The Island of Doctor Moreau by H.G. Wells

This novel is about a man who, by a series of incidences, is brought to an island where Dr. Moreau resides and is experimenting on animals. It is an interesting metaphor for the role that science plays in ethics and the act of 'playing god'. This question, of the importance of ethics, is even more relative to science in the present day. Written in the 1800's it is also a look at social classism and slavery. It is questioning humanism and power systems.

Rating: Donate It.

We Are All Treaty People by Roger Epp

This novel is an excellent look at the rural prairies of Western Canada. Insightful and eloquent, Epp brings a sense of nostalgia to anyone who has grown up in a small prairie town. He gives an important and interesting perspective on the rich histories and current social and political issues of the prairies. Whether it's through farming, economy, settlers, the Mennonites, or Aboriginal Peoples, "We Are All Treaty People" is an informative look at these diverse and complex communities. He perfectly encapsulates the truth and beauty of this country, what it means to be from these areas (positive and negative) and how these experiences distinguish us from people who only know life in an urban landscape.

Rating: Slow Clap It.

Musicophilia: Tales of Music and the Brain by Oliver Sacks

I had trouble with "Musicophilia" on two levels, which surprised me because I was really excited to read this novel. While I found the text to be quite boring and repetitive in parts, I also succumbed to a crisis with music hypochondria. As someone who already fears the loss of hearing, I found it unnecessary for that fear to be amplified through the knowledge of all of the ways that I could also lose my sense of music, both physically and neurologically. To be fair I was only able to get just over half way done before I had to put it down and move onto something else; it is plausible that other's would disagree with me on this rating and really enjoy what Sacks has to say on this subject.

Rating: Burn It.

The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

This is a fascinating novel about a young black woman who's cells changed the world. Her cells were the first that were able to live and grow outside of the body and redefined science to what we know today. HeLa cells have been used to create the polio vaccine; they have been tested on, put into space, used for gene mapping, helped scientists understand cloning, used for cancer research and of course many many other applications. HeLa is bought and sold around the world and can be found in almost every lab today. This novel is both a history of the progress of science and the very real and scary history of the medical field as well as the history of the woman herself and of her family coming to terms with the questions and misunderstandings that came from the discovery and use of her incredible cells.

Rating: Slow Clap It.

Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman

This little novel is quite poetic and beautiful at times. It looks at the ways that time can be manipulated and gives the reader insight into the idea of time, how time flows and it's effect on us and our environment. I would suggest taking your time and reading this one really slowly as it gets a bit monotonous after awhile.

Rating: Donate It.

Green Grass Running Water by Thomas King

This novel should be read with a bit of background context in mind and probably at least twice. It's quite complex but also rewarding by the end, especially if you've done your homework. It's about the complexity of the characters in the novel and in the real world. It also approaches the idea of storytelling and the perspectives of why that story is told and through what lens. To find a balance between two cultures, histories and stories, King plays with the idea of mashing stories and themes together; the characters tell the stories, starting over and retelling them in different ways, trying to get the story just right. I found a lot of the characters to be quite charming and interesting.

Rating: Donate It.

On The Farm by Stevie Cameron

I had been waiting for this book to come out as I had just finished Cameron's previous novel about Pickton and the missing women of the downtown east side. Because of the publication ban during the trial she had been unable to give the details of the case in 'The Pickton File'. That novel showcases more of a personal look in collecting research for the book, talking to the families, and her experiences in writing it.

Now that the publication ban has been lifted, the new novel, 'On The Farm', is a much more straight forward look at exactly what happened to these girls, the police investigation and the trial proceedings. It sheds a lot of light on this famous case. Warning that it is graphic as she writes about exactly what happened to these girls and what the police found and collected for evidence. It's a horror but very interesting, especially when getting an inside look at our justice system and the investigation process leading up to laying charges.

Rating: Slow Clap It.