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Invincible Summer is a compilation of several of Nicole J. George's journal entries that were incorporated into zines and are now in the form of this truly wonderful book. Inside you will find the first 8 issues of Nicole J. George's quirky and emotionally charged autobiographical stories, that are perfect for the punk rock soul or the everyday individual who is searching for their path in life. Coffee, dogs and romance will always be found cleverly knitted into many of the well written and beautifully illustrated tales.
Being a cookbook geek and junkie I thoroughly enjoyed the Vegan recipes intertwined within her stories. Also included amongst her illustrations are photos of the rescued animals she met during her internship at the Animal Sanctuary in California. Nicole's adventures at the animal sanctuary will definitely pull at your heart strings.
This is a book that is meant to be read on a hot summers evening, on a patio, porch or balcony, with a big mug of coffee in hand. Invincible Summer will sometimes make you giggle out loud, or make you feel anger towards society's treatment of our four legged friends, but this book will definitely leave you wanting more of her continuing legacy of coffee, dogs and romance.
Nicole also has several other zines that can be found at www.microcosmpublishing.com including Invincible Summer II, a book I am looking forward to read.
Bio
Nicole J. George's captures her adventures and thoughts in unique, heartfelt illustrations & stories. Five years of dog mothering, chicken raising, coffee-shop crushes, drama, low paying jobs, heartbreaking romance, inspiring friendships, Vegan snacks, & more! This exhaustive collection will take the reader on a whirlwind tour through Nicole's personality, wit, and charm! This second edition collects issues #1-8 of her zines and features 38 new, additional pages! Recently featured on the Sister Spit tour!
It's no secret that when it comes to depicting teens in comics, they are most likely to be both troubled and confused, both by society's desire to pigeonhole them into a suitable lifestyle or pattern and their own desire to figure it out on their own. Perhaps that isn't a totally new topic to deal with, but Liz Baillie's graphic novel "My Brain Hurts" illustrates this pendulous time perfectly, with echoes of personal struggles ricocheting throughout the story. The main character and her best friend try their best to figure out where they belong not only struggling with sexuality and school bullies but also alcoholism and drug experimentation. What saves this graphic novel from being another angsty piece of self-indulgent fluff and elevates it above most in its genre is that Baillie's comic style allows the reader not only to voyage with the characters as they journey towards self-enlightenment, but also maintains a humorous edge which is badly needed considering some of the content. She deals with some heavy issues surrounding adolescents and growing up, and she does it with wit and chuckles and a few good one-liners. Cannot wait for volume two.
Bio
Liz Baillie was born and raised in New York City and currently resides in Brooklyn with her husband and dog. She holds a BFA in Cartooning from the School of Visual Arts (ooh, fancy!) where she graduated in 2002. Her main hobbies are sleeping, eating, and reading, especially about gender/sexuality theory and LGBT history. Anything to do with martial arts is also a winner.
If you're interested, there is an hour and a half long podcast interview with Liz at Indie Spinner Rack (issue 82). You can either listen to it right on your computer at that link, or you can get it by searching for "Indie Spinner Rack" in the podcast section of your iTunes.
When one reads the poetry of Carla Hartsfield you can clearly sense a woman who is in touch with her Feminine side, the Goddess and the Wolf. The reference to a woman's period, time of the month or curse, which must have been a term defined by a man, is poetically explained in a way that shows the real side of our monthly cycle, thoughts and feelings regarding a thing that is advertised in a blatant disrespectful way, yet talked about it hush whispers with secret words to explain in a politically correct way.
I particularity associated with "Period" and was immediately brought back to that uncomfortable time when it was all new, and unexplained, the foray into womanhood, the awkward receptacles in the washroom, the cardboard uncomfortable-ness.
my period is me
dot dot dot
A very well written journey to an everyday occurrence in the world of woman. This reviewer highly recommends Blood.
Bio
Carla Hartsfield is a classically trained pianist, singer/songwriter, visual artist, and poet. She has published three major collections with Vehicule Press (Montreal) and Brick Books (London). Her first book, THE INVISIBLE MOON, was short-listed for the League of Canadian Poets Gerald Lampert prize. More recently, YOUR LAST DAY ON EARTH was long-listed for the BC ReLit Awards. In March 2008 LyricalMyrical books launched BLOOD, a hardcover sequence of poems about the female body, motherhood, abortion, genetics and love. During the next academic year Carla will be a visiting scholar at Queen's researching and writing a new novel.
reviewed by October Young
This collection of short stories is one of the best examples of what good science fiction should be. Ranging from idyllic social structures to bizzare and slightly off kilter personal relationships, each story speaks to the reader and leaves them slightly unsettled. At first glimpse, the stories appear to be too short to have any real impact upon any sort of audience however the language used and the concepts introduced within each story betray the fact that these are tight stories without any excess words. The author has enough confidence in her ability to tell the exact story she wants to tell that she doesn't clutter up the clean lines of each tale she spins. A fantastic read and definitely a writer worth watching the shelves for.
Bio:
Jennifer Pelland is a science fiction and horror short story author whose debut collection Unwelcome Bodies was released by Apex Publications on February 29, 2008. It contains her short story "Captive Girl," which is a 2007 Nebula Award finalist, and made the 2007 Gaylactic Spectrum Awards short list.
reviewed by Carolina Smart
Apparently that calculus we hated in high school is something you will actually use one day. Not just in baking either. According to Cindy Lu you will be using it in the dating world as well. Brilliantly written, this dating self help book not only has you giggling out loud at some of Cindy’s dating examples, but has you getting pen and paper out to do some romantic math.
When I first started reading the Four Man Plan, I thought, in order to give this book a proper review, I would actually need to try out "The Four Man Plan". Then I started to do the math. The thought of having to date four men at the time was an exhausting thought on its own. But it’s not just dating, there is work to do, you need to keep a graph, do some quizzes, keep track if the man is a quarter man, half man, whole man, 2 1/4 man or a 3 1/2 man. Yes there is such a thing as a quarter man.
My favorite part of the book, The Break Up Ladder. You have five categories, The Ickies, Drop Out, Squeezed out, “Chuck”ed out, and the ultimate Ineligible. It makes breaking up so much more organized. But it also helps you understand why these relationships aren’t working.
Ok, what this book does is a bunch of really positive things. By dating several men, you build your self esteem, weed out those who don’t fit your criteria and in the end, help YOU understand what you want out of romance. Though all the math references, charts, graphs and ladders may seem a little scary to some, it actually simplifies and helps you make sense of the dating and romance in your life. I only just finished reading the book and I now have a clearer picture of what it is I am looking for. So, go pick up a copy, I’m off to start adding quarter men to my chart.
reviewed by October Young
A twisting tale of darkness and redemption, ‘Words Written Backwards’ manages to do something other than entertain. Blending Native folklore with angelic history, the reader is caught between two distinctly different views on how the angels fell. Drawn into their personal stories, the reader cannot help but feel sorry for Judy, as we sense right at the beginning that she is not what she appears to be. The other main character, Joe, is equally as broken as she is; between talking to the spirits and questioning his own motives he finds himself in a dark place that only Judy can help him out of. The only question is, will she? A utterly fantastic read whose only fault is that it isn’t long enough.
Bio:
Gemma Files was born in 1968 in London, England, the daughter of actors Elva Mai Hoover and Gary Files. Her family relocated to Toronto in 1969, where she resides today. Files graduated Ryerson Polytechnic University in 1991 with a degree in journalism; various freelance assignments eventually led to a continuing position with entertainment periodical eye Weekly (www.eye.net), where she gained local repute as an insightful commentator on the horror genre, independent films and Canadian cinema. She was listed by Cameron Bailey of NOW Magazine as one of the Top 10 Coolest People In Canadian Cinema for 1996. She has also written reviews for www.film.com and for the Canadian horror magazine Rue Morgue. In 2000 her award-winning story "The Emperor's Old Bones" was reprinted in The Year's Best Fantasy and Horror Thirteenth Annual Collection (ed. Terri Windling and Ellen Datlow).
Files was married in 2002 to upcoming science-fiction and fantasy author Stephen J. Barringer. They have one son, Callum Jacob, born in September 2004.
Be Good flows like romantic poetry, beautifully intertwining several complicated characters with strategic mastery. If I had to wrap up my review of the Stacey May Fowles novel here I would. But this is a book review so I do need to say at least a few more words.
I can’t say enough good things about Stacey May Fowles debut novel, a story of several twenty somethings attempting to find their footing in life. The story carries you gracefully from one character to the other, keeping you in constant need to continue reading, to find out how they make out at the end of their journey. We get to ride along with the emotional ups and downs of each character, feeling both empathy and sympathy for the trials and tribulations of life and love each must endure.
Reading Be Good made me nostalgic for my twenty something years and I am sure it will do the same for you. Pick up a copy of this amazing novel, I am sure you won't be disappointed!
About the Author (from www.staceymayfowles.com)
Stacey May Fowles’ written work has been published in various online and print magazines, including Kiss Machine, Girlistic, The Absinthe Literary Review, Hive and subTERRAIN. Her non-fiction has been anthologized in the widely acclaimed Nobody Passes: Rejecting the Rules of Gender and Conformity and First Person Queer. Her first novel, Be Good, was published with Tightrope Books in November 2007. She currently lives in Toronto where she is the publisher of Shameless Magazine.
The world is ending and the RCMP’s top secret branch that is dedicated to investigating the paranormal have been given the the thankless deed of saving the planet. The only problem is those who have been given charge of our destiny are a drunk, a womanizer and their abusive boss. Throw in a sarcstic, administrative assistant, a mysterious receptionist, a lonely old lady and cult that stamps you with a 666 symbol. You have, well, one of the funniest scifi tales out there.
Timothy Carter keeps us entertained from cover to cover with the adventure of Howard Plank and Johnny Tall. Two of the RCMP’s former top cops are sent to the bowels of the RCMP when they screw up time after time. Of course that doesn’t stop them from risking their lives to save man kind.
Timothy Carter was born in Farnham, England during the week of the final lunar mission, and he turned 13 on Friday the 13th. He is a novelist, screenwriter, movie lover and Transformers fanatic.
It’s very hard for anything I read to disturb me. I was raised on Stephen King, John Saul and some of the most terrifying horror movies of all time and my hero is Morticia Addams. See where I am going with this? That all changed when I read Apple Of My Eye. I have to admint, I have never been this disturbed by any horror stories, ever. 13 stories of unique macabre, creepiness and sometimes revenge. Amy has a unique story telling style that draws in the reader, keeps them on the edge of their seats and then takes them through the ultimate dark journey.
Apple of My Eyes stories range from the wicked tale of a Daddy’s girl in Apple of My Eye, to the perfect revenge on a man who regularly abuses women in Prevention to the ultimate disturbing end result of one man’s infidelity in Cold Comfort.
Each one of the 13 stories are equally intriguing, dark and horrifying. Amy Grech quickly moves you into the uncharted territory of fear and what treads behind that unopened door. This book is a must read for all horror story enthusiasts.
Bio
Amy Grech has sold over one hundred stories and three poems to various anthologies and magazines including: Apex Digest, Bare Bone, City Slab Magazine, Flashshot: Year One, Funeral Party 2, Inhuman Magazine, Red Scream Magazine, Shadow Writers - Volume 2, Spider Words, The Book of Dark Wisdom, The Horror Express, The Late Late Show, and many others. Her novel, The Art of Deception, is available at http://amazon.com. Her chapbook Cold Comfort is available from Naked Snake Press http://www.nakedsnakepress.com/CATALOG.html. Two Backed Books http://www.twobackedbooks.com/catalog.asp recently published her collection, Apple of My Eye.
Stories are forthcoming in: Mind Scraps, Space & Time, The Blackest Death III, and The Three-Lobed Burning Eye Annual Vol. III. She is an Active Member of the Horror Writers Association who lives in Brooklyn. Amy Grech is also a talented Copywriter/Search Engine Optimization Specialist. Visit her website: http://www.crimsonscreams.com for a good fright.
bio is from http://amygrech.livejournal.com/profile
Are you ready for some excitement! Jeff Cottrill not only knows how to draw his readers in, he knows how to shock them. Gifted at writing clever and smooth tales with twisted endings, he has become a quick favourite of this reviewers. The reader is quickly drawn in by this light and fun story lines than BAM big bloody endings. A man after my own heart!
The continuing series ‘The Fiver’ quickly caught my attention, the favourite thing about the Fiver is the Volume II Eedin-berg. I was reading this story on the subway and started laughing out loud during my train ride. My Grandmother was Scottish so I appreciate the humour around the pronunciation of the city’s name.
The further you read into the chap book the more you realized that Jeff is not only a clever writer, but an intuitive one. In Hemingway’s Lost Chapter, Jeff has a knack for recreating Hemingways run on sentences and repetitive descriptive. A good giggle was had without the beer and pretzels.
All I can say about Guilt Pasta is go to the Burning Effigy webstore and buy it. You won’t be disappointed.
About the Author
Jeff Cottrill is a satirist, fiction writer, and spoken-word performer based in Toronto. His stage act often uses elements of performance poetry, comedy, theatre, storytelling... even the occasional puppet. With a darkly comic flavour, he likes to make audiences laugh, cringe, or (preferably) both.
He has featured in many local literary shows and toured twice with the Perpetual Motion Roadshow, which brought him to such cities as New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Los Angeles, Seattle, Montreal and Vancouver. In June 2003, he performed two full sets at the Open Eye Festival in Seaforth, western Ontario. He has also headlined for shows throughout England as well as in Ottawa; Detroit; Windsor, Ontario; Toledo, Ohio; and Rockford, Illinois.
He was the co-host of Strange Tongues, a popular monthly spoken-word series (created by monica s. kuebler) that ran from February 2002 to June 2004. He has also been an occasional guest host of other open stages, including WordJam!, Cryptic Chatter, Coffeehouse Cabaret, Every Buddha Plays and Cafe at the Centre.
Jeff has also written arts reviews, interviews and articles as well as (gasp!) relationship self-help. He is the former Assistant Editor of Divorce Magazine and has appeared in The Detroit News, Canoe.ca, Vu, Exclaim!, The Village Post, OWL, The Richmond Hill Post, Glued, Jagged, Wordsmith, The Independent Weekly and The Varsity.
He has authored two chapbooks of fiction and satirical monologues, Cruelty and Kindness (2002) and Karaoke Dogs (2003), published through Burning Effigy Press. (His third, Guilt Pasta, will be launched in April 2007.) In June 2005, he released his first CD, Cracktastic!, through Moody Loner Records.
Jeff likes movies, travel, and puppies.
Jeff’s bio is quoted from toronto.coffeehouse.ca
About the Press
Burning Effigy Press was founded in 1999 as a way to bring fringe poetry, prose and fiction out from the trenches and onto the pages of chapbooks and anthologies. The driving force of Burning Effigy has always been that we are writers publishing writers. That said, we ain't in this shit for the bucks, we're in it because we love books and we love the scene. More so, we love writing that moves, frightens or forces us to think in different ways. We love words that scream and bleed from the pages and demand to be heard.
In March 2007, Burning Effigy relaunched with a new brand new genre focus and many big surprises in store. Timothy Carter's novel Section K kicks us off with a unconventional sci-fi comedy guaranteed to entertain. To be followed shortly by our brand new line of horror chapbooks. Stay tuned for all the bloodcurdling details.
I want Jennifer McCann to start making my lunches... I'm serious. Jennifer runs a blog called The Vegan Lunch Box (http://veganlunchbox.blogspot.com/), she makes vegan lunches for her little guy. This kid not only has the coolest lunch box, but the worlds best lunches. I bet his class mates gather around each lunch to see what is inside the blue box! She has just released a cookbook called ‘Vegan Lunch Box’ and you can buy it at the website www.veganlunchbox.com. Sometimes paypal is way too convenient! I now have the book in my possession and can’t wait to start making up some of my own Lunch boxes.
There are tonnes of yummy recipes and lunch box ideas through out the book. There are also glossy full colour photos to compliment said recipes. Whether you are making lunches for you kids or just yourself. This book is well worth it.
Dark, sensual, sexy and hot. These are a few words I would use to describe the first book of poetry by Myna Wallin, but a few are not enough. 75 pages long, and purse size, this book travelled with me on the subway, during my rush hour tours from work to home and back again. I’m glad it was in my purse.
This book is cleverly broken into four chapters. In the Throes, Casting Call, Off Limits and An Ariel View. Each chapter as profound as the one before it.
One of my favourite poems is Screen Vixen. Every little girl dreams of being one and Myna has put into perfect words those hidden emotions. My next favourite is the fantasy of Secret Lives and the very classy Even Diva’s Get the Blues.
Pick up A Thousand Profrane Pieces and put it in your purse or knapsack and have it handy for those long tedious subway rides. It’s a nice escape.
Clever and contraversial, Misogyny takes us through a journey of time, from the beginning of civilization, to the witch hunts, to the suffragette movement and right up to current times. Throughout this journey we are given a history lesson of men’s mistreatment and contempt for women. Jack Holland’s extensive research is very apparent through out the entire book, making it an interesting read and a book that is hard to put down.
When I first picked up this book I wasn’t sure what to think. A book on misogyny written by a man was probably his attempt to justify it. Jack Holland does the exact opposite. Not only does he show, through the ages, just how wrong it really is, he himself is shocked, when people are shocked that he isn’t writing a book trying to justify the wrongs of Misogyny.
Powerfully written and in great detail, this is a must read for all women.