MARCH BOOKMARKS

 Spring is on the way….

 

      Spring is a time of fresh starts and anticipation.  The worst of winter is behind us.  Longer days present us with a sun which is warmer on the face.  The first flowers will soon poke through the last snows of winter.  Seed catalogues sit in stacks, holding out the prospect of new bounty from frozen gardens and lonely golf clubs wait patiently for the beginning of a new season.
     At Curiosity House we greet the month of March with this same sense of eager anticipation. We look forward to the first wave of new titles for 2010, with new fiction from Jodi Picoult, Ian McEwan, John Banville and Christopher Moore, as well as non fiction from Frances Mayes, Richard Florida, Sebastian Junger and Bill McKibben.  We also eagerly anticipate some great books for kids and young adults, including the Wimpy Kid Movie Diary and Twilight:  The Graphic Novel and a new installment in the 39 Clues series.  All of these selections are sure to engage and entertain readers of all ages and interests. 
     At this time of year,  we are also working hard to plan new events and programs for the Summer season.  Our aim, as always, is to give our customers the opportunity to meet  fascinating authors and enjoy our excellent selection and  friendly knowledgeable service.  We hope you will join us. 

 M.Vince, Editor

People’s Choice Winner From February Art Show Announced

 

 

Curiosity House is pleased to announce that the winner of the People’s Choice Award, for her interpretation of  ”My heart sings when…..”,  is Darla Anderson.  Tied for second place were Rosemary Hasner and Sandi Wong, while third place went to Roslyn Levin.

     
Celebrate March Break With Our Special Sale On Kids’ Books! 

 

A book is one of the best ways to keep the kids occupied during March Break. We have fiction and nonfiction books for kids of all ages and reading levels and during March Break we are offering a 10% discount on all children’s and young adults’ books.

 

What’s On in March?

 

Saturday  March 6, 2:00 to 4:00 pm     
Artist’s Opening Reception
     

 In The Gallery:      Ellie Lagrandeur 

Born and raised in Northern Ontario, Ellie Lagrandeur learned to appreciate the beauty of her natural surroundings and its abundant wildlife. In 1986, Ellie began her career as a professional artist, creating large scale wall murals and canvas paintings. Ellie’s works are available in various galleries throughout Ontario and she has been commissioned to create art for a variety of  corporate clients, including  Fanshawe College and University of Western Ontario.  Her Shores and Peaks show features wonderful works in acrylic which are evocative of the beauty of the land around us.   Join us at our opening reception and take the opportunity to meet this talented artist and enjoy some refreshments.    

Saturday March 27,  2:00 to 4:00 pm      
Author Signing - Tom Tavares

What causes the striking similarity in human behaviour in so many organizations?  In his insightful book, The Mind Field:  What’s Missing in Running Our Organizations?  Organizational psychologist Dr. Tom Tavares reveals how jobs, the universal building blocks of organizations, generate psychological factors which lead to short-term thinking, weak internal communication, low levels of innovation and teamwork, and lack of coaching. This prevents companies from achieving the flexibility and response times required to keep pace with high-speed change. Author Tom Tavares will be signing books at the store on Saturday March 27th  from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  Please take the opportunity to drop by the store and meet this fascinating author.

 Saturday March 13, 10:30 to 11:15 am        

Monthly Story Hour

Miriam will be leading our monthly Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age will have the opportunity to listen to captivating stories, share the love of reading and complete a small craft activity.
 

What’s Happening with the Book Club? 

Wednesday March 3, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

Curiosity House Knitting Group Our Knitting Group meets every Wednesday from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  We gather around the table to work on our latest projects, inspire, support and help one another. Please call us at 705-466-3400 or email us for more information.  We have a growing selection of books which are great selections for knitters of every skill level. 

Two Great Reads For March   (Reviewed by Catherine Randall)                                   

 I recently read two really amazing fiction books. Simon Mawer’s The Glass Room, PB, $19.00 is the fascinating story of a house built in 1929 in Czechoslovakia for a Jewish entrepreneur and his wife. The house is a marvel of modern, minimalist architecture (based on a real house built by Mies van der Rohe ). The story follows the history of the house for the rest of the 20th century and the lives of its various occupants from the first owners to the Nazis, the Soviets and finally the creation of a museum in the house. This book was shortlisted for the 2009 Mann-Booker prize and anyone who enjoyed Loving Frank will want to read it.

Little Bee, by Chris Cleave, PB, $21.95, is a gripping story told in alternate chapters by a young Nigerian woman and a thirty something British female editor of a women’s magazine. Their lives intersect first in Nigeria and then in England. Cleaves weaves together this heartbreaking story brilliantly; with wit, humour and wry observation. The European title The Other Hand is perhaps a better title. 

 

March Break boredom?  We can help!  (Reviewed by Miriam Vince)

 

Kids have a one week break this month. Worried about how to keep them occupied? 

The Magic Handbook series, by Joe Fullman, presents simple magic tricks which will amaze family and friends. Each of the four titles in this series, Card Tricks, Coin and Rope Tricks, Sleight of Hand and Mind Tricks, contains easy instructions for successful execution of thirteen tricks, along with colourful illustrations. Famous magicians and their best tricks are profiled to offer a sense of the history of magic. Each volume of this series is $6.95 – a great price for books which will entertain kids for hours. The Book of Cards For Kids (Gail Maccoll, $18.95) provides children and adults everything needed to play 35 great card games. The book  focuses exclusively on card games for kids and is paired with an over-sized, custom-designed set of playing cards. What better way to pass the time on a boring day than playing cards with friends? Finally, for kids who want to spend some quiet time exercising their minds during their time off, we have The Brainiest Insaniest Ultimate Puzzle Book!: 250 Wacky Word Games, Mystifying Mazes, Picture Puzzles, and More to Boggle Your Brain by Robert Leighton, Amy Shenk and Mike Goldstein. Fully illustrated in color, with over 250 puzzles on every imaginable theme and subject, this book provides a wealth of  engaging and humorous mazes, word games, visual and logic puzzles at assorted levels of difficulty. This book is a great way for kids to amuse themselves during quiet times. All of these books are sure to entertain and inform. Drop by and choose one for the kids at your house.

 

Commonwealth Writers Prize Regional Shortlists Announced

 

The 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize regional shortlists have been announced.  In the Caribbean and Canada field, Best Book nominees are all Canadian: 

 

The Winter Vault
Anne Michaels

February
Lisa Moore

Euphoria
Connie Gault

Goya’s Dog
Damian Tarnopolsky

Galore
Michael Crummey

The Golden Mean
Annabel Lyon

More information about the 2010 Commonwealth Writers Prize is available at
www.commonwealthfoundation.com

 

Special Orders are Our Specialty! 

 

Looking for a book that we don’t presently have in stock? Books are ordered from a number of publishers, distributors and other sources every week, usually on Mondays. We are able to order any book currently in print and available and while we don’t carry talking books and other specialized materials like large print, we can order those as well. Some books we can receive the following day, some by the end of the week, and some take a little longer. We will advise you of the estimated time when you place the order and call you when the book arrives.   Our special order business is tried and true and we’d like to help you find that book you are looking for…..

 

Quips, Quotes & Trivia

 Books serve to show a man that those original thoughts of his aren’t very new at all. 

 ~ Abraham Lincoln

On Sunday February 7th Curiosity House Books held a Lunch With Lucy Waverman from 12:00 noon to 2:30 pm at Chez Michel in Creemore.  Thirty-five

 attendees ate a three-course lunch which included cashew hummus, an arugula salad with a balsamic reduction, Moroccan chicken with figs and prunes

and vegetable couscous  Dessert was an apple caramel tart.  At the beginning of every course, Lucy spent some time explaining the recipe and giving some history and interesting details about its creation and after the event Lucy spent time signing copies of her recent release A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen, and chatting with her guests.  After lunch, Lucy returned to Curiosity House Books, where she spent an hour signing books for customers.  This event was a winning combination of good eating and good reading.

Curiosity House Books will be welcoming Canadian cookbook author, Lucy Waverman, for an author signing, on the afternoon of Sunday February 7th.

 

The author of eight cookbooks, Lucy Waverman is one of Canada’s favourite culinary personalities as well as an accomplished editor, columnist, and teacher.  She appears regularly on television and radio shows across Canada and the United States, including 12 years with CityTV’s CityLine.  She writes a weekly food column, Weekend Menu, for  the Globe and Mail national newspaper.  To connect with Lucy’s website follow this link 

In her new book, A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen, her recipes emphasize spending time with family and friends over delicious food, throughout the year.  She finds her inspiration in fresh, seasonal ingredients which are locally grown and infuses her recipes with an international flair.

 

Lucy Waverman will be signing copies of A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen at Curiosity House Books from 2:30 to 4:00 pm, on Sunday February 7th.  People who unable to attend this exciting event can arrange for pre-purchased orders to be personalized and signed by calling Curiosity House Books 705-466-3400.

 

The Curiosity House Knitters recently gave some assistance to the NCPS Knitting, Corking and Crocheting Club. When NCPS teacher Kathy Whitley asked the knitters to help students start their corking projects, they were happy to help. Left to right in back are Deidre Pringle, Eileen Hazelaar, Darlene Broomfield and Norah Mills. In front are Gail Caswell, Lana Bryant, Ea Timms, Tracey Kolowska, Marg Purkis, Linda Coulter and Cheryl Cockburn.

The Curiosity House Knitters meet Wednesday afternoons at the bookstore.  (Photo courtesy of Brad Holden, Creemore Echo)

 

 

FEBRUARY BOOKMARKS

 All You Need Is Love….

February is a month when we make a special effort to tell the people we love just how much we care for them.  If we have been reminded of anything over the past month, perhaps the most important thing is that the power of love and caring is vital to our survival as human beings.  No matter what challenges we face, we must always keep that fact top of mind. 

 At Curiosity House, February is a time when we celebrate the community of artists who live in our area or have shown in the gallery in past years.  Our annual Group Art Show invites artists to submit one picture which interprets a theme which is close to the heart.  Our theme this year is “My heart sings when….”and more than 30 artists will be participating.  An opening reception will be  held on Friday February 5th, from 5:30 to 7:30 pm.  Whether you are a participant in this show, or an art lover who wants to see some great art by local artists, please set aside some time to join us.

 This month we also have a very special event for those whose hearts are captivated by great food.   Lunch with Lucy Waverman is an opportunity to celebrate the joy of eating well with one of Canada’s culinary luminaries.  For those who missed the opportunity to purchase tickets for this special lunch, there will be an opportunity to visit with Lucy at the store after the event.

 This February, please join us as we celebrate our community connections and our love of the wonderful things life has to offer. 

 What’s On in February

 Friday, February 5th,  5:30 to 7:30 pm     
Artist’s Opening Reception  

In The Gallery:      Our February Group Art Show

 Our theme this year is “My Heart Sings When….”  

 More than 30 artists will be participating in this show, entering one piece of artwork which reflects their interpretation of the theme. The public is invited to vote for their favourite piece and a winner will be announced on February 14th. At our opening reception, you will have a chance to meet the artists, enjoy some refreshments and cast your ballot. Please join us!

 This Month’s Featured Event

 Sunday February 7th   At Noon    

Lunch with Lucy Waverman at Chez Michel      SOLD OUT

We are very happy to announce that this exciting literary and culinary event  has sold out.   If you missed the opportunity to purchase tickets for the lunch, you can meet Lucy between  2:30 and 4:00 pm at Curiosity House, where she will be signing copies of A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen.  This is an opportunity to have a book personalized for yourself or a friend. Can’t make the event?  We are happy to arrange for pre-purchased orders to be personalized and signed.

Sunday February 7th ,  2:30 to 4:00 pm

Book Signing at Curiosity House

 After our Lunch With Lucy event at Chez Michel, Lucy Waverman will be signing copies of  A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen  and visiting with customers at the store.  Please take the time to drop by and meet this fascinating Canadian cooking personality.

Saturday, Feb. 13th, 10:30 to 11:15 am 

Monthly Story Hour

Miriam will be leading our monthly Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age will have the opportunity to listen to captivating stories, share the love of reading and complete a small craft activity with a Valentines theme.

What’s Happening  with the Book Club?

Wednesday, February 3rd  2:00 to 3:00 pm

 Our Book Club will meet on Wed., Feb. 3rd from 2 to 3 pm, to discuss 
The Open Road  by Pico Iyer.  The selection for March is Kate Pullinger’s Governor General’s Award winning novel, The Mistress of Nothing.  In April, we will be discussing Jeanette Walls’ heart-rending autobiography, The Glass Castle.

Curiosity House Knitting Group

Our Knitting Group meets every Wednesday, from 2 to 4 pm to create knitted works of art, from beginner to expert.  We share tips and give each other inspiration.  There is always room for one more person at the table.  For more information, please call us at 705-466-3400.

Curiosity House Supports the Ontario Library Association’s Forest of Reading Initiative

The Ontario Library Association offers 8 reading programs which encourage people of all ages in their love of reading.  This initiative celebrates Canadian books and authors and  the titles selected must be written by a Canadian citizen or landed immigrant. 

Programs, which begin in November, are designed for various age ranges and participants are encouraged to read all or a selection of the books, and then vote on their favourite in April.  This literacy project  includes the well-known Blue Spruce, Silver Birch, Red Maple and White Pine reading programs.  More than 250,000 readers across Ontario take part in these programs each year and all Ontarians are invited to participate through their local public or school library.

Many of the titles featured in the Forest of Reading programs are available for purchase at Curiosity House.

A Great Winter Read                           (Reviewed by Catherine Randall)

 I have just finished reading The Day The Falls Stood Still, PB, a first novel by author Cathy Marie Buchanan. This is a fascinating story taking place in Niagara Falls, Ontario beginning in 1915 and ending, quite tragically but heroically, in October 1923. Bess, the headstrong daughter of an important local family, now down on their financial luck, meets and falls in love with Tom Cole, the grandson of a local legend river man, Fergus Cole. He is not the match her parents want. Their lives proceed full of love, adventure and hard times. Tom is extremely knowledgeable about the Niagara River and is called on many times to rescue people or animals. He ends up, reluctantly, working for the new power project digging canals to capture the power of the river water for hydro-electric use. Tom keeps a record of the water levels and other aspects of the river as the generators in the powerhouse are completed and switched on. Filled with such interesting information about the river there are also reprints of actual newspaper stories about tragedies and miracles on the river. I am intrigued to re-visit Niagara Falls seeing them with the eyes of Tom Cole.

 Get Cooking With Kids!            (Reviewed by Miriam Vince)

Spending time in the kitchen together is one of the best ways to interact with children.  Cooking with kids can be a wonderful adventure which involves using reading skills to follow a recipe, listening skills to follow instructions and taking care to stay safe.  Most important, cooking with kids is just plain fun and sometimes, the results even taste good! 

 The DK Children’s Cookbook  (Katherine Ibbs, $16.99) is set up for beginner cooks.  With fantastic photographs this flexibound book clearly identifies ingredients and  kitchen tools.  Step-by-step methods are very easy to understand and recreate.  This book is also great because it has an emphasis on healthy eating.   Pretend Soup and Other Real Recipes:  A Cookbook for Preschoolers and Up  (Mollie Katzen and Ann Henderson, $22.00 )  is a children’s cookbook classic.  This book is formatted for adults, with clear instructions and suggestions for how best to approach a recipe with kids.  It emphasizes kitchen safety while stressing that cooking should be fun. Most important, the recipes are delicious. The Usborne First Cookbook by Angela Wilkes, Stephen Cartwright and Rebecca Gilpin ($24.95) is filled with colourful illustrations.  This ’kid friendly’ compilation of recipes is intended to introduce children to the sense of accomplishment they will feel as they create simple but elegant dishes which are tasty and satisfying.  The Good Housekeeping Illustrated Children’s Cookbook  ($14.95)  features clear and logical directions for approximately 50 recipes.  Once again, this cookbook places an emphasis on safety and correct cooking methods.  

All four of these titles are excellent general beginning cookbooks for kids who want to make a first attempt at cooking and for parents who want to help their children enjoy the experience while staying safe and learning proper technique.  Bon appetit!

Quips, Quotes & Trivia  

“Only in books has mankind known perfect truth, love and beauty.” 

 George Bernard Shaw 

 

 

JANUARY BOOKMARKS

Looking Back on a Fantastic Year…

• ”In The Bleak Mid-winter _________”.     Last February, to coincide with the Creemore “Big Heart Festival”, we held our second themed group art show – over 30 artists participated! This February’s theme is “My heart sings when________.”

• Our very successful “Emerging Artist” show, spotlighting an artist who has never had a solo show before, featured Bruce Ley.
• A visit from Peter Rabbit at the Creemore Farmers’ Market on Labour Day weekend.   Stories were told and crafts and coloring sheets were enjoyed by more than 100 children.
• Well-attended book signings featuring Terry O’Reilly, Hugh Brewster, Ted Barris, Catherine Gildiner, Margaret Wente, Cecily Ross, Damien Tarnopolsky, Sheree-Lee Olson and numerous local authors. We also held a very successful local author’s day at the Creemore Farmers’ Market.
• A special appearance and author signing with Canadian cooking personality Rose Murray, at the Strawberry Festival held by Creemore Farmers’ Market in June.

 

SAVE THE DATE!

Brunch With Lucy Waverman at Chez Michel

Sunday February 7th 

An exciting event is planned for Sunday, February 7th. Enjoy a sumptuous seasonal  brunch with Canadian cookbook author and culinary personality, Lucy Waverman, and go home with a signed copy of Lucy’s new book, A Year in Lucy’s Kitchen.  This entertaining brunch will be held at Chez Michel at 12:00 noon.  Tickets will go on sale in early January.  Reservations are necessary as space is limited. This is sure to be the culinary event of the year. We hope you will join us.

 

What’s On in January? 

 

Saturday, January 2^nd

2:00 to 4:00 pm                   

Artist’s Opening Reception

 

In The Gallery: Donna Tranquada

 

Two years ago, CBC Radio personality, Donna Tranquada, was our Emerging Artist for 2007.   With luminous watercolours, she captures the beauty of the landscape in and around Creemore. An opening reception will be held on Saturday January 2^nd from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Come and meet Donna, see her delightful paintings and enjoy some refreshments.

 

 

Saturday, January 16^th                              

10:30 to 11:15 am   

Monthly Story Hour

Please join Miriam for our monthly Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age will have the opportunity to listen to captivating stories, share the love of reading and complete a small craft activity.

 

 

Curiosity House Knitting Group 

Every Wednesday, 2 to 4 pm

Monthly Book Club Meeting

Wednesday, Jan. 6th
2:00 to 3:00 pm
Monthly Book Club Meeting 

Our Book Club will meet on Wed. January 6th from 2 to 3 pm, to discuss The Cellist of Sarajevo (by Steven Galloway).  The selection for February is The Open Road (by Pico Iyer).  In March, we will be discussing The Mistress of Nothing (by Kate Pullinger) and our April selection will be The Glass Castle  (by Jeanette Walls). 

 

Spotlight on Healthy Eating    
Reviewed by Catherine Randall)
                                                           

January’s arrival always makes me want to escape to the kitchen to create soups, stews and other warming fare; but, after the excesses of Christmas I also am mindful of eating healthy. I will share with you some of the recent arrivals that have caught my attention. 

Clean Food: A Seasonal Guide To Eating Close To The Source, by Terry Walters, HC, $35.00 encourages eating fresh and local foods. Not only are there seasonal, easy to follow, delicious sounding recipes but at the beginning of the book the author takes time to discuss organic versus conventional, define many of the ingredients and ways to make eating a mindful and satisfying daily experience. There are no pictures so this is a book for those with imagination!

Sunday Soup: A Year’s Worth of Mouthwatering, Easy-to-Make Recipes, by Betty Rosbottom, PB, $23.95 has lots of photos and wonderful, inspiring recipes for soups, chilies and chowder. In the “Winter” section we find “Cold weather potato chowder with caraway cheese” and “Spicy pork chili with cumin polenta”…yum.

Mark Bittman, the brilliant food writer, talks about “conscious eating” in his book Food Matters, PB, $19.99. Along with chapters such as “Rethinking Consumption”, “Overconsumption” and “Sane Eating”, the second half of the book contains recipes, meal plans and suggestions for meals from breakfast through dinner and dessert. No pictures in this book either but lots of helpful information and, again, inspiration to eat and cook sensibly.

Wishing you all a happy, healthy new year filled with lots of good reading experiences.

 

Books to Tap into Kids’ Creativity    
(Reviewed by Miriam Vince)

What’s a parent to do when the kids are home on a snow day?  There are some great books available to help kids tap into their creativity! 

 For older children, two great choices from the Editors of Klutz Press are The Most Amazing Thumb Doodles Book in the History of the Civilized World and How to Draw Funny.  Each of these books gives young readers step-by-step instruction about how to have fun while creating art. Funny drawings and friendly instructions share the pages with plenty of white space reserved for self expression. The Most Amazing Thumb Doodles Book in the History of the Civilized World ($16.99) comes with 4 ink pads in different colours and How to Draw Funny ($19.99) comes with a mechanical pencil, a white eraser, and three markers in various tones of gray and black.   These are everything-included, draw-right-in-it, how-to books which promise not only to teach you how to draw but also how to find your inner funny person.

 

Special Orders Are Our Specialty

 Looking for a book that we don’t presently have in stock?

  Books are ordered from a number of publishers, distributors and other sources every week, usually on Mondays. We are able to order any book currently in print and available and while we don’t regularly stock talking books or other specialized materials like large print, we can order those as well. Some books we receive the following day, some by the end of the week, and some take a little longer. We will advise you of the estimated time when you place the order and call you when the book arrives.    We’d like to help you find that book you are looking for….. 

 

Looking Forward To 2010 …

 The theme for this year’s February group art show is “My heart sings when_____.” Please call if you are an artist and would like to participate.  

We are preparing to order our new Spring selections and working on some exciting author events.

 

Quips, Quotes & Trivia

 How many a man has dated a new era in his life from the reading of a book. 

 Henry David Thoreau, 
Walden

 

Local Author Bruce Brigham Signing Copies of Abandoned Ontario At Curiosity House Saturday, December 19th

Curiosity House is pleased to welcome  Bruce Brigham for an author signing on Saturday, December 19th.

Abandoned Ontario is a collection of 3000 images of abandoned houses which was compiled over seven years.  Driven by a passion for history and an intrigue of the unknown, the collection of photographs has inspired a 200 page book containing more than 500 photographs of abandoned houses in Ontario, including houses in Grey County, Simcoe County, Dufferin County and Peel Region.

Bruce Brigham will be signing copies of Abandoned Ontario at Curiosity House on Saturday, December 19th from 11:00 am to 1:00 pm.  Please join us.

 

Just a reminder that CBC advertising guru, Terry O’Reilly, will be signing books and meeting with fans at Curiosity House, on Saturday December 12, from 2 to 4 pm.

Witty, erudite and irrepressibly irreverent, his new book, The Age of Persuasion, provides a hugely entertaining — and eye-opening — insider’s look at the ever-expanding world of marketing.  For more information about Terry and his book follow this link www.terryoreilly.ca. 

Please join us for an author signing which is sure to be both informative and entertaining!

The Canada Reads 2010 shortlist has been announced!  We’ve made sure to order up lots of stock of each of the titles on the list.  To view the five contenders, follow go to www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads.

DECEMBER BOOKMARKS

Have yourself a Merry Little Christmas….

As the snow drifts quietly past the window and the scent of pine, spices and fresh home baking drift through the house, we prepare for another season of giving and receiving….

This is the season when we share the greatest gift of all – the gift of community and generosity. Most important, we have the opportunity to experience the warmth and excitement of reconnecting with family and friends during the holiday rush. At Curiosity House, we have planned a wonderful group art show for December, as well as a very special author signing and a Story Hour with a Christmas theme. We have lots of books in the store which are sure to appeal to everybody on your Christmas list.

We’d like to take this opportunity to send along wishes for a very Merry Christmas and a healthy and prosperous New Year to all of our customers and friends.

Catherine, Miriam, Rowland, Mary, Deirdre and Cheryl

Have you noticed our new look?

You might have noticed that our email newsletter has a different look this month. In an effort to assist our customers who do not have access to high-speed internet service, we have streamlined our delivery system. No more need to click on attachments. Just open our monthly email and everything you need to know is on your screen. We’ll be rolling out other improvements over the next few months.

Curiosity House Knitters Make Donations to Clearview Public Library

The members of our knitting group don’t just spend their Wednesday afternoons crafting fantastic knitted confections. They also take the time to give back to the local community. Over the past year they have made weekly contributions to a fund which has been used to purchase new books for the Creemore branch of the Clearview Public Library. Just recently, they have received a new list from the CEO of the library and they are hoping to fulfill many of the requests on this new wish list over the next year.

What’s On in December

THIS MONTH’S FEATURED EVENT:

Author Signing

Saturday, December 12th,
2:00 am to 4:00 pm
Terry O’Reilly and the Age of Persuasion

The ad men behind CBC Radio’s The Age of Persuasion combine lively social history and years of industry experience to show how the art of persuasion shapes our culture.

Witty, erudite and irrepressibly irreverent, The Age of Persuasion provides a hugely entertaining — and eye-opening — insider’s look at the ever-expanding world of marketing.

The Age of Persuasion is for those who say “advertising doesn’t work on me” as well as those who want to understand how this industry has become inseparable from modern culture. Using their popular CBC Radio series as a starting point, Terry O’Reilly and Mike Tennant tell the fascinating story of how modern marketing came of age — from the early players to the Mad Men of the 1960s and beyond. With insider anecdotes and examples drawn from pop culture, they also probe deeply into the day-to-day workings and ethics of a business that is rapidly evolving in the age of Facebook and YouTube.

Monthly Book Club Meeting

Wednesday, December 2nd, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

The Curiosity House Book Club will hold its regular monthly meeting on Wednesday December 2nd from 2 to 3 pm. This month, we will be discussing James Orbinski’s An Imperfect Offering. Our selection for January will be Steven Galloway’s The Cellist of Sarajevo. Remember all book club books, any book club, receive a 10% discount.

Artists’ Opening Reception

Saturday, December 5th, 2:00 to 4:00 pm

In the Gallery: Featuring Martha and Cathy Bull, Frith Bail and Brigitte Huebner

Martha and Cathy Bull will be in the gallery for the month of December, with paintings in watercolour and acrylic on the theme of Meditations From a Canoe. We will also have wonderful pottery from local artist Frith Bail, and fibre works from knitter and weaver, Brigitte Huebner. Come to our opening reception to find that special something for the people on your Christmas list.

Children’s Story Hour

Saturday, December 12th, 10:30 am to 11:15 am

Please join Miriam for our monthly Story Hour from 10:30 to 11:15 am. Children from 18 months to 6 years of age will have the opportunity to listen to captivating stories and complete a small craft activity with a seasonal theme.

Great Selections for Holiday Gift-Giving

There is nothing better than giving the gift of reading to those special people on your Christmas list. Our Books For Everybody Gift Guide has suggestions for your holiday gift buying. We have so many new and beautiful books arriving daily, that it is hard for us to choose a select few to recommend. However here are some you might want to consider…

A wonderful present for anyone on your list would be one, or more, of the recent book prize winners. The surprise Giller prize winner this year was Linden MacIntyre for his novel The Bishop’s Man, and another surprise winner of the Governor General’s Award for fiction was Kate Pullinger’s book The Mistress of Nothing , TP, an historical tale of a journey down the Nile in Victorian times exploring the subtleties of race, class, love and power. Nominated for the three top fiction prizes Annabel Lyon won the Rogers’ Writers Trust for her stunning novel The Golden Mean, HC. This is a story of Aristotle and his time tutoring the young Alexander (soon to be called “The Great”). Lyons weaves a fascinating tale of the times which seems to be so immediate and real. Another historical novel everyone seems to find very absorbing is the Booker Prize winner Wolf Hall, TP, by British writer Hilary Mantel. There are some beautiful coffee table books to choose from, among which a new art book, A.Y. Jackson: The Life of a Landscape Painter, HC, will please any art lover or artist on your list. Cookbooks, wine books and beer histories – who wouldn’t be pleased to receive one of these?

For children and young adults we have a wonderful selection of books to entertain and delight. For young children, The Usborne Fairytale Treasury is an enchanting selection of fairytales, handsomely illustrated in a wonderful hardcover volume. Another delightful book is A Pop-Up Book of Nursery Rhymes: A Classic Collectible Pop-Up. In this fantastic keepsake, Matthew Reinhart’s phenomenal paper engineering, brings an added dimension to the classic telling of Mother Goose’s most treasured nursery rhymes,. We also have wonderful hardcover re-issues of the Winnie the Pooh series, including the newly authorized companion volume from author David Benedictus, Return to the Hundred Acre Wood. This wonderful sequel truly captures the style of A.A. Milne and brings back all of our favourite characters for some fantastic new adventures. Be sure to check out our Scanimation and Animotion books including, Waddle! by Rufus Butler Seder, Lights Out Night’s Out, by William Boniface and Bee and Me and Baby Turtle’s Tale by Elle McGuinness. These are books where the pictures on the pages literally move before your eyes. A great selection for kids of all ages is The Children’s Book of Art, by Dorling Kindersley. This engaging guide takes children on a tour through the world of art, from the earliest days to the present. We also have newly released graphic novelizations of the Artemis Fowl, Alex Rider and Sam and Friends Mysteries in our graphic novels for tweens and young adults. For older kids (and some adults), the must-haves this year are books from the engrossing House of Night series, by P.C and Kristin Cast, as well as movie companions to tie in with Twilight and the newly released New Moon movie.

Looking for books with a holiday theme? Why not pick up a copy of The Christmas Story from the Metropolitan Museum of Art? The timeless story of Christmas is beautifully retold through paintings by some of the world’s greatest artists. This is a book which is sure to become a family heirloom. Drop by the store and take a look at the selection we have to offer. Can’t decide? We are happy to help you with suggestions and we also have a “gift registry” if you want to note the books you would like to receive from Santa this year! Give one of our new gift cards and give the gift of choice!

Christmas Hours 2009

For your shopping convenience, Curiosity House will be OPEN until 8:00 pm, every Friday until Christmas. Our hours for the Christmas season will be:

Wednesday December 23                                             10 am to 5 pm

Thursday December 24                                                   9 am to 5 pm

Friday December 25                                                           CLOSED

Saturday December 26                                                      9 am to 5 pm

Sunday December 27                                                       10 am to 5 pm

Monday December 28 to Wed. December 30                10 am to 5 pm

Thursday December 31                                                   10 am to 4 pm

Friday January 1                                                                  CLOSED

We will resume our regular hours on Saturday January 2, 2010 at 9:00 am

Quips, Quotes & Trivia

A book is a gift you can open again and again.

                            ~ Garrison Keillor