The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil by Lesley Choyce

Lesley Choyce is an active, prolific author and his latest title The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil (Roseway Publishing, 2017) is bound to be well-received by the reading public. It is the tale of the octogenarian widower John Alex (as he is known to everyone) living in rural Deepvale, Cape Breton where he still sets a place for his deceased wife of thirty years, Eva. He is someone who has always lived his life without caring what anyone else thought of him. We join him at the story’s outset where he is considering if he really is losing his mind….

The Inward Journey by Kate Evans

“Spin me back down the years and the days of my youth Draw the lace and black curtains and shut out the whole truth Spin me down the long ages: let them sing the song.” – Ian Anderson Sylvia Drodge of St. John’s NL (the former Sylvia Bolfe-Carter of Ireland) has been temporarily relegated to …

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The Nearly Girl by Lisa de Nikolits

The Nearly Girl is a quirky exploration into people’s peculiarities and is absolutely riveting to read. [perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”Canadian Living” link=”” color=”#EA1855″ class=”” size=”16″]”This latest book from [Lisa] is a true exploration of the human spirit. Anyone who has ever felt like they’ve slipped through the cracks or been lost in life can relate to …

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Weaving Water by Annamarie Beckel

Author (and former St. John resident) Annamarie Beckel once conducted behavioural research on river otters* for her doctoral thesis and her fourth novel, Weaving Water (2016, Killick Press) is about Beth, a fiftyish woman who teaches Biology at a university but longs to get back into research, specifically river otters. Her husband Alan is a …

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For All of the Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known by Danila Botha

I became an instant fan of Toronto author Danila Botha after reading her first full-length novel, Too Much on the Inside (2015, Quattro Books) last year, concluding: “This is an impressive first novel from this young, energetic author and it is my hope that more titles will be forthcoming.” [perfectpullquote align=”right” cite=”” link=”” color=”#1e72bd” class=”” …

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The Trudi Johnson Interview

Trudi Johnson was born and grew up in St. John’s, Newfoundland though her family’s roots are in Bonavista Bay. Currently, she is an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial University, where she enjoys teaching pre-service teachers and researches effective teaching and teacher efficacy. Trudi lives in St. John’s with her husband, Albert. …

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Night Ambulance by Nicholas Ruddock

Gun Control. Doctor-assisted death. Abortion. Three of the most polarizing issues facing humankind in the 21st century. There are no ‘grey areas’ when it comes to these issues, no fence-sitting; one is either for or against them. It is abortion, however that is the central pervading theme for the characters of Bell Harbour and St. …

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The Chuck Bowie Interview

Chuck Bowie is the New Brunswick author of three novels, all in the “Sean Donovan: Thief for Hire” series. He has just released Book Three: “Steal it All“. Chuck took a few moments to answer my questions about his influences, where and when his Sean Donovan character was born, and how Book Four is coming …

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Bear War-den by Vivian Demuth

Inanna Publications always has something different to read, so I often look to them for a book that is a change of pace from the norm. While browsing their website, I noticed Bear War-den (2015) by Vivian Demuth. In the brief description on the Inanna site it stated: “Told in an experimental style that mixes realism …

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Harbour View by Binnie Brennan

Harbour View (2009, Quattro Books) deals with the small inner world of a Halifax nursing home (called Harbour View Centre) in which each character adds notes of wistfulness, sadness, lightheartedness, even tragedy to be combined in a singular literary-musical tapestry that reaches through to the heart and to the mind.  Ms. Brennan’s follow-up volume of …

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