Book Review: The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador

Title: The Smiling Land: All Around the Circle in My Newfoundland and Labrador

Author: Alan Doyle

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Travel, Canada

Pages: 264

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2025

Format: Audiobook

"From one of Canada's most beloved and celebrated Newfoundlanders comes a rollicking insider's guide to the province, told as only Alan Doyle can tell it.

Few Canadian musicians or authors are as synonymous with their home province as Alan Doyle is with Newfoundland. And now Alan wants to introduce the rest of the world to his home, taking readers on a freewheeling, eclectic trip through the province. From Fogo island to the Southwest Coast, Labrador to Ferryland and everywhere in-between, Alan's Newfoundland awaits.

There are plenty of stops along the way to admire the sites and take in the history and culture. Among the stops, a discussion of Newfoundland's eccentric place names, which include Horse Chops Island, Bread and Cheese Cove, and the (in)famous, Dildo. There are visits to wind-swept coastlines and towering crags, former Beothuk, Viking and Basque settlements, as well as more recent settlements, such as Foley's Shed, a jaunty live-music pub that- as its name suggests, happens to be located in some guy named Foley's shed. There are savvy insider tips, such as how to score fish and chips and a free ride by hopping into the delivery person's car as they deliver your food to your desired destination. And what tour of Alan's Newfoundland could be complete without a short history of what can best be described as 'icebregs that look like things,' an illustrious history that includes an exact replica of the Virgin Mary that once washed into St. John's harbour, and the most recent- and ar less holy- 'Dickie Berg,' which made international headlines for looking like... well, not the Virgin Mary."

My Rating: 5/5

This is the third book I've read by Alan Doyle, and boy, I wish I had read it before my trip to Newfoundland last year. This year my in-laws took a trip and they had read the book. My mother-in-law recommended it, and I loved every moment. Given the opportunity, I would love to follow this book around the circle to explore Newfoundland, which is such a special place. 

Sidny

Book Review: All Together Now by Alan Doyle

Title: All Together Now

Author: Alan Doyle

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Memoir, Adult

Pages: 200

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2020

Format: Audiobook

"One of Newfoundland's funniest and most beloved storytellers offers his cure for the Covid blues.

Is there a more sociable province than Newfoundland and Labrador? Or anywhere in Canada with a greater reputation for coming to the rescue of those in need?

At this time of Covid, singer, songwriter and bestselling author Alan Doyle is feeling everyone's pain. off the road and spending more days at home than he has since he was a child hawking cod tongues on the wharfs of Petty Harbour, he misses the crowds and companionship of performing across the country and beyond. But most of all, he misses the cheery clamour of pubs in his hometown, where one yarn follows another so quickly you have to be as ready as an Olympian at the start line to get your tale in before someone is well into theirs already. We're all experiencing our own version of that deprivation, and Alan, one of Newfoundland's finest storytellers, wants to offer a little balm. 

All Together Now is a gathering book form- a virtual Newfoundland pub. There are adventures in foreign lands, including an apparently filthy singalong in Polish (well, he would have sung along if he'd understood the language), a real-life ghost story involving an elderly neighbour, a red convertible and a clown horn, a potted history of his social drinking and heartwarming reminiscences from another past world, childhood- all designed to put a smile on the faces of the isolated-addled."

My Rating: 5/5

I think that even years after Covid has left us less isolated but still changed as a society, this book still reads perfectly. This brought many laughs, smiles and just general giggles. I would highly recommend Alan Doyle's books to everyone. If you're looking for great storytelling, a laugh and just a general good outlook, you've found the author for you.

Sidny

Book Review: A Newfoundlander in Canada: Always Going Somewhere, Always Coming Home by Alan Doyle

Title: A Newfoundlander in Canada

Author: Alan Doyle

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Nonfiction, Biography, Canada

Pages: 244

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2017

Format: Audiobook

"Armed with the same personable, candid style found in his first book, Alan Doyle turns his perspective outward from Petty Harbour toward mainland Canada, reflecting on what it was like to venture away from the comforts of home and the familiarity of the island.

Often in a van, sometimes in a bus, occasionally in a car with broken wipers, "using Bob's belt and a rope found by Paddy's Pond" to pull them back and forth, Alan and his bandmates charted new territory, and he constantly measured what he saw of the vast country against what his forefathers once called the Daemon Canada. In a period punctuated by triumphant leaps forward for the band, deflating steps backwards and everything in between- opening for Barney the Dinosaur at an outdoor music festival, being propositioned at a gas station mail-order bride service in Alberta, drinking moonshine with an elderly church-goer on a Sudny morning in PEI- Alan's few established notions about Canada were often debunked and his own identity as a Newfoundlander was constantly challenged. Touring the country, he also discovered how others view Newfoundlanders and how skewed these images can sometimes be. Asked to play in front of the Queen at a massive Canada Day festival on Parliament Hill, the concert organizers assured Alan and his bandmates that the best way to showcase Newfoundland culture was for them to be towed onto stage in a dory and introduced not as Newfoundlanders but as 'Newfiers'. The boys were not amused.

Heartfelt, funny and always insightful, these stories tap into the complexities of community and Canadianness, forming the portrait of a young man from a tiny fishing village trying to define and hold on to his sense of home while navigating a vast and diverse and wonder-filled country."

My Rating: 5/5

As a Canadian, I've listened to a decent amount of Great Big Sea, but I didn't realize that Alan Doyle has so many books. The audiobook of this was amazing as it was narrated by the author, so you get the full accent, the full amazing storytelling ability of Alan Doyle. I loved the content, the writing, and mostly the humour. I look forward to reading more from the author. 

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Talking To Canadians by Rick Mercer

Title: Talking to Canadians

Author: Rick Mercer

Series/Standalone: Standalone

Genre: Adult, Memoir

Pages: 312

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2021

Format: Audiobook

"Canada's beloved comic genius tells his own story for the first time.

What is Rick Mercer going to do now? That was the question when the beloved comedian retired his hugely successful TV show after 15 seasons- and at the peak of its popularity. The answer came not long after, when he roared back in a new role as stand-up-comedian, playing to sold-out houses wherever he appeared.

And then Covid-19 struck. And his legions of fans began asking again: What is Rick Mercer going to do now? Well, for one thing, he's been writing a comic masterpiece. For the first time, this most private of public figures has turned the spotlight on himself, in a memoir that's as revealing as it is hilarious. In riveting anecdotal style, Rick charts his rise from highly unpromising schoolboy (in his reports 'the word 'disappointment' appeared a fair bit') to the height of TV fame. Along the way came an amazing break when, not long out of his teens, his one-man show Show Me the Button, I'll Push It Or, Charles Lynch Must Die, became an overnight sensation- thanks in part to a bizarre ambush by its target, Charles Lynch himself. That's one story you won't soon forget, and this book is full of them.

There's a tale of how little Rick helped himself to a tree from the neighbours' garden that's set to become a new Christmas classic. There's Rick the aspiring actor, braving 'the scariest thing I have ever done in my life' by performing with the Newfoundland Shakespeare Company; unforgettable scenes with politicians of every variety, from Jean Chretien to George W. Bush to Stockwell Day; and a wealth behind-the-scenes revelations about the origins and making of This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Made in Canada and Talking to Americans. All leading of course to the greenlighting of the mega-hit, Rick Mercer Report...

It's a life so packed with incident (did we mention Bosnia and Kabul?) and laughter we can only hope that a future answer to 'What is Rick Mercer going to do now?' is 'Write volume two.'"

My Rating: 5/5

In my family, there weren't many shows we watched religiously, but the Rick Mercer Report was always playing on Mondays. It's a show me and my dad laughed at for years together (even if I might have been too young to understand the jokes). Rick Mercer is really a Canadian legend and was one of the first gay men I saw on TV growing up. I enjoyed this memoir seeing how he got his start and got to where he is today. I listened to the audiobook and loved that the author narrates it himself. Would recommend it to any fans, or people who want a fun memoir.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Book Review: Blood Red Road by Moira Young

Title: Blood Red Road

Author: Moira Young

Series/Standalone: Dust Lands Series (Book #1)

Genre: Young Adult, Dystopian

Pages: 464

Publisher: Doubleday Canada

Year Published: 2012

Format: Paperback Copy

My Rating: 1/5

DNF @ 70%

I won't bother wasting anyone's time with the description of this book. This book states that it is fast-paced though I've never been so bored. It says that the characters are smart and savvy though I've never felt that way. I guess some might believe it. There were no real plot twists and while there was the main goal, it didn't seem to be that urgent as our main character gets sidetracked frequently. The world is not well fleshed out. And it is completely two dimensional.

Needless to say not a fan.

Thanks for reading,

Sidny

Reread Thoughts: Outlander by Dianna Gabaldon

THIS POST CONTAINS SPOILERS
Title: Outlander
Author: Diana Gabaldon
Series/Standalone: Outlander Series (Book #1)
Genre: Historical Fiction, Romance, Adult
Pages: 640
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Year Published: 1991
Format: Paperback Coy (Own it)
First Line: "People disappear all the time."

"Claire Randall is leading a double life. She has a husband in one century, and a lover in another...

In 1945, Claire Randall, a former combat nurse, is back from the war, and reunite with her husband on a second honeymoon- when she innocently touches a boulder in one of the ancient stone circles that dot the British Isles. Suddenly she is a Sassenach- an "outlander"- in a Scotland torn by war and raiding border clans in the year of our Lord... 1743.

Hurled back in time by forces she cannot understand, Claire's destiny in soon inextricably intertwined with Clan MacKenzie and the forbidden Castle Leoch. She is catapulted without warning into the intrigues of lairds and spies that may threaten her life... and shatter her heart. For here, James Fraser, a gallant young Scots warrior, shows her a passion so fierce and a love so absolute that Claire becomes a woman torn between fidelity and desire... and between two vastly different men in two irreconcilable lives."

My New Rating: 4.75/5

This seems like such a minor change and if you don't know me I'm guessing you think this is ridiculous. But here's the facts, I stand by my 5-star books and usually find that I rate them the same after a reread. This was the first time in a long time that I found it just wasn't quite as good the second time around. I have a few reasons that I lowered the rating just this tiny bit. One was that the element of surprise obviously wasn't as there for me as it might be for someone reading the novel the first time. Granted there were many aspects I didn't remember. Mostly because so many things happen in this novel, it's easy to forget an event here or there as there are so many things that happen. That is another reason that I marked it down a bit, it seemed a bit overwhelming with how many things go on. And I found that might have been the reason that I didn't see the problematic aspects of the story. There definitely are some. There are rape, assault, violence and many other aspects that should probably be warned about but every reviewer will likely tell you this. I think another aspect to keep in mind is the time period of the novel. It takes place in 1744 so the things that are described likely were the reality for many women. I understand the upset, but I think that the time period justifies most of the things that were happening in the novel. 
After all these jumbled thoughts I'd just like to say that I plan on continuing with the series in April and would recommend it to romance lovers and historical fiction fans as long as you can handle the problematic aspects.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Book Review: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

Title: The Girl on the Train
Author: Paula Hawkins
Series/Standalone: Standalone
Genre: Mystery, Fiction, Suspense, Adult
Pages: 316
Publisher: Doubleday Canada
Year Published: 2015
First Line: "She's buried beneath a silver birch tree, down towards the old train tracks, her grave marked with a cairn.

"There she sits. The girl on the train. What she sees gazing out the window will change everything.
Everyday the same
Rachel takes the same commuter train every morning and night. Every day she rattles down the track, flashes past a stretch of cozy suburban homes, and stops at the signal that allows her to daily watch the same couple breakfasting on their deck. She looks forward to it. She's even started to feel like she knows them. Jess and Jason, she calls them. Their life- as she sees it- is perfect. Not unlike the life she recently lost.
Until today
And then she sees something shocking. IT's only a minute until the train moves on, but it's enough. Now everything's changed. Unable to keep her discovery to herself Rachel goes to the police. But is she really as unreliable as they say? Soon she is deeply entangled not only in the investigation but in the lives of everyone involved. Has she done more harm than good?"

My Rating: 3.5/5

I think that books need to stop saying that there is a thrill that you'll never suspect because I'm overly suspicious soooo.... I thought that this book was chilling and creepy. Needless to say a perfect fall read, that being said I'm not sure I loved it. I enjoyed myself while reading it but I also found the way it was written to be a little bit confusing for me as I couldn't read it all in one sitting. I also found that the characters were extremely frustrating. I didn't care for any of them and while all together they made for an interesting story, I wouldn't want to hear anything else about them... really ever. 
I also found that this story was frustrating for those who don't care for self-pity. That being said, if you're newer to thrillers or  mysteries with an edge this will be right up your ally. Remembering that this is a adult book I would suggest this for an older crowd.
All in all, I enjoyed the suspense and the build up but wasn't impressed with the ending to the novel. Tell me what you're thoughts are down below if you've read it, if not tell me what books you plan to read for fall.

Thanks for reading,
Sidny

Spoiler: The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

So I picked up this read thinking it would be a perfect fall read as it was said to be chilling and suspenseful. I found that both of these things are true, but I also saw too much about this book before I started reading it as it's being released as a movie soon. So many trailers. I also found that everyone saying their is a giant twist, didn't really help me in the long run. As I've mentioned previously I'm an over thinker and super suspicious. Therefore, I suspected Tom, but then thought that I must be the crazy one only to come back to him time and time again as a possible suspect ( I also watch some crime tv, don't judge a girl). Overall I enjoyed my time reading this book but it didn't blow me out of the water.

Characters:
Rachel: There has never been a character that was so drowned in her own pity than Rachel. She couldn't have a child, so she took up drinking, she then got left behind from her husband with a blonde young woman. Ok so that's sad, don't get me wrong and at first I felt sad for her. But then when she was on and off the bottle more times than I could count, I just started to feel annoyed. I'm grateful that she was stubborn in finding out about Megan but overall she's just a sad character to read from.

Anne:  I don't care for her either. To think that her husband who cheated with his first wife with her wouldn't cheat again, well that's just stupid. I don't want to say that people don't change but... I wonder. I also found that her fear of Rachel was a little strange. For her child's sake of course but other than that I guess I just don't understand. That being said, I want to know what she whispered to Tom in the last few pages.

Megan: I'm not going to say she got what she had coming, but I will say that she lead a strange life. To have kept such dark secrets to herself for so long... that's scary and I wonder what else she might have opened up about given the chance. 

Scott: I thought for a moment that he had killed her, but he just didn't seem like that type of man. To go through her things was obsessive but to kill her, that's a whole different ball game. I do wonder what he'll do now though.

Kamal: Was their affair real? I'm not sure I understand what happened overall here.

Tom: What a sack of garbage!! I mean really to lie about everything with everyone around you that's gotta do some messed up things to a person. Not that I doubted it based on what he did to Megan. Also shifting the blame. No one made you bludgeon someone to death you oaf. 

Moments to Remember:
Final Line: "And I have to get up early tomorrow morning, to catch the train."

Thanks for reading,
Sidny