Matsyagandha, Daseyi, Yojanagandha-the queen of Hastinapur, Satyavati. Abandoned as a baby, preyed on by a rishi, she hardens herself, determined that the next time she is with a man, she will be the one to win. And win she does: the throne of Hastinapur for herself, and the promise that her sons will be heirs to the kingdom. But at what cost? In a palace where she is disdained and scorned, Satyavati must set aside her own loss and pain if she is to play the game of politics. She learns to be ruthless, unscrupulous-traits that estrange her from everyone around. Everyone, except the man she cheated of his birthright.

It’s 1981, and Sylvia Taylor has signed on as rookie deckhand on a wallowy 40-foot salmon troller. Looking forward to making money for university, she is determined to master the ins and outs of fishing some of the most dangerous waters in the world: the Graveyard of the Pacific. For four months, she helps navigate the waters off northern Vancouver Island, learning the ways of fisherfolk and the habitat in which they breathe, sleep and survive. The politics of selling fish, the basics of tying gear, near-death experiences, endless boat troubles, the emotional perils of sharing cramped quarters—all are part of a steep and unforgiving learning curve. Taylor’s story captures the reality of life on a fishboat and documents the end of an era, a time when the fishing industry wasn’t yet marred by unchecked overfishing or hyper-regulation. Her lyrical, simple prose explores the tight-knit relationship of fishers with the west coast’s wild, untamed waters. Her memoir bursts with all the humour and hell, peace and upheaval that is the Pacific Ocean.

Homefront: It's hard to separate that word from war. In the First and Second World Wars, the homefront was a clear entity and location--if you weren't on the frontlines, you were on the homefront. But during current times of peacekeeping, peacemaking and armed interventions, the notion of homefront seems to comprise only those who are in some way directly affected by the military: family and friends or ex-soldiers--an invisible group camouflaged by everyday jobs and activities. Editors Barb Howard and Joan Dixon have compiled an insightful collection of essays and reflections from 14 writers, including Melanie Murray, Scott Waters, Ryan Flavelle and Chris Turner. All have found themselves, at one time or another, embedded on the homefront. And even though each experience is unique and comes from a single perspective, common motifs surface: family, fate, death and memory. This anthology captures triumphs, incredible fortitude and humour, often in the face of grief, as well as the complicated logic, fears, anger and other everyday realities that are part of homefront life.

Longtime fans of Carrie Fisher and her body of work will welcome this smart and thoughtful tribute to a multimedia legend.

The 1930s were the cinema's age of innocence, the decade when Hollywood concentrated, despite, or perhaps because of, the misery and gloom of the Great Depression, on escapism and entertainment, when the arrival of talkies had given the medium a voice, when the big studios with their stables of stars were deciding what the public wanted, and providing it on a massive scale.

Kitty Mehta’s days revolve around college applications, school projects, and Halloween parties like any teenager. As temple trips conflict with her daughter’s parties, Mrs. Mehta’s worship takes longer than usual, and Kitty’s diet is thrown off, things get too much for her during the holidays. Compelled to break away from the chaos, Kitty chances upon a museum exhibition of portraits of stellar women from Indian mythology, called ‘Corridor of Queens’. In spite of herself, she feels drawn to the exhibit and discovers an entire world that is charming as it is dangerous—foggy islands where babies grow to adulthood in days; mothers taking on many creatures’ forms to keep an eye on their daughters; fisher girls bartering in magic; supernatural beings who can lend you their gender; and women forcing heavenly rivers to end earthly famines. Follow her as she navigates her world, trying to find herself, with the wisdom of the ages from tales that come alive at the Corridor of Queens. SHEFALI SHAH CHOKSI is Coordinator of the Writing Centre at Broward College, North Campus’ Academic Success Centre, in Florida. Previously, Shefali taught Literature and Composition at the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale. She lives in Plantation, Florida, with three cats and her daughter (when she visits from college).