A debut story collection focusses on younger characters who yearn “for something just out of reach.” And while the author “thrives in her propensity for texture—building rugs fibre by fibre, until a child could burn their knees on it,” some of her approach to characterization raises concerns. —Kenna Clifford reviews There’s Always More to Say, by Natalie Southworth (Montreal: Linda Leith Publishing, 2026) $24.95 / 9781773901862
Debut novel with distinct historical settings (2017 and 1887) portrays two women in perilous marriages. “The way the stories reflect and enhance one another makes the dual narrative technique more than just a gimmick. There is a real dialogue between past and present that justifies telling the two stories together like this,” our reviewer notes. —Ryan Frawley reviews The Art of Getting Lost and Found, by Glenna Turnbull (St. John’s: Breakwater Books, 2026) $24.95 / 9781778530814
“The Golden Boy is a novel that will satisfy with its engaging storytelling, excellent pacing, and clever writing. For that reason alone, I’d recommend it. It also delves into Aristotelian philosophy in a way that feels natural and allows the lay reader to learn about some basic philosophical concepts. The novel was an entertaining and enriching reading experience, and full of ideas that could bring insight to one’s own life.” —Trish Bowering reviews The Golden Boy, by Patricia Finn (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2026) $24.99 / 9781443476768
Despite an author with a clear affection for the mystery genre and a globe-trotting plot, a debut work of fiction underwhelms our reviewer. Brevity might be the soul of wit, but in the case of a novel, that’s not always true. —Zoe McKenna reviews The Mosaic Key, by Archer Campbell (Victoria: Tellwell Talent, 2026) $17.99 / 9781834381039
“Of course, there’s the central theme of the unshakeable love of daughters for their dads no matter their flaws, versus the unforgivable betrayal of mothers who leave their children. Yet, kind-hearted Lori forgives all her relations who could’ve done something—anything—to bring joy, hope, and light to her early years.” Cathalynn Labonté-Smith reviews Dreamer’s Daughter: Surviving My Childhood and Raising My Father, by Lori Thicke (Toronto: Simon & Schuster, 2026) $25.99 / 9781668204498
“By sharing her powerful tale of resiliency with others, [the author] proves that light in times of darkness is possible. It starts with you and the decision to allow light into your own life. The author empowers us by teasing out a shining thread of hope that lives within the dark swath of the unthinkable.” —Jazmine Roberts reviews Sharing the Light: Stories and Reflections, by Monique Gray Smith (Toronto: Anansi, 2026) $26.99 / 9781487013547
“Alisha Gauvreau, then a UVic Ph.D. candidate, served as field crew lead and investigator of the EkTb-9 site from 2015 to 2019 and subsequently published the results in the Journal of Archaeological Science. She and colleagues and members of the Heiltsuk Nation, including Housty, used a two-eyed seeing approach throughout the research process ‘to see from one eye with the strengths of Indigenous ways of knowing, and to see from the other eye with the strengths of Western ways of knowing, and to use both these eyes together for the benefit of all.'” Katy Dycus writes of impressive archaeological activity on Triquet Island, by Waterlogged co-author Alisha Gauvreau, archaeologist Elroy White, and community leader William Housty, on traditional Heiltsuk territory.
“On Sunday, the 22nd, we were relaxing and having breakfast outside after a successful day previous in presenting my Tai Chi talk and demo (there’s an irony!), when we heard some anxious buzz from folks in the building that something was going on. At almost same moment, we saw clouds of heavy dark smoke drifting in just past our building and the big shade tree behind us, as if a house or store was on fire nearby.” Author and poet Trevor Carolan reports from Puerto Vallarta on his recent experience.
Featuring writing like “lethal and blunt arrows,” a sophomore novel tells a tale of a complex mother-child relationship, a highly troubled real estate purchase, and a vulnerable protagonist who must “accept every jab and cut life’s sharpest knife has to offer.” —Sergio Espinosa reviews The Valley of Vengeful Ghosts, by Kim Fu (Toronto: HarperCollins Canada, 2026) $24.99 / 9781443465878
“Like Robert Moor, I feel I am a Tree Person, but whereas I write and read articles and books about trees, take photographs of trees from a distance and close-up all year long, and lead tree-identification walks, Moor would take ‘leave of the earth and scamper into its crown. I liked the way climbing trees made me feel (wilder, humbler).'” Nina Shoroplova reviews In Trees: An Exploration by Robert Moor (New York: Simon & Schuster, 2026)
$39 / 9781476739250
An accomplished historical novel tells two stories (set circa 1909 and 1946) to portray southern Saskatchewan culture as experienced by a Métis girl and, later, career woman. “[T]ake your time with it,” our reviewer writes, “It’s an absorbing book.” —W.H. New reviews Wild People Quiet, by Tara Gereaux (Toronto: Scribner Canada, 2026) $25.99 / 9781668060568
A memoir-in-essays, an “unabashedly queer view of life, loves, and the bringing up of the generation to come,” ranges widely and speaks candidly. —Carellin Brooks reviews Staying Power: On Queerness, Inheritances, and the Families We Choose, by Zena Sharman (Vancouver: Arsenal Pulp Press, 2026) $24.95 / 9781834050164
“As the discussion heats up, one begins to feel like a dinner party guest privileged to listen in on a fascinating and wide-ranging conversation between two expert criminologists.” Richard Fyfe reviews Troubling Criminology, by Michael C. K. Ma and Mike Larsen (Toronto: Between the Lines, 2025) $34.95 / 9781771136853
A “thoughtful and provocative account of masculine aesthetics in gay male culture” focusses on a seminal Toronto-based community newspaper. In doing so, its author “has created a valuable resource on the evolution of masculinity and libido in queer sexuality.” —Daniel Gawthrop reviews Liberation and Libido: Masculinity, Sexuality, and the Aesthetics of Gay Liberation in Canada, 1971–1987, by Nicholas A. Hrynyk (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2026) $32.95 / 9781487507077
“I know this collection of work by these women is something readers will refer to time and time again, knowing each time they do, they will find something new to inspire them at exactly the moment they need it.” Valerie Green reviews Something Has Changed: An Anthology of Women’s Voices, by The Pen Pals Writers’ Collective (Nanaimo: Pen Pals Publishing, 2025) $20 / 97810694399505
“The masterful poems in Sightings—a golden anniversary book, if you will—range wide and deep. Friesen’s focus is both personal and transformative, with poems touching on nothing less than birth, death, and the clear-seeing moments between.” —M.A.C. Farrant reviews Sightings, by Patrick Friesen (Winnipeg: CMU Press, 2026) $24.00 / 9781987986297
“Scanlan doesn’t talk about union-negotiated pension plans or union-sponsored retirement planning workshops. I was fortunate to have both. Our retirees’ handbook provided many of the same pointers and it was free. In addition, an employer-paid retirement expert was always available to assist if the going got complicated. I was lucky. For retirees who didn’t have a union, How to Retire is an excellent guide.” Ron Verzuh reviews How to Retire: Retire Knowing You Can Enjoy Every Day, by Steven Scanlan (Chemainus: self-published, 2025) $17.99 / 9781989681336
“Sarah Boon’s particular scientific interest is glacial hydrology and the modelling of the formation of rivers in the unstable melting phase of glaciers. She has also done some interesting work on forest hydrology, specifically on the impact of clearcutting of snow run-off. The memoir is interspersed with interesting comments and insights into glacier formations and on their importance for understanding the impacts of climate change. The focus is, however, on what it means to be a woman scientist in Canada and on Sarah Boon’s journey through a self-destroying system.” Loÿs Maingon reviews Meltdown: The Making and Breaking of a Field Scientist, by Sarah Boon (Edmonton: University of Alberta Press, 2025) $27.99 / 9781772127911
An interview excerpt with Tim Lilburn, from In The Writers’ Words: Volume III, by Laurence Hutchman (Gananoque: Guernica Editions, 2026) $24.95 / 9781778490668
“Anderson’s love for being in the kitchen and garden is unmistakeably real and infectious. Interspersed with Anderson’s own poetry and sketches, I find the physicality of the book, simply existing in my proximity, to be soothing.” Jessica Poon reviews I Love You: Recipes from the Heart, by Pamela Anderson (New York: Voracious, 2024) $35 / 9780316573481