Laser Quit Smoking Massage

by Cole Nowicki

A series of short nonfiction pieces, Laser Quit Smoking Massage explores the peculiarities of the urban and rural centres of the Canadian West. From prairie towns to sprawling cities, Cole Nowicki's witty, insightful, and ever curious reportage explores the evolving states of community, family, and belonging.

Genres: Essays

147 pages, Paperback

Published April 1, 2024

Reviews

[Jillian B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a hidden gem! As someone born and raised in Calgary, I loved getting to read a book of essays set in Western Canada. And the essays themselves were so good! The author has a distinct, quirky voice and manages to turn topics like internet searches into incredibly compelling stories. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes literary nonfiction.

[Mark Lisac · Rating 3 out of 5]

A solid 3.5 stars, and among the better books that I couldn't manage to round up to 4 stars. Gives a strong impression of being in touch with a real person with a mind of his own. Decided on 3 stars because, while each of the short essays here kept me engaged, most of them did not keep me eagerly wanting to read more. The ones I liked best were Commiserating, Pink Field, and Instances of Birds in Peril. They had twists that illuminated larger themes in small matters. Despite some descriptions, the book doesn't really have a lot to say about small western towns and large cities; those are incidental matters. It's more about quirky observations, and memories of personal trauma. There's some humour too but that's always subject to personal taste. So is the interest in quirky observations. While there were essays I quite liked and several that I found somewhat entertaining, I could have done without the entry on internet trolling and the one on insects and other strange things that have been found in people's ears.
The few references to skateboarding included unexplained jargon. A larger number of references were made to internet searches, which I guess is a feature of modern life. Don't know why "reign" escaped review when "rein" was intended in one essay, or why the ever-popular "phasing" showed up in another when "fazing" was intended.

[Alberta Views Magazine]

The first line of Laser Quit Smoking Massage is also, conveniently, its thesis statement: “Small-town pride tends to be a desperate thing.” This combination of desperation and pride can come from the town itself, often in the form of an engine for tourism dollars (e.g., the town of Vulcan reverse-engineering itself into a haven for Star Trek fans who otherwise wouldn’t leave the highway). But it can also come from the residents, eager to convince others—and themselves—that the place where they live isn’t as bland as it might seem.

A lot of people recoil from this pride/desperation cocktail, in either form. But not Cole Nowicki. On the contrary, the Alberta-raised, BC-based writer seems to seek it out wherever he goes. Laser Quit Smoking Massage collects some two dozen of his short, unabashedly odd essays about overlooked pockets of the Canadian West.

Review by Michael Hingston
Full review at: https://albertaviews.ca/laser-quit-sm...

[Laura Frey (Reading in Bed) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading this collection was like finding a blog where every post is a winner, and you can't believe you're just finding this blog now, so you end up going through the whole archive.

That is fitting, because I found out about this book by subscribing to the author's blog "Simple Magic." And like Simple Magic (which is mostly about skateboarding, something I'm not really into) it didn't matter what the topic of each essay was, I enjoyed them even when they were about something totally unrelated to me or my life. They are quick to read, funny, and satisfying. When I hit the odd essay that *was* relatable to my life, it was just an extra bonus (see "Commiserating", where I related to the mom, not the author. It's such a sweet story!)

[Jessie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cleverly written with endearing short stories about life, the internet, fear, hopes, dreams, and everything in between. A quick and lovely read. My highlights include "The Dark Lord of Vancouver Karaoke" and "Pink Field."
I personally feel like the author of these essays would be great at parties.

[Natalie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Before reading Laser Quit Smoking Massage, I was in a slump, discarding several half read books. I'm so grateful for this fantastic collection of essays! It was wise, hilarious, honest and bizarre to perfection. Can't wait to read whatever Cole comes up with next.

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun collection of essays that got me to smile. What more do you need?

[Jo Beyer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This essay collection has a target audience and its me. if you grew up in a small town or in western canada or just literally a human being you should read them. thanks Cole for the insight and humor