Tips for a bookish March Break: Hilary was on CBC!

Hilary was on CBC’s Ottawa Morning show over the March break..

Tips for a bookish March Break. We ask a local librarian and bookstore manager for their surefire slamdunk reads for kids.

Have a listen on the CBC website. There was also an accompanying article with all the details from the radio piece.

A local copy of the article and audio are also available if the originals above go missing.

September 27th – John Ibbitson with his new book ‘Stephen Harper’

Kicking off our new Titles@Table40 season will be John Ibbitson discussing his new book Stephen Harper on Sunday, September 27.

As before, the evening will start at 5:30pm with dinner, followed by the author presentation and book signing. Those who wish to attend must reserve their spot through the bookstore with a non-refundable deposit of $20.

Our 2 Book Clubs

Our Book Club kicks off its fall season starting in September. There are two sessions and members may attend whichever session works better for them. New members are always welcome. Check with the store for more details. (call 613-742-5030 or email staff@booksonbeechwood.ca). The featured books are discounted in the store each month.

Session 1 Session 2
 Date:

Time:

Location:

 

 

 

Session Leader:

The Second Wednesday of the month7:30pm

2ndFloor Lounge

New Edinburgh Square

35 Beechwood Avenue

Antoinette Fracassi

 Date:

Time:

Location:

 

 

 

Session Leader:

The Last Wednesday of the month7:30pm

Penthouse

The Edinburgh Retirement Residence

10 Vaughan Street

Jill Moll

Schedule: September 9Medicine Walkby Richard Wagamese

October 14

The Comebackby John Ralston Saul

November 11

Us Conductorsby Sean Michaels

Schedule: September 30Medicine Walkby Richard Wagamese

October 28

The Comebackby John Ralston Saul

November 25

Us Conductorsby Sean Michaels

Closed Friday afternoon!

We will be closed from 1pm onwards on Friday to attend Peter’s funeral service.

There will be a celebration of Peter’s life at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, on Friday, June 19, 2015. There will be a visitation from 2 p.m. followed by a celebration of life at 3 p.m. and a reception afterward. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leading Note Foundation or the charity of your choice.

Peter Dawson – one of our co-owners – passed away recently

PeterIt is with deep sadness and regret that we announce the death of Peter Dawson, on 12 June 2015, following a sudden illness. Peter was instrumental, along with co-owners Brian and George, in saving the Books on Beechwood store when it was about to be closed in December 2012. When the possibility of taking over the bookstore came up, Peter mused that it had been one of his dreams to run a bookstore when he retired. This was a dream that becane reality as Peter always enjoyed new challenges! Peter set out to learn about the book industry and he became actively involved in learning the ins-and-out of running a bookstore – from attending book fairs and dealing with publishers to cleaning carpets and ordering supplies. Over the last two years, Peter kept searching for new ways to expand the bookstore’s reach with increased advertising and presence in the community. As an example, Peter revived the Books on Beechwood tradition of bringing in authors for a dinner followed by a speech, first at the Clocktower Brew Pub and then, more recently, at Table 40 operated by Fraser Café.
Peter’s love of books and reading was one of the reasons he was passionate about the bookstore. Peter joked that he was the store’s best customer – he was a voracious but discriminating reader sometimes enjoying a book a day on his vacations!
Peter had not actually retired when he helped take over the bookstore in 2013, he was still active as Chairman of Iridian Spectral Technologies, a high-tech company that he helped found in 1998.  Peter would spend most days either at the bookstore, Iridian or both as the occasion required. Prior to that Peter enjoyed a long career at the National Research Council of Canada where he was first a research scientist and then eventually became the Director-General at the Institute for Microstructural Sciences.
Peter had a loving family with his wife of more than fifty years, Marilyn; two daughters, Jennifer and Kathryn; and their families, including husbands Rob and David and three grand-daughters, Anna, Erin and Sarah (also a part-time Books on Beechwood volunteer on occasion!).
Peter will be dearly missed by all the staff at Books on Beechwood including Antoinette, Bonnie, Bridget, David, Di, Hilary, Jill, Margaret and Stephanie and also by all the staff and his friends at Iridian. Brian Sullivan and George Laframboise will especially treasure their long friendship with Peter over the years, first at the NRC and then at Iridian and Books on Beechwood.
We will all miss Peter’s wisdom, wit and guidance.

There will be a celebration of Peter’s life at Beechwood Cemetery, 280 Beechwood Avenue, on Friday, June 19, 2015. There will be a visitation from 2 p.m. followed by a celebration of life at 3 p.m. and a reception afterward. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to the Leading Note Foundation or the charity of your choice.

“The Art Forger” by B.A. Shapiro

artforgerThis is a skilful, troubling book about art and the world of forgery. It is well-written by novelist B.A. Shapiro, who teaches fiction writing at Northeastern University and lives in Boston.

It tells the story of Claire Roth, a young artist living in Boston’s south end in a Bohemian area filled with other artists. She makes her living copying masterpieces which are sold, legally as reproductions. She also paints her own works, and is hoping to have a show.

She is visited one day by a well-known gallery owner who has a proposal concerning one of the painting stolen in 1990 in the notorious theft at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. This book delves into the fascinating world of forgery and Claire’s doubts and difficult decisions. One of the reviewers wonders whether we can feel the same beauty looking at a forged painting. It is altogether a very good book and reads like any mystery thriller with an unusually good grasp of its subject.

Review by Anne McDougall

“The Bathing Women” by Tie Ning

bathingwomenWith China more and more in the news everyday, politically and economically, this book opens up a whole new aspect of that country: its social and moral scene.

Tie Ning is a well-known author in her own country and also widely translated in other countries, European and Asian. This is the first book, however, to appear in English. It is named after a painting by Cezanne, and is the story of four women who grew up together, survived the Cultural Revolution and are coping with brand new relationships and values.

There are fascinating glimpses of the old China, as when someone breaks into song about Chairman Mao. But the women are struggling with the problems the West has faced: careers, sibling rivalry, love affairs, time for marriage and motherhood.

Tie Ning has published ten books – collections of short fiction, essays, and novels. She is also president of the Chinese Writers’ Association, the youngest writer and first woman to be honoured this way.

Review by Anne McDougall