Thank you teachers! Enjoy your summer.

One of our readers commented recently that a teacher allowed her to read The Crystal Cave by Mary Stewart instead of the class book that did not interest her and set her on a path of reading that lead her to The Game of Thrones. It got me thinking about teachers who have introduced me to certain authors and how I have never forgotten that. So thank you to Mrs Callahan for Margaret Laurence and a Grade 12 filled with The Fellowship of the Ring. And to Mr. Coish who looked appalled that I had never read The Hunchback of Notre Dame. Well, I did. That very next summer.

As school winds up for the year, thank you to all teachers out there who helped to set us our paths as readers.

In grade 10 I had an awesome English teacher who encouraged me to read really challenging books. I still remember the feeling of finishing Rohinton Mistry's A Fine Balance, and realizing that reading such long and difficult books was not only possible, but was actually a really rewarding experience.
Alex


I remember in grade 6, my English teacher assigned Robert C. O’Brien’s Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH, which I had already read. I asked if I could read something else instead—something more edgy, I think I requested—and she suggested S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders. The rest was history: I fell in love with the characters, especially the main character (Ponyboy Curtis)’s attractive older brother, Sodapop, and then I was hooked on stories about gang fights and brotherly love. My teacher didn’t realize what she had started!
Ashlee

When I was in elementary school, we had D.E.A.R. time – Drop Everything And Read. For me, that reinforced reading as something special. We interrupt this regularly scheduled block of math/social studies/language arts etc. for reading a book of your choice for 30 minutes. It was an opportunity to escape or imagine otherness, and experience quiet in a generally noisy setting. Dear, indeed!
Sam

Hollywood scandals

Hollywood has been the mecca for scandals ever since its founding. I have always been a lover of movies and thus, interested in the people who make them. While there are plenty of scandals that TMZ covers daily, I want to concentrate on the Golden Age of Hollywood.

Roscoe “Fatty” Arbuckle has always fascinated me, but not for his talent. The only thing that I previously heard about Arbuckle was the accusation that he had brutally killed Virginia Rappe. In Room 1219: the Life of Fatty Arbuckle, the Mysterious Death of Virginia Rappe, and the Scandal That Changed Hollywood, by Greg Merritt, I learnt more. Room 1219 tells the tale of Arbuckle’s rise to fame and his stunning fall from grace – from Hollywood superstar to its first pariah. Merritt gives an account of the sensational accusations and trials of Roscoe Arbuckle, following a party held Labor Day weekend, 1921. The events of that weekend became a major newspaper story, and one of the first “trials of the century.” Merritt not only covers the three trials and what happened in room 1219, but also the climate of Hollywood at this time. He takes a look at all the evidence, including autopsy reports, trial transcripts, police and coroner testimony. Merritt clears up misunderstandings about both Arbuckle’s life and Rappe. The lives of two people were ruined that weekend in 1921, Rappe lost her life and Arbuckle lost everything. This book proves that truth be damned, people will say and believe anything they want. To learn the truth read Room 1219.

Charlie Chaplin may have been everyone’s lovable” Little Tramp” but Peter Ackroyd’s book, Charlie Chaplin presents his difficult personal life. This biography shows the brilliance of the star, but also his blemishes as he struggled his way from poverty to worldwide fame. In his personal life he was morose, private and obsessive, with an unrelenting perfectionism that annoyed his fellow actors and directors. What was scandalous about Chaplin was his politics and his sex life. It was reported that Chaplin had sex with more than 2,000 women!  When asked to describe his ideal women, he replied “I am not exactly in love with her, but she is entirely in love with me”. Chaplin was well known for his preference for young women, as he married and discarded a number of them. In the mid-40s a scandal erupted involving Joan Barry, who filed a paternity suit against him. Because of his political leanings, the FBI was also interested in Chaplin. They named him in four indictments, the worst being breaking the Mann Act (transporting women across state line for the purpose of sex). If convicted he would have been sentenced to 23 years in jail. He was acquitted of the charges and proven not to be the father of Barry’s child. Yet, he was forced to pay child support until she turned 21. Newsweek stated that this was “the biggest scandal since Fatty Arbuckle’s murder trial in 1921”

How to get out of a reading slump

I seem to have reached a slump in my reading at the moment. Even books I wanted to read, and was looking forward to, just didn’t do it for me. Whenever that happens, I have to shake myself out of it. I read what I call “popcorn books”, something light and fluffy. Or I do the complete opposite. I start to read non-fiction that makes me think and ponder things. Right now, it seems that biographies are the books that are calling to me. Maybe these titles might appeal to you.

People are raving about the book The Fault of Our Stars by John Green and the film based on it. What people may not realize is both were inspired by a real person. This Star Won’t Go Out is the life and words of Esther Earl. John Green initially met Esther Earl, a young girl with thyroid cancer, at a Harry Potter convention. Green had been working for years on a book about kids with cancer at the time of the meeting. While he realized Esther had cancer he did not want to pry or make his friendship with Esther a research project. Green is often asked if the main character of his novel is based on Esther. He has replied “I’ve said many times that The Fault in Our Stars, while dedicated to Esther, is not about her…. Esther inspired the story in the sense that my anger after her death pushed me to write constantly…but the character of Hazel is very different from Esther, and Hazel’s story is not Esther’s”. He has also stated “…I wish she’d read The Fault of Our Stars….but the person I most wanted to read it never will.” I have read both books and admit that there were parts in both that made me laugh, cry and reflected upon. Esther’s book is not just her journal and thoughts and drawings. It includes articles written by John Green, as well as, her parents, friends and doctors. Yet it is Esther’s words that shine through. There were times that I had a hard time believing that it was young girl who wrote the words. But illness can bring wisdom to a person no matter their age. Her parents, Lori and Wayne, are founders of the nonprofit organization This Star Won’t Go out (tswgo.org). The name came from the meaning of the name Esther, which means star. Its goal is to provide financial assistance to families with children living with cancer. To date they have given away more than $130,000. The publishers of Esther’s book, Dutton, have donated funds to this charity.

Now in its second season, the television show Orange is the New Black is based on Piper Kerman’s #1 New York Times bestselling biography of the same name. Like all things for the big or small screen, there are differences between the two. I read the book before seeing the series and won’t go into the differences between the two but for me The facts from the book are more interesting than the drama created for the screen. Kerman was a spoiled young woman who recklessly threw her freedom away due to bad judgment in a love relationship. Piper delivered a suitcase of drug money for her girlfriend 10 years before the book takes place. She is convicted and sentenced to 15 months in Danbury Correctional facility. Despite being a well-heeled Smith College graduate she now is known as inmate # 11187-424. In prison, she meets women from all walks of life. She enters a world with arbitrary rules by the inmates and the strictly enforced rules of the penal system. I admit that I got a bit impatient with Piper. She had a huge support system outside the prison that sent her books and other goods. The privileged anger at “mistreatment” sometimes made me shout at the book “Oh, grow up! Where do you think you are !?” The other prisoners I felt more sympathy for. I was surprised by the generosity they showed to Piper and each other. I do not believe that it is a typical prison memoir but perhaps it is typical for minimum security prisons. I hope I never have to personally find out.


After those  books I felt I needed a change of pace. It came in the form of PaperBoy : a memoir of 70s Belfast. On the cover of the book it states”parallel trousers, Brut aftershave and a Burnt Jimmy Joe’. This reminded me of the boys in my junior high class, except some of them were wearing Hia Karate! There are those who will question my taste of books, especially if I am trying to get away from serious books. After all, Ireland during “the troubles” was not exactly the best place on earth. But Tony Macaulay manages to write a very funny book about this time in his life. I admit that I first picked up this book to recommending it to someone but ended up reading it first. Macaulay was raised at the top of Shankill Road in Belfast, during the heart of the conflict between the Loyalists and Republicans. His memoir balances Northern Ireland’s turbulent history with entertaining insights, wit and humour. Quite frankly, when I think of growing up in the 70’s it was a weird time. This decade started with peace and love and ended up with anarchy of punk music. At the age of 12, Macaulay got a job as a paperboy for The Belfast Telegram, even though he was too young. And come rain or shine – or bombs or mortar – it was his job to deliver the papers. Even with all the political chaos around him, Macaulay lived in the world of Doctor Who, the Bay City Rollers, Top of the Pops, and fish suppers. His battles were against acne, the dentist, bullies who try to rob him of his paper money and his attempts to get Sharon Burgess’ attention. His parents were a huge influence in his childhood and his adult life. They were volunteer youth leaders who worked to keep children off the streets and safe during the height of the violence. Macaulay has spent the last 28 years working to building peace and reconciliation at home and abroad. His memoir will charm you and have you laughing out loud and, if you are of a certain age bring back your own memories of the time.


So these are the biographies that pulled me out of my reading slump. Remember, your local librarians will be able to suggest something for you, if you ever get that way. Happy reading!

Great Business Reads for a Busy Summer.

It's summertime! Nothing completes the summer like a good book. Whether you are hitting the exotic beach, taking a staycation in your hometown or backpacking, we have assembled a list of entertaining and dramatic business biographies for you to enjoy.

The big rich: the rise and fall of the greatest Texas oil fortunes by Bryan Burrough

Bryan Burrough brings to life the men known as the Big Four oil dynasties: Roy Cullen, H. L. Hunt, Clint Murchison, and Sid Richardson. “This book is an entertaining look at the larger-than-life histories of the incomprehensibly rich and powerful. While it's an extensively researched synthesis of a time and a place, it avoids a dry, academic tone through the natural drama of these miniature empires and the truly bizarre characters that inhabited them. Library Journal

Lords of finance: the bankers who broke the world by Liaquat Ahamed

Investment banker Ahamed, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for History, 2010, tells the fascinating story of the Great Depression and the central bankers whose decisions were the primary cause of the economic meltdown from 1929 to 1933. They were Montagu Norman of the Bank of England, Emile Moreau of the Banque de France, Hjalmar Schacht of the Reichsbank, and Benjamin Strong of the New York Federal Reserve Bank. Ahamed concludes that the Great Depression was not an act of God, but resulted directly from a series of collective blunders in economic policy.  Booklist

Den of Thieves by James B. Stewart

Pulitzer Prize–winner James B. Stewart shows how four of the 1980s biggest names on Wall Street—Michael Milken, Ivan Boesky, Martin Siegel, and Dennis Levine —created the greatest insider-trading ring in financial history and almost walked away with billions, until a team of downtrodden detectives triumphed over some of America’s most expensive lawyers to bring this powerful quartet to justice. Based on secret grand jury transcripts, interviews, and actual trading records, Den of Thieves gives a portrait of human nature, big business, and crime of unparalleled proportions. publisher

The first tycoon: the epic life of Cornelius Vanderbilt by T. J. Stiles

In this ground-breaking biography, T.J. Stiles tells the dramatic story of Cornelius “Commodore” Vanderbilt, the combative man and American icon who, through his genius and force of will, did more than perhaps any other individual to create modern capitalism. Meticulously researched and elegantly written, The First Tycoon describes an improbable life, from Vanderbilt’s humble birth during the presidency of George Washington to his death as one of the richest men in American history. 2010 Pulitzer Prize Winner for Biography.  publisher

When Hollywood had a king: the reign of Lew Wasserman, who leveraged talent into power and influence by Connie Bruck

Lew Wasserman arrived in Hollywood in 1939 to help Jules Stein transform MCA from a band-booking company into a talent agency for movie stars. Wasserman's career possesses a kind of epic symmetry: by freeing the stars of the 1940s from the servitude of studio contracts, he effectively ended the era of the movie moguls, only to become the greatest mogul of them all. But, as Bruck explains in painstaking but absorbing detail, Wasserman redefined the role of the mogul. This is the most revealing look at the business of Hollywood.  Booklist

Literary Lunches - Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature's Most Memorable Meals by Dinah Fried

Artist Dinah Fried brings the food of fiction to life in her book Fictitious Dishes: An Album of Literature's Most Memorable Meals. What an appetizing work! Beautifully staged photographs are accompanied by a piece from “its inspiration, with annotations that give gastronomic and historical contexts”. The author pairs literary moments with creative design and delicious food and shares her unique perspective to serve up some literary greatest meals to the reader.


My personal favourites are the pictures for:


The strawberry picnic in Emma by Jane Austen. "I wanted to do an Austen novel, but she actually doesn't discuss food very often, which is something I didn't really think about before getting started," says Fried. “There's so much more attention paid to the conversation, to the relationships. But I remembered that the strawberry-picking scene in Emma, a picnic scene where the character Mrs. Elton goes on and on about how much she loves strawberries as a method, on Austen's part, to demonstrate the annoyance of a certain personality type. I love the image of these women in their clean dresses and white gloves on a strawberry picnic, a scenario in which they'll probably get them all covered in juice."  Saveur magazine


The iconic mad tea party in Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. "This was one of the first in this series that I did. There's actually very little food in it; it's a nonsensical scene with an elaborate table setup, and the only thing they're serving is tea. I found the props in a variety of places: the little silver pieces were my grandmother's, most of the plates came from Savers in Rhode Island, a big thrift store, and the silverware came from a friend. I was asking around for props, and a friend dismissed my request saying, 'You don't want my stuff, it's all mismatched and crazy.' And I was like, 'No, that's exactly what I want! Wild and off-kilter!”- Fried says. Saveur magazine


I love the concept of the book, the stories, the fun facts, and the excerpts. Fictitious Dishes inspired me to reread some of my favourite books and pick up those I have not read yet.

Dear Readers,what are your favourite literary meals?

Mystery Suggestions for Summer Reading

One of my favourite CBC Radio programs is “The Next Chapter” with Shelagh Rogers. The show has introduced me to some great Canadian authors and reads. Twice a year (December and June) Rogers hosts the Mystery Book Panel made up of: Margaret Cannon, the mystery book columnist for the Globe and Mail, J.D. Singh, co-owner of the Sleuth of Baker Street in Toronto, and P.K. Rangachari, Professor (Emeritus) of Medicine at McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario.

Cannon recently said on the show that “Nothing goes better with warm, sunny, summer days than gory, urban mystery novels”. I couldn’t agree more! Here are some of their summer mystery reading suggestions. Some I’d heard of and others were new to me.

Margaret Cannon’s picks:

The Son by Jo Nesbo

“A serial killer is at work in Oslo, and a maverick cop with his share of personal demons is on his trail. But beneath that surface, there is a complex psychological thriller churning its way into the reader's nightmares. Sonny Lofthus is in prison for crimes he didn't commit but for which he has agreed to take the fall in exchange for an unending supply of heroin. The drugs are Sonny's way of dealing with the knowledge that his father, an apparent suicide, was a dirty cop. As the novel begins, however, Sonny has new information about his father's death and has engineered a daring escape from prison. His revenge-fueled plan is to kill those responsible for the crimes he was convicted of by re-creating the murders with the real killers now the victims. A terrific thriller but also a tragic, very moving story of intertwined characters swerving desperately to avoid the dead ends in their paths” Discover

The Farm by Tom Rob Smith

Whirlwind by Rick Mofina

The Ghost Riders of Ordebec by Fred Vargas


J.D. Singh’s picks:

Any Other Name by Craig Johnson

“Sheriff Walt Longmire had already rounded up a sizable posse of devoted readers when the A&E television series Longmire sent the Wyoming lawman's popularity skyrocketing. Now, with three consecutive New York Times bestsellers to his name and the second season of Longmire reaching an average of 5.4 million viewers per episode, Craig Johnson is reaching a fan base that is both fiercely loyal and ever growing. In Any Other Name, Walt is sinking into high-plains winter discontent when his former boss, Lucian Conally, asks him to take on a mercy case in an adjacent county. Detective Gerald Holman is dead and Lucian wants to know what drove his old friend to take his own life. With the clock ticking on the birth of his first grandchild, Walt learns that the by-the-book detective might have suppressed evidence concerning three missing women. Digging deeper, Walt uncovers an incriminating secret so dark that it threatens to claim other lives even before the sheriff can serve justice.” Discover

The Black-Eyed Blonde by Benjamin Black



P.K. Rangachari’s picks:

Body Count by Barbara Nadel

“Any bloody death will lead Inspectors Ikmen and Skuleyman out onto the dark streets of Istanbul. On 21 January, a half-decapitated corpse in the poor multicultural district of Tarlabasi poses a particularly frustrating and gruesome mystery. But as the months pass and the violence increases, it turns into a hunt for that rare phenomenon in the golden city on the Bosphorus: a serial killer. Desperate to uncover the killer's twisted logic as the body count rises, Ikmen and Skuleyman find only more questions. How are the victims connected? What is the significance of the number 21? And how many people must die before they find the answers?” Discover

The Bride Box by Michael Pearce

Death of a Nightingale by Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt 

Literary World Cup - Part IV

Soccer is a magical game. - David Beckham

 Iran vs Nigeria:

Ganjeh ghazal by Mehdi Sohaili

A man of the people by Chinua Achebe


Ghana vs USA:

Search sweet country by B. Kojo Laing
Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut


Belgium vs Algeria:

The square of revenge by Pieter Aspe

Ce que le jour doit à la nuit by Yasmina Khadra


Russia vs Korean Republic:

Казус Кукоцкого Людмила Улицкая /

Kazus Kukotskogo : roman by Liudmila Ulitskaia


The old garden by Hwang Sok-Yong

Brazil goes into every World Cup expecting to win – so when it is in Brazil it is expected even more. You can’t understand what the World Cup means to our country. — Ronaldinho

Staff Pick - Face the Music: a life exposed by Paul Stanley

As a young teen I became a KISS fan.  I was fourteen and my older sisters had visited Halifax and seen KISS and Cheap Trick play at the Halifax Forum.  They came home with amazing stories of fire bombs and glow sticks.  I was so jealous and I became hooked. For the next year or so, KISS totally ruled - until I discovered Van Halen.  Although no longer fanatical, I have followed the band ever since. And I finally got see them play in concert a few years ago, albeit with no glow sticks.

Paul Stanley's autobiography, Face the Music: a life exposed is a super interesting read for any KISS fan, but also for more casual rock music fans.  I think it also a great cautionary tale for aspiring rock musicians.  Stanley is very open about all the mistakes and strange choices that were made in the pursuit of fame.

As with most titles in the genre, a big appeal is the nostalgia evoked by recalling the music of the time. Fans of rock music will find much to reminisce about. KISS toured with many famous bands, such as RUSH, The New York Dolls, Aerosmith, and so on. It also covers the MTV period, with the all the emphasis suddenly on video and big hair.  Interesting times indeed!

I had many of my perceptions about KISS changed, especially about Paul's personality and motivations, a few rumours confirmed, such as who didn't play on certain songs, and a whole host of new information about the players behind the scenes, such Bill Aucoin and Neil Bogart. Paul also reveals a shocker about himself at the very beginning of the book. Something that I was totally surprised to find out.

What readers won't find in this memoir are many lurid details about sex and drugs.  Paul certainly had more than his fair share of the former and had little interest in the latter. Sex was a major part of his life on the road and he does talk about about some celebrity girlfriends, such as Donna Dixon and Samantha Fox. But he doesn't really kiss and tell.

His band mates are big part of the book. Peter Criss and Ace Frehley are portrayed in a very unfavourable light.  Reading about their antics left me wondering how Paul and Gene Simmons ever put up with them. Twice! Later band members fair much better. Although second drummer Eric Carr's tale is certainly a sad one.  It is Paul's one big regret.

One criticism I have of the book is that I felt Paul held back on his relationship with Gene Simmons. He alludes to many frustrations and selfishness on Gene's part, but falls short of really holding him accountable.  Maybe that comes later.

Rock and Roll All Nite and Read Every Day!
~David

Literary World Cup - Part III

"It is better to win ten times 1-0 than to win once 10-0." Vahid “Vaha” Halilhodžic’

This is another Literary World Cup post highlighting International authors from our rich collection.


The match Switzerland vs Ecuador is represented by:

The Vampire of Ropraz by Jacques Chessex

The Queen of Water by Laura Resau and María Virginia Farinango



France vs Honduras:

Sept ans après by Guillaume Musso

La travesía de Enrique by Sonia Nazario

Enrique's Journey by Sonia Nazario



Argentina vs Bosnia and Herzegovina:

Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges

The Book of My Lives by Aleksandar Hemon



Germany vs Portugal:

Aus meinem Leben : Dichtung und Wahrheit : eine Auswahl by Johann Wolfgang Goethe

The Gospel according to Jesus Christ by José Saramago