Liberty Street


Dianne Warren - 2015
    The reverberations drive her back to the past and her mother’s old rental property, the lone house in a failed subdivision called Liberty Street.There, memories are ghosts: Frances’s mother on her way to Nashville to become a country singer; her father determined to run his farm despite his failing eyesight; the town’s bad apple, Dooley Sullivan; a string of renters including the December bride, Esme Bigalow, and a man who met a tragic end, Silas Chance.When a domestic mishap and a torrential hailstorm send Frances to the questionable safety of an eccentric neighbour’s kitchen, she learns just how unreliable memory is, and that she was not the only one whose life after Elliot, Saskatchewan was determined by half-truths and bad decisions.With depth, insight and the subtle humour for which she is known, Dianne Warren gives us an engrossing and touching new novel about disappointment, anger and the redemptive power of kindness.

Carried Away: A Personal Selection of Stories


Alice Munro - 2006
    The stories brought together here span a quarter century, drawn from some of her earliest books, The Beggar Maid and The Moons of Jupiter, through her recent best-selling collection, Runaway. Here are such favorites as “Royal Beatings” in which a young girl, her father, and stepmother release the tension of their circumstances in a ritual of punishment and reconciliation; “Friend of My Youth” in which a woman comes to understand that her difficult mother is not so very different from herself; and “The Albanian Virgin," a romantic tale of capture and escape in Central Europe that may or may not be true, told by an elderly married woman to her younger friend who is on a desperate adventure of her own..Munro’s incomparable empathy for her characters, the depth of her understanding of human nature, and the grace and surprise of her narrative add up to a richly layered and capacious fiction. Like the World War I soldier in the title story, whose letters from the front to a small-town librarian he doesn’t know change her life forever, Munro’s unassuming characters insinuate themselves in our hearts and take permanent hold.Carried Away, Alice Munro's Best and My Best Stories contain the same 17 works: Royal beatings -- The beggar maid -- The turkey season -- The moons of Jupiter -- The progress of love -- Miles City, Montana -- Friend of my youth -- Meneseteung -- Differently -- Carried away -- The Albanian virgin -- A wilderness station -- Vandals -- Hateship, friendship, courtship, loveship, marriage -- Save the reaper -- Runaway -- The bear came over the mountain.

The Illegal


Lawrence Hill - 2015
    Keita can only be safe if he keeps moving and eludes Hamm and the officials who would deport him to his own country, where he will face almost certain death.This is the new underground. A place where tens of thousands of people deemed to be “illegal” live below the radar of the police and government officials.As Keita surfaces from time to time to earn cash prizes by running local road races, he has to assess whether the people he meets are friends or enemies: John Falconer, a gifted student intent on making a documentary about AfricTown; Ivernia Beech, an elderly woman who is at risk of being forced into an assisted living facility; Rocco Stanton, a recreational marathoner who is the Immigration Minister; Lula DiStefano, self-declared Queen of AfricTown and Madame of the community’s infamous brothel; and Viola Hill, one of the only black reporters in the country, who is investigating the possibility of corruption linking the highest officials in Freedom State and Zantoroland.Keita’s very existence in Freedom State is illegal. As he trains in secret, eluding capture, the stakes keep getting higher. Soon, he is running not only for his life, but his sister’s life, too.Fast-moving and compelling, The Illegal addresses the fate of an undocumented refugee who struggles to survive in a nation that does not want him.

Late and Posthumous Poems, 1968-1974


Pablo Neruda - 1994
    Ben Belitt, a distinguished poet in his own right, is widely regarded as the leading translator of Neruda into English. Here he has given us a Neruda as fecund and engaged as ever, ceaselessly spinning the strands of his great, seamless life's work.

Pedal


Chelsea Rooney - 2014
    It confronts difficult material in a frank and unflinching manner, yet remains grounded in an abiding authorial intelligence. Pedal marks the debut of a hugely promising writer.”–Steven W. Beattie, Quill & Quire“Julia, the protagonist of this intense first novel, is a psychology grad student who risks everything to pursue scientific research in truly forbidden territory: sexual attraction between adults and children. She persists in her quest in spite of skeptical friends, fragile relatives, a squeamish thesis advisor, an enigmatic bike-tour companion, severe social taboos, and her own painful memories of a birth father she calls Dirtbag–not to prove any point but to find out what lies beyond the conventional wisdom. This is an unsettling novel–smart, fierce, confident, funny, and full of surprises–with an unforgettable young woman at the heart of the storm.”–Mary Schendlinger, Senior Editor, Geist“[…] a taut, unsettling, and provoking debut novel […] [Chelsea Rooney] ought to be commended for perceptively addressing such a difficult and inflammatory (and decidedly uncommercial) topic with a subtlety that’s buoyed by ample empathy.”–Brett Josef Grubisic, Vancouver Sun“Pedal is a brave and captivating book, written with an unflinching eye and a deep understanding of the torment that is the human condition. Chelsea Rooney is a major talent.”–Steven Galloway, author of The Confabulist and The Cellist of SarajevoJulia Hoop, a twenty-five-year-old counselling psych student, is working on her thesis, exploring an idea which makes her graduate supervisor squirm. She is conducting interview after interview with a group of women she affectionately calls the Molestas—women whose experience of childhood sexual abuse did not cause physical trauma. Julia is the expert, she claims, because she has the experience; her own father, Dirtbag, disappeared when she was eight leaving behind nothing but a legacy of addiction and violence.When both her boyfriend and her graduate advisor break up with her on the same day, Julia leaves her city of Vancouver on a bicycle for a cross-Canada trip in search of her father, or so she tells people. Her unexpected travel partner is Smirks, a handsome athlete who also has a complicated history. Their travel days are marked by peaks of ecstatic physical exertion, and their nights by frustrated drinking and drugs. After an unsettling incident in rural Saskatchewan involving a trio of aggressive children, Julie wakes up in the morning to discover Smirks has disappeared. Everything, once again, falls apart.Sometimes shocking in its candour, yet charmed with enigmatic characters, Pedal explores how we are shaped by accidents of timing—trauma and sex, brain chemistry and the landscape of our country—and challenges beliefs we hold dear about the nature of pedophilia, the essence of innocence and the idea that the past is something one runs from.

Debbie: An Epic


Lisa Robertson - 1997
    One of the more remarkable books of poetry to appear in a long time, Lisa Robertson's DEBBIE: AN EPIC was a finalist for the 1998 Governor General's Award for Poetry. As arresting as the cover image, Robertson's strong, confident voice echoes a wide range of influences from Virgil to Edith Sitwell, yet remains unique and utterly unmistakable for that of any other writer. Brainy, witty, sensual, demonstrating a commanding grasp of language and rhetoric, DEBBIE: AN EPIC is nevertheless inviting and easy to read, even fun. Its eponymous heroine will annihilate your preconceptions about poetry - and about the name "Debbie

Island: The Complete Stories


Alistair MacLeod - 2000
    Quietly, precisely, he has created a body of work that is among the greatest to appear in English in the last fifty years.A book-besotted patriarch releases his only son from the obligations of the sea. A father provokes his young son to violence when he reluctantly sells the family horse. A passionate girl who grows up on a nearly deserted island turns into an ever-wistful woman when her one true love is felled by a logging accident. A dying young man listens to his grandmother play the old Gaelic songs on her ancient violin as they both fend off the inevitable. The events that propel MacLeod's stories convince us of the importance of tradition, the beauty of the landscape, and the necessity of memory.

The Ghost of Jeopardy Belle (The Ghosts of Summerleigh Book 2)


M.L. Bullock - 2018
    Supernatural sightings at the old house increase along with Jerica's terror. As the former nurse ponders her future, she has to work to help other ghosts at Summerleigh...and save herself. The Ghost of Jeopardy Belle is Book Two in The Ghosts of Summerleigh series. Scroll up and grab your copy of this haunting tale today! The Ghost of Jeopardy Belle is Book Two in The Ghosts of Summerleigh series.

Billionaire Vacation: The Complete Series (Alpha Billionaire Romance Love Story)


Nella Tyler - 2016
    Not only did she need summer break the way all teachers do, but she also needed to get away from life for a while—and leave the humiliation of her fiancé dumping her a month before the wedding behind. What better way to relax than a month-long stay in Hawaii? Things get off to a rough start when Megan makes a fool of herself at the baggage carousel, but lucky for her, handsome Drake Hanover is there to sweep her off her feet—or rather, get her back on them. And, as fate would have it, they are staying at the same resort, one which Drake intends to buy. While adventure was part of the plan, the two of them, and a few friends, find themselves caught up in the adventure of a lifetime—one that involves shadowy figures, plenty of deception, and a lot of hidden treasure. And what better way to fall in love than over a little bit of danger in paradise? Billionaire Vacation is a steamy alpha billionaire romance. No cliffhanger and has a HEA. Includes 3 free bonus full-length novels for a limited time.

The Hunter Brothers


K.J. Bell - 2015
    This box set includes all four books in The Irreparable Series. “A heart-stopping emotional series you won’t be able to put down.” “These books are romantic, sexy, heartbreaking and funny!” “If you love romance, angst and a good plot these books are for you.” Book one: Irreparably Broken Appearances are not always reality… That’s what twenty-year old Tori discovers when she moves in with her best friend, Liv for the summer. Liv’s older brother Brady is everything Tori knows is wrong for her, yet he invokes emotions deep in her soul that she’s never felt with anyone else. When the two eventually succumb to their feelings, Tori realizes Brady is not the same confident guy she’s secretly loved for years. Tori desperately wants Brady to confide in her, but he refuses to talk about the secrets that have drastically changed his life. Turning to the one person that always makes her laugh, she begins spending time with the younger brother, Tug. The two grow closer and Tori wonders if her feelings for Tug run deeper than the “just buddies” status they’ve always shared. As she begins to explore her feelings, the conflict between brothers she’d hoped to avoid erupts. She has to choose. When Brady finally reveals his secrets, Tori makes her decision; one that may leave them all Irreparably Broken. Book Two: Irreversible Damage With their past behind them and a baby on the way, life for Brady and Tori is finally on track. That is, until tragedy divides them. Unable to cope, Tori moves to Minnesota to be with her parents. Heartbroken and alone, Brady throws himself into his music. His career takes off, and Tori assumes Brady left her behind. After a chance run in with Brady’s brother, Tug, Tori makes a decision. One that leads to Irreversible Damage. Book Three: Tug Aidan Hunter lost the only girl he ever loved to his older brother. To numb his pain, he drinks in excess, parties too hard, and sleeps with countless women. When his family expresses concern, he does what he's been taught to do—fake it and pretend his life is perfect. Pretend he loves his new girl and pretend his heart isn’t broken. Maria Santiago is simply trying to survive each day until she finishes college. As a single mother, life is a constant struggle. Add running from a dangerous past and working in the oldest profession, and all she has is hope for a better life. Hope one day she will no longer feel shame and hope her past never catches up with her. After Aidan pays to spend one wild night with Maria, pretending to be unaffected by her is impossible. Their night comes to an explosive end and Maria hopes she never sees him again, but Aidan refuses to give up. As Maria begins to accept that Aidan’s feelings for her are genuine, someone from her past threatens her life. Aidan’s not intimidated and takes a huge risk to protect her. Will the risk pay off and allow Aidan the opportunity to provide Maria with the better life she’s been hoping for? Book Four: The Hustle Aidan Hunter’s heart has been broken twice. The first time was his mistake; Tori belonged to his brother. The second time, an entirely different kind of void remained. After months of trying to understand how Maria perpetrated such heartless betrayal, the only thing Aidan has left is the desire to seek revenge. With everything in place to work the hustle of a lifetime, Aidan learns the truth and he’ll stop at nothing to get Maria back.

(w)holehearted: a collection of poetry and prose


Sara Bawany - 2018
    it is the facade that many of us peruse our lives carrying, often neglecting our pain, our mental health, and most importantly, the way we are more prone to hurting others when we lack this self-awareness. (w)holehearted seeks to encompass as many stories as possible, touching on several topics, namely, spirituality, feminism, colorism, domestic violence, intersectionality, mental health and more. it aims to depict that anyone with the darkest past and pitfalls can still save themselves from drowning in the difficulties that not only plague our world, but also plague our hearts.

The Beautiful Game: Sixteen Girls and the Soccer Season That Changed Everything


Jonathan Littman - 1998
    They were a ragtag team of girls who wanted to play soccer, and no one took them seriously. Their male coach expected little from his "ladies, " and their mediocre performance convinced them he was right.Then a kind of miracle happened. Emiria Salzmann, Thunder's new coach, a top player herself, knew what it took to win--discipline, relentless drills, thigh-burning sprints, and an inspired passing game. The girls hated it, but their coach never let up. Tough and determined, she showed them what it felt like to be winners--and they loved it. As the momentum grew with a string of victories, the girls thrived on the competition, believing they had the right stuff to become champions.They were right! With spirits soaring, Thunder won its league on the last day of the season and headed for the state cup, emerging not just as powerful athletes but as strong, confident, emotionally healthy human beings--champions in the game of soccer, and in the game of life.

Revolution on Canvas, Volume 2: Poetry from the Indie Music Scene


Rich Balling - 2007
    'Revolution on Canvas' presents another collection of poetry from some of the country's most popular indie-rock bands, including Deftones, Fall Out Boy, Armor For Sleep, and Say Anything.

Inside


Kenneth J. Harvey - 2006
    John’s neighbourhood after fourteen years in prison, he is swarmed by old friends and enemies, and a wife who hasn’t exactly been waiting for him. A cruel twist of fate has made Myrden famous: any wrongfully accused man released after such a lengthy incarceration is soon to be rich.He clings to his young granddaughter and an old love, hoping his coming settlement can free them from the cycles of revenge and failure that have marked his life. But old scores are not so easily left unsettled.Written in abrupt prose that brilliantly reflects Myrden’s cautious evaluation of everyone and everything in the overwhelming outside world, Inside pulls the reader forward with the quiet, creeping gravity of Greek tragedy. It is a story about the best kind of friend, the life a man can’t believe he deserves and the value of trying, no matter how doomed he seems to fail, to bring hope into the lives of those still worth loving.From the Hardcover edition.

A Conceptual Circus


Kenneth Jarrett Singleton - 2017
    Carry your sword, my prophetess. Obstinate contumacy training. Find the objective that is more draining. More strenuous tasks will make you grow. Pain upon you I bestow. I’ll take it all and nothing less. I claim it back; I repossess. Tip the scale; Turn it over. Mark the unused; What’s leftover. The main part no longer exists; Despite the reduction, it persists. Continued movement; A quest for traction. An opposite and negative reaction. Hex induced metamorphosis; Reoccur once again for us. Physically and internally changing. The process of rearranging. The alteration was so fitting. Now they’re pausing; They’re intermitting. In reaffirming the causation; Keep kempt, and maintain your original explanation. Wear our serpent, prophetess; Prior to you was profitless. The soil was sown with no reaping. Tear our hearts out for your keeping. Beyond the boundaries of what is permitted. Reward me for the sins I’ve committed. My acts were bold; Caress my flesh. I give it all and nothing less. The facsimile will shudder. Express what it is I utter. Amidst psychos and others. Among psychos and others. Live with vigor; Efficiently transfigure. Disfigure; Change his figure. Make it so; Mark the torso. Undergo; Nock the torso. Let it grow; Open the torso. Let him know; Carve the torso.