Good Mom on Paper: Writers on Creativity and Motherhood
EDITED BY STACEY MAY FOWLES AND JEN SOOKFONG LEE
While ‘writers on writing’ books could fill a library, few have explored the unique experiences of writers who are also mothers. Good Mom on Paper: Writers on Creativity and Motherhood takes a long overdue and deeply personal look at the tensions, joys, sacrifices, and sometimes the guilt, of managing—or not—two such demanding roles. Among its 20 essays, Good Mom on Paper counts contributions from the likes of Heather O’Neill, Rachel Giese, and Amber Riaz. Touching on factors such as parenting children with special needs and confronting stereotypes of motherhood, each essay moves well beyond platitudes to candidly and honestly explore the complexities of writing and motherhood with refreshing insight, humour, and grace.
Once There Were Wolves
BY CHARLOTTE MCCONAGHY
In Charlotte McConaghy’s novel, Once There Were Wolves, twin sisters Inti and Aggie travel together from Alaska to Scotland. Inti is a wolf biologist and part of a team poised to release 14 gray wolves into the wilds of the Highlands, an effort to restore balance to the ecosystem there. Aggie, by contrast, is virtually mute, rendered almost catatonic by a trauma that is only revealed gradually. In a role reversal from their childhood, Inti becomes Aggie’s protector. At the same time she struggles to contain her disdain for the Scottish locals who are resisting the rewilding project and endures a powerful, almost crippling empathy with the wolves. Told in vivid, poetic prose, Once There Were Wolves is a fast-paced and provocative read that explores some of the most resonating questions of our time.
Lizzy and the Cloud
WRITTEN AND ILLUSTRATED ERIC AND TERRY FAN
Lizzy is excited to take her Saturday walk to the park with her parents. While there, she buys a pet cloud, which she holds on to by a string and names Milo. Milo comes with a set of instructions: he has to be watered daily, but not overwatered; he shouldn’t be confined to a small space; and a bucket should be placed under him in case of accidents, especially when he’s young. Lizzy takes Milo for walks, keeps him watered, and lets him out the window on rainy days, but when Milo gets bigger and bigger, Lizzy begins to feel uneasy. After he lets loose a thunderstorm in her bedroom, Lizzy knows she has to let Milo go. Charmingly illustrated and simply told, Lizzy and the Cloud is a story about love and doing the right thing, even when it hurts.
Book Club Babes Podcast
HOSTED BY CHANTAL BLAKELY AND KATELYNN NANGLE
Book Club Babes is a weekly podcast dedicated to creating a community for like-minded women to discuss the book of the month. Genres of books vary, but mostly fall within the range of Adult Fiction, Popular Literature, and Young Adult novels. You can follow along as we read one book per month. If reading more books is a goal for you, following along with Book Club Babes is an easy way to sneak another book into your Reading Challenge every month. Join us every Thursday to hang out with the Book Club Babes. Available wherever you listen to podcasts.
