| Forthcoming | New Releases |
The unpretentious atmosphere of Blue Heron Books with its comfy chairs, wood shelving and creaky floors lends itself to a long slow, browsing session, but under that sleepy atmosphere vibrates a strong pulse. The store has a quaint, old-fashioned look with an up tempo vibe, because there is always something happening. The store is a hub for the community and a bastion of calm chaos where everyone is welcome, even the local dogs that drop by with their owners for a treat from the tin kept under the front counter.
62 Brock St. W., Uxbridge, Ontario. 905-852-4282Monthly Pick
Book Club Pick for May 2012
“Spectacular.”—The New York Times
“Magnificent.”—Seattle Post Intelligencer
“Beguiling.”—The Washington Post
“So good I had to read it twice simply to figure out how he pulled it off. I still haven’t answered that question, nor do I know how someone so young . . . could have acquired such a precocious grasp of human foibles. The novel is alternately hilarious and heart-wrenching.”—Christopher Buckley, The New York Times Book Review
“Marvelous . . . a rich, thrilling book . . . a splendid original, filled with wit and structured so ingeniously that figuring out where the author is headed is half the reader’s fun.”—Janet Maslin, The New York Times
“Each chapter is so finely wrought that it could stand alone as a memorable short story. Slowly, the separate strands become entwined and the line characters have drawn between their work and home lives is erased. . . . Funny, poignant, occasionally breathtaking.” —Financial Times
“Superb . . . Rachman delivers word portraits with all the verisimilitude of some of those masters hanging in the museums of Rome. He’s that good.”—The Plain Dealer
“Deftly written and sharply observed . . . Even if you’ve never set foot in a newsroom, The Imperfectionists proves a delight . . . It’s impossible not to like—this is masterful stuff.”—The Philadelphia Inquirer
Wednesday May 16, Location TBA
Book Club Pick for April
In a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.JournalIn a Balkan country mending from war, Natalia, a young doctor, is compelled to unravel the mysterious circumstances surrounding her beloved grandfather’s recent death. Searching for clues, she turns to his worn copy of The Jungle Book and the stories he told her of his encounters over the years with “the deathless man.” But most extraordinary of all is the story her grandfather never told her—the legend of the tiger’s wife.
April 18, 2012 – Passionate Cook’s Essentials, 68 Brock Street W. 6:30 dinner, 7:30 discussion
Book Club pick for March – Natural Order by Brian Francis
“Good, sharp, vivid writing…. When he hits the emotional high notes, Francis never wavers. In fact, if you value your dignity, I implore you not to read the final sixty pages in a public place: You will cry, hard, probably more than once.”
—The Globe and Mail“Natural Order is structurally complex, highly readable, and poses interesting questions about generational change and the divide between small-town and big city lifestyles. . . . Illuminating and moving.”
—Quill & Quire
March 21st, 2012
Venue: TBA
Book club pick for February — The Lizard Cage by Karen Connelly
By turns delights, surprises and shocks. But even when writing of some of the darkest depths to which humanity can sink, Connelly’s poet’s heart shines through.… The resiliency of the human spirit is the beacon that informs this work.”
–National Post“The Lizard Cage is ridiculously and beautifully cinematic…. Connelly is an exacting writer. She burrows into scenes and surroundings and returns with startling imagery. There are great moments in the book, strung together like honed passages in a collection of poetry.”
–Quill & QuireFebruary 15th, 2012
Venue: TBA
Book Club Location….
Book club is meeting tonight, Wednesday November 16th at the Tin Mill, 6:30pm dinner, 7:30pm discussion.
Book Club Pick for January – Ladies Lending Library by Janice Keefer
On January 18th, in a venue still to be determined, the store book club will be discussing Ladies Lending Library by Janice Keefer.
In August of 1963, the women of Kalyna Beach prepare for their annual end-of-summer party. With their husbands away in the city all week, the women’s days are ruled by the predictable rhythms of children and chores, and lightened by the “racy” books they trade amongst themselves and their Friday afternoon meetings for gin and gossip. But this summer, everything will change for the girls and women of Kalyna Beach, as they gain a new understanding of the possibilities open to them all.
Book Club Pick for November – City of Thieves by David Benioff
On November 16 at the Tin Mill, the store book club will be discussing David Benioff’s novel City of Thieves.
Benioff follows up The 25th Hour with this hard-to-put-down novel based on his grandfather’s stories about surviving World War II in Russia.
Book Club Pick for October – A Man in Uniform by Kate Taylor
A Man in Uniform by Kate Taylor is our store book club pick for this month. The year is 1897 and France stands at the threshold of the tumultuous 20th century. Still smarting from the losses of the Franco-Prussian war, the army sees traitors under every bed while the government fears both the Germans and the anarchists.
The meeting will be held on October 26 at Fuzian Restaurant in Mount Albert (www.fuzian.com) – a cool PanAsian restaurant. The date is a bit later than normal due to other events happening earlier in the month.
Bookstore Book Club Update
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gail Parson is the book. The date was moved to September 28th, 2011 at the Tin Mill.
The (store) Book Club – September 2011
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
Baking Cakes in Kigali is a tale in fourteen confections, and behind each cake lies a story. As baker Angel Tungaraza busies herself with her customers’ orders, we learn about their lives: Ken Akimoto — with his penchant for partying, her best client — and Bosco, his lovesick driver; Dr. Rejoice, without whom she’d never cope with the hot flashes that send her delving into her brassiere for a handkerchief so often these days; Odile, an AIDS worker whose love life Angel has taken a keen interest in; and not forgetting young Leocadie, Modeste, and their baby boy, Beckham. Angel works her magic, solving problems for all around her; and in turn, they help her lay her own demons to rest: perhaps she can finally face the truth about the loss of her own son and daughter, and achieve a sense of peace . . .
Hauntingly charming, funny, and involving, Baking Cakes in Kigali is a novel about the real meaning of reconciliation — about how, in the aftermath of tragedy, life goes on and people still manage to find reasons to celebrate.
We've listened in for years, but this year CBC Books turned the spotlight on Blue Heron Books, naming it the Independent Bookseller for the month of January.
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