Catherine Vendryes

Catherine Vendryes

An expert storyteller who brings big and small brands to life.

Category: Uncategorized

  • The Opposite of Loneliness by Marina Keegan

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    What does twenty-two years old look like? “In love, impressed, humbled, scared.” That is exactly how Marina Keegan felt as she was graduating from Yale in 2012 and how it feels to read her book The Opposite of Loneliness. I selected Keegan’s book after I read the original essay. I heard about her talent, her job Read.

  • Station Eleven by Emily St. John

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    I got the flu a little while ago and while I’ve been playing catch up in my life I decided to treat myself by falling headlong into the haunting Station Eleven by Emily St. John. I’ve also gotten a case of reader’s fatigue–my pace is slower and it’s more difficult to focus on the page Read.

  • Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee

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    When I began reading Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes at the beginning of the week I did not expect to be pulled into a mesmerizing story of life in the Middle East for a young gay man. I also did not expect to learn about an Arabic world that was largely secular. Al-Solaylee paints a Read.

  • The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

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    Thomas King writes history the way I wish it was taught in all schools: passionately, subjectively, and damn truthfully. I decided to get ready for Canada Reads 2015 by reading all the books in advance for once and also fulfill a Read Harder requirement–a book by someone from an indigenous culture–in one fell swoop. It Read.

  • Boy, Snow, Bird by Helen Oyeyemi

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    I’m a sucker for anything myth or legend. The Monomyth is probably my favourite literary tool/device/tidbit of all time. As a kid, I devoured a lot of Donna Jo Napoli’s reimaginings of princesses and curses, and Neil Gaiman’s American Gods just disappeared in a heartbeat. I also strongly recommend for anyone who wants a dose of Read.

  • All That Matters by Wayson Choy

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    This week I read All That Matters by Wayson Choy. A lyrical piece of fiction, by way of the Asian tradition–rich in natural imagery, superstition, and family matters. Choy’s novel is a look inside the complex social dynamics of Chinese culture in light of the changing face of tradition as the Chen family adopts to Read.

  • The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo

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    A friend of mine lent me Yangsze Choo’s The Ghost Bride, a few months ago after I mentioned my interest in novels about Chinese culture. Choo’s novel takes place in Malaysia during the late 1800’s (then called Malaya) and is beautiful interwoven story of the cultural effects resulting from British Imperialism and Chinese immigration to Malaya. Read.

  • Arthur & George by Julian Barnes

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    This is a really good book. That might sound like an underwhelming review, but it really simply is a great piece of literature through and through. Barnes’ novel is spellbinding. I know that because it has impacted my everyday life. I can’t sleep because I want to read it, I missed my stop on the Read.

  • The Death of King Arthur by Peter Ackroyd

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    This legendary classic has been reimagined in an understandable, concise form by the able hand of Peter Ackroyd. He does an excellent job of fixing the inconsistencies in spelling and events while still keeping the epic whole.The tale of knights, chivalry, and faith is as everlasting as always. Arthur and Guinevere, Tristram and Isolde, Sir Read.

  • The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery

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    The Elegance of the Hedgehog is one of the books which have been on my radar for years. As a big fan of characters with quirky personalities it’s naturally cropped up as a related item during many of my book searches. Yet, it took a friend forcefully lending it to me before I finally set Read.