Post Title. 02/09/2012
 
CanLit Week: With so many great Canadian-authored books we thought we'd feature a few of the hot ones now available.

Gimme a Call
by Sarah Mlynowski

_ After accidentally dropping her cell phone into a fountain at the mall, fourteen year old Devi Banks start to get phone calls--and an earful of advice on how to live her life to avoid making disastrous choices--from her seventeen year old self.

Yellow Mini
by Lori Weber

_
This is a powerful free-verse novel that intertwines the coming-of-age stories of five teens and their relationships with each other, their parents, and themselves.

The Avro Arrow: A picture history
by Lawrence Miller

_ When the magnificent new Avro Arrow fighter jet thundered into the sky over Malton, ON on a cold March morning in 1958, Canada became a world leader in the aviation industry. Less than a year later, the Arrow project was dead and the machines were cut up into pieces of scrap metal. What happened? This amazing book uses over 100 dramatic and historic images to tell the story of the creation and destruction of the best aircraft every invented.

The Next Day
by John Porcellino, Paul Peterson & Jason Gilmore

_ A ground-breaking graphic novella constructed from intimate interviews with survivors of near-fatal suicide attempts. In this poetic and profound philosophical exploration, four seemingly ordinary people each offer haunting insight into life, the decision to end it, and what comes after…

Sid vs. Ovi: Natural Born Rival
by Andrew Podnieks

The author traces the most intense rivalry in hockey today and attempts to give a clear picture of Crosby’s and Ovechkin's different career trajectories, distinctive styles of play, influences, strengths and weakness, successes and failures.

Dumb Luck
by Lesley Choyce

Brandon De Wolfe, an 18 year-old lonely misfit just barely getting through school, does what almost everyone else just dreams of: he wins the lottery. Plunged into a world that is completely new to him, and without any real moral compass to follow, Brandon realizes it's a good idea to be careful what you wish for.
Add Comment
 
 
Picture
Playaway Week. The beauty of the MP3 and the joy of being read to has become a favourite at LVR. The library now has over 40 Playaway titles. Drop by and check 'em out. This week's picks are new editions to the audiobook collection.

I Am Number Four
Pitticus Lore

Here's one where the book is as good or even better than the movie. This follows the story of John Smith, a 15-year old alien from the planet Lorien, and Henri, his guardian Cêpan, as they run from the Mogadorians, another alien race that is hunting John and eight other teenage Lorics residing on the planet Earth. These nine teens are members of the Garde, a group of Loric people gifted with special powers called "Legacies." Cêpans, who are also Loric, do not acquire legacies and most often become protectors and mentors for young members of the Garde. The teenagers are protected by a spell or charm that only allows them to be killed in numeric order. The first three have been killed, and John is Number Four.
Strutting It:The Grit Behind the Glamour
Jeanne Beker
Who wouldn’t want to wear gorgeous clothes, travel the world, hang out with stars, have adoring fans – and get paid a fortune for it? But is that what the life of a model is like?

World-famous fashion guru Jeanne Beker offers a unique insider’s look at the reality behind the glitz. She demystifies the industry for those who are thinking about a career in modeling and for those who simply want the scoop on an intriguing world. Strutting It! is full of fascinating information, from getting discovered to finding a personal style, from the team of people behind every model to the education a good model should have.

With a foreword by modeling superstar Coco Rocha, Strutting It! is packed with biographies of successful models, lots of black-and-white photos, and the great humor and common sense Jeanne Beker is known for.
The Sentimentalists
Johanna Skibsrud
Haunted by the vivid horrors of the Vietnam War, exhausted from years spent battling his memories, Napoleon Haskell leaves his North Dakota trailer and moves to Canada.

He retreats to a small Ontario town where Henry, the father of his fallen Vietnam comrade, has a home on the shore of a man-made lake. Under the water is the wreckage of what was once the town - and the home where Henry was raised.

When Napoleon's daughter arrives, fleeing troubles of her own, she finds her father in the dark twilight of his life, and rapidly slipping into senility. With love and insatiable curiosity, she devotes herself to learning the truth about his life; and through the fog, Napoleon's past begins to emerge.
Does this Book Make Me Look Fat?
edited Marissa Walsh
How often do you find yourself looking in the mirror? And smiling at what you see? More likely, you're thinking what you see is: Fat, Ugly, Skinny, Round, Stacked or Flat, Bad or Good. From reality television to tabloid headlines, we're all surrounded by weight and discussion of weight. In this collection, a stellar lineup of YA writers sound off on body image., self-esteem, diets, eating disorders, boys, fashion magazines, and why trying on jeans is a bad experience for everyone. There are eight powerful short stories and six moving personal essays from authors whose works include two New York Times bestsellers, a Los Angeles Times Book Prize, and a Printz Honor; an appendix offers book, movie, and music recommendations. (And in case you're still wondering, No this book does not make you look fat.)
Add Comment
 
 
Two boxes full of new titles. Here's what's in the first one!
Picture
Bras and Broomsticks
Sarah Mlynowski
Rachel can't believe it. Her younger sister Miri is a witch! Literally. How come Miri inherited the supernatural skills that could have turned Rachel into a teenage superstar?

Picture
Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children
Ransom Riggs
After a horrific family tragedy, 16 year-old Jacob journeys to a remote island where he discovers the crumbling ruins of Miss Peregrine's Home of Peculiar Children. As Jacob explores the abandon hallways and bedrooms it becomes apparent that the children were more than peculiar. They may still be alive.

Picture
Beyond the Horizon
Colin Angus
IN June of 2004, Colin Angus set out from Vancouver on his bicycle and returned nearly two years later after having been the first human to circumnavigate the globe only on human power. An amazing achievement and an even better story!
Picture
Generation A
Douglas Coupland
In the near future bees are believe to be extinct--until one autumn when five people are stung in different places around the world. This shared experience unites them in a way they could never have imagined.
Add Comment
 
 
A new year, brings new reads to the library. This week we're featuring some popular classics and some new fresh fiction and non-fiction titles!

Catch-22
by Joseph Heller

Catch-22 follows Captain John Yossarian in his exploits as a bombardier (that is, a member of a fighter plane crew that is in charge of aiming and releasing bombs) in the U.S. Air Force during World War II. Yossarian has one wish: to survive the madness of wartime culture. He's convinced that everyone is trying to kill him, a notion that sometimes arises in a war where…everyone is trying to kill one another. Yossarian has to survive the dangerous combat missions he flies, while Colonel Cathcart continues to increase the number of missions his men must complete.

The novel does not flow in chronological order, but instead involves frequent flashbacks. Sound confusing? That's the idea – so is war. The first part concentrates on the narrative present, the second part on the scene of the Great Big Siege of Bologna, the third part returns to the present, the fourth part centers on the actions of Milo, and finally on Yossarian's escape from the military. Many of Yossarian's actions are in response to the death of a fellow soldier, or as a tactic to avoid flying dangerous missions. The Air Force administration's actions, on the contrary, are based on improving the ranks of the individual officers or making America look good in the war.

*courtesy of Shmoop.com

Here's a clip from the amazing movie based on Heller's classic!

Running to Extremes: Ray Zahab's Amazing Ultramarathon Journey
by Steve Pitt & Ray Zahab

This is an inspirational biography of the eco-activist and marathon runner Ray Zahab, who crossed the Sahara Desert by foot.

Here's a clip from Ray Zahab's run across the Sahara Desert. Yes, across the entire Sahara Desert.

Double or Nothing
by Dennis Foon

Kip is a gambler. He hangs with kids who gamble and he bets on everything. Kip thinks drug addicts, drinkers, and smokers are losers--gambling gives him all the buzz he needs. He does not consider himself an addict. Kip knows that addicts don't amount to anything, and he plans on being rich someday.

However, when he discovers big-time gambling with his new girl friend's father King, the famous magician, his whole life changes. The horse track, casinos, and slot machines give him a buzz like he never has known before. Gambling may be taking over his life as he wipes out his mother's bank account and his college fund.

Will Kip wake up in time to recover his losses legally, or will he end up like King? Kip will probably never lose his love of gambling --- will this allow him to follow his dream of becoming a stockbroker? As he says, "The stock market isn't just legal gambling, it powers the whole economy. I get to be rich and be a patriot all at the same time. You gotta love this. Total win-win-win." Read DOUBLE OR NOTHING and find out what happens to Kip --- will he win or will he lose it all?

Born Ugly
by Beth Goobie

To say Shir is unpopular is a understatement. In fact she's less than homely, therefore a target of casual cruelty in high school. Even though she wishes to remain invisible, bullies find ways of tormenting her, viciously. Worse still, she's an outcast in her own family. There are two areas where Shir can overcome her negative self image. One is at her part-time job where the kindly Mr. A has hired her as the driver of his grocery delivery truck. The other is at her secret retreat--my place--where she can sip her beer and watch the river, undisturbed.

But neither sanctuary is safe; Shir discovers that Mr. A's kindness is part of a plot to use her as an accomplice in shady dealings, and her haven by the river is intruded upon by a boy who simply won't go away. While these invasions shatter her initially, both lead to her throwing off the mantle of victim and asserting herself for the first time in her life.

Add Comment
 
 

Death Benefits

Picture
by Sarah N. Harvey
Looking after a 95 year old—especially one as cantankerous, crafty and stubborn as Arthur—is a challenge. But as Royce gets to know the eccentric old man—who loves the Pussycat Dolls and hates Anderson Cooper—he gradually comes to appreciate that his grandfather’s life still has meaning.


Fearless Female Journalists

Picture
by Joy Crysdale
Ten inspirational biographies of women who risked everything–including their lives –to bring us the world’s stories. Whether reporting from the front lines or the anchor desk, they pushed the boundaries of print, radio, TV, and internet journalism. By reading about their lives we learn the history of modern journalism. From abolitionist Mary Ann Shadd and stunt reporter Nellie Bly to feminist Doris Anderson and pioneering photojournalist Margaret Bourke-White. On to TV legends Barbara Frum and Katie Couric–-the first woman to be the solo anchor of a US network news desk–-and sports reporter Pam Oliver. Learn about murdered Russian war correspondent Anna Politkovskaya, courageous Afghan journalist Farida Nekzad, and South African Thembi Ngubane, who recorded her own fight against AIDS. Their personal stories will inspire you as much as their intrepid journalism.

Tricks

Picture
by Ellen Hopkins
Five teenagers from different parts of the country. Three girls. Two guys. Four straight. One gay. Some rich. Some poor. Some from great families. Some with no one at all. All living their lives as best they can, but all searching...for freedom, safety, community, family, love. What they don't expect, though, is all that can happen when those powerful little words, "I love you," are said for all the wrong reasons. These are five moving stories that remain separate at first, then weave together to tell a larger, more powerful story–a story about making choices, taking leaps of faith, falling down, and growing up. And figuring out what sex and love are all about. Tricks is informed and inspired by living near Las Vegas–a big teen prostitution scene–and by the fact that teen prostitution is not exclusively the result of kids running away from abuse. Kids from "better" families are selling themselves for hefty sums in order to finance addictions or even just to buy jewelry or clothing. In some cases, parents prostitute their children for the same reason. So what happens to the kids who are asking themselves, and asking us, "Can I ever feel OK about myself?"

British Columbia Murders: Notorious Cases

Picture
by Susan McNicoll
Six of British Columbia's most notorious murders are recounted in these gripping stories of betrayal and intrigue. From the tragic murder of Molly Justice to the unsolved mystery of Janet Smith's untimely death, these stories will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Queen of Hearts

Picture
by Martha Brooks
Her new novel, Queen of Hearts, is set on the grounds of a similar place, the fictional Pembina Hills Sanatorium in southern Manitoba, in the years 1940-42. The aching loneliness and chill of the landscape, combined with the austere dark cloud of the war as it raged across the Atlantic, provide the perfect setting for an absolutely absorbing account of life on the inside of a “San,” as they were commonly referred to then. The result is a careful, graceful novel, robust with sorrow and triumph in equal measure. It will leave the reader with both a chill down the spine and a lump in the throat. Fifteen-year-old Marie Claire is the eldest of three French-Canadian farm children, all delighted when their vagabond uncle comes to stay for the summer. He’s wheezy and heavy on his feet, and the whole family assumes its lovable uncle’s had too much of the hobo life. In truth, his body has been ravaged by tuberculosis, and all three children are discovered to be consumptives a few months after he dies. Their parents, devastated and ashamed, check them into Pembina Hills.
Add Comment
 
 

BEAT THE BAND by Don Calame

Picture

Paired with the infamous "Hot Dog" Helen for a health class presentation on safe sex, tenth-grader Coop tries to regain his "cool" by entering his musically challenged rock group in the "Battle of the Bands" competition. The only problem is that the band is well...not very good. A hilarious story of adolescent love!

LITTLE BROTHER by Kenneth Oppel

Picture

For thirteen years, Ben Tomlin was an only child. But all that changes when his mother brings home Zan -- an eight-day-old chimpanzee. Ben's father, a renowned behavioral scientist, has uprooted the family to pursue his latest research project: a high-profile experiment to determine whether chimpanzees can acquire advanced language skills. Ben's parents tell him to treat Zan like a little brother. Ben reluctantly agrees. At least now he's not the only one his father's going to scrutinize. It isn't long before Ben is Zan's favorite, and Ben starts to see Zan as more than just an experiment. His father disagrees. To him, Zan is only a specimen, no more, no less. And this is going to have consequences. Soon Ben is forced to make a critical choice between what he is told to believe and what he knows to be true--between obeying his father or protecting his brother from an unimaginable fate.

THE HUNGER GAMES trilogy by Suzanne Collins

Picture
Playaways
In the ruins of a place once known as North America lies the nation of Panem, a shining Capitol surrounded by twelve outlying districts. The Capitol is harsh and cruel and keeps the districts in line by forcing them all to send one boy and one girl between the ages of twelve and eighteen to participate in the annual Hunger Games, a fight to the death on live TV. Sixteen-year-old Katniss Everdeen regards it as a death sentence when she steps forward to take her sister's place in the Games. Without really meaning to, she becomes a contender. But if she is to win, she will have to start making choices that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.Now, for the first time, all three books of the Hunger Games trilogy by Suzanne Collins are available in a gorgeous hardcover boxed set. The books include the New York Times bestselling The Hunger Games and Catching Fire, and the greatly anticipated final book in the trilogy: Mockingjay.

DEATH BENEFITS by Sarah H. Harvey

Picture

Looking after his ninety-five-year-old grandfather is not what Royce had in mind for his summer vacation. But Royce soon learns that the old man he never really knew is actually a person with an amazing past and lived a life of excitement and adventure. Inspiring to say the least! This book really shows how ageism can be something powerful and transformational.

GOOL: The Salt Trilogy Vol. 2 by Maurice Gee

Picture

The gool cannot be seen, not properly, but Xantee, Lo and their friends sense its evil presence. It lurks in the jungle in rock clefts, an enemy from outside nature. And now, a fragment of Gool holds Hari by the throat, draining the life from him. They can hold it back with the force of their minds, but for how long?
Add Comment
 
 

PHANTOM

Picture
by Terry Goodkind
 One of the masters of fantasy is back with his 35th book! Book one of his new series: The Sword of Truth. On the day she awoke remembering nothing but her name, Kahlan Amnell became the most dangerous woman alive. For everyone else, that was the day that the world began to end.

DRAGON SEER

Picture
by Janet McNaughton
Madoca has been a slave since early childhood admiring the dragons from afar. Due to a twist of fate she is chosen to be the next dragon seer, one who will care for these mysterious creatures and learn their magic lore. Over time, her love of these amazing and little understood living souls becomes deep. But as her people begin to question the traditions that placed dragons at the very heart of her society, Madoca must find a way to save her beloved dragons. Is there a solution?

THE PRESENTATION SECRETS OF STEVE JOBS (How to be insanely great in front of any audience)

Picture
by Carmine Gallo
Apple co-founder and CEO Steve Jobs’ wildly popular presentations have set a new global standard. Relive some of his most memorable highlights in front of the audience and some of his presentation secrets that have helped the company sell billions of dollars worth of technologies from the Mac, iTunes and iPod, and iPad. Beware this ain’t no book about PowerPoint, it's about how to engage and ignite your audience no matter your intention. Useful applications for students and teachers!

SURVIVING THE ANGEL OF DEATH

Picture
by Eva Mozes Kor & Lisa Buccieri
Eva Mozes Kor was 10 years old when she arrived in Aushwitz. While her parents and two older sisters were taken to the gas chambers, she and her twin, Miriam, were herded into the care of the man known as the Angel of Death, Dr. Josef Mengele. Subjected to sadistic medical experiments, she was forced to fight daily for her and her twin sister’s survival. The book also includes an epilogue on Eva’s recovery from this experience and her remarkable decision to publicly forgive the Nazis!


Add Comment
 
 
Well, the third year of Off the Shelf and so many books to share. So, let's get going!
Picture
Going Bovine by Libba Bray
Sixteen year old Cameron wants to get through high school and life in general with a miniumum of effort. But that's before he's given bad news: he's sick and he's going to die. Which totally sucks. But hope arrives; Dulcie, a loopy punk angel tells Cam that there is a cure--if he's willing to go in search of it. With the help of Gonzo, a death-obsessed, video-gaming dwarf, Can sets off on the mother of all road trips through a twisted American. Going Bovine is a dark and very comedic journey. It the the Michael J. Printz award as the best young adult novel in 2009 in the United States.
Picture
Stones into Schools by Greg Mortensen
Picking up where Three Cups of Tea left off in late 2003, Stones into School traces Mortensen and his non -profit Central Asia Institute's efforts to work in a whole new country, the secluded northeat corner of Afghanistan. Eventually, the book concludes in 2007 as the CAI launches new schools in the heart of Taliban country. A much better read and Mortensen has improved as a writer and storyteller.
Picture
The Story of Stuff by Annie Leonard
You may have seen the terrific short film on the Internet by the same name. Simply put, we have too much stuff and most of it is toxic. In North America, we make up 5% of the world's population but we consume 30% of world's resources and create 30% of the waste. But unlike other doomsayers, Leonard offers a vision and plan for change. Like the film, this is a shocking eye-opener that will make you question whether or not you really need the new iPod or cell phone.
Add Comment
 
 
Add Comment
 
 
Aboriginal Awareness Education Week. To celebrate, we've chosen a couple of fiction works written by Canadian aboriginal authors. The variety here is astounding.
Picture
Keeper ‘n Me by Richard Wagamese

This is the story of Garnet Raven who was taken from his home on an Ojibway Indian reserve and placed in a series of foster homes at the age of thirteen. He finally escapes at the first opportunity only to find himself adrift on the streets of the big city.

Picture
Three-Day Road by Joseph Boyden

The story of two young Cree snipers in the killing fields of Ypres and the Somme in WWI. Vivid war scenes. One of Mr. Yaz’s personal favourites!

Picture
Sketco, the Raven by Robert Ayre

Considered a classic these are the tales of Sketco the Raven—the cunning trickster delivers to the world the moon, the Sun and the stars, gives man fire, helps create the tides and much more.

Picture
Ravensong by Lee Miracle

Set along the Pacific Northwest Coast of the early 1950s, this story unfolds in an urban native community overrun by a flu epidemic. Stacey, seventeen, balances her family's traditional ways against white society's intrusive new values, and knows that her future lies in both. With its terrific humour, this is a drama that turns out to be damning, inspirational, and prophetic.
Add Comment
 

    Mr. Yasinchuk

    I have more on my to-read list than I have time. Anybody else have that problem...?

    Categories

    All