FISHBOWL MAGAZINE JUNE 2022

JUNE 2022 - FISSUE #165

MORIEN JONES Live at Moby’s Pub June 10th, 25th & 26th

Salt Spring Arts Summer Outdoor Concert Series Page 4

WHAT'S ON ON THE "ROCK" Page 8

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THE FISHBOWL • MAY 2021 • PAGE A

Morien Jones

On Our Cover

Live at Moby’s Pub June 10, 25th & 26th Morien Jones is an award winning, singer songwriter based in Victoria, BC. Although raised in Calgary, Jones’ folk and soul music is decidedly West Coast.

It is smooth and laid back, bringing to mind such artists as Jack Johnson and John Mayer.

June of 2022 marks the release of Jones’ newest single ‘Garden Of Life’, an upbeat folk reggae song recorded with local producer Joby Baker (Alex Cuba, Deva Premal).

Of the song, the artist has said “Garden Of Life is an anthem, meant to be sung with others. It’s about the importance and richness of human connection” The single was recorded in the Victoria area and the experience of working with a world class producer left a lasting impression.

“Being in a professional studio, with a producer who understood my tastes and helped me create music inspired by the sounds of the 60’s and 70’s, was a dream come true” Jones said.

A top class performer, Jones has brought his live show to venues all across western Canada for years. He is a regular performer on Saltspring and Vancouver Island as well as the interior of British Columbia. Along with singing in several languages (English, Spanish, Portuguese, and French) his performances incorporate mastery of live looping; a technique of layering multiple instruments to create rich sonic backings for his songs. In 2014 he performed at the Kaslo Jazz Etc. Festival in the Kootenay region of British Columbia. In 2015 he moved from Nelson, BC to Victoria, where he quickly began making professional connections and performing often. In 2017, at the renowned Esquimalt Farmers Market, he won their Musician of the Season Award.

He and his band, The Positive Reinforcements, played to much critical acclaim at the 2019 Victoria International Jazz Festival. In 2020 he released his first EP, Eyes Of Fire, recorded with producer Joby Baker in Victoria.

As well as writing and performing his folk and soul music for adults, he has made a name for himself performing original children's music as Mister Mojo.

Salt Spring Island’s #1 Source for Arts, Entertainment & Culture. Check out our Facebook page!

Ryan Lance, children’s programmer for the City of Victoria calls Mister Mojo “…one of the top children’s performers on Vancouver Island”. To date, Mister Mojo has released two full length albums of original music for kids. How does one get into writing music for children? For Jones it started with his own children, by making up little fun songs to entertain them. This grew into a career after he received a grant in 2013 to record what turned out to be his first kids album, simply titled ‘Mister Mojo’. The momentum began to build, with Jones hitting the road and playing for young audiences throughout the BC interior and eventually into Alberta and Saskatchewan. In 2017 he recorded and released a follow up album, Mister Mojo Strikes Again! Currently, Jones is hard at work on his third album of original music for families, titled ‘Monster Party’. On making music for younger audiences Jones said “Making music for kids has turned into one of my favourite things. You don’t have to be cool, you just have to have fun”. Speaking to the fact that parents have to listen to the music as much as their kids, Jones has said “One of the biggest compliments I’ve received is that parents love my kids music too.

Some have said they even put it on when the kids aren’t home.”

Morien Jones’ music is available for streaming on all platforms. To find out more go to his websites MorienJones.ca and for his kids music MisterMojo.ca

p h o t o s by Lo uis B o ckner

THE FISHBOWL is brought to you by publisher Genevieve Price.

Ad Sales: Deadlines are the 10th of the month previous to book ad space & submit content.

Columnists: Seth Shugar, Mishka Campbell, Jen Redpath, Jessica Terezakis & nora bouz.

Calendar events can be submitted up until the 15th.

Green Printing & Layout: Imagine That Graphics.ca

For rates & information call Genevieve today at 250.538.8427 or email thesaltyfishbowl@hotmail.com.

THE FISHBOWL • MAY 2021 • PAGE B

Price is

Right

PRODUCT REVIEWS by: Genevieve Price

Hello Activated Charcoal Whitening Toothpaste

I was apprehensive, I know Charcoal has been all over the beauty world for years now but the thought of putting it in my mouth just never appealed. But eventually one must try everything. The taste is good and mellow, natural minty, not super strong at all and not to “hippy” which some more natural products tend to veer. The texture is pleasant, just the tiniest hint of grit, but honestly so subtle. The dark color took some getting used to, the look of it on my teeth was, well, interesting. It’s a tad disconcerting to see your mouth oozing black foam but it works so what more can I say.

Everyone in the house now uses it instead of the other much more toxic whitening options.

It is worth noting that not all dentists are too keen on using charcoal on your teeth, it could be too abrasive and hasn’t been around long enough to have a real study. My recommendation on charcoal toothpaste is to use it like everything else: in moderation. ~~A friendly word of caution: black toothpaste can get a little messy if you’re not mindful. Please remember to spit responsibly, clean your sink, and make your mamma proud.

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CANADA DAY at the TREE HOUSE CAFÉ with Special Guest,

PETE SWEETZIR THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 4

Salt Spring Arts Launches 3rd Summer Outdoor Concert Series Salt Spring Arts will once again be bringing live music to Centennial Park this summer.

Following the Series’ success in 2019 and 2021, the arts council is producing ten performances in the park on Thursday evenings, beginning June 30.

The Series will highlight both touring acts and local performers.

Salt Spring Arts is pleased to welcome Island Savings, a division of First West Credit Union as Marquee Presenter for the upcoming Summer Outdoor Concert Series. “As a credit union we are committed to contributing back into the community through volunteerism, supporting local community projects, and contributing to the food bank.

At the end of the day, when our members and the community succeed, we succeed collectively” Dan Adair, Branch Manager, Island Savings Salt Spring Island branch.

The Concert Series begins Thursday, June 30 with weekly performances through to September 1st. Look for the performer line up to be announced on saltspringarts.com.

CONDIMENTS for the CURIOUS made with rescued BC-grown fruit

Several varieties now available at Country Grocer Nate Fraser began ”upcycling“ plums that grew near his Saltspring home as a young boy. Each harvest season he’d gather and cook them into batches of plum ketchup, care of an old family recipe, which flavoured the Sunday brunches his family ate together throughout the year. His youthful curiosity guided him to chef school, sparked a desire to preserve and share BC’s seasonal abundance, and inspired him to move to the Okanagan where he built a commercial kitchen. Nate remembers those Sunday meals fondly.

“They were a time to slow down and enjoy time with family,“ he says, “and I‘ve always just felt this super power that food has to connect.”

Nate’s heart was set on turning his early passion into a career and so he sought a fellow islander to help turn his dream into a reality.

Adam Harris was living on his family’s Fulford farm after completing a degree that focused on our food and supply systems. Always curious about valuable resources that our economy and culture discard, the discovery that Canadians could live for 5 months each year with the food we waste was an aha moment. He lived for a time off gleaned and foraged food, showed up to UVic‘s campus with bags of fresh bread retrieved from local bakeries to share

with students, and came to see answers and possibility where he’d previously felt despair.

Propelled by a united desire to develop farm to bottle products with undervalued local food, the islanders officially (and fittingly) became business partners on the exact morning the WHO declared a global pandemic.

Starting a food manufacturing business in the midst of a pandemic isn’t for the faint of heart. The two dads had to borrow more money to keep the business alive, dealt with as much as 500% increases in shipping costs, and received an object lesson about how important robust local food networks are. And then, as they settled into a Covid Christmas season, the highway flooded and cut their kitchen off from the world.

June 17th marks a very busy year since their first market and it’s fair to say that Nate’s childhood intuition has grown up. In 2021, and on the back of 16 hour days in the sweltering heat, Slow Bottled Sunday rescued over 35,000 pounds of BC-grown fruit. During a Christmas season that included 42 straight days at the Vancouver Christmas Market, they introduced 5 unique condiment creations to tens of thousands of market customers who spread high quality BC grown food that would have otherwise been wasted across Canada, into the US, to Australia, Mexico and elsewhere. They’re getting ready to launch their products into dozens of lower mainland stores, finalizing agreements with some of BC’s top retailers and have a loaded market and event schedule for 2022.

Their products include a Cherry Barbecue Sauce, Plum Ketchup, Smoky Cherry Taco & Burger Sauce and Peach Hot Sauce. They have several other flavours coming. Each bottle is made from one pound of BC grown food that they source themselves from local farms and can be found at Country Grocer and Axe and Reel.

“Our ancestors made condiments from any and all perishable foods,“ says Nate. “Ketchup was made out of mushrooms, walnuts and fruit long before tomatoes. There’s so much abundance in BC’s backyard. We’re excited to be a part of it and help people reimagine ways to celebrate local food.” nate@slowbottledsunday.com, adam@slowbottledsunday.com @slowbottledsunday

"April 22 we officially launch the Youth Climate Activism Award in the 12 school districts of Vancouver Island. The award is all about celebrating the incredible passion and work of young climate leaders here on the coast of BC. Through the support of the Institute for Sustainability Education and Action, we are able to offer an award of $300 for elementary students and up to $1500 for high schools in each of the 12 districts.

We dreamt up this award with one clear goal; to nurture the unstoppable wave of young folks rising to meet the most pressing challenge humanity has faced.

From the school environment club to the massive Fridays’ for Future marches, there are students in every school who p h o t o c re d i t A l ex H a rri s are passionate and clear about their role in protecting the planet and everything on it. This award is about recognizing and empowering those folks."

For more information about the award and application process, check out youthclimateactivismaward.org

THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 5

Kathleen Collins Are you manifesting Heavenon-earth? If not, why not?

Try this exercise if you wish.

Go to a quiet place with a pen and paper. Quiet your mind by focusing on your breath. Follow it in and out. Do this until your mind is quiet.

Now pretend it is a perfect world. You can have/ do anything you desire. Forget logic. Ignore negative thoughts.

In the present tense begin to write down your dreams and desires.

What would you do? How/where would you spend your day?

What did you enjoy as a child? What really interests you?

Remember, this is about you. Only you. Forget everyone else. Remember what innately moves you. Write it down without hesitation, without judgment, without logic.

Read it over. Add more. Read it again. Highlight what resonates the most.

Now, take another piece of paper. Write down action steps that you can take towards achieving this dream. You have deep reservoirs of potential within you. Again, write without logic and without hesitation. You can begin today with a small step towards your goal.

If you feel that you are unable to attain your dream, it is most likely due to limiting beliefs stored in your sub conscious mind. In other words- your mindset. The good news is that you have the power to change your mindset. The power to update your beliefs.

The science of epigenetics is showing that nurture(environment) is stronger than nature(genes). Along with a coach/mentor you can establish new healthy habits and begin to live your Heaven-on— earth. Remember, you are trading a day of your life for what you do.

Life is short and speeds by quickly.

Decide to do what you innately know you were born to do in this life. Go for it!

As a life coach I can mentor you to determine and achieve your goal/dream. kathleen@empoweredbykathleen.com empoweredbykathleen.com FB empowered by Kathleen

100 artists under one roof June 10 - September 18

10 - 5 daily Mahon Hall

Summer Outdoor Concert Series Thursdays Centennial Park

June 30 - September 1 6pm free outdoor concerts featuring exceptional touring and local acts

saltspringarts.com

Mahon Hall, 114 Rainbow Road

THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 6

Body Language and Consent Trigger warning: Sexual assault We’ve all been hearing about consent in recent years. Campaigns such as “No means No” and “Yes means Yes” have raised much awareness about consent and sexual assault, but the time is right for a more nuanced discussion.

It’s time to expand our definition of consent to include nonverbal communication.

We now know, thank to neuroscience, The Gender Spectrum Collection that trauma responses include not only “Fight or Flight” but also “Freeze and Fawn.” Some people, especially those who have experienced abuse or trauma, may not be able to say “no” or “yes” when their bodies are under stress. Others may submit to sexual activity because they feel pressured, coerced, or are too afraid to say no. That’s why we must acknowledge that most of our communication is body language and tone of voice — not merely words. Teaching non-verbal consent cues before teaching sex education can lay a foundation for understanding the responsibility, respect, and importance of communication that comes with being intimate with another person.

Let’s think about consent in relation to sex and not just sexual assault. When we do, our focus can shift from abuse or the exertion of power over another person to one grounded in intimacy, respect, communication, and mutuality. Let’s be curious and ask about our sexual partner’s needs, pleasures, and desires; this makes for better sex. Let’s check in and ensure our partner is enthusiastically engaging with body and words; that is truly consensual.

We can use the FRIES acronym to understand consent in a healthy and sex-positive way: Freely given: being sexual with someone is a decision that each person should make without pressure, force, manipulation, or incapacitation by drugs or alcohol Reversible: anyone can change their mind about what they want or don’t want to do at any time Informed: always be honest, e.g., if someone says they’ll use a condom but they don’t, that’s not consent Enthusiastic: if someone isn't showing enthusiasm with their body or words, then they probably don’t want to have sex Specific: saying yes to one thing doesn’t mean saying yes to everything IWAV’s Sexual Assault Response program offers support for recent or historic sexual assault, free counselling, options for reporting, accompaniment to the hospital, information, and resources.

If you’ve been sexually assaulted or think you may have been, please contact us at: (250) 931-7712 or sarc@iwav.org

Well Being Interior Design with nora bouz

Colour of the year. Really?!

For as long as I remember, at the end of every year, the design industry starts talking about colour predictions.

Everyone gets excited about what might be revealed, and once it does, most rush to follow the new trend wave.

The intention behind the colour of the year, as per Pantone Colour Institute, which has been making that decision since 2000, is to come up with a colour reflecting an innate need as a response to what is taking place globally at that time.

For example, in 2019, Pantone selected "Living Coral" as the colour of the year "in reaction to the onslaught of digital technology and social media increasingly embedding into daily life, we are seeking authentic and immersive experiences that enable connection and intimacy."

So the idea is that this lively golden coral is supposed to re-establish social connections and authenticity!

Although colour impacts our emotions, it's misleading to indicate that one colour has the ability and power to solve the authenticity and social isolation problems!

Ironically, Pantone addressed authenticity by offering one colour for everyone.

It is noticeable that the world runs toward quick fixes, quick answers, and quick processes, yet the package is still "unique" and "authentic."

For sure, humans respond -to a certain extent- in a similar way to

Yael WandMateada Lounge performs at the on Saturday, June 11th, with Alan Kerr

After a 10 year hiatus from the stage, local musician, mother and Salt Spring Arts Executive Director Yael Wand decided it was time to return to her first creative love. With her sights set to performing again, she first headed into the studio to record her forth solo album seeking to capture a more or less live off the floor sound. The pared down production "quick, raw, rustic and authentic" was intended to capture the energy and intimacy of live performance and highlight her skills as a vocalist and a masterful song-crafter. The result - Saltwater Heartwood - is an unpredictable, vulnerable and sincere album built upon strong lyricism, dynamic musicianship and a decade of life experiences away from the stage. "The backing band does a perfect job of never getting in the way of the real instrument on the album, Wand’s fluid and silky voice.

It can range from a bluegrass quaver to slick jazzy delivery or classic, clean Canadiana folk.” - Stuart Derdeyn, Vancouver Sun. Wand's love of performance come through in the two videos she released in 2021 in support of the album, together they have garnered over 34,000 views online. 'That Need Be Done' and 'Navigate By Stars' were both filmed on island and directed by former Salt Spring resident Deanna Milligan.

Performing with bassist Alan Kerr, the June 11 show at the Mateada Lounge is her first public performance on Salt Spring since the release of Saltwater Heartwood. Wand and Kerr will be performing songs from the latest release as well as material from her catalogue of 20 years. www.yaelwand.ca That Need Be Done: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fDyDcz79Ml4 Navigate By Stars: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgjLWdFz3SM

certain stimuli. However, except for the colour green, there is no scientific evidence that a specific tone has the same impact on everyone, but what has been noticed was that colour impacts people by association, so its impact can be quite different from one culture to another.

Bher, the paint company, presented Breezeway as colour of 2022 to “evoke feelings of coolness and peace while representing a desire to move forward and discover newfound passions”. About 4 years ago, a friend painted her entire house a colour similar to this one, not exactly the same, and she chose all white furniture. A few months after living in this space she declared that the colours are draining her energy and mood and the paint must change.

For a positive colour impact, we need to work with colour palettes and design elements, considering proportions, scale, balance, and harmony. We also need to dig deep to find out our authentic voice and authentic sense of beauty beyond what trends and colours of the year tell us.

Gaugin wrote: "Colour! What a deep and mysterious language, the language of dreams."

Diving deep within, contemplating on colour, we can uncover the world of colour we truly long for.

Nora is an interior designer focusing on well-being in the built environment. Based on studies in environmental psychology, natural building, and sustainability, Nora works with the most impactful design elements to improve the quality of life indoors. 250-418-0754 norabouz@lucidaforwellbeing.ca | www.lucidaforwellbeing.ca

Artcraft 2022 Showcase Exhibition

Salt Spring Arts, the island’s community arts council since 1968, is excited to be kicking off another summer exhibition season with the opening of Artcraft on June 10.

The annual show and sale features 100 local artists all under one roof at historic Mahon Hall. As part of the event, four Showcase Exhibitions per season are featured on the Mahon Hall stage. The 2022 season opener is a fun and engaging installation by textile artist Fiona Duthie: Chromatic Navigation includes over 400 felt wall tiles in a full spectrum of colour that sweeps across the exhibition space.

The work reflects individuality and community and how we each can influence thinking, circumstances and events through small changes and interactions. Viewers are invited to interact with the work and switch up where the different coloured felt tiles are placed. Transforming the pattern will alter the visual pathways and set different courses of navigation. The installation will be photographed regularly, cataloging the shifts in patterns.

The show includes an opening reception from 6 to 8 pm on Friday, June 10 and an Artist Talk on Sunday, June 12 from 2 to 3 pm.

Artcraft is open daily from 10 am to 5 pm.

June 10 - July 4, Mahon Hall

THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 7

An UnDutiful Daughter

Jen’ll Tell Ya

Written by Wendy Judith Cutler and Directed by Sue Newman

An original play, An UnDutiful Daughter, will premier at Beaver Point Hall on Salt Spring Island on July 1, 2 and 3, 2022, written by Wendy Judith Cutler and Directed

by Sue Newman. Drawing from her own journals and family correspondence, Salt Spring Island teacher, author and now playwright, Cutler has melded together truth with some fictional elements to portray the dynamics within an upper-middle class Jewish family as the daughter comes into political and sexual awakening as a lesbian feminist in the turbulent 1970s and 1980s.

Cutler combines pathos, humour, pain, tenderness and longing with the magical ingredients of theatre, where nothing is impossible, to create a universal story of bittersweet resilience.

This all-Salt Spring production features brilliant director Sue Newman and a stellar cast: Barbara Slater, Kevin Wilkie, Lisa Dahling, Rowan Algoet, Vera Algoet and Wendy Beatty, and is supported by a collaboration of community theatre-makers and friends. Tickets are $25, available at Salt Spring Books and at the door. Advisory: mature themes. An event not to be missed!

Featuring Jen Redpath & Jessica Terezakis

Herpes Here at Options, we are all about breaking down misconceptions and addressing shame and stigma around sexual health. We hear from folks that the most difficult part of living with the Herpes virus is actually the shame they experience. Which doesn't make much sense, considering that Herpes is one of the most common STIs on the planet, with approximately 67% of the world’s population having HSV 1 and 11% having HSV 2, which amounts to billions of people carrying the virus.

We think a big part of the stigma associated with herpes has to do with misinformation. So we are going to clear the air with some facts around Herpes and try to end some of the stigma associated with a very common virus.

HSV 1, also known as oral herpes, is what cold sores are. They generally cause blistering around the mouth area. HSV 2, which is most often associated with genital herpes, is mostly found in the genital region, (penis, vulva, or anus). It is important to note that both viruses can be found on both the genital and mouth area and people can become infected with both types at the same time. It’s less common for HSV 2 to be found on the mouth, and it is becoming more common to find HSV 1 on the genital area, however it’s still important to remember that this is a very common skin infection, and one that can usually be fairly easy to manage!

Herpes is most often transmitted through skin to skin contact, it can be spread through contact with mucous membranes, like our mouth and genitals and also to areas that have open wounds.

We know it can still be a challenging time in someone’s life when they get a new diagnosis. A few resources we like to suggest for folks: https://smartsexresource.com/topics/herpes-simplex-virusgenital-herpes https://smartsexresource.com/sites/default/files/handouts/ Herpes_Patient_Guide_web.pdf https://westoverheights.com/herpes/the-updated-herpeshandbook/ Our team on Sex Sense is avaible to chat with folks if they have any questions by calling 1-800-739-7367 or by visiting SexSense.org.

Stay Sexy Salty!

*** Are you a Registered Nurse or have a passion for sexual health?

Are you interested in speciality education, autonomy and a rewarding role in promoting healthy sexuality? If so please take a look at optbc.ca for positions at our local clinic! We are hiring nurses and a relief receptionist.

THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 9

the

Sweet Spot with Seth Shugar

Dial-Down Conflict

By Softening Your Start-Ups Conflict-laden discussions almost inevitably end on the same note they begin. According to the research of John Gottman, the world’s premier relationship scientist and a resident of Orca Island, when a conversation starts with criticism or contempt only a measly 4% of couples are able to get the conversation back on-track. A whopping 96% are not. Harsh start-ups also augur relationship failure so consistently that Gottman is famously able to predict divorce 6 years down the road after seeing only the first 3 minutes of a conflict discussion between newlyweds.

Luckily, all the listener needs to do to turn things around after a harsh start-up is dial-down their defensiveness and down-regulate their physiological reactions. Unfortunately, the research shows this is almost impossible. Why? Because harsh start-ups trigger “flooding” – spikes in heart-rate, adrenaline secretion and bloodpressure – that send all of our most crucial conflict-resolution skills – empathy, creativity, humour, non-defensive listening, creative problem-solving – temporarily off-line.

So who’s responsible for harsh start-ups?

Most people assume the issue lies solely with the person who begins the conversation harshly. In a fascinating research study conducted in 2000, however, Gottman and Levenson discovered that people are more likely to start conversations harshly when in the lead-up to the conflict discussion their partners show them low levels of interest, validation and affection. In other words, conflict waxes as friendship wanes.

Another cause of harsh start-ups is letting injuries and grievances pile up. As Gottman writes, “If partners avoid processing regrettable incidents with attunement, the event and its negative emotion will lie inside of each partner like an improvised explosive device (IED), ready to explode if inadvertently stepped on.”

Clearly, then, there are two things we can do to minimize the devastating impact of harsh start-ups on our relationships: 1) make sure that the person doing the harsh start-ups is feeling known, respected and loved; 2) rather than letting regrettable incidents pile up, be conscientious about processing them.

But there is also a third approach: Whether we are on the sending or receiving end of the harsh start-up, we can notice when the reactive part of us is getting activated and pause. Then we can be a good partner to this part of our personality and invite the warm light of awareness to shine on all the sensations, stories, feelings and impulses emanating from it. After gaining its trust, we can ask this part what it’s hoping to do for us, letting the answer come from it. And then we can ask it what it’s afraid would happen if it didn’t get so harsh or defensive. At this point, a vulnerability will almost certainly surface. And if we stay attuned to it, it will tell us what we really need, which in turn creates the possibility of either meeting the need internally or requesting that our partner meet it.

In this sense, our reactivity is like the X that marks the spot on a treasure map; keep digging there and we will find riches beyond compare. Why? Because the most precious blueprints for our growth always lie buried beneath the thorns and rubble of our reactivity, like sacred scrolls hidden in ancient graveyards.

Seth is a Registered Clinical Counsellor, Marital and Family Therapist and Board Certified Life Coach. He works with individuals and couples in private practice. You can reach him at sethshugar@me.com or book a session at www.sethshugar.com

THE FISHBOWL • JUNE 2022 • PAGE 10

The Children on the Hill

by Jennifer McMahon

Mishka’s

Book

Reviews with Mishka Campbell

Lately I’ve been reading some fantastic literary fiction interspersed with some moving, nonfiction essay collections. I sometimes need to mix things up with (relatively) fluffy thrillers to give my mind a rest and “The Children on the Hill” kept showing up on those “most anticipated mysteries” lists. A creepy asylum situation, children who hunt monsters, frequent references to both Mary Shelley AND Neil Diamond?? Sign me up! I had read “The Winter People” by the same author, back when it first came out, 7 or 8 years ago. I can’t recall all the plot points but I do remember really liking it. The author seems to enjoy toeing the line between the paranormal and the explainable, and that tension makes for some great, suspenseful storytelling. This book is lots of fun, with excellent twists and just the right amount of backstory layering. It’s engaging, with enough depth to make you think but not so much that you get bogged down in the why of it all. Any story that keeps you up past your bedtime saying, “just one more chapter”, is a worthy read in my book (see what I did there?).

“The Children on the Hill” has two storylines, one set in 1978, and another in 2019. There’s an occasional chapter that’s an excerpt from the (fictional) true crime story based on the events that unfold in this novel and also excerpts from a book on monsters that the titular children authored. I don’t always love this back and forth format but in this case it’s central to the uncovering of the mystery and provides essential alternative viewpoints. In 1978 we meet 2 monster obsessed children, Violet and Eric, who live with their psychiatrist grandmother, on the grounds of the mental health facility that she runs. One day Gran brings home a young girl, Iris, explaining that they are to treat her as a sister. Vi and Eric induct Iris into their monster club and teach her everything she needs to know about monsters: how to spot them, and how to hunt them. This education sets in motion events that don’t come full circle until 2019. To be clear, it’s an explosive crescendo of a full circle. This book is full of clever allusions to Frankenstein. Readers of those monster classics should already be familiar with the lesson that sometimes monsters hide in plain sight.

Scopes Brought to you by our own in-house astrologer who now goes by her numerologically correct name of “Ya Righta”

 Aries

There will be nothing you can do to avert the disaster of next week, although there will be plenty that a reasonably bright and competent person could do.

 Taurus

All that you are may be called into question today when someone calls you a "nancy".

 Gemini

Your last hope of finding true and unconditional love ends this week when your ideal mate is left behind at Swartz Bay on what was meant to be a very special Saturday.

 Cancer

Try listening to your body this week. It’s got a bunch of really great things to say.

 Leo

Lunchtime is the best time of day for you today.

 Virgo

Minor changes to your driving style allows you to feel like you're a better driver, but actually are making your behaviour quite erratic.

 Libra

Doctors may be stunned by a random discovery they make whilst examining you.

 Scorpio

Any dreams you have been granted recently will turn out to be hollow and easily shattered.

 Sagittarius

Take a coat today as you'll need it if it rains or becomes slightly colder than usual. Or if you happen to be caught out whilst parading naked around Thrifty’s.

 Capricorn

You tend to be less true to yourself at work, but today you may let a little of yourself slip out at a most awkward moment.

Just excuse yourself and carry on. Everybody farts.

 Aquarius

Find yourself someone to settle down with today. Don't be choosy - just pick at random.

 Pisces

Thinking and driving at the same time can be hazardous for you today.

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