Category: Uncategorized

Tonya Pomerantz Signing “Unlocking Your Future”

unlockingfutureLocal author Tonya Pomerantz will be in the store on Saturday, February 20 from 11:00am to 1:00pm to sign copies of her new book Unlock Your Future, a book to help teens lead a successful and satisfying life.

From the jacket:

“This book show how success is composed of many different factors and provides young people with the keys to unlock their own futures.

Unlock Your Future is a must-read. People of all ages can benefit from this book to gain a better understanding of themselves and the value they offer to the world.”

“A Full Life: Reflections at Ninety” by Jimmy Carter

jimmycarterJimmy Carter, one-time President of the United States, has already written 28 books on his life before, during and after that special time. In this one, as he turns 90, he sums up some of the highlights of what he rightly calls a full life.

He grew up in a small community near Plains, Georgia, where his family were the only white people, but racism was almost unknown. His father was a successful farmer and merchant and Jimmy pitched in and learned to love the life. He joined the Navy, however, and nearly lost his life twice serving on submarines. He returned to civilian life, picking up his father’s work, selling peanuts, and getting into local and state politics, eventually becoming Governor  and then deciding to run for President.

The section on the White House is full of amusing anecdotes and also contains the odd poem which he enjoyed writing. The book also contains watercolours by Carter. He writes, “my efforts to woo the news media were not successful.” He did not win re-election, but returned to Plains. Here he and his wife founded The Carter Center, a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving the lives of people around the world. He was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2002.

Reviewed by Anne McDougall

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.

Titles at Table 40 with Her Excellency Sharon Johnston

Our next Title@Table 40 series of dinner and discussion events will be on May 24th and we are delighted to welcome our Rideau Hall neighbour Sharon Johnston who will talk about her very popular new book “Matrons and Madams”.

The event begins at 5.30p.m at Table 40 on Springfield Avenue, operated by Fraser’s Cafe. It is mandatory to reserve a spot in advance with the bookstore. This requires a $20 deposit per person which is then deducted from the cost of the meal. Dinner is a family style 3 course meal with a vegetarian option but no substitutions. The cost of the dinner is $40 but taxes and a 17.5% gratuity are extra as are any refreshments that are purchased.

Copies of the book will be for sale at the event.

The number of participants is limited to 40 people so early booking is essential.

Service Interruption on Sunday April 26th

Please note that, on the afternoon of Sunday April 26th, customer service will be interrupted for about 2 hours sometime between 12.00 and 4.00p.m and access to the store will not be possible.. This is because the bookstore is being used for filming a scene in a movie. We apologize for any inconvenience.