We like consuming words on the page almost as much as we like consuming food on the plate. Welcome to the Scout Book Club: a brief and regular rundown of what we’re reading, what’s staring at us from the bookshelf begging to be read next, and what we’ve already read and recommend.

April Showers call for…keeping cozy with a good book! Here is a list of recently released titles and impending April releases to put on your radar this Spring:

My Thievery of the People: Stories (Baraka Books), by Leila Marshy | Probably my favourite short story collection of the year, so far, My Thievery of the People: Stories (published at the beginning of March 2025) is imbued with qualities both folkloric and darkly magical, as well as violent and adamantly political, featuring heroines aplenty. Speaking of the latter: Montreal based author Leila Marshy has an impressive, varying resume of experience to cull content from, having worked in film, radio, app design, political organization, farming (specifically chickens), and baking; with notable stints working abroad for the Palestinian Mental Health Association (Cairo) and at home for Medical Aid for Palestine. It’s no wonder that her stories are so expansive in scope and setting, stretching from Egypt to Las Vegas to Russia, Newfoundland and Quebec; from the ceaseless labour of mixing, kneading and baking dozens of cookies in “Ramadan”, to sword dancing in “The Swordsman”, an especially tense transaction at a roadside honey stand in “The Beekeeper”, and the removal of a burdensome snowfall in “The Plow”. They are also often sensorial experiences – viscous, sticky, frigid, arid, or overbearing – full of aroma, texture and flavour; whereas, taking a detour in form, “Job” and “How To: Your Very Own Life” playfully deliver snarky, astute observations on the everyday absurdisms of life.

DETAILS | Currently available in-store from Iron Dog Books, and as a special order from such other local independent bookstores as Massy Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

On the Clock (New Directions Publishing), by Claire Baglin | The cover for Claire Baglin’s 95-page novella, On the Clock (originally published as En Salle in 2022) is simple, graphic, perfect. The same could basically be said of its contents. In her first book, the twenty-something French author details the minutiae of a young woman’s first job working at a fast food chain restaurant over the course of a summer, and juxtaposes it alongside descriptions of family summertime vacations – including the not un-ironic childhood thrill (and drama) of filling up on greasy food from roadside restaurants – and her father’s own respective workplace experiences, toiling away in a factory job. Despite its slim size and fun appearance, On the Clock is no literary “junk food”, though. In fact, this tiny tome packs quite the wollop, providing sly social commentary though its wry account of one not unintelligent young person’s entry into the machinery of capitalism, beginning where so many modern-day young people do, in the lowest ranks of the F&B industry (aka fast food), and all of the bullshit involved in working in a mostly thankless, under-stimulating, mentally draining and physically taxing job. Full of wit and clever observations – no fillers.

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Upstart & Crow, and as a special order from Massy Books and Iron Dog Books.*

Dirty Little War: A Crime Novel (ECW Press), by Dietrich Kalteis | West Vancouver based writer, Dietrich Kalteis, knows how to pen a fight scene – or at least he has me (someone by no means a boxing or gun aficionado) convinced he does. From back alley fisticuffs to fancy manoeuvring during a taxi cab chase along the streets of Chicago, and various other acts of gangster violence, his latest piece of Prohibition-era crime fiction is propelled by action – nearly five hundred pages of it; no small feat! However, despite providing detailed, intimate knowledge of protagonist boxer-cum-hustler-slash-driver Huckabee “Huck” Waller’s every swing, stab and shot dealt and received, and the marks these encounters make on his body, Kalteis barely scratches the surface of his psyche. Although we are told enough about his shady not-so-distant pre-Chicago past to understand that he is ultimately a “good” man at heart (underlined by his current pseudo-adoption and raising of a homeless but bookish boy, called Izzy, and his gentlemanly attitude towards his girlfriend-cum-wife, Karla), and we are treated to the occasional youthful hometown (Bogalusa, Louisiana) anecdote about his family – especially his older brother, Arlen, who died serving in the War – any semblance of an actual personality residing in Huck is largely obscured by all of his quipping, hijinx, bravado and machismo. Which is all to say: there’s nothing groundbreaking here; but if you’re looking for some fast-paced, gritty, boisterous booze-and-goon addled 1920s-era entertainment, then here you have it! Dirty Little War is a solid piece of just that.

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Iron Dog Books and as a special order from Upstart & Crow.*

Devouring Tomorrow: Fiction from the Future of Food (Dundurn Press), Edited by A.G. Pasquella and Jeff Dupuis | Is it any surprise that Devouring Tomorrow – a collection of sixteen pieces of fiction speculating about the future of food and food systems, written by as many Canadian writers (including one by Vancouver-based author, and past Scout interviewee, Carleigh Baker, called “The Pollinator”) – immediately piqued my bookish appetite? If you’re reading this, then it probably will have the same affect on you. Not that “appetizing” is the first word I would used to describe the various stories included within this volume. “Outlandish”, “stomaching-turning”, “hilarious”, “disturbing”, “provocative” and “trippy” would all be better descriptors. From consensual friendly and celebrity cannibalism, to communications with test tube meat, and a 2182 restaurant review “beef” revealing how the disparity of wealth has shaped access to food…to a flock of potentially pollinating moth saviours, versus hellish hoards of killer moths, the imaginations of the authors selected by Editors A.G. Pasquella and Jeff Dupuis often veer into nightmarish territories. However, it’s the least preposterous scenarios presented – for instance, the cruise ship ecosystem / civilization described in “Time to Fly” by Lisa de Nikolits; the capital-H “Hunger” narrating “Marianne is Not Hungry” by Jowita Bydlowska; Eddy Boudel Tan’s touching allegory about the appearance of an unlikely fruit tree in “Lorenzo and the Last Fig”; Chris Benjamin’s “Food Fight” chronicling the dispute between local farmers and big agriculture – that really got under my skin. Overall, Devouring Tomorrow delivers a grab bag of gut-punching stories, provokes a fearsome menu of outcomes for humanity’s future, and provides a decadent, diverse feast for thought.

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, and Iron Dog Books.*

Season of the Roses (Fantagraphics), by Chloé Wary | Dang! Fantagraphics is knocking it out of the park these days, repping some seriously talented and original women artists. The new English translation of Season of the Roses, award-winning French artist Chloé Wary’s 2019 graphic novel, is a bold, bright, and powerful feminist tale of a talented young soccer player, and her team’s fight for proper recognition and funding, in order to pursue their goal of scoring goals in the Championship. In addition to her unrestrained yet clever use of loud colours and attention to detail to create just the right amount of visual “noise”, Wary’s ability to capture motion and emotion, on and off the soccer field, is truly impressive – it’s easy to imagine the action playing out off the page, as if it were an animation. Knock on wood that her follow-ups, Rosigny Zoo and Big Bang Cunni also find their way to English audiences soon!

DETAILS | Available as a special order from such local independent bookstores as Iron Dog Books.*

Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging (Douglas & McIntyre), by Rachel Phan | For Toronto-based author Rachel Phan, the family restaurant was never just a restaurant – it was her replacement, the offspring her parents really wanted. In her new memoir, Restaurant Kid, Phan hashes out the the complicated emotions – sibling-ish resentment, rivalry, love, loyalty, protectiveness, etc. – wrapped up in being the youngest child (she has an older brother and sister) of a Chinese-Canadian restaurant family in small town Ontario growing up in the 1990s and coming of age in the early 2000s; eventually learning about her family’s past, witnessing her parents becoming themselves outside of the restaurant kitchen in the context of a familiar setting, and finding a truly supportive, respectful and loving companion.

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

I Want to Die in My Boots (TouchWood Editions), by Natalie Appleton | If you dig an early-twentieth-century gun-slinging, whisky drinking and gin swigging, horseback riding, roughhousing and hell-raising Western, complete with its particular vernacular, I Want to Die in My Boots contains all of these elements – although it’s certainly not your typically gratuitous, pulpy genre fare. At the heart of it all is a mysterious women character culled from Canadian lore – so-called “Belle Jane” – intriguing enough for Okanagan-based writer Natalie Appleton to devote a good chunk of time hunting down the details about and choosing as the subject for her first novel. Where lack of and/or contradictory information exists (which is to say, quite often) Appleton adds sensitive, fictional flourishes and poetic embellishments to this tale of a true, notorious criminal figure in Canada’s history. Beginning before her birth in the US in the late 19th century, putting in serious time in Saskatchewan and projecting to her post-penitentiary days reading tea leaves in BC circa 1960, Appleton has created a sweaty, restless, evocative, not-so-good-ol’fashioned romp of a read, full of pluck and country twang. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

I Ate the Whole World to Find You (Drawn & Quarterly), by Rachel Ang | The trippy new comics collection from Australian artist, Rachel Ang, expertly blends the absurd with the all-too-real / you-can’t-make-this-stuff-up, awkward life moments, creating a world out of the “grey area”. Ang is as deft as exploring the absurdity of human existence as she is at creating stirring black-and-white, dark-with-a-hint-of-light illustrations. Expressive and bizarre; each different chapter of I Ate the Whole World to Find You hits a different emotional note. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available to preorder from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

She’s A Lamb! (ECW Press), by Meredith Hambrock | In her new novel, She’s A Lamb!, Saskatoon-based author and television writer, Meredith Hambrock, inhabits the deluded mind of Jessamyn, a twenty-six-year-old musical-obsessed aspiring actress/singer who’s been “miscast” in the smalltime Vancouver theatre production of The Sound of Music – and, perhaps more significantly, in the role of her own life – with implications that go far beyond simple resentment, depression, anger and/or disappointment (like, way out). As Jessamyn’s psychological state becomes increasingly unhinged, scenes from her troubled past – namely, the myriad ways she’s been discouraged and/or taken advantage of by men in order to feed her desperate pursuit for fame and recognition – roil up like bile…However, Hambrock suppresses the opportunity to spew or make any real statement on the bigger issues she has buried in her protagonist’s narrative (namely, sexual abuse), or the the “fatal flaw” of being a women with power in a misogynistic industry (i.e. an (indeterminate) Asian-Canadian woman commanding the spotlight, as is the case of Jessamyn’s “nemesis”, Samantha, the lead of The Sound of Music; or the creative director tasked with saving a regional theatre company from financial duress, like Michelle). Or how, instead of Jessamyn seeking and giving support for the other women in the theatre community, her personal experiences drive her to separate herself from the herd, kicking her survival instinct into overdrive and pitting her against her potential allies. Overall, the story arc and tension of She’s a Lamb still makes for some entertaining melodrama, but ultimately leaves the whole thing feeling a bit hollow. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 8TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

Realistic Fiction (Little Puss Press), by Anton Solomonik | Anton Solomonik’s first book, Realistic Fiction, contains multitudes, including: an abundance of antiheros – nerds, narcissists, nihilists, objectivists (or not?), punks and aspiring politicians; no small number of awkward sex or ambiguous relationships; a nuclear substance; more than one mention of Ayn Rand – same-same the niche space opera anime, Sol Invictus. Through recurring story threads, themes, and cultural references, Solomonik has created an entire universe out of his collection of eleven queer punk short stories where no small number of too-smart-for-their-own-good pseudo-intellectuals and well-intended weirdos hatch haphazard plots on the regular, and even the most mundane tasks take on life-changing significance. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 11TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

Worthy of the Event: An Essay (LittlePuss Press), by Vivian Blaxell | A collection – basically a lifetime’s worth – of a melange of the experiential, peripheral, exponential ephemera that is the stuff of living (or, more appropriate in Blaxell’s case, “becoming”): love, heartbreak, hate, international and civil wars, personal conflicts, travels, traumas, natural and manmade disasters, friendships, pets, shit, death, sex, and much, much more. With her new long form essay, Australian writer Vivian Blaxell takes readers on a scenic “strap yourself in because it’s going to be one helluva ride” route through her life as a trans woman who transitioned in the 1960s, with plenty of stops to point out novel and significant landmarks along the way. Delivered in a singular, swaggering and unapologetic voice (much, it’s easy to imagine, like Blaxell’s speaking one), Worthy of the Event is empathetic, critical, esoteric, introspective, witty, haphazard, furious, unabashed, and curious. I love this book, and how it poked at my brain, teasing out thoughts and ideas I wasn’t expecting. An exciting, engaging, and activating read, with one of the most memorable endings I’ve read. This book leaves marks. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 11TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

Heart Lamp: Selected Stories (And Other Stories), by Banu Mushtaq | In the universe captured by south Indian writer (-slash-social-activist-slash-lawyer) Banu Mushtaq in this new collected work of a dozen short stories (first published in Kannada over the course of nearly four decades, from 1990 to 2023), tempers “flare up like a mustard seed dropped in fire”, sleep settles “thick as the cream that sets over hot milk”, a women strings together a letter using “the heart’s sharp nib and the red ink inside”, a bottle of Pepsi “bubbly drink” is transformed into aab-e-kausar (the drink of heaven), and a wealthy woman nursing her sick son back to health after a botched circumcision observes that “if there are people to help the rich, the poor have God”… Told in a conversational style that effortlessly and expertly turns everyday life (and death) occurrences – family and gender dynamics, religion, superstition, traditions, etc. – into political statements, Heart Lamp: Selected Stories, has been translated with the utmost care, attention and intention by Dheepa Bhasthi. Melding English with its original language by omitting the barrier of italics usually utilized to demarcate the use of another tongue, Bhasthi has enabled a fluidity of storytelling that invites the reader’s complete immersion. It’s no wonder that Heart Lamp has been named as one of just 13 books longlisted for the 2025 International Booker Prize (awarded annually to the best English translation of a long-form fiction or short story collection, published in the UK and/or Ireland). RELEASE DATE: APRIL 18TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books, Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

The Bees: The Women Who Rocked Lithuania (Fantagraphics), by Akvilė Magicdusté | If you dig rock n’ roll and/or obscure 20th century history, then get stoked for The Bees, a concise and colourful rundown on the formation, trajectory, and dissolution of the titular real-deal all-women Lithuanian rock band, written and illustrated by Akvilė Magicdusté, a multidisciplinary artist based out of the band’s home country. Magicdusté was turned onto the beloved but short-lived band through the happenstance discovery and eventual meeting of (which lead to multiple interviews with) its lead member, Jūratė Dineikaitė, a still important figure in local history. Expressive lines combined with a washed out multicolour palette creates a feeling of nostalgia and whimsy throughout the story, which breaks down chapter-by-chapter the various unique obstacles and notable performances that defined The Bees’ career arc in the Soviet Union at the height of the Cold War, along with notations putting everything into social and political context, adding layers of underlying tension. A super cool introduction to a piece of niche overseas musical history, likely to inspire more than a few trips down a musical/cultural rabbit hole (the Spotify playlist at the end is a good kicking off point), and the artist’s self-admittedly proud and sly way of realizing The Bees’ dream to travel to North America (SPOILER: shortly before disbanding, an invitation to play a gig in New York was thwarted by the government). Thanks, Magicdusté (and Fantagraphics)! RELEASE DATE: APRIL 22ND, 2025

DETAILS | Available soon from such local independent bookstores as Iron Dog Books.*

Your Love is Not Good (And Other Stories), by Johanna Hedva | Technically not a new release, but newly available in paperback, Your Love is Not Good is the sophomore novel from LA-based multidisciplinary artist-slash-writer (to put it simply), Johanna Hedva. (For a more esoteric self-description of her creative practice, check out Hedva’s website here). Split between Los Angeles / California and Berlin, the story follows a young painter on the come-up, searching for self-identity and recognition…or is she? Hedva’s being a born-and-bred Los Angelean artist herself clearly works to her advantage here, since only someone on such intimate terms with the famous American city could write about it the way she does, and offer such a thoughtful evisceration of the art world while she’s at it. Deftly dodging cliches, camp, and navel-gazing, Hedva defies the conventional struggling, aspiring artist’s ‘coming of age and hungry for fame’ tale by instead throwing the story, and its narrator, full-blast into its sharp corners and then poking, prodding and examining the wounds. Your Love is Not Good is full of doppelgangers and dominatrixes, art and ambition, queer love and mother-daughter tension, student debt and colonial capitalism, Otherness and exploitation. A heady, spiralling novel that I highly recommend. RELEASE DATE: APRIL 25TH, 2025

DETAILS | Available to pre-order from such local independent bookstores as Massy Books (at the time of publishing, also available in Hardcover), Iron Dog Books, and Upstart & Crow.*

*It would be remiss for me not to mention Vancouver’s various independent and used book stores, and encourage you to pay them an in-person visit to seek out these and other titles.