This is a group of books I read several months ago and am just catching up on now. They are by no means the only books by NS authors I've read this year, or recently. For example, I wrote about some short story collections a few months ago, a memoir by Marjorie Simmins, and a … Continue reading Catching Up With Nova Scotia Authors and Books
I was always going to read this book; a memoir, in part, about Marjorie's move from Cape Breton to Truro, Nova Scotia. I wanted to read an account of a newcomer moving to the town I've lived in for the past 22 years. But, now that I've read it, I can recommend it to any … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: In Search of Puffins by Marjorie Simmins
We're Not Rich by Sue Murtagh (Nimbus Publishing) I loved this debut collection and wrote about it for The Seaboard Review earlier this year. Below is a short excerpt of my review. You can read the rest of it here. As many of my favourite story collections do, We’re Not Rich examines the lives of ordinary people … Continue reading Nova Scotia Short Story Collections: Sue Murtagh, Carol Bruneau, Amanda Peters, Chris Benjamin, and M.V. Feehan
Might This Be A Greenhouse? by Katie Cameron Katie Cameron's chapbook is #2 in a series of chapbooks being published by Qwerty Magazine at the University of New Brunswick in Fredericton. The joy in reading Katie's chapbook begins with the table of contents. Titles like "Mom Asks Me When My Anxiety Started," "I Could Never … Continue reading Poetry Month: Katie Cameron and Deborah Banks
It's hard to say who I admire more: a person who spends chunks of their life underwater with oxygen tanks strapped to their back, or a person who spends chunks of their life on their feet with a backpack filled with necessities strapped to their back. In Search of the Great Canadian Shark by Chris … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: Chris Harvey-Clark and Emily Taylor Smith
It was mostly a coincidence that I read three new novels within a month that are set in the Maritimes and involve the supernatural. A most satisfying and happy coincidence. I started with Rose Sutherland's A Sweet Sting of Salt, which I read for my Real Life book club. Historical fiction, set on the south … Continue reading The Supernatural: Rose Sutherland, Nancy Taber, and Michelle Hébert
Two Halifax/Dartmouth based authors writing about Crohn's Disease, depression, trips to the medical clinic, and a trip across Canada. Gutsy: living my best life with Crohn's Disease & ulcerative colitis by Heather Fegan (Nimbus Publishing) Gutsy was a double-nominee at this year's Nova Scotia Book Awards. Until reading this book, I had no idea how … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs: Heather Fegan and Martin Bauman
The Atlantic Book Awards took place at the beginning of June, as did the Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island Book Awards. The Newfoundland and Labrador Book Awards are in progress. For me, the highlight of the Atlantic Book Awards is the Thomas Raddall Prize for Atlantic Fiction. Here are the five shortlisted … Continue reading Michelle Porter, William Ping, and the Atlantic Book Awards 2024
With the exception of Claudia Dey and Logan Steiner, all of these authors are either living in the Maritimes or are from the Maritimes. The settings range from Yarmouth, Barrington Passage, and Dartmouth to Ontario, Norway, and medieval England. The topics and characters include: a clandestine affair, a family scandal, a missing man, the daughter … Continue reading Catch-Up: Ian Colford, Jill MacLean, Bruce W. Bishop, Elaine McCluskey, Kate McLaughlin, Claudia Dey, Odette Barr, Colleen Landry, Beth Weatherbee, and Logan Steiner
As different as these stories seem, they have one thing in common: the people who populate them want to improve the world. One reno, one joke, and one chocolate at a time. The Blue Collar CEO by Mandy Rennehan (HarperCollins Canada) Before I knew about Mandy's book, my Dad told me about her show on … Continue reading Maritime Memoirs Audio Edition: hard work, comedy, and chocolate
Consumed by Ink 