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| Anthony making himself comfie in the backyard. |
Just Finished
(4 books completed since I last did a reading update. It's been a bit of a slow month)
"Over the past few years, I've been trying to educate myself on Canada's indigenous culture, history, issues. I started with some graphic novels; Katherena Vermette's A Girl Called Echo series, which talks about the history of the Metis in Manitoba, If I Go Missing by Brianna Jonnie, which is a heart breaking letter to the Winnipeg Chief of Police about missing indigenous girls and the lack of support from the police services; Five Little Indians by Michelle Good, a novel about the effects of Canada's residential schools on indigenous children; This Place: 150 Years Retold by Kateri Akiwenzie - Damm, telling the history of Canada (& a look at the future) from indigenous story - tellers; Sugar Falls, a Residential School story by by David A. Robertson, a graphic novel about residential schools; Borders by Thomas King; a graphic about an indigenous mother living in Canada with her son and her efforts to cross the Can / US border to visit her daughter living in the US. There have also been a number of Sci Fi / Dystopic stories written by indigenous authors, all interesting perspectives of the future.
The purpose for listing those books and graphics and novels wasn't to pat myself on the back but to get on to my look at two of my most recent books. The Bad Indians Book Club by Patty Krawec was a fascinating discussion of books in all genres that Patty and her Book Club podcast recommended as they also talked about issues indigenous peoples are facing.
And finally, the subject of this review; Talk Treaty to Me: Understanding the Basics of Treaties and Land in Canada by Crystal Gail Fraser & Sara Komarnisky. This is a non fiction book released in 2026, which goes through Canada's history up until the current day and examines the issues faced by indigenous peoples because of the treaties negotiated with them, first by early settlers, the English, French, Dutch, etc. and then, when Canada became a nation, the treaties negotiated with the Canadian, provincial and territorial governments. I'll say it's a fascinating book, providing me with much information that I didn't know. But at the same time, it's a depressing book as I realize the scope of the treatment that our indigenous peoples, our neighbours, our friends were put through as they tried to learn to deal with and live in harmony with this 'settler class' that was forcing its values and ways down their throats.
The books also covers the pre-colonization / settler era, showing how North America's indigenous peoples made treaties between each other, what a treaty meant to them; a sharing of the land, living harmoniously between each other. That was not always (ever?) the case with settlers arrived. Treaties were negotiated. The understanding of what a treaty meant between the various negotiators varied. To the indigenous peoples, the concept of treaty 'focused on diplomacy and concepts of peace, friendship and non-interference'. The original Dutch settlers considered the relationship to be a paternalistic one, the Dutch as fathers, the indigenous as children. The Haudenosaunee nation rejected this. To them a treaty meant they were Brothers, 'two paths or two vessels traveling down a river together.'
The reason I mentioned all of the other books at first is because this book is kind of the center of a circle and as you branch out, you find the topics discussed in those other books, highlighted here. Residential schools, the Pass Card system meant to keep indigenous people on their reservations, in their country, non recognition of Metis and Inuit as being indigenous and therefore not requiring treaties.
As I say, it's a depressing book, but the more people try to understand the purpose of the book, the history of Canada's treatment of its indigenous population, maybe this relationship can become a more harmonious one. Optimistically, as one of the settler class, I hope small steps have been made and that we can take two steps forward to the one we probably still take back. Canada is a better country if we live harmoniously with everyone else who live here. It makes it a better place.
OK, I'll leave it there. Read the book. (4.0 stars)"
"Wow! Do I need to say anything else about Ring Shout by P. Djèlí Clark? Oh... I do? OK. Well, Ring Shout is historical fiction along with alternate history and horror, all packed up in less than 200 pages. It's about Maryse Boudreaux and her two friends and fellow freedom fighters, Sadie, of the sharp shooting skill and Chef, also known by Cordelia, ex WWI veteran and an expert with bombs. It's 1915 in Macon, Ga. Maryse has a magical sword that channels the anger, guilt, rage of dead slaves, slave traders, etc. These three, along with Nana Jean, a Gullah woman, a kind of witch are fighting for their lives against the Klan.
This more than your average Klan. There are human Klan members but many have been converted to Ku Kluxers, demons who have taken over the bodies of the humans. D W Griffiths The Birth of a Nation. This film is demonized and has brought about a 2nd Klan revival and the demons are hungry. The trio are fighting to get rid of them, to send them back to hell.
But..... But.... the three face an even stronger enemy, led by someone called Butcher Clyde. He wants, needs Maryse to help with his own invasion. Ans he's evil!!! Oh, right, Maryse also has three more mentors, three ladies who live in another time slip (let's call it that), three aunties who chose Maryse after her family was destroyed by Klan monsters. They gave her the sword.
I'll leave the plot there. It's a fascinating story. For a relatively short story, the characters are well fleshed out. The plot moves along quickly. You quickly develop strong feelings for the three women. They are all individuals and fascinating characters. There are secrets. There is lots of action. There is a lot of emotion. You may cry. Clark has grabbed you quickly, got you involved immediately and led you on a breathless race to the end. One of the best books I've read this year. (5.0 stars)"
"Pump Six and Other Stories is the 2nd work by Paolo Bacigalupi that I've enjoyed. The first was The Windup Girl which was a unique dystopian look at the future. At least two of the stories in this collection of 10 are precursors to Windup Girl; The Calorie Man and Yellow Card Man, which features Tranh, who I think becomes Hok Sen in Wind up Girl.
At any rate, overall I enjoyed the stories very much. I think my favorites were Pocketful of Dharma, about a young Asian boy who is paid to deliver a package, discovers its something important... Liked it very much. The Fluted Girl is about two genetically manipulated young girls who are turned into musical instruments and play each other... Weird but fascinating. Calorie Man had many themes that are explored in Windup Girl and while it was a bit, let's say technical in jargon, it was very interesting. Yellow Card Man tells the story of Tranh, a once rich exporter, a Chinese man living in Malay, who is destroyed and is now trying to survive in the Kingdom of Thailand. Great character study.
While some weren't as good as others, and that might have been the themes, all of the stories were different and interesting. Baciogalupi creates interesting situations and characters. I enjoyed exploring this collection as it gave a perspective of the range of his story telling. I have two more of his books on my shelf. Looking forward to checking them out. (3.5 stars)"
"I saw How to Survive the End of the World: A Graphic Exploration of How to (Maybe) Avoid Extinction by Katy Doughty when I was wandering through my local book store and it looked interesting enough to check out. And I hadn't purchased a new book in a little while so what the hey.
Kate Doughty is a cartoonist and public health researcher and this book seems right up her alley. It examines possible world extinction events using history, science, analysis by experts and also great art work. The book is divided into various possible activities / events that might end civilization; plagues (viruses), nuclear explosions / volcanoes, climate activity, AI, asteroids / meteors and cosmic collapse (the Big Bang in reverse, aka Gnab Gib).
So, as a subject matter, it's kind of depressing subject but Doughty manages to also inject positivity in the story. But that doesn't mean that the subject shouldn't be taken seriously, especially the chapters on Climate Meltdown and Pandemics. Something has to be reversed in our way of treating the planet.
Because it's in a graphic novel format, the subjects are somewhat glossed over, but there is still lots of interesting facts and information. And Doughty does not play down the information, it's very thoughtful and quite scientific at times. Interesting book for dangerous times. (3.5 stars)"
Currently Reading
"Created in a 1950s comic strip that is still in syndication in more than 40 countries today, the stories of Modesty Blaise have spawned a cult following around the world. These are the first new Modesty stories in 11 years, and they span her career, from the early days of running the Network, to her shadowy work for British Intelligence. From Tangier, to the Pyrenees, to a South American jungle—Modesty and her trusted lieutenant Willie Garvin dispatch an old nemesis, upset a particularly wicked gang of kidnappers, and risk their lives to rescue old friends from certain death. The skill and nerve that Modesty and her accomplices display in combat and under pressure will delight Modesty fans, both new and old."
"The Inspector has been framed for murder! He is found by the police in an empty house with the body of a dead girl near him, battered with an axe bearing West's fingerprints, and the identification in his wallet is not his own! He risks his career, life and the safety of everyone close to him as he untangles this set-up."
"A graphic novel about two irresistible cat friends on a journey to find their forever home—a journey inspired by the magic of art and storytelling.
Cilla and Betto are two friends who need a place to call home. The docks in Valletta are too wet, and the scraps of food too scarce. The city’s streets are too busy, and the humans too unreliable.But what about the quiet garden from old kitten tales—a place where all cats are welcome, and the humans are always kind? Could the stories really be true?
As Cilla and Betto embark on a grand adventure to find out, they begin to spin a tale of their own—one that will take them through the art and stories of many journeyers who came before, and that will bring them to a surprising destination."
Award-winning author Premee Mohamed presents three brand new stories set in this morally ambiguous world of war and magic. In “One Message Remains,” Major Lyell Tzajos leads his team on a charity mission through the post-armistice world of East Seudast, exhuming the bones and souls of dead foes for repatriation. But the buried fighters may have one more fight left in them—and they have chosen their weapons well.
In “The Weight of What is Hollow,” Taya is the latest apprentice of a long-honored tradition: building the bone-gallows for prisoners of war. But her very first commission will pit her skills against both her family and her oppressor.
Finally, in “Forsaking All Others,” ex-soldier Rostyn must travel the little-known ways by night to avoid his pursuers, for desertion is punishable by death. As he flees to the hoped-for sanctuary of his grandmother's village, he is joined by a fellow deserter—and, it seems, the truth of a myth older than the land itself.
“Premee Mohamed is one of Canada's most exciting thinkers and writers of speculative fiction. Her stories bravely go where few dare to, each employing a deftness of language and surety of form that offers a fresh experience each time. One Message Remains and the stories within are no exception, each tale different from the other, yet all very much quintessential Premee stories. Readers of her works, long and short both, will find much to love here.” — Suyi Davies Okungbowa, author of Son of the Storm and Lost Ark Dreaming"
Captain Tova Lir chose a life as a courier rather than get involved in her family’s illustrious business in politics. Set in humanity’s far future, hiring a planetary courier is essential for delivering private messages across the stars.
Encouraged by friends, Tova begins mentoring baby bots, juvenile AI who are developmentally in their teens, and trains them how to interact within society essentially becoming their foster mom. Her latest charge, Agatha Panza von Sparkles, named herself on their first run from Luna to Phoebe station. But on their return, they encounter a derelict spaceship and a lurking assassin, igniting a thrilling chase across the solar system.
Tova and Agatha’s daring actions leave Agatha’s mind vulnerable, relying on Tova’s former AI pupils for help. As Tova starts gathering her scattered family around her, she is chased through the solar system by forces who want her captured and her family erased. This debut science fiction novel by National Book Award–winning author William Alexander is a must-read for fans of Becky Chambers and Ursula K. Le Guin. Lovers of poignant science fiction, where the bonds of found family, the evolution of AI, and the building distrust of centuries of bias, come together in this visionary look at humanity’s future."
The Kaul family is one of two crime syndicates that control the island of Kekon. It's the only place in the world that produces rare magical jade, which grants those with the right training and heritage superhuman abilities.
The Green Bone clans of honorable jade-wearing warriors once protected the island from foreign invasion--but nowadays, in a bustling post-war metropolis full of fast cars and foreign money, Green Bone families like the Kauls are primarily involved in commerce, construction, and the everyday upkeep of the districts under their protection.
When the simmering tension between the Kauls and their greatest rivals erupts into open violence in the streets, the outcome of this clan war will determine the fate of all Green Bones and the future of Kekon itself."
Poor, vicious Locinda Lo is a nobody with a powerful witch for a grandmother and an undead corpse-kid-sister as her only friend. A broke MFA dropout living in Vancouver with six roommates and zero job prospects, she’s buried so deep in debt she might as well be six feet under—and her family is in danger of being buried along with her.
Desperate to escape her financial woes and save her grandmother and sister, Locinda signs a contract with a nefarious company, Joyful Coffin & Co. Matchmaking Services, to be auctioned off as a corpse bride to the highest bidder. Next thing she knows, she’s being smuggled underground into the damp caves where her training coffin awaits.
As Locinda prepares for a rich, dying dearly beloved to claim her as his bride-to-be in the Afterlife, her past becomes twisted with that of her grandmother, Baozhai. A feared and revered Villain Hitter, or witchy curse-monger, Baozhai’s legacy stretches from 1920s China to the Battle of Hong Kong in the 40s to New York City thereafter. Across the generational divide, one thing becomes achingly clear to them you can’t outrun your ghosts.
Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies is a daring, genre-bending meditation on life, death, and the murderous cost of living in between. It lays bare the societal and cultural expectations placed on Chinese women and the devastating price of enduring them. This chilling masterclass in fiction cements Lindsay Wong as one of the most provocative Canadian horror writers of our time."
A novel about love, friendship, courage, and the idea that the land has within it powers of healing, Medicine Walk reveals the ultimate goodness of its characters and offers a deeply moving and redemptive conclusion. Wagamese's writing soars and his insight and compassion are matched by his gift of communicating these to the reader."
Slow Gods is the galaxy-spanning tale of one man's impossible life charted against the fate of humanity amongst the stars—a powerfully imaginative space opera from multi-award-winning author Claire North.
In telling my story, there are certain things I should perhaps lie about. I should make myself a hero. Pretend I was not used by strangers and gods, did not leave people behind.
Here is one out there in deep space, in the pilot's chair, I died. And then, I was reborn. I became something not quite human, something that could speak to the infinite dark. And I vowed to become the scourge of the world that wronged me.
This is the story of the supernova event that burned planets and felled civilizations. This is also the story of the many lives I've lived since I died for the first time.
Are you listening?"
