MERCY GENE, by J.D. Derbyshire

Genre: Literary fiction

Publisher: Goose Lane Editions

What It's About

Think Maggie Nelson meets Hannah Gadsby.

Told in kaleidoscopic bursts of erratic recollections, daydreams, poetry, and lists, Mercy Gene is the powerful, genre-smashing debut work of auto-fiction by acclaimed writer, playwright, and comedian JD Derbyshire. Inspired by Derbyshire’s critically acclaimed and award-winning stage play, Certified, and anchored by protagonist Janice/Jan/JD, Mercy Gene is a beautiful, humorous, and sometimes brutal look at queerness, gender confusion, institutionalization, addiction, and abuse.

Through flashes of memory and imaginings, Derbyshire illustrates the intense and invisible “side effects” of psychiatric treatment and the unreliability of memory. In a stream-of-conscious narrative that provokes and consoles, eliciting tears and laughter at equal pace, Derbyshire re-examines a life of unspoken and repressed trauma. Between devastating bouts of depression, hilarious side-quests into the author’s dryly sardonic inner monologue, helpless moments at the mercy of their own psyche, and tour-de-force appearances by fictional versions of Miriam Toews and the late, great Margot Kidder, Derbyshire leads readers through a non-linear narrative to treatment, forgiveness, and acceptance.

What People Say

“Derbyshire’s affecting, insightful and informative memoir does not hide from horror nor suggest any easy fixes. A reader’s pleasure, though, comes with seeing one victory over tremendously long odds.” —Vancouver Sun

"Derbyshire writes radiantly and hilariously from the padded rooms, the crawl spaces, the edges of the known world. Theirs is a fierce and beautiful account of what it means to be an artist, a mother, and a human when you cannot be drawn or, too often, even seen inside the lines. A supernova of a book, to read Mercy Gene is to be changed by it." —Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker

**

THE ANNUAL MIGRATION OF CLOUDS, by Premee Mohamed

Genre: Dystopian Fiction

Publisher: ECW Press

What It's About

A novella set in post–climate disaster Alberta; a woman infected with a mysterious parasite must choose whether to pursue a rare opportunity far from home or stay and help rebuild her community.

The world is nothing like it once was: climate disasters have wracked the continent, causing food shortages, ending industry, and leaving little behind. Then came Cad, mysterious mind-altering fungi that invade the bodies of the now scattered citizenry. Reid, a young woman who carries this parasite, has been given a chance to get away — to move to one of the last remnants of pre-disaster society — but she can’t bring herself to abandon her mother and the community that relies on her. When she’s offered a coveted place on a dangerous and profitable mission, she jumps at the opportunity to set her family up for life, but how can Reid ask people to put their trust in her when she can’t even trust her own mind?

With keen insight and biting prose, Premee Mohamed delivers a deeply personal tale in this post-apocalyptic hopepunk novella that reflects on the meaning of community and asks what we owe to those who have lifted us up.

What People Say

“In gorgeous prose, Mohamed (Beneath the Rising) conjures a post–climate apocalypse future … Mohamed grounds her complex, chilling vision of the future in accessible human drama, keeping a tight focus on Reid’s difficult decision and the tension it creates in her relationships. It’s an impressive feat of worldbuilding made stronger by the sensitive, nuanced characters and urgent questions about what people owe to each other. This packs a punch.” —Publishers Weekly

“One of the most unique and engaging voices in genre fiction … Science-fiction and horror readers alike will enjoy Mohamed’s novel, which will appeal to fans of Jeff VanderMeer, Kameron Hurley, and Tochi Onyebuchi.” —Booklist

**

JAMEELA GREEN RUINS EVERYTHING, by Zarqa Nawaz

Genre: Literary Humour

Publisher: Simon & Schuster

What It's About

For fans of My Sister, the Serial Killer; Where’​d You Go, Bernadette; and the award-winning TV show Killing Eve, a hilarious satire about a disillusioned American Muslim woman who becomes embroiled in a plot to infiltrate an international terrorist organization and, in the process, reconnects with her loved ones and her faith, from Zarqa Nawaz, the creator of the hit CBC series Little Mosque on the Prairie.

Jameela Green has only one wish. To see her memoir on The New York Times bestseller list. When her dream doesn’t come true, she seeks spiritual guidance at her local mosque. New imam and recent immigrant Ibrahim Sultan is appalled by Jameela’s shallowness, but agrees to assist her on one condition: that she perform a good deed.

Jameela reluctantly accepts his terms, kicking off a chain of absurd and unfortunate events. The homeless man they try to help gets recruited by a terrorist group, causing federal authorities to become suspicious of Ibrahim, and suddenly the imam mysteriously disappears.

Certain that the CIA have captured Ibrahim for interrogation via torture, Jameela decides to set off on a one-woman operation to rescue him. Her quixotic quest soon finds her entangled in an international plan targeting the egomaniacal leader of the terrorist organization—a scheme that puts Jameela, and countless others, including her hapless husband and clever but disapproving daughter, at risk.

A hilarious black comedy about the price of success, and a biting look at what has gone wrong with American foreign policy in the Middle East, Jameela Green Ruins Everything is a compulsively readable, yet unexpectedly touching story of one woman’s search for meaning and connection.

What People Say

“International politics is personal in this brilliant satire from the always provocative—and deeply funny—mind of Zarqa Nawaz.” —Rick Mercer

“Nawaz is one of the few writers around who can deftly navigate that minefield between high-stakes, war-torn, geopolitical upheaval, and one woman’s hilarious but meaningful journey to find her place in her family and community. Is it a searing satire on America’s war on terror, or a side-splitting family adventure? Well . . . yes, it is, and a crazy ride, too. Funny, moving, brilliant.” —Terry Fallis, two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour

**

IF WE CAUGHT FIRE, by Beth Ryan

Genre: Literary Fiction

Publisher: Breakwater Books

What It's About

If We Caught Fire brings two families together for a wedding in St. John’s, an event that sets off a summer of fireworks in the lives of the people around them.

Edie’s calm and contained life is knocked awry when her mother decides to marry a man she met online after just a few months of dating. The groom’s son, Harlow, is a joyful adventurer who shows up for the wedding and quickly recruits Edie as his sidekick.

Harlow runs toward risk and adventure with arms wide open, unconcerned about what other people expect from him. Edie plans every step carefully and keeps her dreams small and attainable, even when others encourage her to want more. Over a few months, they develop a connection that defies definition, a situation that leaves Edie queasy with fear and tingly with possibility.

Edie and Harlow (and the rest of their new unwieldy family) do an elaborate dance, trying to discover just what they are to one another. When Edie thinks she’s figured him out, Harlow reveals a depth and darkness she didn’t see coming. By Labour Day, they’ve created connections, tested boundaries, and found they've come together and apart in unexpected ways.

What People Say

"Ryan's writing is authentic, involving, tactile and affecting... The story that unfolds, across several levels and layers, is accomplished, assured, and rewarding." —The Telegram

"Overflowing with an abundance of well-rounded characters It is a testament to Ryans mastery in creating sympathetic characters, even the ones you are meant to dislike, that I was left wanting more of these people who are the heart and soul of this book." —Atlantic Books Today

**

FIVE MOVES OF DOOM, by A.J. Devlin

Genre: Hard-boiled detective mystery

Publisher: NeWest Press

What It's About

Hired by local mixed martial arts trainer Elijah Lennox to find a missing UFC Championship belt, pro-wrestler PI "Hammerhead" Jed must extract answers from the tight-knit MMA community. Still consuming his weight in banana milkshakes, Jed ventures into a world of jewel thieves, bodybuilders, eccentric yoga enthusiasts, and adorable baby goats. As he infiltrates an exclusive and unique no-holds-barred fight club, Jed might just find himself down for the count ...

Five Moves of Doom is a high-altitude and high-attitude entry in A.J. Devlin's award-winning mystery series, one that finds its hero pushed to his absolute limit, relying on his closest allies to survive, and making choices he never thought he'd have to make.

What People Say

"A.J. Devlin does it again with Five Moves of Doom! It's fast and furious and fun, full of action, unexpected twists and turns, with a shocking ending that proves once again that Devlin is not only on his game, but in a league of his own. The best yet in the 'Hammerhead' Jed series." —Dave Butler, Crime Writers of Canada Award-Winning author of Full Curl, No Place for Wolverines, and In Rhino We Trust

"In Five Moves of Doom, Devlin showcases a more vulnerable 'Hammerhead' Jed than we've seen before. While this installment features the signature comedy and charm of the first two books, it's the shadows, spilling from corners and pooling at feet, that give this latest mystery its true shape. A worthy cap to this trilogy." —Niall Howell, Kobo Emerging Writer Prize-Nominated author of Only Pretty Damned and There Are Wolves Here Too