It's been a while since I read and wrote about one of Alistair MacLeod's stories, even though my plan had been to go through them all. That's why I was especially pleased to see that Marcie at Buried in Print has chosen Alistair MacLeod for her newest short story project. Last week we read The … Continue reading The Vastness of the Dark: A Short Story by Alistair MacLeod (1971)
I have been fully embracing this new cli-fi trend. For one thing, it gives me ideas as to what to do if the world goes down. After reading Blaze Island, I'm thinking a sparsely populated island somewhere up North sounds like a good idea. Miranda's father thought so, too. But his reasons for moving to … Continue reading Blaze Island by Catherine Bush
If you ever feel you're in the mood for something completely absurd, out of this world (but in it), something that will make you laugh, wonder what the heck is going on, and reflect on the author's wild imagination, Dirty Birds is your book. All Milton Ontario wants is to spread his wings; leave his … Continue reading Dirty Birds by Morgan Murray
Ananias was one of the best books I read last year. Why I am only writing about it now is a whole other story, not nearly as interesting as the story of Ananias. This novel was inspired by the author's obsession with family genealogy. Ananias Case was a real person, the great-great-great grandfather of James … Continue reading Ananias by James Case
Dawn, a much-sought-after young opera singer, has over committed herself to work and taken on one too many roles, with the unfortunate result of an onstage blunder that has her on several months of voice rest. Not only is she embarrassed about what happened, but she has been given the dubious job of teaching a … Continue reading Why Birds Sing by Nina Berkhout
The twelve stories in Boy With A Problem tap into "the heart of our deeply human fear of failing to truly connect with others." Smart, compassionate, and insightful, Benjamin is able to say things through his stories without actually saying them. Gemma Marr, in her review at The Miramichi Reader, mentions the "one-sentence insights" that … Continue reading Q&A with Chris Benjamin, author of Boy With A Problem
I absolutely loved this story about three Nigerian women who "must address the wounds of the past if they are to reconcile and move forward." The story is narrated by each of the women, alternately. Kambirinachi Kambirinachi believes she is an Ogbanje--"a spirit that plagues a family with grief by dying repeatedly in childhood and … Continue reading Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi
"It is 2058 and the glaciers are gone. A catastrophic drought has hit the prairies." Watershed casts us into the near future, just far enough that the world looks familiar in many ways despite the fact that some parts of North America are flooded while others are experiencing severe drought. This is the scariest kind … Continue reading Watershed by Doreen Vanderstoop
As I opened up my notes on this book, I felt a little overwhelmed - two pages of notes, back-to-back, in tiny print. But that's not too surprising - Aubrey McKee is a big book and it takes place primarily in Halifax, Nova Scotia (where Alex Pugsley is originally from). So there was a lot … Continue reading Aubrey McKee by Alex Pugsley
All excellent books, all written by women of colour, taking me from New York to India, from Alabama to Ghana, and finally to the suburbs of Toronto. Seven by Farzana Doctor When I learned that Seven was a book, in part, about Khatna--a cultural or religious ritual of female genital cutting--I was worried it would … Continue reading From the Library: Khatna, Addiction, and Coming-of-Age
