Quill and Quire

Reviews

Love Struck

By Chantel Simmons

Chick lit: love it or hate it, it must be acknowledged that there are good examples of the maligned genre and not-so-good examples. Chantel Simmons’ debut, 2007’s Stuck in Downward Dog, was the former, with ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Dog Eat Rat

By Tom Walmsley

The characters in Toronto poet and playwright Tom Walmsley’s new novel, Dog Eat Rat, have sex. Some of them have other occupations, like private investigator, but their jobs leave them empty and with a lot ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

Forbidden Heat

By Opal Carew

Forbidden Heat, the latest erotic novel by Opal Carew, is unfortunately lacking in both aspects of its titular promise. Relying heavily on trite phrases, clichéd situations, and stereotypical notions of feminine desire, the book is ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

From This Distance

By Karen McLaughlin

Karen McLaughlin’s second novel incorporates similar themes to those of her first, 1995’s Choral. From This Distance examines women’s relationships with each other and the damage those relationships can do. This is frequently travelled fictional ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels

What We’re Made Of

By Ryan Turner

As its title suggests, this debut collection of linked short stories by Halifax native Ryan Turner investigates the core components of its characters’ lives. Told in stripped-down prose, the book’s overarching narrative traces the coming ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Short

The Waterproof Bible

By Andrew Kaufman

Those who enjoyed All My Friends Are Superheroes, Andrew Kaufman’s 2003 cult-hit debut, should be similarly taken with his sophomore effort, The Waterproof Bible, which retains the romance, humour, and inventive allegory of the earlier ... Read More »

February 25, 2010 | Filed under: Fiction: Novels