Words Jackie LaPlante
Photos Tanner’s Books
Departure(s)
Julian Barnes
The narrator of Departure(s), conveniently named Julian, is 80 and declares that this will be his final book. As Julian muses about aging, a medical diagnosis and not wanting to die mid-book, he promises a love story about fictional people. But as Julian Barnes sketches that story, it becomes clear that the book may not be fiction at all. Rather, the autobiographical novel feels much like a very enjoyable chat with the gifted author himself.
What Sheep Think About the Weather: How to Listen to What Animals Are Trying to Say
Amelia Thomas
British journalist and naturalist Amelia Thomas’ Annapolis Valley farm in Nova Scotia is the inspiration for this part scientific, part trial-and-error memoir of a family’s efforts to increase their awareness of the non-human inhabitants of their farm. Thomas consulted animal specialists and pet psychics, created homegrown experiments and, above all, paid attention to her environment, in order to ascertain if there is inter-species communication available to those who take time to listen.
The Astral Library
Kate Quinn
The ever-popular historical novelist Kate Quinn turns her hand to historical fantasy, where readers can, literally, live inside a book. A young woman seeking comfort in a library discovers a magical portal that leads her inside some famously beloved works of literature. As the plot heats up, famous literary characters make cameo appearances as everyone works to save the library from unknown forces. Peppered with literary in-jokes, Quinn’s latest is a treat for book lovers.
Sharing the Light: Stories and Reflections
Monique Gray Smith
Local Cree-Scots author Monique Gray Smith shares her experience and light by presenting five practices that can guide self-transformation. By offering anecdotes and reflections guided by the five themes of love, joy, happiness, hope and gratitude, Gray Smith shares the joy that increased connection offers. A potpourri of affirmations and quotations jotted down in journal style make this beautiful book ideal for opening up randomly to find a quick moment of inspiration.
The Cabin
Jørn Lier Horst
Chief Inspector William Whiting returns in the second crime thriller of the Cold Case Quartet. The details of an investigation into the recent death of a politician link that murder to a 15-year-old cold case disappearance, and the fall-out may put the nation at risk. Jørn Lier Horst, a former investigator with the Norwegian police, imbues the book with authentic procedural details, and his detective’s reserved and circumspect personality mirrors the methodical and well-crafted plot.
The Winter Witch
Jennifer Chevalier
Two sisters, one beset by scandal and believing herself cursed, and the other seeking adventure, set off for 17th century Montréal in the Bride Ships. The suspicion of witches on board plagues the voyage, and while the young women accustom themselves to frontier life, the rumours continue and begin to threaten them. CBC producer and novelist Jennifer Chevalier depicts both the hardships and successes of settlement life, painting a realistic picture of New France.
Embers of the Hands: Hidden Histories of the Vikings
Eleanor Barraclough
Another account of bloodthirsty, marauding Norsemen this is not. Historian and BBC broadcaster Eleanor Barraclough explores archaeological artifacts to depict the lesser-known of the Viking people: the women, the children, the enslaved, and those just getting on with daily life. Each section uses an artifact – a comb, a runestone carrying a love message, a game played to pass an evening – to illuminate, with humour and a friendly tone, a Viking history beyond the adventurous raiders.
