The Miramichi Reader highlights noteworthy books and authors across Canada from coast to coast to coast.
“…the reviews are thoughtful, thorough, and entertaining in this publication!”
– Hannah Brown, author of “Look After Her”
Current fiction reviews
A Company of Rogues by Trudy J. Morgan-Cole
This dramatic conclusion to a trilogy foregrounds the experiences of women settlers in North America as they grapple with notions of homeland, colonization, and sense of belonging.
Yara by Tamara Faith Berger
Set in the sex-tape-panicked early 2000s, Yara is a reverse cautionary tale about what the body can teach us.
Best Books of 2023: Short Fiction
Nine titles that our team of reviewers judged the “Best Short Fiction” of 2023.
Burn Man: Selected Stories by Mark Anthony Jarman
Drawing together the best of his short fiction published over the last four decades, Burn Man: Selected Stories showcases Mark Anthony Jarman’s sharply observed characters and acrobatic, voice-driven prose in stories that walk the tightrope between the commonplace and the mystical.
current non-fiction reviews
There is No Blue by Martha Baillie
Martha Baillie’s richly layered response to her mother’s passing, her father’s life, and her sister’s suicide is an exploration of how the body, the rooms we inhabit, and our languages offer the psyche a home, if only for a time.
Taking A Chance: The First 25 Years of Fishers’ Loft Inn by John & Peggy Fisher and Roger Pickavance
More than a quarter century after their move to Port Rexton, the Fishers have produced a love letter to rural Newfoundland, sharing their firm belief in the wonderful things that can happen when you take a chance.
The Last Real World Champion: The Legacy of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair By Tim Hornbaker
From the author of Death of the Territories and Capitol Revolution comes the definitive biography of “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
Seeking Social Democracy: Seven Decades in the Fight for Equality by Ed Broadbent and others
Broadbent remains convinced that social democracy is “the form with the greatest potential, no more, no less, for liberating the creative, cooperative, and compassionate possibilities of humanity, and offering dignity to all.”
Current Poetry Reviews
Dog, a Poem by Robert Lastdrager
Robert Lastdrager is a writer and children’s author from Melbourne, Australia.
Wonder-Work: Selected Sonnets of Catharina Regina von Greiffenberg
An unusual poet from the Baroque period meets 21st century poet-translators in this exceptional book.
Sapphire and the Hollow Bone by Diana Hayes
. . . though some of the poems allude to personal losses, many of the phrases allow readers to make their own connections.
Best Books of 2023: Poetry
Here are the titles that our team of reviewers judged the “Best Books of Poetry” of 2023.
Current Titles for Younger Readers
Champions of the Fox by Kevin Sands
In this conclusion to the thrilling Thieves of Shadow series, bestselling author Kevin Sands delivers a jaw-dropping heist that sees five young thieves masterminding a prison break from the empire’s most impenetrable island fortress.
Best Books of 2023: Young Readers
Nine titles that our team of reviewers judged the “Best Short Fiction” of 2023.
Wilhelm, the Hedgehog by Tanya Stus, Anna Sarvira
Wilhelm is a hedgehog who yearns to see the Light, and with the help of his friends he just might!
The Quest of Danger (Volume 4) by Stuart Gibbs
Set sail to Atlantis with Tim and his friends in the laugh-out-loud funny, highly illustrated fourth book of the New York Times bestselling Once Upon a Tim series from Spy School author Stuart Gibbs.
Recent interviews
The Camille Intson Interview Part the First
Camille Intson (alias, Camie) (b. 1997) is a Hamilton-born and Tkaronto-based multidisciplinary artist and researcher whose practice spans writing, performance, music, new media, and emerging technology. Her critically acclaimed body…
The David Pisani Interview
This conversation took place in July of 2023 in Châteauneuf-sur-Charente, France, in David’s studio. It has been edited for clarity. FIRST PRINCIPLES – ON DEMOCRACY – EARLY DEVELOPMENT – ON…
Once Upon a Cave: An Interview With Ted Chamberlin
Dr. Edward J. Chamberlin paints a picture of how early humans gathered around fires in caves to tell stories above any other reason, like shelter, warmth, or security from beasts. He says, “Caves were for stories, that’s why we see the first paintings there.”
The Jamaluddin Aram Interview
Interview with Jamaluddin Aram, author of Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on a Wednesday.
Excerpts!
Excerpt: The Island Gospel According to Samson Grief
An exclusive excerpt from Steven Malloy’s “The Island Gospel According to Samson Grief”.
Excerpt: Grantrepreneurs by Jake Swan
With scalpel-sharp wit, hilarious schemes and generous injections of heart, Jake Swan has written a page-turning, laugh-out-loud, idol-skewering misadventure.
Excerpt: The Matryoshka Memoirs: A Story of Ukrainian Forced Labour, The Leica Camera Factory and Nazi Resistance by Sasha Colby
Excerpt: A granddaughter explores the story of her Ukrainian grandmother’s survival of Hitler’s forced labor camps
EXCERPT: Gone Viking III: The Holy Grail
An excerpt from “Gone Viking III: The Holy Grail” by Bill Arnott.