The British Columbia Review
@thebcreview.bsky.social
The British Columbia Review (formerly Ormsby Review) is BC's online book review journal, the go-to place for BC writers, readers, reviewers, and publishers.
#BookReview: A poet’s life – Tom McGauley by Ron Verzuh “Tom McGauley quietly passed away on his 77th birthday this past summer, leaving the West Coast with another gap in its once-vibrant poetry community”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
January 3, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: A poet’s life – Tom McGauley by Ron Verzuh “Tom McGauley quietly passed away on his 77th birthday this past summer, leaving the West Coast with another gap in its once-vibrant poetry community”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
#BookReview: Hunger: The Poetry of Susan Musgrave “Musgrave’s life circumstances are deeply intertwined with her poetry—a life of notoriety, well reported on, its biographical details drawing, perhaps, more fascination than her poems have”
@wlupress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
@wlupress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
January 2, 2026 at 10:00 PM
#BookReview: Hunger: The Poetry of Susan Musgrave “Musgrave’s life circumstances are deeply intertwined with her poetry—a life of notoriety, well reported on, its biographical details drawing, perhaps, more fascination than her poems have”
@wlupress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
@wlupress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/03/2...
#BookReview: Jim Wickwire: Mountaineering Icon by Ron Dart “Jim Wickwire was the first American to summit K2 (elevation 28,251 ft.) in September 1978”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
January 2, 2026 at 7:01 PM
#BookReview: Jim Wickwire: Mountaineering Icon by Ron Dart “Jim Wickwire was the first American to summit K2 (elevation 28,251 ft.) in September 1978”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
#BookReview: Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell “But you be the judge in this Star–Wars-meets-The–Office deep dive into Colin’s chaotic life”
@vikingbooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
@vikingbooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
January 2, 2026 at 4:00 PM
#BookReview: Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell “But you be the judge in this Star–Wars-meets-The–Office deep dive into Colin’s chaotic life”
@vikingbooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
@vikingbooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/02/2...
#BookReview: Revitalizing Chinook Wawa by Trevor Marc Hughes “It was, in short, a trade language, one that incorporated la langue of settlers and Indigenous peoples. Glavin considers it a distinct linguistic tradition”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
January 1, 2026 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: Revitalizing Chinook Wawa by Trevor Marc Hughes “It was, in short, a trade language, one that incorporated la langue of settlers and Indigenous peoples. Glavin considers it a distinct linguistic tradition”
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
#BookReview: The Time of Falling Apart by Wendy Donawa “Looking ahead…and also behind, the poet’s subjects in The Time of Falling Apart range from her own childhood all the way through to the demise of herself and her beloved”
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
December 31, 2025 at 10:00 PM
#BookReview: The Time of Falling Apart by Wendy Donawa “Looking ahead…and also behind, the poet’s subjects in The Time of Falling Apart range from her own childhood all the way through to the demise of herself and her beloved”
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/10/01/2...
#BookReview: Medicine Wheel for the Planet “Indeed, it is a book for everyone to discover who is concerned with the future of our planet — the water, air, plants, and animals, including ourselves”
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/30/2...
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/30/2...
December 31, 2025 at 7:01 PM
#BookReview: Medicine Wheel for the Planet “Indeed, it is a book for everyone to discover who is concerned with the future of our planet — the water, air, plants, and animals, including ourselves”
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/30/2...
@penguinrandomhouse.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/30/2...
#BookReview: Sound Like a Sailor: The Book of Nautical Expressions by R. Bruce Macdonald “I dove straight into this delightful collection of words and phrases that originate on the high seas during the era of sea transport and warfare”
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/29/2...
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/29/2...
December 31, 2025 at 4:00 PM
#BookReview: Sound Like a Sailor: The Book of Nautical Expressions by R. Bruce Macdonald “I dove straight into this delightful collection of words and phrases that originate on the high seas during the era of sea transport and warfare”
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/29/2...
@harbourpublishing.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/29/2...
#BookReview: Holocaust Hero: The Life and Times of Rudolf Vrba by Alan Twigg “Thus, the book will be largely a revelation for some and, for those who have encountered contradictory claims about Vrbo’s heroism, may well be a turning point”
@fireflybooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
@fireflybooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
December 31, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: Holocaust Hero: The Life and Times of Rudolf Vrba by Alan Twigg “Thus, the book will be largely a revelation for some and, for those who have encountered contradictory claims about Vrbo’s heroism, may well be a turning point”
@fireflybooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
@fireflybooks.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
#BookReview: Sandy Frances Duncan, An Appreciation by Phyllis Parham Reeve “In front of an audience, Sandy was a consummate reader of her work, delivering outlandish narratives in a matter-of-fact voice that made us believe anything”
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
December 28, 2025 at 3:00 AM
#BookReview: Sandy Frances Duncan, An Appreciation by Phyllis Parham Reeve “In front of an audience, Sandy was a consummate reader of her work, delivering outlandish narratives in a matter-of-fact voice that made us believe anything”
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/28/2...
#BookReview: “How he survived these nine months alone at sea is the content of Cape Horn Birthday, so named because Peter celebrated his 33rd birthday on the day he rounded Cape Horn, passing the famous/infamous island in fabulous weather conditions”
@IncSeaworthy
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/26/2...
@IncSeaworthy
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/26/2...
December 28, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: “How he survived these nine months alone at sea is the content of Cape Horn Birthday, so named because Peter celebrated his 33rd birthday on the day he rounded Cape Horn, passing the famous/infamous island in fabulous weather conditions”
@IncSeaworthy
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/26/2...
@IncSeaworthy
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/26/2...
#BookReview: One Thousand and A Night as Told by Larissa, Construction Shock Worker by Marina Sonika “But the past never leaves us alone. Not in Russia or Ukraine, not in this book, and not anywhere else, either”
@guernicaeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/25/2...
@guernicaeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/25/2...
December 26, 2025 at 7:01 PM
#BookReview: One Thousand and A Night as Told by Larissa, Construction Shock Worker by Marina Sonika “But the past never leaves us alone. Not in Russia or Ukraine, not in this book, and not anywhere else, either”
@guernicaeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/25/2...
@guernicaeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/25/2...
#BookReview: Two Pigs by David Bouchard, illu. By Christine Battuz “While both tales begin with “Once upon a time,” Two Pigs veers from the path of its famous ancestor. Let’s look at this another way, the book seems to propose”
Midtown Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/24/2...
Midtown Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/24/2...
December 26, 2025 at 4:01 PM
#BookReview: Two Pigs by David Bouchard, illu. By Christine Battuz “While both tales begin with “Once upon a time,” Two Pigs veers from the path of its famous ancestor. Let’s look at this another way, the book seems to propose”
Midtown Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/24/2...
Midtown Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/24/2...
#BookReview: Most Grievous Fault by Meg Todd “Crystal and Becky’s history is full of stops and starts. Todd does a good job of setting a scene and piecing together Crystal’s haphazard life story”
@nightwoodeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/22/2...
@nightwoodeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/22/2...
December 24, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: Most Grievous Fault by Meg Todd “Crystal and Becky’s history is full of stops and starts. Todd does a good job of setting a scene and piecing together Crystal’s haphazard life story”
@nightwoodeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/22/2...
@nightwoodeditions.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/22/2...
#BookReview: Reach for the Sky by Evelyn Sue Wong, illu. Sarah Ang “There are so many opportunities for learners to enjoy and ponder their own passions, and what the world might both offer and ask of them”
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
December 23, 2025 at 10:00 PM
#BookReview: Reach for the Sky by Evelyn Sue Wong, illu. Sarah Ang “There are so many opportunities for learners to enjoy and ponder their own passions, and what the world might both offer and ask of them”
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
#BookReview: “Catherine Little’s EndGame: The Secret Force 136 does what a good picture book should: it tells a story in layers, layers that work together to one end even as they keep the reader intrigued and growing with each read”
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
December 23, 2025 at 7:00 PM
#BookReview: “Catherine Little’s EndGame: The Secret Force 136 does what a good picture book should: it tells a story in layers, layers that work together to one end even as they keep the reader intrigued and growing with each read”
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
@PlumleafPress
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/21/2...
#BookReview: Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing “Susan Aglukark’s book, co-written with Andrea Warner, music journalist and author of several books, is a privileged window into the struggles of a modern Inuk”
@harpercollins.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
@harpercollins.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
December 23, 2025 at 4:01 PM
#BookReview: Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing “Susan Aglukark’s book, co-written with Andrea Warner, music journalist and author of several books, is a privileged window into the struggles of a modern Inuk”
@harpercollins.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
@harpercollins.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
#BookReview: “Diana Hayes has penned a captivating tale of one woman’s search for her Irish roots, offering a story that invites the reader to explore Irish history and experience a bit of magical connection to the past in the process”
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
December 23, 2025 at 1:00 AM
#BookReview: “Diana Hayes has penned a captivating tale of one woman’s search for her Irish roots, offering a story that invites the reader to explore Irish history and experience a bit of magical connection to the past in the process”
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/19/2...
#BookReview: “Trutch Street’s new legal name is šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St. which translates as Musqueamview Street. It will appear in official city records, maps, and some government databases”
@ubcpress.bsky.social
@ubcpress.bsky.social
December 22, 2025 at 10:01 PM
#BookReview: “Trutch Street’s new legal name is šxʷməθkʷəy̓əmasəm St. which translates as Musqueamview Street. It will appear in official city records, maps, and some government databases”
@ubcpress.bsky.social
@ubcpress.bsky.social
#BookReview: Pools by Martin West “There’s no beginning like death. Set in Vancouver in the early 1980s, Martin West’s Pools opens with the death of a woman at a pool party”
@anvilpress.bsky.social
@anvilpress.bsky.social
December 22, 2025 at 7:00 PM
#BookReview: Pools by Martin West “There’s no beginning like death. Set in Vancouver in the early 1980s, Martin West’s Pools opens with the death of a woman at a pool party”
@anvilpress.bsky.social
@anvilpress.bsky.social
#Essay: Haida Gwaii’s Karst Caves by Katy Dycus “Groundwater has eroded the limestone terrain of Haida Gwaii...into a network of dark, cool karst caves, thereby creating the perfect conditions for preserving animal remains and artifacts”
December 22, 2025 at 4:01 PM
#Essay: Haida Gwaii’s Karst Caves by Katy Dycus “Groundwater has eroded the limestone terrain of Haida Gwaii...into a network of dark, cool karst caves, thereby creating the perfect conditions for preserving animal remains and artifacts”
#BookReview: The Firmament by Adam Parker “As the strange and violent opening may suggest, the story and setting are bleak and off-putting”
@alienbuddhapress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/17/2...
@alienbuddhapress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/17/2...
December 17, 2025 at 10:01 PM
#BookReview: The Firmament by Adam Parker “As the strange and violent opening may suggest, the story and setting are bleak and off-putting”
@alienbuddhapress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/17/2...
@alienbuddhapress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/17/2...
#BookReview: Night Moves: The Street Photography of Rodney DeCroo by Rodney DeCroo “Why are we so alone, DeCroo’s poems wonder, and in one of them he hopes he will find a face that will provide the answer”
@anvilpress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/16/2...
@anvilpress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/16/2...
December 17, 2025 at 7:02 PM
#BookReview: Night Moves: The Street Photography of Rodney DeCroo by Rodney DeCroo “Why are we so alone, DeCroo’s poems wonder, and in one of them he hopes he will find a face that will provide the answer”
@anvilpress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/16/2...
@anvilpress.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/16/2...
#BookReview: The Bittersweet Year by Barry Potyondi “He has created enough story twists to keep readers interested in this study of home-front class differences”
Holand Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/15/2...
Holand Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/15/2...
December 17, 2025 at 4:01 PM
#BookReview: The Bittersweet Year by Barry Potyondi “He has created enough story twists to keep readers interested in this study of home-front class differences”
Holand Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/15/2...
Holand Press
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/15/2...
#BookReview: What is Broken Binds Us by Lorne Daniel “Lorne Daniel uses poetry to mend the emotional and physical breakage of contemporary human identity. These are blended performances, both textual and oral”
@ucalgary.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/14/2...
@ucalgary.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/14/2...
December 16, 2025 at 10:01 PM
#BookReview: What is Broken Binds Us by Lorne Daniel “Lorne Daniel uses poetry to mend the emotional and physical breakage of contemporary human identity. These are blended performances, both textual and oral”
@ucalgary.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/14/2...
@ucalgary.bsky.social
thebcreview.ca/2025/09/14/2...