Reading Suggestions in your Inbox

Life is busy. It can be difficult enough to make the time to read, let alone to make time to discover new titles, new authors, or a new series. We can help. 

Our NextReads newsletters provide reading suggestions of both new and older titles, across a variety of genres. You can receive the newsletters right in your email inbox, making it particularly easy for you to place your request.  A couple clicks and you can be next in line!  You can also view them online.

We currently offer the following newsletters:

• Mystery; 
• Romance; 
• Thrillers and Suspense;
•  Fiction A-to Z;
•  History and Current Events;
•  Biographies and Memoirs;
• The New York Times Bestsellers lists.

It is quick and easy to register.  


Our friends at The 49th Shelf can help too. They now offer weekly email notification of new Canadian books.  This is a great service for librarians, teachers and readers advisors, but it is also great for individual readers as well.  So if you are big into reading Canadiana, head on over the the 49th Shelf site to sign up

4 Primo Science Fiction & Fantasy Novels

Library Journals' May 15th issue printed two lists of the top ten Science Fiction /Fantasy titles for 2011, as chosen by SF Site's readers and editors (btw, SF Site is a super site for reviews and reading suggestions). As is often the case, these two lists were not completely the same. But there was consensus among readers and editors on the following four titles:

Among Others (M)
by Jo Walton

“This novel is up for this year's Nebula Award. It's a story of a teenaged girl growing up in late 1970s Britain. Following an accident in which her twin sister is killed and she, herself, is left with a permanent injury to her leg, Mori runs away from her mother to live with her estranged father. She is placed in an elite girls' school, where she quickly finds herself to be something of an outsider. The novel is riddled with references to science fiction books and authors of the era, and includes some elements of what may or may not be urban fantasy magic. But what makes it one of the best books of the past year is Walton's compelling storytelling. “ SF Site

The Crippled God (M)
by Steven Erikson

“The preceding volume in this series, Dust of Dreams, was the number one book chosen by the SF Site contributors two years ago. With hundreds of characters and countless plotlines and subplots, Erikson has managed to provide a very satisfying conclusion to this massive, long-running and much beloved series. To effectively tie up a work of such depth and complexity is a wondrous feat of literary dexterity. There are some revelations in this final book that should be encountered through reading, and therefore I will refrain from talking about the plot. I cannot recommend this series highly enough -- but start at the beginning, with Gardens of the Moon. You won't regret it.“ - SF Site


Embassytown (M)
by China Miéville

“The favourite book of the year for the SF Site contributors and reviewers was Miéville's Embassytown. It's also up for the Nebula. It's a bold and challenging work. The characters are fascinating and complex, although it's primarily the ideas the author presents about language and how it shapes our relationship to the world that makes this an important and interesting work of science fiction.

Embassytown is the name of a human-inhabited section of an alien city on a distant and somewhat isolated world. The native inhabitants have two sets of vocal apparatus, meaning that their complex language is comprised of two voices speaking in tandem. They only understand language when it is spoken in this way, and only when they can also recognize the sentient mind behind the sounds. This has meant that humans have had to develop a way of communicating with them that does not use artificial voice synthesis. The humans have developed special ambassadors who are cloned individuals with cybernetic mind links.

Interestingly, the locals can only use language to express truth. The concept of lying had been entirely foreign to them before contact with humans. Now that they are beginning to learn how to lie, things are changing in Embassytown... “ SF Site

A Dance with Dragons (M)
by George R.R. Martin

"Fifth in a planned seven-volume series, begun with A Game of Thrones, recently made more popular by the TV series of the same title. As readers have come to expect from this series, the present novel is full of intrigue and scheming, myriad characters and plotlines. The primary stories revolve around threats of invasion in the far north, guarded against by Jon Snow, and the expedition of Daenerys Targaryen to disrupt trade while her dragons grow stronger... " SF Site


Checkout SF Site's website to see the complete lists, as well as many more lists, book reviews, and interviews.

Book Buzz - Page 99 Test, Fictitious History and Alexander McCall Smith

There is a bit of buzz on the net right now about a cheeky way to quickly evaluate a book. The proponents of Page 99 Test feel that a book's essence can be determined by reading page 99.

"Open the book to page ninety-nine and read, and the quality of the whole will be revealed to you." --Ford Madox Ford

Why not give it a try for yourself.

~~~

I recently had an interesting article forwarded to me about the accuracy of well known events in history. Check out Corrine Smith's enjoyable article, Ten Myths We Learn in History Class.

~~~

Alexander McCall Smith and the Telegraph.co.uk have teamed up to deliver a neat online novel. Corduroy Mansions is to be released in weekly installments, from Sept 13th to Dec 18th. The site also provides an audio book version read by Andrew Sachs. Also included is an online discussion, additional background information and an opportunity to shape the story by providing feedback to the author! This site is a great example of the added value that the Internet can bring to the reading experience.

Atlantic Canada Reads? Of course we do!

Salty Ink, Atlantic Canada's bookish booster is proposing a competition in the style of Canada Reads and Canada Also Reads. You have until May 28 to nominate your favourite Atlantic Canadian book, so time is ticking people! There is a catch, however. You must be willing to defend your choice with a persuasive essays in the 500 word range. There will be a long list, and a short list and finally the big reveal on Canada Day.

Another book blog I've been enjoying is That Shakespearean Rag, see here for an interview with That Shakespearean Rag and Salty Ink's Chad Pelley.

Perhaps to get your literary juices flowing you might want to consult Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books

We've enjoyed this book before. Or the Atlantic Books Awards.The choices are many. Which Atlantic Canadian book do you believe every Canadian should read?

Salty Ink's Judge a Book By It's Cover

Salty Ink is a web site authored by Newfoundland writer Chad Pelley with the mandate to highlight Atlantic Canadian literary fiction and poetry. Salty Ink has held what I believe to be its first Judge a Book By It's Cover competition. Twenty titles were selected and votes were counted. The 2009 winner is:

Migration Songs by Anna Quon

From Salty Ink:

"As much as I love good book design, we all know you can’t really judge a book by its cover. I thought it was a clever competition title and a fun way to showcase some books, but I’m glad, after a thousand votes, that Migration Songs won this competition, because as the cover suggests: this book is something different, and something good. It’s clear in the opening lines that Anna is an impressive writer, and her debut shows great promise. There is wit, humour, sadness, sincerity, compassion, and humanity in these pages. Most impressively, there is a true originality in her descriptions, they are fresh, informative, and distinctive; there is nothing dull about how she portrays things, and she provides handfuls of laugh-out-loud passages."

The competition examines how well the design elements of the book cover tie into the meaning of the story and the reading experience.

I have thoroughly enjoyed browsing this site and have added it to my personal list of favourites.

See here for the full list of titles considered in the competition.

Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books

Later this month, Nimbus Publishers will release a new book called Atlantic Canada's 100 Greatest Books. Edited by Trevor J. Adams and Stephen Clare, the book is the result of a survey of avid readers who submitted their Atlantic Canadian faves.

Here's how they describe the book:
In Atlantic Canada’s 100 Greatest Books, Trevor J. Adams and Stephen Patrick Clare review the top one hundred Atlantic Canadian books—both fiction and nonfiction—ever published, as chosen by a panel of local readers and literary luminaries. In their own knowledgeable reviews, Adams and Clare offer insights into these titles’ continuing influence and celebrate their contributions to the Atlantic Canadian literary landscape. Illustrated in full colour with book covers and photos of the authors, and accompanied by personal selections from celebrities in the literary community and beyond, Atlantic Canada’s 100 Greatest Books is a requisite companion for fans of Canadian literature.

In the run up to the book release, they've been posting personal top tens over on their blog site. They were kind enough to allow us to have a say too, and here's the list we submitted. Or I should say, here's the list I submitted - because the list is totally based on the books I've read, learned from, enjoyed and want to share.

Whylah Falls by George Elliott Clarke

Homing: the whole story (from the inside out) by Stephanie Domet
Scotch River by Linda Little
Falling by Anne Simpson
Out of the Depths: the experiences of Mi'kmaw children at the Indian Residential School at Shubenacadie, Nova Scotia by Isabelle Knockwood
The River of the Brokenhearted by David Adams Richards
Skin Room by Sara Tilley
Rare Birds by Edward Riche
The Lost Salt Gift of Blood by Alistair Macleod

Curse of the Narrows: the Halifax Explosion, 1917 by Laura MacDonald

Checking out the lists over at Top 100 Books, it makes me realize how many great Atlantic Books are still on my to read list. But I've bet you've read them - post your comments below, or join the conversation on the Top 100 Books blog. (oh, and they've got a contest too!)

Six degrees of the Library Collection - From Neil Gaiman to Aravind Adiga

In the spirit of the theory of six degrees of separation - that any two people in the world can be connected to one another through six relationships - we bring you what will become a semi-regular feature called “Six Degrees of the Library Collection”. You might be surprised how your favourite book can connect you to a wide world of reading.

I was recently telling our visiting Library School student Lara about the Six Degrees of the Library Collection feature on The Reader. She was intrigued and wanted to try her hand as well. Here are her connections!

With the release earlier this year of the movie adaptation of Neil Gaiman's novella Coraline, I found myself, like many others, seeking out the original book version of the story. It's a quick read, and like so much of Gaiman's recent work, bridges the gap between stories for older children, and quirky dark storytelling for adults.

One of the fun things about stop motion animation, the style Coraline was filmed in, is in the details. So many items on the set were handcrafted by gifted artists and craftspeople. Did you notice Coraline's blue sweater with stars all over it in the movie? You can visit the website for the film and watch a video of teeny tiny knitting on what amount to sewing needles rather than knitting needles, the size necessary to fit the wee Coraline.

Also on the Internet you can find the free knitting magazine, Knitty. Knitty's editor is Amy R. Singer, something of a guru in the knitting world. Singer is a big Gaiman fan, and got some memorabilia from the actual Coraline set, and recently blogged about getting Gaiman to autograph a piece of it.

Singer has co-authored several knitting books, like No Sheep for You and Big Girl Knits.

Big Girl Knits is geared toward knitters with real figures rather than the waifs who frequently model knitware on the runway. Big Girl Knits was illustrated with the help of artist Erica Mulherin. What do illustrators read when they're not creating art? Recently on her blog, Erica Mulherin mentioned how much she's a fan of the Anita Blake Vampire Hunter series, which is written by Laurell K. Hamilton.

The Anita Blake series now consists of 17 volumes and has enjoyed tremendous popularity with a wide audience. The most recent instalment in the series is Skin Trade. Hamilton is a voracious reader herself. On her blog recently, Hamilton mentions that she just finished reading Jim Corbett's The Man-Eating Leopard of Rudraprayag, published in 1948.

Corbett's travel writing about India in the middle of the 20th century can be hard to find; at HPL, we have several of Corbett's books about India and the big cats that used to be found there in greater abundance than today. One of those books is The Temple Tiger: And More Man-eaters of Kumaon.

Reading about far away places is a great way to learn about new cultures and the way people live in other geographic regions. India is fascinating with its wide variety of spiritual practices, spicy colourful foods, and exotic creatures. A book that I would really love to read this summer is The White Tiger, the latest Man Booker Prize winner by Aravind Adiga.

It has so many holds on it, however, that I might try to listen to it instead, as an audio book.

In addition to her library work, Lara blogs on a regular basis for Re:Print, a books blog at PopMatters.com, an international magazine of cultural criticism.

Web Sites for Avid Readers

As mentioned in a previous post, I've been getting some assistance from a library school student here on the blog this month. In addition to her library work, Lara is also a blogger and an avid reader of book blogs. I asked her for some advice on book related websites that she enjoys and

she sent me the following....

Trying to keep up with promising new writers as well as upcoming releases from favourite authors can be difficult. Sometimes I don't have much time to keep checking the library catalog to see what's new!Plus, sometimes I'm interested in a broader view of what's going on in the world of books - big name book awards being deliberated and then handed out, author tours, local programming and the like. So I like to keep an eye on an assortment of blogs about books. These are frequently updated sources of great information about reading, writing and authorship. I subscribe to their feeds in my RSS reader but you can just as easily scan through a series of entries on any of the sites and get a sense of what's happening right now in the world of books.

Obviously checking The Reader right here is a great idea for finding out about Halifax Public Library holdings, author readings, and events happening in the Halifax Regional Municipality.

The CBC has a quality source "for Canadians who love books" called Words at Large. Right now this site is updated about once a week, but it promises to be revamped soon and to have more content than ever so I'll keep checking back.

For brief snippets on current happenings in publishing and books I like the New York Times books blog, Papercuts. I should also

mention that for more general and popular reviews and interviews, plus news pieces, the New York Times Books section online is a great resource.

The Los Angeles Times has a books blog called Jacket Copy that covers author readings, movie and music tie-ins to books, and periodically throws a list of good reads out there for perusal.

January Magazine has spotlights on books, discussions of the book industry, and author profiles.

The Elegant Variation brands itself "A literary weblog" and includes bits of juicy book industry gossip as well as longer rants about classic literature and adaptations. There are recommendations of largely unsung literature on the right hand side which is great for reading recommendations for friends.

And Bookninja is a great source for conversational discussion of specific authors, broad genres, literary magazines, and trends in electronic publishing.

If you have a blog about books that you like to read, feel free to let us know in the comments section!

In addition to her library work, Lara blogs on a regular basis for Re:Print, a
books blog at PopMatters.com, an international magazine of cultural criticism.

Alternate Histories

As I was perusing through reading related websites I came across Uchronia - a site specializing in Alternate Histories. It contains a database of over 2900 novels and stories which focus on the "what if's". Usually alternate histories take a major event in history and speculate what might have happened had the outcome been different. What if the Nazi's had won WWII or what if the American Civil war had ended differently.

One book I've read this past year was Alfred and Emily, by Doris Lessing. Lessing addresses the idea of an alternate history in her latest book Alfred and Emily. Like countless others, Alfred Lessing and Emily McVeagh’s lives were changed by events in World War One. Lessing lost a leg and was nursed back to health by McVeagh who had lost a fiancee. Had this not happened and had they not married, what would their individual lives have been like? Lessing creates two worlds based on her intimate knowledge of her parents and at the same time portrays a prosperous and complacent England unaffected by war. The second half of this book is a series of essays describing Lessing’s actual childhood in Rhodesia and her complex relationships with her family.

All's fair in love and war:
Maelstrom, by Taylor Anderson [WWII]
Half A Crown by Jo Walton [WWII]
The Man With the Iron Heart by Harry Turtledove [WWII]
Resistance: A Novel by Owen Sheers [WWII]
MacArthur's War: A Novel Of the Invasion of Japan by Douglas Niles [WWII]
Final Impact by John Birmingham [WWII]
In War Times by Kathleen Ann Goonan [WWII]
1635: The Dreeson Incident by Eric Flint [Thirty Year's War]
Victory of Eagles by Naomi Novik [Napoleonic Wars]
Land of Mist and Snow by Debra Doyle [American Civil War]

Taking liberties with historical figures:
The James Boys: A Novel Account of Four Desperate Brothers by Richard Liebman-Smith
The Betrayal: The Lost Life of Jesus: A Novel by Kathleen O'Neal Gear
Eleanor Vs Ike by Robin Gerber
The Accident Man by Tom Cain [Princess Diana]
Magdelan Rising: The Beginning by Elizabeth Cunningham
Jamestown: A Novel by Matthew Sharpe [John Smith]
In Secret Service by Mitch Silver [Duke of Windsor]
The Secret Trial of Robert E. Lee by Thomas Fleming
Never Call Retreat: Lee and Grant, the Final Victory by Newt Gingrich
Darkwitch Rising by Sara Douglass [King Charles II]

All about Romance - Reading Suggestions

I'm still enjoying the wide variety of chick lit available at our library. So much to read, so little time! Right now, I'm on a Rachel Gibson reading frenzy. But, what happens when I've finished reading all of Ms. Gibson's books?

Well, like you, I'm always on the lookout for new reading suggestions or similar reads. So, while searching for chick lit similar in style to Rachel Gibson's, I happened to stumble across this great romance site. It's called All About Romance and gives lots of "If you like... (author/genre)" suggestions.

...and of course, there is also NoveList, another super source for leisure reading suggestions.

Enjoy!

Readalikes - Night Walker by Heather Graham

In Heather Graham's Nightwalker a nightwalker is someone with the ability to communicate with the dead. One such nightwalker, Jessy Sparhawk, is inadvertently caught up in a murder investigation when the dying victim whispers an important clue in her ear.

Graham is a prolific author who also publishes under the names Heather Graham Pozzessere and Shannon Drake. She writes historical, paranormal and romantic suspense novels.

Paranormal romance contains elements of the supernatural, vampires, ghosts, or time travel. While the romantic relationship is still the focus of the novel, Graham challenges her readers with both the paranormal and suspense elements.

Graham's fans might be interested in Paranormalromance.org where fans can find and share book reviews in this genre. Find out more on this website about P.E.A.R.L. (the Paranormal Excellence Award for Romantic Literature). Past winners are: Sherrilyn Kenyon, Jayne Castle, Patricia Briggs, Sandra Hill and J.R. Ward.

Have You Read Yourself into a Corner?

Love James Patterson? Read everything by him? Don't know where to go next?

Try Novelist for reading suggestions.

Novelist is a database chock full of reading suggestions. 

With Novelist, you can:

• find reading suggestions for kids or adults.


• find "read-a-likes" based on appeal factors


• search for favorite authors, genres, subject areas


• find plot summaries for your favorite books.


• get resources to help you facilitate book discussion groups.


• get recommendations from reading experts.
  

Prefer the human touch?

Our expert staff will be more than happy to provide suggestions for your reading enjoyment.

Less is more - Flash Fiction

If you find that microwave popcorn is taking too long or that you are longing for transporter technology to get you home, flash fiction might just be for you.

Flash fiction, sudden fiction, blink fiction, or my favourite smoke fiction are all stories much shorter than traditional short stories. (Smoke fiction = a story that can be read in the time it takes to smoke a cigarette.) There are differing opinions regarding the proper length of flash fiction - 1000, 750, 500 words.

The challenge of this form of writing is to present a fully formed story in a minimum number of words. It has to have all the elements of a full length short story. There must be a protagonist, action, conflict and resolution. Some writers begin with an idea, write the story and then begin to strip away all that is extraneous. The kernel of the story must be small, but important. Childhood is too big, but playground bullying might be just right. The story tends to leap into the action immediately, not pausing to explain past events or motivation. Images are carefully chosen and powerful. The ending is often a twist and unexpected.

Flash fiction is not a new idea. Writers like Ray Bradbury and H.P. Lovecraft have produced these short stories. The Internet and mobile devices have increased the market for this kind of fiction. There are websites and ezines dedicated to flash fiction:

For a new story every day try Flash Fiction Online. The stories go through an editorial process and the authors are paid for their submissions. Ezines like Flash Me Magazine and Smokelong Quarterly publish on a schedule more in line with print magazines, again giving new authors exposure and editorial advice.

Consider also Micro Fiction. This is usually a story under 200 words. One of the most famous examples of micro fiction is by Ernest Hemingway. He was challenged by friends to write a complete story in six words. "For Sale: baby shoes, never used." For this and other six word stories check out SixWords.Net.

If you prefer your fiction in print format we have some collections of Flash Fiction at the library.

Flash Fiction Forward: 80 Very Short Stories
Sudden Fiction International: Sixty Short Short Stories

It was a dark and stormy night...

I just picked up The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill of the Rapid Read shelf. I'm not certain I can accomplish this in seven days, but I'm going to give it my best. I was struck immediately by the opening sentence of the novel: "I seem to have trouble dying." Whenever I find a book with a great opening line, it slows me down. Sometimes I have to reread the first couple of pages.

This got me thinking about other great opening lines in literature. There are the classics:

"Call Me Ishmael" (Moby-Dick)

"It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife" (Pride and Prejudice)

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of

 foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair." (A Tale of Two Cities)

Such thinking (as it usually does) got me googling. I came across the website, 100 Best First Lines of Novels as chosen by the editors of American Book Review. Since I'm in control here, these are my favourites.

"Dr. Weiss, at forty, knew that her life had been ruined by literature. " (The Debut)

"It was the day my grandmother exploded." (The Crow Road)
"Once upon a time, there was a woman who discovered

 she had turned into the wrong person." (Back When We Were Grownups)

"Justice? - You get justice in the next world, in this world you have the law." (A Frolic of His Own)

"Vaughan died yesterday in his last car-crash." (Crash)

"I write this sitting in the kitchen sink." (I Capture the Castle)

"When I finally caught up with Abraham Trahearne, he was drinking beer with an alcoholic bulldog named Fireball Roberts in a ramshackle joint just outside of Sonoma, California, drinking the heart right out of a fine spring afternoon." (The Last Good Kiss)

"Of all the things that drive me to sea, the most common disaster, I've come to learn, is women." (Middle Passage)

When I gave this posting its title, I was being silly picturing Snoopy atop his doghouse with his typewriter, beginning his novel with the cliche "It was a dark and stormy night..."

Who knew it was an actual opening for an actual book (published way back in 1830 by the way).

"It was a dark and stormy nights; the rain fell in torrents, except at occasional intervals, when it was checked by a violent gust of wind which swept up the streets (for it is in London that our scene lies), rattling along the housetops, and fiercely agitating the scanty flames of the lamps that struggled against the darkness." (Paul Clifford)

For the Love of Food

Ya gotta eat. If we all have nothing else in common, we have this. Foodies are people who love food, love cooking, love the process and science of cooking, love to talk about, blog about and read about cooking. Admittedly there is only so much food you can (or should) eat, so foodies indulge their appetites in television (The Food Network), in sharing recipes (allrecipes.com) and reading about the world of food.

The Olive and the Caper: Adventures in Greek Cooking, by Susanna Hoffman. I regularly use the library's cookbook collection to test before I buy. This one left such an impression on me that I just had to own it. She makes an effort to capture an impression of traditional Greek life through the recipes. Some recipes are more challenging with hard to find ingredients. Others are tried and true "peasant" fare. I have recommended the vegetable stew to many and all have loved it.

Nigella Express: Good Food Fast, Good Food Fast, Good Food Fast, by Nigella Lawson. Nigella is a staple of the Food Network. She has been called the "Queen of food porn" and her fans enjoy her laid back and relaxed approach to cooking.Last month, on her website, they were talking about their favourite foodie books.

Don't Fill Up On the Antipasto: Tony Danza's Father-Son Cookbook: With Memories of an Italian-American Family and 50 of the Their Best Recipes, by Tony Danza. I have this one on hold. Several people have recommended this book to me. It's part cookbook, part warm-hearted family memoir. Beginning cooks will be pleased with the family proven recipes. The sausages and peppers come highly recommended.

Chocolate and Zucchini: Daily Adventures in a Parisian Kitchen, by Clothilde Dusoulier. Dusoulier has a blog with recipes and beautiful pictures. The book grew out of her blog and in it she shares her love of french cooking. Recipes are suitable for both beginners and those looking for more of a challenge. The Caramel Croissant Bread Pudding has been recommended.

Real Cooking, by Nigel Slater. Slater comes highly recommended by a foodie acquaintance of mine. She says, "I love him" and that she has a "serious crush" on him. He writes lovingly and beautifully about cooking. He makes her want to try food she would never normally touch (mushrooms). She tells me that he reads like a novel. Needless to say, I have placed my hold.

The Pedant in the Kitchen, by Julian Barnes. Julian Barnes is normally a very literary sort with numerous novels, histories and memoirs to his name. His latest, Nothing To Be Frightened Of turns up on several Best Of lists. His website describes the book perfectly, "This book is a witty and practical account of Julian Barnes' search for gastronomic precision. It is a quest that leaves him seduced by Jane Grigson, infuriated by Nigel Slater; charmed by the recipes of Edouard de Pomiane; and reassured by Mrs Beeton's Victorian virtues. The Pedant in the Kitchen is a perfect comfort for anyone who has ever been defeated by a cookbook."

Julie and Julia: 365 days, 524 Recipes, 1 Tiny Apartment Kitchen: How One Girl Risked Her Marriage, Her Job and Her Sanity to Master the Art of Living, by Julie Powell. In an effort to console herself about her monotonous job and her monotonous life, Julie decides to work her way through Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. Can't imagine doing this, but I've been told this is a very engaging story.

And so many more. Bon apetit.

Who Reads What?: celebrity reads

Never judge a book ... same goes for people too. While Lucy was madly scrambling to control the chocolates on the assembly line, who would have thought Lucille would be in her dressing room reading Boswell's Life of Johnson? How do we know this?

I stumbled upon this website and thought it was fun. Who Reads What is a labour of love created by Librarian Glenna Nowell and the staff at the Gardiner Public Library in Maine. They survey celebrities each year about what they are reading or what books have had an impact on their lives. Have a poke through and see which celebrities share your favourite books.

Here are recommendations from some of our favourite authors:

Sue Grafton recommends MILA 18, by Leon Uris

Robert Crais recommends The Maltese Falcon, by Dashiell Hammett

Carolyn Hart recommends Eats, Shoots and Leaves, by Lynn Truss
Ursula K. Le Guin recommends Kim, by Rudyard Kipling
Ray Bradbury recommends The Friendly Persuasion, by Jessamyn West
Mary Higgins Clark recommends The Kite Runner, by Khalid Hosseini
Jodi Picoult recommends The Ice Queen, by Alice Hoffman
James Lee Burke recommends The Sound and the Fury, by William Faulkner

Freedom to Read Week

February 22nd-28th, 2009 is Freedom to Read Week: “an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom, which is guaranteed them under the Charter of Rights and Freedoms.”

Check out the Challenged Books and Magazines List on the Freedom to Read Week Web Site - you may be surprised to see some of the things included.

The Spring Garden Road Library is hosting a program on Friday Feb 27th in recognition of Freedom to Read Week. We’ll be welcoming Dalhousie University English professor Alice Brittan to talk about the Nobel Prizewinning South African author J.M. Coetzee, who has been outspoken on the topic of censorship - including penning a book of essays called Giving Offense - Essays on Censorship - and faced censorship of his own award winning writing.

The program will begin at noon in the Program Room at the Spring Garden Road Branch.