Amy Kay
Hooked on Books
The staff of the County of L&A Libraries are avid readers and are always eager to share their favourite books. Here is a sampling of some of our recent reads.
Kristin suggests Off the Record by Peter Mansbridge
Within these pages, you will get an entertaining and revealing look into the life and career of Peter Mansbridge. It starts from his early broadcasting days in remote, northern Manitoba and continues right to the fast-paced news desk of CBC’s flagship show, The National, where he reported on major news stories from around the world. Peter shares never-before-told stories from his distinguished career, including reporting on the horror of 9/11, walking the beaches of Normandy, witnessing the marriage and funeral processions of Princess Diana and talking with Canadian Prime Ministers from John Diefenbaker to Justin Trudeau.
Described by many as a national treasure, Canadians across the country were saddened when he retired in 2017. By reading this book, we have the chance to learn more about the man that was such a calm and familiar fixture on our television screens through both terrible and joyful news events. We can all certainly learn from Peter’s experiences too, as he highlights the importance of diversity, the role of the media and the responsibilities we all bear as citizens in an increasingly connected world.
Kim K suggests The House is on Fire by Rachel Beanland
This tragic story is based on the true events of the Richmond, Virginia theatre fire on Dec. 26, 1811 where 72 people perished including Virginia’s governor. Four characters affected by the fire tell the story. Sally, a young widow struggling to find her place in early American society; Gilbert, a slave desperately trying to buy his freedom; Jack, a young, impressionable theatre hand unsure of his future in the field; and Cecily, a young woman destined to be a house slave under the watchful eye of the plantation owner’s violent son.
Amidst the fire, each character makes a split second decision that changes the trajectory of their lives forever. What follows are stories of courage and love positioned against unbelievable cowardice in a community deeply impacted by the tragedy.
This book is a fascinating dive into early America through the lens of its most vulnerable and oppressed people. It is a fast-paced, meticulously researched story that anyone interested in historical fiction will enjoy.
Karen suggests Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld
It’s 2018 and Sally Milz is a comedy writer on The Night Owls, a Saturday night comedy show that airs live. Given her crazy schedule and a couple of past heartbreaks, she’s pretty much given up on looking for romance. When her cowriter Danny starts dating a beautiful and popular actress – not the first time this has happened on TNL –Sally responds by writing a sketch called “The Danny Horst Rule”, about how it seems to be the norm for average guys to date beautiful celebrities, but never the other way around.
The week that she’s writing and pitching the sketch, the musical guest and host for the show is a popular (and gorgeous) singer named Noah Brewster. As they’re thrown together through the week of preparing for the show, Sally feels a bond with Noah and starts to wonder … could the Danny Horst rule work in reverse?
Romantic Comedy is a character driven book, Sally is a complex and quirky character and Noah will charm you from his first appearance. The tone is engaging with lots of witty banter and more than a few laugh-out-loud moments. This is perfect reading material for fans of Emily Henry.
All these titles can be reserved at your local branch of L&A Libraries or online at countylibrary.ca.