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SaskBooks missed you at the Alberta Library Conference this year. While we couldn’t be together, we wanted to highlight some of the titles we wanted to show you at the conference. Just click on the title of the book to be taken to the webstore, where you can use our special discount code to order with a 20% discount and free shipping.

Adam’s Witness by J.C. Paulson (ISBN 9780995975606, $18.99)

When newspaper reporter Grace Rampling stumbles onto a grisly crime scene while on a routine weekend assignment, she abruptly finds herself at the centre of a police investigation into the death of a Catholic bishop.

As the investigation unfolds, evidence points to a troubling hate crime as Grace finds herself central to the case –not only as a key witness, but a suspect and even potential victim.

Lead investigator Detective Sergeant Adam Davis is thrown by the fierce attraction he feels toward Grace that, if acted upon, could throw the entire case into jeopardy. With Grace at risk and off limits, Adam races to unravel an increasingly disturbing mystery, while he struggles to both protect and resist the woman of his dreams.

The Alphabet Construction Troubles by M Larson (ISBN  9781775321835, $13.99, Published by M Larson Books)

The Goals of This Book: Help children to learn the alphabet in both upper and lower case letters; Show children how important choosing “safety first” is.

Arab Cooking on a Prairie Homestead by Habeeb Salloum (ISBN 9780889775183, $34.95, Published by University of Regina Press)

In the 1920s, Habeen Salloum’s parents left behind the orchards and vineyards of French-occupied Syria to seek a new life on the windswept, drought-stricken prairies. With recollections that show the grit and improvisation of pioneers, Arab Cooking on a Prairie Homestead demonstrates Sallum’s love of traditional Arab cuisine. By growing “exotic” crops brought from home – such as lentils and chickpeas – the Salloums survived the dirty thirties and helped change the landscape of Canadian farming.

Over 200 recipes in this updated classic – from dumplings to lentil pies to zucchini mint soup – provide today’s foodies and urban farmers with dishes that are not only delicious, but also gentle on the wallet and climate-friendly.
 

Arrows in a Quiver: From Contact to the Courts in Indigenous-Canadian Relations by James Frideres (ISBN 9780889776784, $39.95, Published by University of Regina Press) – *CALGARY AUTHOR*

In response to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s report, Arrows in a Quiver provides an overview of Indigenous-settler relations, including how land is central to Indigenous identity and how the Canadian state systematically marginalizes Indigenous people. Illustrating the various “arrows in a quiver” that Indigenous people use to fight back, such as grassroots organizing, political engagement, and the courts, Frideres situates settler colonialism historically and explains why decolonization requires a fundamental transformation of long-standing government policy for reconciliation to occur. The historical, political, and social context provided by this text offers greater understanding and theorizes what the effective devolution of government power might look like.

A comprehensive political and legal overview of Indigenous-settler relations in Canada, written at a level appropriate for post-secondary students, this book is an essential primer for understanding Canada today and into the future.
 

Autant by Paulette Dubé (ISBN 9781771871563, $19.95, Published by Thistledown Press) – *WESTOCK AUTHOR*

“If heaven is full of angels like me, hell must be empty.” So begins Autant, a tale woven over the course of four days and fifty-four years, based on the relationship between bees and one Franco-Albertan family, the Garances, of Autant, Alberta.

Corridor Nine: A Novel by Sophie Stocking (ISBN 9781771871815, $20.00, Published by Thistledown Press) – *CALGARY AUTHOR*

Seven years ago Bernadette Macomber did everything she could to cut ties to her father Fabian, his opiate addiction, gun collection, and increasingly bizarre behavior. She moved with her husband and four children, with no return address. Now, following his suicide, her father paradoxically makes contact again, and Bernadette finds herself not liberated, but tethered to him ever more tightly by the bonds of familial guilt. Desperate for absolution, Bernie returns to her father’s home to hunt for evidence of his insanity.

Meanwhile, in his ongoing quest for freedom via any available loophole, Fabian runs straight into his jailor, the demon/angel Bune in the afterlife space of Corridor Nine. Only a father and daughter reunion can grant them both the liberty they seek.
 

Cream Money, edited by Deana Driver (ISBN 9781927570197, $19.95, Published by DriverWorks Ink)

Selling milk and cream to neighbours and townspeople was an integral way of life on the Canadian Prairies in the early to mid-1900s. On many farms women were in charge of milking cows, separating the cream from the milk, and selling that cream.

Cream Money honours this era of Prairie farming, celebrating the work of farm families through true stories of how cream money was earned and spent.
 

Cry Wolf: Inquest into the True Nature of a Predator by Harold Johnson (ISBN 9780889777385, $16.95, Published by University of Regina Press)

Growing up on a northern trap line, Harold Johnson was taught to keep his distance from wolves. For decades, wolves did the same for humans. But now this seems to be changing. In 2005, twenty-two-year-old Kenton Carnegie was killed in a wolf attack near his work camp. Part story, part forensic analysis, Cry Wolf examines this and other attacks, showing how we fail to take this apex predator seriously at our own peril.
 

Death Train of Provincetown by Trent Portigal (ISBN 9781989274026, $20.00, Published by Radiant Press)

Death Train of Provincetown is the Dickensian history of a small prairie city where two improbable heroes, named Virginia and Mistigris, emerge. They resist the establishment and manage to thrive in a rigidly controlled society, sometimes exploiting others in order to live. The narrator is an author of tourist guides who is writing his latest guidebook, A Walking Tour of Virginia’s Theological Cemetery. He realizes that the woman named Virginia is as important and neglected as any of the influential artists of the time. While piecing together the few records that remain, he discovers that she operated a brothel and proceeds to describe her heroism amid the hypocritical world she inhabited.

The Eater of Dreams by Kat Cameron (ISBN 9781771871846, $20.00, Published by Thistledown Press) – *EDMONTON AUTHOR* *DANUTA GLEED LITERARY AWARDS SHORTLIST*

The past haunts characters in The Eater of Dreams. In fifteen interconnected stories, Kat Cameron’s vivid characters — teachers, singers, writers, and misfits — examine the inner fractures in their lives. A woman muses about her miscarried child while watching a friend’s daughter play; an opera singer in Edmonton is stalked by an abusive ex-lover; a student’s story of bullying reminds a woman of her own childhood traumas; a woman cuts out the heart of a faithless man; the ghost of Lafcaido Hearn haunts the bedroom of a grieving teacher in Japan. Brilliant, passionate, and fierce, these stories summon the memories of lost relationships.

Finding Fortune by L.A. Belmontéz (ISBN 9781999956760, $25.00, Published by Garnet House)

Sometimes your life can change – in one moment, one glance, one breath…

L.A. Belmontéz’s long-awaited debut novel is a richly poignant and intimate love story plagued by the underworld of Colombian kidnappings.

When Valerie Verlane discovers Dmitri Renewitz is not dead after all, she sets off for Colombia to get some answers. But the truth is one thing she never expected.

Inspired by real events, Finding Fortune delves into the consciousness of its characters, story within story, as they attempt to piece together the past in a soul-searching quest for true fortune.

Set between the height of Colombian kidnappings in the late nineteen nineties and the present nearly a decade later, Finding Fortune takes readers from the glitz and glam of Hollywood to Colombian jungles, Las Vegas desert to Cartagena rooftops, and Malibu beaches to Miami soirees on a journey that will become an experience to remember.
 

Fingerweaving Untangled by Carol James (ISBN 9780978469504, $24.95, Published by Gabriel Dumont Institute Press)

Carol James presents a 64-page, full-colour guide to fingerweaving. The book includes beginners’ and advanced methods that are fully illustrated with drawings, sketches, and photos. There is also a section on mistakes—how to prevent them and how to fix them

To complement the guide, there are reproductions of historical sashes from different collections, including that of St Boniface Museum and of the Manitoba Museum. The book is divided in three main sections: Getting Started; Tips, Tricks and Troubles; and Traditional Patterns. In the last section, the author shares instructions for traditional patterns, including the Arrowhead, the Assomption, and the Acadian. In the last few pages, graph patterns are offered as well as a glossary.

Flight, Volume 1 by Deana Driver (ISBN 9781927570494, $19.95, Published by DriverWorks Ink)

Wartime bombings, engine failures, a rudimentary air traffic control tower, and flights with the Canadian Forces Snowbirds aerobatics team are among the engaging true stories in this fascinating first book of the Flight series. In their own words or with the help of author Deana Driver or other Prairie writers, Western Canadian pilots and aviation enthusiasts share stories of adventure, assistance, humour, tragedy, and success in this salute to the Canadian aviation industry and its people.

From Moose to Moccasins by Jeff Coleclough, Photos by Thomas Archer (ISBN 9780978155551, $17.50, Published by Kakwa)

This book will walk you through the necessary steps top take a moose hide from the green (raw) stage to a finished, smoke-tanned leather ready to use.

Fully Half Committed: Conversation Starters for Romantic Relationships by Barbara Morrison and Ed Risling (ISBN 9781989078167, $19.99, Published by Wood Dragon Books)

This book is for those in a romantic relationship– and for those who want to be. Most couples begin their relationship accidentally and stay in it unconsciously. The authors explore the concept of being Fully Half Committed in relationships and why people are choosing to couple differently than their parents and grandparents. Whether you are with a partner for a day or a lifetime, the authors encourage people to have conscious, intentional relationships. This book offers key ideas and strategies to work through the challenges of your romantic life– whether you are at the beginning, middle, or the end of a relationship.
 

In My Own Moccasins: A Memoir of Resilience by Helen Knott (ISBN 9780889776449, $24.95, Published by University of Regina Press) – *ALBERTA CONTENT*

As a young Indigenous woman working through intergenerational trauma, Helen Knott must learn where she came from and where she is going. A harrowing and powerful memoir, In My Own Moccasins gives an honest portrayal of how Knott healed the deep wounds inflicted by sexual violence.

I Know a Woman: A Song for Mothers by Sharon Gudereit (ISBN 9781988783536, $14.95, Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing)

I Know a Woman is a celebration of mothers, and the selfless love and care they bestow on us from the day of our birth until adulthood. The tender words, based on the lyrics of the song of the same name by Sharon Gudereit (from her album Let It Go), along with warm and nostalgic illustrations by visual artist Miranda Pringle, strike an emotional chord in children and adults alike.

A perfect gift for the special women whose love makes us who we are.
 

Life Lessons from a Red Serge by Linda Garvey and Barb Porter (ISBN 9781775353607, $15.95, Published by McKenzie Carver & Associates)

Night and day, women and men of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police work to serve and protect their country. Though this work can be difficult and dangerous, it can teach invaluable lessons. This book was inspired by Staff Sergeant Garvey, an RCMP member who learned important lessons from the many people and communities across Canada he partnered with to serve and protect.

Every life has a purpose. This man knew from childhood what he wanted to become. He worked hard to be a good person and grew up to represent RCMP with great pride. RCMP members from across Canada were family to him. He died at 54 years of age as he lived with gratitude and grace, from an incurable brain cancer.

While this book was written for his grandchildren so that the life lessons he would have taught them would not be lost, the lessons could benefit many people.

These life lessons were written to be read then reviewed; shared with children or adults. This reminds us that everyone has potential and anyone can grow to become a better person. Read the lessons and learn. Keep the lessons or give them away to help others. Apply these lessons, live a good life and make a positive difference.
 

Mama’s Cloud by Jessica Williams, illustrated by Mateya Ark (ISBN 9781775345619, $11.99, Published by All Write Here Publishing)

Mama is the most wonderful and magical person in the world, but when a dark cloud settles over her, the inner magic seems to vanish. There must be something that can make the cloud disappear, but what?
 

MENtal Health: It’s Time to Talk by Allan Kehler (ISBN 9781988783475, $17.95, Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing)

When it comes to mental health, too many men are suffering in silence. MENtal Health: It’s Time to Talk tells the true stories of prairie men – including Chris Beaudry, former assistant coach of the Humboldt Broncos – who have persevered through various mental health challenges. Together, they put a voice to topics including masculinity, mental illness, addiction, sexual abuse, and suicide.

These men speak out in raw honesty because they understand that the conversation doesn’t start until someone starts talking.
 

Metis Camp Circle: A Bison Culture Way of Life by Leah Marie Dorion (ISBN 9781926795959, $15.00, Published by Gabriel Dumont Institute Press)

During much of the nineteenth century, bison hunting was integral to the Métis’ social, economic, and political life. As “people of the buffalo,” the Métis were bison hunters par excellence. In Métis Camp Circle: A Bison Way of Life, author and artist Leah Marie Dorion transports young readers back in time when bison were the basis of Métis lifeways on the Plains. Vibrantly illustrated and infused with important cultural teachings, this charming book skillfully informs us about this important period of Métis history.

No-Badge Killick: Life at Sea in Canada’s Cold War Navy by Gord Hunter (ISBN 9780968180310, $19.99, Published by Monkey’s Fist Publishing)

Gord Hunter’s No-Badge Killick offers an honest and engaging first-hand look at life in the Royal Canadian Navy during the turmoil of the Cold War, from the Cuban Missile Crisis until the Western World’s frosty relationship with the Soviet Union began to thaw.

From monitoring Soviet spy ships and sailing in multi-nation NATO Squadrons, to living through the upgrading of Canada’s rusting World War II fleet and the tensions surrounding the integration of Canada’s Armed Forces, Gord Hunter’s refreshing memoir captures the excitement and tedium of the day-to-day life of a regular seaman, whether in Halifax, the Tropics or the North Atlantic.

In No-Badge Killick, he explores a young sailor’s memories of the fun, frustrations, challenges, and camaraderie of living and working in the lower decks, the life-lessons learned, and the beauty of the ocean world of flying fish, phosphorescence, porpoises, whales, and sharks.

Born in Grand-Mere, Quebec, Gord Hunter has lived in six different provinces, and these days hangs his hat in Regina, Saskatchewan. From 1962 until 1970, he served on frigates, destroyer escorts and submarines in Canada’s Cold War Navy.
 

No Surrender: The Land Remains Indigenous by Sheldon Krasowski (ISBN 9780889775961, $27.95, Published by University of Regina Press) – *ATHABASCA AUTHOR*

Between 1869 and 1877 the government of Canada negotiated Treaties One through Seven with Indigenous Peoples in Western Canada. Many argue that the negotiations suffered from cultural misunderstandings between the treaty commissioners and Indigenous chiefs, but newly uncovered eyewitness accounts how that the Canadian government had a strategic plan to deceive over the “surrender clause” and land sharing.

Reclaiming Tom Longboat by Janice Forsyth (ISBN 9780889777286, $27.95, University of Regina Press)

Recounting the much-needed history of Indigenous sport in Canada through the lens of the prestigious Tom Longboat Awards and shedding light on a significant yet overlooked aspect of Canadian policy and Crown-Indigenous relations, Janice Forsyth critically assesses the state’s role in policing Indigenous bodies and identities through sport, from assimilationist sporting regulations in residential schools to the present-day exclusion of Indigenous activities from mainstream sports. This work recognizes the role of sport as a colonial device, while also acknowledging its potential as a tool for decolonization and self-determination.
 

Renewing Relationships: Indigenous Peoples and Canada, edited by Karen Drake and Brenda L. Gunn (ISBN 9780888806253, $65.00, Published by Indigenous Law Centre)

This edited collection features essays by Indigenous legal academics from across Canada. Some Indigenous nations might embrace principles of reconciliation, while others reject the concept and instead advocate for resistance or decolonization. This collection builds on existing literature that addresses issues such as the inclusion of Indigenous laws, self-determination, and the role of the constitution.
 

The Scarlet Forest: A Tale of Robin Hood by A.E. Chandler (ISBN 9781771871389, $19.95, Published by Thistledown Press) – *CALGARY AUTHOR*

You are invited beneath the great greenwood tree to hear how a young man became a hero, and a hero became a legend. When Robin takes a shortcut through Sherwood Forest, the path he chooses leads not to Nottingham’s archery contest, but to a life on the run from the law. Unable now to become a knight, and joined by his childhood friends, Robin Hood leads the most infamous outlaw band ever to evade the king and his sheriff. Blending true history with new stories, popular inaccuracies, and some almost forgotten medieval legends, The Scarlet Forest brings a new life to the greenwood, which here feels as fresh as it does traditional. With an academic background in medieval English studies, A. E. Chandler captivates with this unique and nuanced reinterpretation of Robin Hood’s struggles and adventures. The forest is waiting.
 

See Me by H.R. Hobbs (ISBN 9780995344815, $15.00)

Hannah follows the rule, always. The rules at school. The rules at home.

But what people don’t know is that Hannah has her own rules. They protect her. Keep her invisible.

And they work — until Chip Cavanagh arrives at her school.

Chip doesn’t have rules.

Hannah soon learns that being friends with Chip means she can’t be invisible any longer.

Also Available: Hear Me, Watch Me)
 

Sleuth: Gail Bowen on Writing Mysteries by Gail Bowen (ISBN 9780889775244, $18.95, Published by University of Regina Press)

A smart, practical, and often funny guide for those who aspire to write mysteries, Sleuth reveals the secrets behind the curtain from a bestselling and award-winning master of the genre.

Gail Bowen shows how to map out a plot, how to plant page-turning clues, how to develop fully-rounded characters, and how to create the scene of the crime. She also looks at the psyche, the power of story, and cultural appropriation, allowing writers to communicate the truth about the human condition.

Digging into the works of Agatha Christie, Ruth Rendell, Sara Paretsky, Ian Rankin, Louise Penny and a score of others, Bowen explores all the possibilities the mystery genre offers writers with a story to tell.
 

Small Reckonings: A Novel by Karin Melberg Schwier (ISBN 9780994866950, $20.00, Published by Burton House Books)

The Burke family story is about physical and emotional isolation in the 1920s and 1930s when homesteaders scratched out a new existence on the prairie.

William, an adventurer from New Zealand, brings his bride to the freshly broken earth of his farm near Watrous, Saskatchewan. Violet, the child born ‘feebleminded,’ plunges her mother Louise —a woman burdened with a secret—back to a time of guilt and regret. The child draws out goodness and loyalty in her neighbours, Hank and Emily. But tragedy upends this family, taking the reader at breakneck speed again and again, finally rendering the strength to forgive and realize no one is infallible.

Small Reckonings is a graceful, poignant debut novel, with the strong character of Violet at its heart. Considered vulnerable by her community, she turns out to be feisty and courageous. Her story, and that of her family, unfolds against the sweep of prairie with compelling power. Karin Melberg Schwier has given us a novel to treasure.
 

Spirit Singer by Edward Willett (ISBN 9781989398005, $19.95, Published by ShadowPaw Press)

Amarynth is a Spirit Singer, gifted – or cursed, as she sometimes thinks – with the ability to lead the spirits of the dead from the Lower World through the Between World to the Gate of the Upper World and the Light that lies beyond it.

While she is still an apprentice, her grandfather and tutor dies, slain by a mysterious creature in the Between World, an evil Beast that is blocking access to the Upper World’s Gate. Without a Spirit Singer, her village cannot survive, so Amarynth embarks on a hazardous quest to find out what the Beast is, how it can be defeated, and how she can become a full-fledged Spirit Singer – a quest that takes her not only from her tiny seacoast home to the city of Havenheart and the haunted mountains of the south, but across the even more rugged terrain of her own soul.
 

The Teller from the Tale by Ven Begamudré (ISBN 9781989274248, $20.00, Published by Radiant Press)

In The Teller from the Tale, award-winning author Ven Begamudré spins three stories in a modern blend of myth and realism. A sculptor with magical powers looks upon a princess, thought it is forbidden for commoners to do so, and suffers the consequences. A father narrates a story called “Rainbow Knights” to his family every evening and is the recipient of their cynical and amusing observations. Seven knights and their sister are presented to a fisherman and his wife, who have lost their only son to the god of the sea. The family travels to a bleak island cursed by a sorceress on a quest to rescue their messing child. “Sushila Is at Home,” is a mystical tale of a bio-mathematician who ponders her choice to remain childless, as the gods lounge on her sofa and provide commentary. Part two is the delightful re-telling of an Indian folktale as a young widow tricks the God of the Dead into returning her husband.
 

Wheel the World: Travelling with Walkers & Wheelchairs by Jeanette Dean (ISBN 9781988783505, $19.99, Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing)

Seniors are living longer, and there are an increasing number of us who have mobility issues but want to live life to the fullest. For those who want to continue to enjoy travelling, the use of a walker or wheelchair may be necessary.

Lack of mobility creates problems, so careful planning before a trip is essential. In Wheel the World, I describe some of the difficulties I have encountered when travelling by bus, by ship, and by car.

Though these difficulties don’t go away, I hope you will find that they are not insurmountable, and that discovering new places and revisiting familiar ones can still be thrilling and fun.
 

When We Had Sled Dogs: A Story from the Trapline by Ida Tremblay and Miriam Korner (ISBN 9781988783390, $14.95, Published by Your Nickel’s Worth Publishing)

When We Had Sled Dogs: A Story from the Trapline — ācimowin ohci wanihikīskanāhk takes readers young and old on a journey into the past when dog teams were part of the traditional way of life in Northern Saskatchewan.

Inspired by Elder Ida Tremblay’s childhood memories, and told in English with Woodland Cree words and phrases, the story follows the seasonal cycle of trapline life.
 

You Can’t Invite a Fish to a Dance Party by Jessica Williams, illustrated by Jimena De La Vega (ISBN 9781999539726, $11.99, Published by All Write Here Publishing)

The pets all agreed, they couldn’t invite Fish to the dance party. It would be too dangerous for him, and besides, he wouldn’t have any fun; he doesn’t have feet for dancing and he can’t sing karaoke. But Fish had other ideas.