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7 Books to Read This Spring, and the Order You Should Read Them In
Blossoms, bees, lilac bushes; spring is about growth—we finally get to watch nature come back to life after the dull ache of winter. With the air smelling of fresh lavender and magnolia trees, and the taste of strawberry banana smoothies on your tongue, how else would you want to spend the warm weather other than with a good book in your hands? Here are the best books to read this spring, and the order you should read them in to fully soak up the atmospheric fervour of the season. The best part? All these reads can be found at Book City on the Danforth (348 Danforth Ave). 1 The Vanishing…
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Book Lovers
Five Harlequin Novels as Tinder Profiles Single on Valentine’s Day? Instead of going on a disappointing date with Mr. Wrong or scarfing down ice cream while watching rom-coms, why not take a more novel approach to your evening? Our friends at Re:Reading have the perfect solution for the lovelorn hearts of the Danforth—Harlequin novels. With everything from billionaires to princes in disguise (and heat levels that range from sweet to super-spicy) there’s something for everyone craving a little lovin’ this Valentine’s Day. To get you started, we’ve whipped up five Tinder profiles based on novels that you can pick up on the Danforth. Let yourself be swept—er, swiped—away! Against the…
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The Unprecedented Love Story Behind Reproduction
Ian Williams is a Canadian poet and fiction writer. His first title, You Know Who You Are (2010) was shortlisted for the ReLit Awards. In 2011, he published a collection of short stories, Not Anyone’s Anything, for which he won the Danuta Gleed Literary Award. His book of poems, Personals (2012) was shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize. Add to this list, his most glorious one so far: 2019 Giller Prize for his debut novel Reproduction (2019). He currently teaches Creative Writing at the University of British Columbia. Reproduction is a lengthy novel (I know, it’s 446 pages, but hear me out). It revolves around the uncongenial family life of…
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Danforth Reads
At On the Danforth, simply put, we believe in the power of books. Not just to entertain and inspire, but to shed light on some otherwise overlooked issues. That’s why we were delighted to hear the theme of this year’s CBC Canada Reads competition: “one book to bring Canada into focus.” But can one book really hold that much power? We’d like to think so, and what better way to figure it out than by celebrating the format of Canada Reads and arguing amongst ourselves? So we’re hosting a mini Canada Reads debate at onthedanforth.ca: the same five books, a few slightly less famous defenders. Read our arguments, and leave…
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Canada Reads 2020 short list titles as 62nd Grammy Awards fashion
The best season of the year has arrived: awards season. With the announcement of the Canada Reads 2020 short list on January 22, I thought it would be fun to match each book cover with its celebrity counterpart following the red carpet at the 62nd annual Grammy Awards. The only criteria I had was that the outfit had to compliment the book cover and, without fail, these celebrities delivered. Book: Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles (photo cred: House of Anansi) Celebrity: Tyler the Creator wearing Golf le Fleur. (photo cred: Getty Images) Book: Radicalized by Cory Doctorow (photo cred: Macmillan) Celebrity: Jessie…
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6 Spots to Shop for a Literature Lover
Do you have a book nerd friend who not only enjoys reading books, but loves the scent of an old library? Or the sound of a book being cracked open for the first time? Are you a book fan yourself? If not, I’m sure you’ve at least ventured into a Chapters or Indigo to check out their home living section or to grab a cup from your favourite coffee mermaid, and found yourself walking through a sea of books, wondering how you got there. The holidays are upon us and if you’re looking for a new book for yourself or a gift for someone else, here are six independent stores…
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4 CanLit Books for your Reading List
BY SHRUTI J If you’re a fan of Canadian literature, you have likely heard of Bear by Marian Engel. First published in 1976 by McClelland and Stewart, the Governor General’s Literary Prize winning novel has recently been in the news because of a reissue. The book has also gained popularity worldwide as a result of an Imgur post expressing shock at the risqué story of a young woman’s love (both physical and emotional) for, you guessed it, an actual bear. Regardless of whether you view Bear as an iconic piece of Canadian literature or merely a tale of an unusual fetish, it has undoubtedly made its mark upon the field.…
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Profile: Stacey Madden
Author of Poison Shy By Meghan Gribben Stacey Madden is a writer currently residing in The Beach. His stories, poems, reviews, and essays have been published in places such as The Globe and Mail, Open Book: Toronto, Encore Literary Magazine, Quill & Quire, and Broken Pencil. His first novel, Poison Shy, was published by ECW Press in Fall 2012. He owns a cat and is a bit of a hypochondriac. He enjoys beer, British comedy, and quiet reading time. Stacey was born and raised in the east end of Toronto. Despite his father’s wish that he’d grow up to be a hockey star, Stacey nurtured a passion for reading and writing,…
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Book Review: The Secret Daughter
A Novel by Shilpi Somaya Gowda By Kamaljit Chohan Filled with immersive storytelling that is descriptive and colourful, The Secret Daughter is an impressive debut novel by author Shilpi Somaya Gowda, born and raised in Toronto. A tale of compassion, loss and strength, Gowda explores the power of a mother’s love. The prose sparkles and assaults the senses with the intoxicating smells, sights, and sounds of the bustling and overcrowded streets of Mumbai, the home of Gowda’s parents before immigrating to Toronto. The contrast between impoverished slums and wealthy Bombay is painted effortlessly through Gowda’s mastery of narrative storytelling.
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The Literary Scene
Your Favourite Novels, Now in Theatres By Natasha Tsakiris This winter season, many literary classics will be released as film adaptations. While some of these novels have been deemed “unfilmable,” directors have taken these well-known stories and transformed them into onscreen gems. This award season, it’s a battle of the books on screen. They may all be big players in the literary world, but will these adapted versions become box-office gold? Read the books before you see the movie and see if they live up to the expectations! Thought-Provoking Sci-Fi We begin with the science fiction puzzle Cloud Atlas, based on a novel by David Mitchell, and directed by Lana…
