A Rainbow Makes a Promiseby Marion MutalaPublished by Millennium MarketingReview by Michelle Shaw$19.99 ISBN 9781738153879 Marion Mutala really is a creative dynamo. A Rainbow Makes a Promise is her twentieth book and once again she beautifully combines poetry and music into a kaleidoscope of creativity. Saskatchewan author Mutala is perhaps best known for her national best-selling and award-winning children’s book series, Baba’s Ba...

The Medicine Chest: A Physician’s Journey Towards Reconciliationby Jarol BoanPublished by University of Regina PressReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$29.95 ISBN 9780889779730 I was expecting an academic text when I received The Medicine Chest: A Physician’s Journey Towards Reconciliation by Regina-raised-and-returned-to physician and educator, Dr. Jarol Boan, but immediately discovered there’s nothing dull about this engaging, well-res...

The Good Soldierby Nir YanivPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Kelli Worton$24.99 ISBN 9781989398821 People always say that you shouldn’t judge a book by its cover, but it was the cover that first drew me to The Good Soldier. An obvious mockery of war propaganda posters that boldly proclaim unstoppable military power and the imminent defeat of all enemies while also featuring images of ideal soldiers (I’m looking at you, North Ko...

I’m Just Gerry: Building a Forever Company the Price Wayby Rob Wozny (Afterward by Gerry Price)Published by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Michelle Shaw$21.99 ISBN 9781990863318 I’m Just Gerry is the compelling story of the growth of a small prairie company and its journey to become a world leader in its field. Price Industries grew from a little company in Winnipeg to become a billion-dollar world leader in the heating, ventilation...

Invasion of the I.Q. Snatchersby Arthur SladePublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$14.99 ISBN 9781998273041 The Canadian Chills Series is a trifecta of amusing middle-grade novels created by Saskatoon’s award-winning Arthur Slade, and I’ve just devoured the Nanaimo Bar-themed Invasion of the I.Q. Snatchers, the third book in the series. As with his earlier books, Slade’s chosen two clever and curious fri...

Gabrielle and the Rebelsby Maureen UlrichPublished by Flatlands PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $21.99 ISBN 9781778296536 Lampman-based Maureen Ulrich, author of the much-loved Jessie Mac Hockey Series, has crafted a new series, Winds of Change. It is a fantastical coming of age story. What a wild ride readers are in for! I love the premise of Gabrielle and the Rebels, the first book in the Winds of Change series. Travel ba...

The Door at the End of Everythingby Lynda MonahanPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$19.99 ISBN 9781998273133 The metaphorical title of Lynda Monahan’s fifth poetry collection, The Door at the End of Everything, is lifted from her long, forthright poem of the same name. The piece is set in a mental health facility, and several of these saturnine new poems—particularly those in the book’s middle section, “Say...

A Life in Piecesby Jo-Ann WallacePublished by Thistledown PressReview by Brandon Fick$24.95 ISBN 9781771872560 Jo-Ann Wallace’s A Life in Pieces is a stunning memoir, brimming with wit, intellect, and poignancy. Wallace, who passed away in June, has left behind a book of gems, thirty short essays that map her life from childhood in a Montreal suburb to grad school in Toronto, onto years chairing a large English department at the Unive...

What If You Could?by Lynne Harley, Art by Kiram AkramPublished by Lynne Harley-Mastery for Life Coaching & ConsultingReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$16.99 ISBN 9781778218606 In my many years as a reviewer, I’ve noted that some of the best children’s stories are penned by those who bring professional knowledge—garnered after a career in a non-writing profession—to the page, and Lynne Harley’s a case in point. “After four dec...

Baby Rollercoaster: The Unspoken Secret Sorrow of Infertilityby Janice ColvenPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch  $19.99 ISBN 9781989078587 Baby Rollercoaster is the true telling of one woman’s personal journey with infertility. It starts with her years as a child when she dreamt of being a mother and progresses to when her struggle to have a family ended. Colven now dedicates her life to sharing her infertility ex...