A moment of kindness - 9 July 2018

This morning I was witness to a lovely moment that confirms my faith in human kindness. An elderly customer, a man I’ve known for 30 years, came into the store today for the first time this summer. He is a veteran of the Korean War, as is my father, and we have often had chats about that time. He was once a robust man, but last summer it was obvious that he was ill. He was very thin and I wondered if he was still alive, and was sad to think he might not be. And, how would I know.

This morning he came into the store, and we chatted as usual, and I told him a story about my father playing hockey in Korea – an event re-created this past winter during the Olympics. At the same time I was helping another customer select some mystery novels, a younger man who I do not know. Both men came to the sales desk at the same time, and the younger man insisted on paying for the older mans books, as he thanked him for his service in Korea.

A kindness to my elderly customer – and a gift to me as witness, barely managing not to shed tears. A truly remarkable moment. Thank you, whoever you are.

News 1 July 2018

Summer is very definitely here!!

We are fully stocked and ready to help everyone looking for great books to read this summer.

We have some special events happening as well that we would like you to know about, and plan to attend.

Please see the links below to articles that appeared in Parry Sound Life about our special events in July.

Andrea Curtis and Jessica Bromley Bartram will sign books in the store

I am sharing this story from ParrySound.com: 
"Writers Inspired by Georgian Bay Connection"

Please visit the following page for more information: 
https://www.parrysound.com/community-story/8603307-writers-inspired-by-georgian-bay-connection/?s=e
 

Giles Blunt will appear at  Trestle Brewing

http://origin.misc.pagesuite.com/pdfdownload/cd552762-5710-4844-8000-8655eedcd717.pdf

News – Week of 22 June 2018

Returning from several weeks in Newfoundland to full on summer in Parry Sound! And all set for summer at Parry Sound Books – the store is stocked and we are ready for you to shop for your summer reading.

One of the best books I read, of many, during my time away was The Ghost Keeper by Natalie Morrill. This is an astounding first novel from a young Canadian writer. The story is set in Vienna, before, during and after the Second World War. It is beautifully crafted and tells a deeply moving and important story.

Bee by Britta Teckentrup is another very lovely Peek-Through Picture Book by this very talented writer and illustrator.

The Land Of Stories novels by Chris Colfer have become one of our best selling series for young readers – if you have a precocious early reader in the family this series is just right – but also good for young teens. The most recent, the sixth in the series, Worlds Collide, is now in paperback.

We have a great selection of hand made St. Armand Paper in stock. Professional quality drawing and painting paper made on the Lachine canal in Montreal.

The 2018/2019 and 2019 Moleskine date books are in, as well as Polestar engagement calendars – get yours while they are still available.

Have a wonderful weekend – safe on the water and the roads of this beautiful place. We are indeed lucky to spend our time here on Georgian Bay.

News – Week of 15 June

Sarah Cassidy writes for Parry Sound Books -

The arrival of our annual newsletter makes it official that we are in summer mode. You can find the newsletter on our Facebook page, at http://www.parrysoundbooks.com/newsletters or--of course--in store where all the books are!

We have so many new titles in this week, it was hard to choose just a few to highlight. Here are the ones we are most excited about.

"Strangers with the Same Dream" is a new release by acclaimed author Alison Pick. Three individuals, each with their own rich histories, become pioneers in a region that will later become Israel. The novel shows the dramatic war between the light and the dark of human nature: hope and idealism clash with ignorance, violence, and hardship. 

Featured in the newsletter, we've just received the paperback edition of "Do Not Become Alarmed" by Maile Meloy. What happens when safety, comfort, and civilized order are no longer ours to rely on? This cast of characters finds out when the children become separated from the adults during a vacation in Central America. Suspenseful and well written.

(I read this book a few weeks ago and LOVED it! I hesitated at the description of children being lost in an unknown Central American country but I was out of other books on hand and I’d liked earlier books by Maile Meloy, and I was captivated from the first page and could not put it down. It was so plausible and absolutely riveting. Charlotte)

New from Laurie R. King is the newest chapter in the Mary Russell & Sherlock Holmes mystery series that we so enjoy. "Island of the Mad" takes us to Bethlem Royal Hospital--an asylum that has become better known as Bedlam. Mary does not want to take the missing person case, but she offers her expertise despite her foreboding. Mary and Sherlock floor readers with their cleverness as this series continues on strong. 

The third installment of Leif G. W. Persson's Backstrom mystery series is here: "The Sword of Justice." This author is quickly becoming a staff and customer favourite. 

Summer can be a perfect time to indulge in some of those guilty pleasure reads that take a backseat during the rest of the year. "The Lost Letter" by Jillian Cantor and "The Restless Sea" by Vanessa de Haan have good balance between fluff and substance. Both are stories of love amidst World War II, each rendered in their own unique ways. 

NEWS WEEK ENDING 8 JUNE 2018

This news comes to you on Monday instead of the usual Friday – entirely my fault as I am in Newfoundland for a couple of weeks having way too much fun, renovating an old house and spending time on the beach and sitting in the sun, and it is an hour and a half later here - which is no excuse at all.

Leaving the store in the capable hands of Sarah, Jacquie, Janet and Lee-Anna means I can take some time off and know my customers are well looked after.

Sarah Cassidy has written this week’s news and done a great job of it!!  

For the little ones: VIKING TOYS!

We received fresh stock and our shelves are full of Swedish-designed Viking Toys. Strong, simple, silent, safe, & soft. Vibrant colours and fun designs make these toys crowd pleasers with our littler customers.

Second spring visited us this week. Luckily for us readers, with the cooler temperatures came new stock from some of the most chilling authors. 

What could be better than a bite-sized mystery on a cool summer evening? New in stock, "Bloody Scotland" features short mystery stories from a collection of authors, including one of our staff favourites: Ann Cleeves.  

Stephen King fans will rejoice his latest release, "The Outsider." It follows Detective Ralph Anderson as he investigates what looks to be an open-and-shut murder case involving a child. In true Stephen King style, of course, not everything is as straightforward as it might seem. This is at the top of one of our staff's to-read pile--who is excited to see the return of a lesser-known but fascinating character, Ralph Anderson. 

Like any good residents of a summer town, we too are waiting for the scorching days of sunshine. On the sunnier side of the street, we have several new titles in fiction.

"The Lost Family" tells the story of Peter, a man who has put away any interest in finding new love after he survives Auschwitz, while his wife and daughters did not. But when June Bouquet enters his life, Peter is completely drawn in. His life with June, the ups and downs, the bitter and the sweet, are followed from the 1960s to 1980s. A testament to how the human spirit can be torn, renewed, and the complexities of love. 

Kenneth Bonert gives us a novel set within the South African Apartheid in "The Mandela Plot." This novel weaves together races, cultures, religions, and paints the harmony and discord that comes when people feel these "differences." It reads like a literary thriller, and may just be a book that feels like it reads itself. 

"Small Country" by Gael Faye highlights the beauty of pre-war Burundi--a neighbour of Rwanda that also fell into civil war and genocide. The story follows ten-year-old Gabriel, describing paradise through a child's eyes--harmless mischief, eating stolen mangoes, and being among a band of friends who consider themselves kings of their neighbourhood. Gabriel's child eyes also witness the tragedy of what comes next, in a haunting reflection of war. 

Check out our sale table, which, like the seasons in Parry Sound, is constantly changing! Fresh stock and marvelous titles at sale prices. Don't miss a good one, stop by often!