Imbued with humor, "Grimwell" is a refreshing take on the hero’s journey. In Michael Belanger’s satirical fantasy novel "Grimwell", simple changes turn a mundane life into one of adventure. Derek, an aimless barista, struggles to... Read More

A template for delving into one’s past to make fresh meaning from its stories, "In Search of You" is a gracious example of pursuing happiness and self-worth. Part memoir, part self-help guide, Kasey Compton’s book "In Search of You"... Read More

"Water Bodies", edited by reporter Laura Paskus, is a mixed-genre anthology that serves as a paean to bodies of water. “In this climate-changed world,” the introduction intones, “we live in an ever-tightening present.” It’s a... Read More

A Canadian woman learns about her family’s past in the excellent graphic memoir "All Our Ordinary Stories". Wong’s mother had a stroke in 2014, prompting a deeper investigation into the family history. Through conversations,... Read More

Sneed B. Collard III took up birdwatching in his adulthood, when his son developed an interest in birds. He records his own experiences and shares plenty of tips for fellow late bloomers in "Birding for Boomers", extolling the variety of... Read More

A grandmother and her granddaughter are entombed in a house whose walls hunger for murderous vengeance in Layla Martínez’s horror novel "Woodworm". The women are trapped in their small town due to the curse of the elder’s father.... Read More

"Arctic Traverse" is a captivating memoir about a fifty-eight-day trek across remote arctic terrain in northern Alaska. During his “990-mile summer,” Michael Engelhard backpacked and floated the length of the Brooks Range, from the... Read More

Lithuanian-Canadian Antanas Sileika’s memoir "The Death of Tony" is about moving between two worlds. Sileika’s parents fled Lithuania following the Soviet takeover in 1944. Sileika grew up outside of Toronto, where he had jaunty... Read More