Canada – AbeBooks' Reading Copy http://www.abebooks.com/blog AbeBooks book blog Mon, 20 Jun 2016 20:25:42 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=4.5.3 Bookseller Q&A: Brown & Dickson http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/03/29/bookseller-qa-brown-dickson/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/03/29/bookseller-qa-brown-dickson/#respond Tue, 29 Mar 2016 18:46:41 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=23921 Brown & Dickson

Vanessa and Jason of Brown & Dickson in London, Ontario.

Meet AbeBooks’ antiquarian booksellers Brown & Dickson. Located in London, Ontario, Brown & Dickson specialize in Art, Local History, Counter-Culture, Fine Literature, and Weird Canada. Vanessa and Jason recently answered our questions about the wonderful world of book selling – keep reading to learn about their most prized items and the weird (er, gross) things they’ve found in books!

AbeBooks: How did you become a bookseller?

Jason: After high-school my friend’s father opened up a small used bookshop in downtown London, Ontario. He graciously let me be a part of it with his daughter and friends. I remember going over to his house and seeing a basement filled with boxes of books, probably as many as the entire inventory of my small hometown library. I was hooked.

Vanessa: Jason worked at a used bookstore in town and got me a job. After I finished my degree, I just kept doing it. There were opportunities to find work in fields that paid better. I could have gone to grad school. But I just like selling books. That sounds like laziness, but it’s not. I don’t think most people find something they love that they are also good at, in regards to a job. When you find out what your passion is, you’d be an idiot to let it go. If I’d known about antiquarian book selling, I probably would have skipped that whole liberal arts thing. I learn more on the job than I ever did in school.

AbeBooks: What do you love most about selling books?

Jason: Honestly, for me the trick to love selling books is empathy. I know that sounds corny but I love to see the look in a customer’s eye that matches the look in my own eye when I find a book that is remarkable to me. To do that for a living is incredible. Book selling means I get to have that happen more often. Nearly every week I come across a book that I’ve been looking for, whether I knew it or not.

Vanessa: I find the pace of book selling, the balance between solitude and socializing, works really well for me. As Jason said, coming across those stellar titles can invigorate you for ages, keep you looking for the next great find. I have to admit, I love a big sale. It’s like being on the Price is Right. I’m always begging Jason to give me a high five and he rolls his eyes at me. I also love watching a young collector get excited about high-end items. It reminds you of what it was like at first, when you started selling.

AbeBooks: What is the most prized item in your inventory? Why?

Jason: We just acquired a collection of books from a local Canadian artist. Her library is filled with local arcana and gems of Canadian art. I recently held a copy of a London art zine that I had only heard about and had never seen. So currently that is my favourite.

Vanessa: It changes all the time. I’m currently fascinated by a Tijuana Bible. Usually I latch onto something and shove it under every customer’s nose until it sells, mostly so I can talk about it and find someone to nerd-out about it with me.

Brown & Dickson

The cozy interior of Brown & Dickson in London, Ontario.

AbeBooks: What’s the one book you covet most? Why?

Jason: The Necronomicon. Just kidding. No, I wish I could have original drawings by Jack Chambers. Perhaps a manuscript of notes for his film The Hart of London. I imagine a book of poems by Canadian artists. So few are published, but so many artists write them. I know in those private papers there are prize works. I’d love to hold a book like that.

Vanessa: I heard there’s a lost stash of Hemingway’s personal papers in the basement of his house in Cuba. I’d love to be on the ground floor of going through that stuff, or any discovery, like that box of Vivian Maier’s negatives.

AbeBooks: What’s the oddest thing you’ve found in a book?

Jason: Envelopes of human hair.

Vanessa: Yeah, that.

AbeBooks: What’s your most memorable moment as a bookseller?

Jason: Honestly being in the shop with an empty street and the second side of Brian Eno’s Discreet Music playing on the shop speaker. It was snowing. The light was dim. And I thought, “I’m safe here. I have to work hard to keep this, but I’ve found my home.”

Vanessa: I think our first book party. We had a bunch of community arts organizations join us for a pop-up mini festival in this empty alley next to a downtown historic building. We had so much fun. People really loved it, and that night we all went out and partied together. The books gave us a reason to celebrate.

AbeBooks: And of course, what’s your favorite book?

Jason: Moominpappa at Sea, without a doubt.

Vanessa: The Blue Castle by Lucy Maud Montgomery.

If you’re passing through London, find Brown & Dickson at 211 King Street. Out-of-towners can browse Brown & Dickson’s books on AbeBooks.

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CBC Canada Reads picks final contenders http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/28/cbc-canada-reads-picks-final-contenders/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/28/cbc-canada-reads-picks-final-contenders/#respond Thu, 28 Jan 2016 18:52:20 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=23673 2016 CBC Canada Reads Finalists

Earlier this month we shared the 2016 CBC Canada Reads long list. This week, the beloved annual battle of the books announced their five contenders and the famous Canadians that will be defending them. While most awards keep their debates behind closed doors, Canada Reads lays it all out in the open. Beginning March 21st, each panelist will defend their chosen book on live air, and each night a book will be taken out of the running until, on March 24th, there is only one book left standing.

The final five:

Actor Adam Copeland will defend Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter: “It’s about falling flat on your face, picking yourself up, dusting yourself off, and how you walk on.”

Olympic medalist Clara Hughes will defend The Illegal by Lawrence Hill: “It’s heavy, it’s lively, it’s playful, and it gave me hope. It brings humanity to the struggle.”

Social entrepreneur Bruce Poon Tip will defend Birdie by Tracey Lindberg: “For all of us who care about reconciliation, and frankly we all should, this book opens that path.”

Actor and screenwriter Vinay Virmani will defend The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami: “The Hero’s walk shows that while life throws challenges our way, it also gives us the gift of a second chance.”

Activist Farah Mohamed will defend Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz: “This is about deception. It’s about despair. But ultimately, it’s about love.”

Which book has your vote?

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CBC’s Canada Reads announces 2016 longlist http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/11/cbcs-canada-reads-announces-2016-longlist/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2016/01/11/cbcs-canada-reads-announces-2016-longlist/#comments Mon, 11 Jan 2016 20:25:07 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=23590 Canada Reads Longlist 2016
It’s the event that makes winter in the great white north all worth while for us Canadian book nerds. Created in 2002 by the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), the beloved annual battle of the books, Canada Reads, celebrates the best in Canadian Literature. Each year, the battle and the books in it must relate to a theme. This year’s theme is all about “Starting Over”. CBC reports, “The show will feature books about transformation and second chances, stories of migrants, immigrants and others who are choosing – or forced – to make major changes in their lives.” The critically acclaimed Station Eleven (Emily St. John Mandel) and All the Broken Things (Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer) fit right in.

On January 20th, the longlist of 15 will be whittled down to just five and the panelists defending them will be announced. While most awards keep their debates behind closed doors, Canada Reads lays it all out in the open. Beginning March 21st, each panelist will defend their chosen book on live air, and each night a book will be taken out of the running until, on March 24th, there is only one book left standing.

The Canada Reads 2016 Longlist:

All the Broken Things by Kathryn Kuitenbrouwer

Birdie by Tracey Lindberg

Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz

Buying on Time by Antanas Sileika

Landing Gear by Kate Pullinger

Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter

Niko by Dimitri Nasrallah

Sitting Practice by Caroline Adderson

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Swamp Angel by Ethel Wilson

Sweetland by Michael Crummey

The Amazing Absorbing Boy by Rabindranath Maharaj

The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami

The Illegal by Lawrence Hill

The Outside Circle by Patti LaBoucane-Benson, with art by Kelly Mellings

Come back January 20th to see the shortlist and meet the panelists!

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10 Facts About Lucy Maud Montgomery http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/11/30/10-facts-about-lucy-maud-montgomery/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/11/30/10-facts-about-lucy-maud-montgomery/#respond Mon, 30 Nov 2015 21:32:59 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=23366 Wheel-Things-Montgomery-bio

The first biography of Montgomery, The Wheel of Things: A Biography of L.M. Montgomery by Mollie Gillen (1975)

“Dear old world’, she murmured, ‘you are very lovely, and I am glad to be alive in you.” — L.M. Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables

Lucy Maud Montgomery is without a doubt one of the most beloved authors of all time. In honor of her 141st birthday on November 30th, AbeBooks has put together 10 facts about Lucy Maud Montgomery:

1. Since publication, Anne of Green Gables has sold more than 50 million copies and has been translated into at least 20 different languages.

2. Maud, as she was called by family and friends, started writing poetry at the age of 9.

3. Montgomery started her career as a teacher, and went on to study English literature at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Montgomery was one of the few women of her time to seek post-secondary education.

4. Similar to Jane Austen whose manuscript for Pride and Prejudice was originally rejected by publishers, Montgomery’s Anne of Green Gables was also rejected. First written in 1905, it wasn’t until 1907 that Montgomery decided to try again and eventually found a publisher. In 1908, Page Company of Boston published the book and it became an instant best-seller.

5. Montgomery moved to Leaskdale, Ontario with her husband and spent the rest of her life in various towns and cities in Ontario. She never lived on PEI again but was buried in Cavendish, PEI.

6. Of the 20 books that Montgomery wrote, all but one were based in PEI.

7. People from around the world flock to PEI during the summer months to visit Green Gables located in the PEI National Park. According to a New York Times article, the site receives thousands of visitors each year – about 20% from Japan.

8. In 1920, Montgomery stopped writing about Anne, stating in her personal journal that she had tired of the character. After a 15 year break, she went back to writing about Anne and released Anne of Windy Poplars in 1936 and Anne of Ingleside in 1939.

9. The last book written by Montgomery was delivered to her publisher on the day of her death. The publisher declined to release the book. In 1974, an abridged version of the book was published as a collection of short stories called The Road to Yesterday. The entire book was published in 2009 by Viking Canada called The Blythes Are Quoted.

10. Mark Twain and Lucy Maud Montgomery share the same birthday. Mark Twain said that Montgomery’s Anne was “the dearest and most moving and delightful child since the immortal Alice”.

A selection of Lucy Maud Montgomery’s work:

Anne of Green Gables - 1st Edition. Published by  L.C. Page & Company, Boston. 1908.

Anne of Green Gables – 1st Edition. Published by L.C. Page & Company, Boston. 1908.

Emily of New Moon published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York . 1923

Emily of New Moon published by Frederick A. Stokes Company, New York

Chronicles of Avonlea - First Canadian edition, published in 1943 by The Ryerson Press, Toronto.

Chronicles of Avonlea – First Canadian edition, published in 1943 by The Ryerson Press, Toronto.

Mistress-Pat

Mistress Pat: A Novel of Silver Bush. A first edition, published in 1935 by McClelland & Stewart, Toronto.

Anne-box-set

Anne of Green Gables Library: Anne of Green Gables Library: Anne of Green Gables; Anne of Avonlea; Anne of the Island; Anne s House of Dreams

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Take a virtual tour of Canada’s biggest used bookstore http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/10/20/take-a-virtual-tour-of-canadas-biggest-used-bookstore/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/10/20/take-a-virtual-tour-of-canadas-biggest-used-bookstore/#comments Tue, 20 Oct 2015 20:56:29 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=23197 Russell Books091

Meet Jordan and Andrea, the husband and wife team who run Canada’s largest used bookstore in Victoria, BC (which also happens to be home to AbeBooks HQ).  Locals and tourists alike flock to Russell Books on Fort St. to spend hours (and hours) roaming aisles that span three floors, each worth a thorough browse. Take a look below for an incredible virtual tour – we’re just sorry you can’t smell the books.

Main Floor

The main floor is stocked to the brim with cookbooks, children’s books, non-fiction, cards, calendars and stationery.  At the back, bibliophiles sell their used books in exchange for Russell Books gift certificates.

Russell Books

The front of the main floor just off Fort St.

Russell Books

The view from the children’s section at the back of the main floor.

Russell Books

Beautiful books line the wall behind the main floor cash desk.

Russell Books

Classic Hardy Boys in the children’s section.

Russell Books

At the back of the main floor, you’ll find the book buying desk. Jordan appraises stacks of used books.

Russell Books

Self-help books from floor to ceiling.

Upstairs

Fiction lovers, history buffs, and world travelers will love the upper floor of Russell Books. From brand new releases to long-forgotten travel journals, the top floor is chock-full of amazing tales.

Russell Books

Endless stacks cover the top floor.

Russell Books

Mystery? Romance? General Fiction? Pick your isle.

Russell Books

For paper fans…

Russell Books

Salinger for days.

Downstairs

Last but most certainly not least, bibliophiles must head downstairs to the Vintage and Rare Book Floor. I must confess that this is my favorite part of Russell Books. A literary time capsule, the Vintage Rare Book Floor houses a huge array of old books, including children’s books you haven’t thought of in decades, cookbooks your Grandmother treasured, and early editions of your favorite classics. From pretty vintage books that go for a few dollars to those kept behind glass, there’s something for any level of collector.

Russell Books panorama8 (1)

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Those lucky enough to visit Victoria should certainly pay our friends at Russell Books a visit. In the meantime, browse their expansive catalog online at AbeBooks.com.

Photos: Mark Creery Photography

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Ayelet Tsabari Wins 2015 Sami Rohr Prize http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/03/10/ayelet-tsabari-wins-2015-sami-rohr-prize/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/03/10/ayelet-tsabari-wins-2015-sami-rohr-prize/#respond Tue, 10 Mar 2015 16:16:40 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=22231 Canadian author Ayalet Tsabari

There’s been very exciting news for Ayelet Tsabari: it was recently announced that the Toronto-based author has won the 2015 Sami Rohr Prize. The prize began in 2006 and was conceived by the grandchildren of Jewish philanthropist Sami Rohr on his 80th birthday, to honor his appreciation for Jewish literature.

Administered by the Jewish Book Council, the Sami Rohr prize exists to help seek, promote and support excellent literature by Jewish authors. The annual award carries with it a prize of $100,000, making it one of the most monetarily significant prizes in the industry.

Tsabari, who published her first book, The Best Place on Earth (as of this writing, no copies of the book are available on the AbeBooks web site, likely as a result of the recent announcement – check back!) in March of 2013, is a Canadian author of Yemeni descent, born and raised in Israel. Her book of short stories skillfully explores themes of displacement, belonging, and culture clash, and makes us question the very notion of home. Many of her characters read as hermit crabs, carrying their homes along with them, too tentative to commit their roots to just one place, when our hearts long for so many different landscapes, and when so many environments can contribute to who we become.

I’m excited that Tsabari’s work has been recognized and celebrated in this way. And I’m mostly excited that it’s been funded, so perhaps we’ll get more of her words soon. |

Read and learn more about Tsabari at ayelettsabari.com.

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Canada Reads 2015: The Five Finalists http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/22/canada-reads-2015-the-five-finalists/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/22/canada-reads-2015-the-five-finalists/#comments Thu, 22 Jan 2015 17:33:58 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=22144 cr2015-2
Earlier in January we posted that the CBC’s  Canada Reads competition for 2015 was kicking off and the longlist had been announced. Now, two thirds of that list has been whittled away, leaving just five remaining titles. Sadly, the single entry on the list that I had read did not make the cut, so I’m going to have to get reading! The five finalists will each be championed by a Canadian involved in the country’s media culture in some way. The debates will take place in front of a live audience and be broadcast on CBC Radio One for the English-language edition, and on Première Chaîne for the French. From March 16th to 19th, the five panelists will hotly debate why their selection should be declared the winner. The 2015 theme is “One Book to Break Barriers”, and challenges panelists to prove that the horse they’re backing has what it takes to increase accessibility between marginalized subcultures, challenge stereotypes and give a voice to silenced people.

Here are this year’s finalists and their defenders, with plenty of time to get your hands on copies to read:

1. Ru by Kim Thuy, defended by film critic and festival programmer Cameron Bailey

2. When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid , defended by reporter and TV personality Elaine Lui

3. And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier, defended by folk-rock singer/songwriter Martha Wainwright

4. The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, defended by children’s activist Craig Kielburger

5. Intolerable by Kamal Al-Solaylee, defended by actress Kristin Kreuk

 

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Canada Reads 2015: The Longlist http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/06/canada-reads-2015-the-longlist/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2015/01/06/canada-reads-2015-the-longlist/#respond Tue, 06 Jan 2015 18:52:35 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=22080 monkey-beach-eden-robinsonIt’s time for the annual Canadian book battle wherein five well-known Canadians each pick a literary work to champion, and verbally spar on the airwaves. A brainchild of the Canadian Broadcasting Company (CBC), Canada Reads first aired in 2002 and has been going strong ever since. The debates take place in front of a live audience and are broadcast on CBC Radio One for the English-language edition, and on Première Chaîne for the French.

First, a theme is selected. This year’s theme is “One Book to Break Barriers”. Last year’s theme was “A Novel to Change Our Nation”. Once a theme is confirmed, a longlist of 15 books is chosen – three for each member of the panel (we don’t know who’s on the panel at this point). Titles must be Canadian, but can be open to fiction, plays or poetry. Once the 15 book-longlist is confirmed, the panel members will then select one title each to bring forth to the debates and fight for. This year, the panelists and their respective selected titles will be announced on January 20th. The debates will occur over March 16th-19th, with one book being knocked out per debate, until one champion book remains. The winning books is announced, and the publisher of the winner donates part of the sales profits to a literacy-based charity. Lovely! Books benefiting books.

I had to cringe a little bit when seeing this year’s longlist, as I have read only one of the selected books – Monkey Beach, by Eden Robinson (which I loved).

Here’s the longlist:

Arrival City: The Final Migration and Our Next World by Doug Saunders
Ru by Kim Thúy; Sheila Fischman, translator
What We All Long For by Dionne Brand
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
This Changes Everything: Capitalism vs. the Climate by Naomi Klein
The Door is Open: A Memoir of a Soup Kitchen Volunteer by Bart Campbell
Celia’s Song by Lee Maracle
Intolerable: A Memoir of Extremes by Kamal Al-Solaylee
Bone & Bread by Saleema Nawaz
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid
(You) Set Me on Fire by Mariko Tamaki
For Today I Am A Boy by Kim Fu
All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews
And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier; Rhonda Mullins, translator
Monkey Beach by Eden Robinson

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Beth’s Best Reads of 2014 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2014/11/26/beths-best-reads-of-2014/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2014/11/26/beths-best-reads-of-2014/#comments Wed, 26 Nov 2014 18:36:42 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=21908 Every single year around this time, I find myself reflecting back on the books I’ve read since January 1st, and feeling:

1) mad at myself for not reading more;
2) mad at myself for wasting my life finishing that one really dreadful book;
3) delighted that I kept going through the hard bits of that one that turned out so wonderful; and, mostly
4) grateful that thanks to affordable secondhand books and libraries, I have such a wealth of access to so many inspiring reads.

The Washington Post has put out their list for the top 50 fiction books for 2014, and reading it made me want to share my favorites of the year, too. The Post’s selections are all published in 2014, but mine are all over the map.

Here are my favorite 20 of the books I read in 2014. As in previous years (2008, 2010, 2011, 2012), the selections are all over the place. Some are new, some are old, some are Canadian, some are graphic novels, some are chock full of violence, some are tear-jerkers, some are comedy, some are historical fiction. It’s just a little glimpse inside my brain and what it likes to read. Here are my top 20 books of 2014, in no particular order. Enjoy, and I’d love if you leave a comment with agreement, disagreement, recommendations or whatever else.

1. The Orenda by Joseph Boyden
It would be almost impossible to overstate the graphic and visceral violence in the book. Be warned. That said, The Orenda is a thoughtful, intricate and fully-realized story of the very early days of Canada’s settlement, the lengthy clash between the Huron and the Iroquois people, and the involvement of the white Jesuit priests and missionaries who came to settle there. Like all of Boyden’s work, even the most terrible and brutal of passages are still simultaneously beautiful. He is a tremendously skilled writer.interestings-meg-wolitzer

2. The Interestings by Meg Wolitzer
I must confess that even though this is only one of Wolitzer’s 10 novels, this is the first I’ve heard of and first I’ve read. But I enjoyed it so much that I intend to seek out her previous titles now, as well. You know the feeling you get as a child at summer camp – something like an overwhelming mixture of possibility and purity? It’s a feeling of falling in love with the people, time and place of the moment, a simultaneous slowing and speeding of time, invincibility, and bittersweet nostalgia for something that isn’t even over yet. Wolitzer captures that perfectly, and follows the lives of the six friends who experience it all together as teenagers, studying the places life takes each of them and the way they still belong to one another.

3. More Than This by Patrick Ness
More Than This is billed as a Young Adult (YA) novel, but don’t be fooled. Its story will certainly appeal to teenagers, but adults would be remiss to skip over it. The book tells the story of 16-year-old Seth, a boy who drowns, and then finds himself in a deserted neighborhood. Seth believes he is in hell or some kind of purgatory. Much more than that would risk spoiling, and this is absolutely a book worth reading. It made the hair on my arms stand up multiple times. It’s a considered, thought-provoking and philosophical read. Some of its plot points could have become preachy or heavy-handed, but Ness skillfully maneuvers around all the curves. If there’s a sequel, I will snatch it up as quickly as I can.

4. One More Thing by B.J. Novak
You may know B.J. Novak better as Ryan the Temp from the American version of the sitcom The Office. woman-walked-into-doors This collection is 100% worth it, even if you only read the story titled “The Comedy Central Roast of Nelson Mandela”. The title story is memorably great as well. A few of the stories felt a bit cutesy and gimmicky, but overall it’s a solid collection and made me laugh out loud a handful of times.

5. The Woman Who Walked Into Doors by Roddy Doyle
Absolutely heartbreaking. It would be a masterpiece if it were written by a woman, but the fact that Doyle, as a man, was able to so masterfully write the character of Paula Spencer, an abused but unbreakable working-class woman thinking back over her life, is mindblowing. This novel is so real, so understated and so powerful that I had to pause or stop several times during my reading, to think, or cry or just take a break. It’s such a small, quiet story, but told so beautifully that it’s unforgettable.

6. Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan
A mysterious sudden (and by sudden, I mean all the males are wiped out in an instant) plague has eradicated males all across the globe. Not just humans, but all other male mammals as well. All, that is, except for Yorick, an easygoing, perhaps a bit bumbling young man, and his pet capuchin monkey, Ampersand. lowland-jhumpa-lahiri Some of the storylines of the series are less successful than others, but author Brian K. Vaughan clearly put a lot of thought into plot branches and possibilities here, and the result is a creative, interesting, really fun read. I recommend the whole series.

7. The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri
This is the first full-length novel I’ve read from Lahiri, having only read (and enjoyed) her short fiction previously. Lahiri’s prose is elegant and vivid as ever, whether she’s describing water lilies on a pond or tense escapes. The Lowland is the story of two inseparably close brothers growing up in Calcutta whose paths diverge as they reach adulthood.

8. Kindred by Octavia Butler
What a strange and excellent book. First published in 1979, it is a science-fiction novel, but also a classic of African American literature and historical fiction. It details accidental and periodic time travel after a dizzy spell, between a woman’s modern-day Los Angeles life, and an early 19th-century Maryland plantation, where slavery is still in full practice.

9. The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
Come on, you’ve read this book. It’s embarrassing that I hadn’t read it before. I’d always meant to, but just kept not getting around to it. invention-wings-kidd It did not, of course, disappoint, nor did Offred. If you haven’t read it, get to it!

10. The Invention of Wings by Sue Monk Kidd
I liked The Secret Life of Bees, Kidd’s 2002 novel, pretty well, but did find it a bit saccharine and heartwarming for my taste. The Invention of Wings is still moving, but in its pages, Kidd seems to have better achieved a balance between characters. The novel tells the story, through alternating chapters, of Handful (slave name Hetty), a young slave girl in Charleston, and Sarah, the daughter of the family who owns Handful and her mother. It felt uncomfortable to be reading a book about slavery, written by a white woman, but from the (sometimes) perspective of a black slave. But it was a solid story.

11. The Messenger by Markus Zusak
I read this entirely because I loved Zusak’s The Book Thief so much. The Messenger was extremely different, and a hard plot to pull off – hapless Ed, the broke and rut-dwelling taxi driver, has greatness thrust upon him one day in a most unlikely fashion, and goes about shrugging and becoming a hero by following a series of cryptic and authorless instructions, because why not. eleanor-park-rowell But it’s a really fun read, and even if I rolled my eyes a few times, I kept reading.

12. Eleanor & Park by Rainbow Rowell
Another YA offering on the list. From the description, I wasn’t too excited to read this, as it sounded like many books I’d read before, about teenagers who don’t quite fit in finding each other. But the characters of both Eleanor and Park are written so realistically and unapologetically that it felt like a brand new story, and I found myself caring so much what happened to them. Rowell didn’t take any easy or obvious shortcuts to happy endings or clichés, either. It was a refreshing, raw and lovely book.

13. The Girl Who Was Saturday Night by Heather O’Neill
Love, love, love this book! Much like O’Neill’s debut novel, Lullabies for Little Criminals, this second offering from the Montreal author is inhabited by the most irresistible and charming characters possible. But O’Neill’s writing has improved, as well. While I found aspects of her first novel jarring and requiring me to suspend too much of my disbelief, this one gets it just right. It maintains enough strangeness and magic to remain its sense of wonder, but doesn’t close the door on the possibility of reality. The relationship between Nouschka and her twin brother Nicolas is perfect. On Such a Full Sea (1/7/14)by Chang-rae Lee

14. On Such a Full Sea by Chang-Rae Lee
A very unusual, risky and ambitious science fiction novel that really worked for me. For an inarguably dystopian story, On Such a Full Sea nevertheless manages to somehow buoy the reader up with hope and small snippets of joy as they traverse the strange landscapes. Read it yourself and see if you can help but cheer for Fan in your heart.

15. The Bear by Claire Cameron
This book bugged me from the get-go. Perhaps it’s because I have limited experience with five-year-olds, but the narration by Anna struck me as wholly unbelievable, and took me out of the story countless times. That didn’t really let up, to be honest, but I found the book so interesting in its details, history and story that I got past it.

16. Where’d You Go, Bernadette? by Maria Semple
I was nervous upon starting this book, because I feared from the get-go that Bernadette was one of those dreaded literary tropes – specifically, the madcapped, scattered, free spirit manic pixie dream girls. They’re annoying and done to death. But I was pleasantly surprised as I kept reading. It probably helped that my brain somehow decided that she would beplayed by Allison Janney in the movie in my head. I love Allison Janney. boxers-saints-yang

17. Boxers/Saints by Gene Luen Yang
Gene Luen Yang does it again. He is the author of one of my favorite graphic novels, American Born Chinese. His latest offering is this two-volume graphic novel set in China’s Boxer Rebellion at the end of the 19th century. He chose a two-volume format, writing one from the perspective of a young boy on the side of the rebels, and one from the perspective of a little girl on the side of the Christians. That choice, with both volumes being written gracefully and sympathetically, ensures that the reader is unable to pick a side, which of course makes it all much more tragic and futile, but more realistic.

18. Tell The Wolves I’m Home by Carol Rifka Brunt
This is a heck of a good debut novel. I found it impossible not to fall in love with June, our teenaged protagonist, and the complex, beautiful relationship she has with her uncle Finn. The novel that follows Finn’s death is mysterious, touching and perfectly paced as June struggles to understand and separate her feelings and navigate relationships with her mother, her sister Greta, and her late uncle’s boyfriend.

woman-upstairs-messud19. The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud
Nora is an ideal unreliable narrator. She draws us in, intrigues us, and gets us, her readers, firmly on her side before slowly, inch by inch, unfurling the rest of the story. And as she does so, her likability recedes in turn, but by that time, she’s got us. And much of it is a story too familiar to many people, women especially – that of the exhausting, sorrowful awareness of dwindling life, wasted potential and futility. But there’s a spark, here, and by the end, it’s burning.

20. Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro
Not all of the stories contained in Munro’s 2009 collection worked for me. The title story, in fact, more of a novella in length, is too broad in scope and feels undecided the whole way through. I found it lacked the undeniable authenticity and truth in characters that typifies Munro’s writing to me. However, most of the stories in the book were great, and a couple were absolutely brilliant. The opening story had me at the library (I started reading there, before going home) sniffling into my sleeve.

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Andreas Vesalius’ beautiful Fabrica: a pioneering book of anatomy http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2014/11/12/andreas-vesalius-beautiful-fabrica-a-pioneering-book-of-anatomy/ http://www.abebooks.com/blog/index.php/2014/11/12/andreas-vesalius-beautiful-fabrica-a-pioneering-book-of-anatomy/#respond Wed, 12 Nov 2014 17:16:18 +0000 http://www.abebooks.com/blog/?p=21880

In 1543, Belgian physician Andreas Vesalius published one of the most influential books in medical history. De humani corporis fabrica translates from Latin as On the Fabric of the Human Body and it has stood the test of time. Not bad considering Vesalius was just 28 at the time. Affectionately known as The Fabrica, the book is still referenced today in the medical world and by collectors of beautiful antiquarian editions.

When we heard that the University of Victoria possessed a copy from 1555, Beth Carswell and Christi Kay set off to investigate the details behind this legendary medical book. The story includes grave robbing, beautiful artwork and one man’s obsession. Read the article.

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