Amy Mathers is a woman on a mission. She’s reading a book every day for a year to raise money for a Canadian teen book award—something sorely missing from the annual awards bestowed by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre (CCBC). I heard Amy speak at this month’s EAC meeting. Her enthusiasm for Canada, Canadian books,… Continue Reading
GOOP and that guy who can’t sing (sorry, but I’ve never been a fan of Chris Martin), may have made conscious uncoupling all the rage, but I’ve been consciously copy editing for awhile now, and the blurb on the jacket of a recently published novel raised my consciousness to a new level. Here’s the blurb,… Continue Reading
Miriam Toews’s new book will be released on April 15. For those of you who can’t wait, here’s an excerpt from All My Puny Sorrows. (It’s actually two whole chapters.)
The question “What do women want?” was answered years ago by Faith Popcorn. (Is that a great name, or what? It’s as though she played one of those games where you’re bestowed with your special fairy name. Maybe she played the Zen master name game: What’s your personal axiom? “Keep the faith.” What’s your favourite… Continue Reading
A recurring theme around here is authenticity. According to the Canadian Oxford Dictionary, something authentic is “genuine, reliable, trustworthy.” In a world where everyone seems to be selling something, and media presence is relentless, the lack of authenticity can be palpable. That’s why authors like Dr. Yoni Freedhoff stand out from the pack: he’s not… Continue Reading
According to an article in Salon, the American Booksellers Association reported an increase in the number of independent bookstores in the U.S. in the last five years. This is certainly surprising news considering the seemingly increasing popularity of e-books and the convenience and low prices of Amazon. The article claims that two things are driving… Continue Reading
So many books, so little time. I’m envious of people who — like my husband and seemingly everyone on Goodreads — effortlessly finish book after book after book. I admit I’m a slow reader. I notice the structure and the copy editing choices of a text, and sometimes I read a powerful sentence over and… Continue Reading
I’ve posted before about Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward, which explores the two halves of life, represented by the false self and the true self. If you’ve ever found yourself wondering, “Is this all there is to life?” then you’ve probably succeeded in creating your false self—which isn’t bad per se, it just doesn’t go far enough—and… Continue Reading
I’m always on the hunt for new ways to deliver content in the digital age. Here’s a great article that urges bookstores to embrace print-on-demand machines and e-books. I think the author makes some great points. Booksellers earn a greater profit on e-books compared to the old-fashioned variety (yes, the profit may not be a… Continue Reading
Author Lynn Coady was awarded the Giller Prize last night for her short story collection, Hellgoing. I’m encouraging everyone to read her backlist, which includes several novels with memorable characters — no one captures Maritime life like her (she was raised in Cape Breton). Congratulations, Lynn Coady. It was a long time coming!