All Lit Up
banner
alllitupcanada.bsky.social
All Lit Up
@alllitupcanada.bsky.social
An independent online bookstore and blog showcasing and selling Canada's best in indie books. Visit us at alllitup.ca
James Cairns reminds us we’re not alone in times of crisis. In his book IN CRISIS, ON CRISIS (@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social) he offers thoughtful essays that provide a sense of connection in our existential times.

James reads a passage from the book for #ALUCozyFest:

alllitup.ca/cozy-fest-ja...
December 2, 2025 at 5:42 PM
Kicking off #ALUCozyFest is Dina Del Bucchia coming to us from a cozy spot in her home to read a passage about friendships, group texts, and perfect days from her book YOU'RE GONNA LOVE THIS (@talonbooks.bsky.social).

alllitup.ca/cozy-fest-di...
December 2, 2025 at 3:32 PM
Love a literary festival but don't want to leave your house? Cozy Fest has entered the chat!
December 1, 2025 at 6:20 PM
Wrapping up this year’s #ALUGiftGuide, author & educator Lindsay Zier-Vogel highlights 4 thoughtful, holiday-ready reads.

From essays & short stories to nonfiction, these picks blend humour, culinary flair, insight, and heart—perfect for almost everyone on your list!

alllitup.ca/gift-guide-w...
November 28, 2025 at 3:18 PM
Author Greg Rhyno is today's #ALUGiftGuide recommender with five standout book picks for gifting.

alllitup.ca/gift-guide-w...
November 27, 2025 at 4:12 PM
Searching for the perfect bookish gift? Calgary short story writer @beingkirti.bsky.social shares four thoughtful titles to round out your holiday shopping list in our latest #ALUGiftGuide.

Read her picks: alllitup.ca/gift-guide-w...
November 26, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Looking for books to gift (or to read)? Writer and reviewer @selenamercuri.bsky.social has you covered with six fantastic book recommendations in this year's #ALUGiftGuide.

alllitup.ca/gift-guide-w...
November 25, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Michael Mirolla’s latest novel HOW ABOUT THIS…? (@atbaypress.bsky.social) tells the story of partners Elspeth & Marybeth who find their lives upended after discovering abandoned twins and a warning not to return them.

Read an excerpt from this winding narrative at alllitup.ca/excerpted-ho...
November 21, 2025 at 4:36 PM
Our final #ALUGiftNext haul are for the readers who like their prose tight: here are six short story collections we think your giftees will love.

Shop our short fic recommendations (+ more!) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 20, 2025 at 4:29 PM
Indie publishers @pressassembly.bsky.social & Brick Books merged operations a month ago. Today, they share a little about what led to their decision and how the early days of working as one have taken shape.

alllitup.ca/teamwork-mak...
November 20, 2025 at 3:34 PM
These #ALUGiftNext picks are perfect for the young (and young-at-heart) readers on your list. From romances and shape-shifting fantasies to mechanical monsters and coming-of-age stories, there's a book for every craving.

Shop our YA recommendations (+ more!) at: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 19, 2025 at 6:57 PM
Read two poems from Gillian Sze's AN ORANGE, A SYLLABLE (@ecwpress.bsky.social), this year's A.M. Klein Prize-winning collection of prose poems about motherhood and language.

alllitup.ca/two-poems-an...
November 19, 2025 at 3:36 PM
Today's #ALUGiftNext haul is for the curious readers on your gift list. Here are seven thoughtful non-fiction books to consider.

Shop our recommendations here and get 10% off: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 18, 2025 at 4:37 PM
Our latest #WritersBlock features @thesunnydhillon.com on his debut memoir, HIDE AND SIKH (@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social), how writing helps him make sense of the world, & the stories of growing up with racism he hopes will prepare others who share his experience.

🔗: alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...
November 18, 2025 at 3:11 PM
Our next #ALUGiftNext picks are for readers who love stories as bold as they are. Explore 6 graphic novels that provide laugh-out-loud humour, supernatural twists, and dystopian dives into identity and mental health.

Shop our graphic novel recommendations (+ more) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 17, 2025 at 3:54 PM
Carissa Halton’s debut novel REVOLUTION SONGS (@newestpress.bsky.social) tells the powerful story of divided loyalties, dangerous politics, and the women who stood firm in a 1930s Rocky Mountain town on the brink.

Read an excerpt from the novel at:
alllitup.ca/excerpted-revolution-songs/
November 14, 2025 at 8:26 PM
This round of #ALUGiftNext picks are those on your gift list who crave a little more excitement this holiday season, here are five thrillers brimming with mystery, small-town tensions, and psychological suspense.

Shop our thriller recommendations (+ more!) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 13, 2025 at 4:55 PM
"SYNCOPATION is doing a lot to underscore Black histories, Black geographies, and also to highlight ways of telling our tales."

We chat w/ Whitney French about her speculative novel-in-verse SYNCOPATION (@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social) & how Black futurism informs her work.

alllitup.ca/it-was-poetr...
November 13, 2025 at 4:07 PM
In the latest edition of #UndertheCover, award-winning author Brad Smith reflects on BILLY CRAWFORD’S DOUBLE PLAY (@wolsakandwynn.bsky.social) where baseball meets politics in a character-driven story about passion, ambition & the love of the game.

Read more at: alllitup.ca/under-the-co...
November 12, 2025 at 3:10 PM
Today's #ALUGiftNext picks are for the poetry devotee: six collections to gift wonder, reflection, and a little rebellion.

Shop our poetry recommendations (+ more!) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 12, 2025 at 2:54 PM
Today @benzalkind.bsky.social talks to us about writing inspirations, world-building, and his new dystopian novel HONEYDEW (@radiantpress.bsky.social), which pits a band of hapless rebels against a megacorporation and its celebrity CEO.

alllitup.ca/writers-bloc...
November 11, 2025 at 7:13 PM
Today’s #ALUGiftNext haul bends time, space, and genre for your favourite speculative fiction reader.

Shop our spec fiction recommendations (+ more!) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 11, 2025 at 6:48 PM
We're here to help you find your giftee’s next favourite book.

Our first #ALUGiftNext recommendations are for the person on your list who savours language as much as plot.

Shop our lit fic recommendations (+ more!) here: alllitup.ca/gift-their-n...
November 10, 2025 at 3:43 PM
"LONG EXPOSURE” is a book-length poem that fluidly reflects on tragedy, depictions of thoughts & feelings, & uncomfortable spaces between self and other.

Stephanie Bolster reads from her newest work w/ @palimpsestpress.bsky.social at:
alllitup.ca/poetry-in-motion-stephanie-bolster-long-exposure
November 7, 2025 at 5:10 PM
"“We can return to the poem, but we don’t live there.”

We chat with @margolapierre.bsky.social about her new book AJAR (@guernicaeditions.bsky.social), a collection exploring the intersections of womanhood, bipolar psychosis, and gendered trauma.

alllitup.ca/we-can-retur...
November 6, 2025 at 4:07 PM