Theories of Everythingby Dwayne BrennaPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Brandon Fick$22.99 ISBN 9781998273294 In less than 180 pages, Dwayne Brenna’s short story collection, Theories of Everything, takes readers around the globe into disparate eras and unique voices, inviting them to sample a little bit of everything. More than most short story collections, which often contain similar settings, characters, and themes, Theories of Everything is diverse and irreverently ordered, as if saying: “A story is a story, no matter what it contains. Deal with it.” At least a couple of its fifteen stories will jive with any reader. Whether you want to read about an aged rock star, a couple on the brink of separation, or a murderous parrot, whether you are in the mood for academic satire or the truth about Hollywood, and whether you want to go to Costa Rica, Libya, London, Hawaii, or rural Saskatchewan, it’s all here. Brenna takes a no-nonsense approach to storytelling. Within the first paragraph or even the first few sentences of his stories, you are in the predicament. A fine example being the opening lines of “Isla Mujeres”: “Still in his pyjamas, my husband Jim is stretched out on one of a pair…

Helloby David CarpenterPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Brandon Fick$34.99 ISBN 9781998273270 Hello is the first book of fiction I have read by Saskatchewan writer, David Carpenter, after having read two of his nonfiction books, Courting Saskatchewan and The Education of Augie Merasty. His versatility and credentials are well established, but in spite of that, I imagine his work still does not get the level of praise and attention it deserves. Hello is a collection of short fiction, seven short stories and two novellas, and based on what I know about Carpenter, it strikes me as a record of the obsessions, sympathies, locales, and people that have been part of his life. Like the virtuoso banjo player that one of his characters aspires to be, Carpenter knows which strings to pluck in order to evoke empathy, humour, and nostalgia. Many characters in Hello are outcasts and loners, those navigating young adulthood, experiencing trauma or the loss of a loved one. In some cases, characters are searching for a metaphorical “hello,” an affirmation or a calling, as in “Frailing,” where a university student working at Lake Louise feels that the banjos in the “gloomy basement” of a music store have “the power…

The Lavender Childby Harriet RichardsPublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.99 ISBN 9781998273201 The Lavender Child is a beautifully unique and creative story with unforgettable characters and a plot that keeps readers intrigued. I wasn’t surprised to learn that this powerful read was a winner of the Saskatchewan Book Awards First Book prize when it was initially published. If you are like me and wonder what the title is referencing – what the heck is a lavender child? – I have the answer! When one of the main characters is born, Dion, he is limp and looks close to death. Another child was born into the family decades earlier that only lived for two weeks and fought for every breath. Both babies were a shade of blue, hence “lavender child.” (I should mention that this book might be a bit challenging for people who have lost babies or experienced children with health issues.) I loved that when reading this story about three generations of a family that we are thrown back into a time when life wasn’t so chaotic and technologically driven. But it’s not so far back that this would be considered historical fiction. After all, the book mentions…

The Glass Lodge: 20th Anniversary Editionby John Brady McDonaldPublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$34.99 ISBN 9781998273119 As the name suggests, Shadowpaw Press Reprise is in the business of publishing previously-released books, often with edits and other improvements. The Glass Lodge: 20th Anniversary Edition, a holds-no-punches poetry collection by Saskatchewan writer John Brady McDonald is one such book. First published in 2004 by Kegedonce Press, the Néhiyawak-Métis writer/artist/actor/musician/historian—yes, he has a lot going on—from Muskeg Lake Cree Nation and the Mistawasis Nehiyawak has given the new hardcover edition a spit-shine, with “frank, fascinating insight[s]” into the poems’ angsty geneses, and several images of the initial handwritten pieces. McDonald’s been recognized for both his writing and artwork. His nonfiction book Carrying it Forward: ESSAYS FROM KISTAHPINÂNIHK garnered two Saskatchewan Books Awards in 2024, and his art’s been shown internationally. This multi-talented, Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Medal awardee (Saskatchewan), has had an extraordinarily diverse life, ranging from promiscuity and addiction issues to studying at England’s University of Cambridge and presenting his work in Australia. The book’s told chronologically in four parts—“Emergence,” “Eros,” “Kuskitew Peyesis” and “Renaissance,” and includes a “Denouement.” The poems reach back to McDonald’s difficult teenage years: the first…

Tales This Side of the Elysian Fieldsby Trevor W. HarrisonPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.99 ISBN 9781998273249 Few things are more entertaining than an engrossing travel book; that definitely applies to Tales This Side of the Elysian Fields.  Harrison crisscrossed the globe during the 1970s and 1980s and shares those experiences with us in this book. He was based in Canada during those decades but traveled around North America, Greece, India, Spain, and countries that surrounded the Himalayan mountains, among others. Each location brought a fresh batch of adventures and a slew of interesting people that crossed his path.  My favourite of the fifteen stories is Harrison’s time spent in Barcelona, Spain. During his month there in March 1973, the modernist revolution was underway although the country was still experiencing an authoritarian regime under Francisco Franco. It was a fascinating historical time to relive through Harrison’s words. And in an interesting twist, Harrison recounts a return trip to Barcelona in 2022 and what a different place it is now, in so many ways.  I was a bit confused by the title. What the heck is an Elysian field? It turns out that when Harrison was in high school, one…

The Wind and Amanda’s CelloWritten by Alison Lohans, Illustrated by Sarah ShortliffePublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$23.99 ISBN 9781998273157 It’s been such fun watching Regina author (and musician) Alison Lohans successfully focus her literary talents in so many different directions. The well-known multi-genre author has just released her 31st book, and it’s a standout among the many children’s books that cross my desk each year. Firstly, Lohans knows how to tell a story—whether it’s a novel for young adults, an early-reader chapter book or an illustrated children’s book like her recent release, The Wind and Amanda’s Cello—and it begins with language. In the opening spread of this colourful softcover, we read that “the wind grew restless.” Personification is effective in all writing, but perhaps particularly so when a writer’s engaging young readers. Sound is the most critical element in this book, and Lohans writes about it like she’s making it—a conductor directing an orchestra. We hearthat life-like wind as it “whooshed by cars on the highway; it rattled gates and scattered old leaves on the sidewalk.” Note how the author uses specific details—another hallmark of quality writing. The wind is indeed a powerful character in this story, and…

Soulworm by Edward WillettPublished by Shadowpaw Press RepriseReview by Shelley A. Leedahl$22.99 ISBN 9781989398807 I missed it the first time, but what’s old is new again—Aurora Award-winning author Edward Willett’s YA fantasy novel, Soulworm, has been auspiciously re-released. What a treat to read the book that launched the prolific Regina writer’s impressive career in 1997, especially as I’ve so enjoyed his subsequent books. And prolific is an understatement: the heralded author, publisher, podcaster, actor and singer has written more than sixty books, including science fiction and nonfiction titles. The opening scene of Willett’s new and revised edition immediately pulled this reader in: it’s 1984, near Weyburn, SK, and seven paragraphs into the story, three teens are in a horrific car accident. After the “car rolled six times in a welter of mud and water, tortured metal, and breaking glass,” it landed upright, and, hauntingly, Van Halen was still “blasting, the thump of the bass like a club pounding the ground.” Exceptional writing. And that’s what one can expect from this seasoned writer, all the way through this adrenaline-charged tale. The story’s simultaneously old-school otherworldly—complete with torches, a tower and drawbridge—and rooted in Earthly details. Sixteen-year-old Liothel is an “Acolyte” in…

Corridor to Nightmareby Dave DuncanPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $26.99 ISBN 9781989398937 Why is it that tales that involve portals to other worlds are fascinating? Corridor to Nightmare falls firmly into that category. It starts off with a bang and jumps into a world of sorcerers, gatekeepers, and beasts that are half-man, half-Krendel. To keep things spicy, unexpected nasty people and things also go through the portal. When I crack open a book and find a list of characters before chapter one starts, I appreciate it so much. (I wish more authors did that.) The list is only nine characters long, but I referred to it often as I couldn’t always keep people straight. Such a bonus!  The premise of Corridor to Nightmare is an interesting one. An elderly lady, Agatha, is looking forward to retiring from her job as a village schoolteacher. But that doesn’t happen as she is sent through a portal and lands in another world. What comes next is a roller coaster journey! Agatha’s adventure could’ve been fun and lighthearted – but it wasn’t. (I love books with a tinge of darkness and this one delivers!) When it comes to names, Duncan gets huge kudos for creativity, both…

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 Korea), The Good Soldier’s cover instead shows a jubilant, chubby soldier riding a missile while holding a grinning, fluffy white dog. It’s a pretty good indication of what you’ll find inside: an absurd, yet blistering satire of military culture and war. The meaning of the dog is revealed in due course. The jubilant soldier in question is the book’s extremely unlikely hero, Pre-Private Fux (yes, really), a recent recruit to the United Planets’ Imperial Navy, stationed aboard the spacecraft UPS Spitz. He’s an idiot, second-class, a fact confirmed by the police on his home planet Bohemia IV, and noted on his ID. As he causes one incident after another on the UPS Spitz, he’s quickly labelled a menace; in the first five chapters alone, medical devices are broken, officers are…

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 friends—Gordon Whillickers and Sophia Morrison—to team up against a threatening force, and futuristic technology, an amiable Sasquatch, and bizarrely-behaving adults are part of the package. It’s a recipe that works as well as combining custard, a chocolate ganache topping, and a coconut crumb base. Coastal Nanaimo’s the setting for Slade’s slightly clumsy and seriously science-minded pair. The novel begins thus: “A long, hairy arm reached through my open window and pounded around the top of my desk”. Meet Cheryl, a pink-fingernailed Sasquatch. She’s after the Nanaimo bars someone’s left on the Whillickers’ doorstep, and Gordon has yet to sample. His sassy talking parrot, Archimedes—who’s been listening to “ornithopetic IQ-raising songs” on an MP3 player (this reprinted book initially hit shelves in 2007) and is velcro-strapped into a tiny helmet with a bird cam—takes an investigative flight over…