The Buzz...About Books

Book of the Week: Simply in Season: 12 Months of Wine Country Cooking

June 16-22 is Ontario Wine Week created by the provincial government to celebrate the wine produced in Ontario's four wine regions but what is wine without food?

In Simply in Season: 12 Months of Wine Country Cooking, Chef Tony de Luca takes his inspiration from the Niagara Wine Region where he has made his home for over a decade. Arranged in calendar format, each chapter is devoted to a different month; the recipes are based on ingredients available in the region during the month.

Related Post:

• Books for Ontario Wine Week

Books for Ontario Wine Week

Ontario Wine Week begins June 16. Created by the Ontario government in 2005 to celebrate the wines from Ontario's four wine regions.

Each of these books feature wine in some fashion:

Graphic Novel

The Drops of God by Tadashi Agi
This manga series was a hit in its native Japan, credited with doubling the country's consumption of wine. In the series, a one of the world's top wine experts sets up a scavenger hunt to determine whether his son or his protege will inherit his estate. The two men must uncover the identity of 12 great wines based on cryptic clues. It's a fantastic series. I feel like I'm getting an education in wine as I read. Start with Volume 1.

Fiction

A Good Year by Peter Mayle
• Large Print
An Englishman inherits a vineyard and relocates to Provence. Also a feature film.

Killer Summer by Ridley Pearson
Sun Valley, Idaho sheriff Walt Fleming must thwart a plot to steal a rare bottle of wine at an exclusive wine festival.

Nose by James Conaway
An unmarked bottle of Cabernet appears on a wine critic's doorstep and sparks a search for the wine's origin.

The Scent of Sake by Joyce Lebra-Chapman
A woman struggles to maintain control of her family's sake brewing business in spite of the restrictions on women in 19th century Japan.

Sideways by Rex Pickett
• eAudiobook
Two friends take a road trip through California's wine country. Also a feature film.

Mystery Fiction

Champagne: the Farewell by Janet Hubbard
• eAudiobook
• eBook
In France for a friend's wedding, NYPD Detective Max Maguire is drawn into a murder investigation in the Champagne region.

The Dark Vineyard by Martin Walker
• eBook
The police chief in a small Dordogne village has his hands full with murder and with an American corporation making large land purchases.

Death of a Wine Merchant by David Dickinson
• eBook
A murder at a society wedding leads Lord Francis Powerscourt into an investigation of the cutthroat French wine industry.

The Merlot Murders by Ellen Crosby
• Large Print
Lucie Montgomery returns to her family's Virginia vineyard after her father's sudden death. The first in Crosby's Wine Country Mystery series. Find out more about the series.

 Proof of Guilt by Charles Todd
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Large Print
Inspector Rutledge investigates a firm producing Madeira wine after an unidentified body is discovered.

Romance

Wine, Tarts and Sex by Susan Johnson
A gifted chef finds a Minnesota vintner intoxicating.

The Yard - A Victorian Thriller

Set in London in 1889, The Yard by Alex Grecian is a gripping police procedural/thriller that takes place over a period of just three days. 

A year after the last murder by Jack the Ripper, Scotland Yard is no closer to catching him.  Morale is low and the Yard has lost the confidence of the people of London.   Detective Inspector Walter Day has recently joined the Murder Squad, which was created during the Ripper case to focus attention of a small group of police officers on solving murders.  However, there are more cases than the police can handle and the morgue is overwhelmed with bodies.  Although new to Scotland Yard, Detective Inspector Day is given their most important case  -  the murder of a fellow detective, Inspector Little.

Luckily, D. I. Day is not investigating alone.  He has the help of Dr. Bernard Kingsley, the Yard's first forensic pathologist, and the very capable Constable Hammersmith.  Adding to the suspense of the story, the murderer narrates some chapters.  As the story progresses, the reader discovers his motivation for killing Inspector Little and watches with him as the police get closer and closer. This is a fantastic story with interesting and endearing characters.  The Yard is also available in Large Print and eAudiobook.

The second book featuring Day and Hammersmith has recently arrived. In Black Country, Day and Hammersmith investigate the disappearance of a family in the Midlands.  It is also available in Audiobook and Talking Book (Restricted to Print Disabled Patrons).

 

If you prefer true crime over novels, have a look at The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher: A Murder and the Undoing of a Great Victorian Detective by Kate Summerscale. In 1860, three-year old Saville Kent is found murdered. The crime horrifies England and becomes a national obsession, inspiring many amateur sleuths. Inspector Jonathan Whicher, Britain's best detective, quickly figures out that the murderer was a family member.  However, Victorian society refuses to believe that one family member would kill another. Unable to prove his circumstantial case, Whicher returns discredited to London.  Five years later, he is proven correct.  This is the story of the case that inspired the rise of the British mystery novel and the tough, intuitive detectives that we love.  It is also available in Audiobook, eBook and eAudiobook.

 

Surviving Parenthood: Father's Day Memoirs

Father's Day is June 16. These memoirs celebrate the joys of fatherhood:

C'mon Papa: Dispatches from a Dad in the Dark by Ryan Knighton
The first year of parenthood can be traumatic for anyone, but Ryan Knighton is literally in the dark having lost his sight to retinitis pigmentosa. This is his humorous memoir about becoming a father.

Dad is Fat by Jim Gaffigan
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
Actor and standup comic Gaffigan shares his stories of parenting 5 children in a small New York apartment.

A Father First: How My Life Became Bigger than Basketball by Dwyane Wade
• eAudiobook
• eBook
Wade who has full custody of his two sons writes about juggling parenthood with a career in the NBA.

Home Game: an Accidental Guide to Fatherhood by Michael Lewis
Excerpts from the journals Moneyball author, Lewis kept when his children were young.

Raising Cubby: a Father and Son's Adventures Asperger's, Trains, Tractors and High Explosives by John Elder Robison
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)
Asperger's-afflicted Robison writes frankly about his experiences parenting his son Jack, who is also on the autism spectrum.

Someone Could Get Hurt: a Memoir of Twenty-First-Century Parenthood by Drew Magary
Magary began blogging about his parenting experiences in 2006, then became a regular columnist for Deadspin and GQ. This memoir begins with the premature birth of his 3rd child.

Online Chat with Robin Sloan

This month Book Buzz, Toronto Public Library's online book club, is reading Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore by Robin Sloan. In the novel unemployed web designer Clay Jannon takes a job at a bookstore and discovers quickly that it's an unusual shop. No one ever buys anything and all the books are written in code. Who are the mysterious members who patronize the store? What are they looking for?

Author Robin Sloan will be joining us on Wednesday, June 12 for a live chat. The chat starts at 7:30 PM EDT.

Everyone is welcome.

It's easy to participate. Simply come to the chat website and join the conversation.

Robin Sloan Live Chat

 

 

Discover the secret of Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and join us on Book Buzz today!

Books with Buzz

Do you need a suggestion for summer reading? These new books have been getting a lot of attention in the press and online.

Countdown City by Ben H. Winters
What would you do if you knew the world was about to end? Hank Palace wants to solve crimes.I raved about the first book in this series and I can't wait for this to be released on July 16. (It's currently listed in the catalogue as Untitled Last Policeman Book 2.)

Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
• Audiobook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)
A young woman is immersed in the opulent lifestyle of the extremely wealthy after she travels to Singapore with her boyfriend, unaware that his family is one of the richest in the country. Oprah Winfrey has recommended this one.

Dreams and Shadows by C. Robert Cargill
• eAudiobook
• eBook
The fates of two children--one spirited away by fairies and another trying to save him--are entwined in this fantasy filled with hard-drinking angels, and jealous changelings. Library Journal called it "a brilliant modern fairy tale".

Kiss Me First by Lottie Moggach
An awkward young woman is drawn into a dangerous game when she joins an online community.

The Never List by Koethi Zan
This ripped-from-the-headlines debut thriller is about a group of college students being held in a dungeon-like cellar.

N0S4A2 by Joe Hill
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Large Print
The author describes it as a book about "a very bad man with a very bad car" and it's been getting rave reviews. If you like horror, you'll definitely want to check it out.

The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
• Audiobook
• Large Print
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)
The latest Neil Gaiman novel has received starred reviews in Booklist and Kirkus. In it, a young boy finds himself tested by magical forces after he discovers a supernatural secret.

The Shambling Guide to New York City by Mur Lafferty
Library Journal and Kirkus praised this novel about a woman who is hired to write a travel book for the undead.

The Shining Girls by Lauren Beukes
• eAudiobook
• Large Print
A time travel novel about a serial killer, this book will appeal to a lot of genre readers. Twitter was abuzz over this title last week.

The Yonahlossee Riding Camp for Girls by Anton Discafani
The New York Time, Wall Street Journal and Publisher's Weekly all raved about this debut novel set at an equestrian boarding school during the Great Depression. This could be one of the big books of the summer.

What's your big book this summer?

Be in the Swim of Things

Esther Williams died on June 6 at 91. A California native, she worked as a towel girl at the local pool so she could pay the .05 admission charge. She quickly mastered all of the strokes, including those like the butterfly that were restricted to male swimmers. She broke numerous records and won 3 national championships while a teenager. She was scheduled to compete on the US Olympic team in 1940 but the games were cancelled after the outbreak of WWII. Instead, she joined the Billy Rose Aquacade, a swimming, singing and dancing review, where she attracted the attention of MGM scouts. She retired from acting in the 1960s but became a business woman, lending her name to a line of swimsuits and pools.

If you would like to learn more about Esther Williams, check out her autobiography, The Million Dollar Mermaid. Also available in Large Print.

Swimming is a great activity and it can be enjoyed at almost any age. If you'd like to read more about swimming, try these books.

Fiction

The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou
• eBook
A swimmer and a wrestler, both nearing the end of their careers must confront issues of identity and body image in this novel.

Non-Fiction

The Great Swim by Gavin Mortimer
In 1926, four young American women battle to become the first to successfully swim the English Channel.

Swim: Why We Love the Water by Lynn Sherr
An examination of the psychological benefits of swimming.

 Swimming to Antarctica: Tales of a Long-Distance Swimmer by Lynne Cox
• Large Print
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)
Cox describes her almost mystical relationship with the water in this memoir.

Swimming Studies by Leanne Shapton
Shapton's memoir about her youth as a competitive swimmer.

Got $20 in Your Pocket? Books on Thrift Store Shopping (This is Fun and Awesome)

Thrifters, hipsters and shoppers on a budget know the value of thrift store shopping.  Frugal fashionistas spot vintage treasures, retro items get a re-boot, and recycled items can be used to outfit homes at a low cost.

American rappers Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' monster hit, Thrift Shop, is a hip-hop anthem against corporate price tags (heads up: explicit language). Borrow their chart-topping album, The Heist, on CD from the Toronto Public Library. Watch Same Love (Macklemore is an outspoken supporter for gay marriage rights) featuring the hauntingly beautiful voice of Mary Lambert. The duo will be in Toronto this August - and TO has tons of thrift, consignment, and vintages stores to explore.

Thrifty readers have always known that the public library is the place to go for chic and no-cost reading. Start your research here - and you too can look incredible without breaking the bank.

• New Dress a Day: The Ultimate DIY Guide to Creating Fashion Dos From Thrift-Store Don'ts by Marisa Lynch
  
• Resew: Turn Thrift-Store Finds Into Fabulous Designs by Jenny Wilding Cardon
  
• I Brake for Yard Sales and Flea Markets, Thrift Shops, Auctions, and the Occasional Dumpster by Lara Spencer
  
• The Find: the Housing Works Book of Decorating with Thrift Shop Treasures, Flea Market Objects, and Vintage Details by Stan Williams
  
• Subversive Seamster: Transform Thrift Store Threads into Street Couture  by Melissa Alvarado 
• Reinvention Sewing With Rescued Materials by Maya Donenfeld
  
• Heirloom Modern: Homes Filled With Objects Bought, Bequeathed, Beloved, and Worth Handing Down by Hollister Hovey
• Flea Market Finds by Matthew Mead
• The Complete Idiot's Guide to Starting and Running a Thrift Store by Ravel Buckley
• Cabbages & Roses: Vintage Chic: Using Romantic Fabrics and Flea Market Finds by Christina Stutt
• Second-hand Style: Finding and Renewing Antique Treasures by Chris Dupouy
• Recraft: How to Turn Second-hand Stuff into Beautiful Things for Your Home, Family and Friends by Sara Duchars

Related posts:

• A Visit to the Textile Museum of Canada

June 4 is Hug Your Cat Day

Well, yes, the Internet assures me that June 4 is a holiday called Hug Your Cat Day. The traditions of the holiday are straightforward--hug your cat. I am fortunate that I have a cat who responds well to physical displays of affection but what if you don't have a compliant cat? Even worse--what if you don't have a cat at all?

Fortunately Toronto Public Library has numerous cat-related books. These are recent biographies about people and their cats:

Cat Daddy: What the World's Most Incorrigible Cat Taught Me about Life, Love and Coming Clean by Jackson Galaxy
Galaxy's rescue of Benny, a cat with behavioural and physical challenges, inspires him to tackle the challenges in his own life, including substance abuse.

In Search of Cleo: How I Found My Pussy and Lost My Mind by Gina Gershon
Actress Gina Gershon describes her life with cats, and her wacky search when her beloved cat Cleo goes missing.

Julia's Cats: Julia Child's Life in the Company of Cats by Patricia Barey and Therese Burson
This biography traces chef Julia Child's life with cats, beginning with the unexpected arrival of Minette in 1948.

Lost Cat: a True Story of Love, Desperation and GPS Technology by Catherine Paul
• eBook
After Catherine Paul's cat mysteriously disappears and just as mysteriously reappears, she embarks on a quest to find out where Tibby had been.

Paw Prints in the Moonlight: the Heartwarming True Story of One Man and His Cat by Denis O'Connor
When Denis O'Connor rescues a tiny kitten on a snowy January night, he doesn't expect it to survive let alone become his devoted companion. This is the story of Toby Jug's first year.

Other Cat Related Posts:

• The Cats of Japan
• Let's Make Everyday Black Cat Appreciation Day
• Millions and Millions of Cats

 

 

I Like Big Books and I Cannot Lie

Yes, this meme is a bit old, but it still holds true.   Like many people, I love diving into a lengthy book, especially for summer vacation reading.    If you are looking for a book that will keep you occupied a good long while, try one of these recently published books, all of which are over 500 pages in length:

 

River of Stars is Canada's Guy Gavriel Kay's latest historical fiction/fantasy novel.  This story takes place about 400 years after Under Heaven.  This is the story of Lin Shan, a determined and unconventional young woman, who uses her unusual relationship with the emperor to manipulate events behind the scenes in an effort to protect the life of her beloved father.  As we can expect from Kay, the book is based on history, but given a twist into the realm of the fantastic which allows for his excellent stories to unfold.

 

Guy Gavriel Kay was recently interviewed as part of The eh List Author Series.  If you missed this event, you can watch the interview with Chatelaine book editor Laurie Grassi below:

 

 

Edward Rutherfurd is well known for writing excellent (and long) historical fiction. Paris is his latest novel and the third book he has written on the history of a city, following London and New York.   This multigenerational saga takes readers from the founding of Paris under the Romans, through the major events of Parisian history, including religious wars and the French Revolution up to the Nazi occupation and the French Resistance. Paris is also available in eBook, audiobook and Talking Book (Restricted to Print Disabled Patrons).

 

Winter of the World is the second book of Ken Follett's The Century Trilogy.   In continues the stories of the American, German, Russian, English, and Welsh families first introduced in the first book, Fall of  Giants.  This time the five families are dealing with the turmoil of the mid-twentieth century, including the rise of Nazi Germany, the Spanish Civil War, and the horrors of World War II.  The final book, Edge of Eternity, is expected to be published in 2014.  Winter of the World is also available as an audiobook, eAudiobook and Talking Book (Restricted to Print Disabled patrons).

 

The Twelve is the second book in Justin Cronin's trilogy which began with The Passage.  This post-apocolyptic series takes place in a world devastated by military research gone wrong, where people infected by a virus have become brutal, vampiric killers who have destroyed most of humanity.  The survivors are on constant watch, fighting to keep themselves safe from the 'virals'.  The third book, City of Mirrors, is expected to be published next year.  The Twelve is also available in Large Print, eBook, audiobook, eAudiobook and Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons).

 

Shadow of Night is the second book in Deborah Harkness's All Souls trilogy.  The first book, Discovery of Witches, began the story of the historian and reluctant witch Diana Bishop and the handsome and sexy vampire Matthew Clairmont.  Pursuing information on the mysterious book Ashmole 782, Diana and Matthew travel to Elizabethan England where they meet several historical figures, Diana begins to learn the skills she needs to survive as a witch and Matthew confronts his past.  Fans of the series wait quite impatiently for the third and final book to be published, hopefully sometime this year.  Shadow of Night is also available in Large Print, audiobook, eAudiobook and Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons) formats.

 

Of course, the biggest downside to being a fan of an author prone to long novels is that the wait between books can seem endless, as evidenced by this video by fans of George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire series (also known as Game of Thrones)...

Are you a fan of Big Books?  If so, which ones are your favourites?