Staff Review: Everything Turns Away

Title/Author: Everything Turns Away - Michelle Berry

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Thrillers, Domestic Stories

Wow! Everything Turns Away is a  thrill, full of mess and disquiet, a quick little read that will stay in my head for a long time. Fully human, complex and faltering characters, this one is a snack  best savored. Shades of A.M Homes or Lydia Millett, but Michelle Berry has put  together a great tune of her own here. One of my favourites of the year.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Payback's a Witch

Title/Author: Payback’s a Witch - Lana Harper

Genre(s): Fantasy, Magic & Witches, Rom-Com, LGBTQ+

Emmy Harlow, the prodigal daughter of one of four witch families returns to her small midwestern magical town after nearly a decade to take part in a once-in-a-generation magical tournament to finally put her past behind her and move on with her non-magical life. However, upon returning she makes a pact with her best friend, and the beautifully enticing Talia Avramov, all of whom had their hearts trampled on by Gareth, heir of the Blackmoore family & presumed frontrunner to win the tournament. As they work to prevent their rival’s victory, however, Emmy and Talia begin to grow close, and Emmy’s forced to question the magical-free life she’s built in Chicago. A wonderful rom-com, and the perfect Halloween read!

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: The Good German

Title/Author: The Good German - Dennis Bock

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Alternate History

A historical tweak around Hitler’s attempted assassination in 1939, this novel imagines that it was successful, and looks at the fallout it may have lead to Germany winning WWII. Mainly set years later in a very different Toronto of 1960, it asks the question: what if heroism backfires? This novel has a lot of depth, moxie and strong characters.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Honey Girl

Title/Author: Honey Girl - Morgan Rogers

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, BIPOC Experiences, Psychological, LGBTQ+

28 year old Grace just completed her PhD in astronomy and is looking towards her future in STEM, where her status as a biracial, gay woman means she is going to have to work three times as hard to gain respect as her white, male, heterosexual peers...and so she drunkenly marries a woman she doesn’t know in Vegas. This book divides it’s time between being a rom-com and being an examination of women’s trauma. When it’s being cute, it is very, very cute, but it truly shines when it looks at the hoops marginalized identities, particularly women of colour, have to jump through against the establishment of primarily straight male dominated fields, and the psychological toll that can take, a toll we often overlook.

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: Son of a Trickster

Title/Author: Son of a Trickster – Eden Robinson

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Magical Realism, Indigenous, LGBTQ+

Blending the modern realities of being a teenager growing up in the BC Interior with the mysteries of Haisla legend and spirituality, Son of a Trickster follows the daily struggles of 16 year old Jared Martin as he tries hard to excel in school, while making a name for himself locally as the best baker of pot-cookies, all while having random conversations with corvids, whales and creatures that come out of a hole in his bedroom.

Reviewed by: Ben

Staff Review: Moon of the Crusted Snow

Title/Author: Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Indigenous Fiction, Dystopian

Rice's latest book offers a conveniently topical examination of how societies respond when the power goes out forever! This intense and mystifying story will leave you on the edge of your seat and completely enraptured in this loving community's thrilling tale. About more than just the fall of modern society, this is about love, family, and connection in a community. This book will leave you questioning just how sustainable our current way of life is.

Reviewed by: Shelby

Staff Review: Hamnet

Title/Author: Hamnet (aka Hamnet & Judith) - Maggie O’Farrell

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Historical, Family

I’m not usually one for historical fiction, but a jet engine of a plot, prose that is both restrained and vivid, and an emotional weight makes this a wonderful surprise.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Norse Mythology

Title/Author: Norse Mythology – Neil Gaiman

Genre(s): Mythology, Folklore, Fiction

Gaiman journeys into the heart of the Nine Worlds to recount the loves, triumphs, tragedies and betrayals of the Norse gods.  Utilizing ancient sources and his own flair for storytelling, Gaiman brings the characters of the Norse myths to life for a modern audience.  I really loved Gaiman’s retelling as someone who knows the source stories intimately, and I think you will too.

Reviewed by: Ben

Staff review: On a Sunbeam

Title/Author: On a Sunbeam - Tillie Walden

Genre(s): Graphic Novels, Sci-Fi, LGBTQ+

On a Sunbeam presents a wonderful visit to an enchanting universe. Walden draws the reader in with the novel's dream-like visuals and then keeps them with its compelling cast of characters. A must-read for sci-fi and coming-of-age fans alike.

Reviewed by:

Staff Review: Bewilderment

Title/Author: Bewilderment - Richard Powers

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Nature & the Environment, Political

Richard Powers does a great job in Bewilderment of retelling Flowers for Algernon in an environmental context. Theo Byrne is an astrobiologist with a son that is as special as he is troubled. Young Robin is a stand in for the rest of us living against the backdrop of his previous novel, Overstory. This book is touching, beautifully written and if not the equal of Overstory, it bests much else on offer this year (and this is a hell of a year).

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Once & Future

Title/Author: Once & Future - Cori McCarthy & A.R. Capetta

Genre(s): YA, Sci-fi, LGBTQ+

The story of King Arthur takes on a new twist in this imaginative story where we meet the 42nd reincarnation of the fabled king, & the first that is a girl, Ari Helix. At once classic and also totally original and wonderfully intersectional, this book does what the best of sci-fi always does: gives us ideas of fantastical possible futures while also mirroring our world’s issues today.

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: Children of Virtue & Vengeance

Title/Author: Children of Virtue & Vengeance (Legacy of Orisha #2) - Tomi Adeyemi

Genre(s): Young Adult, African-Inspired Fantasy

Steeped in West African Yoruba lore, the world of Orisha is rich and magnified by Adeyemi’s imagination. A must-read for adults & children!

Reviewed by: Ben

Staff Review: Gun Machine

Title/Author: Gun Machine - Warren Ellis

Genre(s): Mystery, Thriller, Police Procedural

Following a shootout in an old tenement building, an NYPD detective discovers a seemingly abandoned apartment filled with guns of all sorts, arranged to look like the cogs of a machine. When each gun is traced back to previously unsolved homicides, the detective realizes this is a much bigger case than he ever could have imagined, and the hunt for a mysterious killer is on. This book reads with the flow of the best of crime fiction, with enough twists for a rollercoaster. Do yourself a favour and give it a go!

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: The Winter Wives

Title/Author: The Winter Wives - Linden MacIntyre

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Family Life, Crime

This guy never misses. High testosterone, secrecy between couples and from each other, the two male leads play out on a field laced with ambition and admiration. This is a big book that moves quickly and ends with a bang!

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: The Topeka School

Title/Author: The Topeka School - Ben Lerner

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Coming-of-Age, Family Life

This is a literary work that, over twenty plus years time, foretells toxic masculinity, political discord and much of where we find ourselves currently. The Topeka School greatly rewards close reading.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: The Falling in Love Montage

Title/Author: The Falling in Love Montage - Ciara Smyth

Genre(s): YA, LGBTQ+, Romantic Drama

A near-perfect examination of love and what it means to connect with another person, in all it’s pain and joy. The main characters of this book look at the tropes of queer storytelling and basically dismiss them all, even as they try to copy the tropes of the rom-com genre throughout a summer romance. A girl looking at a future of almost-guaranteed early-onset dementia diagnosis determined not to get close to anyone has her world turned upside down by a beautiful stranger, and learns the message that love doesn't have to mean 'forever' to be meaningful or true.

Reviewed by: Alex

Staff Review: The Charm Offensive

Title/Author: The Charm Offensive - Alison Cochrun

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Romantic Comedy, LGBTQ+

For everyone who loves to hate reality TV. This story is located on the travelling TV set of a show reminiscent of ‘The Bachelor’. Providing a hilarious inside scoop on the staged drama of reality TV, the twist is that behind the scenes a gay romance is blossoming with the show’s lead Prince Charming. With witty dialogue and characters that will have you rooting for them from beginning to end, this book is also a meaningful exploration of the fears of intimacy, anxiety, OCD, and depression. A delightful queer love story that defies the inflated ego of heteronormativity.

Reviewed by: Rosemary

Staff Review: Lord of Light

Title/Author: Lord of Light - Roger Zelazny

Genre(s): Sci-fi, Buddhist Philosophy

Zelazny was like the Beatles of sci-fi. Fusing fantasy storytelling with sci-fi elements, Lord of Light plays with the trope of rebellion and buddhist philosophy.

Reviewed by: Ben

Staff Reviews: Rabbit Foot Bill

Title/Author: Rabbit Foot Bill - Helen Humphreys

Genre(s): Literary Fiction, Historical, Medical

Helen Humphreys never misses. While quite different in tone and presentation, she still writes perfect sentences and effortlessly reveals complex complex and utterly human characteristics and foibles.

Reviewed by: David

Staff Review: Things Are Against Us

Title/Author: Things Are Against Us - Lucy Ellmann

Genre(s): Literary Journalism, Pop Culture, Humour

Filled with genius wit and astute comedic prowess, Ellmann has collected some of her wildest thoughts — both in text and image — covering all sorts of things. Ranging from feminist rage to her general distaste of the world. This book is guaranteed to make you smile. Illustrations by Diana Hope.

Reviewed by: Shelby