NEWS FRIDAY 2 FEBRUARY 2024

The dull cold days of February are with us – no better way to spend your day than with a good book!

I have acquired a lot of books over the past many years, some of them I am now parting with, and our sale table is loaded with a selection of fiction and non-fiction, all priced at only $5.00. Please come in and have a browse and find yourself a bargain!

Of course, new books are arriving daily – and here are some we think the most interesting

 The Women by Kristin Hannah tells the story of a generation who came of age during the war in Vietnam – an intimate portrait of a young woman during a dangerous time, and a nation divided.

Now in paperback –

 Far Cry by Alissa York. Anders Viken tells his story, his first home in Norway, a land of islands and fjords, to the northeast coast of British Columbia.

 A Woman in the Polar Night by Christine Ritter is a book I loved!  A memoir written in 1934, by a woman who spent time on an Arctic island, amidst beauty and terror – an amazing experience and a fabulous book! Have a look on our website at a review published on 15 December 2021.

 For mystery readers –

 Death From a Shetland Cliff by Marsali Taylor is an instalment in her “Shetland Sailing Mysteries”. Recommended by Ann Cleeves, author of the Shetland series featuring Jimmy Perez, “This series is a must-read for anyone who loves the sea, or islands, or joyous intricate story-telling”.

 Dead Of Night by Simon Scarrow is the most recent in his “Criminal Inspector Schenke Thrillers”. Set in Berlin, January 1940. Germany has conquered Poland. The world is praying for peace. In times of war, under a ruthless regime, there are places no man should ever enter. And Schenke fears he may not return alive……

 Night Flight to Paris by Cara Black. Paris at the height of Nazi occupation, October 1942. A female British Secret Service agent, a risky mission in Paris, the planned assassination of a high-ranking German.

 Fun for the kids –

 Spaceboy by David Walliams. Gazing at the stars, a flying saucer blazing across the sky, a crash landing on a farm, and Spaceboy arrives! Funny funny funny!

 Romantasy – a new word to me, and the most recent reading craze – google PBS to see an interview and have it all explained –

 The newest from one of the most popular authors of the Genre – House of Flame and Shadow by Sarah J Maas is sure to be hit – already at the top of the bestsellers list!

CANADA READS 2024

Canada Reads 2024 announced their shortlist. Prepare for the heartbreak, joy, betrayal, laughter, and surprise as this year's panelists share why the book they're championing is THE BOOK we should all read.

The debates take place 4-7 March 2024

NEWS FRIDAY 19 JANUARY 2024

A beautiful sunny day, snow shining outside the window, and cold! A great day to read a good book!

 Most notable of the new arrivals this week is

 The Lost Café Schindler by Meriel Schindler

 Meriel Schindler spent her adult life trying to keep her father, Kurt, at bay. But when he died in 2017, he left behind piles of Nazi-era documents related to her family’s fate in Innsbruck, Austria, and a treasure trove of family albums reaching back to before World War I. Meriel was forced to confront not only their fractured relationship, but also the truth behind their family history.

The narrative centers around the Café Schindler, the social hub of Innsbruck. Famous for its pastries, home-distilled liquors, live entertainment, and hospitality, the restaurant attracted Austrians from all walks of life.

Meriel reconstructs the color and vibrancy of life in prewar Innsbruck against the majestic backdrop of the Austrian Alps, as well as the creeping menace and, finally, terror of the Nazi occupation. Beautifully written, it is an unforgettable portrait of an era and a testament to the pull of family history on future generations.

 More –

 Two novels by Monika Helfer –

 Last House Before the Mountain
Maria and Josef live with their children in a valley in westernmost Austria. When the First World War breaks out and Josef is drafted into the army, Maria is left to provide for her family alone. Every day is a struggle against starvation, the harsh alpine climate and the hostile nearby villagers who see Maria as little more than a beautiful temptress out for the men left behind. But when a red-haired stranger arrives in the village, Maria feels happiness seep back into her life and she faces a choice whose consequences will affect the lives of her family for generations to come.
Based on the author’s own family history, Last House Before the Mountain is a propulsive, haunting, multi-layered saga about love, family, and the hidden wages of war.

 Library for the War-Wounded
Inspired by the author's family history, Library for the War-Wounded transports readers to the aftermath of World War II, uncovering the life of Helfer's father, Josef, a man of many mysteries. To his daughter Monika, none was greater than his obsession with the home's unlikely and remarkable library, his great treasure and comfort as the country barrels away from the memory of war.

Beautifully restrained and compressed, Library for the War-Wounded turns lived experience into great literature by confronting the universal question: Can we ever truly know our parents?

For mystery readers - A Winter Grave by Peter May is now in paperback - a chilling new mystery set in the isolated Scottish Highlands.

A young meteorologist checking a mountain top weather station in Kinlochleven discovers the body of a missing man entombed in ice.

Cameron Brodie, a Glasgow detective, sets out on a hazardous journey to the isolated and ice-bound village. He has his own reasons for wanting to investigate a murder case so far from his beat.Brodie must face up to the ghosts of his past and to a killer determined to bury forever the chilling secret that his investigation threatens to expose.

For Teen readers –

 Northwind by Gary Paulsen

Set along a rugged coastline centuries ago, Northwind does for the ocean what Hatchet does for the woods, as it relates the story of a young person’s battle to stay alive against the odds, where the high seas meet a coastal wilderness.
When a deadly plague reaches the small fish camp where he lives, an orphan named Leif is forced to take to the water in a cedar canoe. He flees northward, following a wild, fjord-riven shore, navigating from one danger to the next, unsure of his destination. Yet the deeper into his journey he paddles, the closer he comes to his truest self as he connects to “the heartbeat of the ocean . . . the pulse of the sea.” With hints of Nordic mythology and an irresistible narrative pull, Northwind is Gary Paulsen at his captivating, adventuresome best.

 The Everlasting Road follows Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew as the boundaries between the virtual and real worlds are becoming dangerously blurred. Novels that blend Anishinaabe cultural teachings with science fiction for teen readers.

NEWS FRIDAY 12 JANUARY 2024

Coming up on the middle of January, the Christmas decorations are once again stored away, and we are almost ready to think about Valentine’s day! As yet another year in our long retail life at Parry Sound Books proceeds.

Always, new books are arriving as we think of what to offer you to read during the winter and spring, and planning for the coming summer. In some ways it is a quiet time in the store but the work we are doing now is in preparation for the busy months to come.

Some of the new releases received this week are –

Horse by Geraldine Brooks is now in paperback. A novel based on the greatest racehorse in American history. A discarded painting in a junk pile, a skeleton in an attic. From these strands, a Pulitzer Prize winning author braids a sweeping portrait of spirit, obsession, and justice.

The Waters by Bonnie Jo Campbell, a National Book Award finalist, has generated some attention – not only for its luscious cover, but the story itself. A fierce and mesmerizing novel about exceptional women and the soul of a small town. A novel celebrating the resilience of nature and the brutality and sweetness of rural life.

The Lost Van Gogh by Jonathan Santlofer, from the author of the much-praised The Last Mona Lisa, comes another thrilling story of masterpieces, masterminds, and mystery. As past and present collide, secrets are revealed.

Mystery novels by Neil Lancaster will keep you entertained on snowbound days this winter.

Neil Lancaster is a former military policeman, and worked with the Metropolitan police as a detective, investigating serious crimes. Now living in the Scottish Highlands he works as a broadcaster and commentator on true crime documentaries, and writes an excellent mystery series featuring DS Max Criagie of Glasgow, Dead Man’ Grave, Blood Tide, Night Watch and now, Blood Runs Cold.

NEWS FRIDAY 5 JANUARY 2024

A little dusting of snow, just enough to look like winter as we expect it to be.

After a busy Christmas season, with shelves looking a little bare, soon to be filled with new releases arriving each and every day.

Before We Were Innocent by Ella Berman is the most recent selection in Reese’s Book Club. A novel about the summer spent by three best friends in Greece, ending in the unthinkable when only two return home …….

The Ski Jumpers by Peter Geye is a novel about a brilliant ski jumper, past and present as he tells the story of his family and his own part in their history. Peter Geye is well known for his earlier novels, Safe from the Sea, Lighthouse Road, Wintering,  and Northernmost – and known to local readers from his appearances at the Charles W Stockey Centre, hosted by Parry Sound Books.

 January Birthdays sometimes sneak up on us as we are adjusting to the reality of a new year.

If you have little ones with birthdays approaching think about Green Toys