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Last Christmas (our first Christmas together), my boyfriend and I agreed that lavish presents were stupid. So we decided to just get each other a book, like the Icelandic tradition . We picked a few best-of-award-winners-etc of 2016 lists, and mystery picked a book for each other. He read his in like three days over the Christmas ( The Throwback Special ) - he liked it, I did good. He picked a good one for me too, but it sat on the shelf for 3 months. Oops. I finally coerced book club into reading if for June so I could have the opportunity to actually get past page 106. And I'm so glad I finally finished it! Do Not Say We Have Nothing By Madeleine Thien 2016 480 pages How do I describe this book? This book travels back and forth in time, loosely narrated by Ma-li, covering her youth and adulthood. Ma-li lives in Vancouver Canada, and she starts narrating in 1991. The other characters include her father, and his early life in China during the Cultural Revolution, and a family that ...

Oh wow. I read a book. Ok so it was a graphic novel, but it's been 3 months since I read a book! Yikes. Seriously, the reason is I'm soooooo addicted to knitting. And I can't read and knit at the same time. And I 15 pages in I didn't like the book my book club read last month (Beekeeper's Apprentice). Hopefully this graphic novel gets me back on the horse? Hostage By Guy Delisle 2017 436 pages While working for an NGO, Christophe gets kidnapped and taken to Chechnya, where he is held hostage for three months. This graphic novel tells his (true!) story. There's a lot of sleeping. A lot of staring at the ceiling. But it's a good story, expertly told in mostly internal monologue, and in minimal grey/white images. I've said before graphic novels aren't my thing, but this is one I can get behind. The story was interesting and compelling: I really wanted to read on to find the resolution. The art was minimal and effectively held together the internal thoug...

It's no secret I'm sort of involved with local roller derby , so when I heard about a children's graphic novel that included the sport, I had to give it a quick read! Roller Girl By Victoria Jamieson 2015 240 pages Astrid is twelve, just about to go into junior high, and is in the process of losing her best friend to ballet and boys. Her life changes though after she attends her first roller derby game, and promptly falls in love with the sport! But attending roller derby camp turns out to be not as easy as it looks, and adding friend drama and pre-teen girl drama means it's going to be a rough summer for Astrid. Will she find her feet? Will she find a new friend? Yeah, so I'm not the target demographic for this book, but I tell ya, I probably would've loved reading it when I was twelve years old! It's the story of a misfit girl, one who isn't into boys and fashion (like me as a kid), and about how she deals with jealous-girl-friend-drama issues (like me...

I did not want to read this book. I came across it while inputting something on goodreads after clicking on the author to see what else she's written. Obviously as a cat lady, I was immediately drawn to the title. After reading the synopsis, I thought the premise was interesting, and I wanted to know how it ended. Alas, my google skills couldn't find me a long form summary, so I picked up the book. It's a juvenile title, and I figured it wouldn't take me long to read and it would be worth it in the end to know what happened, right? The Cat at the Wall By Deborah Ellis 2014 152 pages A cat (our narrator) sneaks into a Palestinian house, looking for food. She has followed in two Israeli soldiers, tasked with spying on the neighbourhood. But they are not alone: there is a young boy hiding in the house. Eventually he gets discovered by the soldiers, and then the neighbourhood discovers he is trapped in the house with the soldiers, and it all escalates into a frenzy. Meanwhi...

Since starting in October 2016, my book club hasn't had the best luck with choosing books. Of the four we've read so far, I liked most of one , sort of liked some of another , didn't like one , and was ambivalent about another . For March, it was suggested we read a book-to-movie and then watch the movie. After much debate we settled on A Man Called Ove... ...and I'm so thankful we did! A Man Called Ove By Fredrik Backman 2014 337 pages Set in Sweden (though not at all different than what you might be used to), Ove* is your typical 'grumpy old man'. Like seriously grumpy. He lives in a residential complex and just wants to be left alone to [spoiler redacted], but his annoying neighbours (and one ragged kitty cat) keep interrupting! What's a cranky old man to do! I LOVED this book. It was so funny, and though there's a fair bit of sadness in it, the sardonic, cynical type of humour was laugh out loud worthy. So, not funny "ha-ha", but funny ...

Being a short month, Book Club decided to read a short book - or rather a graphic novel. We tried to find a few kick-as girl stories, and voted on Snapshot of a Girl . I decided to read all three we voted on though, but as usual, found that graphic novels aren't really my medium. Snapshots of a Girl By Belden Sezen 2015 176 pages This autobiographical collection follows the author as she accepts and comes out as a lesbian. I got the simple, but not deeper message, and was a fan of only half the artwork (the cartoon styled ones, not the more realistic figures). So, just meh. Lumberjanes, Vol. 1: Beware the Kitten Holy By Noelle Stevenson, Grace Ellis, Shannon Watters, Brooke A. Allen 2015 128 pages I've been meaning to read this for awhile: who wouldn't love strong female characters hanging out at camp?! Well me apparently. It was just a bit too weird. Probably I'm just getting old. Nimona By Noelle Stevenson 2015 272 pages Evil nemesis fighting noble knight and corrupt ...

Years ago, I read Indian Horse  by Richard Wagamese and it changed my life. I had another of his books on my list for years and finally had time to read it! Ragged Company By Richard Wagamese 2008 376 pages Four homeless friends decide to shelter from a particularly cold winter's day by going to the movie theatre. There, they happen upon a gentleman, who at first moves away from them, but who, over the course of the book and multiple random meetings at the movies, becomes a very good friend. This of course comes in handy when one of the ragged company finds a $13 million winning lottery ticket on the street, because you need ID and thus an address to claim such a fortune! The book tells the back stories of all the friends, as well as their present issues of dealing with such a lifestyle change, and their journeys to overcome their inner demons. This book has a simple premise, but is very sweet, and poignant, if a little rough around the edges. I enjoy Wagamese's writing style, ...

Every year, my university picks a book to study - everyone (this year around 800 students as part of classes, plus misc staff and faculty) reads it and the author visits in March to do readings and workshops. All very exciting. I've read the book every year I've worked there (well, skipped last year, oops) and this year was looking forward to it because people raved about the book! Then I heard it had Shakespeare in it. Not a huge Shakespeare fan (I'm just not that smart or cultured). Then I realized it was dystopian fiction. I HATE dystopian novels! Why? First of all, everyone dies. Which is sad. So then I think about losing the people I love and I get sad. So then I dream about death and I get depressed. Reading about everyone dying is soul destroying and the world is depressing enough - I don't need to get more depressed by reading for fun. Second, bad stuff happens when society breaks down and people are left in a lawless state. Like horrible terrifying gruesome stu...

After reading a few "traumatizing to children" books, book club decided to pick a humourous book for January. We all came up with suggestions, voted, and the winner was... Shades of Grey By Jasper Fforde 2009 400 pages Where do I start? Eddie Russet and his father are on their way to East Carmine, a far away outpost, and thus not really a trip they'd like to go on. As Russets, they see the world as grey, except for red colours. In East Carmine, we meet other "colourful" characters, the yellows, greens, blues, oranges and purples, including the greys - those people who can't see colour at all and are lowest on the social status system. As Fforde continues to build his world, we learn about the cult of Munsell, the social caste system, and the weird ways of the world. But all is not as it seems, and Eddie and his cranky, and somewhat violent maid Jane are on the trail to uncover details that will upset the colour balance - if they can avoid the corrupt bullies...

Book club is awesome - the girls are hilarious - and it's got me reading again. The other day I walked into the public library to pick up The Wire season 4 that I had on hold, and a book caught my eye. My boyfriend and I decided, in lieu of ridiculous Christmas spending, we would start following the Icelandic tradition of buying and giving books for Christmas . We picked four book lists (Governor General fiction and nonfiction, New Your Times and the US National Book Awards) and each bought each other one to put under the tree. While scanning the lists for him, I put together a list for myself. While picking up my DVDs, I spotted one I had my eye on, but big problem...it was on the Hits to Go shelf - and that means they can only be borrowed for seven days. When's the last time I read a book in seven days? Especially when two days were out because of Christmas festivities? I shouldn't've taken it out at all - what if there was a copy under the tree for me?* But I thought...

My new book club (which is awesome and working very well: who knew mixing friends would turn out so fantastically!) decided they weren't into the open genre thing. Disappointing, but I figure that's motivation for me to read the chosen book plus one of my own in a month. This month there was a long process of recommendations and voting but we eventually decided to go with a new book by the author of Room, a book that I read years ago before I blogged book reviews, a book I only half liked... The Wonder By Emma Donoghue 2016 304 pages Anna hasn't eaten in four months, insisting she's been existing on manna from heaven. Lib, a Nightingale trained nurse, is hired to watch over the young child to ensure it's not an elaborate hoax. Set in Ireland in the late 1800s, we follow Lib, Anna, her family, and various characters from the small Irish town as Lib tries to debunk the proposed sainthood. This book was...stiff? Stern? Flat? Perhaps it's the historical period as it...

I quit my book club and stopped reading. I started to feel stupid. Like I'd lost my words. And as a librarian, whenever I don't read recreationally I feel guilty. Like it's my job or something. So I started a book club with some super local nearby northsider friends. It was scary at first, mixing different groups of friends but they're all awesome and everyone seems to get along great! The thing about my old book club I really liked was that it was open genre - we picked a different genre/topic each month and each read different books then talked about them. This really appealed to me because I don't like being told what to read and I don't like wasting time reading what I don't want to read. However, this doesn't appeal to everyone so for this new book club we're going to alternate reading the same book with an open genre/topic. I think. We'll see how month two goes. Choosing a book was actually not painful. Some people brought recommendations, ...

I saw this book at the information centre/gift shop in Elk Island National Park, and it looked interesting so I got it out of the library. Clever title. Cute cover. Very local. Interesting topic. Couldn't be that bad, right? Road Tripping: On the Move with the Buffalo Gals By Conni Massing 2010 264 pages The Buffalo Gals are a group of friends who take a yearly road trip around Alberta - but not to the big tourist attractions - to the quirky, off the beaten path, usually a bit weird attractions. Massing writes about where they go, but also how they got there )and especially what they ate). The first chapter was interesting as it was about the Torrington Gopher Museum , and since I've been there a couple times it was quite nostalgic. [The Torrington Gopher Museum is quite epic and awesome and you need to go because you've never seen anything like it. Best $2 you'll ever spend. Stop at Peter's Drive In in Red Deer on the way and check out Dry Island Buffalo Jump Provi...

I can't remember how I found out about David Alexander Robertson , through the rabbit hole of the internet at work one day. Robertson is of Cree heritage, and the author of many graphic novels portraying Aboriginal history and present day issues. Betty: The Helen Betty Osborne Story By David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson 2015 A story about a murdered indigenous women, this is an emotional read with not a happy ending. Sugar Falls: A Residential School Story By David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson 2012 This poignant story about a residential school experience, ultimately ends with strength and hope. 7 Generations By David Alexander Robertson and Scott B. Henderson 2012 Collecting four stories in one volume, this novel traces a family from 1800 to present day, through tragedy and bravery and strength. All of these graphic novels were great reads and I recommend them to everyone. I opened my mind and learned. I sure hope Robertson's works find themselves i...

In June of 2015, I happened to be in Ottawa for a library conference at the same time as the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada wrapped up. I happened to be walking by the park where Buffy Sainte-Maire was performing, just in time to catch her entire set. I was mesmerized. The music was amazing, and she was just...well she's one cool lady. I spent the next six weeks listening to her CDs, and a month later she played a fantastic show at Interstellar Rodeo. Her music continues to get heavy play as my office music. So I was pleased to come across her biography recently, and excitedly learned more about one of the world's great women... Buffy Sainte-Maire: It's My Way By Blair Stonechild 2012 282 pages And learn more about Buffy I did. Though not strictly chronological, Stonechild takes us through Buffy's life from childhood, to university, to her early music career, to her artistic pursuits, to her advocacy and impact on Aboriginal education and culture, to he...

After I finished reading Game of Thrones, I felt a bit...lost. I didn't have thousands of pages waiting for me to read. Some how I got it in my head that I needed to read all of Discworld. No idea where I got the idea from. I had read two books ages ago and thought they were pretty good so hey, why not. So I researched the order. And then got scared about how I was going to find all the books to read, so I decided I would download the ebooks from the library to save on the wait time in between books. Now I'd like to point that I've never read an ebook before. I don't have a tablet, so would have to read it on my phone. How bad could it be?  It seemed like a good idea at the time... The Colour of Magic By Terry Pratchett 1985 288 pages Rincewind is a wizard, a very bad wizard. During a series of unfortunate events, he meets Twoflower, a tourist, and his luggage. There are more misadventures and unfortunate events. And then it's over in a to be continued manner. Oh th...

Do you have a book that, when rereading it, causes you to vividly remember where you were the first time you read it? Wizard of the Grove is that book for me. I spent the summer of 2002 travelling in Quebec and Ontario. I remember picking out the book before I left Montreal, annoyed because I had finished Lord of the Rings v.1 but didn't bring v.2, and really all I wanted to do was keep reading that but there was no point buying the additional volumes that I already had at home. It took me forever to find a book that seemed long enough to last me for my trip in Ontario, and I also didn't want to start a massive series because assumably I'd be finishing up Lord of the Rings for the rest of the summer when I got home. Anyway, picking out this book was an ordeal. It was a fantastic read though. I remember sitting in the park near Niagara Falls, reading while I wasted time until it got dark and they lit up the Falls. I remember I was listening to La Bottine Souriante's Ant...

We went camping as kids: I have many memories of waking up in a tent trailer or eating lunch outside the camper. My only memory of tent camping was when a bunch of dads took us girls camping in their big canvas hunting tent. For a couple summers when I lived in England, we went for a week long field camping vacation at a big Christian conference (another time, another story), which was my first camping experience since being a kid. Last summer, I borrowed a tent and went camping twice - once for a night in Drumheller at this cramped private campground, and once for a few days in Jasper. It's not like I love loved it, but it was enjoyable. Quiet. Pretty. Simple. And I thought about going camping again every day since Jasper...until I went to Iceland: now all I can think about is going camping around Iceland! So I bought a tent. And I'm planning on going camping this summer. I have a couple group trips tentatively lined up, and I might even get brave enough for a solo trip or two...

I already read The Invention of Hugo Cabret and Wonderstruck . Time for the next one... The Marvels By Brian Selznick 2015 672 pages I loved Hugo Cabret. Wonderstruck was good. The Marvels would be good too, right? Meh. Unlike the other two, which included pencil drawings and text all mixed together, this one was text bookended by the graphic story. And that's where it went wrong for me. The first part is art. It tells the story of Billy Marvel, how he got shipwrecked, then his career in theatre, then the stories of Billy's family through the generations. This part was really well done, complex, yet perfectly portrayed in all pictures, gripping, moving, almost adult ish. If the rest of the book was as good as the first part, well bring it on. Then the text happened. And I felt let down. There's a story about young Joseph and his uncle Alexander, and Alexander Nightingale's fantastic house, which is stuck in some fantastic time period. The story is not gripping, moving ...

Normally I get my knitting patterns from Ravelry , but I recently took a couple knitting pattern books out of the library... Knitted Dinosaurs: 15 Prehistoric Pals to Knit From Scratch By Tina Barrett 2011 128 pages I'm really into dinosaurs lately, because apparently I'm a 10yr old boy trapped inside a 35yr old women's brain. Sigh. Anyway, this book was great because the patterns weren't stupid hard. That's usually how I feel about knitted toy patterns, so this book was refreshing in that respect. The illustrations are colourful, the text seems well laid out and easy to understand, and there were a few pages devoted to knitting/toy making techniques at the end. Each of the 15 dinosaurs got their own pattern, as well as a small section with interesting tidbits of info. I took this book to work to show to the library staff crafting group that I'm trying to get going...and they loved it! I'm sure many people of all ages will be getting dino gifts in the future...