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Finding Reality in Fiction

Coleen McFarlane

Often as I am reading a novel, I want to learn about the “real bits” I find embedded in the fiction. When I read Girl with a Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier, I immediately wanted to look at the art work of Johannes Vermeer.  It is like the connection you make to a particular city you wish to visit after reading a novel – like New Orleans and Anne Rice’s the Vampire Chronicles.

Ramadan Mubarak

Coleen McFarlane

Ramadan started on April 24th this year and although fasting, prayer, spiritual reflection and doing good deeds will continue to occur, it will surely be challenging not to be able to visit with family during this time of social isolation.

To learn more about the holiday, try some of these children's titles from our digital catalogue:

Reading Resolution Revival

Coleen McFarlane

We are close to five months in from January's New Year's resolutions – how are you doing?  I have to admit, I have not achieved my reading goals for 2020, however, there is still time. If a reading resolution did not work out for you, why not revive with a reading challenge?

If you need some inspiration on how to achieve this, try these resources to reboot your resolution:

Picture Books for Tough Emotions

Catherine

Emotions are running high these days and children are certainly not immune. Picture books are a great way to explain big concepts to very young children, and give them a way to understand the feelings they can’t quite fully articulate. With continuing recognition of worry, grief and mood disorders in early childhood, parents may choose to turn to literature to help explain these concepts along with coping mechanisms.

Celebrating 50 Years of Earth Day

Coleen McFarlane

Did you know that April 22nd, 2020 is the 50th anniversary of Earth Day? Let’s celebrate our beautiful planet together. Whether you recycle, repurpose, start plogging, plant a garden, or eat a meat-free meal, it all helps to lesson our impact on the planet.

As David Suzuki, a legendary Canadian environmentalist, once said:

Books on Bikes

Coleen McFarlane

Did the Easter bunny bring you a bicycle last weekend, or maybe you recently rediscovered your bicycle in the back corner of your garage?  Now is a great time to do maintenance, adjust seats and handlebars, and hit the road for your daily iso-exercise routine.

To be safe, first check out a few tips in some of our books on bikes available on online via Hoopla and Overdrive:

Feel-good Non-Fiction

Catherine

If you are looking for an upbeat story, but aren’t really into the usual rom-coms, give our NoveList service a try. This database allows you to search through 100,000s of titles by appeal factor, genre, and subject matter, so you can discover books that you’ll find interesting and feel-good. The following are ten examples of “upbeat” non-fiction books that I discovered using NoveList. They all can be borrowed on-demand with your library card via Hoopla.

Spring Cleaning

Coleen McFarlane

Although the first day of Spring  was “officially” March 19th this year, it is never too late to start your spring cleaning. Self-isolation and working from home, can make that nest of dust bunnies in the corner more annoying than ever. Sometimes we need some motivation (myself included) to start this project – my windows are calling!

Topical non-fiction for issue-oriented readers

Catherine

If you are a reader caught up in all of the hot topics and big social issues of the day, why not delve a little bit deeper than a news article? There are so many timely non-fiction titles available for you to dig into in order to gain a better grasp of a particular subject or perspective. The following are a few examples of non-fic books that I recently read and you may find interesting too. 

2019 Award Winner Roundup

Catherine

Looking for a great read to start off 2020? Try an award winner from last year! There are endless awards (and award winners) to choose from so I’ve rounded up some of the most talked-about prizes for you to consider for your next great read.