September is one of my favourite times of year, with its promise of new opportunities, the crunch of leaves, the sweet smell of a fresh notebook, and the excitement hanging in the air. Even as nervousness and trepidation may be infringing on the anticipation more than usual this year, we hope that your family is experiencing joy in your autumn and back to school routines.
Our team has worked hard to develop a slate of library and literacy programs for this autumn beginning in October. Watch for a program brochure to be released shortly. Many of our programs will be offered online.
We recognize that these past months have been extremely isolating for many. In response, we are launching an exciting new program. This adult program will feature opportunities to learn, be entertained, and have meaningful conversations. The catch is that we need you to come and share your experiences or knowledge! Do you like to travel and share your experiences? Come give an armchair travel talk so that the rest of us can vicariously enjoy your adventures. Do you have a skill that you would like to teach others? Let us know! Would you like to share your experience of what it was like to grow up when and where you did, or a challenge you have overcome, or a funny story of something that happened to you? We want to hear it. More than ever, we need to connect with one another, and we hope this program will help you to connect with others in your community.
I had a bit of time off this month, and I devoted a lot of that time to reading! Here are some titles I enjoyed:
- Code Name Hélène by Ariel Lawhon was my favourite book this month. It is incredible historical fiction based on the true story of a socialite spy turned French Resistance leader in the Second World War. The book is captivating, filled with danger, adventure, suspense and a bit of a love story.
- Strangers in the House is a nonfiction title by a Candace Savage who followed her curiosity and researched the life of the family who originally built her Saskatoon home. I learned a lot about life in the prairies around the time that my own great-grandparents arrived on the prairies as new immigrants, as well as the prejudice encountered by French-speaking settlers.
- A fiction title with a similar theme is A Hundred Small Lessons by Ashley Hay. This book is centered on a home in Brisbane, Australia as the original homeowner moves into a seniors’ facility and a new family makes it their own. This was an easy, emotional, and satisfying read.
- If you enjoy Schitt’s Creek, you may enjoy House of Trelawney by Hannah Rothschild. The book chronicles the decline of a clueless aristocratic family during the 2008 market crash. It has plenty of twists, ridiculous characters, and absurd situations. This book was a lovely little escape.
- Remembrance by Rita Woods incorporates elements of magic to tell a unique story of slavery. This title was similar to The Underground Railroad by Colson Whitehead.
- For a more demanding and literary read, try Amnesty by Aravind Adiga. It tells the story of an illegal immigrant in Australia who has to decide whether or not to come forward with information about a crime that has been committed.
- And finally, no reading list is complete without a good murder mystery! I just finished The Driftwood Girls by Mark Douglas-Home. This was a quick read with good characters and surprising plot twists.
Here’s hoping we can leave the plot twists to the writers and have a smooth and safe start to autumn. Take care, everyone.
