All Lit Up Press Picks for the Holidays: The Porcupine’s Quill

Morse Code for Romantics by Anne Baldo

“Morse Code for Romantics is a lyrical yet deliciously dark collection about the wide range of forms that modern monsters can take. In these stories, it’s not vampires, aliens or dangerous beasts you have to worry about. It’s the jealous, calculating husband looking to separate his wife from an imagined rival. It’s the casually cruel researcher who uses a naïve islander to feed his ego and further his ambitions. It’s the smooth-talking Hades figure, reimagined for the present day, luring his Persephone away from her loving mother. Many of the characters in Morse Code for Romantics have found love—and lost it—but they continue to seek connection, to overcome loneliness, and to hold on to hope. If you grew up in Southwestern Ontario in the the ’80s or ’90s, you’ll definitely relate to the nostalgic, sun-drenched, ever-so-slightly sultry feel of these tales of coming of age in a blue-collar town.”

Find Morse Code for Romantics here on All Lit Up or use the Shop Local button to purchase from your local indie bookstore.

Fordmates by Ivo Moravec

“If you’ve ever worked in a factory or know someone who has, odds are you’ve heard about some stories about mind-numbing, backbreaking labour and the lengths to which workers will go to hold on to their sanity. Fordmates is a collection of fictionalized stories about life on the assembly line, written by a veteran of the job. This book is full of indomitable characters who find creative ways to deal with the absurdities of the job, from taking refuge in imaginary worlds to pursuing creative endeavours to simply finding ways to toe the line. It’s also a fascinating read for anyone who has wondered what it’s like to work inside a factory. If you enjoy reading tales of tough-minded folks finding opportunities for fun, sprinkled in with a little malicious compliance and a dash of the little guy prevailing over the big boss, Fordmates might just be for you.”

Find Fordmates here on All Lit Up or use the Shop Local button to purchase from your local indie bookstore.

Poems for a Phantom Lover by Jennifer Dickson

“This is a book for people who love pretty things. Jennifer Dickson is an internationally recognized photographer whose images have appeared in galleries the world over. Poems for a Phantom Lover collects some of her most beautiful photographs, taken over the course of decades of research into the structure and symbolism of historic gardens, and presents them alongside short, lyrical poems. Those with an interest in history will appreciate the mythological, historical and artistic figures that make an appearance, while art lovers will appreciate the artist’s eye for light and shadow. This book is truly a feast for the senses, with pleasantly textured paper, gorgeous photographs, and poems that beg to be read aloud, not to mention, that intoxicating smell of ink and paper!”

Find Poems for a Phantom Lover here on All Lit Up or use the Shop Local button to purchase from your local indie bookstore.

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For more Press Picks for the Holidays, click here.