It’s almost forty years after the events of Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island: Jim Hawkins now runs an inn called the Hispaniola on the English coast with his son, Jim, and Long John Silver has returned to England to live in obscurity with his daughter, Natty. Their lives are quiet and unremarkable; their adventures have seemingly ended.

But for Jim and Natty, the adventure is just beginning.

1. How would you summarize your book in one sentence?

An adventure story, a love story: serious fun.

2. How long did it take you to write this book?

All my life.

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As a voracious reader and English Lit student I spent my first few years of university harbouring a secret indifference to classical literature. Enter Anne Carson and Autobiography of Red, the book that changed the way I understood classical myth and literature and kicked off my love affair with the works of Anne Carson. So saying I was cracking open Antigonick with the bar set high might be a bit of an understatement. I’m delighted to report I was not disappointed!

Antigonick, a translation of Sophokles’ Antigone, is worth a trek to your local bookstore just to see in person. Bianca Stone’s illustrations are set on translucent vellum stock, creating intruiging effects when overlapped with the hand-lettered text below.

Carson’s work is entrenched with a sense of play and wonder that seems almost childlike at times, and the sarcastic tone of the chorus feels wonderfully adolescent and indulgent. “You’re late to learn what’s what aren’t you” they tell Theban king Kreon, in a moment of “I told you so” that had me laughing out loud. The playfulness of Carson’s work almost tricks you into having fun with Antigone the way she does, and in Antigonick Carson brings you into a world that feels current, even though the story dates back nearly three thousand years. Her playful energy is not limited to the comic, as she easily captures moments that seem to luxuriate in cynicism — “Look here comes hope/wandering in/to tickle your feet/then you notice the soles are on fire”. These tonal peaks and valleys are what gives Antigonick its unsettling resonance.

As Carson writes of Aphrodite “you play with us, you play deeply”, I’d suggest that, Anne Carson, so do you — you play deeply. And your readers thank you!

Magnified World

Toronto, late 1990s

The first time it happened, I didn’t open the store on time. I found myself standing on the sidewalk outside the locked door at noon, the Queen streetcar going by behind me in a baritone of metal complaints. It was two hours after I was supposed to have opened and I had no memory of anything after going to bed the night before. The brown canvas shoes I had on were pinching my toes. I’d never seen the shoes before in my life and it seemed obvious that I was dreaming. If I was dreaming, my mother would be there like she always had been. But when I let myself in, there was no one.

Then my father was running down the stairs from our apartment on the second floor and I knew I was awake.

“Where have you been?” he said.

“I don’t know.”

“What? Where have you been?”

“I don’t know,” I said. “I don’t know.”

His mouth opened and I knew he was going to ask me again.

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What goes better with BBQ than beer? In Beerlicious, each recipe is made with a different beer that Teddy chose for unique reasons and flavours. He believes that the essence of great backyard grilling and smoking comes from having fun and if you know Ted, you know that he lives to have fun.

Check out a few sample recipes including The Most Interesting Sandwich: The Dos XX Equis Brickwich. Oh, and don’t forget dessert: The Beerlicious BBQ Cake (a recipe like this can only come from a night of drinking, according to Ted.)

We’re delighted to offer a copy of Beerlicious to 3 lucky winners! Enter below, and prepare to learn the art of grillin’ and chillin’!

“Ted is so good, he’s the only Canadian chef we’ve ever had on our show.”
—Regis Philbin, Live! With Regis and Kelly

Ted Reader is an award-winning chef and food entertainer, who’s parlayed his passion for food into a culinary tour de force that includes more than a dozen cookbooks, shelves of food products, live culinary performances, TV and radio cooking shows and appearances as well as culinary demonstrations, a catering company, and teaching. Known for his pyrotechnic charm and fearless culinary spirit, it’s no surprise that GQ magazine labeled him the “Crazy Canuck Barbecue Kingpin.” The dude just loves to cook!

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I love a good thriller. Always have. But I’ll admit that I’m a bit picky. I don’t love all of them, and if I’ve read it before, I don’t want to read it again. When I think of what makes a good thriller, I imagine an older married couple. The husband asks the wife, “Where would you like to go for our anniversary?” The wife says, “I don’t know. Somewhere different. Surprise me.”

As a reader who’s been in this relationship with thrillers for a while, I want what the wife wants: I want a book to take me somewhere I’ve never been before; I want to have no clue where I’m going; and I want to be surprised by what I find when I get there.

That’s why I loved William Landay’s Defending Jacob. It succeeds on all fronts. Andy Barber is a respected district attorney in suburban Massachusetts, but his world is shattered when his own teenage son becomes the main suspect in the murder of a local kid. From that starting point, nothing goes where you think it will. What results is a sophisticated, deeply disturbing and morally challenging novel that pits a father’s loyalty to his son against his core beliefs in justice and the rule of law.

Not every writer prompts the literary community to offer up praise on a platter, but Landay’s novel has, eliciting advance quotes from Lee Child, Nicholas Sparks, Chevy Stevens and Linwood Barclay (from whom I first heard a rave about this book).

That’s all I’m going to say about it. Pick it up. I can promise that you’ll be led somewhere different, that you’ll never know where you’re heading, and that in the end, you’ll be surprised. What could be more thrilling than that?

The Chemistry of Tears

Catherine

Dead, and no one told me. I walked past his office and his assistant was bawling.

“What is it Felicia?”
“Oh haven’t you heard? Mr. Tindall’s dead.”

What I heard was: “Mr. Tindall hurt his head.” I thought, for God’s sake, pull yourself together.

“Where is he, Felicia?” That was a reckless thing to ask. Matthew Tindall and I had been lovers for thirteen years, but he was my secret and I was his. In real life I avoided his assistant.

Now her lipstick was smeared and her mouth folded like an ugly sock. “Where is he?” she sobbed. “What an awful, awful question.”

I did not understand. I asked again.

“Catherine, he is dead,” and thus set herself off into a second fit of bawling.

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Orgasmic Onion Burger Seasoning will add life to your burgers. Take a couple of pounds of ground meat, sprinkle the Orgasmic Onion over it – enough so you can’t see the meat. Mix it, shape your burgers, refrigerate it for an hour, then grill ’em up and watch your burgers shake, rattle, and roll!

Makes about 3 cups

1/2 cup crispy fried onion pieces
1/4 cup powdered beef stock base
1/4 cup dehydrated onion flakes
3 Tbsp dehydrated granulated onion
2 Tbsp dehydrated granulated garlic
2 Tbsp Cream of Wheat powder
1 Tbsp kosher salt
1 Tbsp granulated sugar
1 Tbsp butcher’s ground black pepper
1 tsp mustard powder
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

• In a bowl, combine onion pieces, beef base, onion flakes, granulated onion and garlic, Cream of Wheat, kosher salt, sugar, black pepper, mustard, coriander, and cayenne.

• Store in an airtight container in a cool, dry, dark place.

• Keeps up to 3 months.

Excerpted from Beerlicious by Ted Reader. Copyright © 2012 by Ted Reader. All rights reserved.

World Famous BBQ chef Ted Reader combines his favourite passions—beer & BBQ—and launches his most daring collection of grilling recipes yet!

In this cookbook you will find recipes from Ted Reader, his family, friends and fans. Each recipe is made with a different beer that Teddy chose for unique reasons and flavours. He believes that the essence of great backyard grilling and smoking comes from having fun and if you know Ted, you know that he lives to have fun.

We all have favourite childhood memories of mom’s chicken pot pie, mac & cheese, and grilled sandwiches. And we all know that if we were to ask anyone what their favourite childhood meal is, their response would often start with “My mother’s” and end with “tuna casserole,” “meatloaf,” or “apple pie.” The six cookbooks below combine all these crowd-pleasers with a twist. Whether it’s about making a recipe healthier, or introducing a new cooking method to speed up the process, your mom will love the beautiful food styling, the personal stories from each author, and the opportunity to give her family-favourite recipes a shake-up. Pairing any of these cookbooks with a helpful kitchen gadget will not only save mom time and energy, it will make her smile every time she chops, sautés, minces, and whisks.

	The Canadian Living Complete Preserving Book by Canadian Living Test Kitchen Whether you’re a novice or an expert at the art of preserving, this book has something to offer you. An in-depth introduction covers the most up-to-date canning techniques and offers a visual guide to the equipment you’ll need. Helpful advice on selecting and preparing fruits and vegetables is sprinkled throughout to help you make the best of the harvest. The Canadian Living Complete Preserving Book is full of a broad selection of recipes – both sweet and savoury – such as traditional jams, jellies, marmalades and conserves, good old-fashioned pickles, relishes and chutneys; and to keep things interesting, there are also plenty of modern takes on these and other classic preserves, including salsas, sauces, syrups and flavoured vinegars.
	Unquenchable by Natalie MacLean From the author of the bestselling Red, White and Drunk All Over, this book will amuse and enthrall with its character sketches of obsessive personalities, travel to lovely settings, mouth-watering descriptions, of food and wine, “hidden” wine education and neurotic humor. Standing firmly against wine snobbery by insisting that good wine doesn’t have to be expensive, award-winning wine writer Natalie MacLean travels the globe on an uncompromising quest to find fabulous wine bargains.
	Martha’s American Food by Martha Stewart In this beautiful volume, a love letter to American food, Martha Stewart, who has so significantly influenced the American table, collects her most favorite national dishes, as well as the stories and traditions behind them. These are recipes that will delight you with nostalgia, inspire you, and teach you about our nation by way of its regions and their distinctive flavors. Above all, these are time-honored recipes that you will turn to again and again. Dishes such as comforting Chicken Pot Pies, easy Grilled Fish Tacos, irresistible Barbecued Ribs, and hearty New England Clam Chowder, are paired with thoroughly modern starters, sides, and one-dish meals such as Hot Crab Dip, Tequila-Grilled Shrimp, Indiana Succotash, Chicken and Andouille Gumbo, Grilled Bacon-Wrapped Whitefish, and Whole-Wheat Spaghetti with Meyer Lemon, Arugula, and Pistachios. And you will want to leave room for dessert, with dozens of treats such as Chocolate-Bourbon Pecan Pie, New York Cheesecake, and Peach and Berry Cobbler.
	Rob Rainford’s Born to Grill by Rob Rainford Rob Rainford was born to grill, and now he’s taking grilling to a whole new level! In Born to Grill he brings his barbeque prowess to over 100 recipes and 20 complete menus from around the world– designed for hosting family and friends around your backyard barbeque. For Rob, grilling is about entertaining; it’s about spending time together, cooking and eating outdoors. It’s also about pushing the boundaries of what you think you can do on the grill. In Born to Grill he shares his unique slant on grilling with 20 menus for you to mix and match, for both charcoal or gas grills. Born to Grill’s recipes are international, influenced by Rob’s travels and experiences in different countries and cultures. There are plenty of great grill classics (with a Rainford twist) but he really pushes BBQ boundaries with some true grilling originals and expert techniques, like cold smoking. Born to Grill takes you where no barbeque book has gone before, because Rob knows the grill can handle so much more than burgers and steaks. There’s still plenty of beef in here, but also lamb, chicken, fish, seafood, veal, duck, a huge range of vegetables, plenty of sides, and even salads! All cooked on the grill.
	Weeknights with Giada by Giada De Laurentiis After a full day, Giada, like most parents, wants nothing more than to sit down for a home-cooked dinner with her husband, Todd, and their daughter, Jade. Weeknights with Giada rises to the challenge, delivering soups, sandwiches, pizzas, pastas, and meat and fish dishes that come together quickly as stand-alone main courses—most in half an hour or less: Rustic Vegetable and Polenta Soup, a hearty soul-warming one-pot dish, cooks in under twenty minutes; Lemony White Bean, Tuna, and Arugula Salad is a great meal that’s quickly assembled from pantry and fridge essentials; Spicy Linguini with Clams and Mussels is a fifteen-minute-or-less spectacular pasta; and you can’t beat Grilled Sirloin Steaks with Pepper and Caper Salsa, which are also ready in just fifteen minutes. From inventive breakfast-for-dinner dishes and meatless Monday vegetarian recipes—both weekly traditions in Giada’s house—to picnic sandwiches and hearty salad recipes for reinventing leftovers, Weeknights with Giada reveals every secret in her repertoire. Even the desserts are quick to mix and bake, should a craving—or a last-minute school bake sale—strike.
	La Tartine Gourmande by Beatrice Peltre La Tartine Gourmande takes you on a journey, not only through the meals of the day but around the world, as Béatrice Peltre revisits her inspiration for each dish. Though her style is largely inspired by her native France, you’ll find a wide array of influences as she brings creative twists to classic recipes—all while remaining effortlessly healthful and balanced. The gluten-free recipes use whole grains like quinoa, millet, buckwheat, and nut flours, lending surprising depth of flavor and nutrients, even to desserts. You’ll taste the best of her adventures abroad from Denmark to New Zealand, her childhood in the French countryside, and the simple wholesomeness of her charmed life at home in Boston. Your mouth will water as Béa recalls the oeufs en cocotte (“baked eggs”) that she ate as a child after collecting fresh eggs from her grandmother’s hen house. Her recipe for this classic dish now includes leeks, spinach, smoked salmon, and cumin. Or try the buttermilk, lemon, and poppyseed pancakes she made every morning in Crete when she was pregnant—they’re now her little daughter Lulu’s favorite. Warm up with a bowl of celeriac, white sweet potato, and apple soup, a dish inspired by a chilly day of horseback riding in New Zealand. You’ll love sharing the saffron-flavored crab and watercress soufflé, a delicious homage to one of her mother’s best-loved Christmas traditions. And since most would agree that “a meal without dessert is like wearing only one shoe,” try the apple, rhubarb, and strawberry nutty crumble, served with vanilla-flavored custard, just the way her husband’s Irish grandfather preferred.

I do love a good historical mystery – ones that give me insight into a time and place gone by. I especially like the early novels of David Liss, particularily A Conspiracy of Paper, and Lynn Shepherd’s new novel The Solitary House is very reminiscent of that wonderful book. Her earlier book, Murder at Mansfield Park, brilliantly reimagined the time of Jane Austen, and The Solitary House explores the gas lit, back alleys of Dickens’ London.

Charles Maddox was an up-and-coming officer for the Metropolitan police until a charge of insubordination abruptly ended his career. Now he works alone, struggling to eke out a living by tracking down criminals. Whenever he needs it, he has the help of his great-uncle Maddox, a legendary “thief taker,” a detective as brilliant and intuitive as they come.

He’s approached by Edward Tulkinghorn, the shadowy and feared attorney, who offers him a handsome price to do some sleuthing for a client. Powerful financier Sir Julius Cremorne has been receiving threatening letters, and Tulkinghorn wants Charles to—discreetly—find and stop whoever is responsible. What starts as a relatively straight forward case soon spirals out of control, and is further complicated when uncle Maddox shows signs of forgetfulness and anger, symptoms of an age-related ailment that has yet to be named. (To further confuse matters, this book is published in UK under another title – Tom-All-Alone’s.)