The Bookshelf Cafe News

A short story inspired by my mom’s naughty kid. Magical Christmas Reindeer in the woods photo by ldyck Christmas Secrets … More Christmas Secrets (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

photo by ldyck December can be a challenging month for many, including me. So I thought I’d help us start … More Hmm… (a list of book quotes) →

One rainy autumn day, I and my friend Linda spent part of an afternoon discussing The End of the Affair … More Book Review: The End of the Affair by Graham Greene (romance) →

The Agricultural Society Hall on Mayne Island, BC will be full of storytelling and music on  November 30. The doors … More On Stage with the Island Storyteller (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

Eighty-year-old, newly widowed, newly retired, Noah Selvaggio travels to his home-town Nice, France with an envelope full of mysterious photos … More Book Review: Akin by Emma Donoghue →

I started reviewing books for this blog in 2012. Recently, I re-read my notes. To celebrate this blog’s ninth anniversary, … More Writing About Books (list of quotes) →

The Picture of Dorian Gray explores what can happen to a man’s life when he is manipulated by the wrong … More Book Review: The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde (horror) →

Many years ago, when I was in elementary school, a story I wrote was published in my rural community newspaper. … More The Craftsman (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

‘Flowers in the Fall’ photo by ldyck Where are the must-read books? What book should you read next? Who will … More 20+ Book Bloggers (list) →

On October 10th this blog will be nine years old. Do you believe it? Nine. To celebrate, I re-read the … More Writing about Writers (list of quotes) →

The Pearl (a 90-page short novel written as a parable) opens with a heart-warming yet simply written scene–the morning activities … More Book Review: The Pearl by John Steinbeck (short novel) →

In elementary school, I wrote a poem that was published in my school’s newsletter and a short story that was … More My first writers’ group (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

This book’s message:  How you feel about me is none of my business. How I feel when I’m around you … More Bunny: A Novel by Mona Awad (literary fiction) →

At the end of part one of this two-part short story, I was just about to read my story about my … More Afi (short story) by Leanne Dyck (2 of 2) →

I’m blessed with a wonderfully supportive family–and friends–who have nurtured my writing. Here’s an early example… a photo of my … More Afi (short story) by Leanne Dyck (1 of 2) →

What would you do if you felt a friend was being treated unjustly? Buy this book  I received my copy … More Book Review: The Princess Dolls by Ellen Schwartz (historical fiction) →

The case of the mysteriously disappearing woman… on Vancouver Island photo by ldyckThe Invisible Woman The first time it happened … More The Invisible Woman (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

In 1934, during the Great Depression, the birth of the Dionne quintuplets charmed Canadians and the world. The sisters were … More Book Review: The Quintland Sisters by Shelley Wood (historical fiction) →

This summer I had an opportunity to meet and share my writing with Ellen Schwartz. She helped me to greatly … More Guest Post: Author Ellen Schwartz →

A father and a son prepare to leave their homeland and cross the ocean to–what they hope will be–a safe … More Book Review: Sea Prayer by Khaled Hosseini →

What have you discarded? Why? Do you miss it?It was just another Tuesday afternoon in May. I sat at my … More The Toy (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

‘No matter what happens, the past has a permanence. The past is safe.’ (p. 235)  An Ocean of Minutes is … More Book Review: An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim →

When I started to write I wanted to share my stories with everyone but… photo by ldyck Jim West cut … More Sharing Your Writing (short story) by Leanne Dyck →

Set in the year 1979, That Time I Loved You:  Life is Never as Perfect as it Seems is a … More Book Review: That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung →

You, the writer, continue to listen and I, the muse, tell you a story about an elderly woman who…Linked to … More Playing With Your Muse (short story) (2 of 2) by Leanne Dyck →