The Stones Will Singby Alanna VanePublished by Cold Blue PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $12.72 ISBN 9781738023301 The premise of The Stones Will Sing seems to be the question of whether music can be a life-changing force. It is a quirky yet fascinating topic to delve into, wrapped inside a fantastical tale of adventure.  The novel opens as the king of the country of Koshluk goes rampant on a quest to quash all the arts. Included in his declarations is that musical instruments are illegal and anyone caught singing will have their larynx removed. You can imagine the chaos that ensues when these rules (among others involving books, theater, etc.) are made known.  On one hand, you have Prince Ash, the second son of King Marcus of Koshluk, who is on a mission to protect the people of his country and their freedoms. Then there is Cedar, a woman who’s drawn to music with an inexplicable force. The duo embark on a journey, both carrying their provisions but also the weight of their secrets. For example, Cedar has no clue that Ash is a prince. Ash’s brother, James, is weaved through the tale as well as many other characters that keep things interesting…

Dysfunctional Regulatory Bodies: Cowpies and Liesby D. R. CameronPublished by Cameron NarrativesReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.99 ISBN 9781738687725 Last year I thoroughly enjoyed reading Dysfunctional Regulatory Bodies: Scarecrows and Stupidity. So when I received a copy of its sequel, Dysfunctional Regulatory Bodies: Cowpies and Lies, I couldn’t wait to dig in.  Like its predecessor, Cowpies and Lies is a humorous satire poking at regulatory bodies. Three self-regulatory bodies are given character designations and a story plays out that involves a Tea Party, a subsequent inquisition, and shifting bylaws. Cowpies and Lies picks up where the first book concluded. BruceG is a main character in this book, just as he was in Scarecrows and Stupidity, and he still resides in the imaginary Kingdom of Aspen. He gets drawn into changes being made as to how the environment ministry (Ministry of GoodforAll) handles projects. BruceG must deal with the ensuing bureaucracy and drama in the environmental realm.  BruceG is still a fascinating character. He grew up a farm boy with a traditional rural upbringing. He went to university and became an expert in soil, crops, and hydrology with a PhD in Watershed Science. He continued farming as an adult with a family of his own. He started an environmental consulting firm…

Storms and Scarabsby H. R. HobbsPublished by H. R. Hobbs BooksReview by Toby A. Welch  $15.00 ISBN 9780995344860 My first question when coming across Storms and Scarabs was: what the heck is a scarab? For those like me who were clueless, a scarab is an ancient Egyptian gem, one that was typically in the shape of a scarab beetle. As foreshadowed by the word in the title, scarabs play a vital role in this interesting fiction read.  Storms and Scarabs revolves around sixth-grade best friends, Mitch and Brock, who are thrown back in time thousands of years. They arrive in ancient Egypt via a portal to the past. Luckily they come across a man who has encountered people like them before, people who’ve “visited from the Great Beyond.” What comes next is a gripping journey involving an embalming shop, an amulet, a sarcophagus (a big stone container that holds a coffin), a Pharaoh and his family, and numerous other historical aspects. A spyglass plays a key role, almost becoming a character itself. The boys struggle to get back to modern times but I won’t ruin the ending by telling you if they make it or not – you’re welcome! I would wager that this book is…

The Legend of Sarahby Leslie GadallahPublished by Shadowpaw PressReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.95 ISBN 9781989398494 The Legend of Sarah was first published in 1988 under the title Lore Master. It has now been republished in this third edition by Shadowpaw Press Reprise based out of Regina. Myself and anyone else smart enough to grab a copy of The Legend of Sarah will be grateful that it was chosen for republication. A few minor references were changed to make them more up to date but the novel is otherwise unchanged. The Legend of Sarah is as relevant today as it was 35 years ago. The title character is a 14-year-old who lives a rough life. Sarah survives on the streets of the fictional town of Monn, rigorously trying to avoid trouble. A storyteller she regularly encounters weaves formidable tales, unknowingly providing inspiration for Sarah to aim for a better life. But of course things are never simple. She gets caught up in the crossfire of numerous evil and negative forces that aim to muscle their way into her world, trying to pull Sarah to a darker side. Boiled down, she is trapped between two cultures.  Sarah is an interesting character. She is a tenacious young thing, working hard every day…

See You in Le Touquet: A Memoir of War and Destinyby Romie ChristiePublished by DriverWorks InkReview by Toby A. Welch  $24.95 ISBN 9781927570845 If any book should be made into a movie, it’s this one! See You in Le Touquet reads like a gripping historical fiction novel but it is a true story. Retired Canadian journalist Romie Christie tells the story of her inspiring parents, Sandy and Dorothy, in this fascinating peek into their lives. As Christie points out in the About This Story section in the back of See You in Le Touquet, this is a work of creative nonfiction. “It is based on fact, with some creativity and imagination woven into the story… Throughout this book, I have endeavoured to stay as true to actual events as I was able.” For the parts of the timeline that Christie didn’t have firsthand knowledge of, she assembled the information via personal essays Sandy had written, Le Touquet history books, Dorothy’s diaries, photos, historians, and stories from the family members and friends of her parents.  The cast of characters in See You in Le Touquet is lengthy as many people weave in and out of Dorothy and Sandy’s lives. If you struggle to remember who’s who as I did,…

We Go Where They Go: The Story of Anti-Racist Actionby Shannon Clay, Lady, Kristin Schwartz, and Michael StaudenmaierPublished by University of Regina PressReview by Toby A. Welch$34.95 ISBN 9780889779082 I knew the moment I cracked open We Go Where They Go and saw that it was published by the University of Regina Press that I was in for a stimulating read. Every book I’ve read by the University of Regina Press has stuck with me even years later. They only publish deeply researched works that are powerful and interesting. Even if the subject matter doesn’t initially intrigue you, odds are that it will by the time you finish the book.  Trying to explain what this book is about in a few short paragraphs won’t come close to touching on the depth of the work but let’s give it a go. In response to community invasions in the 1980s by neo-Nazis and white supremacists, people retaliated. Anti-Racist Action (ARA) was formed. Thousands of members strong, the ARA fought against Nazis, the Ku Klux Klan, anti-abortion fundamentalists, and racist police. This is a truly fascinating account of people with a common goal uniting to fight back. As this took place in the era before so much was…

La Nation Provisoire -The Provisional Nationby Laurier GareauPublished by la nouvelle plumeReview by Toby A. Welch  $20.00 ISBN 9782925329053 What a fascinating book for anyone interested in Canadian history or the role of the Métis in our country’s past. The Provisional Nation explores how Louis Riel and Gabriel Dumont – two of the most well-known Métis leaders – approached dealing with colonization; Indigenous people lived through a century and a half of colonization after Canada acquired Rupert’s Land. In this book, Gareau delves deep into the days of the last armed Métis resistance against Canada’s invasion into their traditional lands. I love how The Provisional Nation is laid out. The first half is the French version and the second half – starting at page ninety-nine – is for those who prefer to read English. Once you jump in, the content is written like a play. You’ll find a list of the cast of characters, a description of the stage setting, and then fifty subsequent scenes. [My favourite scene was number thirty-five. It opens with Louis Riel on his knees in prayer. (Riel was allegedly a deeply religious man.) Then Dumont enters the scene and the two discuss what will come next…

My List, My Rules: The Year A Checklist Changed My Lifeby Angie CouniosPublished by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing Review by Toby A. Welch  $29.95 ISBN  9781778690211 Holy smokes – I don’t think I’ve read a memoir more exposed and vulnerable than this one. Usually books in that genre feel a tad curated to me, which takes away from the authenticity you want in a memoir. But not this one. Counios laid it all out there for us and it is magnificent! The layout of this book is genius. I incorrectly assumed that since Counios was going to do 101 things in 365 days, she would just list them and tell us how she tackled each one. Wrong! The 365 days weren’t a calendar year, they were one birthday to the next. So the book is categorized into months, starting with her birthday month: November. I loved that she laid out the book that way as it flowed perfectly with each month having eight or nine random items from her list. (For those of you who like seeing the list in numerical order, you can find that at the back of the book.) This is catalogued as a memoir but it could also be considered a…

The Three Heirsby Monique DesrosiersPublished by Wood Dragon BooksReview by Toby A. Welch$26.99 ISBN 9781990863219 Over a year ago I read an amazing book by Monique Desrosiers, The Cartwright Men Marry. I devoured the book and wanted more from Desrosiers. I was disappointed to find that the book I had just finished was her first novel; there were no others in her repertoire to enjoy. I was bummed but such is life. But recently I learned about The Three Heirs – Monique Desrosiers finally published her second novel! My universe tilted back into alignment. I couldn’t wait to dive back into a world created by Desrosiers’ imagination.  This is the story of a woman who dies and brings three strangers together for the reading of her will. None of them know the recently deceased Delilah but they are all connected. What takes place leading up to the will reveal as well as the fallout afterward will keep you rapidly turning the pages.  The Three Heirs will be a hit with readers of period fiction. The book starts in the 1860s before flashing back to the 1790s and then covers the seven decades in between. Desrosiers clearly researched those decades as she does a great job of making…

The Heathens and the Dragon: A 13th-Century Adventureby Kate A. BoormanPublished by Thistledown PressReview by Toby A. Welch$16.95 ISBN 9781771872478 It’s been decades since I was in middle school, the suggested reading demographic for The Heathens and the Dragon. But I loved every word. Don’t let the age recommendation turn you off if you are a fan of fun historical fiction. This is an enjoyable read that people of all ages can get into.  The Heathens and the Dragon tells the story of a spunky 12-year-old named Elodie. She and her younger brother become orphans when their mother passes away and their master is arrested. Not sure how to survive, they attempt to follow and find him. They head into a forest, which is where the real spice in the book kicks in. They encounter a troubadour – a French medieval lyrical poet – who offers to help them and their amusing pet chicken. To survive, they create a music performance to make money for food and supplies. (The music and magic show they perform is called The Heathens and the Dragon, hence the name of the book.) A prevalent dynamic of the story is Pagan beliefs and rituals as well as resistance toward anyone…