They say that reading is one of the best ways to build empathy and become a better person. When we have an insider's view of the narrator's thoughts, we get used to understanding the feelings of other people. So it stands to reason that stories with multiple narrators must build...
Fantasy, science fiction, dystopia and more, speculative fiction by Black writers covers the full spectrum of imagination. These works combine history, folklore, contemporary social issues and visions of a distant future. Staff from the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation & Fantasy have highlighted some of our favourite works by...
In celebration of Pride Month, the Reading Challenge team got together and picked some of our favourite books by LGBTQ2S+ authors for each of the main Reading Challenge categories. Here are our suggestions. We'll be holding a Pride-themed book discussion on Tuesday, June 9 at 5 pm. Everyone is welcome...
I'm isolating alone but I expect that those of you hunkering down with other people may be in need of new things to talk about. Never fear, these books are full of interesting dinner conversation starters. All are available as ebooks. Curious History of Food and Drink by Ian Crofton...
These days, many of us are getting by with a little help from our family and friends, but also...books! If you're looking for some comfort, insight or support right now, give one of these timely reads a try. Also, we're hosting our next Reading Challenge Online Book Discussion on Tuesday,...
These days, a lot of us are doing a lot more of our reading online. We wanted to provide some accessibility tips for folks who may be finding it hard to make the change from paper to digital books. We also wanted to let you know other ways that people...
For those of us that are fortunate enough to be at home and physical distancing, time in the kitchen has increased exponentially over the last several weeks. For many during these uncertain and extraordinary times, baking has become a comforting way to pass the time, and a way to explore...
Have you ever wanted to dive into a book, but found yourself overwhelmed by length of it? Or perhaps you just prefer short stories or novellas? If so, this category is right up your alley: "a book under 200 pages long/ an audiobook under 5 hours long"! We'll be hosting...
Did you know that you can access thousands of digital comics and graphic novels through Overdrive and Hoopla with your library card? Well, now you do! This post features ten digital titles that I think all you adults out there will especially enjoy. Some are fun and escapist, while others...
Oh, sports fans, I understand. This is a terrible time of year to be without sports. Even worse, some people are blaming the suspension of sports on us, citing something called The Toronto Curse. It turns out that every time a Toronto team has won its first championship, the following...