In Review: The Week of August 24th

On the Blog

~ In Off/Kilter Madeline Sonik talks to us about her linked collection of short stories Fontainebleau (Anvil Press) and the Gothic as inspiration for writing dread into her work: “Because I like to try new things in writing and I’d never come across a work of linked stories with different forms, I wanted to see if I could join a variety of genres and still create a unified work.”~ We share four follow-up reads to our fantastical book club pick Seeds and Other Stories by Ursula Pflug (Inanna Publications) to keep the magical times rolling. ~ Contributors of In Our Own Aboriginal Voice 2 (Rebel Mountain Press) — an anthology of fiction, poetry, essay, and art by Indigenous authors and artists across Canada — offer their perspectives on Indigenous Peoples, issues, and the importance of Indigenous voice in literature: “We need to challenge some of the narrow images Indigenous peoples are framed in.”~ Kevin Lambert’s ghost-filled queer coming-of-age revenge story You Will Love What You Have Killed (Biblioasis) is the macabre of Edward Gorey’s Gashlycrumb Tinies meets the lyrical prose of Amber Dawn’s Sodom Road Exit.

Around the Web

~ BookRiot shares some advice on how to best disinfect borrowed books in a pandemic.~ CBC Books’ roundup of 47 works of Canadian non-fiction coming out this fall includes some indie publishing faves. ~ The Toronto International Festival of Authors is going virtual this year.

ICYMI (last week)

5 Quarantine-Approved Books for When You Miss Travelling