State of Wonder … reviewed by Silvana

Ann Patchett’s last book has already received excellent reviews and they are well deserved. In State of Wonder, she takes you on an adventure to the Amazon, to find out how a scientist from the Vogel Pharmaceutical company has died. The main character is Marina Singh, herself a pharmacologist and a close colleague of Anders [...]

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Laissez les bon temps roulez, encore! … reviewed by Jason

Mardi Gras season is here again! This year, Shrove Tuesday actually fell on February 21, but the festivities generally run for longer, starting just after Epiphany (January 6) and going until the beginning of Lent which shifts on the calendar from year to year. It may be too late to plan a trip to the [...]

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Black (Canadian) History Month … reviewed by Jason

The history of Canadians of African descent is fairly well documented in a number of books (and more than a few non-print resources), most focusing on a specific, local area (eg. Halifax, southern Ontario, Montreal, Salt Spring Island, BC). Definitive, Canada-wide histories are harder to come by which makes the late Robin Winks’ 2003 Blacks [...]

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Two For One from Alexandra Fuller … reviewed by Deborah

Alexandra Fuller’s 2001 autobiography Don’t Let’s Go to the Dogs Tonight, was both poignant and funny.  She recorded her childhood in Central Africa, growing up in an eccentric Anglo-African family.  Fuller’s parents were true adventurers, spurning the easy English life to farm in the least habitable parts of East Africa.  From frightening encounters with insects [...]

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Browsing the Online Bookshelf – reviewed by Ron (patron)

I was out of town recently, far too long to borrow a library book without paying a fine. One thing I did, that has already been recommended here, was listen to an audiobook I downloaded from Library-To-Go (American Colossus: The Triumph of Capitalism, 1865-1900, by H. W. Brands; a good book!) There’s another option I [...]

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