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Out of New Nova Scotia Kitchens 
By Craig Flinn
Formac 

Craig Flinn is a champion of Nova Scotia cooking and is giving new life to old recipes in his latest book. Out of New Nova Scotia Kitchens takes inspiration from local staples including donair, lobster rolls and seafood chowder. Having enjoyed these foods his entire life, Flinn is re-imagining classic dishes making them accessible to everyone in every kitchen. 

Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens (revised edition): Nightingale ...

Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens 
By Marie Nightingale
Nimbus Publishing 

Out of Old Nova Scotia Kitchens is here to stay, bringing old recipes into new kitchens. First published in 1970, the classic cookbook has since found a home in pantries across the Maritimes. Providing more than just traditional recipes, the bestseller tells the history and stories of food across the region. The book is detailed with simple illustrations and bits of food lore that further add to its timeless quality. 

The Mermaid Handbook 
By Taylor Widrig
Nimbus Publishing 

The Mermaid Handbook tells a story of protecting the ocean and honouring where our food comes from. Told from the perspective of a mermaid, Taylor Widrig’s first book provides fun ways to cook with seaweed, while cultivating love and respect for the ocean. Her favourite recipes featured in the book include sticky rice panda bears and micro-fudge truffle balls. 

 

From Rum to Rhubarb: Modern Recipes for Newfoundland Berries ...

From Rum to Rhubarb 
By Roger Pickavance
Boulder Books 

Roger Pickavance’s latest book was inspired by his home in Newfoundland and Labrador. From Rum to Rhubarb is more personal than his first two books, featuring some of his favourite recipes, which he tested in his own kitchen. The fruits, vegetables and berries that grow in the province are some of the best in the world, and Pickavance has showcased them in new, creative ways. 

East Coast Keto | Breakwater Books Ltd. 

East Coast Keto 
By Bobbi Pike and Geoff Pike
Breakwater Books 

Bobbi Pike has put together a collection of over 120 recipes that offer an introduction to the keto diet and simplifies meals for those already following a ketogenic lifestyle. Offering flavourful low-carb meals, East Coast Keto is a practical guide to health and wellness based on Pike’s personal health journey. The book provides easy to understand information about the keto diet and tips to simplify keto cooking. 

Some Good Sweet Treats | Breakwater Books Ltd.

Some Good: Sweet Treats 
By Jessica Mitton
Breakwater Books 

If you are here for the dessert, Jessica Mitton has got you covered. Some Good: Sweet Treats is her second cookbook, guaranteed to satisfy your sweet tooth with no guilt attached. All of her recipes are gluten-free and dairy-free, leaving you feeling, well,  some good! 

The East Coast's Best Lobster Rolls (English and English Edition ...

The East Coast’s Best Lobster Roll 
By Virginia Lee
Formac 

Everyone is in search of the best lobster roll, and now you don’t need to leave your kitchen to find it! The East Coast’s Best Lobster Rolls features 50 recipes honouring the tried-and-true Atlantic treat. From simple to fancy, there is a roll for every occasion in Virginia Lee’s imaginative new book. 

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In Carol Hobbs’ first book of poetry, New-found-land, the poet brings the perspective of someone who has spent equal parts living in and leaving Newfoundland, a place which she still longs to be as an expat living in Boston. What she left behind is a “Perfect World” (the first section of the book, detailing the poet’s Newfoundland upbringing), later destined to a life in “Exile” (the second section, which predominantly shares her life in America, punctuated by reminders of home).  

In the first section, common outport themes like hunting, fishing and foraging are recalled with the innocence of childhood memories: “The caribou’s eyes are open so I sing to it. . . My father hums along, and cuts away the skin from the severed hind quarter” (p.28). Familiar references, for example, to the 1992 cod fishery collapse, offer original insights: “the people scatter into the dark quadrants of the mainland, broken, their mouths open—the desperate thirst of them” and “Houses flake paint over stones, over gardens… boats sinking into indiscriminate ground” (p.36). Her language is evocative and lyrical, for example, describing a whale’s eye as “oily in the dark cup, me mirrored in the eye-slick” (p.3); while, of a bonfire, she writes: “Sweet myrrh and spruce needles tangled like worms in the knit of sweaters… flankers spit into the night, fell back smoking onto our hair” (p.13). 

For those raised in the province, they’ll especially appreciate the references only a Newfoundlander could muster such as to mom’s preordained suppers (“Fridays, salt fish in drawn butter”) (p.7); a pantry of traditional bottled goods (“Cabbage pickles with bright mustard and black beads of pepper” p.19); and nan’s quilt-making (“On hands and knees, she mapped out the world of the garment” p.15).  

In the second section, Hobbs shares milestones from adulthood like the failing health of her parents—first her mother (p.40), then her father (p.59); how she became a writer (in line at a bookstore, p.64-65); and her encounter with 20th-century American poet, John Ashbury (1927-2017) (p.66). Most telling is her poem, Exile, where she reveals the parts of herself that have persisted, even after considerable time away: “Some accents take longer than others to dissolve” and “I like to be called my love, my lass” (p.71). 

While most of the book is an ode to family and culture, the final poem, “New-found-land,” pays homage to land, sea and wildlife: “In the beginning Conception Bay was gold in that soft belly of kelp. There were green rocks smoothed and thrown to oval, and squids full of circular scars” (p.73). It’s a perfect note on which to end this poetry collection – an enjoyable read for Newfoundlanders, expats and visitors alike. 

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“What are you grateful for?” 

That’s the question Nova Scotia author Janice Landry poses to 17 different people—herself included—in Silver Linings: Stories of Gratitude, Resiliency and Growth Through Adversity. 

This unique project marks the award-winning writer’s fifth book. Like her past works, it is deeply personal, for the author and her subjects. 

Landry’s journalistic talent for putting people at ease is evident. Every chapter is laid out in a captivating combination of interviewee biography, her own perspective of the interview, and transcript of those candid conversations. She spoke with fifteen Canadians and two Americans, many whom have overcome hard-to-fathom adversity with grace and the very gratitude that is Landry’s focus.  

Take, for instance, fellow Nova Scotians Paula Simon and Robert Chisolm, who lost their son at eight months old, but speak of the gift of loss. Or the book’s prologue writer, Saskatchewan native Alvin Law, a professional speaker who is most grateful for “being born without arms, because it sent my life on the course I have taken with pride and honour.”  

There’s also paramedic Stefanie Davis Miller of Paris, Ontario, who was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder—she prefers the stigma-reducing term PTSI, or Post-Traumatic Stress Injury. She suffered multiple unrelated traumas. Her wrenching stories of emotional survival accompany many others from first responders, who are near and dear to the author’s heart.  

Opening up about your personal traumas and darkest times is no easy task, especially knowing they will be printed for public consumption. One of Landry’s gifts is sharing these often-troubling yet relatable stories with a real sense of compassion and empathy. 

Landry herself lost her firefighter father Baz Landry in 2006. She shares his story in The Sixty Second Story: When Lives are on the Line. She also lost her dear friend Audrey Parker, who chose to leave on her own terms November 1, 2018, through Canada’s MAID (Medical Assistance in Dying) program, after her breast cancer spread aggressively. Most recently, Landry suddenly lost her mother, Theresa, while working on Silver Linings.  

“It took me more than a year, and until after my mother died, to figure out my answer to this question,” Landry writes. “I am most grateful that my father, Capt. Basil (Baz) Landry, M.B., of the Halifax Fire Department did not die in the 1978 house fire from which he and his colleagues recued an eight-week-old infant. Our collective ability to cope, as a family, would have been severely diminished.” 

Like her interview subjects, and like us, Landry has her own stories of resiliency through hardship. She doesn’t hesitate to follow the openness of the people she profiles by pouring her own heart out on the page. 

Dr. Robert Emmons, a California-based gratitude expert, perhaps answers her question most succinctly, in a way that seems to sum up the overall sentiment of Silver Linings. His source of gratitude?  

“I’d have to say it’s the ability to love and be loved,” he says. “I think that would take precedence.” 

For Landry, who dedicates this book to her friend Audrey and mother Theresa, Silver Linings is clearly a labour of love. 

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Seasons Before the War
Bernice Morgan, illustrated by Brita Granstrom
Running the Goat, Books & Broadsides
(Ages5-13)

In this tale that begins, “Once upon a time, long, long ago…” author Bernice Morgan lovingly recounts the joys and trials of everyday life in her childhood home of St. John’s, Newfoundland. With the Second World War casting a vague but ominous shadow, she and her siblings spent their days playing in the streets and fields, the back alleys and parks.

There were more horses than trucks at that time, and in their neighbourhood there were bulls-eye shops and a blacksmith shop, dressmakers and shoemakers and a carpenter shop where their father worked. 

Morgan recalls starting school—and the disappointment it turned out to be despite the exquisite pencil box Aunt Sophie bought her—and the long, cold winters, the almost unbearable anticipation of the announcement that Toyland would soon open, meaning that Christmas was very near. Fond memories of simpler times, just before the world would change forever, that she holds in her heart even still.

This nostalgic recollection of a particular time and place exudes a sense of wistful longing and the sober recognition of how much has changed. Morgan’s poetic descriptions are vivid and evocative, and tinged with the sadness of knowing what dreadful darkness lay just around the corner.

For young readers of today, it feels like the best type of picture-book diary: one that is heartfelt and affectionate as it portrays the small but meaningful minutiae of daily life in a different time.

This beautiful ode to times past is also a coffee-table book to be savoured by adults. Brita Granstrom’s delicate and intricate illustrations are a perfect complement to the text, beautifully depicting each scene with myriad details. The free and sketchy brushwork gives them a vague and indistinct quality that suits the narrative.

Exquisitely designed, written and illustrated, this is a charming work of historical fiction/remembrance.

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Half Spent was the Night 
Ami McKay
Knopf Canada

In southern German tradition, Rauhnacht refers to the period corresponding with the 12 days of Christmas, between December 21 and theEpiphany in early January. In these waning days of the old year, legend has it, the souls of the deceased, in league with dark forces, return to the Earth to wreak mischief and mayhem. Various practices evolved to combat the unwelcome visitors from the dark side: frightened folk in masks and costumes held noisy processions in the streets or smoked out their houses with incense to cleanse them of the pesky spirits.

The name means literally “rough night,” but may also be related to Rauch, smoke. This carnivalesque limbo period of spiritual upheaval is the setting for Ami McKay’s latest offering, Half Spent Was the Night, a sequel to her popular 2016 novel, The Witches of New York.

The novella opens with the crisp evocative prose that has become McKay’s signature style: “Strange things happen Between the Years, in the days outside of time. Minutes go wild, hours vanish. Idleness becomes a clever thief, stealing the names of the days of the week, muting the steady click of watches and clocks. These are the hours when angels, ghosts,demons and meddlers ride howling wind and flickering candlelight, keen to stir unguarded hearts and restless minds.”

The year 1881 is drawing to a close and the three witches, Eleanor St. Clair, Beatrice Dunn and Adelaide Thom, are restless during these “dead days” between Christmas and New Year. Eleanor longs to join her lover, Georgina, in Paris, but fears for the safety of witch-in-training,Beatrice, who is, in turn, “ravenous with longing” for the Stranger who has been visiting her dreams. Adelaide, haunted by memories of her traumatic childhood, is mulling the pros and cons of marriage to her landlord-suitor, Dr.Brody.

To pass the time, the three perform divinations using roast chestnuts, until Mrs. Stutt, the housekeeper, introduces them to her method of Bleigiessen, or lead-pouring. Their house is immediately visited by mysterious, anachronistically attired messengers, bearing invitations for a masked ball to be hosted by the fabled Baroness Weisshirsch (“white deer”) at the posh Fifth Avenue Hotel.

Beatrice and Adelaide are thrilled to accept the invitations and to meet the enigmatic, larger-than-life Baroness, who seems eerily to know significant things about their past. Eleanor, less enthralled by the prospect of the gala, suspects Weisshirsch may possess powers greater than that of a society hostess. The invitations set off a flurry of preparation for the big night, but no adult fairytale is complete without the presence of dark forces.

Adelaide encounters the abhorrent Mr. Wentworth,the man to whom she was sold as a child. Beatrice finds herself stalked by the creepy Gideon Palsham, who sends a servant in the form of a cat to monitor her whereabouts and activities. The presence of predatory males gives the story a topical frisson for readers in the “Me Too” era.

Followers of McKay’s work will recognize some of the cast here. A younger Adelaide, then named Moth, is the heroine of her2011 novel, The Virgin Cure. Other minor characters, including Perdu the raven-familiar and the predatory Mr.Wentworth, appear in The Witches of New York. McKay is adept with evoking the prosperous “Gilded Age” of late 19th-centuryNew York, a time of intense fascination in the occult and spiritualism. 

Half Spent Was the Night continues McKay’s commitment togiving voice to women’s history and experiences through the portrayal of headstrong,complex characters. Her dedication of the book to “Grandmothers who carried winter’s magic in their hearts” underscores this preoccupation with female power and traditional knowledge.

The novella includes recipes for a special curative elder flower syrup for tea and the German festive confection Engelszopf, “angel’s braid.” The slender novel feels a bit dashed off and leaves the reader wanting to spend more time with these resourceful and congenial witchy women. McKay is not stepping outside her comfort zone here; nonetheless, Half Spent Was the Night is a spirited romp, a good versus evil fable, in which the forces of feminist feistiness ultimately prevail—an engaging read and a timely one as the darker days of the year approach.

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This weekend, our Book Lovers’ Holiday Gift Guide Saturday Spotlight is on Books for Young Readers! These gift ideas for young (and young at heart!) readers and many more can be found in our Book Lovers’ Holiday Gift Guide. A list of participating retailers can be found here.

 

Children’s Picture Books

A Giant Man in a Tiny Town
Tom Ryan/Christopher Hoyt
Nimbus Publishing

This is the story of the “giant” Angus MacAskill who traveled the world performing for crowds but never stopped longing to return to the place he loved the best: his Cape Breton home.

 

A Halifax Time-Travelling Tune 
Jan Coates/Marijke Simons
Nimbus Publishing

This dreamy, lyrical story follows a young child and his dog who travel back in time to 1950s Halifax with a whimsical tune. Follow the pair through Halifax landmarks, showing off all the sights and sounds of the city.

 

A Toot in the Tub
Nicolette Little/Tara Fleming
Pennywell Books

Offers a lighthearted rhymed look at “healthful release” for kids, while upholding the importance of being kind to others!

 

Be a City Nature Detective
Peggy Kochanoff
Nimbus Publishing

Why are some grey squirrels black? Does goldenrod cause hay fever? Naturalist and artist Peggy Kochanoff answers these questions and more in this illustrated guide to solving nature mysteries in the city.

 

EveryBody’s Different on EveryBody Street
Sheree Fitch/Emma FitzGerald
Nimbus Publishing

Sheree Fitch’s playful words invite you to celebrate our gifts, our weaknesses, our differences, and our sameness. Fitch’s quick, rollicking rhymes are complemented by Emma FitzGerald’s lively illustrations.

 

Follow the Goose Butt to Nova Scotia
Odette Barr/Colleen Landry/Beth Weatherbee
Chocolate River Publishing

Cameila Airhart, the loveable Canadian goose with the faulty Goose Positioning System is off on an adventure to Nova Scotia. She has promised to follow the goose butt, but will she stay focused long enough to keep her promise?

 

My First Book of Canadian Birds
Andrea Miller/Angela Doak
Nimbus Publishing

Simple, gentle text gives readers a peek into the habitats of Canadian birds and introduces child and parent to fun facts about everything from bird sounds to egg sizes!

 

Night at the Gardens
Nicole DeLorey/Janet Solet
New World Publishing

What really happens in the Public Gardens after dark? Statues “come alive” and one night Fountain Nymphs convince Juan Swans to fly to the ocean—chaos! Robbie Burns helps, but is it enough?

 

Santa Never Brings me a Banjo
David Myles/Murray Bain
Nimbus Publishing

Based on the beloved holiday song, follow the ups and downs of the holiday season with David, his furry friends, and his family, as he pines for his most-wished-for holiday gift.

 

Summer in the Land of Anne
Elizabeth Epperly/Carolyn Epperly
Acorn Press

Told through the eyes of a family travelling to PEI, this is a celebration of the books we love and all the ways they inspire us.

The Lady From Kent: A Story for Girls
and Bees Dressed Up As Fleas and Crocodiles. Also Elves.
Barbara Nichol/Bill Pechet
Pedlar Press

“Barbara Nichol is an original—brilliant and entertaining…a book to read and reread and then read again, to yourself or out loud, depending on how generous you’re feeling.”  —Eleanor Wachtel


Time for Bed
Carol McDougall/Shanda LaRamee-Jones
Nimbus Publishing

A fun and simple step-by-step bedtime story for babies and toddlers. From bathtime to storytime, this book guides families through a healthy nightly routine with simple text and joyful photos.

 

You Make Me Happy
Doretta Groenendyk
Acorn Press

Whether it be sitting by the fire, reading in the bath or travelling, this book explores the importance of finding happiness all around you.

 

Indigenous Stories

Counting in Mi’kmaw / Mawkiljemk Mi’kmawiktuk
Loretta Gould
Nimbus Publishing

Counting from one to ten in English and Mi’kmaw, young readers will be introduced to both the ancestral language of Mi’kmaki and to Mi’kmaw culture and legend, through beautifully rendered illustrations of the natural world.

 

IKWE Honouring Women: An Indigenous Colouring Book
for Adults and Children
Jackie Traverse
Roseway Publishing

IKWE is a new colouring book by Anishinaabe artist Jackie Traverse. The stunning images celebrate the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of women and their important roles as water protectors.

 

Mi’kmaw Animals / Mi’kmaw Waisisk 
Alan Syliboy
Nimbus Publishing

Colourful images depicting Canadian animals like moose, whales, and caribou, and more make this vibrant book a perfect introduction to the Mi’kmaw language.

 

The Gathering
Theresa Meuse/Arthur Stevens
Nimbus Publishing

A young Mi’kmaw girl attends her first spiritual gathering in this vibrant picture book from the team behind the bestselling The Sharing Circle.

 

Une Journée Poney ! Pemkiskahk’ciw Ahasis ! A Pony Day !
Hélène De Varennes/Opolahsomuwehs (Imelda Perley)/Paul Lang
Bouton d’or Acadie

Both bursting with laughter, a grandpa takes his granddaughter Josephine on her first pony ride. Many surprises are awaiting her!

 

Fiction for Young Readers

Dylan Maples Adventures

The Mystery of Ireland’s Eye
Shane Peacock
Nimbus Publishing

Dylan is going kayaking to the island of Ireland’s eye off the coast of Newfoundland to see the ghost town. Why does an old man on the dock of St. John’s tell him to beware?

The Secret of The Silver Mines
Shane Peacock
Nimbus Publishing

A Toronto millionaire has hired Dylan’s dad to retrieve a fortune in silver allegedly stolen from his grandfather years ago. But was the fortune really stolen? And if so, where has it been hidden?

Bone Beds of the Badlands
Shane Peacock
Nimbus Publishing

Bone Beds of the Badlands transports readers to the heart of dinosaur country in Alberta, in the most gripping and terrifying Dylan Maples Adventure yet.

 

Secrets of Sable Island
Marcia Pierce Harding
Nimbus Publishing

Shipwrecked on Sable Island, Caleb befriends the ghostly girl who rides bareback over the dunes, and realizes that he must do whatever he can to save her, and himself.

 

Headliner
Susan White
Acorn Press

This stunning new middle grade novel by Ann Connor Brimer Award-wining author Susan White deals with the aftermath of a tragic accident and its effect on the surviving family.

 

Piper
Jacqueline Halsey
Nimbus Publishing

Dougal Cameron and his family sail from Scotland aboard the Hector, on their way to Nova Scotia. When a violent storm knocks the ship off course, Dougal must fight to stay alive.

 

Rika’s Shepherd
Orysia Dawydiak
Acorn Press

This action-packed adventure by Hackmatack-nominated author Orysia Dawydiak tells the struggles of a young shepherd and will delight any young reader.

 

Fiction for Teens

The Goodbye Girls
Lisa Harrington
Nimbus Publishing

Lizzie and her friend Willa devise a genius business – personalized breakup baskets for her classmates. Then things go horribly wrong and soon family, friendship, and a budding romance are on the line.

 

Worthy of Love
Andre Fenton
Formac Publishing

Halifax slam poet Andre Fenton’s vivid and readable novel for teens.

 

 

Nonfiction

100 Things You Don’t Know About Atlantic Canada (For Kids)
Sarah Sawler
Nimbus Publishing

The author of the bestselling 100 Things You Don’t Know About Nova Scotia has collected the most interesting, most surprising, and bizarre facts that you never know about Atlantic Canada, just for kids.

 

50 Things to See with a Telescope: A young stargazer’s guide
John A. Read
Formac Publishing

A new guide for anyone who’s looking at the heavens and wonders what they’re seeing.

 

Be Prepared!
Frankie MacDonald and Sarah Sawler
Nimbus Publishing

Nova Scotia’s favourite weather reporter, Frankie MacDonald, along with author Sarah Sawler, shares stories from Frankie’s early years, along with facts about all things sunny, rainy, snowy, and stormy.

 

Black Women Who Dared
Naomi M. Moyer
Second Story Press

Inspirational stories of ten Black women and women’s collectives—anti-slavery activists, business women, health-care activists, civic organizers and educators. Remarkable women whose stories will fascinate and educate.

 

Hope Blooms 
Hope Blooms
Nimbus Publishing

The inspiring story of Dragons’ Den darlings Hope Blooms: a Halifax-based, youth-driven social enterprise focused on growing sustainable, healthy food and youth mentorship.

 

My River: Cleaning Up the LaHave River
Stella Bowles and Anne Laurel Carter
Formac Publishing

Kids who care about the environment will love Stella’s story of her science project on the dirty LaHave River that brought real change.

 

There be Pirates!
Joann Hamilton-Barry
Nimbus Publishing

Learn about what everyday life was like for some of the fiercest pirates of all time. Explore the history of piracy, from the ancient Romans and Greeks to modern-day pirates.

 

See more gift ideas in our Book Lovers’ Holiday Gift Guide! View it online here or pick it up at your local bookstore or library.

Don’t forget to check out last week’s spotlight on Art, Poetry, and Music books for the art-lovers on your list!

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Gift ideas for the art lovers on your list, from our Book Lovers’ Holiday Gift Guide!

 

 

Art

Christmas with Maud Lewis
Lance Woolaver and Bob Brooks
Goose Lane Editions

Maud Lewis has become one of Canada’s favourite folk artists, and her buoyant winter pictures are among her most beloved. Full of Christmas spirit and joy, this delightful hardcover edition is the perfect holiday gift!

 

IKWE Honouring Women: An Indigenous Art Colouring Book for Adults and Children  
Jackie Traverse
Roseway Publishing

IKWE is a new colouring book by Anishinaabe artist Jackie Traverse. The stunning images celebrate the spiritual and ceremonial aspects of women and their important role as water protectors.

 

Ned Pratt: One Wave
Goose Lane Editions

The first ever book on Ned Pratt’s photography, this beautifully designed edition charts a decade of Pratt’s breathtaking vision, presenting Newfoundland’s landscapes as you’ve never seen them before.

 

Photographer’s Guide to Prince Edward Island 
John Sylvester and Stephen DesRoches
Acorn Press

For anyone interested in photography or just looking for the most beautiful sites on PEI, this new book by an award-winning photographer team is the perfect gift.

 

The Creative City of Saint John
Edited by Gwendolyn Davies, Peter LaRocque, and Christl Verduyn
Formac Publishing

An extensively illustrated account of a wide range of creators and creative work–writing, painting, natural history scholarship, filmmaking–which are part of Saint John’s colourful history.

 

The Lost City: Ian MacEachern’s Photographs of Saint John
John Leroux
Goose Lane Editions

Architectural and social historian John Leroux presents 75 black-and-white photographs drawn from MacEachern’s exceptional archive, documenting a lost city and the effect of urban renewal on its neighbourhoods and residents.

 

Music

Play it Like you Sing it 
Barry W. Shears
Bradan Press

The Gaelic bagpipe traditions of Nova Socita in a groundbreaking 2-volume collection of history, culture, images, and 249 dance tunes. A must-have for pipers and fiddlers!

 

Put Your Hand in my Hand: The Spiritual and Musical Connections of Catherine and Gene MacLellan
Harvey Sawlor
Nimbus Publishing

Biographer Harvey Sawlor paints an intimate portrait of one of Canada’s most beloved singer-songwriters.

 

Poetry

150+: Canada’s History in Poetry 
Edited by Judy Gaudet
Acorn Press

This collection of poems tells the story of 150 years as a country, recreating historical events through the vivid, concrete, human element of our poets’ responses to them.

Aubade
Edited by E. Alex Pierce
Boularderie Island Press

A unique anthology featuring over 20 NS writers who explore the aubade—the passing of night and return of day where lovers part, reflect or regret. Their comings and goings often observed from the shadows.

 

Jeopardy 
Richard Lemm
Acorn Press

Award-winning author and poet Lemm masterfully blends his narrative poetic style with wit and wisdom in this new collection of poetry.

 

Ràithean airson Sireadh / Seasons for Seeking
Lewis MacKinnon
Bradan Press

MacKinnon’s fourth Gaelic-English bilingual poetry collection features translations of the Sufi mystic poet Rumi and original poems celebrating Nova Scotia’s Celtic seasons. Paperback or audio with Persian & Celtic music.

The Lost Words 
Robert MacFarlane
House of Anansi

From bestselling Landmarks author Robert MacFarlane and acclaimed artist and author Jackie Morris, a beautiful collection of poems and illustrations to help readers rediscover the magic of the world.

 

 

See more gift ideas in our Book Lovers’ Holiday Gift Guide! View it online here or pick it up at your local bookstore or library.

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photo by Joseph Muise

 

Do you have a great book idea? APMA’s Pitch the Publisher and Blue Pencil Café events are returning to Word on the Street Halifax 2018! WOTS Halifax will take place on Saturday, September 15th at the Halifax Central Library.


Pitch the Publisher offers budding authors 5 minutes to pitch their book idea to a panel of Atlantic Canadian publishers. Ideas pitched at this event have been turned into books, including Hand Drawn Halifax by Emma FitzGerald (Formac Publishing, 2015) and Unpacked: From PEI to Palawan by Mo Duffy Cobb (Pottersfield Press, 2017).

 

This year’s Pitch the Publisher is sponsored by Marquis Book Printing. The event will take place from 10:00 am to 12:00 pm in the Plaza Tent at the Halifax Central Library and participants will get 5 minutes to pitch their book idea to a panel of Atlantic Canadian publishers. Publishers will provide feedback and if one of them takes an interest, they will ask for you to send them more information.

Here’s what Emma FitzGerald has to say if you are considering submitting a pitch: “Pitch the Publisher made my first book, Hand Drawn Halifax, possible. It forced me to focus my ideas, gave me a venue to speak to real live book publishers, and ultimately ended in a book contract, and the beginning of many more books. I highly recommend giving it a go!”

Mo Duffy Cobb also has a Pitch the Publisher success story. Her memoir Unpacked: From PEI to Palawan was released last year from Pottersfield Press, and she’ll be back at WOTS this year as a featured author to give a reading. Here’s what she has to say about why you should make a pitch: “Making connections in the publishing world is absolutely essential for emerging writers. Pitch the Publisher helped me get my work in front of three of the best in the business, who gave me their angles and prospects with grace, and encouraged me not only to finish my manuscript, but to query it right away.”

Want to take part or need more info? Email Chantelle at admin@atlanticpublishers.ca or call 1 902 420 0711. We’ll ask your name, contact info and a short (no more than 100 words, please) blurb about your book idea.  You can only pitch completed, unpublished manuscripts. If you pitched a book in 2017, you may pitch again this year, but not the same book.

The deadline to submit is is September 3rd.

There are limited spots, so make sure to submit on time! Those selected will be notified by September 11.

 

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At the Blue Pencil Café, potential authors will be able to receive targeted feedback from a professional editor. Each registrant will have 15 minutes to discuss their work with the editor and we’ll make every effort to match the author with an editor who works in that genre.

This year’s Blue Pencil Cafe will take place from 1-3 pm in the Halifax Central Library.

To apply, email Chantelle at admin@atlanticpublishers.ca with a 3-page (double-spaced, 12 point type) excerpt from the work you would like critiqued, a short biography outlining your writing experience (no more than 250 words), and your contact information (email, daytime phone, city of residence).

The deadline to submit is September 3. There are limited spots, so make sure to submit on time! Those selected will be contacted on September 11th with the time and details for their 15 minute session.

Your editor will read your submission to become familiar with it before you meet.

Helpful documents

The Publishing Process – This is where we demystify the publishing process by walking you through the transformation from unpublished manuscript to published book

Pitcher’s Guide to Pitch the Publisher – This guide will help you prepare your pitch and know what to expect at Pitch the Publisher

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NOVA SCOTIA

1. The Sea Was In Their Blood by Quentin Casey (Local Interest)

2.Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

3. The Only Café by Linden MacIntyre (Fiction)

4. . On South Mountain  by David Cruise (Local Interest)

5. You Might Be From Canada If… by Michael de Adder (History & Political Science)

 

 

 

NEW BRUNSWICK

1. Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (Young Readers 9-12)

2.  Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

3.Waterfalls Of New Brunswick: A Guide by Nicholas Guitard (Local Interest)

4. Looking For Bootstraps by Donald Savoie (Local Interest)

5. You Might Be From Canada If… by Michael de Adder (History & Political Science)

 

 

 

 

 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

1. Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (Young Readers 9-12)

2. Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

3. Little Book Of Prince Edward Island by John Sylvester (Local Interest)

4. The Only Café by Linden MacIntyre (Fiction)

5. Finding Forgiveness by Adrian Smith (Local Interest)

 

 

 

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

1. Channel Of Peace by Kevin Tuerff (Biography)

2. Crying for The Moon by Mary Walsh (Fiction)

3. Hikes of Eastern Newfoundland by Mary Smyth and Fred Hollingshurst (Local Interest)

4. Smokeroom On The Kyle Written by Ted Russell and Illustrated by Tara Fleming (Local Interest)

5. Cut From The Cloth Of Fogo by Stewart Payne (Local Interest)

 

 

 

 

PUZZLE BOOKS / COLOURING BOOKS

1. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 7,8,9 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

2.  Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 1,2,3 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

3. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 4,5,6 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

4. Colour Nova Scotia by Julie Anne Babin (Local Interest)

5. Nova Scotia Colouring Book by Yolanda Poplawska (Local Interest)

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NOVA SCOTIA

1. The Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

2.You Might Be From Canada If… by Michael de Adder (History & Political Science)

3. On South Mountain  by David Cruise (Local Interest)

4. The Sea Was In Their Blood by Quentin Casey (Local Interest)

5. The Illuminated Life of Maud Lewis by Lance Woolaver (Art)

 

 

 

NEW BRUNSWICK

 1. Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

2. Waterfalls Of New Brunswick: A Guide by Nicholas Guitard (Local Interest)

3. Be From Canada If… by Michael de Adder (History & Political Science)

4. Looking for Bootstraps by Donald Savoie (Local Interest)

5. Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (Young Readers 9-12)


 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

1. Anne Of Green Gables by LM Montgomery (Young Readers 9-12)

2. Finding Forgiveness by Adrian Smith (Local Interest)

3. Unpacked by Mo Duffy Cobb (Local Interest)

4.Witches of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)

5. After Many Years – LM Montgomery (Editor Carolyn Strom Collins) (Fiction)

 

 

 

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

1. Smokeroom On The Kyle Written by Ted Russell and Illustrated by Tara Fleming (Local Interest)

2. Caught by Lisa Moore (Fiction)

3. Crying for The Moon by Mary Walsh (Fiction)

4. Brazil Street by Robert Hunt (Local Interest)

5. Hikes of Eastern Newfoundland by Mary Smyth and Fred Hollingshurst (Local Interest)

 

 

 

 

PUZZLE BOOKS / COLOURING BOOKS

1. Colour Nova Scotia by Julie Anne Babin (Local Interest)

2. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 7,8,9 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

3. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 1,2,3 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

4. Nova Scotia Colouring Book by Yolanda Poplawska (Local Interest)

5. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 4,5,6 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)

 

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Blow the dust off that manuscript and sort through your USB sticks – it’s almost time for the APMA’s Pitch the Publisher and Blue Pencil Café events at Word on the Street! WOTS will take place on Saturday, September 16th at the Halifax Central Library.

This year’s Pitch the Publisher will take place from 2:00pm to 4:00pm and participants will get 5 minutes to pitch their book idea to a panel of Atlantic Canadian publishers. Publishers will provide feedback and if one of them takes an interest, they will ask for you to send them more information.

Want to take part or need more info? Email Katie Ingram at production@atlanticpublishers.ca or call 1 902 420 0711. We’ll ask your name, contact info and a short (no more than 100 words, please) blurb about your book idea.  You can only pitch completed manuscripts and if you pitched a book in 2016, you may pitch again this year, but not the same book.

Those selected will be notified by September 12.

________________________________________________

At the Blue Pencil Café, potential authors will be able to receive targeted feedback from a professional editor. Each registrant will have 15 minutes to discuss their work with the editor and we’ll make every effort to match the author with an editor who works in that genre.

To apply email Katie Ingram, production@atlanticpublishers.ca, a 3-page (double-spaced, 12 point type) excerpt from the work you would like critiqued, a short biography outlining your writing experience (no more than 250 words), and your contact information (email, daytime phone, city of residence).

If accepted, you will be contacted on Sept 12 with the time of your 15-minute session. Your editor will read your submission to become familiar with it before you meet.

Helpful documents

The Publishing Process – This is where we demystify the publishing process by walking you through the transformation from unpublished manuscript to published book

Pitchers Guide to Pitch the Publisher – This guide will help you prepare your pitch and know what to expect at Pitch the Publisher

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NOVA SCOTIA

1. Mary Mary by Lesley Crewe (Fiction)
2. The Witches Of New York by Ami McKay (Fiction)
3. I’M Not What I Seem by Charlie Rhindress (Local Interest)
4. 100 Things You Don’t Know About Nova Scotia by Sarah Sawler (Local Interest)
5. The Birth House by Ami McKay (Fiction)

 

 

 

 

 

NEW BRUNSWICK

1. Shadow Of Doubt by Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon (True Crime)
2. Irving VS Irving by Jacques Poitras (Business)
3. Truth And Honour by Greg Marquis (True Crime)
4. All The Things We Leave Behind by Riel Nason (Fiction)
5. Hiking Trails of New Brunswick 3RD by Marianne Eiselt (Local Interest)

 

 

 

 

 

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

1. Prince Edward Island Then And Now by Scott MacDonald (Local Interest)
2. Chef Michael Smith’s Everyday Recipes by Michael Smith (Cooking)
3. Prince Edward Island ABC by Dale McNevin (Local Interest)
4. Real Food Good Food by Michael Smith (Cooking)
5. You Know You’re An Islander When… by Ivy Knight (Local Interest)

 

 

NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR

1. Rumrunners And Mobsters by Jack Fitzgerald (Local Interest)
2. Adventures Of Ernest Doane by Earl Pilgrim (Local Interest)
3. Adventures Of A Grenfell Nurse by Rosalie M. Lombard (Local Interest)
4. The Fortunate Brother by Donna Morrissey (Fiction)
5. Newfoundland Lullaby Written by Mary Jane Riemann and Illustrated by Joy Steuerwald (Local Interest)

 

 

 

PUZZLE BOOKS / COLOURING BOOKS

1. Big Book of Lexicon Volumes 789 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)
2. Lexicon Volume 17 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)
3. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 456 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)
4. Big Book Of Lexicon Volumes 123 by Theresa Williams (Local Interest)
5. Colours Of Newfoundland And Labrador by Bobbi Pike (Local Interest)