CSL Library Blog / Blogue de la bibliothèque

Book of the Month - Book of Negroes

2009-06-01T17:36:00.000-05:00

The Book of Negroes is an award winning novel written by Canadian Laurence Hill. It chronicles the life story of Aminata Diallo. Told in first person her story begins as she is in the last chapter of her life. She recounts the memories of her childhood in West Africa and tells us of her abduction, the march to the sea, her life as a slave in South Carolina, her trials and tribulations right up until her eventual freedom in London, England where she records her name in the historic British ledger “Book of Negroes”. It is a poignant story that does not soften the realities of what life might have been like for many people who were torn from their families and forced into labor.

This brilliant book won the 2008 Commonwealth Writer’s prize and the 2007 Rogers Writer’s Trust Fiction Prize. It was also chosen to be the Canada reads for 2009. The Eleanor London Cote Saint Luc Public Library is honored to have Mr. Hill speak at the Library June 18, 2009.

If you have not had the chance to read this book then come in and let us know.

Book of the Month - Eva's Threepenny Theatre

2009-05-02T11:41:00.002-05:00

In 1928, Canadian author Andrew Steinmetz’s great-aunt Eva performed in the first workshop production of Bertolt Brecht’s masterpiece The Threepenny Opera.. He has written a fictional tribute of her life and what it could have been like.

We relive Eva’s life beginning with her childhood in Germany, her schooling as an actress and her introduction to the philosophies of Brecht. We learn that Eva and her brother fled Germany to escape Nazi rule with Eva eventually living in Canada.

This is a remarkable but fantastic read. It is a fictionalized memoir. Steinmetz’s writing brings us right into their lives with bits and pieces of the play intersected.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass

2009-04-24T11:33:00.002-05:00

Last books I read? Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. Something a little sad? I’d never read either of them before.

Lately I’ve been feeling pretty drawn to Classics that, until now, I’d overlooked. Purposely. Why do I do this to myself? It was the same when I was in school and refused to read Shakespeare; the same when I got to University and rebelled against the prospect of reading Timothy Findley and Robertson Davies. It seems to be a lesson that I have to learn again and again: these authors, these books that are not only studied, but read and passed down from generation to generation have been passed down for a reason: they’re good!

The truth of it is that, generally, something that gets elevated to Classic status is basically a sure thing: Huck Finn has not been being read and re-read for over a hundred years only because of the hype, and Treasure Island still stands as the template for every good pirate/shipwreck/adventure story ever made because Long John Silver rules.

All this to say: I enjoyed following Alice into her dreams so much that I’ve extended my reading list: there’s the fantabulous Mr. Roald Dahl (anything by him, really); P.L. Travers’ Mary Poppins; Frank Baum’s Wizard of Oz; Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie; Astrid Lindgren’s Pippi Longstocking; and in the non-fiction section (j398.2, j398.21) in kids’ we have stories of King Arthur, Brer Rabbit, some of Hans Christian Anderson’s favorites, like Sleeping Beauty and The Princess and the Pea… and so much more that I plan on being buried under a mound of books for the foreseeable future.

Book of the Month - The Book of Unholy Mischief

2009-04-01T10:20:00.001-05:00

I am forever on the lookout for books like The Historian, Shadow of the Wind, and People of the Book. I love the mix of European history, books, and unfurling revelations. Finding read-alikes is a wonderful, though not straightforward thing. How do you recapture, let alone articulate, how a book made you feel? When I picked up The Book of Unholy Mischief, I got what I was looking for. It had all the right ingredients.

A historical novel set in Venice in the late fifteenth-century, this tale is about loyalty, corruption, growing up, food, secrets, and of course, power. The narrator is Luciano, a former street orphan who was taken in by a chef in a grand house. His voice is that of an experienced man looking back, and we follow him as he recounts how he sought love, forged his identity, and tried to unravel the mystery surrounding his master and an ancient book, about which all of Venice is abuzz. Throughout the novel we both recognize and applaud his cleverness and determination, but feel the strain as he makes (not always the right) choices. The book is imbued with the quest for immortality on many levels as well, not just of people but of secrets and knowledge, and their transmission from teacher to pupil through the ages.

Book of the Month - Little Giant of Aberdeen County

2009-03-01T16:38:00.000-05:00

The Little Giant of Aberdeen County, by Tiffany Baker is the story of Truly Plaice, an unusually large child who enormous size killed her mother during childbirth. Her sister Serena Jane is her opposite, petite and pretty and perfect. When their father, who never quite recovers from the loss of his wife also dies the the two sisters are separated, sent to live with different families. Truly is made an outcast by her size and her inability (and, occasionally, her refusal) to fit in. In more ways than one, she just doesn’t fit the mold; that makes life in a small town difficult, to say the least. The book follows Truly into womanhood and when her sister, Serena Jane flees a loveless marriage to the town doctor, it is Truly who comes to her brother-in-law's rescue and becomes the woman of the house. Family secrets ensue and Truly finds some answers and love in unexpected places .This is a good read, filled with interesting characters as well as a touch of magic.

A graduate; though remembered for a grand disc

2009-02-23T10:56:00.002-05:00

Thirteen lucky tracks fall under the creative control of Kanye West, rapper, producer and fashion man extraordinaire. Graduation is one of a select few albums that I can listen to time and time and time again, from start to finish.

Whether he is starting it off in sharp form with "Good Morning" or slightly more mellow with "Champion" - his beats make me move and groove and cause good food for thought with his rhymes. A whole host of guests are featured; from T-Pain to Lil Wayne, the intelligent Mos Def, Dwele and DJ Premiere and, of course, Chris Martin on the melodic and marvellous "Homecoming."

One does have to have a predilection for the distinct personal perspective Kayne West has and enjoy his sharp delivery. And then, when these two basics are satisfied, one can safely count this as a super solid disc to borrow from the expanding collection of Hip Hop at your favourite local library.

Melody Gardot

2009-02-16T10:00:00.000-05:00

A reduction in mobility after a motor car mashed her off her bicycle meant Melody Gardot would turn to music more than ever before as a means of travel on the road to recovery. Years later, releasing this first full-length disc, we witness her blend of jazz and blues instrumentation with her soulful, sultry, slightly smoky, super cool vocals. She co-produces this album and all too short at just over thirty minutes it is.

Norah Jones jumps to mind as an immediate comparison upon initial listen. Yet more spins around the stereo and one can pick out elements unique to Gardot, along with clarinet, cello and slide guitar arrangements, to name but a few varied instruments. Periodically, she incorporates a spot of Scat Singing, adopting a sometimes pensive, sometimes playful persona. It is hard to pick just a few choice tracks from the ten fine forms. A couple of the more reflective numbers that captivate me on the theme of love are "Quiet Fire" and "Love Me Like A River Does." And two fun ones being "All That I Need Is Love" and the jolly "Goodnite " with its jazzy double bass, finger snapping music with French lyrical moments thrown in for grand measure.

The wonder of wandering around the music sections in Audio Visual yield such groovy gems. I am well pleased with this lovely little number, new to the collection in our favourite library and I shall endeavor to give it just a few more listens before bringing it back tomorrow so someone else can share the sweet sounds and wait patiently for her new disc due to hit store shelves on 28 April 2009.

Pitbull of Personal Development - indeed!

2009-02-13T10:00:00.000-05:00

His style is that of someone who slices and dices and chops and cuts. Though the only thing cooking in the kitchen is you. This fellow, known for his business advice and best sellers in that regard, branches out to break stupid ways, habits and thoughts you may hold about your life, personal universe and just about everything, including airline travel.

As with many books on betterment of the self, there are always quantifiable numbers of lists, exercises, ways and principles that one must hurdle through and over and come out the other side of the book with a good grasp on goals present and future. Where this Larry Winget chap falls off the typical feel-good, lovey-dovey wagon is in his straightforward and often chortle worthy way of mincing words and telling it like it is. He wants his words to be a guide, a means to an end and a possible path. It is recommended to think for oneself and consider what works, what does not and use critical thought processes in order to weed through the walk to a successful life.

It is, at 218 pages, an easy read of an evening (for someone who proceeds at a decent pace, even with stopping at intervals to do all the exercises and making notes on all the laugh out loud funny bits and phrases) and concludes in a very focused manner, suggesting that, through all the sundry thinking and listing and planning and answering why things are wanted, to pick one starting point and just go to it. Organisation of home – here I come!

I am Happier

2009-02-11T12:07:00.002-05:00

When one has a book to delve into, life is good. And when there are things to be learned, ideas to consider, notes to take, things to write about, it is even better. Mind, one can simply read this blend of Harvard Positive Psychology and personal development, also known as self-help, and still pick up some gems without having to put too much effort into the process.

Although, if intrigued by the bright yellow cover, the red font on the front and upon reading the dust jacket, you are curious about improvement in your mood, then you may be keen to take pen to a separate piece of paper to ponder and plan, both during reading and review after the fact. Fifteen chapters, exercises at the end of each and "Time-In" moments sprinkled throughout allow for many moments of introspective pondering.

The writing is clear. The grand bit about this book is the reference to many others in the fields of Psychology and the premise of balance between the here and now and the future, near and far. Wit, wisdom, selected quotes at the start of each chapter and the additional notes all add to the solidity of the sundry notions for thought on a more examined and better lived life.

Definitely a Carnival

2009-02-09T11:09:00.001-05:00

Here we are with more music for another Monday and further in the spirit of a melange of sounds with Frank London and company. Whooping it up in a classic kind of circus, party, carnival, playful way we have one man and his band, plus a whole host of special guests combining forces for one fierce Klezmer party.

"In Your Garden Twenty Fecund Fruit Trees" is the traditional tune to get things going. It features Marjana Sadowska with such a contagious vibrant joie de vivre, hooting, hollering and singing with such spirit one cannot help but wiggle at least five toes on a foot to the wonderment. Throughout the disc, there is an ebb and flow to the party mood. Lest you think it is all fast or all slow, no, a good blend of varied tempos mix up the new and old songs. "Who Knows One?" is another lovely number of a lady with lilting lyrics.

This one man, Mr. London, has a sense of humour in the liner notes, stating: "Esteemed reader, you have purchased the greatest recording of all time, a CD so powerful that it will cure you of all ailments from impotence to flatulence." Cheeky chap! And a great bunch of fun to listen to and read the booklet to boot. Hurry over to our favourite local library to give this disc a good go around your disc player of choice.

Book of the Month - Hunger games

2009-02-03T11:05:00.002-05:00

I am so excited that the book of the month for February is The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. At first glance, you may have hesitations about reading the book because it is after all a young adult novel. Do not let this dissuade you at all! I had been eagerly anticipating this book back in the Fall of 2008. The moment I got my hands on it, I devoured it (which included neglecting my family at supper). I walked in the next day at work and raved about this book to many of the staff and patrons. Everyone who has picked this book up has loved it.
Now, let me tell you why I enjoyed the book immensely. It was a quick read, had a disturbing plot and it was well written. Imagine yourself in the future, living in a district controlled by an overpowering State where if you are between 12-18, you may end up in a survivor like battle. The twist is that at least in survivor, you live......

Music Mondays: Marvels from England

2009-02-02T11:14:00.002-05:00

Across the ocean we do go, dipping back to 2005 to meet the quintet of quintessential performers who exceed expectations on their debut disc A Certain Trigger. It has been on rotation in my stereo system for years. We have it here. And to say they rock is like taking coals to Newcastle, which, fancy that, is where they are from.

The disc does have a fault. It is just shy of forty minutes. It leaves you wanting more of their post-punk, keyboard infused, rhythmic hooks and poetic portraits in poignant lyrics of love lost, found at inappropriate moments and even a bit of fun braggadocio about romancing skills. One of my absolute, all-time favourite tracks in my personal music history is the up-tempo, punchy, catchy "Apply Some Pressure" - even after hundreds, literally, of listens, I do love it so. Shards of sentences and bars of music resonate in mind of "Going Missing" with its slower, reflective, melodic moments. Then, sharp as a tack these souls, the passage "I am young and I am lost / Every sentence has its cost / I am young and I am lost / You react to my riposte" sticks to me as a clever sort of look at their lot in life from "The Coast Is Always Changing."

And this lot of lovely gents happens to be splendid in a sound recording. Though, upon borrowing the disc from our favourite local library, finding you too love it so dearly as I do, watch for them touring around the town and see a live show. It is an electric spectacle of energy, wild jumping scissor kicks, thrashing about in time to the tunes and romping around, wooing the audience with their captivating forms, witty banter and wondrous accents.

Vacations at home with World Music

2009-01-26T15:19:00.000-05:00

Monday! Hooray! And the disc of the week is from Toronto. It inspired in name by Port-of-Spain, in Trinidad, from whence Calypso came. Warmth abounds in this Caribbean music. Lyrical tales touch on serious subjects of politics and domestic violence. Yet it is not all grim. Moments are dedicated in joy, celebrating the wonder of a new land and the beauty of the individual.

The eight players in Kobo Town fuse together in fine form to offer up their varied backgrounds in a special blend of Calypso, laced with loads of other elements from Jazz, Reggae and beyond. This is just the ticket for dancing around the rooms at home, inside for still a spell while we wait for the bright light of day to stay in the sky a little longer. Till this happens, and beyond, I shall be grooving to the ebullient adventures of immigration in "Across the Dark Waters" and "Trinity," with its wistful love. "Beautiful Soul" captures an essence of the importance of the individual over items and possessions.

Whether one listens just for select songs, which stand on their own, or listens to the whole disc time and again, there are lovely music moments to be had. It is a pleasing and pleasant production that, even though the words are sometimes grim in nature, one cannot help but want to move about the place in vigorous manner. Do pop in to our favourite local library to borrow this or many other lovely World Music disc for added heat whilst the winter months carry on.

Jolly Jazz recorded in Paris

2009-01-19T15:28:00.000-05:00

Once in every great while there comes a disc suitable for listening to once, twice, thrice and yet many more times in a row. Ten fine folks worked together over two days in May to furnish your ears with sharp tunes. Mind, it was 1976. And Ring dem vibes is as amazing as ever. Praise be for the late Lionel Hampton.

Toes tapping, fingers snapping, hands clapping – goodness gracious mercy me – from the outset, all the way through to the end of the seven swell tracks I could barely hold myself still enough to sit and type these words. "Ring dem bells" sets the great ball of jazz rolling and it does not stop for a good 43 minutes. "On the sunny side of the street" is a sweet favourite of mine. Then this hot record concludes with "Hamp's thing," a composition from the vibraphone man extraordinaire.

There is something so lovely about a solid jazz recording. Sophisticated and complicated. These are but a couple of words that come to mind when listening and re-listening to the wondrous workings of that fine swinging of mallets onto the aluminium bars. In conjunction with all the other players on this recording, there is a heaping helping of magic music made and as soon as I have listened to it another bunch of times, it will be back at our favourite local library for your borrowing enjoyment.

Outliers

2009-01-14T11:56:00.002-05:00

It doesn’t happen too often that I read the library’s copy of a book and then run and buy myself a copy, and then another to give as a gift. That, however, is exactly what I did after reading Malcom Gladwell’s latest opus, Outliers: The Story of Success. The author’s first major book, The Tipping Point, is still heavily discussed and it circulates regularly. This one is even better.

The book’s basic premise is that there is more than meets the eye as to why people are successful, coming down to such factors as date of birth, practice, and culture. The author examines a subject, gives you the basic outline of the facts, and then starts distilling it into its composite parts, getting to the heart of the matter. Every chapter highlights a different success factor, another angle in which to view the same issue.

True to his writing style, Gladwell makes everything absolutely fascinating and compelling. This is a great book for so many different kinds of people. It’s so universal in its appeal and promises to influence the way we see things. That’s a true sign of a successful book

Hot Hot Tunes for the Cold Cold Stretch

2009-01-12T10:00:00.000-05:00

Welcome to the first edition of Music Mondays. Be sure to mark this day of the week on your calendar. All manner of music reviews will be appearing on our favourite local library blog. And this week do we have a treat for you! A music disc is with a sweet DVD. On this DVD there is a concert and a documentary. Let's begin!

Nikki Yanofsky. Her name is fast becoming one recognised around the world. You may remember her from an outdoor performance at the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal in 2006 when she wooed audiences. She was 12. Now she shines on a recording of a wondrous live show from 2007 as a top notch young lady with an amazing voice, wild scat singing ability and an impressive style. Whether one listens to the concert recording and hears the three bonus audio tracks, including the catchy as all get out "Vote for Mr. Rhythm" and a swell rendition of "With a Little Help From My Friends" or watches the concert on the DVD, it is a grand romp through sundry joints of Jazz, a bit of Blues and even a modicum of Mambo. After several consecutive listens one is able to pick up on various elements in the arrangements and one of my favourites is "A Tisket, a Tasket," with its swinging style and swell call and response.

If you happen to be hankering for more information about the sundry elements behind the scenes, carry on with the DVD for a 24 minute documentary with interviews and snippets of studio recordings unfolding before your eyes. Combined with the concert for your eyes and the compact disc version for your ears, this really is a triple packet of positively priceless entertainment for listening outright, or as a backdrop for a social soiree, or as a personal soundtrack to accompany one in daily life.

The hour I first believed, by Wally Lamb

2009-01-09T14:12:00.002-05:00

I loved Wally Lamb’s two previous books, She’s come undone and I know this much is true, so it was with great anticipation that I awaited publication of his new novel, The Hour I first believed.

In many ways I was not disappointed. Lamb travels well beyond his earlier work and embodies in his new work the themes of myth, good and evil, psychology, family history stretching back many generations, and the questions of faith that lie at the heart of everyday life.

It begins ominously with a true event: the murderous shootings at Columbine High School in Colorado by two students. Woven into this event is Lamb’s protagonist, Caelum Quirk, a teacher at the school who was out of town during the event and his wife Maureen, a nurse at the school. Lamb places Maureen in the library where much of the killing spree took place where she hides and prays for her life in a cupboard. She survives but at a huge cost – she cannot overcome the trauma. Maureen and Caelum leave Colorado and return to his family home in Connecticut where she fights to regain her sanity and Caelum attempts to deal with his wife’s increasing demise. Along the way he discovers his family history as well as his own place in the world. Caelum is a very different man from the cynical one we meet at the beginning of the novel.

This is a book about tragedy and about what happens after. It is also about faith and believing even in face of tragic senseless events. As Lamb himself describes, The Hour I first believed is "the story of an alienated man's quest for human connection, it's a meditation on faith, a fugue about the ravages of war, an investigation of the ways in which chaos can alter the course of our lives, and the ways in which our ancestors may be whispering to us."

Despite its flaws, (it is very long, perhaps unnecessarily so) it is a brilliant book. I did expect some great revelation at the end, a profound marking of the “Hour”. Sadly, there was no event, nor great revelation (unless of course I missed it). But, perhaps this is really what faith is all about. There is no “hour” that one first believes, no magical turning on of a light. Faith is a journey, a quest, built brick by brick, block by block. It is the totality of one’s life made up of the small events, good and bad, and how we approach them and deal with them. And ultimately faith is about connecting with people, believing that one can find good in the world despite the ever present Minotaur.

Music: Old Favourites in the New Year

2009-01-01T10:00:00.002-05:00

West London. Staines to be specific. Travelling backward near four years in time to enjoy an aural visit with a quartet of handsome young gentlemen called HARD-Fi. Years and years later, I still love this disc, so much so, I suggested it for purchase and it was deemed sharp enough for the vast collection of music compact discs here at our favourite local library.

Periodically, I need to put some pep in my step. And dancing around to a mixture of Brit Rock (it really does have a sound distinct from that of the North American market) is just the ticket. The album Stars Of CCTV blends an assortment of ska and punk influences, with a curious mixture of disco and orchestral arrangements thrown in for good measure. This debut album does rock and roll, all songs melding well into one musical collage of varied tempos. The lyrics are fun, filled with interesting tales and stories, complementing the music in a most meticulous manner.

These few words are just to whet your appetite for the vast supply of groovy views, news and reviews of things favourite and things new coming up in this wonderful year. We, the Staff Bloggers, here at the Eleanor London Côte Saint-Luc Public Library look forward to filling up your hearts and minds with many marvellous things. Stop by, say hello and let us know what you think of the Blog.

Great YA Books for Adults

2008-12-11T09:20:00.002-05:00

This past year, a lot of focus has been given to our Children’s Department, and staff (including me) has succumbed to the influence of our Children’s Coordinator and read a whole lot of kids’ books, moving far beyond the Harry Potter series. Some of them are just fabulous. I’m certainly hooked.

Adults in our library have already been discovering Markus Zusak’s The Book Thief. It’s incredible if you read it, but equally good in audio. It takes place in Germany during the Second World War, and it’s about this German girl whose family ends up hiding a Jew in their basement. It’s about her world, her neighbourhood, and most of all, friendship.

If you want an absolute page-turner, then take The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins. This author wrote the delightful Underland Chronicles series (again, AMAZING in audio), but this book is even better. Each district has to surrender a boy and a girl to the Hunger Games, where they compete to the death and are watched by cameras the whole time. Along with the population in the story, we follow the kids in District Twelve and root for their survival in these harrowing and often brutal games.

Another book I just read that I thoroughly enjoyed was Inkheart by Cornelia Funke. It’s got a fairy-tale quality, and Lynn Redgrave reads it splendidly, if you opt for an audio version. The third instalment of this book just came out, though I haven’t gotten to it yet. You do have to read them in order. In the first book, Meggie and her father Mo, a bookbinder by trade, are visited one night by an old ‘friend’ named Dustfinger, who comes to warn them about the imminent arrival of Capricorn, the very vilest of villains. They flee to Aunt Elinor’s house, which is filled to the brim with books. Capricorn and his crew succeed in finding Mo, and they want to make use of a special ‘gift’ he possesses. There’s adventure, enchantment, and lots of books in this wonderful tale.

Lastly, I have to mention the Twilight series, which has taken the world by storm since the release of the movie this fall. Definitely geared towards females, this series is part of an ever-growing genre called ‘paranormal romance’. Set in a small-town called Forks in Washington State, Bella is in love with Edward, a gorgeous vampire. He loves her, but he’s not the only one, as Jacob (werewolf) is in the picture too. Then there are those nasty vampires who come to town and cause trouble... This series is enjoyable and easy to read, if the subject matter appeals to you.

Book of the month -- Traffic

2008-10-24T13:19:00.003-05:00

Commuting is one of those things we have to do. Everyone on the planet spends a certain amount of time on the move. Actually, according to Tom Vanderbilt in his new book Traffic: Why We Drive the Way We Do and What it Says about Us, we pretty much spend the same amount of time in transit, car or no car, in big cities or the tiniest African village, every day.

I hate driving and everything to do with traffic, but I picked up this book because we spend so much of our lives in it. That, and the snappy sparkly cover. Anyone who knows me can tell you I love trivia and random tidbits of information, and this book is full of interesting factoids. Vanderbilt covers a lot of territory, examining psychology, urban planning, and social behaviour. He explains what happens to us when we’re on the road and why react in the way that we do.

Traffic is very accessible and can be read in an afternoon. I picked it as the book of the month because it touches all our lives and is quite fascinating. You will never see driving the same way again.

Some Mystery with Your Coffee?

2008-10-09T09:01:00.001-05:00

I’ve been on a role lately with my mystery reading of all sorts, but now I’m stuck on the Coffee House Mystery series by Cleo Coyle. The first book, entitled On What Grounds, lays the framework for the rest, featuring coffee-house-manager-come-amateur-detective Clare Cosi. She’s a forty-something divorcée, lured back from a suburban New Jersey life to work once again at The Village Blend, a Greenwich Village institution. The deal, cut by its owner “Madame,” is that she gets to live in Manhattan above the shop and get a stake in the business if she resumes managing it.

All is promising except for the fact she discovers that Madame, also her ex-mother-in-law, has permitted her son Matt, the coffee-house’s buyer/still charming ex-husband, to stay there for the ten days a month when he’s in town. Then there is the issue of those pesky murders that crop up each book…

The New York City setting is perfect for this series, and you wish you could be a regular when you read the books. I like Clare herself, who’s sharp and has high standards, but Madame’s character alone is worth reading the books for; she’s French, she’s classy, and she does what she wants. There’s a bit of romance, a bit of suspense, but mostly these are fast, enjoyable reads.

We don’t have all of the series just yet, though we have ordered the ones we’re missing. Start at the beginning, and by all means, have a cup of joe at your side when you curl up to these cozy mysteries.

Book 1 - On What Grounds
Book 2 – Through the Grinder
Book 3 – Latte Trouble
Book 4 – Murder Most Frothy
Book 5 – Decaffeinated Corpse
Book 6 – French Pressed
Book 7 – Espresso Shot

Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock

2008-09-23T10:46:00.002-05:00

Matt Bissonnette’s debut novel, Smash Your Head on the Punk Rock, offers us a look into the lives of five friends growing up in the sex, drugs and punk rock culture of Montreal in the 70s and 80s. The NDG of Bissonnette’s youth serves as richly textured backdrop to a gloomy, frenetic atmosphere punctuated with moments of abrupt humour. The chapters read like the songs the kids worship – short, dirty and hard-hitting, Bissonnette shying away from nothing with his biting prose.

In their own words and their own language, the narratives the kids take turns telling come from some of the most profound and sometimes most mundane moments of their lives. Constantly testing their own limits and those of society, they expose their flaws and fears to the reader. These stories are often shocking, but sometimes heart-staggeringly honest as the friends struggle to make sense of what taking on responsibility for their lives and futures really means.

Over the course of the book, each of the friends learns that they cannot deny their natures, and their antics bear this out repeatedly. The seemingly blind acceptance of that fact is often belied by their frantic inner struggle to break away and finally do something that would liberate them from their bleak existence. Though they often have no idea what shape their future should have or what form the liberation might be, they at least grow to recognize that the future is manifest and that they must keep on, despite often not knowing why or how.

Not a cozy, night-time read, this book is stark yet persuasive in its depiction of youth culture. It is a compelling, candid journey of five childhood friends coming to terms with their own existence, each other, and society…all while trying to stay true to themselves.

Pick of the month - The Gargoyle -

2008-09-19T15:31:00.003-05:00

I just finished reading The Gargoyle, by Andrew Davidson and what an incredible read it was. You will be engrossed and (and sometimes grossed out at the gruesome details) but you will not be able to put this book down.

If you love history and mythology and believe in the power of love as well as destiny, this is the book for you! The story is about a gorgeously handsome but soulless man, who stars in pornographic films for a living. One night, while strung out on booze and cocaine, he is in a terrible car accident in which he suffers burns over much of his body.

While in hospital, where he wants only to die, he meets a psychiatric patient who is said to be schizophrenic who tells him tragic and heart wrenching love stories from the past in such faraway lands as Japan, Iceland and Italy, including, she claims, the story of their own love affair which occurred in 14th century Germany.

He tells himself that this is only part of her delusions. But is it? Can they have really have had a romance that has lasted 7 centuries? The story contains meticulous historical details, permeated by Dante references. The writing is smart and at times cheeky, wonderfully hypnotic. The pace is fast, impossible to put down. Don’t miss this one!

Calling all lovers of good books

2008-09-16T11:57:00.002-05:00

So I just finished reading Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert, and I must say…it was amazing!! One of my co-workers here at the library, had said enthusiastically of the book “every woman must read this”; I am happy to report that Danielle was so right.

This is a book unlike any I have read in a very long time, and though it most certainly will appeal to many women readers, I think that men many also enjoy this book, which is mostly about being human. This book touches the heart, and speaks directly and clearly to anyone who is searching for something more.

The author has such a way with words that she has managed to illustrate in everyday terms some of the most complex theories and approaches to spirituality and religion in ways that absolutely anyone can absorb. And trust me, you’ll want to absorb every word.

The beauty of Eat, Pray, Love transcends any religious or culture barriers that may exit with other books on…well simply put, life. Everyone will be able to relate to the author as she takes the reader through her unlikely journey across continents in search of absolutely everything. I loved it so much! Please, readers, lovers of good books, do yourselves a favor and READ THIS BOOK

Booker shortlist, 2008

2008-09-10T10:53:00.003-05:00

The shortlist for this year's Booker Prize for Fiction has been announced. The official name of the prize is the Man Booker prize and it's the award for the finest of finest in fiction. The award is 40 years old and it rewards an author from either a commonwealth country or the Republic of Ireland. Past winners include: Anne Enright (The gathering), Kiran Desai (Inheritance of loss) and John Banville (The sea).

This year's shortlist is comprised of:

The white tiger by Aravind Adiga (F A2355w)
Relocating to New Delhi when he is offered a new job, Balram Halwai is disillusioned by the city's twenty-first-century materialism and technology-spawned violence, a circumstance that forces him to question his loyalties, ambitions, and past.

The secret scripture by Sebastian Barry (F B281s)
Recording the events of her life from a mental hospital as her hundredth birthday approaches, Roseanne McNulty considers returning to society when she learns that the hospital is about to close, but her situation is complicated by the possibility that Roseanne remembers her life quite differently from what is documented in her patient records.

Sea of poppies by Amitav Ghosh (coming soon)
Preparing to fight China's nineteenth-century Opium Wars, a motley assortment of sailors and passengers, including a bankrupt rajah, a widowed tribeswoman, and a free-spirited French orphan, comes to experience family-like ties that eventually span continents, races, and generations.

Clothes on their back by Linda Grant (F G7622c)
A story about survival - both everyday and heroic - and a young woman who discovers the complications, even betrayals, that inevitably accompany the fierce desire to live.

Northern clemency by Philip Hensher (coming soon)
In 1974, the Sellers are transplanted from London to Sheffield in northern England. On the day they move in, the Glover household across the street is in upheaval: convinced that his wife is having an affair, Malcolm Glover has suddenly disappeared. The reverberations of this rupture will be felt for years as the connection between the families deepens. But it will be the particular crises of ten-year-old Tim Glover—set off by two seemingly inconsequential but ultimately indelible acts of cruelty—that will erupt, full-blown, decades later.

A fraction of the whole by Steve Toltz (F T6546f)
After his father's death, Jasper reflects on Martin Dean, the man who had raised him in intellectual captivity and who had spent his entire life analyzing absolutely everything, and describes his father's failed battle to make a lasting impression on the world.