ORB’s June 2026 Issue
For your summer beach reading, here are our insights into an eclectic selection of four recent books by Canadian authors, Mark Anthony Jarman, Thomas Trofimuk, Zsuzsi Gartner and Elinor Florence. We hope you enjoy the reviews! See you again in September.
Smash & Grab by Mark Anthony Jarman
Reviewed by Timothy Niedermann This latest effort by the prolific Mark Anthony Jarman is full of evidence of what has made him such an admired writer. While a couple of the stories are fairly straightforward, what characterizes most of them is what can be called “variegated depth.” What is meant by that is that Jarman does not simply lay out a story or its characters in a linear way. He adds scenes and details that stray far from his original plot line, adding nuance to the c
Saudade by Thomas Trofimuk
Reviewed by Robert Runté This is a novel about the fear of death, of loss and longing, of aimless searching. Wait, wait! Don’t leave! This is not the sort of tedious, depressing literary novel about death and dying that only a literature professor could love. This one is a surprisingly great read. It is a puzzle novel. A mystery, but not really the who-done-it-kind. More existential, but in a fun way. And, just under the surface, there is this wry humour: our hero pictures de
Best Canadian Stories 2026 edited by Zsuzsi Gartner
Reviewed by Timothy Niedermann Choosing the best Canadian stories in any given year is a daunting task: “hidden as they were amidst the forests of sameness and swamplands of meh,” as editor Zsuzsi Gartner so aptly puts it in her introduction. As if sifting for gold in a muddy stream, Gartner has culled through the pages of literary journals large and small to end up with a collection of fifteen gleaming nuggets. The first story, “We are Busy Being Alive” by Rishi Midha is a g
Wildwood by Elinor Florence
Reviewed by Wendy Hawkin I was so impressed with Florence’s historical Can Lit novel, Finding Flora (2025), I put Wildwood on my “to be read” list. I was not the only one impressed. The novel was so successful—debuting as a #1 National Bestseller in Canadian Fiction and remaining on the list for 27 consecutive weeks—Florence’s publisher, Simon & Schuster, contracted her prior work. Wildwood was originally published by Dundurn Press in 2018. The updated novel is available now,
May the ORB be with You
Finally, things are warming up in the Great White North! People are taking their travel trailers out of storage, opening up their summer cottages and planning exciting trips. Or they're just kicking back for a staycation with a cool drink. Whatever your plans, make room for a good book. Perhaps one of this month's selection will interest you? In our May issue, our core reviewers offer their insights on four exceptional books: Pay No Heed to the Rockets by Marcello Di Cintio;
Pay No Heed to the Rockets by Marcello Di Cintio
Reviewed by Ian Thomas Shaw Although not a new book—it was published in 2018—Marcello Di Cintio’s account of his encounters with Palestinian writers continues to leave an indelible impression on readers. Rather than offering a sweeping history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict or a journalistic catalogue of atrocities and diplomatic failures, Di Cintio approaches Palestine through its literature, its storytellers, and the fragile persistence of cultural life under occupatio
Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies by Lindsay Wong
Reviewed by Wayne Ng Many writers begin with the premise that families are complicated and surviving trauma is a lifelong odyssey. Lindsay Wong’s Villain Hitting for Vicious Little Nobodies makes that maxim seem quaint. Her latest novel is one of the boldest and most original Canadian works in recent memory: a grotesque, darkly funny, emotionally intelligent book that fuses immigrant family saga, savage social satire, supernatural folklore, historical reckoning, and body horr
