St. Albert Gazette Great Reading

Book picks as published in the June 20, 2018 St. Albert Gazette. For more great reads, check here.

Heart berriesHeart Berries : a memoir

By Terese Mailhot

This powerful, poetic debut memoir chronicles the struggle to balance the beauty of her Native heritage with the often desperate and chaotic reality of life on the reservation. It is about a woman’s coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in British Columbia. It is a memorial for Mailhot’s mother, a social activist and a story of reconciliation with her father.

  

21 things you may not know ...21 Things you may not know about the Indian Act : Helping Canadians make reconciliation with indigenous peoples a reality

By Robert P.C. Joseph

The essential guide to understanding the legal document and its complex repercussion on generations of Indigenous Peoples. Bob Joseph explains how Indigenous Peoples can step out from under the Indian Act and return to self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance – and why doing so would result in a better country for every Canadian.

Joanne’s Mystery Picks

follyFOLLY by Stella Cameron

This series features Alex Duggins, pub owner, graphic artist and animal lover and is set in the beautiful Cotswolds in the town of Folly-on Weir.  Alex has returned to her home town after the failure of her marriage but she soon finds that this quiet village holds very dark secrets when stumbles across a corpse, buried in the snow.

With suspicion falling on her, Alex begins investigating to clear her name.  It soon becomes apparent that the killer is determined that Alex not make any progress in her investigations as she soon becomes a target.

The setting of this novel is beautifully atmospheric and Cameron pens a reasonable tale.  There are a few occasions where the reader must make major assumptions, even after re-reading the passages, in order for the sequence of events to make sense.  Intentional or poor editing?  Either way, it leaves questions in the mind of the reader.   However, I’m willing to try the second book in the series: Out Comes the Evil to see if it fares any better.

Weekend Picks

St. Albert Pride Ed.

We’ll be at this weekend’s BBQ hosted by our friends from St. Albert Pride! Come to check out our pride button maker or just say “hello” as we’re really excited to tell you all about our eclectic and relevant LGTBQ collection!

BPM

In Paris in the early 1990s, a group of activists goes to battle for those stricken with HIV/AIDS, taking on sluggish government agencies and major pharmaceutical companies. Amid rallies, protests, fierce debates and ecstatic dance parties, the newcomer Nathan falls in love with Sean, the group’s radical firebrand, and their passion sparks against the shadow of mortality as the activists fight for a breakthrough.

Call Me by your Name

In Northern Italy in 1983, seventeen-year-old Elio begins a relationship with visiting Oliver, his father’s research assistant, with whom he bonds over his emerging sexuality, their Jewish heritage, and the beguiling Italian landscape.

Trailer

Summertime

Carole and Delphine fall in love against the backdrop of early feminist activism in 1971 France. After living in the city, Delphine is called home to help with her family farm in the countryside and is forced to choose between her responsibility to them and the life of love she had in Paris with Carole.

Trailer

Kanopy

A free library card gets you access to stream free, critically acclaimed LGBTQ film curated by Kanopy!!

St. Albert Gazette Great Reading

Book picks as published in the June 13, 2018 St. Albert Gazette. For more great reads, check here.

Wisdom in nonsenseWisdom in nonsense : invaluable lessons from my father

By Heather O’Neill

O’Neill structures her book around key lessons she learned in childhood from her father. Wryly humorous and generous, she shares stories that illustrate why it is good to steal things, why one should learn to play the tuba, and why one should never keep a journal. Her unusual mentors went well beyond her janitor father to include ex-bank robbers and homeless men.

  

Nine lessons I learned from my fatherNine lessons I learned from my father

By Murray Howe

As a child, Murray Howe wanted to be like his father. He was an adult before he realized that didn’t necessarily mean playing hockey. Gordie Howe may have been the greatest player in the history of hockey, but greatness was never defined by goals or assists in the Howe household. Greatness meant being the best person you could be, not the best player on the ice.