The Buzz...About Books

Still Bleeding Blue

Toronto hockey fans -- this is for you.

If you're still reeling from the devastating loss that was Game 7 on Monday night, know that you're not alone. Many Leafs fans across the city are still in shock, and even the bandwagon fans knew a tragedy when they saw one. The sheer volume of jaws dropping when Boston made that final goal in overtime...I'd never seen so many hearts break in an instant.

So, here's a moment for our beloved Leafs - and even more - here's a moment for the die-hard fans that love them.

Check out some titles that look into the minds of sports fans, how sports became such a huge part of Canadian culture and more.

    

 

 

And, remember...there's always next year!
 

Meet Robert J. Sawyer at North York Central Library

Award-winning science fiction author Robert J. Sawyer will appear at North York Central Library on May 1, 7-8 pm as part of the 2013 Eh List Reading Series. Mr. Sawyer will be discussing his latest novel Red Planet Blues.

In his illustrious career, Sawyer has won each of the three major science fiction awards:

Hugo Award for Best Novel: Hominids (2003)
Also available as: Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

John W. Campbell Memorial Award: Mindscan (2006)

Nebula Award for Best Novel: The Terminal Experiment (1996)
Also available as: eBook

In addition he has won the Prix Aurora Award seven times in the Best Novel/Long Form category:

1992:
Golden Fleece

1996:
The Terminal Experiment
• eBook

1997:
Starplex

2000:
Flashforward
• Talking Book

2010:
Wake
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook

2011:
Watch
• Audiobook
• eAudiobook
• eBook
• Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

2012:
Wonder
• eBook

For more information about this event please call 416-395-5639.

What Kept Toronto Reading

This year's One Book celebrates the power of the book: its power to evoke emotion, to band people together, and ultimately, to bring about change for the future.

In honour of 2013's Keep Toronto Reading festival, let's revisit the past One Book selections and check out what kept Toronto reading in the last five years:

 

In 2012, Maggie Helwig's Girls Fall Down set the tone for readers in Toronto. Based in various parts of the city, marked by distinct Toronto hangouts, it explored themes of mental health, homelessness, belonging and the ways our bodies betray us. Helwig penned a solid novel that spurred discussions between many Torontonians.

 

 

In 2011, Judy Fong Bates introduced us to a family full of secrets in Midnight at the Dragon Cafe. In spare, intimate prose, Bates drew out the weight of culture and tradition, and the portrait of a young Chinese-Canadian girl growing up in a small Ontario town.

 

 

 

In 2010, More by Austin Clarke dove headfirst into issues of racial inequity and the experiences of a black immigrant woman in Toronto, 25 years in. Both personal and political, More examined the complexities of race in modern western culture.

 

 

 

In 2009, Glen Downie's Loyalty Management brought readers together with a collection of poems that looked at the many sides of living in this city - from the lighthearted and funny to the deeply sobering. Downie's memorable voice, unique spacing and lovely made up words ("sleepward"!) pulled together a collection suitable for those new to poetry and long-time lovers alike.

 

 

2008 kicked off the One Book festival with Michael Redhill's Consolation. This title slipped between two worlds - centuries apart - that captured the memory of a young Toronto, through photographs and lived experiences.

 

 

Many of our One Book selections had Toronto as a starting point, but you can see how much the idea of what Toronto is - and who Toronto is - can change over time.

In Fahrenheit 451, Guy Montag asks: "How long is it since you were really bothered?... About something important, about something real?" Whether poetry or prose, One Book titles are chosen for the issues they bring up and the conversations they can spark all across the city.

Here's to many more One Books to come - thanks for reading, Toronto!

April is Poetry Month

The League of Canadian Poets created National Poetry Month in 1999 in order to celebrate and increase awareness of Canadian poetry. During this month a number of poetry award nominations are announced.

The Griffin Poetry Prize

The largest award for a single volume of poetry, the Griffin Poetry Prize presents winners in two categories annually. Winners will be announced on June 13.

Canadian

Personals by Ian Williams

Sailing to Babylon by James Pollock

What's the Score: 99 Poems by David W. McFadden

International

Like a Straw Bird It Follows Me and Other Poems by Ghassan Zaqtan, translated by Fady Joudah

Liquid Nitrogen by Jennifer Maiden
        (Not currently available at Toronto Public Library.)

Night of the Republic by Alan Shapiro

Our Andromeda by Brenda Shaughnessy

Gerald Lampert Memorial Award

The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award recognizes the best first volume of poetry by a Canadian.  It is sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets.

Charms Against Lightning by James Arthur

I See My Love More Clearly From a Distance by Nora Gould

The Lease by Mathew Henderson

Notebook M by Gillian Savigny

repeater by Andrew McEwan

Sumptuary Laws by Nyla Matuk

Pat Lowther Memorial Award

This award celebrates a book of poetry written by a Canadian woman.  Also sponsored by the League of Canadian Poets, it is named after British Columbia poet Pat Lowther, who was murdered by her husband in 1975.

The Book of Marvels: a Compendium of Everyday Things by Lorna Crozier
• eBook

A Grain of Rice by Evelyn Lau
        (Not currently available at Toronto Public Library.)

Monkey Ranch by Julie Bruck

Slow Curve Out by Maureen Scott Harris

Song and Spectacle by Rachel Rose

Soul Mouth by Rachel Bowering

Raymond Souster Award

The collections nominated for this award must be written by members of the Canadian League of Poets and published in the previous year. Created to honour legendary Canadian poet Raymond Souster, it will be presented for the first time in 2013.

Between Dusk and Night by Emily McGiffin

the Flicker tree: Okanagan Poems by Nancy Holmes

Hummingbird by John Wall Barger

The New Measures by A.F. Moritz

no ordinary place by Pamela Porter

Wayworn Wooden Floors by Mark Lavorato

The winners of the Gerald Lampert, Pat Lowther and Raymond Souster Awards will be announced on June 8.

The Funny Thing Is..: Stephen Leacock Medal Finalists announced

The only Canadian literary award for humour, the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal fittingly announced its shortlist on April Fool's Day.

Nominees for the 2013 award are:

Born Weird by Andrew Kaufman
• eBook
Angie Weird goes on a quest to reunite her siblings at the request of her dying grandmother who wants to remove the curses she inadvertently gave them.

Dance, Gladys, Dance by Cassie Stocks
• eBook
A ghost becomes a life coach for a young woman who has lost her creative spark.

I'll Seize the Day Tomorrow by Jonathan Goldstein
Goldstein's chronicle of the year before his 40th birthday.

Up and Down by Terry Fallis
• eBook
A man starting a new career with an international public relations firm is shocked when his idea to hold a contest to select citizen astronauts is given the green light by NASA.

Words to Live By: a Memoir by William Whitehead
Whitehead tells the story of his life including his childhood in Saskatchewan, careers in science and the arts, and his longtime relationship with Timothy Findley.

The winner will be announced on April 25.

Related Programs:

Save this Book! With Terry Fallis
Monday April 8, 7 PM, Leaside Branch

William Whitehead: Words to Live By
Saturday May 4, 2 PM, Lillian H. Smith Branch

Alissa York: Online Chat--Tonight!

Toronto Public Library's Writer in Residence, Alissa York will be our guest on Thursday March 28 for a live chat.

Join us as we discuss writing and literature with the author of acclaimed novels Mercy, Effigy and Fauna.

Never participated in a live chat? It's easy. You can join from any computer with Internet access. Simply go to our chat page at 7:30 on March 28 and start typing--ask questions, make comments or just read the discussion.

Our live chats are a great way to interact with writers and with other readers. They're lively and lots of fun. 

Please join us on Book Buzz:

Alissa York: Live Chat
Thursday March 28, 7:30-8:30 PM

Related:
Writer in Residence--Alissa York

Alissa York: Live Chat on Book Buzz

Toronto Public Library's Writer in Residence, Alissa York will be our guest on Thursday March 28 for a live chat.

Join us as we discuss writing and literature with the author of acclaimed novels Mercy, Effigy and Fauna.

Never participated in a live chat? It's easy. You can join from any computer with Internet access. Simply go to our chat page at 7:30 on March 28 and start typing--ask questions, make comments or just read the discussion.

Our live chats are a great way to interact with writers and with other readers. They're lively and lots of fun. 

Please join us on Book Buzz:

Alissa York: Live Chat
Thursday March 28, 7:30-8:30 PM

Related:
Writer in Residence--Alissa York

Spotlight On: Helen Humphreys

Helen Humphreys is a Canadian author of poetry and award winning novels. She was born in Kingston-on-Thames, England, and now lives in Kingston, Ontario. Much of her work is based on or inspired by true historical events and key figures. Her writing is very approachable and reading her books allows you to experience these events as if you are right there in the action.

The Reinvention of Love (2011)

Charles Sainte-Beuve, a French journalist, befriends Victor Hugo, then a young writer just on the verge of fame. Hoping to draw knowledge and inspiration from Victor, Charles never suspects that he will be drawn into a life altering affair with Victor’s wife, Adèle. 
eBook
Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

 

 

Coventry (2008)

The story of the World War II bombing of the British town of Coventry is told from the perspectives of firewatchers Harriet and Jeremy. Amid the burning city and carnage, they search for Jeremy’s mother and fight to survive.
eBook

 

 

 

The Frozen Thames (2007)

A collection of forty stories based on actual events that occurred each time the River Thames froze solid, between 1142 and 1895.
eBook
Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

 

 

Wild Dogs (2004)

Since their dogs ran away and joined a pack of wild dogs, a group of six strangers gather together by the woods, every evening to call their dogs back to them. A community is created as these strangers search to recover what they have lost. Winner of the 2005 Lambda Prize for fiction.
eBook
Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

 

 

The Lost Garden (2002)

In 1941, horticulturist Gwen moves to the Devon countryside to instruct a group of girls in the Women’s Land Army to grow crops for the home front. There she meets two people who will change her life forever: a Canadian officer waiting to be posted to the front, and a woman whose fiancé is missing in action. Was selected as part of the 2003 Canada Reads.
eBook
Talking Book (restricted to Print Disabled patrons)

 

Afterimage (2000)

Isabelle and Eldon Dashell’s marriage is already falling apart, when they hire Annie Phelan as a maid. Isabelle is fascinated by photography and Annie becomes her muse, creating further tensions in the Dashell’s already troubled marriage. Winner of the 2000 Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize.
eBook

 

 

Leaving Earth (1997)

In 1933, two female pilots, Grace O'Gorman and Willa Briggs, attempt to break the world flight endurance record by circling the Toronto harbor for twenty-five days in a tiny biplane. Winner of the 1998 City of Toronto Book Award.
eBook

Well, Hi There: Happy 1982

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Where were you in '82? For Jian Ghomeshi, host of CBC's hit radio show Q, it was Thornhill. In his funny, often self-deprecating memoir 1982, Ghomeshi recalls his experience as a teen of Iranian descent growing up in white suburbia, his efforts to fit in, and his music idols - in particular, David Bowie. Read about his book in the Star and on the CBC. Check out Ghomeshi's interview in the Huffington Post. He makes a compelling case for the significance of '82, just in case you think this golden year was all about the leg warmers and shoulder pads.

1982 was the year of Michael Jackson's Thriller, Madonna's first single, "Everybody" (has it really been 30 years?), Pac-Man and the Commodore 64 computer.

Here are some books that were making news in 1982:

Different Seasons by Stephen King.  His four novellas include Rita Hayworth and the Shawshank Redemption and The Body. Both were adapted for film: The Shawshank Redemption and Stand By Me. Fun fact: While everyone recalls River Phoenix in Stand by Me, it was Wil Wheaton's starring role that sent him forth to Star Trek glory.

North and South by John Jakes. First in a trilogy about two buddies who find themselves on opposite sides of the American Civil War. The book is available to read at the Toronto Reference Library and you can borrow the television series starring Patrick Swayze.

The Color Purple by Alice Walker. Focused on the lives of black women in the southern U.S, this Pulitzer Prize winner continues to be in demand today.  It was later adapted for film, with Oprah making her screen debut.

Jane Fonda's Workout Book by Jane Fonda. Ok - she was all about the leg-warmers. Her seminal workout may no longer be available, but you can read her memoir, My Life So Far. 

In Search of Excellence by Tom Peters. A blockbuster business book. In 2001, a controversial article alleged that Peters' fact-checking was somewhat less than excellent.  You can borrow the 2006 edition in print and ebook.

War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.  A British children's book about the horrors of WW I through the experiences of Joey, a cavalry horse.  Who knew that decades later it would be a stage and screen hit? Steven Spielberg's 2011 War Horse is available to borrow on DVD. 

Bowie's ground-breaking video for Ashes to Ashes from his Scary Monsters album. It's still pretty darn cool:

 

 Below: Pac-Man and the Commodore 64.  All the rage in 1982. Retro cool in 2012. 

Further reading:  Retro Reads: That 70s Book

The bleaker, the better: More great dystopian reads

Earlier last month, I posted a few titles - mostly teen fiction - that painted dreary futures of tyrannical governments, genetic experimentations gone awry and more. There were, of course, still many more titles I missed, and I had loads of suggestions from readers who had some of their own picks to share.

Here are some more featured dystopian reads, including favourites from commenters, and some more I wanted to add in. When it comes to dystopian reading, you can never get too wierd or too creepy, so if you think this list is too tame, consider this a challenge to bring it on!

The Classics
These have been around forever - and with good reason. You may have read some of these in school, and they may have actually *gasp!* interested you! If you haven't yet, make time to get yourself into the worlds of these writers who were ahead of their times.

1. 1984 by George Orwell (reader suggestion!)
2. Brave New World by Aldous Huxley (reader suggestion!)
3. Lord of the Flies by William Golding
4. The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (reader suggestion!)

If you'd like to try your luck, you can also walk into a local library branch and check out the Classic paperback section for the titles above.

Hot for Teens
Fresh off the success of hits like The Hunger Games and Divergent, there have been a slew of young adult books that deal with themes of isolation, loss of identity, and power struggles - usually against the backdrop of mass government control. Here are some other titles to get you psyched (and maybe just a little paranoid...)

1. Scored by Lauren McLaughlin
2. This is Not a Test by Courtney Summers
3. A Long, Long Sleep by Anna Sheehan
4. Beta by Rachel Cohn
5. Feed by MT Anderson (reader suggestion!)
6. Unwind by Neal Shusterman

You've heard of it...now read it!
You may have seen the screen adaptation or had a friend gush over how much she loved this book...and cha nces are, you haven't quite read the book yet. Why wait?

 

1. We by Yevgeny Zamyat in (reader suggestion!)
2.   The Lathe of Heaven by Ursula K. LeGuin (reader suggestion!)
3. The Book of Dave by Will Self (reader suggestion!)
   
4. World Made by Hand by James Howard Kunstler (reader suggestion!)
5. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline (considered more utopian, actually...)
6. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore
7. World War Z by Max Brooks
8. The Devil's Alphabet by Daryl Gregory
9. Blindness by Jose Saramago
10. Battle Royale by Koushun Tamaki

Remember that many of these titles are available in a number of formats, including paperback, ebook and audio, so you can read it however you want.

Happy Reading!