News week of 19 April 2018

As the week of 19 April comes to an end, I look out my window and see that Mitch has canoe paddles on display, and I just received copies of Top 60 Canoe Routes of Ontario by Kevin Callan, but it is still very much winter in Parry Sound!

New in paperback

The Paris Spy by Susan Elia Macneal is now out in paperback. You can read my review on our website. An earlier novel in this series His Majesty’s Hope is now especially interesting with today’s news that Dr. Hans Asperger is alleged to have “assisted in the Third Reich’s ‘euthanasia’ programme”.

Susanna Kearsley is back with Bellewether . “Spellbinding! I’ve loved every one of Susanna’s books”, says Diana Gabaldon. And I am sure all of her many fans agree!

The Last Neanderthal by Claire Cameron is an enthralling story of two women separated by millennia but linked by and epic journey that transforms the evolution of the human race.

The Dying Detective by Leif GW Persson is a book my husband enthused about last summer when he read it. Now out in paperback, I have set a copy aside to read the next time I’m on a plane.

The Shoe on the Roof by Will Ferguson – described as an explosively imaginative tour de force that questions our definitions of sanity and madness.

New in hardcover

Undiscovered Country by Kelly O’Connor McNees is another new novel about the relationship between Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. I recently read Amy Bloom’s book White Houses on the same theme – this one is on the top of my “next to read” pile.

A Higher Loyalty – Truth, Lies, and Leadership – by James Comey. If you’re not too Trumped out here is another perspective on the dangerous soap opera of American politics today.

News Week of April 14, 2018

I returned from a week in Victoria to more snow! This must be a whole month of April’s Fool – us being the fools for hoping for spring.

I also found a whole pile of new books to tell you about – mostly mystery novels and a few other gems – in no particular order

Twenty-One Days by Anne Perry – A Daniel Pitt novel, as Anne Perry enters the Edwardian era – and inaugurates a new series – as Thomas and Charlotte Pitt’s son carries on his family’s distinguished mystery-solving tradition.

Macbeth by Jo Nesbo takes place in the 1970s in a run down town, and a police force struggling to shed an incessant drug problem.

The Mechanical Devil by Kate Ellis is a new Wesley Peterson Murder Mystery. As usual both Wesley and his archaeologist friend Neil Watson attempt to unravel a present day murder and a long-buried mystery.

A Cold Death in Amsterdam by Anja De Jager is the first in the Lotte Meerman Mystery series. Drawing inspiration from the cases her police detective father investigated, this is a series sure to please mystery readers and anyone with a fondness for Amsterdam! The second A Cold Case in Amsterdam Central continues the series, with the third Death on the Canal coming in June.

Another series new to me by Quentin Bates has two new installments, Chilled to the Bone, and Thin Ice, in this Icelandic murder mystery series featuring Officer Gunnhildur Gisladottir.

And, finally, a new book from Claire McGowan, the 4th in her series, A Savage Hunger. I loved the first three with their connections between present day life in Ireland and the troubled past, with forensic psychologist Paula Maguire investigating.

And a few more –

Vi by Kim Thuy is another lovely lyrical book from this fine writer about a young first generation Canadian woman of Vietnamese heritage finding her place in the world.

David Adams Richards brings us Mary Cyr, the tale of a wealthy Canadian woman involved in a tangled web of deceit and power.

Feast by Firelight by Emma Frish features simple recipes for camping, cabin and the great outdoors. For when spring finally comes!

News week of 6 April 2018

In spite of the snow blanketing the town, the delivery trucks come every day with boxes full of new spring releases!

Donna Leon has a new Commissario Guido Brunetti Mystery, The Temptation of Forgiveness, and her previous book Earthly Remains is now out in paperback. I count on Donna Leon to take me on an annual visit to Venice, if only from my couch.

There Your Heart Lies by Mary Gordon, now out in paperback, tells the story of a woman who left her wealthy, conservative Irish Catholic home in America to volunteer in the Spanish Civil War, and of the granddaughter with whom she shares her story.

Aging Backwards by Miranda Esmonde-White promises that we can reverse the aging process and look 10 years younger in 30 days!!!

The Court Fire by Andrew Taylor is literally hot off the press – London 1667 – a city rising from the ashes, and a murder that could destroy everything for one survivor.

Meg Wolitzer returns with The Female Persuasion, a humourous, wise and intelligent novel that weaves insights about power and influence, ego and loyalty, woman-hood and ambition into a moving novel.

My Dear Hamilton by Stephanie Dray & Laura Kamoie is a novel about Eliza Schuyler Hamilton  - wife, widow, and warrior in Alexander Hamilton’s quest for a more perfect union of both a new nation and a marriage.

30 Years at Parry Sound Books

Turning 30 is a daunting prospect – a time to reflect on the past, and dream about the promise of the future.

As Parry Sound Books turns 30 I reflected on the past, and the 1000s of books I’ve loved reading over that time. I have written a weekly review during most of those years, and looking back over those reviews and the books on my shelves I have selected 30 books that I remember most fondly, and those that I believe have stood the test of time.

I have left out more than I have included. It was hard to leave out the Orange Prize winning novel The Idea of Perfection by Kate Grenville (1999) but it was published the same year as No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod. On Chesil Beach (2007) by Ian McEwan is every bit as wonderful as Birds in Fall by Brad Kessler, the book I chose for that year. Life After Life by Kate Atkinson (2013) is a novel I loved – but it was published the same year as Michael Winter’s Minister Without Portfolio, a book I think is a neglected treasure. Not only have I left out any number of wonderful books, but I’ve purposely left out mystery novels – those of us who ready mysteries, know they are the snacks, not the main course. I’ve been, unapologetically, biased toward books by Canadian writers, many of whom have accepted my invitation to read from their novels in Parry Sound during the past 30 years.

From 1 April, the day I registered the business name in 1988, until 1 November 2018, Parry Sound Books will offer our selection of “30 Years – 30 Books” at 30% off the suggested retail price. Please take a look at this selection and choose books to read for the first time, or re-read a book that you may have mostly forgotten, or pick a present for a friend.

We head into the future with as much love of the job and commitment to serving our customers as we began with in 1988, and we very sincerely thank you for your loyal support.

After 30 years I am planning to take more time away in the spring and fall, so you’ll see some new faces behind the desk at Parry Sound Books. But, I know I have the absolutely best job in the world, and I will be here more often than not.

I look forward to talking with you about the books we have all most enjoyed reading, as we head into the next 30 years of bookselling in Parry Sound.

NEWS FRIDAY 29 MARCH 2018

It has been a quiet week as we prepare orders for summer stock now that we have finished up all the paperwork involved in our business year-end and head into the next on 1 April.

Jus t a couple of new books worth noting –

 Sofie and Cecilia by Katherine Ashenburg – well-known for her non-fiction this a first novel, re-imaging the story of the wives of Swedish artists Carl Larsson and Anders Zorn. The novel begins in 1901 when the two women meet and begin a friendship – went to the top of my “to read pile” and I am finding it a compelling story by a lovely writer.

Jacqueline Winspear brings us a new Maisie Dobbs mystery, To Die But Once – set in the spring of 1940 - sure to be another fast paced read for her many fans.

Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout is now out in paperback. This is a companion novel that follows My Name is Lucy Barton. Both, perfectly plotted and profound in their sublime simplicity. Really great books.

Wishing you all a lovely long spring weekend !