Keep your eyes and ears open for P.J. O'Rourke! The writer/commentator/satirist was recently on The Current, talking with Matt Galloway about his new book and the current political climate (https://www.cbc.ca/radio/thecurrent/the-current-for-oct-20-2020-1.5769020), and made an appearance on TVO's The Agenda with Steve Paikin. As witty and entertaining as ever, O'Rourke's latest book is full of observations about the present political absurdity.

A Musical Tour of Toronto

If you've been missing live music, Jonny Dovercourt's latest work Any Night of the Week (Coach House Books) is the perfect antidote. In this fascinating history of live music in Toronto from the 60's to the 00's, Dovercourt dives into the stories of music venues, promoters, neighbourhoods and musicians themselves. For the Toronto International Festival of Authors, Dovercourt recorded an audio-tour of the music scene in Toronto; there are four podcast episodes currently available, separated by neighbourhood. Check them out here: https://festivalofauthors.ca/event/any-night-of-the-week-a-walking-history-of-toronto-music/ 

September 30th is Orange Shirt Day

This Wednesday, September 30th, is Orange Shirt Day! On this day, kids, parents, teachers, and librarians are encouraged to wear orange shirts to represent their belief that Every Child Matters, and to recognize the traumatic legacy of Residential Schools on generations of Indigenous people. Medicine Wheel Education recently published a beautiful book chock full of information and photos to help you prepare for Orange Shirt Day. It explores the historical impact of Residential Schools, looks at the path to reconciliation and healing, and promotes the message that Every Child Matters. Get your copy today and learn about how you can observe Orange Shirt Day with all of Canada!

Infused: Adventures in Tea

2020 is off to a bit of a rough start, so we could all use a steaming cup of tea and a dip into the history and culture of this beloved beverage. Written by Henrietta Lovell, tea expert and founder of the Rare Tea Company, Infused is halfway between armchair travel and a loving ode to the perfect brew, complete with recipes!

Lovell made an appearance on CBC's The Current, which you can listen to or read here. Pour yourself a cuppa and dive in!

Highly Anticipated: DISFIGURED by Amanda Leduc

Coming on February 4th: DISFIGURED by Amanda Leduc is a challenging and affirming treatise on disability in fairy tales.

One of the Toronto Star's Twenty Books You Need to Know About In Spring 2020, DISFIGURED has also received a starred review in Library Journal, and author Leduc was interviewed for a piece in the Toronto Star. Leduc is the Communications Coordinator for the Festival of Literary Diversity.

Why We Can't Sleep by Ada Calhoun

Sandwiched between Boomers and Millennials are Gen X, a generation many say are underserved. In Ada Calhoun's new book, Why We Can't Sleep, she examines the mid-life crisis facing Gen X women, which she discussed on CBC's The Current.

A January Indie Next Pick and one of the New York Times' 10 Books to Watch for in January.

Canada Reads is finally here!

At long last, the week of Canada Reads is upon us, when bookish Canadians join together to listen to "literary Survivor." The debates take place at 11 a.m. today, Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. There are many ways you can tune in: watch the livestream on cbc.ca/books, YouTube or Facebook, watch on CBC TV, listen on CBC Radio or on your favourite podcast app. For full details, check out the site. See you there!

Earthrise

The space race defined the mid-twentieth century, and culminated in one of the most remarkable achievements in human history. But in one poignant moment the gaze of this incredible, decades-long campaign was shifted from the unimaginable depths of the universe to the rare beauty of our own home. As the crew of Apollo 8 emerged from the dark side of the moon during their orbit, they became the first humans to witness Earthrise - the magnificent view of the Earth breaking the lunar horizon. The pictures the crew scrambled to take would prove awe-inspiring. This incredible documentary by Emmanuel Vaughan-Lee explores this human connection to the earth from space, and contains raw footage of the Apollo 8 Earthrise. Also be sure to checkout James Gladstone and Christy Lundy's beautifully touching picture book Earthrise, that explores the impact and details of the Apollo 8 mission. 

The Joy of Missing Out

In the age of social media we, as a society, have become obsessed with sharing our experiences with the world. But when we're trying to capture that perfect instagrammable moment, we tend to miss out on truly experiencing that moment for ourselves.

Christina Cook, author of The Joy of Missing Out: Finding Balance in a Wired World, was recently on CBC's The Current to discuss the benefits of "unplugging" from social media and experiencing life from beyond a phone screen.

Listen to the full conversation over on the CBC website!

Wild Ideas

Wild Ideas is a new picture book from the creative minds behind You Are Stardust, Elin Kelsey and Soyeon Kim.

The folks at Kirkus have given Wild Ideas a starred review, calling it "a work that will be read and examined again and again, with something new to be discovered at every turn. Profound and entirely wonderful."

You can head on over to the Owlkids website to check out podcasts on the science behind the book, learn more about the creators, and watch cool videos!

Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck

The very witty advice columnist and radio talk-show host Amy Alkon, also known as the Advice Goddess, has recently published a book about modern manners for our post-Emily Post world. In Good Manners for Nice People Who Sometimes Say F*ck (St. Martin's Press), Alkon combines science with biting humour to answer questions about etiquette in the twenty-first century. Be warned: you won't find anything about correct table set-up or the proper use of various utensils in this book. Instead, Alkon doles out witty advice on how to deal with people who insist on having their cell phones on speaker in public places and how to stop dog walkers from leaving dog poop on your lawn.

Alkon was recently interviewed by Erin Anderssen in The Globe and Mail, in which she asserts that "we now live in societies too big for our brains," which is why we behave badly around strangers. Among other things, she addresses spontaneous phone calls, clipping toenails on public transit, and Web slapping. Read the full interview here.

A Girl's Right to an Education

Malala Yousafzai was only 11 years old when she wrote her first blog (using a pseudonym) for the BBC, detailing her life under the Taliban rule, and the challenge girls faced while trying to get an education. Today, she is known globally after miraculously surviving an assassination attempt last year. Her book, I Am Malala, was released in October and has been well-received. Kids Can Press's CitizenKid series is an inspiring collection that aims to inspire children (ages 8-12) to be better global citizens.

Razia's Ray of Hope is written by Razia Jan, CNN hero and founder of the Razia's Ray of Hope Foundation and the Zabuli Education Center for Girls which is dedicated to improving the lives of women and children in Afghanistan. This is one of my favourite books in the collection; a beautiful story of a young girl's fight for an education, as she struggles for her father and brother's permission. And if this book couldn't get any better, it is based on real stories from Razia's experience at the the Zabuli Education Center for Girls, which made it even more dear to my heart. Click here to see the full CitizenKid collection. I highly recommend them!

Humans of New York

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton is a forthcoming book from St. Martin's Press that aims to capture the individuality and spirit of the city that never sleeps. The hardbound book, which is inspired by the very popular blog of the same name, boasts 304 pages of full-colour portraits and images of New York's inhabitants. Stanton began the Humans of New York project in the summer of 2010 in an attempt to capture the personalities and individual stories of New Yorkers. Since its launch, the blog has amassed over one million followers and Stanton's photographs have appeared in Vogue.com and TheAtlantic.com.

Humans of New York will be available October 2013. In the meantime, I'd encourage you to check out the Humans of New York blog and Instagram! 

The Writing Life

Canadian writer George Fetherling has recently published The Writing Life: Journals, 1975-2005 (McGill-Queen's University Press). The book is a selection of his daily journal entries spanning 30 years, taking him from Toronto to Vancouver, and it features notable Canadian cultural figures such as Margaret Atwood and Marshall McLuhan. According to MQUP, The Writing Life "provides a compelling portrait of the last three decades of Canadian cultural life."

In a recent article by The National Post, George Fetherling revisits his old Toronto neighbourhood and talks about the cultural zeitgeist of 1970s Toronto. Click here to read the full article.

On Censorship and Book Burning

Shortly after the release of his bestselling novel The Book of Negroes, award-winning author Lawrence Hill received an unexpected email from a man in Amsterdam. The email was quite short, but its message packed a punch: This man planned to burn Hill's novel for using the word 'negro' in its title.

In his latest book Dear Sir, Intend to Burn Your Book: An Anatomy of Book Burning, Hill discusses his experience with censorship and provides an account of censorship in literature and the history of book burning. If you're interested in learning more, The Ottawa Citizen has published an abridged excerpt from Hill's book, which can be found here. He also did a wonderful interview with CBC's Jian Giomeshi, which you can listen to here (the interview begins at 0:05:45).

Hollywood Left and Right

This fascinating book describes how movie stars have influenced American politics. Each chapter is focuses on a different movie star beginning with one of the first stars, Charlie Chaplin. He used his fame to promote socialist views and this got him into trouble with the US government.
Jane Fonda was nicknamed “Hanoi Jane” after a disastrous trip to Vietnam to protest the war. She was also involved in many other causes and was a mentor for several younger celebrity activists like Sarah Jessica Parker. The chapter about Harry Belafonte describes his deep involvement with the Civil Rights movement and his close friendship with Martin Luther King Jr.
Hollywood Left and Right also includes chapters on Arnold Schwarznegger, Warren Beatty, Charlton Heston, Ronald Regan and George Murphy, Edward G. Robinson and Louis B. Mayer.

Taverns, Saloons, Speakeasies and Grog Shops

America Walks into a Bar is an informative and funny book about how taverns and bars helped to shape American history. It was written by Christine Sismondo, a former bartender, who is now a lecturer at York University in Toronto.

In many newly settled colonies in what was to become the United States, the tavern was often the first building to be built. In small communities that didn’t have many public buildings, the tavern often doubled as a courtroom, post office, community centre – and sometimes the library.

Many events central to the history of the US took place in bars, including some of the Salem witch trials. Plans for the Boston Tea Party were hatched at the Green Dragon, and the Declaration of Independence was ratified at a tavern in New Jersey. For runaway slaves escaping to Canada, it was often tavern owners who provided food and shelter to the refugees. Even the Star Spangled Banner has a connection to a bar; it was written over a few pints at the Fountain Inn to the tune of an old drinking song.

2011 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize Winner Announced

Mao's Great Famine by Frank Dikotter (Bloomsbury USA) has won the 2011 BBC Samuel Johnson Prize, the U.K's most prestigious non-fiction prize.

On the shortlist:

• Caravaggio by Andrew Graham Dixon (Penguin UK)


• Liberty's Exiles by Maya Jasanoff (Knopf)


• The Rational Optimist by Matt Ridley (HarperCollins)


• Bismark: A Life by Jonathan Steinberg (Oxford University Press)


• Reprobates by John Stubbs (Viking UK)

Vive Le Tour. . .

I just got back from a few days at Niagara-on-the-Lake indulging in a lot of theatre at the Shaw Festival (I highly recommend One Touch of Venus and The Doctor's Dilemma) interspersed with some lovely bike rides along the Niagara Parkway. But I'm back home now and ready to embark on my annual three week obsession with the Tour de France. I am only a recreational cyclist, but no other exercise gives me as much pleasure and pain (or pleasurable pain) than pushing myself and my little foldable bike up a hill, or going a few extra kilometres even when I'm tired. So I have the ultimate respect for this gruelling and dangerous bike race.

To get geared up, I took along a book I'd been meaning to read for a long time - Dutch writer Tim Krabbé's classic The Rider, translated by Sam Garrett - which describes his 1977 particiaption in the one day, 137 kilometre Tour de Mont Aigoual. The book takes you suspensefully through the race, kilometre by kilometre (Krabbé is actually a contender), showing exactly what is going on in the mind of the cyclist at every moment - the superstitions, the strategy, the rivalries, the boredom, the weather, the fear, and of course the pain. Oh, yes, the pain. In the middle of an arduous climb in muggy weather, he describes how "My brains are getting ready to squish out of my ears like gravy rolls". En route are digressions on how he got started (he only became a racer at the rather late age of twenty-nine), humourous or defining moments in the history of the sport, and philosophical mediations on why he keeps putting himself through it all. A great read and introduction to the sport - without the tired muscles.

I also rented Louis Malle's 1962 documentary Vive Le Tour. It's part of Criterion's Eclipse Series that includes a number of Malle documentaries. Though it's only 19 minutes, it provides a very entertaining look at the sport if only to compare how different the race was almost fifty years ago. My favourite scene is of the bikers riding through a small village and stopping to raid a local bar of bottles of beer and wine which they tucked into the back of their jerseys. No helmets then of course, and Malle doesn't shy away from filming injuries. And of course the pain and physical effort remain the same.

A Book Lover's Treasure

The Oxford Companion to the Book includes two volumes (housed in a beautiful slipcase) that cover the history of the book from ancient to modern times, but also the history of manuscripts, printing, libraries, collecting, bookselling, editing and even e-books.
There are over 5,000 listings in the A-Z reference section and short definitions are given for terms such as blad, conger, rectos and breviary. Well known printers, publishers, authors, illustrators and librarians are also listed. In addition there are 50 essays on topics as diverse as “The European Medieval Book” “Paper”, “Children’s Books”, “The History of the Book in Germany” and “The History of Illustration and its Technologies”. The scope of these essays is truly international and they are accompanied by almost 200 b&w illustrations.
It’s easy to lose yourself in these books for many hours at a time and you’ll learn lots of fascinating facts about books and the publishing industry. Any bibli0phile would love this set. At one Dewey Diva event someone suggested that this would make a fantastic gift for a retiring librarian.