by Philip Nel February is Black History Month, which is a time to celebrate Black voices and Black lives while also recognizing the work that must be done in the present to ensure diversity and racial justice is part of the future. One part of this necessary work is highlighting the importance of creating […]
Songs for the End of the World By Saleema Nawaz If I had to guess, I’d say that most people are a bit tired of hearing about the pandemic and dearly wish they could be thinking about other things. Yet there is something cathartic about reading a novel about a pandemic during a pandemic. Frankly, […]
by Kim Thuy Vi by Kim Thúy is this year’s choice for One eRead Canada, a national eBook reading event which runs from January 1 – 31st. The title character Vi, the youngest of four children and the only girl, narrates this moving story of a Vietnamese family over several decades of the 20th century. […]
by N. K. Jemisin I read Jemisin’s excellent essay of the same name online in 2013 (http://nkjemisin.com/2013/09/how-long-til-black-future-month/), so when I picked up this book I was expecting a collection of essays, but was surprised (and pleased) when it turned out to be a collection of short stories instead. And what a collection it is! […]
by Jonathan Van Ness Jonathan Van Ness, beloved grooming expert on Netflix’s Queer Eye series, came out with an eye-opening memoir filled with struggle, hurt, and most importantly, love. The effervescent TV personality comes off as a strong, confident, person with plenty of self-love to go around so it came as quite a surprise to […]
by David Bukszpan Scrabble is a fantastic way to spend the time with family. I remember playing it as a kid on family vacations. I remember playing it with my (nerdy) friends on camping trips. I know that since it was invented in the 30s and especially when it exploded in popularity in the ’50s […]
by Ann Hui I grew up on the prairies and fondly remember the seemingly exotic Chinese diners in little towns like Nanton, Vulcan and Drumheller, Alberta. As a kid, Chop Suey and the gooey orange sauce over the Sweet & Sour Chicken were my favourites. It was surprising to learn Chinese diner dishes have little […]
by Jojo MoyesThe Giver of Stars, Jojo Moyes newest novel takes us on a historical journey into the backwoods of Kentucky in the 1930’s. In this period, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had begun a horseback librarian program that would give access to library materials and increase literacy among the remote inhabitants of the Appalachian Mountains. […]
by Lisa JewellFlipping between past and present, this weaving mystery/thriller follows the story of a beautiful mansion in Chelsea and what happened behind closed doors. On Libby Jones’ twenty fifth birthday, she receives an inheritance from her dead parents: a multi-million dollar mansion in Chelsea. Shocked at her reversal of fortunes, she excitedly takes possession […]
By Rene Denfeld Naomi knows all about lost children; after all, she has been lost her whole life. Known as the Child Finder to police and to a handful of parents, Naomi specializes in locating missing children. As a child, Naomi herself was found running in a strawberry field with no recollection of who she […]