The cold and rainy conditions in recent months haven’t been ideal for outdoor activities. But the gloomy weather has provided a good excuse to stay home and read a good book.
The staff at Terry Fox Library has read a variety of fiction and non-fiction in the last five months. Here are some top picks from our winter and spring reading that we would like to recommend.
Alicia’s selection is Marked by British author Sue Tingey. This is book one of the Soulseer Chronicles. The main character is a psychic who is able to see ghosts. Alicia describes this as an “adventure involving demons and ghosts that you will not be able to put down. It is an exciting and intriguing read. I am eagerly anticipating book two of the series.”
The Magnolia Story by Chip and Joanna Gaines is Caroline’s choice: “Chip and Joanna Gaines are one of the most renowned couples in the home improvement television business. This book is much like the Fixer-Upper TV show that made them famous: It is wholesome, light and funny. Diehard fans of the show will likely love this book.”
Dianne recommends the suspenseful The Shadow Year by Hannah Richell. The story takes place in England, with a mystery surrounding an abandoned lakeside cottage and a group of friends. Dianne says this book is a “real page-turner... a tale of deceit and betrayal.”
Mikaela’s favourite read so far this year is Uprooted by Naomi Novik. She recommends this action-packed book because it is a “great read for anyone who is a fan of magically crafted stories, slow-burning romances, realistic monsters and classic tales of good triumphing over evil.”
Susan recommends The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman, saying this novel is a “beautifully written historical fiction based on the lives of Camille Pissarro and his mother. There are complex characters as well as brilliant descriptions of life on the Caribbean island of St. Thomas. It is a moving story of family secrets unveiled.”
Thurza’s selection is Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaires Behind the Rise of the Radical Right by Jane Mayer. This book is Thurza’s choice because it is an “excellent book for those interested in both American and Canadian politics. It is detailed and very well documented.”
My favourite read is the autobiography Born a Crime by Trevor Noah. He is a comedian and host of the Comedy Network program The Daily Show. Noah was born to a black mother and white father in South Africa in 1984, when it was against the law for a mixed-racial couple to have a child together. In his biography, Noah describes growing up in apartheid South Africa, being raised by his strong-willed and resilient mother. His tales are often humorous and the reader gets a glimpse of a child growing up in a very different cultural environment. What is truly unforgettable are the harrowing stories Noah tells about living with the restrictions of apartheid.
Please visit your local library to ask for more staff picks.
A Good Read is a column by Tri-City librarians that is published on Wednesdays. Lori Nick works at Terry Fox Library in Port Coquitlam.
