Honestly, I think I'm the wrong person to write about this category. Lately, I'm not finding much in the world to be optimistic about, and the books I read tend to be on the darker side. As such, my interpretation of this category may not be yours. There are lots of staff and Facebook recommendations […]
Another year has passed and another Reading Challenge has ended. Since passionate readers don't really take breaks, the 2023 Reading Challenge is already underway. 2022 was a great year so let's do a brief round up. Last year, we hosted 12 Reading Challenge events that were viewed by 362 people. Events were also replayed 192 […]
For the past several years, I've scoured annual critics' choices for books and compiled a list of the cookbooks that were mentioned most frequently. Each year these book lists provide a tiny snapshot of the world through books about food. For example, in 2020, the list was all about baking, a true reflection on how […]
Besides loving wonderful stories, reading has always provided a satisfying sense of discovery. I haunt book review websites looking for the next big thing. My To Be Read List has been out of control for at least a decade. I've accepted that there are too many books and too little time but I still get […]
These are my choices for a book with a '2' or 'two' in the title. The 22 Murders of Madison May by Max Barry This book is pretty indescribable. Real estate agent Madison May is at an open house when a client approaches her and tells her "I love you. In every world." Not long […]
I love categories with lots of possible interpretations. What do the words "someone" and "alive" even mean? You can read a biography or a novel about a historical figure but I can see other possibilities too. Some zombie fiction would fit into this category. What about something metaphorical? A book about a person who reinvents […]
Agatha Christie was born on September 15, 1890. At the library, we still get a lot of requests for her mysteries even though the author died nearly 50 years ago. Readers enjoy her clever puzzles, psychological insight and, although some of the murders are gruesome, most of the violence is off the page. Critics have […]
Summer is a great time to explore the world around us! And this year it's even easier with the Ontario Parks Pass program. Anyone with a valid Toronto Public Library card can borrow a free day use pass that will give access to over 100 provincial parks. Check out nature with your library card! To […]
Each year I assign myself an extra component for the Reading Challenge. One year I completed it using only graphic novels; another year I read only books written by women. This year, I decided to complete the 2022 challenge using only books about families. Here are some of my choices for this category: Empire of […]
At the end of each year, I look at booklists to see what cookbooks were mentioned the most. I look at lists from book critics, food writers and bloggers. Everyone has an opinion about food books. It's taken a bit longer than usual to get the best cookbooks of the year post written. I think […]