Be sure to stop by on Sunday, December 4 to meet local children’s author Anna Blauveldt. She will be here from 11:00am to 2:00pm to sign and read her brand new book Kat and the Meanies.
Check out Anna’s facebook page here.
Author: Hilary
Elie Nasrallah Signing “Hostage to History”
Local author, Elie Nasrallah will be here on Saturday, December 3 from 12:00pm to 3:00pm to sign copies of his book Hostage to History.
Check out the following links to find out more about Elie Nasrallah and his work!
Elie’s essay from one of this week’s editions of the Ottawa Citizen:
http://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/nasrallah-lets-stop-the-myth-making-around-multiculturalism
This is a great article from Ottawa Life Magazine in which Elie Nasrallah is named one of the top 25 people in the Capital:
http://www.ottawalife.com/2016/09/meet-the-16th-annual-top-25-people-in-the-capital-2/
“The Promise of Canada” by Charlotte Gray
Charlotte Gray is well known for her histories and biographies of Canada – many of them winning prizes.
In The Promise of Canada she cleverly chooses nine Canadians from very different walks of life who have left their mark on how we view our country. Beginning with George-Etienne Cartier, one of the Fathers of Confederation, she shows how this shrewd Montreal lawyer insisted on two levels of government for the new Canada: one at the federal level to handle the whole federation, and a more local government in each province that joined up, thus ensuring that French Canada would run everything essential to the survival of their culture.
She goes on to describe a very tough Mountie, Samuel Benfield Steele and then seven more Canadians, some more famous than others but all of whom have left their mark on the way we live. These include Tommy Douglas (who master-minded health care), Margaret Atwood with her original-minded writing, Elijah Harper speaking up for First Nations.
This is Canada’s 150th Birthday coming up. There will doubtless be much written on how we look and how we got here. This will be one of the most interesting and provocative by a writer, herself an immigrant to Canada who has come to know and love it as her own.
Reviewed by Anne McDougall
A Weekend Full of Signings
We have a great lineup of book signings on tap for you this weekend!
First up, Kass Williams will be here on Saturday, November 19 from 11:00am to 1:00pm to sign copies of her new novel The Elf Conspiracy.
About the book:
“What’s a jolly fat man to do? He’s burned out after 1,000 years on the job. His elves are plotting to take over the world, the CIA thinks he’s a white-bearded Islamist terrorist, four 
hackers have broken his greatest secret, and his wife consorts with demons. Christmas may never be the same.”
Later on November 19, Ian McKercher will be on hand from 1:00pm to 3:00pm signing his new novel (and the sequel to The Underling) The Incrementalist.
A truly Canadian story, this novel follows Frances McFadden as she tries to come to grips with her new position among the upper echelons of the Bank of Canada as the country goes to war.
Local sci-fi author, Alex Binkley will be in the store from 1:30pm to 3:30pm on Sunday, November 20 to launch his new book A Biot’s Odyssey, the sequel to Humanity’s Saving Grace.
Binkley continues the story of a biological robot named Genghis, who became a hero to both humans and Beings thanks to his role in the Nameless War. Now, charged with a new task and with the help of Wood, a maverick robot, Genghis sets off on a new adventure through the stars.
We look forward to seeing you all this weekend!
“Mad Enchantment” by Ross King
This is another intriguing book by Ross King, who brings an artist to life by a skillful blending of biography and art history.
Claude Monet may be France’s most famous painter. Here we see how he was successful very early in his career, particularly at the Paris Salon in 1865. He went on to get higher and higher prices for his works and was now showing with a group of artistic rebels: Pierre-August Renoir, Edgar Degas and Paul Cezanne whom critics called “Impressionists.” Monet had a famously keen eye for light and painted landscapes and interiors in and around Paris. He preferred the country, however, and in 1883 moved to a small picturesque town north of Paris called Giverny. Here, in a large comfortable house, he had servants, a studio and a number of cars. Friends came down from Paris including the Prime Minister, Georges Clemenceau.
Monet’s first wife had died young but he remarried, taking on quite a large family. He concentrated on the gardens which came with his Giverny house and enlarged them by building ponds, and put in a Japanese bridge. By 1914 his second wife died, also his own son. Monet almost stopped painting entirely, until he conceived the idea of bringing in exotic water lilies, in different colours and did a whole series of paintings on extra large canvases. They gave him a new lease on life and brought in big prices. This book has excellent photos of Monet’s work and how it developed to peak with the water lilies which made him world-famous.
Reviewed by Anne McDougall
Special Store Hours
We will be CLOSED on Friday, November 11 until 1:00pm for Remembrance Day. We will be open in the afternoon from 1:00-7:00pm.
Ken Grant Signing “Oh Great Granteenie”
Local radio celebrity Ken Grant will be paying us a visit on Saturday, November 12 from 12:00-3:00pm to sign copies of his book Oh Great Granteenie. This is a brand new collection of hilarious, laugh-out-loud anecdotes from your favourite General.
Nathan Greenfield Book Launch
Local historian, Nathan Greenfield will be here on Sunday, November 6 at 2:30pm to launch his brand new book The Reckoning: Canadian Prisoners of War in the Great War.
About the book:
“Conditions in German POW camps were generally vile, with soldiers having little to eat but thin soup and putrid meat. Canadian men were used as slave labourers in salt mines and coal mines, and those who refused the work were beaten. Any soldiers thought to have engaged in sabotage were beaten and tortured, and some were murdered.
In The Reckoning bestselling author and Governor General’s Award–nominee Nathan M. Greenfield explores life and death in the camps, as well as the attempts to run for freedom. These are the forgotten stories of our soldiers at war and in the camps, and of how they never gave up hope of making it out alive.”
Claudia Howard Signing “The Holy Crap Cookbook”
Be sure to stop by on Sunday, October 30 to meet Claudia Howard, the co-author of The Holy Crap Cookbook (Douglas & McIntyre, $22.95; written with Corin Mullins). She will be here from 12:00pm to 2:00pm to sign books, give out bags of her famous Holy Crap cereal, and entice us all to enter a prize draw for a special Holy Crap gift basket!
About Holy Crap:
“When Corin and Brian Mullins started their company, HapiFoods, in 2009 with just $129, they had no idea that in less than a decade they would be shipping millions of bags of cereals around the world. They just wanted to make a nourishing product that would both taste good and be compatible with Brian’s food allergies and perhaps sell it locally for a bit of extra retirement income. After much experimentation, Corin came across the tiny black chia seed – a complete protein, rich in omega 3 fatty acids as well as minerals, antioxidants and fibre. Corin blended chia with nutrient-rich buckwheat and hulled hemp seeds and, inspired by an enthusiastic comment from one of their first customers, she and Brian decided to label their first creation “Holy Crap, the World’s Most Amazing Cereal.” Thanks in part to an appearance on the hit CBC show Dragons’ Den, their products gained the attention of Canadian consumers, many of whom became loyal customers.
Starting with HapiFoods’ cereals and adding other healthy ingredients, this inspirational cookbook emphasizes a plant-based, gluten-free diet and includes over 60 simple-to-prepare but simply awesome recipes that harness the power of superfoods. From protein-packed breakfast fare like refreshing smoothies and perfect pancakes, to satisfying savory dishes and decadent desserts that don’t sacrifice nutrition for flavour, all the recipes in The Holy Crap Cookbook are in keeping with the Holy Crap philosophy: what you eat should be good for you and taste great.”
Claudia Howard is a communications professional who lives in Gibsons, BC. She loves experimenting with local ingredients and adapting recipes to healthier versions.
Saturday Signings: Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon and Huguette Young
More super signing events coming up this weekend!
Be sure to stop by on Saturday, October 29 to meet Bobbi-Jean MacKinnon. She will be here from 11:00am to 1:00pm signing copies of her new book Shadow of Doubt: The Trial of Dennis Oland.
About the book:
“On July 6, 2011, Richard Oland, scion of the Moosehead brewing family, was murdered in his office. The brutal killing stunned the city of Saint John, and news of the crime reverberated across the country. In a shocking turn, and after a two-and-half-year police investigation, Oland’s only son, Dennis, was arrested for second-degree murder.
Shadow of Doubt is a revealing look at a sensational crime, the tribulations of a prominent family, and the inner workings of the justice system that led to Dennis Oland’s contentious conviction.”
Later that afternoon, Huguette Young will be here from 1:00pm to 4:00pm to sign copies of Justin Trudea: The Natural Heir.
About the book:
“Having grown-up in the shadow of his famous father, a political giant who dominated Canadian politics for almost sixteen years, Justin Trudeau took many detours before discovering that he was a natural politician, with qualities, such as a charismatic ease with the public, that his father never possessed.
Yet to most Canadians, Trudeau remains a blank slate. Inexperienced and underestimated, he was able, in his early forties, to catapult the Liberal Party of Canada from third to first place in one giant sweep. It was a historic feat that left a nation amazed and wondering what to expect next.
In this unauthorized biography, journalist Huguette Young, who has conducted numerous interviews with Trudeau’s entourage, gives a look inside his inner circle and shows the path his leadership might take. Meant for supporters and skeptics alike, Young’s is a revealing account of one of Canada’s most compelling and enigmatic figures.”
We hope to see you all here!