New Releases this October

The Clay Girl by Heather Tucker

Born into an abusive family and denied the comfort of her loving, supportive aunt, Ari Appleton defies the odds and is able to love and be loved. The Clay Girl is a beautiful tour de force about a child sculpted by kindness, cruelty, and the extraordinary power of imagination.

“Tucker's triumphant debut novel is the story of a childhood lost, a family found, and a coming-of-age, recounted in precise and poetic language. . . It is at times difficult to read, but this novel is worth every moment of pain and every tear.” — Publishers Weekly, starred 

“In Ari Appleton, Heather Tucker has created an unforgettable little girl whose resilience in the face of heartbreaking circumstances is remarkable. The Clay Girl tackles a difficult subject with tenderness, empathy and unflinching honesty.” — Lynne Kutsukake, author of The Translation of Love

A Desolate Splendor by John Jantunen

Raw and unflinching, A Desolate Splendor weaves a stark, and eerily familiar, portrayal of life on the brink of extinction and heralds the rise of an exciting new voice in apocalyptic fiction.

“John Jantunen has written a fierce, intelligent, and heartwrenching end-of-days saga. While I had pleasant flashbacks to Robert R. McCammon's masterful Swan Song while reading A Desolate Splendor, what Jantunen has done in these pages is distinct, galvanic, and very much his own.” — Craig Davidson

“A Desolate Splendor is a bleak and luminescent elegy, a frontier novel masquerading as post-apocalyptic fiction and vice versa. One of the most intense CanLit novels of all time.” —Clifford Jackman, author of The Winter Family

House of Blazes by Dietrich Kalteis

After being set up for a crime he didn’t commit and having his barroom, House of Blazes, seized, Levi Hayes returns from San Quentin Prison and he’s out for gold — and blood.

“Kalteis offers a shoot-'em-up from the get-go, adding a twist by making the principal player a hard-to-cheer-for ex-con seeking revenge while in the middle of a natural disaster.” — Kirkus Reviews

“Populated with a diverse cast of well-drawn characters . . . this book is for readers who like their history gritty and action-packed.” — Publishers Weekly 

Jogging with the Great Ray Charles by Kenneth Sherman

Sherman ponders our human transience while searching for “a voice to stand time’s test.” But in addition to his intensely lyrical work, Sherman confronts health concerns in a language that is Shaker-plain. 

The Blomidon Logs by Deirdre Dwyer

Set in the small community of Blomidon on Nova Scotia’s Bay of Fundy, The Blomidon Logs starts with the stories of Glooscap and a leaky old cabin. The book moves back in time to the generations who preceded the author at Blomidon, providing a rich heritage of farm land, beach, and stories.

One Night Only by Ken Reid 

One Night Only brings you the stories of 39 men who lived the dream — only to see it fade away almost as quickly as it arrived. This book consists of interviews with players who played one game, and one game only, in the NHL — including the most famous single-gamer of them all: Don Cherry.

“A brisk and occasionally uplifting volume for hockey nerds everywhere . . . It’s easy to hold up Wayne Gretzky or Sidney Crosby as hockey inspiration, but statistically speaking, they are the outliers. The players in this book offer a much more practical guide to making it in life.” — Quill & Quire

“Each story eats at you—on one hand you feel sorry for the player because he didn't get another opportunity, but on the flip side, they all got to play that one game in The Show! Who knew one game could create so many great stories. Well done, Ken!” — Daren Millard, Host NHL on Sportsnet 

This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall by John Semley

This book chronicles and life and times of the Kids in the Hall, the legendary Canadian sketch comedy troupe formed in Toronto in 1984 and best known for the innovative, hilarious, zeitgeist-capturing sketch show.

 “Semley's comprehensive and engagingly written book will appeal primarily to fans of the Kids and also those interested in the history of the comedy scene of the 1980s and 1990s.” — Library Journal  

“Finally! The Kids in the Hall gets the book their legendary body of work deserves. Just like its subject matter, This Is a Book About the Kids in the Hall is funny, insightful, freewheeling, and strangely touching.” – Tom Scharpling, host of the The Best Show