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December 20, 2023
Get Cozy with Open Book: The Open Book Team on Our All-Time Coziest Reads
As the end of a busy year full of ups and downs approaches, we decided to focus on cozy comfort for our 2023 holiday feature – to share the books that bring us calm, comfort, and peace. We hope this ...
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October 25, 2023
Naben Ruthnum on His Delightfully Creepy YA Horror Debut, a Spooky Love Letter to the 90s
Behind the facade of small towns lurk many things – something high schooler Vish knows all too well in acclaimed author Naben Ruthnum's first foray into young adult fiction, The Grimmer (ECW Press).Vish's ...
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October 13, 2023
"Gay Love is So Punk Rock" David Kingston Yeh on Wrapping Up His Celebrated Toronto Trilogy
The B-Side of Daniel Garneau (Guernica Editions) is the final instalment in David Kingston Yeh's iconic trilogy exploring queer love in Toronto, which started with A Boy at the Edge of the World (2018) ...
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September 26, 2023
Elizabeth Ruth on Exploring Coincidences in Her Mesmerizing, Icy New Novel
Anyone who lived in Toronto in 2013 remembers the ice storm of that winter, which brought the city to its knees. It's against this dramatic backdrop that celebrated writer Elizabeth Ruth's new novel Semi-Detached ...
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September 05, 2023
Shari Green on Exploring Anxiety, Grief, & Canada's Favourite Sport in Her New Verse Novel for Young Readers
The verse novel is a tricky feat to pull off, and comparatively rare for that reason. But Shari Green's novels in verse make it look easy, as she tackles complex themes, like inclusion and mental health, ...
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August 30, 2023
Michael Melgaard Delves into the Dark Side of True Crime in His Debut Novel
In many true crime tales, the focus shifts to the intrepid reporter, detective, or armchair expert who is intent on solving a mystery. Or, even more problematically, the story centres—sometimes with ...
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August 23, 2023
Don Gillmor on Families, Secrets, & the Lockpicking Mom in His Brilliant New Novel
In Don Gillmor's new novel, Breaking and Entering (Biblioasis), Beatrice Billings is stuck in the middle-est of middles. At 49, she's dealing with a stagnant marriage, an ailing mother, and a son who ...
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August 15, 2023
Read an Excerpt from Epic Historical Novel Tropical Rose by Debbie Sands
Many families have their own lore and legends but Debbie Sands' family stories were particularly sensational, and she loved to hear them again and again as she grew up.The family's favourite narratives ...
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July 18, 2023
Lucian Childs on Writing a Funny (and Moving) Book about Grief, Trauma, & Queer Coming of Age
Juggling six different points of view and forty years of cultural history would be an impressive feat for a seasoned novelist, but Lucian Childs managed to pull it off—with style, humour, and pathos—in ...
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July 13, 2023
Jean Rae Baxter on Bringing Canadian History to Life in a Captivating Coming of Age Tale
It's hard to imagine anyone asking a 14 year old to strike out on their own now, but in 1837, when Dory Dickson leaves his Niagara home, he's asked to shoulder all of his family's most desperate hopes. ...