And we’re going to start things off with a new member of the Shelf Talkers community, Trident Booksellers & Cafe, in lovely Halifax, Nova Scotia!

Bookseller Mel Etiz’ Pick: Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Kambirinachi is the mother of twins, Kehinde and Taiye. She also believes herself to be an Ogbanje or Abiku, a supernatural spirit that should have died in childhood, to cause her mother grief. She did not and is ever haunted by this “decision.”

Wounded by life’s cruelty at a young age, Kehinde is torn away from her sister and her mother by her trauma. Taiye too, leaves home to cope with the guilt and pain of this fractured sisterhood.

Years pass, and both sisters return home to their mother in Lagos. No longer little girls in this dangerous world of hardship, the accomplished artist and creative cook settle into old rooms and newer memories, separate and connected. Insightful reflections, heavy-hearted tensions, and incredibly human conversations ensue.

Told from three perspectives, Francesca Ekwuyasi’s Butter Honey Pig Bread is an intense and relatable story of a sweet-bitter, loving and painful family reunion. The piece centres on food as culture, culture as love, and love as the driving force of life.

A pursuit of closeness in the wake of separation, a meal after a long fast, a cry at the end of a bad day—this book gives you all of the above and further delivers the joy of reconciliation packaged inside all the pain this world has to offer.

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The Bookseller: David Worsley, Words Worth Books (Waterloo, ON)

The Picks: The Diapause by Andrew Forbes and Lost Girls by Andrew Pyper

Andrew Forbes's The Diapause is the story of an Eastern Ontario family told over a generational track with climate change informing pretty much everything. Telling the future with a bit of hope, but mostly upheaval, Forbes writes near perfect sentences.

If nothing else, the silly moniker "climate fiction" can now just be realist fiction, especially in hands like these.

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Like a lot of people, I've taken to rereading Andrew Pyper in the last few weeks. Lost Girls, probably my first favourite book as a young bookseller, holds up entirely. A bit of courtroom thriller, a bit of twisty gothic Lady-of-the-Lake, and a propulsive tale that doesn't let up for a moment. This is something for any literary types who want to move quickly or for thriller people who want a fuller meal. One of many great books from a fine human being gone way too soon.

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The Bookseller: Colin Holt, Bolen Books (Victoria, BC)

The Pick: Soups, Salads, Sandwiches by Matty Matheson

A new cookbook from Matty Matheson is always a welcome treat. As with his previous books this one is filled with delicious looking photographs and easy to follow recipes. For the armchair cook it also includes his signature rants and raves about each recipe making it an entertaining book to simply sit down and read even if you are not planning to cook anything.  From a simple grilled cheese sandwich to the more complex Creamy Sausage Soup with Rapini and Tortellini you are likely to find something to fix almost any craving.

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The Bookseller: Christina Kinney, The Mulberry Bush Book Store (Qualicum Beach, BC)

The Pick: Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan

Sunflowers Under Fire by Diana Stevan is a poignant and gripping historical novel that transports readers to the tumultuous era of World War I in Ukraine. The story, based on the true experiences of the author's grandmother, follows the harrowing journey of a resilient woman and her eight children as they navigate the perils of war, refugee camps, and the devastating impact of typhoid. Stevans' flawless and captivating writing style draws readers in from the very first page, making it nearly impossible to put the book down.

The narrative is rich with vivid descriptions and emotional depth, painting a stark picture of the hardships faced by the family. Despite the relentless challenges, the story is also a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the enduring power of hope. Stevans masterfully weaves historical facts with personal anecdotes, creating a compelling and immersive reading experience. Sunflowers Under Fire is not just a tale of survival, but a tribute to the indomitable will of those who lived through one of history's darkest periods. This book is a must-read for anyone interested in historical fiction and stories of resilience and courage.

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The Bookseller: Jo Treggiari, Block Shop Books (Lunenburg, NS)

The Picks: Curiosities by Anne Fleming 

A unique literary-historical told from the point of view of a present-day historian, Anne, who  discovers a collection of 17th century documents which reveal the fascinating interweaving stories of three individuals in a small English village: two children Joan and Tom/Thomasina and Lady Margaret Long. Plague has left these two children bereft and they are looked after by an elderly woman who is later accused of being a witch and imprisoned. Joan is given haven by the lady of the manor, an educated woman with a curious mind, and Tomasina is retrieved by her absent father and taken by ship to the New World. Much later, as adults, when Tom has been living as a man for some years, the two reunite and fall in love. The manner in which Fleming tells their stories is exceedingly clever. We have multiple pov's framed by various letters and documents and presented as is in the language of the day by our narrator/historian Anne.  The novel almost reads as non-fiction and herein lies the bending of genre. The characters are all fascinating, in particular Tom who dares to define his own identity when there was no language for the kind of man he is. For readers of Fayne and Fingersmith, an atmospheric compelling novel which is bleak, and heart breaking and yet shimmers with joy.

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Ordinary Monsters by J.M. Miro

An epic gothic fantasy set in reimagined Victorian England, Austria,  America and Japan that weaves together the stories of three unusual children- The Talents-  Charlie whose body self-heals, Marlowe, the shining boy, who holds the key to the future and Tomako who can twist and wield dust- and the mysterious detective agency, led by Alice Quicke, whose past is tormented but whose heart is true, sent to bring them home to an eerie northern estate where the war between the living and the dead rages. This is a sprawling plot bolstered by intricate world-building, a complex system of magic, rich characterization and formidable, fleshed out adversaries. It begs the question, who is a monster? And addresses nuances of good and evil, moral greyness and heroism. In the midst of all this darkness is a gooey heart of found family and self-sacrifice. An atmospheric, melancholic story told in beautifully evocative prose. The first in a trilogy.

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Curious Tides (Drowned Gods #1) by Pascale Lacelle

Beautifully immersive dark academia fantasy YA with great world-building and a well-thought out lunar magical system. This is a lush, atmospheric slow-burn of a book that should be savoured.  Told through dual perspectives, the rich plot follows Emory, a designated healer mourning the loss of her closest friend, Romie, a victim of mass accidental drowning, and Romie's brother, Baz who has darker Eclipse magic and may be able to help Emory with the worrying thread of Reaper magic that runs through her veins. Classmates are turning up dead, well mostly dead, and it's up to Baz and Emory to figure out why before Emory's own magic goes rogue. Secret societies, twisty mysteries, various convoluted romantic interests, and fresh spins on some YA tropes, this is a perfect read to curl up with on a stormy Winter’s evening by the sea.

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The Bookstore: Russell Books (Victoria, BC)

Molly Kines’ picks:

Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi

The descriptions of food in this book were wonderful and intense and vivid, and I have always loved the idea of cooking as a vessel for love -- an idea Ekwuyasi really emphasizes throughout the novel. I also liked the elements of Nigerian spirituality in this story, and the heartbreaking way that we come to understand Kehinde and Taiye's estrangement as sisters. I definitely cried at the end, when we really start to feel the pain and emptiness that the two sisters have felt after years of separation. When Taiye tells her sister, "You're all the good parts,” your heart breaks for all the time they have lost, and you truly root for them to find each other again. The characters were lovely and flawed and usually lost, and thus totally human, and I so admire authors that can make book-people come alive like this. Also, I loved the shoutouts to Canadian cities (Halifax especially was illustrated so beautifully!).

All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews

Toews' masterpiece, in my opinion -- it is wonderfully, intensely personal, funny, dark, moving, and tragic. It is a book full of life, despite its focus on death, and deals with unanswerable questions, like why beautiful people suffer, and how those who love them can come to terms with letting them go. It is a heavy read yet is never truly desolate. Hope and love can coexist with grief and sorrow, which is the essence of this story -- and, ultimately, the essence of being human. Miriam Toews is a Canadian treasure, and should you only have time to read one of her novels, it MUST be this one. Read it!

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Emily St. John Mandel is a master of speculative, ethereal, surreal prose, and I have loved every book I have read from her. The way she interweaves the lives of a wildly diverse cast of characters surprises me every time, and the pieces fall very satisfyingly into place in the end. Although the story jumps around between different points in time and characters, it never becomes overly convoluted or confusing. I find her worlds utterly absorbing and am always impressed with the apt way that she paints the mysterious ways human lives can intersect. Ghosts! Alternate realities! A hint of magical realism! It's all here, and St. John Mandel does it so well. Try this one -- you won't regret it.

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The Bookseller: Marianne S, Black Bond Books South Surrey Warehouse (Vancouver, BC)

The Picks:
 
At a Loss for Words by Carol Off

Wow, what a thorough book on the recent history of media and its place in our changing culture. Off does a deep dive into why we are where we are right now. I learned so much. Highly recommended.
 
A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby

Equal parts inspiration and devastation, this honest exploration of the life of an Ojibwa-Cree two-spirit person describes the often tragic and abusive path her life has taken. This incredibly insightful work highlights not just the tragedies, but the resilience, strength, and courage Chacaby has. An excellent read.

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The Bookseller: Michelle Berry, bookseller emeritus (Peterborough, ON)

The Pick: Coq by Ali Bryant

I’m working on an Ali Bryan addiction these days. I read (and mentioned it last time on Shelf
Talkers) her book, “The Figgs,” a wondrously funny novel about disorderly adult children and
their soon-to-be retiring parents, and now I’ve moved on to “Coq,” another story from her about an extended family and their aging, newly married father. A trip to Paris has been arranged and the son and daughter of the newly married father take the entire family (including grandchildren and ex-husbands) abroad to say goodbye to their deceased mother. They romp together all through Paris creating all sorts of trouble and committing many hijinks, trying to work out an appropriate goodbye. Ali Bryan is funny. She’s someone you need to read on cold, dark winter nights, someone whose characters are both oddly real and disarmingly charming. You’ll get lost in their adventures. I’m on to one of her earlier books, Roost, next and looking forward to it.