Author: Hilary

The 12 Days of (Penguin) Christmas!

Books on Beechwood and Penguin Canada are celebrating the season of giving with The 12 Days of (Penguin) Christmas! For each of the 12 days, we will feature one fabulous Penguin book in our store which will be 20% off on that day!*

1st day: “The Orenda” by Joseph Boyden
2nd day: “Dear Life” by Alice Munro
3rd day: “The Day the Crayons Quit” by Drew Daywalt
4th day: “The Signature of All Things” by Elizabeth Gilbert
5th day: “The War That Ended Peace” by Margret MacMillan
6th day: “Minister Without Portfolio” by Michael Winter
7th day: “The 5th Wave” by Rick Yancey
8th day: “Just One Evil Act” by Elizabeth George
9th day: “Not Quite the Classics” by Colin Mochrie
10th day: “Cinders” by Jan Brett
11th day: “And the Mountains Echoed” by Khaled Hosseini
12th day: “Weird Things Customers Say in Bookstores” by Jen Campbell

Come celebrate the 12 Days of Christmas with us! The fun starts on Friday, December 13! We hope to see you all here!

*while supplies last

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Frank Musten and Lynette Monteiro Signing “Mindfulness Starts Here” on Saturday, December 14 from 11:00am to 1:00pm

mindfulnessstartsLocal authors Frank Musten and Lynette Monteiro will be in the store on Saturday, December 14 to sign copies of their new book Mindfulness Starts Here: An Eight-Week Guide to Skillful Living. Come by between 11:00am and 1:00pm to meet this great author.

From the jacket:

“In Mindfulness Starts Here, you learn how mindfulness works through simple, clear explanations. The instructions and practices show you how to pay attention to your life so you can make skillful decisions.”

Books ‘n Brew Sundays in December…Robert Sibley Discusses “The Way of the 88 Temples”

get-img.xqyBooks on Beechwood & Clocktower Brew Pub Announce…Books ‘n Brew Sundays in December!

December 15: Robert C. Sibley on The Way of the 88 Temples

Join us for dinner at 5:30pm followed by the author’s presentation, questions and book signing. Attendance includes 15% off the book.

To guarantee a spot for this reading, book your table for 5:30pm at the Clocktower Brew Pub, 422 Mackay st., 613-742-3169.

For details call 613-742-5030 or e-mail: staff@booksonbeechwood.ca

December Newsletter

We’re ready for the Christmas rush but don’t leave everything until the last minute!  The shelves are stocked. The staff are ready with advice. The store is buzzing. Or you can avoid the crowds and buy at our on-line bookstore. We’ve added to our collection of cards and calendars. The boxed card sets from UNICEF are going fast but there are many other interesting choices. A calendar featuring Ottawa photos from 1938 has been a best seller. We have jigsaw puzzles and various other games. The Great Penguin Bookchase is the newest game. It is a kind of trivial pursuits for booklovers-recommended for adults. A very popular series of kits for children have been the wooden construction sets of models derived from Leonardo’s drawings such as a siege catapult and a flying machine. The former won an award as one of the best toys for 2013. Our electronic gift cards are selling well –the best solution when you don’t really know quite what to buy.

In the meantime, there are lots of events still going on in December. Please check our newly upgraded Calendar page for details. There are several book signings planned in December. You can click on any item on the calendar to see full details of the featured books. The very successful Books ‘n Brew series at the Clocktower Pub has switched to Sundays in December-see the calendar. (The previously planned event for Dec 8th with Mark Abley will now be held in the store from 1.00-3.00p.m).There will be a pause in this series in January but we hope to resume later since there has been such a great response.

The November bestseller list for the store is given below. It is heavily influenced by our special events with a dominance of Biography and Politics. Since it was the season for literary awards-Nobel Prize, Booker Prize, Giller Prize and so on- the award winners dominate the fiction category.

We will be closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day and New Year’s Day to catch our breath a little but are planning some special events in January to celebrate the end of year 1 of the new ownership. We close at 3.00p.m. on Christmas Eve and New Year’s Eve.

Greetings from all our staff for the Holiday Season. May you have a wonderful celebration.

Books ‘n Brew Update: Mark Abley Signing Conversations With a Dead Man (in the Bookstore)

m-1.phpThere has been a change in venue for our Books ‘n Brew event with Mark Abley. His event is being moved from the Clocktower Brew Pub to Books on Beechwood. He will be in the store on Sunday, December 8 from 1:00-3:00pm to sign copies of his new book Conversations With a Dead Man.

From the jacket:

“As a poet and citizen deeply concerned by the Oka Crisis, the Idle No More protests and Canada’s ongoing failure to resolve First Nations issues, Montreal author Mark Abley has long been haunted by the figure of Duncan Campbell Scott, known both as the architect of Canada’s most destructive Aboriginal policies and as one of the nation’s major poets. Who was this enigmatic figure who could compose a sonnet to an “Onondaga Madonna” one moment and promote a “final solution” to the “Indian problem” the next?

In this passionate, intelligent and highly readable enquiry into the state of Canada’s troubled Aboriginal relations, Abley alternates between analysis of current events and an imagined debate with the spirit of Duncan Campbell Scott, whose defence of the Indian Residential School and belief in assimilation illuminate the historical roots underlying today’s First Nations’ struggles.”

Robert Fontaine Signing “True Confessions of a Film Critic” on Saturday, December 7 from 1:00-3:00pm

m.phpBe sure to come by the store on Saturday, December 7 to meet CBC personality Robert Fontaine! He will be here from 1:00-3:00pm signing copies of his new book True Confessions of a Film Critic.

From the jacket:

“Ever wondered what makes a film critic tick? (and occasionally explode?) Prepare for True Confessions of a Film Critic! Since 1993 Robert Fontaine has been the film reviewer for CBC Radio One’s popular drive-home program ALL IN A DAY, and his lively, witty, and often irreverent reviews have become a highlight of the week for many CBC listeners. True Confessions of a Film Critic presents Robert’s unique take on some of the very best — and the very worst films he has seen over the last few years, accompanying the reader on a journey through the myriad worlds of popular film, from documentary to science fiction, from horror to comedy, from the thriller to the Western; and even to the outer reaches of postmodernism and BEYOND.”

We hope to see you on Saturday!

Best Sellers in November

1.  Shopping for Votes                         Susan Delacourt                               Politics 

2.  Welcome to the Broadcast          Don Newman                                    Biography

3.  Svend Robinson: A life in..           Graeme Truelove                            Biography

4. Road Ends                                          Mary Lawson                                    Fiction

5.  Humanity’s Saving Grace              Alex Binkley                                       Sci-Fi

6.  The War that ended the Peace  Margaret MacMillan                       History                 

7.  How we lead: Canada in a…          Joe Clark                                              Politics

8.  The Longer I’m Prime Minister..              Paul Wells                               Biography

9.  Dear Life                                              Alice Monro                                       Fiction

10. Troubled Pilgrimage: Passage..  Balwant Bhanega                             Biography

11. The Luminaries                                 Eleanor Catton                                  Fiction

12. The Orenda                                        Joseph Bryden                                  Fiction

13. A Message for the Emperor          Mark Frutkin                                      Fiction

14. The Forgotten                                   Nathan Greenfield                          History

15. A Crack in the Pavement              Georgie Binks                                    Fiction

16. Hellgoing: Stories                             Lynn Coady                                       Fiction

17. The Massey Murder                       Charlotte Gray                                  Fiction

18. An Astronauts guide to..               Chris Hadfield                                    Biography

19. More than Cash Flow                     Julie Broad                                          Economy

 

 

 

       

        

 

Phil Weir Signing “Canoeing the Mountain: Gifts from the Waters” Saturday, December 7 from 11:00am to 1:00pm

canoeingmountainCome meet local author Phil Weir on Saturday, December 7. He will be here signing copies of his new book Canoeing the Mountain: Gifts from the Waters from 11:00am to 1:00pm.

From the jacket:

“Canoeing the Mountain transports the reader, bringing them along on a life-changing wilderness canoeing adventure on the wild and beautiful Mountain River in Canada’s Northwest Territories.

Only two days into the 18 day trip, close calls and serious challenges begin for eight friends when one of their four canoes wraps around a rock.

This true adventure campfire tale shares the many joys and trials of an unforgettable trip, while celebrating whitewater canoeing, the wonders of nature, and the paddler’s inner journey.”

We look forward to seeing you all here!