Author: Hilary

Welcome to April! Let the games begin…or, more appropriately, the rains. Although it’s hard to feel optimistic on cool, grey, rainy days when we still need to wear hats, mitts, and boots to keep warm, it helps to remember that old saying, “April Showers Bring May Flowers!” Books and water may not mix that well, but in this case, nothing can help you while away the rainy day hours like a great read. So, in the interests of speeding our way through this transition period between winter and spring, restock your shelves, head out on a new literary adventure, and dream of warm seasons to come. Flowers, and sunshine, and books, oh my!

Just as spring hearkens the return of the songbirds and the birth of baby animals, it also means that our in-store events have begun to flourish once again. One of our favourite local mystery authors, Linda Wiken will be here on Saturday, April 22 from 12:00-2:00pm to sign copies of her new book Roux the Day. This second book in the Dinner Club Mystery Series is the follow up to Toasting Up Trouble, the book in which readers were introduced to the smart and savvy event planner turned amateur sleuth, Jennifer “J.J.” Tanner. The following week, St. John’s singer/songwriter Amelia Curran will be taking a break from her Watershed tour to pay us a visit. She will be stopping by on Friday, April 28 from 2:00-3:00pm to sign copies of her book of songs Relics and Tunes. Rounding out the month in style, we will be celebrating the 2017 edition of Authors for Indies Day on Saturday, April 29! This full day of festivities will feature fun promotions, prize draws, and an exciting lineup of local authors you can come in to meet, chat with, and get book recommendations from. Over the course of the day, we will be hosting Joanne Proulx (Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet), R.J. Harlick (A Cold White Fear), Susan Delacourt (Shopping for Votes), Michael Dennis (Bad Engine), Frances Itani (Tell), and Sonia Tilson (The Monkey Puzzle Tree). Scroll down to the bottom of this newsletter for the full Authors for Indies Day schedule.

As the seasons turn, so too do the types of books that make their way onto our shelves. So, while we start thinking ahead to planting bulbs, setting up our vegetable gardens, and wondering what herbs we should grow this year, it’s not surprising that our store is filling up with books full of hope, love, and new beginnings. From the author of The Reluctant Fundamentalist, Mohsin Hamid, comes a brand new novel that has burst onto the literary scene in true blockbuster fashion. Exit West is the story of two young people living in a country on the brink of war. Just as they find each other and begin a passionate love affair, Nadia and Saeed are forced to embark on a journey into the unknown in order to save themselves and their dreams of a future together. Genevieve Graham‘s new wartime novel Promises to Keep is a perfect read for fans of Susanna Kearsley, Lucinda Riley, and Kate Morton. This wonderful, heart-wrenching read set in Nova Scotia during the expulsion of the Acadians, features a reluctant British soldier and a young Acadian woman whose love for each other faces the ultimate test when they must decide whether to risk everything in order to be together or live with the pain of being separated forever. Irish author Sara Baume explores a different kind of love in Spill Simmer Falter Wither. As the two outcasts in a small village, a shunned man and a one-eyed dog form an unlikely bond and take to the road together when suspicion and false accusations turn their neighbours against them. A testament to the power of unconditional love, this novel is a touching and heartfelt read.

A new beginning can be invigorating and full of hope when entered into willingly, but it can also be frightening and unsettling when you find yourself with no other choice. Siobhan Vivian‘s newest book for young adults, The Last Boy and Girl in the World, is an emotional, goofy, and bittersweet read on par with The Unexpected Everything by Morgan Matson. When a small lumber town is sacrificed to flood waters in order to save a series of larger towns and expensive developments downriver, Keeley and her friends and family are forced to prepare for an irreversible change that they are all powerless to stop. Similar to the movie You’ve Got Mail, Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett is a wonderful story about a quirky classic movie buff named Bailey who moves across the country with her father in order to escape a traumatizing event in her past and her mother’s crumbling second marriage. Hilarious and sweet, it is the perfect teen read for springtime! Canadian great Emma Donoghue made her middle-grade debut this past week with the publication of The Lotterys Plus One. With the same talent and heart that she puts into her novels for adults, this story explores the changing dynamics within a large, blended family when a long estranged grandfather (a.k.a. Grumps) is added to the mix…and the house!

Taking a trip to a faraway land is a very tempting thing to do this time of year, even if it’s only on the pages of a book. This year, let Marc Morris be your guide on a tour of some of Medieval Britain’s most impressive buildings in Castles: Their History and Evolution in Medieval Britain. Though castles were first and foremost family homes, their overwhelming and imposing appearance is more often associated with grand cavalry campaigns, epic battles, and seemingly endless sieges. It’s this inherent dichotomy that Morris explores in this fascinating new release. Like castles, adventures on the high seas are a perfect escape from rainy day doldrums. With this in mind, why not pick up a copy of Laura Sook Duncombe‘s Pirate Women? While most people are familiar with the lives and escapades of famous pirates like Peter Easton, Blackbeard, and Captain Kidd, in this fascinating book, readers are introduced to a series of strong, determined women from every corner of the globe who could swashbuckle with the best of them, but whose stories have, for the most part, been lost beneath the waves.

Here are a few more new releases and upcoming titles that are worth keeping an eye out for: Strong in the New Pretty by Kate T. Parker, Botanical Shakespeare by Gerit Quealy, My Italian Bulldozer by Alexander McCall Smith, Ingenious by David Johnston, American War by Omar El Akkad, Goodnight From London by Jennifer Robson (April 11), Missing by Kelley Armstrong (April 18), Beartown by Fredrik Backman (April 25), Maud by Melanie Fishbane (April 25), and New Boy by Tracy Chevalier (May 16).

As the last vestiges of winter slowly melt away, and we enter that wet, muddy purgatory before the spring heat and sunshine come to stay, it’s important to make sure that your bookshelves are well-stocked. After all, there’s no better way to pass the time between now and garden season than to travel through time and space in the world’s most reliable vehicle. Books may be made of paper and ink, but their safety features are top notch!

So, however hard the rain, rain, rain comes down, down, down outside, we offer this sound piece of advice: “It’s never too messy out to make a trip to the bookstore!”

Happy Reading!

— The Staff of Books on Beechwood

Welcome to March! “In like a lion” seems to be the verdict for this third month of the year – a wet lion which quickly froze, but a lion nonetheless. Perhaps, if the saying holds true, we will have a nice, calm “out like a lamb” to look forward to. Well, regardless of the weather, there is no time like the present to escape into a great new book (or books). So,while we make our way through what we hope are the last weeks of winter, come down and browse our shelves for some new intriguing and enticing titles that would be more than willing to keep you company while we say goodbye to one season and hello to the next.

As we creep closer and closer to spring, our in-store events are starting to pop up like bright green sprouts from the snow-covered soil. On Saturday, March 4, Newfoundland author Chad Pelley will be in the store from 1:00-3:00pm signing copies of his books Four-Letter Words, Every Little Thing, and Away From Everywhere. The last of these, Away From Everywhere, has just been made into a movie starring Jason Priestley which just had its Ottawa premiere at the NAC. Perennial event favourite, Elie Nasrallah will be paying us a visit on Saturday, March 11 from 12:00-4:00pm to sign copies of his book Hostage to History. On the Titles@Table40 front, we still have a few tickets left for Tim Cook‘s appearance on Sunday, March 26. So, if you’ve been waffling about whether or not  you want to go, give us a call or visit us today to reserve your spot before we’re sold out!

It’s only the beginning of March, but we wanted to give you a quick sneak peak at a couple of events we have coming up in April that we’re very excited about! First up, on Friday, April 28, St. John’s singer/songwriter Amelia Curran will be stopping by to sign copies of her new book Relics and Tunes: The Songs of Amelia Curran and then, to cap off the month, we will be celebrating Authors for Indies Day on Saturday, April 29. We’ll be giving you updates and more information about both these events, so be sure to keep an eye on our website and newsletter over the next month as we get all the details ironed out for you.

As always, it’s no great hardship to find some real gems amongst all the books we receive at the store everyday. Always a favourite, Ali Smith has given us yet another great novel in Autumn. Part saga, part meditation on the state of the world, this is the first in Smith‘s planned Seasonal Quartet, a series of four standalone novels that are both individual and interconnected, much like the seasons themselves. Although it’s been four years since her last book, Sarah Dunant has made a triumphant return with her new historical novel In the Name of the Family. Set once again in Renaissance Italy, this novel will plunge readers into the dangerous and turbulent world of the Borgias, with a special guest appearance by none other than Niccolo Machiavelli! Full of bright passion and rich history, In the Name of the Family is the perfect read for fans of Philippa Gregory, Alison Weir, and Diana Gabaldon. Miss Treadway & the Field of Stars by Miranda Emmerson features a London mystery like no other! When American star Iolanthe Green goes missing after giving an evening performance, the fickle public quickly lose interest in her very real vanishing act. Determined to find Iolanthe, her dresser, Anna Treadway, is joined by an Irish policeman, a Turkish coffee house owner, and a Jamaican accountant as she navigates a world of underground music clubs, brutal back alleys, and mist-shrouded streets in her search for a star no one else seems willing to look for. Finally, from Steve Burrows, the beloved author of A Siege of Bitterns, A Pitying of Doves, and A Cast of Falcons, comes his newest mystery, A Shimmer of Hummingbirds. Full of life-changing choices and impossible situations, this fourth book in the Birder Mystery Series will delight old and new fans alike.

The teens and kids in your lives won’t feel at all left out when they see some of the great YA and children’s books making their way onto our shelves for spring. In The Beast is an Animal by Peternelle Van Arsdale, readers are invited into a dark, dark wood where legends are real and the existence of good and evil is as much a part of everyday life as children’s nursery rhymes. Spooky and thrilling, Van Arsdale delivers a great story for anyone who likes a little darkness with their fantasy. On a lighter note, Garth Nix‘s Frogkisser is a fun, magical story that will keep you laughing to the very end. In an attempt to save her kingdom from her evil step-stepfather (the new husband to her evil stepmother), Princess Anya enlists the help of a loyal talking dog, a young thief trapped in the body of a newt, and some mischievous wizards as she sets out on a quest full of new friendships, fun, and adventure. How Not To Disappear by Clare Furniss is a wonderful story of reinvention, self-discovery, and the healing power of the open road. After being abandoned by her two best friends and discovering that she’s pregnant, Hattie’s summer takes yet another surprising turn when her gin-loving Great Aunt Gloria – a relative no one knew existed – comes crashing into her life. Together this unlikely pair set out on a journey to confront both the secrets of their pasts and the choices that will determine their futures.

For the little ones in your lives, there are some beautiful, adorable, and hilarious children’s picture books to choose from. As a follow-up to his supremely successful board books, Dog, Cat, Moo, and Tails, Matthew Van Fleet gives us the colourful and interactive Dance. Featuring lots of different animals and large easy-to-pull tabs to make those animals dance, this board book is sure to keep any toddler entertained for hours on end. A sweet story of opposites and comparisons, Me Tall, You Small by Lilli L’Arronge is a parent-child story full of fun and fancy, not to mention adorable otters! Perfect for the extremely imaginative child, Stephanie Graegin‘s wordless picture book Little Fox in the Forest is a beautiful story of love and friendship. Boy and Girl live in a world of black and white until the day when Girl’s favourite stuffed animal, Little Fox, goes missing. As the two children search the nearby forest, they enter a world full of bright colours and lively critters and eventually find Little Fox in a very appropriate place. The Prince and the Porker by Peter Bently and David Roberts is a wacky and hilarious rhyming story perfect for any child who loves to laugh. As a twist on the age-old story of The Prince and the Pauper, Pignatius’ tale of mistaken identity will charm and delight children and parents alike!

As March has only just begun, we still have almost four full weeks of great book releases to look forward to. Here are a few things we’re keeping our eye on: Feast: Recipes and Stories From a Canadian Roadtrip by Lindsay Anderson and Dana VanVeller (March 7), Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by J.K. Rowling (the original Hogwarts textbook; March 14), Triangle by Jon Klassen and Mac Barnett (March 14), The Tea Girl of Hummingbird Lane by Lisa See (March 21), The Princess in Black Takes a Vacation by Shannon and Dean Hale (March 21), and War Cry by Wilbur Smith (April 4).

As the weather continues to haphazardly fluctuate from rain to snow and puddles to ice, our reading list is one thing that we do have control over. So, be sure to pile your nightstand high and avoid the messy world outside by escaping into ancient times, magical worlds, intriguing lives, and everlasting loves on a magic carpet made of books.

Happy Reading!

–The Staff of Books on Beechwood