I love looking at critics' lists of the best books of the year, especially in the mystery genre. It gives me a chance to see what great books I may have missed. The books below are the ones that were most mentioned. If you enjoy reading crime, mysteries and thrillers, there are some great recommendations […]
Another year has passed and another Reading Challenge has ended. Of course, the 2022 Reading Challenge is already underway. Before we rush headlong into new adventures, let’s pause a moment to look back on the year that was. In 2021, there were 12 Reading Challenge events that were viewed by 1251 people. Events were also […]
There is something great about reading a brand new book. They feel good and smell good. Books published recently are less likely to have dog-eared pages and coffee stains. It's magical to be the first one of your friend group to read the latest thriller before someone accidentally reveals the totally unexpected twist ending. It's […]
There have always been storytellers of all ages. In this category, we celebrate brilliant young writers who wrote books before their 21st birthday. These are some of my suggestions for this category. Bonjour Tristesse by Françoise Sagan This novel was published when the author was 18. In it a 17-year- old named Cécile vacations […]
This time of year is lovely for travelling. The weather is still pleasant. You don't have to worry about winter storms as much as long as you don't go too far north. I haven't left town for awhile so I'm eager to get away but for now I'm doing all of my travelling in books. […]
I don’t know about you, but I’m finding the real world scary enough these days. This time of year I usually read and watch horror books and movies but in 2021 it just doesn’t appeal to me. I still want to get into the spirit though, so here are some books featuring familiar horror themes […]
There are 100 libraries in Toronto and each branch has its own character, collection and community. Cookbooks are popular in most of the branches, even with the advent of online sources for recipes. Some older books have withstood the test of time being borrowed over and over, and in a way, handed from one reader to […]
Suspense and horror novels set in schools seem to be trendy these days. I hated every single second of school from kindergarten to graduate school so I'm on board. I totally buy the idea of crime-ridden, ghost-filled, dangerous schools. The subgenre is commonly known as dark academia. These books are usually set at a school, […]
Romance Awareness Month was created to remind people to inject a little romance into their relationships throughout the year. Anyone working in a library can’tell you that romance books are one of the most popular genres any time. During the pandemic a lot of people looking for comfort reads with happy endings have turned to […]
One of the strangest effects of COVID-19 for me is that I've lost patience for reading fiction. Don't worry, Fiction Authors, I do still read novels but I am more drawn to non-fiction than ever. What is narrative non-fiction? Narrative non-fiction is also called creative non-fiction, literary journalism, and literary non-fiction. Lee Gutkind, founder of […]