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HALIFAX BOOKS MAR 10, 2010
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The Page of Persuasion

It is the strangest thing to pick up the phone and hear the familiar voice of someone you have never met or spoken with on the other end of the line. Read More.

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Size Matters

After Fat Tuesday (aka Shrove Tuesday, Pancake Tuesday) I started to think about what to do for lent. I could never give up books. For me it would almost like giving up breathing. But it did get me thinking about the subject of fat. Read More.

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Staff Picks - Nasty: my family and other glamorous varmints by Simon Doonan

"Nastiness is rich. Nastiness is fun. Who needs all that boring, cliche Hallmark stuff when you've got flying dentures? Nastiness has texture. Nastiness has the power to transform. Read More.

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Books into Film - upcoming ones to watch for

With Maureen's post yesterday on Dennis Lehane's Shutter Island and its current film version, it got me thinking that it's time once again to look to a few upcoming film releases that are based on movies.
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Say what now?

Thanks to a fellow blogger, I found out that my site was doing some pretty strange things – not working at all being the biggest problem! I’m hoping I have most of the glitches fixed up, but if you notice things are wonky, this is why. Read More.

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Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

Martin Scorsese's version of Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane continues to draw in packed audiences. Not surprising considering the raw material he has to work with. Lehane has a tremendous reputation as a writer of dark, psychological suspense fiction. Read More.

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2010 Atlantic Book Awards shortlist

The 2010 Atlantic Book Awards shortlist have been announced:
"The Atlantic Book Awards Society is pleased to announce the full shortlist for the 11 different literary awards that make up the 2010 Atlantic Book Awards.
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A rose by any other nom (de plume)

As Canada Reads 2010 ramps up, I’m finding myself immersed fully in the online world of books. Since the debates start next week and I’ll be deep into coding, live chats and social media, I’m afraid I can only offer up one post here per week. Read More.

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Reader Response to The Littles: Ew. They Have Tails.

Here is what Wikipedia has to say about The Littles series of books, which I had not heard of until recently:
Similar to Mary Norton's earlier novel The Borrowers , The Littles features a family of tiny but intelligent humanoid creatures with mouse-like features (the Littles) who live in a house...
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Book Launch - Iqaluit, by Nick Newbery

Local MSVU professor, author and photographer Nick Newbery is set to release the newest edition of his book, Iqaluit. Of special note is that the book is trilingual, published in English, French and Inuktuit Read More.

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Canadian Fiction - A Dozen Spring Releases to look for. Part 2.

Here's part two of our two part post on up coming Canadian fiction releases: 6 more titles to watch for this spring.
Black Alley by Mauricio Segura: first published as Côte-des-Nègres in 1998 to great acclaim, this is the first English edition of a novel by a Quebec journalist.
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Canadian Fiction - A Dozen Spring Releases to look for. Part 1.

Spring fiction title announcements are already upon us - and for Canadian fiction fans, there is much to be excited about. Here are a few forthcoming titles from authors we know and love -- and a few we are sure to soon. Here's part one of a two part post on a dozen such books to look out for. Read More.

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Life and Love in the Eighteenth Century - The Lady in Red by Hallie Rubenhold

Jane Austen has become the epitome of eighteenth century domestic fiction. Jane came into her own in the twentieth century first with interest in academic circles and then later the rest of us. Read More.

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Very Good, Sir: Wodehouse, Jeeves & Comic Tradition - library program

Fans of Jeeves and Wooster and Edwardian social life will not want to miss this exciting library program. Read More.

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Freedom to Read Week

February 21st - 27th is Freedom to Read Week.
This is an event that is near and dear to most readers' advisor's hearts. We don't mind suggestions of what to read, but please don't dare to tell us what not to read.
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Confession is Good for the Soul, Or Is It?

We all have our secrets, and let's face it, we like other people's secrets as well. Feel free to harmlessly indulge in the fictional secrets involving sexual exploits, ambition, jealousy, addiction and Jane Austen. Read More.

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Olympic Fiction

Can't get enough winter sports?
I can.
Here's a few alternatives to Olympic fever: Olympian fiction!
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Gabrielle Bouliane

"Gabrielle was diagnosed with Stage Four Cancer shortly before this video was filmed. Our dear sister fought hard, but she ended her fight January 29, 2010. Read More.

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Staff Pick: Why Not Catch-21?

Being a bit of a book nerd myself, I feel like I can say with a bit of authority that if there is one thing a book nerd likes more than a good book, it's a good book about books! Read More.

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Terry O'Reilly - author reading

Famed journalist and marketing guru Terry O'Reilly will be speaking at the Keshen Goodman Public Library on Wednesday February 17th, 7:00. All are welcome. Read More.

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#ECBC contest winners

Before the big announcement, I’d first of all like to thank everyone who participated in sharing their love of Barrington Street whether it was of current businesses, past memories or the future potential.
For the next couple of weeks work will be keeping me busy with Canada Reads 2010.
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Review / Read-A-Long ♦ A Wrinkle In Time

It’s a dark and stormy night. Meg Murry, her small brother Charles Wallace, and their mother are in the kitchen for a midnight snack when a most disturbing visitor arrives. Read More.

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In Memoriam - Dick Francis

Horse racing and mystery writing legend Dick Francis passed away at age 89 at his home in the Cayman Islands. (Obituary)
Although best known for his novels, Francis was also a jockey, an RAF fighter pilot and journalist.
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February Author Birthdays

I was a little bit surprised by the number of well known authors who are born in February. Is there something about being born into short days and cold nights that turns you into the creative personality required for writing great books? Possibly - or maybe I'm just getting a bit better with my s... Read More.

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Happy Valentine's Day. Or Not.

An extremely short break-up letter from Jacqueline Susann to her then (and again later) husband Irving:
Irving, when we were at the Essex House and I had room service and I could buy all my Florence Lustig dresses, I found that I loved you very much, but now that you’re in the army and getting f...
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Six Degrees of the Library Collection: from J.D. Salinger to Simone de Beauvoir

It seems only fitting to begin this month's edition of Six Degrees of the Library Collection with J.D. Salinger. The author - most famously of the coming of age classic The Catcher in the Rye - died in late January at the age of 91. Read More.

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National Post's Canada Also Reads

Editors of the National Post's books blog The Afterword expressed dissatisfaction last Fall with the choices of CBC's Canada Reads. They were all great books, but haven't they been read already? Read More.

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Neverwhere

John sent us this book telling us it was a fun book to read and is compared to Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. But he quotes
The inside of the book is ugly, too.
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TLC Book Tour ♦ The Cougar Club by Susan McBride

A novel for women of a certain age who are hot and bothered by society’s double standards – champagne happy hours mandatory – cubs get in free. Read More.

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Staff Picks - Noah's Compass by Anne Tyler

Liam Pennywell is approaching sixty and is seemingly at loose ends. His life has been steadily downsizing. His jobs have diminished in prestige. His marriages ended and his children became increasingly baffling to him. Read More.

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Leading Ladies, Lasting Legacies: celebrating the stories of women

February is African Heritage month. Last year during African Heritage month, The Reader offered readers a peek at eight great popular and awarding winning black authors that we thought you should know about. Read More.

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Bible Stories

As you probably know, historical fiction has been increasingly popular for quite a few years now, garnering many new readers each year. As interest grows in historical fiction, new sub-genres arise and gain popularity in their own right. Read More.

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Reading Diaries and Letters

Technology and our ever-shrinking attention spans may be changing the way we keep personal records, but our desire to understand the thoughts and impressions of others is growing. Read More.

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Oprah's Picks - where are they now? Part 2.

In December, I did a post looking back at some of the early picks in Oprah Winfrey's Book Club and what the authors whose books were chosen have been up to since. Oprah's Book Club has been running since 1996, and the current selection (Say You're One of Them by Uwem Akpan) is #63: that's a lot o... Read More.

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Readalikes: Harry Bosch mysteries, by Michael Connelly

Are you a fan of mystery/suspense author Michael Connelly? His Harry Bosch series has been among the more popular series at our library for several years. Read More.

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Staff Picks - The Stars' Tennis Ball by Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry, actor, writer, director, producer, television presenter, technology aficionado, and also novelist, is a very busy man. He has written a number of funny novels, however, one that takes a different turn is The Stars' Tennis Balls. Read More.

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The Order of Odd-Fish Art Show

This is a lot of fun: James Kennedy, author of the terrifically zany young adult novel The Order of Odd-Fish, is having an art show featuring the work of fans of the book. The deadline for submissions is March 15. Read More.

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Staff Pick - Robert J. Sawyer - www.sfwriter.com

Robert J Sawyer is certainly among Canada's top fiction authors. He is also no stranger to winning writing awards, such as the Hugo, the Nebula and the John W. Campbell Memorial awards. Read More.

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In Memoriam - J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger has died at age 91. Born in New York City on January 1, 1919, Jerome David Salinger's literary output was not large, but he was to have a lasting impact on generations of teenage and readers, as well as a host of contemporary writers. He spoke to and about adolescents with genuine u... Read More.

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Barrington Street Blues by Anne Emery

Monty Collins (Barrington Street Blues by Anne Emery) is a personable yet flawed Halifax lawyer. In this third novel in the series, Collins is handling a lawsuit on behalf of the family of a man who apparently committed murder then suicide. Read More.

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Speculative Mystery Fiction

What is Speculative Mystery fiction and are you a fan?
Speculative Mysteries are a blending of the mystery genre with fantasy/science fiction.
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Ursula Le Guin and the The Aeneid's Lavinia

Lavinia, By Ursula K. Le Guin

Reviewed by Peter O’Brien

Ursula K. Le Guin's career as a creator of alternative realities dates back four decades now. She is perhaps best known for the Earthsea series for young adults, but her oeuvre in adult science fiction and fantasy has a speculat...
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Read Your Way Around the World: Modern Day Australia

On January 26th, while those of us in Canada don our hats and scarves and head out to work and school and whatever else we're up to in the latest blast of cold, wintry weather, Australians celebrate their nation's birthday with a holiday and (invariably) a trip to the beach, or the pool, or the p... Read More.

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In Memoriam - Paul Quarrington

Sad news for the Canadian Literary world this week with the death of author Paul Quarrington.
Quarrington, 56, was diagnosed with inoperable lung cancer in 2009.
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Late Night TV Wars - the print edition

Although I don't normally consider myself much of a pop culture junkie, I've found myself oddly fascinated by the Late Night TV debacle that has been unfolding on NBC this week and last. Come on - admit it - you have been too. Read More.

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In Memoriam - Robert B. Parker

Award winning crime fiction author Robert B. Parker has passed away at home in Cambridge, Massachusetts at the age of 77. Awarded A Grand Master designation by the Mystery Writers of America in 2002, Robert Parker has had an amazing writing career, penning over 60 novels Read More.

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The Author Stage - Alistair MacLeod

I am very excited to announce that the next reading in our The Author Stage feature has been posted on the Halifax Public Libraries web site.
Alistair MacLeod read at the Keshen Goodman Public Library on October 26th, 2009. The house was packed and Alistair was in typically fine form.
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Royal Biographies - Fact and Film

After decades of he said/she said royal biographies, William Shawcross has made an interesting addition with Queen Elizabeth: The Queen Mother: the official biography. This very large book 900+ pages) received royal authorization and is considered to be the definitive biography. Read More.

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Radio Reads

According to some sources, January 13th is the anniversary of the birth of radio broadcasting, which took shape in 1910 when American Lee DeForest broadcast part of an opera over the airwaves. Read More.

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Read Your Way Around the World - Haiti

Our latest installment of Read Your Way Around the World is taking us to Haiti.
Haiti has had as volatile a history as any country. Domestic political upheaval, foreign government influences and religious conflicts have all conspired to keep the Pearl of the French Antillies in a state of near p...
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Shakespeare Rewritten

With the winter SMU classes, Introduction to Shakespeare, starting at the Alderney Gate Library, I started thinking about how many interesting variations/interpretations there are for Shakespeare's works. Read More.

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Superior New Mystery Series

In the past year I have read many books, mostly of the mystery/thriller genres. Many were by authors that I have been reading for years. Many were part of series that I have come to regard as old friends. Read More.

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The Tudors - the legacy lives on

Henry VIII was a dangerous man to befriend. He ruled England from 1509 to 1547. His father, Henry VII, came to the throne following the Wars of the Roses. We now associate Henry VIII with his six wives and his desperate attempts to ensure a male heir to the throne. Read More.

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Book Review: Of Canoes, Maritime History, and Friendship

It’s a little bit of adventure memoir, philosophical retrospective, chronicle of a friendship, historical reflection … and more. As a slim volume, Like an Ever Rolling Stream author Hugh W. McKervill packs this literary trip to the gunwales.

A modest edition by Four East Publications, McKervil...
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Book Review: An Echo in the Bone

Diana Gabaldon’s seventh and latest installment, An Echo in the Bone, has enough interrelated tales (five to be exact) to sustain fans through many cold winter nights.

An Echo in the Bone is the continuing historical fiction saga of Clare Randall and Jamie Fraser and their family in 18th cen...
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Book Excerpt: An Echo in the Bone, by Diana Gabaldon

The following is excerpted from the hardcover edition of An Echo in the Bone by Diana Gabaldon Copyright © 2009 by Diana Gabaldon. Excerpted by permission of Anchor Canada, a division of Random House of Canada Limited. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted... Read More.

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Memories of home

“Up Home” is a book with a story by Shauntay Grant and artwork by Susan Tooke that is published by Nimbus Publishing. The first thing that strikes you about the book “Up Home” is the beautiful patchwork image that adorns the cover. Symbolic of the stories and memories of growing up, “Up Home” w... Read More.

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Stories of Afghanistan from those who know

When it comes to understanding the experience of war and conflict in Afghanistan from a distance, one of the only ways to get a grasp the every day challenges faced is from reading the stories of those who were personally involved.

Outside the Wire explores in a very human manner, not only th...
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Mac Maharaj: South African hero

Anyone interested in South African politics should read this book. This mammoth work of Padraig O’Malley’s provides a vivid account of the past 60 years of South Africa’s history, positioning it around the story of a man who is unflinchingly critical of himself, the movement he served loyally for... Read More.

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Margaret Atwood's Debt Plan

Payback: Debt and the Shadow side of Wealth
By Margaret Atwood


Because it has appeared at the time of a global economic crisis stemming mainly from an overload of debt, Payback: Debt and the Shadow Side of Wealth has been hailed as timely. Given the prominence Margaret Atwood has given...
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A Romance on Three Legs: Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano -- an excerpt

And then there was the piano, which the National Library had decided to purchase from Gould’s estate. An eight-foot-eleven-and-one-quarter-inch Steinway concert grand, it was known as CD 318 (C to signify its special status as having been put aside for the use of Steinway concert artists, and D d... Read More.

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Glenn Gould's Obsessive Quest for the Perfect Piano

When I was about seven years old I played in the local Kiwanis music festival for the first time. I sat down at the piano to play the first notes of “Under the Haycock” and nothing happened. The action of the grand piano’s keys was so stiff my little fingers did not produce any sound at all. I qu... Read More.

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The Man Who Made Vermeers

On May 29, 1945, Han van Meegeren was arrested
in Amsterdam on the charge that during the Nazi occupation he sold a painting by Jan Vermeer to Herman Goering, the commander-in-chief of the Luftwaffe. This transaction amounted to trading with the enemy, and was in effect an act of collaboration. ...
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Marche on Sanjania

Wake up armchair travelers! There’s a new country to explore. Stephen Marche’s Shining at the Bottom of the Sea requires only that you get comfortable in your favorite reading chair, flip open the cover and let your eyes do the walking. Marche’s novel isn’t a real travelogue, because it is based ... Read More.

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Shining at the Bottom of the Sea, by Stephen Marche: an excerpt

[For the sake of readability and accessibility, the spelling and in some cases the syntax of this story have been normalized.—s.m.]

Wherever they may be, and wherever they may be from, all men do relish a hanging. The Drama of Law, with its Crime and its Punish and its splendid gibbet Finish, ...
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Around the World in 57 1/2 Gigs: An Excerpt

I started playing my first song — “Little Bird, Little Bird,” a folk elegy about a Second World War soldier. I stood at the front of the stage but stepped down on the floor after sensing that the lyrics couldn’t be heard at the back of the hall. Before I got too deeply into the song, however, I b... Read More.

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Lightning and Blackberries: An excerpt

The following is an excerpt from Lightning and Blackberries, by Joanne Jefferson.

I felt my heart beating harder and my breath coming in shorter bursts, but I tried to keep myself calm as I turned to retrace my steps. Thunderstorms did not frighten me. Was it this way, I thought, or tha...
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Book Review: Lightning and Blackberries

In the eighteenth century, life for teenage girls was much different than it is today. By the time they reached seventeen, young ladies were expected to think seriously of marriage to an approved suitor. Elizabeth Evans was different. She rebelled against her mother’s idea that she should spend h... Read More.

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Nikolski, by Nicolas Dickner: A Review

My first thought when I finished Nikolski was that I would like to read it again. Not in a bad way as in, “Holy crow, I’m supposed to review this and I have nothing to say I better read it again” but in a good way as in, “I think I could take something different from this book each time I read it... Read More.

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Society of Wolves, a review of Wolf Totem by Jiang Rong

I have to admit up front that I am not familiar with Chinese, so I have not read Wolf Totem in its original language, thus leaving me, as a reviewer, at the mercy of the translator. Author Jiang Rong (whose real name is Lu Jiamin) is well served by translator Howard Goldblatt—and I don’t just say... Read More.

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Chronicler of the Winds

Henning Mankell is perhaps best known as the author of the Kurt Wallander series of crime stories. He has, though, an impressive volume of work outside of that genre, including the one discussed here.

Chronicler of the Winds is written with both great intensity and a beautiful calmness. The st...
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Book Review: The Truth About Canada

As implied by the tabloid-style title, Mel Hurtig’s latest book is necessary reading, particularly for journalists, editorial writers, politicians, and CEOs. For all Canadians it provides a mass of data and sources to evaluate the misleading and often downright false statements served up by our “... Read More.

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The Shipwreck, the Sultan, and the Slave: A Tale of Sixteenth Century Constantinople

Book Review: The Aviary Gate, by Katie Hickman

The intriguing sixteenth century tale of Celia Lamprey is researched by the twenty-first century doctoral student Elizabeth in The Aviary Gate. Set in the world of merchant-rich Istanbul, sightings are reported of the sea captain Thomas Lam...
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All Souls, by Christine Schutt: an excerpt

The Girl No One Knows
Fathers
Mr. Dell, in his daughter’s room, stuck his face into the horn of a stargazer lily, one of a . . . one of a . . . must have been a dozen, and he breathed in and said wasn’t that something. And wasn’t it: the pileup of cards, a stuffed bear, a bouquet of balloons, a...
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The Valley: An Excerpt

The following is an excerpt from the beginning of The Valley, by Gayle Friesen, published by Key Porter Books.

In God’s green pastures feeding, by the cool waters lie. Soft
in the evening . . . then something I don’t remember.
Waters cool, that was the girls’ part, in the Valley was the
b...
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The Valley, by Gayle Friesen: A review

The Valley, by Gayle Friesen is a pleasant summer read. It seems odd to write that as I think about the subjects and themes covered in the book: strained relationships, religious intolerance, debilitating migraines, suicidal thoughts, and a multitude of Biblical allusions. Even the title itself a... Read More.

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All Souls: Astra's World

An Elemental Response to All Souls

This is my first ever formal book review and as such I revert to the elemental tools of every writer, the alphabet. I use an “ABC” rubric to provide a frame of reference for consideration of my response to the book.

The book is All Souls – a work of fict...
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Five books about Anne of Green Gables and Lucy Maud Montgomery

Early in her career, soon after the publication of Anne of Green Gables and the novels that rapidly followed it, L. M. Montgomery became a famous Canadian writer. Governors General and British peers arrived in Prince Edward Island, intent on meeting her. By the 1930’s and 40’s, however, the excit... Read More.

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Who Owns Canada Now: Canada's mega-rich

This book is primarily about the richest 75 billionaires in Canada but ends with a discussion of what the situation is currently and what the future holds – for wealthy families and for Canada – with Ms Francis’ policy recommendations to make Canada more entrepreneurial and therefore more success... Read More.

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Is Canada for Sale?

The following is an excerpt from Who Owns Canada Now: Old Money, New Money and The Future of Canadian Business, by Diane Francis, and published by HarperCollins Publishers Ltd.

Besides taxation, another perennial policy concern has been Canada’s relatively high degree of foreign owners...
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