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  Book Review:   “I’ve long been fascinated by the story of the Navajo code talkers and the role they played in World War Two. In that part of the conflict that was fought against Japan in the Pacific Ocean, Navajo Marines used their native language to create an unbreakable code. Because they were Marines, that part of the U.S. military that leads all others into the thick of battle, they also saw some of the heaviest fighting of the war. If any American servicemen deserve to be honored, it was these Navajo.” (Joseph Bruchac) “Code Talkers” is a good read, pitched at middle grade kids but enjoyable for older ones as well. It is a straightforward account of the Navajo code talkers valor and ingenuity during WWII told from the point of view of a 16-year-old recruit who lived to tell the tale. As a war story, it neither glamorizes combat nor moralizes over the atrocities of battle. Rather, it attempts to tell the tale as a teen boy may have experienced it, proud, scared, c...

  Book Review: Monsters vs humans is a popular theme in fantasy and sci-fi fiction which Victoria Schwab puts an interesting spin on in “This Savage Song”. Are people actually some of the most monstrous… are some monsters more humane… is something as beautiful as a song the most powerful weapon of all? This dystopian novel follows the stories of a badass teenage girl and a shadowy boy/monster and how their lives entwine as their worlds fall apart. The book is beautiful and bloody, with enough tension and plot twist to keep thrill-seeking readers fully engaged. It is refreshing to read a book that doesn’t drag anywhere in its 427 pages and still manages to evoke poignancy and a certain amount of depth. All in all, an excellent offering by Schwab. Recommendation: a delightful mixture of thoughtful thrills, heart pounding action, and gritty gore. If that sounds like your jam, check it out. I’ve got lots of copies on hand. Mr. Wedel   Author – Victoria Schwab Publish...

  Book Review A little gem of humor and keen insight, Cipolla’s “The Basic Laws of Human Stupidity” is a must read for anyone wanting to live wisely with their fellow man. At first glance one might think the book is just a good-natured jab at humanity, much like Gary Larson’s “The Far Side” comics, but it is actually a serious assessment of how people are with one another in this far from perfect world. Cipolla builds the book around four general observations: 1.       Always and inevitably, everyone underestimates the number of stupid individuals in circulation. 2.      The probability that a certain person is stupid is independent of any other characteristic of that person. 3.      A stupid person is a person who causes losses to another person or group of persons while himself deriving no gain and even possibly incurring losses. 4.     Non-stupid people always underestimate the damaging po...

  Book Review:   OK, “Belle Epoque” by Elizabeth Ross is definitely not my kind of story. Don’t get me wrong. I love historical fiction and Paris in the late 1880s is a very interesting time period. But the story had so much feminine scheming, so much angst around beauty and ugliness, and so many dresses, dresses, dresses. So… why am I reviewing the book then? Well, to be honest (and I hate to admit it), the book was just so good! The story follows Maude, a young Breton woman who has run away to Paris to escape an unpleasant arranged marriage and chase her dreams. But life for a poor girl in that (and any) time is tough. Maude ends up finding employment in a very strange agency that hires out plain women by the hour. Their job – to make their employer look more beautiful by comparison. Demeaning? Yes. Humiliating? True. Lucrative? Definitely! An interesting premise for a story that could go in many directions. I was unsure how things were going to unfold for a good part ...

  Book Review:   “The prow of our longship broke the waves, the salt spray stinging my eyes. My legs bent, and my feet shifting naturally at the rise and fall of the sea. Always, it was the same, when the unfurling sail caught the wind and the ship surged forward. Like when you put heels to horse and she runs. The same. My spirits rising.” So begins “The Swan’s Road”, first in the five part “Atheling Chronicles” by local author Garth Pettersen; a rollicking robust medieval adventure complete with romance, political intrigue, camaraderie, violence, and honor. This is Pettersen’s first novel and what a gem it is. I found it an invigorating and satisfying read, similar in feel to “The Three Musketeers”. The tale follows the perilous journey of Prince Harald of Engla-long and Scandinavia to Rome where he and his father King Cnute seek the assistance of the King Conrad against the scheming Duke of Normandy, Robert the Devil who plans to usurp Cnute’s kingdom and end his li...

 Book Review: What can I say about Laline Paull's novel, "The Bees" ? Amazing, immersive, unexpected, unique. I was totally blown away by this book, and that doesn't happen very often. The story follows the life of honey bee Flora 717, born into the lowest cast of the hive. Despite her humble beginnings, it quickly becomes apparent that she is no ordinary, run of the mill sanitation worker. Taking audacious risks and following forbidden dreams, Flora 717 finds a way to hold out unexpected hope for her colony imperiled by social upheaval and political intrigue. Nearly all of the characters in this story are anthropomorphic insects which might make you think it is a children's book similar to "The Rats of NIMH"  or The Cricket in Times Square". Think again! Paull has written with an adult audience in mind (many YA readers will enjoy it as well). Lovely yet disturbing, sensual, violent and primal, and highly nuanced, this book is not a kiddie read by a...

 Book Review: “You can’t have a democracy if citizens can’t propose new ideas and vigorously debate them… In 2024, the Trudeau government proposed Bill C-63, the Online Harms Act, which is perhaps the biggest threat to free expression in Canada in decades.” (Free Speech in Canada p.5, 18) Not only in Canada but throughout the western world, new hate speech laws are being enacted that are saddling citizens and journalists with huge fines and even jail time just for things they are saying and/or posting online. Sound scary? It should! Nothings shuts down free speech more effectively than the fear that you might be persecuted by the government if someone doesn’t like your ideas. It is one of the more unsettling developments of our time. “It's no coincidence that one of the first actions taken by authoritarian regimes is to limit the freedom of the press, which is the freedom to publish without government permission.” (Free Speech in Canada p.36) To understand this issue more...