June Bestsellers
1. The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese
2. Everyone in this Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin
3. Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver
4. 111 Places in Ottawa That You Must Not Miss by by Jennifer Bain
5. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
6. The Wager by David Grann
7. Pageboy by Elliot Page
8. Best Hikes: Ottawa-Gatineau by Vickie Lanthier
9. Carson Crosses Canada by Linda Bailey
10. Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson
Spring Bestsellers
1. Best Hikes: Ottawa-Gatineau by Vickie Lanthier
2. Snow Road Station by Elizabeth Hay
3. Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood
4. Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton
5. Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
6. Homecoming by Kate Morton
7. The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
8. The Wager by David Grann
9. When Last Seen by Brenda Chapman
10. When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill
Greetings Book Lovers!
So it took a little while, but summer finally arrived and is now going strong!! The days have been nice and warm (but not too hot), the sun has been shining more than not, and our shelves here at the store are absolutely filled to the brim with great summer reads! Do you like solving thrilling mysteries? Spending time exploring the shades of the past? Escaping to exotic locales? However you like to spend your warm, sunny days, we know we’ve got the book for you!
While we get great enjoyment out of curling up with a good book and a toasty drink during the dark, winter months, there’s just something extra special about the prospect of summer reading. The dream of spending those long, lazy summer days lounging in a hammock in a sun-dappled grove with a pile of great books and a mojito close at hand lives on from year to year, even if it never quite becomes a reality (not yet, anyway). Regardless of where you find yourself reading though, as long as the book is good, not much else matters. And with so many new books hitting our shelves every day, you have lots of great ones to choose from! One of our favourite places to travel by book these days is Ancient Greece and the Mediterranean, and there’s certainly no shortage of books eager and able to take us there! We’ve read and enjoyed the works of Madeline Miller (Circe and The Song of Achilles), Elodie Harper (The Wolf Den and The House With the Golden Door), Marie Phillips (Gods Behaving Badly), Claire North (Ithaca), and Natalie Haynes (A Thousand Ships and Pandora’s Jar), and now Jennifer Saint has gifted us with another retelling of an ancient myth, Atalanta. As in her previous two books, Ariadne and Elektra, in this new novel, Saint focuses her creative lens on yet another strong, underestimated woman. After being abandoned by her parents for not being the son they longed for, Princess Atalanta is taken into the protective orbit of the Goddess Artemis. Raised by a mother bear in the wilds of the forest, Atalanta grows into a strong, free-spirited young woman with a taste for adventure. In an effort to fulfill Atalanta’s longing to explore the world, Artemis grants her charge the opportunity to fight alongside the famed Argonauts in their quest for The Golden Fleece. In true Greek deity form, her parting gift is an ominous warning – marriage will be Atalanta’s undoing. Torn between the joy she feels at proving herself in a world dominated by men and her protector’s warnings, Atalanta sets out to blaze her own trail and achieve her dreams while avoiding dire divine consequences.
In the wake of television shows like Bridgerton and the recent adaptations of two of Jane Austen‘s novels, Sanditon and Persuasion, interest in all things Regency has been renewed! Our own interest may be deeply rooted in original works, but we are definitely still able to appreciate all the new stories out there that take their inspiration from the likes of Jane Austen, Susan Ferrier, and Sir Walter Scott. In fact, we were so delighted by last year’s release of The Murder of Mr. Wickham by Claudia Gray, that we couldn’t contain our excitement when the sequel, The Late Mrs. Willoughby, showed up not long ago. While Jonathan Darcy (son of Elizabeth and Fitzwilliam of Pride and Prejudice fame) is not overjoyed about visiting his old schoolmate John Willoughby, things become decidedly less bleak when he finds himself once again in the company of his crime-solving companion, Juliet Tilney (daughter of Catherine and Henry Tilney of Northanger Abbey), who happens to be in Devonshire visiting her new friend, Marianne Brandon (known as Marianne Dashwood prior to marrying Colonel Brandon in Sense and Sensibility). When Mr. Willoughby’s new, young wife is poisoned at a party meant to welcome her to town, rumours begin to fly immediately, and Jonathan and Juliet join forces once more to try to solve the case! Full of twists and turns, fresh scandal, and some very messy romantic history, this Regency mystery will keep you guessing to the bitter end! Even more murder and mayhem await in Melodie Campbell‘s new mystery novel The Merry Widow Murders. If you enjoy the incredible sleuthing of Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple, and the quirkiness of television shows like Frankie Drake Mysteries and Murdoch Mysteries, then you will love this 1920s ocean liner murder mystery! Lady Lucy Revelstoke is a widow with deep roots in the Canadian mob scene, who, thanks to her late husband’s position in society, is now an accepted member of the British aristocracy. When an unknown dead man is suddenly discovered in her first class cabin, it’s up to Lucy, Elf (a pick-pocket turned maid), and her dashing friend, Lord Tony, to solve the mystery before the authorities can dig too deeply into Lucy’s colourful past.
The end of the school year has come and gone, which means it’s time to start thinking about what books the young people in your life will want to read over the coming weeks. Whether they’re off to camp for the summer or planning on sticking closer to home, they will never be bored with a handy literary companion by their side! For kids who love adventure and devoured books like Gary Paulsen‘s Hatchet, the newest Dusti Bowling book might be just the ticket! Across the Desert tells the story of 12-year aviation-obsessed Jolene, who spends as much of her free time as possible at the local library watching her favourite livestream, The Desert Aviator. A 12-year-old herself, aviator Addie Earhart loves sharing her adventures through her online platform, even if she only has a single fan. As each girl deals with troubles at home, they both find a kind of freedom and solace through Addie’s ultralight plane trips over the Arizona desert. So when Addie has an accident during her livestream and the picture goes black, Jolene knows she has to find a way to help her friend! What follows is a tale of true bravery, selflessness, and devotion. Jolene is a clever, loving, beautifully crafted character who will capture readers’ hearts despite some of her more questionable decision-making! Described as Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them crossed with the fiction of Neil Gaiman, Once There Was by Kiyash Monsef would make for a truly enchanting summer read for the magically-inclined! Part thriller, part mystery, part fantasy, this debut novel follows the story of Marjan, a young woman cast adrift in the world after her father’s mysterious death. Left with a struggling veterinary practice on top of her already busy school life and her mixed up feelings about her dad, the last thing Marjan needs is more surprises. So when she gets a strange phone call about a gryphon who needs medical attention, she can barely believe her ears! Thus begins a wondrous (and often dangerous) journey of discovery as Marjan learns more about herself, her father, and the magical creatures she thought only existed in fairy tales! Surrounded by a cast of lovely, quirky characters, this young heroine is one you can’t help but root for!
Given how many books we’ve been receiving lately (and how long it’s taken us to actually write this newsletter), there are so many more titles we wish we had space to tell you about. Here are just some of the other recently released and forthcoming books we think are worth a closer look: The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece by Tom Hanks, When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill, In the Lives of Puppets by T.J. Klune, A Shadow Crown by Melissa Blair, The Postcard by Anne Berest, Everything She Feared by Rick Mofina, The Midnight News by Jo Baker, The Half Moon by Mary Beth Keane, The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore, The Merry Widow Murders by Melodie Campbell, Standing in the Shadows by Peter Robinson, The Malevolent Seven by Sebastien De Castell, The Story of Art Without Men by Katy Hessel, Outside by Ragnar Jonasson, The Poisoner’s Ring by Kelley Armstrong, The Lock-Up by John Banville, Truth Telling by Michelle Good, Killing Moon by Jo Nesbo, Pebble & Dove by Amy Jones, Death Comes to Marlow by Robert Thorogood, The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies by Alison Goodman, Lady Sapiens by Thomas Cirotteau, Nothing Good Happens in Wazirabad on Wednesday by Jamaluddin Amal, The Little Italian Hotel by Phaedra Patrick, Imagining England’s Past by Susan Owens, Lady Caroline Lamb by Antonia Fraser, The Ghost Ship by Kate Mosse, Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa See, Girlfriend on Mars by Deborah Willis, A Lady’s Guide to Scandal by Sophie Irwin, Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch, 100 Places to See After You Die by Ken Jennings, How to Survive History by Cody Cassidy, Loot by Tania James, The Skull by Jon Klassen, The Collector by Daniel Silva, Silver Nitrate by Silvia Morena-Garcia, Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, One of Us is Back by Karen M. McManus, The Little Village of Book Lovers by Nina George, How to Be Eaten by Maria Adelmann, The Paris Mystery by Kirsty Manning, The Weaver and the Witch Queen by Genevieve Gornichec, Tom Lake by Ann Patchett (August 1), Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (August 1), Hopscotch by Marie-Louise Gay (August 1), Paper Trails by Roy MacGregor (August 1), The Bone Hacker by Kathy Reichs (August 1), The Night Ship by Jess Kidd (August 8), The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman (August 15), The Romantic by William Boyd (August 15), The Water Outlaws by S.L. Huang (August 22), Storyland by Amy Jeffs (August 22), A Chateau Under Siege by Martin Walker (August 29), Dead of Night by Simon Scarrow (August 29).
Although the summer months always seem to fly by faster than they should, there’s still lots of time in which to enjoy the sunshine and a few great reads! So, wherever this summer takes you, be sure to pay us a visit before you go. Our staff will be here, ready and willing to help you find the perfect book (or books) to keep you company on all your summer adventures!
Happy Reading!
– The Staff at Books on Beechwood
Holiday Hours
We will be CLOSED on Monday, August 7 for the civic holiday and Monday, September 4 for Labour Day.
Hilary’s Bookshelf
What I’m Reading: The Firefly Summer by Morgan Matson
“I don’t know about you, but I definitely have a few choice ‘drop everything and read’ authors in my life and Morgan Matson is one of them! I’ve read and loved all six of her teen books and couldn’t wait to dive into this newest book, her first for middle grade readers! Ryanna is a charming protagonist and you will love following along on her adventures at Camp Van Camp. This is a wonderfully sweet, enchanting treat of a book that will leave you just as satisfied (if not more) as the most delicious fireside s’mores!”