Book Review: Laughing with the Trickster by Tomson Highway

By Carmen Lebar

Content warning: physical abuse

Laughing with the Trickster by Tomson Highway is a collection of essays from his CBC Massey Lecture series. This collection is based on five topics: Language, Creation, Humour, Sex and Gender, and Death. Highway explores Indigenous perspectives of each of these topics comparatively to polytheistic and monotheistic mythologies. A prolific storyteller in fiction and theatre, Highway now shows off his nonfiction writing that borrows from his brilliant storytelling. This book is funny, innovative, and will capture your attention from the very beginning. I enjoyed reading every word, sentence, and page of this collection. I particularly think Laughing with the Trickster excels in its use of storytelling and playful teaching.

Within each and every essay Highway writes in this collection, there is always beautiful storytelling interwoven to his arguments. These stories range from personal anecdotes to stories within Cree mythology. Some stories lean towards humour, while others lean towards a more serious tone. These stories are accessible, entertaining, and educational when juxtaposed with Highway’s arguments. In his essay “On Language,” he mentions how his father learned four different languages, and positions that next to the fact that hundreds of Indigenous languages and mythologies have been lost—demonstrating the importance of preserving languages. Weaving together nonfiction writing, personal essays, and storytelling, Highway creates a captivating and inspiring collection of essays that is both knowledgeable and playful.

The historical and mythological facts that are presented in this book are never delivered in a dull or pretentious manner. Highway invites his audience to fully engage in what he is saying, and actively writes to teach them new things. He is having fun teaching, and he allows readers of this book to have fun with him and easily access the information he provides. Not only is it fun, but there are many hilarious points in his collection—especially when discussing the Trickster. Like the title suggests, the Trickster is an entity that is here to make us laugh. Highway shows the parallels of Tricksters in Indigenous mythologies (like Nanabush) and pop culture (like Lucille Ball and Bugs Bunny). As with the storytelling he provides in each essay, there are many humorous things that occur that make reading his work engaging. This collection is short, but Highway’s playfulness allows for an attentive and captivating experience throughout the entire book.

I highly recommend Laughing with the Trickster for anyone who wants to read more nonfiction by Indigenous authors, and who wants to expand their knowledge on the above mentioned topics. It’s a fun and easy read that will make you realize how many mythologies share similarities. I learned a lot of new things about Indigenous mythologies, but also a lot about Greek and Christian mythologies as well. Highway also graciously compiles a list of sources for readers of this book to expand on topics he mentions in his lectures. (It’s a great list for further reading!) If you’re familiar with Highway’s other works, you will love this essay collection. And if you’re new to Highway, I am certain you will be absorbed by his great storytelling and impeccable writing.

Thank you to House of Anansi for sending a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Dissonance Engine by David Dowker

By Sara Hailstone

Dissonance Engine by David Dowker is a complex and intriguing book of poetry. The text is divided into four separate sections: 1) Time-Sensitive Material; 2) Chronotope, or Sorrow’s Echo; 3) Glossation; and 4) Orders of Multitudes. Dissonance Engine exists as an intersection between the physical body, language, machination of living, and life’s software programming of behaviour and social constructs. Understood as a “literary Necker cube,” the reader can view life from various two-dimensional cube-faces. Essentially, life in 3D shifts continuously and is not what it appears to be. Amongst this shifting, the reader can slowly glean a way of being: otherworldliness layered with engine and cog, and an ethereal ghostly fabric.

My reading of the text fluctuates between orienting to various schematics and matrices, to striving to find meaning of what Dowker is communicating with the mechanics of his text and message. What human meaning of existing can be extrapolated or achieved in facing the complexity of our lives and bodies functioning as engines of dissonance? Perhaps I can attempt, with this review, to move the conversation along into further acknowledging the meanings that are applied to this complexity and layered contemplation of the human condition.  

David Dowker is the author of three other texts as well as having been the editor of The Alterran Poetry Assemblage from 1996 to 2004. The titles and dates of his texts include Machine Language (2010); Virtualis: Topologies of the Unreal, co-written with Christine Stewart (2013); and Mantis (2018). He was born in Kingston, Ontario but lives in Toronto. I did locate two readings of his poetry that Dowker has done on YouTube and highly recommend viewing these clips to access the tone and breadth of his poetic style.

Overall, Dissonance Engine functions as individual components in a machine that make up a whole—these components being the individual parts of the body and sensorial perception, schematics and societal structures, as well as an exploration of the actual mechanics of poetry. Poetics exist autonomously and as abstraction. The body exists as “a mobile eternity,” and a “ghostly double/ inscrutable as/ the encoded night.” In trying to achieve understanding, we wrestle with “the exhausted vault/ of the poetic.” I want, as a reader, to apply this discourse and structure of semantics to thinking and to languages that present in ways that Western society doesn’t primarily orient within. I wonder how an encounter with the engine of dissonance would result thereafter?

I pulled from the text that crouching amidst the cogs of a machine is a general human “eeriness,” or darkness that we try to avoid, smooth over, or repress in the crux of the human living experience. This darkness is encased inside the horror of failing muses, unoriginal and vain existences of imitation and superficial distraction. “The smoothness of the delusion is not an occasion for celebration,” Dowker writes. Further, we, as a human species, do not want “otherness” or “justification,” in our complicated situations. We suffer, quietly and within our ongoing daily life grind, “besotted with multiplicity and within us eeriness.” Despite our shadowed recesses, “our stubborn poetries seek like-minded reveries.” And, in trying to be perfect, or striving to deny our darkness, we become controlled by our “own system of devotion.” Yes, there is complexity of being and functioning; maybe the obstruction of dissonance would be released and pulled through, like a decalcified pineal gland, secreting, pooling, and flowing naturally through rock beds of being. As free as not knowing fully which way the wind will turn. In accepting the dissonance engine do we then briefly feel some harmony?

Contemplating Dowker’s multilayered creation inspires me to imagine the text further, extending beyond the parameters of the machine or block of book to witness ideas and philosophies unfold in real time with a character able to take on the structure of Dowker’s language. With the body as the “Necker Cube,” and the text hinged to a lifeline, how can we witness this body in motion, living and trying to be alive?

Thank you to Book*hug Press for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book Review: Last Winter by Carrie Mac

By Erica Wiggins

Content warning: suicidal thoughts and attempts, mental illness, parental neglect, death of children, child abuse, sexualization of children

Last Winter tells the story of eight-year-old Ruby, who is struggling to survive after her father, Gus, goes missing while living with her mother, Fiona, who is experiencing bipolar disorder. Fiona is dealing with a transgression in her marriage and the effect it is having on her mental health, while Gus has had enough. Their marriage is in crisis and Ruby is not vocal. Gus is taking Ruby and her classmates on an overnight wilderness trip when the unthinkable happens: an avalanche buries all but Ruby and one classmate. Ruby is determined to find her father no matter the cost. Author Carrie Mac, a Canadian former paramedic, widow, and parent, has written several award-winning novels and draws on her experiences to create this fictional tale.

I was drawn to this story because it is set in Canada and is about a family trying to emerge from a tragedy. But it is also about so much more and deals with some incredibly difficult topics, making it a challenging read. This book will not be for everyone. There are many trigger warnings and I found I needed to take breaks and come back to the story. This is a story that should be read with an abundance of caution.

I really enjoyed the way the story was laid out. The author gives a quick “Before,” a brief glimpse after the incident, and then goes back to the beginning and continues to the aftermath of this event.

We are introduced to our main family—Gus, Fiona, and Ruby. We learn how Gus and Fiona met, but we quickly see the dysfunction in this family. Both Gus and Fiona neglect their Ruby. At eight years old, she is often left to fend for herself. While her mother struggles with her bipolar disorder and taking her medication, Ruby is making the fire in the fireplace, feeding herself, and not bathing for days. She is taken to events with friends where men swim and walk around naked. It is clear from the interactions that Ruby has been oversexualized and it is at times uncomfortable to read. Her environment has caused her to turn into herself and she barely speaks. Gus is a neglectful parent as well and allows Ruby to remain in this environment. He believes that Fiona is the problem and is looking into a separation and custody. In the midst of this chaos, Gus and the children head out on the trip with little planning. And then the avalanche happens, and things get worse.

I enjoyed the interactions between Ruby and Gus. She clearly adores her father. However, many of the interactions were difficult to read. I loved the setting of small town British Columbia and the way this community comes together in a crisis. While I believe the author creates an accurate portrayal of a chaotic home and a reaction to a crisis, I wanted something more from this story. For me, this story was tragic, sad, and disconcerting. Overall, I thought it was an interesting portrayal of a family in crisis. However, I do think it would be a difficult story to recommend given the content covered.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Seasparrow by Kristin Cashore

By Meghan Mazzaferro

Content warning: grief, animal death, child abuse, confinement, sexual violence, death of a parent

Seasparrow is the fifth book in Kristin Cashore’s Graceling series. It follows Hava as she, Bitterblue, and the Monsean delegation sail home from Winterkeep through dangerous northern storms. Hava is working hard to translate top secret information that will govern the fate of the entire world, and after discovering a conspiracy on board and realizing that the ship is further north than it should be, Hava and the crew have to contend with the dangers of the North as they struggle to get home. Faced with new dangers outside of anything she’s ever experienced, Hava is forced for the first time to figure out who she is and what she wants outside of her Grace and her identity as Bitterblue’s spy.

Unlike previous books in the series, this book focuses less on the complex politics of the Graceling universe and more on Hava’s individual struggle for identity. While slightly different in tone, Seasparrow still fits seamlessly into the established world. Cashore has a unique writing style that is immersive and feels timeless and complex; and yet she also has the ability to alter her writing style to suit each story she tells while still maintaining a consistent voice that allows the expansion of the Graceling universe to feel connected and unified. It’s such a difficult skill, and I can’t think of any other series that has such a varied writing style while still feeling so cohesive. This is also the first book in the series told in first person, bringing the reader into Hava’s mind and really allowing us to explore how this incredibly closed off character thinks.

Hava is one of the most interesting characters in the Graceling series and getting to be inside her mind was a delight. Her whole life has been based around her ability to disappear, so I really appreciated how this book’s plot was more simplistic, allowing the focus to be on Hava’s personal journey. That being said, I did find myself looking for a bit of a more complex story at the beginning of the book, but once I settled into the story I really enjoyed the plot we were given and loved how it complemented Hava’s journey. While there is an undercurrent of political scheming, the main premise of this book is the journey Hava and the crew take to return home from Winterkeep, and the struggles they face as they get trapped in the North and have to survive. I really enjoyed the way this plot let not just Hava but all of the characters in this story breathe and stand out. The foxes in particular were vivid and interesting to read, and they added both stakes and humour to the story. 

Seasparrow is the third book in the Graceling series that I have read, and each book so far has stood out for me in a different way. That is part of what makes this series so appealing to me, and why I love reviewing these books. With Seasparrow, long-time fans of the series will love returning to this world, exploring Hava’s past, and getting insight into her character. New readers who enjoy character-driven stories will really enjoy the exploration into the complicated psyche of a girl who was raised to disappear. I would definitely recommend this book to existing Graceling fans and fans of character-driven stories alike.

Book Review: The American Roommate Experiment by Elena Armas

By Carolina Moriello

“Life was too short, too brittle, to keep secrets and live in half-truths. Even when we thought that we were protecting those we loved. Or protecting ourselves. Our hearts. Because the reality was that without honesty, without truth, we never lived fully.”

When Rosie Graham’s ceiling caves in—literally—she decides to stay at her best friend Lina’s apartment while she is away on her honeymoon. Unbeknownst to Rosie, Lina’s cousin Lucas, a.k.a. Rosie’s internet crush, is staying in Lina’s apartment as well while he visits from Spain. Even though the studio apartment has one bed and no walls, Lucas convinces Rosie to room with him. As the two become close and start to form a friendship, Rosie reveals to Lucas that she quit her engineering job to pursue her dream of becoming a romance author. Following the success of her first novel, Rosie is now on a deadline to submit her second novel but has been hit with a serious case of writer’s block. Lucas decides he will help her by going on a series of experimental dates to hopefully inspire and ignite new ideas for her novel. Rosie and Lucas have six weeks to complete this plan, but neither of them could have predicted what would happen at the end of those six weeks.

From the moment you meet Lucas Martín, you cannot help but be affected by his charm, charisma, and confidence. If he were a real person, he would be the one who walks into a room and fills it with his quiet confidence. He is the guy that women and men alike gravitate toward. Rosie, on the other hand, is not someone you would naturally gravitate toward. While she is a well-developed character, she oftentimes finds herself in situations that could have easily been avoided had she actually spoken her feelings or addressed her issues. I found myself rooting for her happiness while at the same time being completely frustrated by her actions. While the forced proximity trope was excellently developed, the slow burn trope was infuriatingly slow. Normally, this wouldn’t be an issue if the chemistry between the characters was so palpable you could feel it from the pages of the book, but once Rosie and Lucas were finally together, their connection was a little lacklustre.

Ultimately, this story was about following your dreams and finding the self-love and confidence within yourself to know what you want and what you deserve. These themes were prevalent throughout and even though the ending was predictable, you couldn't help but be happy with the outcome not only for Lucas and Rosie as a couple, but for Lucas and Rosie as individuals. They were able to chase their dreams and achieve individual happiness first, before giving themselves completely to one another.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book Review: Tater Tales: The Greatest in the World! by Ben Clanton

By Christine McFaul

The Greatest in the World! is the first book in a hilarious new Tater Tales series created by author/illustrator Ben Clanton and recommended for readers in grades 1-4.

Rot Poe Tater wakes up one morning feeling great. No, better than great…the greatest in the world! Unfortunately, when Rot’s grouchy older brother Snot deigns to roll out of the garden-bed, he sees things differently. In Snot’s  superior-older-brotherly opinion, it is obvious that he is the greatest in the world. An argument that perfectly captures their sibling dynamic ensues. When neither spud can persuade the other to accept defeat, the two decide there is really only one way to settle this. So, with Rot’s “best-spuddy” Worm along for moral support, and baby-sister Tot recruited as an impartial judge, Rot and Snot compete in a series of comical feats specially designed to determine, once and for all, which of them is truly the greatest in the world.

Clanton’s writing, which in my opinion is always excellent, reaches peak punny-funny in this “spudtacular” new book. But as great as the story is, it is Clanton’s illustrations that are the star of the show for me. The potatoes are disgustingly hilarious. Rendered in sickly shades of yellow, snot green, and garden brown, it is impossible to resist their adorably revolting faces. Even the font is child-friendly and somehow manages to add to the overall humour of the work. Loaded with pictures and with clever design choices, this book feels like a mash-up of a graphic novel and chapter book (a quality that is sure to appeal to the modern child reader as the popularity of the graphic novel only continues to grow).

Like much of Clanton’s work, The Greatest in the World! is extremely well-executed from start to finish. Stuffed full of fantastically horrible pictures and deliciously rotten potato-puns, this series opener is sure to have readers young and old laughing all the way through to its hilariously heart-warming message at the end (with a few pages of bonus material for anyone who can’t quite get enough). With the holiday season fast approaching, The Greatest in the World! would make an excellent gift for any humour-loving little readers you may have in your life.

Quick note, the vibe and characters from the Tater Tales chapter book series can also be found in several shorter picture books Clanton created aimed at readers aged 3-6. I have read both Rot, the Cutest in the World! and Rot, the Bravest in the World! with my girls and can vouch for their laugh-out-loud humour and appeal.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami

By Fayth Simmons

In Novelist as a Vocation, acclaimed long-time writer Haruki Murakami lends the reader an intimate glance into the purpose and process behind the art and science of storytelling. Functioning as a sort of instructional memoir, Novelist as a Vocation allows Murakami to showcase his thoughts regarding the factors, both innate and practiced, that he feels have allowed for his continued success within the realms of writing and publishing. With a career spanning over four decades, he has gathered a wealth of knowledge pertaining to the inner workings of the industry and has developed an understanding of what he feels constitutes a successful methodology towards writing a novel.

Using thematically categorized essays to deliver his thoughts, Murakami touches on topics important to the writing life in an objectifiable way that is succinct but not without empathy. Taking care to note that his thoughts are personal to his own methods and style of working, he shares insights relating to his daily writing practices and overall lifestyle while ruminating on the trajectory of his career thus far. He describes what he feels are the common denominators of the typical writer, and places emphasis on the time-consuming and oftentimes intangible aspects of the nature of writing.

Murakami’s delivery is thoughtful and well-aimed towards the aspiring writer, though, they should not be considered limited in its potential reach towards a less specific population. His musings on identity, purpose, and language speak to universal longings and considerations. This is a purposeful work rooted in a strong sense of personal awareness by way of Murakami, and the result is both insightful and enlightening.

Exploring the nuances of his career, he translates and projects his summations onto the page in a humble way that resonates. He is sensitive to the impalpable hurdles that face those wishing to express themselves through the stylistic imagery of the novel, as it exists as a physical vehicle of refined communication. Murakami describes the workings of such a vehicle, how he has utilized it, and how he has personally understood its function within the wider bounds of society.

Novelist as a Vocation is representative of Murakami’s reflections in such a way that so often epitomizes the memoirist form—each essay leaves the reader with a stronger sense of the writer behind the words and the context is extracted from within personal rumination and indirect instruction.

Thank you to Penguin Random House for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Our Voice of Fire by Brandi Morin

By Carly Smith

Content warning: rape, child abuse, racism, suicide, pregnancy loss

Our Voice of Fire documents the life of Brandi Morin, Indigenous journalist and Indigenous rights advocate. This memoir takes readers through a roller coaster of a journey that is Morin’s childhood and adulthood. Morin recalls experiences both heroic and horrific, stories that move you deep in your soul, which make you feel like you’re right there next to her as these events happen. She shares stories of an unstable home life as a child and precarious living situations as an adolescent. She recalls experiences of physical and emotional agony from rape, substance use, psychosis, and attachment issues. She also recalls bouts of triumph with the birth of her children, her constant progress with her mental health, and her successful career in journalism. Beautifully braided into each of her memories is a necessary reminder that the trauma endured by Indigenous peoples as a result of Canada’s actions and inactions is not extinct but is still very much alive and patiently awaiting healing.

Throughout the hardships and traumatic circumstances that Morin chronicles, readers gain insight into her resilience and her profound strength that is endless, albeit at times difficult to locate. Continuously rebounding and reinventing herself after each and every heart-wrenching injustice or poor call of judgment is beautiful, hopeful, and a testament to her determination.

Morin’s writing is very satisfying. It’s as if she is answering questions in an interview and has prepared the ideas for her responses but not the responses themselves. She writes eloquently yet conversationally, creating a comfortable atmosphere between the pages. She juxtaposes heavy topics with easy reading and the combination is addicting. Chapters are not too long, so the book can easily be paused if the content becomes too loaded. It’s the type of read that is timeless; rereading it in ten years will still tug at heartstrings as much as the first time.

Cathartic and evocative, Our Voice of Fire is a beautiful memoir that needs to be accessible to all Canadian adults. This book is not just for the oppressed, it is for all adults, including, and maybe especially, those who think they’ve had their fill of or don’t need any more Indigenous content on their coffee tables. This book is not just a memoir, it’s a wake-up call to Canada’s settlers and the politically indifferent.

Thank you to House of Anansi for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Love from Mecca to Medina by S. K. Ali

By Melissa Khan

Set five years after the events of the first book, Adam and Zayneb are at a distance, both physically and emotionally. Zayneb is in her first year of law school in Chicago, struggling to keep up with her studies, her living situation, and the scathing rumours going around about her involvement in an on-campus scandal. Adam, all the way in Doha, is dealing with his MS diagnosis, the constant worry of someday losing his mobility, and his lack of a stable career.

When Adam’s dad disrupts their plans and offers to pay for Adam and Zayneb to go to Mecca to perform Umrah over the week of Thanksgiving, the two have conflicting reactions. Adam is thrilled, feeling that this could be his only chance to go while he can still walk. Zayneb is reluctant, having looked forward to spending a relaxing week alone with Adam. The two, along with an eclectic group of pilgrims, travel to Mecca for an experience of a lifetime.

While on their trip, Adam and Zayneb face many challenges as a couple, including the classic miscommunication trope—-in fact, the two hardly communicate at all. I was surprised by the number of things they failed to share. Zayneb’s lack of housing and overall mental health, and Adam’s lack of income largely contribute to their stress throughout the novel, and they never really discuss them with each other. Much of the novel is focused on Zayneb’s jealousy over Adam’s ex-love interest who happens to be travelling with them. Both of their insecurities and reasonings were well explained—almost over-explained at times—so it was frustrating as a reader to see that they knew exactly what was wrong, but yet choose not to talk to each other.

It also frustrated me how instructional this novel felt—from the over-explanation of religious practices to the simplification of Islamic ideology. It reads like a crash course for non-Muslims and strives to explain to them the “right way” of doing things. The problem with this is that Muslims are not a monolith, and although the practices of certain religious rites are standardized, a lot of what is presented as “correct” in the book is cultural.

Of course, not everyone can expect to be represented in a single story, and the practice of Islam depicted in this novel is one of the many beautiful ways Muslims choose to do so. However, with the text being written with a non-Muslim audience in mind, it leaves little room for the nuance within the Muslim experience. It saddens me to see that the culture depicted in this novel has to be explained and justified in a way that other cultures do not.

I think it’s amazing that so many ethnicities and backgrounds were represented in the novel, and I’m so happy when I see authors choose to include diversity as a natural, everyday occurrence. For this, I felt disappointed when Zayneb’s West Indian heritage wasn’t even mentioned in this sequel. For a character who cares so deeply about social issues, I find it interesting that there was no part of her culture found within the text.

Despite the criticisms I felt while reading this novel, I do think it was a cute, fluffy continuation of Adam and Zayneb’s love story. This novel may not have been written for me, but I’m sure my teenage self would have loved it, and I support the positive impact this story will have for young Muslims.

Thank you, Simon & Schuster Canada, for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Such Sharp Teeth by Rachel Harrison

By Shan Powell

Content warning: body horror, non-graphic mention of childhood sexual abuse

Such Sharp Teeth is a quick read, and a cozy, contemporary paranormal story. It’s not quite a horror novel and not quite a romance, but if you’re looking for chick lit with elements of both, you’ll want to check this out. It’s like a Hallowe’en beach read. The author, Rachel Harrison, is a graduate of Emerson College, where she earned a degree in Writing for Film & Television and wrote horror screenplays. Such Sharp Teeth is her most recent novel, and it reads like a Netflix special. Her debut book, The Return, was nominated for the Bram Stoker Award for Superior Achievement in a First Novel.

Rory Morris is our protagonist. She has her life under complete control. She’s a big-city career woman with disposable income, a great wardrobe, and a penchant for anonymous sex with good-looking men. Her twin sister Scarlet is pregnant and about to become a single mother. When Scarlet asks Rory to come home to help out for a bit, Rory reluctantly leaves her fast-paced life to return to slow, boring, small-town mundanity. She meets her grade school friend Ian at the local dive bar, and after a drink and some reminiscing (when did he get so good looking?), she heads back home to her sister’s place. On the way there, she is bitten by a strange creature and her life is forever changed.

Rory copes with the increasing horror of her life with humour and sarcasm. She has to juggle with commonplace issues like her sister’s baby shower, healing a strained relationship with her mother, and, horror of horrors, the thoughts that she might actually be considering an honest-to-God relationship with Ian—all of this while learning to cope with her burgeoning lycanthropy. The transformation scenes are vivid and unique.

Such Sharp Teeth features a cast of female characters who look like they’ve got it all figured out but who are all deeply flawed. The interplay of their relationships is central to the plot. The characters are sassy, witty, and sardonic. The dialogue is rich with witty banter, and the story celebrates sisterhood and friendships while investigating female bodily autonomy, pregnancy, women’s right to anger, and childhood trauma. Such Sharp Teeth is emotional without being mawkish.

The author cites Bessel van der Kolk’s The Body Keeps the Score as a primary influence. Such Sharp Teeth will appeal to fans of True Blood, Practical Magic, Wolf Like Me, and Sex in the City.

Book Review: Blackmail and Bibingka by Mia P. Manansala

by Meghan Mazzaferro

Content warnings: substance abuse, gambling addiction, infidelity, emotional abuse, police corruption, family abandonment, physical violence, mentions of suicide, murder

Blackmail and Bibingka is the third book in the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series following Lila as she struggles to juggle her new business, a new relationship, and preparations for the town’s Winter Bash. To top it all off, Lila’s shady cousin is back in town with some mysterious business partners and a scheme that Lila doesn’t trust for a second. When Ronnie becomes a murder suspect, Lila knows she has to investigate. Tita Rosie may be ready to welcome back her prodigal son, but Lila will not let Ronnie, or anyone else, hurt her family.

This series continues to be cozy, full of powerful female friendships, beautiful family bonds, and so much good food. Lila is a fantastic main character, and this mystery is different from the others in this series; Lila herself observes that while the previous two mysteries were motivated by passion and emotion, this new case is premeditated and seems to be driven only by greed, making the culprit much less sympathetic in her eyes.

Each of the new characters introduced in this book is flawed, and I appreciated the way Lila was both pragmatic and compassionate. She was suspicious and not overly naive, but she was still understanding of the struggles of the people she was investigating. Each of the characters in this world feels so fleshed out and real, and it could have been easy to have these new additions feel hollow or underdeveloped with their flaws and selfish motives, but Manansala did an excellent job of making them feel grounded and well developed even when they weren’t always likeable.

I enjoyed how the clues were laid out in this book, though I did find the mystery a bit predictable. The puzzle pieces were clear to me very early in the book; however, I did still enjoy the way Lila’s investigation played out, and I was pleased with the way the mystery wrapped up. The clues gave me a good grasp of what would unfold, but there were a few pieces I didn’t put together until the big reveal.

Where these books really stand out to me are the character relationships and dynamics, and this book doesn’t disappoint. Lila’s friends and family are all so vivid and fun, and I love reading about the ways they push and support each other. I will say that the characters all act so real and fleshed out that it sometimes makes the dialogue feel a bit clunky and unnatural, but that didn’t take away from my enjoyment at all.

I also enjoyed the way this book treated the previous two mysteries; while it felt like the first two books needed to be read in order, because of the way book one’s resolution affects Lila’s mental state in book two, this book was very vague about the previous two mysteries. While I still recommend reading the books in order, I appreciate the work this book put into being able to be read on its own.

Overall, while I found the mystery a bit predictable, there is something about these books that I find so cozy and delightful to read. Lila is a wonderful main character surrounded by an excellent supporting cast, and her investigation kept me interested the entire time. And where the mystery may have fallen a bit short, I got to enjoy this series’ countless descriptions of delicious food, which, as always, left me hungry and satisfied. I would definitely recommend the Tita Rosie’s Kitchen Mystery series as a fun and cozy read, and this book is an enjoyable installment.

Thank you too Penguin RandomHouse for a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

By Lauren Bell

I’m a habitual reader of Jodi Picoult, so it was only natural that her newest book landed in my “to be read” pile. As for Jennifer Finlay Boylan, this is my first time reading her work, but in Mad Honey both authors’ perspectives balanced each other out and presented one cohesive voice.

Mad Honey is told in the alternating voices of Olivia McAfee, a single mother who took over her father’s beekeeping business after a messy divorce with an abusive husband, narrating post-incident; and Lily Campanello, a high school senior also starting over with her mother after fleeing her father, narrating the time leading up to her untimely death. The two women’s stories are connected by Asher—Olivia’s son and Lily’s boyfriend. Lily and Asher’s relationship is generally amicable, with much of the bonding occurring over their similar absent fathers, but where Asher’s secret desire is to understand his father, Lily’s desire is to forget hers. So, while their love is unyielding, it is also unforgiving, and sometimes Asher hurts Lily—emotionally and physically. 

I was a tad apprehensive as I started the novel, because to me the plot sounded very similar to one of Picoult’s previous novels, The Pact (1998). While there were similarities—a tragic teenage romance, the deceased girlfriend, the implicated boyfriend, and the following court case—the characters held their own originality. The plot also took a turn that completely changed the trajectory of the novel, and how I felt about it. For example, at times, I felt frustrated reading it; however, I believe this was intended, as the authors were unafraid to confront privilege and address their characters’ unconscious biases. Much of this book could be used as an educational or discussion tool in that sense.

Along with that, perhaps what I love about Picoult’s work is the vast amount of research she puts into it that gives so much more depth to her character’s interests. In Mad Honey, she is able to incorporate beekeeping knowledge into her character’s values and weave it into the novel so that fact complements her fiction.

In sum, I enjoyed reading Mad Honey, and despite its length, I found it gripping and finished it within a couple days. I would absolutely recommend this book to previous readers of Jodi Picoult, as they will be able to appreciate the appearances of Jordan McAfee and his wife Selena (characters from previous novels) as Asher’s defense team, as well as fans of Jennifer Finlay Boylan, who writes with a certain thoughtfulness that has piqued my curiosity towards her other work.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Some Maintenance Required by Marie-Renée Lavoie

By Erica Wiggins

Content warning: loss of spouse/parent, child neglect

Some Maintenance Required is the fourth novel by Canadian writer Marie-Renée Lavoie. She has won awards for her previous novel Mister Roger and Me, and her book Autopsy of a Boring Wife is being developed for television. Set in 1993, Some Maintenance Required is a coming-of-age story about Laurie who is in her final year of school. Laurie is working part-time while checking in on her young neighbour. She loves books just like her mom and spends time at her dad’s garage. She has a very average family. However, Laurie is on the brink of adulthood and is getting a glimpse into the complicated world around her.

This is a quick read at 259 pages. I picked it up and read it in one sitting. While this isn’t my typical read as I tend to gravitate towards stories with action, twists, and turns, it was still very enjoyable. “My dad died”—these first three words lure you into the story, and while it moves slowly, it truly feels like you are walking alongside Laurie during this last year before really becoming an adult.

There were a few characters that I really connected with. The first one right off the top was Laurie’s mother Suzanne. She is one of the most relatable characters in this story. She works as a parking lot attendant in a small booth and spends her days reading books and escaping into the world within them. “She reads novels, heaps of novels. So many novels that the moment she opened one she could gauge with surgical precision how long it would take her to finish.” This is the same feeling that I get when I am reading a book. I also adored her father Serge who is  loving and caring, works as a mechanic and reminded me a lot of my own father. We meet Cindy, a young neighbour, neglected by her own family. This girl has a lot of sass and the interactions between Laurie and Cindy are delightful and entertaining.  

Through this story, we really get to see Laurie grow and interact in her world. We watch her experience loss, juggling school and work, caring for her neighbour, and learning about love. I admired her character for her hard work and dedication, along with her loyalty to her friends and family. The way she stands up to bullies and bad behaviour sets an example for everyone. While dealing with some challenging topics, the author laces in humour in the most perfect way. It creates a connection and felt like you were reading a true-life story.

The ending did feel a little abrupt and left me wanting more. I wanted to follow Laurie’s life a little longer and would have loved to see more depth with Roman as the love interest, which is a testament to the story that I felt so invested in these characters. Overall, I would recommend this story to anyone looking for a quick read that is a glimpse into the life of a young woman trying to find her way in the world.

Thank you, House of Anansi, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Insignificance by James Clammer

By Dylan Curran

In this Paul Auster-meets-Dennis Lehane literary thriller, readers will find themselves spellbound by a day in the life of “the man Joseph” and his exhilarating—yet terrifying—family history. Compromised by his intrusive thoughts, he wanders off the job site only to come face to face with the one person to blame for all of his troubles, his son. Diagnosed with Capgras Syndrome, Joseph’s son, Edward, spiraled past the point of no return when he attempted to dispose of his own mother (and Joseph’s wife), claiming that she was an imposter only posing as his mother dearest. Although this is revealed to us in the early pages of the book (no spoilers here!) what moves the plot forward is the depth of the consequences that this has had on each of its characters and the lengths they will go to rid themselves of the trauma that has stained their good memories together. From eliminating all photographs of Edward to hospital recoveries and new-found faith, these coping mechanisms all reveal themselves to be less than substantive.

In this Ulysses-like take on the everyday working man fraught with bouts of depressive episodes, readers will be immersed in the telltale signs of Joseph’s over-exhaustion and burnout. What lingers long after one turns the last page is an ominous feeling of uncertainty. How sure can we be that this was not all just a fever dream from a particularly unfortunate individual? The literary calibre and craftsmanship is evident in Clammer’s writing, with a particular gift at setting the scene. One can situate themselves almost too accurately in the claustrophobic spaces between the drain pipes, feel the uncomfortable silence that fills the car ride home or the unsettling sexual tension between “the man Joseph” and his nearly-too-nice family friend Amanda Margaret.

A quiet and calculated novel, Insignificance will have your mind reeling as you eagerly comb your way through its horrors, humanity, and humour even past the last page.

Thank you to Coach House Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review!

Book Review: Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture by Sherronda J. Brown

By Christine McFaul

Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture is a new nonfiction book (published 2022) by Sherronda J. Brown, an American essayist, editor, and storyteller.

Brown begins with an introduction—to herself , to asexuality, as well as to the history and realities that underpin the topics explored throughout the book (“Asexual Realities,” “Compulsory Sexuality,” and “Savage Sexuality”).

Ten well-organized chapters follow, broken down by topic, and each introduced with the perfect quote to encapsulate the author’s point (shout-out to the beautifully chosen quotes, I am powerless to resist a great quote-game). The topics then unfold, working together to peel back inaccurate assumptions and long upheld systems that underpin much of modern society. A closer examination of topics like desire, acephobia, and even productivity provide a revealing peek behind the curtain of sexual politics.

Using a balanced mix of personal experience and research (to pick up this book is to be exposed to a plethora of brilliant writing and analysis on related topics; the footnotes alone create an excellent further-reading list), Brown centres the Black, ace (asexual) experience and in so doing introduces a rarely prioritized, but much-needed, perspective into the cultural zeitgeist. As a reader who has gotten out of the practice of more academic reading, I also want to express my appreciation for the fact that Brown did so by tempering any heavy dumps of information with strategic bolding, clear and accessible definitions of complicated terms, and the use of modern references.

At its heart, Brown’s work is concerned with the very concept of “humanness and who is allowed access to it.” In their exploration of this topic, Brown is as generous with her own lived experience as she is with their research and analysis. With what I would describe as having a readable academic feel, Refusing Compulsory Sexuality: A Black Asexual Lens on Our Sex-Obsessed Culture is a well-crafted, bold, smart, and necessary read.

Note: I have written my review from the perspective of a white, cis-hetero woman. If my thoughts on Brown’s book have piqued your interest, I encourage you to check out further opinions from book reviewers with lived experience or to visit Brown’s website https://sherrondajbrown.com.

Thank you to North Atlantic Books for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Finding the Mother Tree by Suzanne Simard

By Shantell Powell

Suzanne Simard is the world’s leading forest ecologist, and Finding the Mother Tree is part memoir and part scientific investigation of forests as living organisms. This is her debut book, and it is a New York Times bestseller. It tracks her life growing up in the logging industry of British Columbia and her studies into what makes forests tick. 

I grew up in the same forests, and reading this book was of particular interest to me. Simard and I both lived in the same rural and remote areas, so when she describes particular regions, it fills me with corresponding memories. She was a 20-something forestry worker, and I was the pre-teen daughter of a man who worked in the forestry industry. Like her, I travelled all around British Columbia, from the towering rain forests of Vancouver Island to dense evergreens of the high Rockies to the arid pines of the Okanagan Valley. We both lived, worked, and played out in the bush. We both foraged and evaded grizzly bears. When she writes of the desolation of clearcuts, and how they look like battlefields, I too am taken back to these sylvan sites of mass murder, where traditional foods and medicines of Indigenous peoples and animals alike have been stricken from existence. When she writes about spraying glyphosate on healthy forests to kill “weeds,” tears prickle my eyes as forests and habitats die. I find it very easy to empathize with her experiences.

Finding the Mother Tree is also a type of mystery story. Why do some seedlings thrive and others wither away? Do regimented monocultures grow cash crop trees more prodigiously than the messy, hard-to-harvest natural forests? Does killing off competing plants let economically valuable trees grow better? Simard writes of her scientific experimentation done in order to learn how forests thrive. She writes of how plants and fungi have evolved to form symbiotic relationships, how humus and mycorrhizal fungi are vital for forest health, and she does so in an engaging manner. You do not need to have a background in forestry or biology to be swept away by this engaging book.

Forests have an intelligence all their own and co-operate and compete with one another. Like humans, forests learn and adapt, and can recognize their neighbours. Finding the Mother Tree demonstrates the spirituality of scientific investigation and shows that there is more to science than quantitative measurements. Finding the Mother Tree also shows what it is like to be a woman in a male-dominated field and is a David and Goliath-type story where she confronts rooms full of foresters to tell them their methodology is deeply flawed.

Finding the Mother Tree will appeal to readers of Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer, The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben, and Underland by Robert Macfarlane.

I love this book and will be returning to it again and again.

Thank you, Penguin Random House, for a complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: The Magic of Motherhood by Ashlee Gadd

By Jamie Maletta

Ashlee Gadd is the founder of the Coffee and Crumbs platform, a successful writer and author, as well as a co-host  of her Coffee and Crumbs podcast. I stumbled across Ashlee’s book The Magic of Motherhood via an Instagram story and quickly saved it to the top of my TBR wish list, not waiting long before caving and making my purchase.

The Magic of Motherhood really gave me the Chicken Soup book collection vibes. Each chapter is written by a mother, sharing her unique experience of motherhood. Some stories were cheerful, reminding me that childhood passes all too quickly. Other stories met me in the hard stuff that comes with raising these beautiful humans, while others told stories of the struggles of conceiving and bringing a baby into this world. No matter your journey into motherhood, or your perception and experience through the chapters of this beautiful phenomenon, each story is something you can relate to in varying degrees, reminding us that we aren’t alone.

As a mother of an (almost) three-year-old, I find myself in the trenches of toddlerhood. All any of us want to do is to raise kind, confident, and happy humans, and there’s no “how-to” book that gets passed along to you as you leave the hospital to prepare you for what these next years will bring. The Instagram reels, the perfectly coordinated photos, and the organic bento box lunches sometimes can leave us feeling like we have it all wrong.

Ashlee’s collection of essays truly digs into the nitty gritty of the things we just don’t see online—the life we left behind when we became mothers, the village it takes to raise children (that may or may not have ever showed up), the version of ourselves our children need, and the amount of grace we absolutely need to be giving to ourselves. There’s a little bit of everything, and as each chapter covers a different topic by a different author, it’s easy to pick this book up and set it back down (a mom must-have).

Whether you’re new to this journey, are in the middle of it all, or are a seasoned veteran of this thing called motherhood, I believe this book is one that can be enjoyed by all. I’m definitely interested in checking out more of Ashlee’s writing, what the podcast is all about, and if there are more books on the horizon! 10 stars for me!

Book Review: My Name is Seepeetza by Shirley Sterling

By Carly Smith

Content warning: residential schools, suicide, child abuse, alcohol abuse, racism

In the 30th anniversary edition of My Name is Seepeetza, Shirley Sterling brings to light the events and emotions that arose from attending residential school. The journal entries which comprise this book are preceded by a beautiful dedication to all residential school attendees, a poem entitled Coyote Laughs, and two maps which readers can reference as the setting changes.  

This autobiographical book begins with Sterling as a young girl at Kalamak Indian Residential School. We learn of her hardships, both minor and significant, as well as periodic moments of joy. Sterling discusses the dispositions of her teachers, their lack of compassion, and their inclination to use shame as a means of rectifying undesired actions and behaviour. Throughout the entries, she weaves in other, less immediate yet still significant outcomes of residential school, like substance abuse, loss of language, and suicide. Sterling breaks up the accounts of attending Kalamak with more positive memories of returning home to the family’s ranch to be reunited with her parents and siblings over holidays. An afterword by Tomson Highway recapitulates Sterling’s life at residential school, the brief visits home during Christmas and summer, and all of the feelings that surround these two very different living situations.

Sterling’s writing is simple yet powerful. She doesn’t rely on an abundance of descriptors or strong words to evoke emotion and reflection. Written in the voice of a young adult, she chronicles her memories and thoughts plainly, but this is not to say her writing is underwhelming. In fact, it’s often quite the opposite. Her crisp, unembellished details of her childhood bring up feelings of disappointment, shame, sadness, and worry, and at times contentment and joy, too. Even more, her words act as a catalyst for deep reflection and necessary conversation about Canada’s dark past regarding the residential school system. In less than 150 pages, Sterling offers a more concise and frank account of the cultural and human rights atrocities caused by residential schools than any textbook I have come across.

This moving book is a must read for any Canadian. Certainly appropriate for adults, this book may also be suitable for young adults at the discretion of their guardians. Heavy and triggering topics are present in My Name is Seepeetza, and this should be considered prior to reading. I strongly recommend this book for those whose understanding of residential schools in Canada is limited.

Thank you to House of Anansi for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Junie by Chelene Knight

By Larissa Page

It’s the 1930s in the east end of Vancouver, Hogan’s Alley, and 13-year-old Junie has just moved with her mother Maddie to the alley. She begins to meet friends such as Estelle, her new classmate and soon-to-be best friend, Mr. Andrew, the book shop owner, and Miss Shirley, her new teacher. We follow Junie with snippets from Maddie, Faye (Estelle’s mother), Estelle, and Shirley as she grows and comes of age into a stronger young woman working to get out from under her problematic mother’s thumb.

One of the things I enjoyed about Junie was the emphasis on women working exceptionally hard to follow their dreams, fight for their rights (for a side character), and shirk the expectation that they need a man around to be successful—even in the 1930s. It’s unfortunate that this drive ended up impacting the relationships within the book the way they did, but I appreciate how the author highlighted the struggle and sacrifices for women fighting their way to the top as performers and business owners.

The written form of this book is unique. The chapters are short and written in the third person, but at the end of each chapter that focuses on Junie, there is a short blurb written in the first person, like a little look inside her head. The other characters also have these little insights after their chapters (which are not numbered chapters like Junie’s) but remain in the third person. This form was an interesting choice, like nothing I’ve read before, but unfortunately it didn’t really work for me. I found it took away from the story a little rather than added to it.

I enjoyed part of Junie’s growth throughout the novel, her coming of age, and acceptance of herself. I enjoyed her development as an artist. I wish it had been a bit deeper and fuller though. While I liked that she did grow apart from her mother, and I understood those confusing feelings she had, I wish we had seen a little farther into her future and how that continued to play out. Additionally, I found the other characters in the story to be fairly flat.

I wanted to love this one, the cover art is beautiful and intriguing, and I love a story where the setting can grow to be its own character as this one sounded like could have done. Unfortunately, while I believe some readers will love it, it wasn’t quite for me.

Thank you, Book Hug Press, for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.

Book Review: Carrie Soto is Back by Taylor Jenkins Reid

By Kaylie Seed

Carrie Soto retired from tennis as the best player the world had ever seen, with a record-shattering twenty Grand Slams. Carrie retires knowing she is the best in the world, but when Nicki Chan threatens to break her record, Carrie decides to come out of retirement to try and defend her record. What is said to be Taylor Jenkins Reid’s most emotional and vulnerable story yet doesn’t quite live up to that.

Carrie Soto is Back is unlike Reid’s other novels in that it is hyper-focused on one plot point and any diverging subplots feel lacking in depth and emotion. Reid’s prose is still stunning, and I wanted to keep reading even though I was not overly invested in the story. Reid weaves in themes such as ageism, sexism, and competition. The first two-thirds of Carrie Soto is Back felt drawn out and a tad repetitive. There is a lot of tennis talk and while I appreciate Reid including a woven introduction to tennis in the beginning, I still felt lost at times. The last third of the novel flew by, leaving me confused about the pacing and consistency of Carrie Soto is Back. Additionally, I didn’t feel much of anything when the ending happened except that it was predictable.

While Carrie is an unlikeable character, she is well done, and I can appreciate the feelings that she has around being a competitive tennis player. I found her relatable because I competitively figure skated for twelve years; however, I worry that some readers may not understand the drive, determination, and fierceness that Carrie possesses and instead will find her unrelatable. The emotion and feeling between Carrie and the secondary characters fell flat, leaving me craving more. The only relationship that felt real and raw to me was the one between Carrie and her father. This is a novel for tennis lovers or readers who appreciate fierce, unapologetic women.

Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada for the complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.