise, until the last few pages. Even then, the book ends, but leaves so many loose ends it feels unfinished.
Coles can write beautifully, turning out some stark gems of highly polished prose. Everything is carefully described, and her characters are incisively drawn. That being said, I didn‘t find this at all enjoyable to read. By and large, these are not pleasant people, and I would be relieved to leave one behind when the perspective shifted, only to find the next person was equally nasty company.
Full review: https://wp.me/p2P6GA-5fS
#CanadaReads
A less tense third day of #CanadaReads debates as the panelists focused on setting, character, resilience and hope, and eliminated another book from the running ahead of tomorrow‘s finale. Review and recap: https://wp.me/p2P6GA-5fS
This is my daily quarantine view. Gatsby and Ozzie both feeling the need to be as close as they possibly can. I‘m starting this book (rather than finishing anything I currently have on the go) but it hasn‘t gotten good reviews here so we‘ll see.
Your standard CanLit goes like this:
Everything is awful.
It gets worse.
The book ends.
Coles sees no reason to deviate from this pattern. SGHATLCGC‘s depictions of violence against women range from misogynistic attitudes to manipulation to gang rape. It is NOT a nice book.
It‘s also important and affective, despite unconventional syntax and around 100 pages of bloat. I doubt it‘ll win Canada Reads, but I‘m glad it‘s on the shortlist.
Frothy coffee thing + my last unread Canada Reads title.
I can see why so many people struggle with this one. Coles leans into passive voice in the opening scenes and utilizes a distinctly Newfoundland syntax throughout. It took me a bit to find the rhythm, but I‘ve got it now. And y‘all? I think I‘m here for this book.
The Book Gods smiled upon me this morning! Until today, my library only had three digital copies of SMALL GAME HUNTING AT THE LOCAL COWARD GUN CLIB, and everyone ahead of me in line was seriously dragging their feet with it. Now there‘s at least one Express copy in play, and I‘ve got it! I‘ll be able to finish the Canada Reads short list!
...except most people seem to hate this one, so we‘ll see if I read it to completion or do a quick-bail.
Hit a wall while reading my other book - time to start one that may keep me from getting bogged down in a reading slump
What 'cha reading mom? #readingbuddy
With a start like this, who wouldn't be hooked?!
I‘m at 10% and I just can‘t anymore. I really wanted to like this one. But her writing style is so off putting. And there are too many characters without any connections. And no chapter breaks. I just can‘t find any reason to spend anymore time with it. I don‘t understand how it was chosen for both #CanadaReads2020 and shortlisted for the Giller. I mean even the title is horrible.
A book for the #metoo movement. It‘s ultimately about imbalances in power and wealth, and how this impacts the health of a community. An unrelenting look at poverty and addiction, set in St. John‘s Newfoundland. 4/5 stars.
Full review: https://reneereadsbooks.wordpress.com/2020/02/13/book-review-small-game-hunting-...
Canada Reads 2020 books and defenders announced! Who's excited for this year's debates? 🙋♀️
https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/meet-the-canada-reads-2020-contenders-1.543...
This book was an unrelenting and scathing tale of all those who are damaged and how they meet other damaged people and continue the damage. Taking place on a snowy day in Newfoundland, the owner and all the employees of the restaurant, The Hazel, will meet for work and everything will go to hell so that the truth can come to light. This was funny in some places but ultimately made me feel horrible for being part of the human race. I really 👇🏼
Holiday tradition, doing my part to support the local bookstore in Sechlet, BC. I like to buy something Canadian, ideally by an author from the Atlantic Provinces.
7% in to #gillerprize number two and I'm already dnf'ing. I keep getting taken out of the story by the unusual grammar and there's just too many books I want to read to put up with this frustration. I've heard this book suddenly gets great towards the end but it doesn't seem worth it to me.