The Partners of Curiosity House Bookstore & Gallery are delighted to announce that Ralph Hicks will become the new owner of the bookstore on May 25th. The business will then move further up the street, to 178 Mill St.

Although Ralph is best known in Creemore as the sculptor of the Dress-Up Dance fountain in the horticultural park, he brings extensive experience in the retail industry. Before coming to Canada, he was a buyer in London for one of the largest drugstore chains in the world and later he became a well-known consultant to the Canadian retail industry. We anticipate that his business acumen will ensure that Curiosity House will continue to be a vital and viable business enterprise for many years to come.

We are thrilled by the amazing commitment that Ralph is making to ensure that the store continues to be a worthwhile contributor to the cultural health of the community. To this end, we encourage all our friends and customers to support Ralph and his staff as Curiosity House enters its new phase of operation.

Catherine, Miriam, Rowlie and Tom

The Final Chapter

The past six months have been a rollercoaster ride for the staff and partners of Curiosity House.

In November of 2011, we learned that the building which houses our business had been sold and that we would not have an option to renew our lease. Catherine and Miriam were also committed to taking their lives into new directions, which would allow more time for family and travel as well as volunteer and artistic pursuits. To that end, we have spent the past 6 months working hard to find affordable new rental space and energetic new owners to take up our mission of connecting our customers with the best possible offerings in the world of books and local art. Unfortunately, our efforts have not been successful and we are saddened to announce that Curiosity House Bookstore & Gallery will be closing its doors at the end of May.

The current partners of Curiosity House have walked in the very impressive footsteps of such illustrious people as founding partners Pat and Chris Raible, and their successor, Louise Richardson. We are proud to have spent the past six years working hard to bring our customers the best selection, service and programming possible and we are happy to have been chosen one of Canada’s Top Ten Independent Bookstores, by the CBC Radio book club. We have worked hard to be a valuable contributor to the cultural landscape of the village and we have tried to expand our outreach efforts to connect with a larger portion of the local population.

No business can become a success without the considerable efforts of talented and enthusiastic staff. We have been very lucky to have wonderful employees who understand that excellent service is key to the success of any small business. We would like to express our thanks to them for a job very well done.

We also take this opportunity to thank our customers for their continued patronage, during a time when independent booksellers face the dual challenges of online and discount retailers and ebooks. You have kept this business moving forward during a very difficult time in the retail and publishing industry and it has been a real privilege to have served you over the past six years.

When the outcome of a situation is not what we hoped for, we have two options. We can either view it as failure or, as we believe, we can take it as an opportunity to acknowledge our successes. To that end, the partners at Curiosity House have decided to spend the month of
May celebrating the wonderful relationships that have sustained us over the years. Beginning May 4, we are having a storewide sale. On Saturday May 19th, we invite you to join us at our Farewell to Curiosity House party. This will be our way of saying, “Thank you!” to our customers, staff, family and friends for their loyalty and support over the past six years.

The Partners of Curiosity House Bookstore & Gallery

Catherine, Miriam, Rowlie, Tom and with the memory of our dear friend, Jim

Rebirth and Refocus…

See the land, her Easter keeping,
Rises as her Maker rose.
Seeds, so long in darkness sleeping,
Burst at last from winter snows.
Earth with heaven above rejoices…  
                                                ~ Charles Kingsley

     Easter is a time of renewal.  At this time of year, we cast off the last vestiges of the winter winds and embrace the miracle of rebirth. There is nothing which will reaffirm our faith more than the sight of the first snow crocus or snowdrop.    In the same spirit of faith and renewal, April 22nd is Earth Day, a commemoration of the birth of the modern environmental movement. For more than 40 years, this very important day has served to inspire and mobilize citizens and organizations to refocus their commitment to environmental protection and sustainability.  
     Our community is committed to the concept of green living and environmental activism.  We try to lead by example and recognize that there are many things which can be done to make this world a better and healthier place for our children and grandchildren.  We recognize that small steps can result in big changes.  
     Curiosity House is proud to be part of this community.  This month, let’s join together to celebrate the earth…
                     

Miriam Vince, Editor

 
What’s On in April

Saturday, April 7^th, 2:00 to 4:00 pm                   

Artist’s Opening Reception

 In The Gallery: 
Ann Davidson and Lynn Hubbs
Art is a Family Affair

         Mother and daughter artists, Ann Davidson and Lynn Hubbs are a perfect example of talent that runs in the family. Vibrant colours and themes reflect Ann’s artistic passion. Lynn takes Ann’s work and translates those images onto fabric, producing wearable and usable art which is sure to delight. Please join us at our opening reception, where you will have an opportunity to meet these talented artists and enjoy some refreshments.

 Saturday, April 7th                              

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 with an Easter theme.

SPECIAL NOTE

There will be no newsletter for the month of May.  
For information about events and programs, please check out the Creemore Echo.

Celebrate Earth Day!

April 22, 2012

What’s New With The Book Club?

April 4, 2012, 2:00 to 3:00 pm
         Our April book club selection will be Something Fierce, Carmen Aguirre’s
winner of the 2012 CBC Canada Reads Award. 

Curiosity House Knitting Group 
Every Wednesday – 2:00 to 4:00 pm
Our Knitting Group continues to work on projects every Wednesday,
from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  We gather around the table, compare projects and share knitting tips and stories.  We have a wonderful time.  Please join us.
 
What’s On In the Gallery?

May 5 – June 1
Tom Caswell
Our 2012 Emerging Artist
Opening Reception – Saturday May 5

June 2 – June 29
Donna Tranquada
Watercolours Illuminate Our Landscape
Opening Reception – Saturday, June 2 
 
Easter Hours 2012

Good Friday, April 6 – 10 am to 5 pm

Easter Saturday,  April 7 – 9 am to 5 pm

Easter Sunday, April 8 – Closed

Easter Monday,  April 9 – 10 am to 5 pm

Our Suggestions For Your Reading Pleasure  
(Suggestions from Cheryl, Deirdre and Caitlin)

     I recently asked the staff what they are reading at the moment and whether they would be willing to share with our customers.  Wow!  Who could have asked for a better batch of recommendations?  Take a peek:

Cheryl’s Recent “Reads”

      Alone in the Classroom  ($22.00 PB, releasing April 2012), by Elizabeth Hay … a thought provoking and engaging journey through a family history that makes one realize that there are things we really should know about our past.
     Seaworthy ($17.50, PB), by Linda Greenlaw … the author has written a number of books about her life as one of the most successful captains in the sword fishing industry.  She is also famous for her survival of  “the perfect storm”.  This is an entertaining tale of how not to go fishing.
      All Wound Up (18.99, PB), by Stephanie Pearl-McPhee … for the knitters out there, this is The Yarn Harlot’s seventh book and is my personal favourite.  Stephanie’s books are classified as “knitting humour” and they are that and so much more.
      Currently enjoying Quiet ($28.00, HC), by Susan Cain.  It is about “the power of introverts in a world that can’t stop talking” and is, so far, a fascinating read…

Deirdre’s Powerful Pick

     In her new novel Web of Angels ($22.00 PB), Lillian Nattel chooses heavy hitting subjects in which to immerse her characters. She had my attention from the first powerful paragraph and held my focus throughout.      
      Sharon Lewis is the central character – host of characters actually, as she comes to terms with the fact that she suffers from DID (Dissociative Identity Disorder). While learning about her alter egos through therapy, she begins to recognize similar symptoms in her teenaged son’s girlfriend. This leads to the unveiling of a child pornography ring. This all makes for a gripping storyline and an interesting read. With some probing, she discovers that the young girl and her deceased sister had been victims of their prominent parents’ pornography ring, for most of their lives.
      Sharon and her family undertake to expose this monstrous situation while protecting the young girl. 
 This novel has all the makings of a dark tale, but what shines through and rescues it, is the determination of this strong female character and the way a community can pull together to effect change and protect their children. This all makes for a gripping storyline with an uplifting outcome and I found it to be an intriguing read. 

Caitlin’s Timeless Selections

     Amid the shelves of wonderful new fiction that have arrived at the bookstore in the past five months,  I turned to some old unread classics over the last few weeks.
       P.D. James’ A Taste for Death  ($19.95 PB), written in 1986, had me in its grips for the entire seven hundred some odd pages.  James’ use of characterisation as the main source of mystery brings her to the level of the fabulous Wilkie Collins.
      Barbara Kingsolver’s The Bean Trees (PB, $11.50), written in 1988, has the beautifully honest language of a talented  new writer, and is a refreshing story of personal  exploration and survival.
      Both of these authors have new books out at the moment, and it is wonderful to look back and see how they have maintained their creativity for over twenty years.

A Final Word From Miriam… 

      Want to know what I’m reading at the moment?  After thoroughly enjoying Julian Barnes’ 2011 Man Booker Prize winner The Sense of an Ending (PB, $19.95), I decided to dive into his most recent book of short stories, Pulse  (PB, $19.95).  This quietly elegant book presents a series of small vignettes which explore the delicate balance in human relationships, with subtle prose and an understated tone.  This is Barnes’ strongest collection yet, a clear-eyed look at the human condition, filled with his poignant humour and his trademark irony.  I plan follow this up by picking up his 2009 memoir, 
Nothing To Be Frightened Of  (PB, $21.00).   Who can resist reading a book by a brilliant author which is described by the publisher “as a meditation on mortality and the fear of death, a celebration of art, an argument with and about God”?  
     The partners at Curiosity House are very proud to have wonderful staff who are enthusiastic about making thoughtful recommendations to our customers. They truly are the bookstore’s greatest strength!

Daily Literacy Activities…
(by Miriam Vince)

     I decided to take the opportunity, in this month’s column, to share a resource that I recently discovered.
 This article is excerpted from the ABC Life Literacy Canada website.  It stresses the importance of incorporating literacy into daily family activities.

Daily Literacy Activities

 Learning happens in many ways, especially in our day-to-day activities. Tasks such as cooking, doing laundry, running errands and surfing the Internet all provide learning opportunities that your family can embrace.
Here are 10 fun and easy ways to make literacy part of your family’s daily life:

1. When making your grocery list, have your child write out the items you need to buy.
2. At the store, ask your child to count out the money to make the purchase.
3. Make it a habit to always read a story together at bedtime.
4. When cooking dinner, involve your children in measuring the ingredients. This helps them understand fractions & measurements.
5. Driving is the perfect opportunity to practice literacy. Read signs, billboards and licence plates together, and show your children the proper way to read a map.
6. While on the Internet, make time to research something new that your family is interested in. Researching skills are important and help with reading & comprehension.
7. In the car, sing along to songs on the radio. Singing encourages learning patterns of words, rhymes and rhythms, and is strongly connected to language skills.
8. When playing a board game, read the instructions aloud to each other or count how many spaces to travel around the board.
9. Involve your kids when you pay bills. This will teach them strong financial skills early on in life.
10. Children follow by example, so ensure reading is part of your daily life too!
 

ABC Life Literacy Canada is a non-profit organization that inspires Canadians to increase their literacy skills, by connecting and mobilizing business, unions, government, communities and individuals to support lifelong learning and achieve their goals through leadership in programs, communications and partnerships.  For more information about this initaitive and its important work, check out its website http://abclifeliteracy.ca.

Quips, Quotes & Trivia
    Judge the goodness of a book by the energy of the punches it has given you. I believe the greatest characteristic of genius, is, above all, force.
~Gustave Flaubert

Growth…

   “If we had no winter, the spring would not be so pleasant:  if we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome”
 
 ~  Anne Bradstreet (British poet, 1612-1672)

     Spring is a time of change and growth.  For a plant to survive a harsh Winter it has to be tough, and to thrive in an extreme climate it has to learn to adapt.  In many ways the advent of Spring reminds us of the situation faced by many independent booksellers.    Over the past six years Curiosity House has worked very hard to survive and adapt in a changing retail landscape, forging relationships with our local partners, connecting with our customers and striving to provide excellent service.  We are proud to be considered a cornerstone of our local community.
     To that end, this month we are pleased to be the sponsors of An Evening With Dan Needles, on Saturday, March 3rd. This event is a fundraiser and all proceeds from the admission and silent auction will go to My Friend’s House, our local community shelter for abused women.  We are also working on a Titanic High Tea, which will coincide with the Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society’s Annual General Meeting. At this event, Hugh Brewster will make a presentation and sign copies of his new book about the RMS Titanic, Gilded Lives, Fatal Voyage.  Also this month, we are happy to welcome a talented local artist whose show has the hopeful title “Spring Thaw”.  March is a time when we also look forward to serving the needs of our younger customers with great suggestions for their March Break reading. 
     Spring is a time of optimism and renewal.  We understand that there are may questions, within the community, about what the future of the bookstore may be.  We are optimistic that there will be solutions to the bookstore’s current situation and have faith that they will come, just like the first blooms of Spring burst forth…

Miriam Vince, Editor

 
What’s On In March
Saturday, March 3rd

2:00 to 4:00 pm
Artist’s Opening Reception

In the Gallery:  Adele Derkowski
Spring Thaw:  Recent works in oil and acrylic

     Using colour, form and light, local artist and art instructor Adele Derkowski reflects the beauty of the world which surrounds her.  Please join us at our opening reception and take an opportunity to meet this artist and celebrate her work.

Saturday, March 3rd
7:30 pm

     Please join us as we welcome Dan Needles, author of the popular Wingfield Farms series, to a fundraising event at the Station on the Green.  There will be appetizers, a cash bar and a chance to listen to this entertaining local luminary.  Books will be available for sale and signing at the event.  Proceeds from the admission and the silent auction will go to My Friend’s House, the community shelter for women, in Collingwood.   

Saturday, March 10th

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.

Saturday, March 24th
4:00 pm
PHAHS presents Hugh Brewster
Titanic High Tea

At 4:00 pm, Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society will be holding its Annual General Meeting at the Station on the Green. Following the meeting, there will be a Titanic High Tea, where author Hugh Brewster will make a presentation and sign copies of his new book RMS Titanic: Gilded Lives on a Fatal Voyage.  Members of Purple Hills Arts and Heritage Society and people who are interested in becoming members are welcome.  Admission is $20.00 per person and by reservation only.  More information regarding ticket sales is available at the  PHAHS website.     

What’s New With The Book Club?

March 7th, 2012, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of March, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a discussion of  The Sense of an Ending, Julian Barnes’ powerful 2011 Booker Prize-winning novel. 

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.  We have a growing selection of books which are great choices for knitters of every skill level.

Please call us at 705-466-3400 or email us for more information.  

What’s On In the Gallery?

April 7 to May 4 – Lynn Hubbs and Ann Davidson
Wonderful art is a family affair…
Opening Reception – Saturday, April 7

May 5 to May 27 – Tom Caswell
Our Emerging Artist for 2012
Opening Reception – Saturday May 5
 

March…random reading…
(by Catherine Randall)

     I am just about to head off for a vacation and am packing a whole bag of books to dive into whenever I can.  I have to finish the biography Mordecai: The Life and Times  ($24.95, PB).  The author, Charles Foran, won 5 of the most prestigious prizes for this book last year.  I am finding it absolutely fascinating.  Don’t be intimidated by the size.  It is so well written and is a page turner.  What a complex, interesting man Mordecai Richler was.  We were fortunate to have Charlie up for an author lunch and his comments and stories have only enriched the reading experience.  If you liked reading Richler, enjoyed the movie Barney’s Version or liked The Paris Wife you need to put this book on your “to read” list.  We still have several signed copies in the store.
     I think I will read Something Fierce 
($21.00, PB) by Carmen Aguirre next.  It is the winner of the somewhat volatile CBC Canada Reads contest this year.  I also have some advance readers’ copies from the publishers for spring and summer books yet to be released and first up in that pile is Gold ($29.95, HC) by Chris Cleave.  He is the author of one of my favorite books of the past couple of years. Little Bee (or titled, The Other Hand, in the UK). 
     If you are a competitive or adventurous runner, or know someone who is, a new book about running races around the world is all the buzz.  The title says it all – World’s Ultimate Running Races; 500 races, 101 countries, choose your adventure, ($29.99, PB).  The book is available now and copies should be available in the store.  Happy March reading!

  
March Break is Just Around the Corner

     Why not be proactive when it comes to March Break boredom?  The best way to solve the issues of “nothing to do” is to find ways to keep active minds busy.  At Curiosity House, we have lots of great suggestions to encourage creativity and excitement in young minds.
     For younger girls we have The Princess Creativity Book by Andrea Pinnington (PB, $15.99).  Filled with exciting colouring pages, puzzles, games and mazes, drawing tips and tricks, this book features two huge fold-out sticker scenes with accompanying stickers.  Younger boys will be thrilled to spend time with the Usborne Boys’ Activity Book (PB, $13.95).  Author Fiona Watt has created a fantastic activity book, packed with tricky puzzles, codes to crack , doodles and games, including instructions for how to make paper planes, shadow puppets, balloon rockets and a bubbling potion.  Of note in both of these books, is a section dedicated to storytelling and written expression.  Both of these titles are sure to fire the imagination of every young person and encourage many hours of varied activities.
     In Create Your Own Super Hero Stories (PB, $8.50), author Liz Scoggins and illustrator Paul Morin have created an unusual doodle book which allows kids to add their own words and doodles to a series of short, entertaining, but incomplete stories about Jack the Super Hero, the chief character of this entertaining story.   Kids are encouraged to use their imaginations as they draw new details into each picture, and fill in the blanks in all the unfinished sentences. This is the ultimate “choose your own adventure” book for younger readers
     For older kids, why not tap into the budding graphic artist hiding in each of them?  Draw the DC Universe, by Kaitlyn Nichols (PB $21.99) will teach them how to draw 27 of the greatest super heroes and vilest villains.  This book is a complete how-to-draw package, filled with expert tips and techniques, translucent overlays for tracing exercises and lots of practice space. The package includes a sketching pencil, six coloured pencils and a big block eraser which will help enthusiastic young people to master the techniques necessary to draw all of their comic book favourites.  Another excellent choice is Christopher Hart’s 
Young Artists Draw Manga (PB, $16.99), a book which contains everything the beginning manga artist needs! Beginning artists can learn the basic manga head and body types.   More than 100 different characters are broken down into easy-to-follow steps.  For any kid who loves to draw, but needs some guidance, this book  will provide the tools to help them start drawing all of their favourite manga characters with confidence.
    Take time to bring your kids for a visit at the bookstore soon.  Whether it is a new novel or the latest installment in their favourite series or a puzzle or joke book, we have lots of books to keep your young people busy and engaged.  March Break is just around the corner, and so are we!  

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…
We have two eagerly anticipated fiction titles to highlight this month.  Both will be available this Spring from Random House of Canada.
 

Why Men Lie 
by Linden MacIntyre
$32.00, Hardcover
Available March 27, 2012
From the bestselling author of The Bishop’s Man, winner of the Scotiabank Giller Prize, a brilliant, deeply wise and challenging new novel. Why do men lie? Effie MacAskill Gillis, a self-sufficient woman of her time, is confident she knows. She learned the hard way—from a war-damaged father and a troubled brother who became a priest, through failed marriages and doomed relationships with weak and needy men. Men lie to satisfy the needs they never can articulate: for sex, for love and reassurance.    Now at middle age, she feels immunized against the damage men can do and enjoys a hard-won independence. But then a chance encounter with a man on a subway platform changes everything—an old friend looks like he, like her, has evolved into an assured and confident maturity. That he seems to have outgrown the need for telling lies is irresistible, and Effie gambles her emotional resources as she never has before. Only to learn that men must lie, and that the consequences of an unexpected lie can be disastrous. 

The Beginner`s Goodbye: A Novel 
Anne Tyler $29.95, Hardcover

Available April 3, 2012
Anne Tyler gives us a wise, haunting, and deeply moving new novel in which she explores how a middle-aged man, ripped apart by the death of his wife, is gradually restored by her frequent appearances — in their house, on the roadway, in the market. 
 Crippled in his right arm and leg, Aaron has spent his childhood fending off a sister who wants to manage him. When he meets Dorothy, a plain, outspoken, independent young woman, she is like a breath of fresh air. Unhesitatingly, he marries her, and they have a relatively happy, unremarkable life together. 
 But when a tree crashes into their house and Dorothy is killed, Aaron feels as though he has been erased forever. Only Dorothy’s unexpected appearances from the dead help him to live in the moment and find some peace. Gradually he discovers, as he works in the family’s vanity-publishing business, (turning out titles that presume to guide beginners through the trails of life) that maybe for this beginner there is a way of saying goodbye. 
 A beautiful, subtle exploration of loss and recovery, pierced throughout with Anne Tyler’s humour, wisdom, and always penetrating look at human foibles
 
Quips, Quotes and Trivia

“The day the Lord created hope was probably the same day he created Spring.” 

~ Bern Williams, Inspirational Writer

Feel the Love…

   In dreams and in love there are no impossibilities.
                          ~  Janos Arany    (Hungarian poet) 
.      
     February is the month when we take some time to think about the things that have great meaning for us…. 
      Human beings have the innate ability to give and receive love.  People, places, and experiences all captivate our hearts.   To thrive and survive we have to feel connected to something or someone – our friends, our co-workers, our family, our community.  
     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.  This year more than thirty artists will give their rendition of  “Pinkalicious”.  An opening reception will be  held on Friday February 3rd, 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.  
     We are also excited to let our community know that we are hosting an author lunch at Chez Michel, with Rogers Writer’s Trust award-winning author Charles Foran, later this month.   We have a few tickets available for this event and we are sure that it will be an informative, exciting afternoon.
     Love gives meaning to our our lives.   We work hard and “go the distance” for people, institutions and causes for which we feel a passion.  At Curiosity House, we feel a deep connection to our customers and we want them to know that we are passionate about providing them with the products, services and attention that they need.  We hope that our community  recognizes that our commitment to you has been a labour of love – love for our friends and neighbours in the village, love of books and reading and love of the energy and enthusiasm which books still stimulate among book-buyers and booksellers.   

Miriam Vince, Editor

 What’s On In February

 Friday, February 3rd, 5:00 to 7:00 pm
Artist’s Opening Reception

In the Gallery:  Our February Group Show –  “Pinkalicious”

      More than 30 artists will be participating in this very popular show, entering one piece of artwork which reflects their interpretation of this year’s theme, “Pinkalicious”. The public is invited to vote for their favourite piece and the People’s Choice winner will be announced on Friday, February 17th.  At our opening reception, you will have a chance to meet the artists, enjoy some refreshments and cast your ballot. Please join us.

Saturday, February 11th,  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.

Sunday, February 19th, Noon to 3 pm

Our Featured Event In February

Lunch With  CHARLES FORAN  at Chez Michel
Sunday, February 19^th, Noon to 3 pm
Tickets are $35.00 (including taxes and gratuities)

     Described by the Globe and Mail as, “probably the single most awarded book of any genre in the history of Canadian literature” (Globe and Mail, Nov. 15, 2011).   Mordecai:  The Life and Times, Charles Foran’s epic biography of one of Canada’s most beloved literery icons, is a literary tour de force.  Not only does Foran provide us with an intimate portrait of a complex writer, but he also gives us a glimpse into the turbulent times which nurtured him and the lifelong romantic relationship which sustained him.  Curiosity House is proud to invite you to lunch with Charles Foran at Chez Michel Restaurant.  Admission is $35.00 per person, including taxes and gratuities.  Seating is limited and reservations are required. Chez Michel is located at 150 Mill St., in Creemore. 

 What’s New With The Book Club?

February 1st 2012, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of February, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a discussion of  Northern Light, Roy MacGregor’s non-fiction account of Canadian art icon Tom Thomson’s life, loves and mysterious  death.   
Our book club selection for March is 2011 Booker Prize winner, The Sense of An Ending, by Julian Barnes.

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.  We have a growing selection of books which are great choices for knitters of every skill level.  Please call us at 705-466-3400 or email us for more information.  

 What’s On In the Gallery?
 March 2 to April 6
Adele Derkowski
Spring Thaw:  Recent works in oil and acrylic
Opening Reception
Saturday March 3 
 
April 6 to 27
Lynn Hubbs and Ann Davidson
Wonderful art is a family affair…
Opening Reception Saturday, April 7
 

Suggestions for February… (by Catherine Randall)

      Author Tea Obreht has been, at just 25, named to the New Yorker’s Top 20 Under 40 list twice and her debut novel, published last year, The Tiger’s Wife, (PB, $17.00) has been widely praised and has won the prestigious Orange Prize for 2011.  I have just recently finished reading the book and loved it.  The author combines present and past, folklore, politics and war in a most unique way.  The story begins in “a Balkan country still scarred by war” where the narrator, Natalia, is remembering her grandfather who took her to the zoo in “the city” (Belgrade) every weekend on the trolley and read to her from The Jungle Book which he always kept in his breast pocket.  Natalia, now a doctor like her grandfather, has just learned of his death in a remote village under somewhat mysterious circumstances.  She and a fellow doctor on are their way on a medical mission to an orphanage across the border and she takes the opportunity while there to visit the village to collect her grandfather’s belongings and find out more about his death.  Obreht weaves two stories her grandfather related to her in segments throughout the novel – The Deathless Man and The Tiger’s Wife.  These stories are magical mythologies and give the novel a somewhat surreal element which intertwines with the more present depiction of the mission and the war torn past experienced by both her grandfather, Natalia as a child and as a young adult. The author has a masterful way with language and description.  I highly recommend it as an excellent read and it would also be a very interesting book club discussion.
     I have just begun to read Stasiland – Stories From Behind The Berlin Wall by Anna Funder (PB, $21.99) and 60 pages in, I am already hooked.  Funder won the BBC Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction 2004 for this book.  Released in the U.K. in 2003 it was just made available in North America this past October.  Funder, an Australian, was working in Berlin in television in 1994 and became curious about the citizens who lived in East Germany and behind the Berlin Wall and about the East German Ministry for State Security and the people who worked there – the Stasi.  It is said that it took 20 years before the Germans would talk about the Nazi regime and the author finds that West Germans are dismissive about their former East German countrymen.  She decides to try to find former Stasi men to interview and to also uncover other stories of that time when everyone was potentially an informer and the state kept copious records on anyone considered suspicious of “western” sympathies.  Anyone who has an interest in German history or who has visited Berlin and former East German cities will be fascinated by this very well written book. 
     New catalogues are arriving and I am excited to see that Linden MacIntyre has a new novel coming in March, Why Men Lie.  This is the third book in his Cape Breton Trilogy which includes The Long Stretch and The Bishop’s Man.  Both of these are in the store in paperback and worth reading if you haven’t already.
We have books to suggest for Valentine’s Day such as Shakespeare’s Love Sonnets, or the quirky Diva Code: Miss Piggy On Life, Love, and the 10,000 Idiotic Things ( Men) Frogs Do, or The Book of Love and there are many more to choose from, so pop by before February 14th .
  
Tell your kids you love them!
 (by Miriam Vince)

     During February, most of the discussion about Valentines Day centers around roses or chocolates, dinner or jewellery.  Why not take the opportunity, this Valentine’s day, to celebrate the young people in your life.  Kids need to know that the adults in their lives have real value for them.  We are all so busy that, sometimes, we forget that young people need to know how important they are to us.  These  are four of my favourite books which will help you express your love to the children in your life:
     Love Waves  by Rosemary Wells  ($18.00, HC) is a delightful book for parents and grandparents who are separated from the children they love.  Love Waves are what we send to our loved ones until we can be together again. Invisible and strong, they can fly across town or around the world.  With wonderful illustrations, Rosemary Wells offers a delightful book which tells children that neither time nor space can keep love from surviving and flourishing.
       The Crown on Your Head, by Nancy Tillman  ($18.99, HC),  continues  the project of nurturing children’s self-esteem which she began with (On the Night You Were Born) .  Who can resist a book which includes the words:
    ”On the day that we met and I put you to bed,
     I noticed a crown on the top of your head.
     It was made up of sparkling, glimmering things
     like moonlight and fireflies, and dragonfly wings”
      Tillman’s message is simple  “Every child is born with a crown. The crown is everything that gives us unique value. Our crown will always be with us wherever we go, whatever we do.”  This is a wonderful gift from parents and grandparents, an unabashed celebration of the children they love.
     Welcome to the World by Valerie Wyatt, with photographs by Lenette Newall  ($14.95, HC) is the ultimate love letter to a new baby.  Delightful pictures and text embrace the wonder of warm sunlight, clouds and birdsong.  Above all things, a warm embrace is ultimate comfort.  With delightful photos and text, this book is sure to be a hit with new Moms and Dads.
    Guess How Much I Love You  by Sam McBratney with illustrations by Anita Jeram (Regular Edition – $20.00, HC, Sweetheart Edition $14.00, HC)  is a now considered a modern classic.  Since it was first published in 1995, this tale of two Nutbrown Hares who love each other to the moon and back has enchanted more than 13 million readers around the world.  While this is a delightful story for children, there is a Sweetheart Edition of this book which is a wonderful gift for loved ones of all ages.  After  all, who doesn’t like to be reminded that they’re loved, unconditionally and boundlessly?

 Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…

This time of year, it’s nice to think about good things to eat.  Here are two takes on comfort food which are sure to make your mouth water.
 
Canadian Living: The One Dish Collection by Canadian Living Test Kitchen  $26.95, Paperback Available January 24, 2012

     Sometimes all you want after a long day is a little bit of comfort. And what better place is there to sit back and enjoy some than at the dinner table? 
     Nothing says comfort like a warm, homey, all-in-one-dish dinner. It’s a delicious way to welcome people to the table without the fuss of preparing multiple, complicated recipes. And when your one-dish wonder comes from  Canadian Living, Canada’s most trusted cooking authority, you know it’s going to turn out perfectly.
     The One-Dish Collection offers tasty options to satisfy your cravings. Inside, you’ll find hearty meat-and-veggie soups and stews, filling dinner salads, simple skillet suppers (complete with fresh biscuits on top!), rich casseroles, flavour-packed pastas, creamy risottos and more. Add a sprinkle of helpful tips and advice from Canadian Living’s cooking experts, and you have a recipe for dinnertime success.
- 6 recipe chapters, each focused on a single food category: soups, stews, hearty salads, casseroles, skillets and simmers, and pastas and risottos
- 80+ colour photographs
- Most recipes include the major components of a balanced dinner (protein, starch and some vegetables)
- Simpler dishes come with suggestions for super-easy sides to round out the meal
- Helpful sidebars and tips sprinkled throughout

Quick and Easy Low-Cal Comfort Food: 150 Down Home Recipes Packed With Flavour – Not Calories 
Alicia Simpson $20.95, Paperback  Available March 27, 2012

     Vegan food has never been hotter or tastier than it is today but with dozens of vegan options available for everything from mac and cheese to ice cream, many diners are discovering that a vegan menu alone is not enough to help them keep off unwanted pounds (much less shed them). Enter popular vegan cookbook author Alicia C. Simpson with Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food, which packs all the deliciousness of her previous comfort-food recipes, but with a fraction of the calories. 
To help vegans stay happy, healthy, and satisfied, here are 150 all-new recipes for satisfying, flavorful, down-home food but all with 350 calories or fewer per serving. Here are recipes to satisfy and enjoy all day, from breakfast (Breakfast Biscuit Sandwich), snacks (BBQ Popcorn), salads and soups (Taco Salad, Corn Chowder), mains (Fettuccine Slim-Fredo) dessert (Moon-Dusted Donuts) and even low-cal vegan beverages (Homebrewed Ginger Ale). Every recipe includes complete nutritional analysis, and Simpson has also crafted fifty different daily menus for eaters with daily calorie intakes of 1,400 to 2,000 calories, making it easier than ever to eat highly nutritious, varied, and calorie-conscious comfort food.

 Quips Quotes and Trivia

Out with the old year…

Be always at war with your vices, at peace with your neighbors, and let each new year find you a better man.
~ Benjamin Franklin

The arrival of the New Year encourages us to reflect on our achievements and look forward to new adventures.  2011 was a memorable year for Curiosity House Books and Gallery.

• Last February, to coincide with the Creemore “Big Heart Festival”, we held our fourth themed group art show.  Our theme was “Red is Best” and more than 40 artists submitted works for display.     The winner of the People’s Choice award  for this group show was local artist Cynthia Marsh.
• We held an informative and entertaining author lunch at Chez Michel, withWalrus magazine founding editor Joshua Knelman, who engaged a sold out audience with a presentation about his fascinating book, Hot Art. Our author lunches have been both well-received and fully-attended.  What a great way to spend an afternoon!
• Hugh Brewster came to visit the kids at the Nottawasaga and Creemore Public School with a presentation and discussion of his young adults’ book, Deadly Voyage: R.M.S. Titanic, Jamie Laidlaw, April 14, 1912.
• There were well-attended book signings featuring Terry Fallis, Terry Boyle, Trish Magwood, Kathleen Mundy, Terence Keenleyside, Pat Crocker and Sonia Day.  Local authors Ken Thornton, darci-que, Judith Plaxton, and Carolyn Morris also enjoyed successful author signing events in the store and at the Creemore Farmers’ Market.
• In August, Curiosity House was named one of Canada’s Top Ten Favourite Independent Bookstores, based on a survey by the CBC Book Club.  This was, perhaps, our greatest achievement of the year.  We were gratified to receive such incredibly loyal support from our customers and very happy to realize that our hard work had yielded a measure of success.

New challenges lie ahead of us in the coming year.  As many of you know, the building which houses this business has been sold and we will not have an option to renew our lease when it expires at the end of June.  We also anticipate that there will be changes to the public face of the store this year, as we work hard to find energetic new owners to take up our mission to connect our customers with the best possible offerings in the world of books and local art.  We don’t have a great deal of information to offer at the moment, but we’ll keep you informed as our plan unfolds…

Miriam Vince, Editor

What’s On In January

Friday, December 30th
5:00 to 7:00 pm
Artist’s Opening Reception

In the Gallery:
Lynn Connell – “Abundance”

Please join Lynn Connell for cocktails and an opportunity to see her new works, inspired by her travels and charity work in Africa.  A portion of the proceeds from the sales from this show will go to support Lynn’s passion and mission, The Majengo Orphanage in Tanzania.

Saturday, January 14th
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.

What’s New With The Book Club?

January 4th, 2012, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of January, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a discussion of the prize-winning novel,The Sisters Brothers
by Patrick Dewitt.

Our Bookclub Selections for early 2012 are:

February
Northern Light (Roy MacGregor)

March
The Sense of An Ending (Julian Barnes)

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.

What’s On In the Gallery?

Feb. 3 – March 3

February Group Show  “Pinkalicious”
Opening Reception - Friday Febuary 3, 2012

March 3 – April 6
Adele Derkowski

Opening Reception – Saturday March 3, 2012

Travelling…

(by Catherine Randall)

January is the perfect time to plan a trip or to do some armchair travelling.  Some new books have caught my eye and whetted my appetite.  Ultimate Food Journeys: The World’s Best Dishes & Where To Eat Them (HC, $45.00) is a beautiful, large, coffee table book full of not only travel information but the best restaurants, where to stay and what to see.  I opened the book to Mussels in Brussels and saw on a map of Europe exactly where Brussels is, learned some of the history of Brussels and Belgium, what to do for three days in Brussels and also where to get the best Moules-Frites in Brussels, in Belgium and also other places in the world.  This is a fabulous book that will inspire any foodie.
Another inspiring book is The New York Times 36 HOURS: 150 Weekends in the USA & Canada (HC, $49.99).  It is thumb-indexed by region rather than country with ribbon book markers for each section.  Based on the popular 36 Hours column in the weekend paper, the book brings together 150 new and updated columns.  The premise is that these itineraries, with little tweaking, will appeal to the backpacker and the jet setter and all are in the realm of the possible.  It is fun to leaf through and read about places one has been and see how the writer has envisioned a weekend trip there and also fun to read about unknown or unplanned destinations that are close enough to imagine visiting.
The New Granta Book of Travel (PB, $29.95) is the perfect arm chair travel read.  Every story, one by each of 23 writers, is a mini-memoir of an event, in a place somewhere in the world.  The experiences are impressively diverse and might recall a long expedition or a walk of an hour.  This is not a guide book but a collection of stories that will be enjoyed but anyone who is interested in travel whether it is close or far.
Travels In Siberia (PB, $23.00) by Ian Frazier, is a fascinating read which was voted a New York Times Book Review Notable Book of the Year.  Time magazine says “Frazier’s rich account absorbs the tales of those who traveled before him, from Genghis Khan and George Kennan to the prisoners of the Gulag”.  I think this is a book that anyone who enjoyed John Valliant’s The Tiger, would also be interested in reading.
We also just received some copies of a book published by a group of hikers who are members of the Bruce Trail Conservancy.  It is called 100 Hikers, 100 Hikes: From Tobermory to Kilamanjaro (PB, $24.95).  Each contributor has described one hike that was memorable to them and, while most were enjoyable, not all were pleasant – one hike is described as “The Hike From Hell”!  Photos accompany most of the hikes and the stories are usually on 2 or 3 pages long.  As the editor says “Lace up a pair of virtual hiking boots and journey with us across mountains, savannahs, canyons and deserts”.  Enjoy and get inspired…!

Encourage your kids to read for pleasure!

(by Miriam Vince)

Normally, I would be taking an opportunity to use this column to make suggestions for books to occupy kids during the snowy days  ahead.  However, this month I am not going to make any suggestions.  Instead, I am going to pass on a piece of very important advice.
Recently, a study  by parent-led advocacy group People for Education, in co-operation with the National Reading Campaign, has revealed a dramatic drop over the past decade in the percentage of Ontario students in Grades 3 and 6 who say they “like to read.”  Literacy scores have apparently risen, but only 50% of all children recently surveyed by the province’s Education Quality and Accountability Office (EQAO) indicated that they found reading enjoyable.  (The 1988/89 survey found 78% of all Grade 3 students and 65% of all Grade 6 students reported a positive attitude towards reading.)
The results of this study have far-reaching implications for student performance and school success. In the words of Annie Kidder, executive director of People for Education, “Just as we’ve recognized that reading and writing and math are very core and very important to school, we have to recognize that enjoyment of reading is a core, a vital aspect of school.”  Studies have shown that a positive attitude toward reading tends to translate to greater success in all academic areas.  Enthusiastic readers appear to become more inquiring students and develop a deeper understanding of the things they are learning.
So, while we work very hard to improve student literacy test scores, it is equally important that we foster the joy of reading in our young people.  A child who is excited about reading will become a student who is enthusiastic about learning.  Encourage your child to read for pleasure.  It will have lasting benefits…

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…

This month’s book preview highlights two new titles from very popular young peoples’ authors. One is a great new release for kids and the other is a great new title for young adults.  Both of these books come from our partners at Scholastic Books.

It’s My Room by Robert Munsch $7.99, Paperback
Available February 12, 2012

Will Matthew ever get some peace in his own room?
Not a chance if his relatives have anything to say about it!

Matthew’s family has a brand-new trailer, which includes a brand-new room for Matthew — a room of his own! Or so his mother says…
Sure enough, before he knows it, the relatives start knocking and his room soon becomes a hotel for cousins and aunts and uncles and dogs. Fed up, and sleeping underneath the trailer (which is the only place to get some privacy!) Matthew hatches a plan to get these guests OUT of his room, once and for all!
Robert Munsch created this story after having a chat with a young boy in Fort McMurray, Alberta. The result? A funny romp of a story that will satisfy any Robert Munsch fan, especially those that have had to share their room when company comes!

Lament by Maggie Stiefvater $11.99, Paperback
Available February 12, 2012

New York Times bestselling author Maggie Stiefvater’s first novel is a powerful fantasy featuring dangerous faeries, otherwordly music and unrequited love.
Sixteen-year-old Deirdre Monaghan is a painfully shy but prodigiously gifted musician. She’s about to find out she’s also a cloverhand — one who can see faeries. When a mysterious boy enters her ordinary suburban life, seemingly out of nowhere, Deirdre finds herself infatuated. Trouble is, the enigmatic and conflicted Luke turns out to be a gallowglass — a soulless faerie assassin — and Deirdre is meant to be his next mark. An equally hunky — and equally dangerous — dark faerie soldier named Aodhan is also stalking Deirdre. Sworn enemies, Luke and Aodhan each have a deadly assignment from the Faerie Queen. Namely, kill Deirdre before her music captures the attention of the Fae and threatens the Queen’s sovereignty. Deirdre has to decide if Luke’s feelings towards her are real, or only a way to lure her deeper into the world of Faerie.
Caught in the crossfire with Deirdre is James, her wisecracking but loyal best friend. Deirdre had been wishing her life weren’t so dull, but getting trapped in the middle of a centuries-old faerie war isn’t exactly what she had in mind.

Quips Quotes and Trivia

We will open the book.  Its pages are blank.  We are going to put words on them ourselves.  The book is called Opportunity and its first chapter is New Year’s Day.

~ Edith Lovejoy Pierce
Inspirational Poet

The Greatest Gift of All…

Christmas is not a time or a season but a state of mind.  To cherish peace and good will, to be plenteous in mercy, is to have the real spirit of Christmas.
~ Calvin Coolidge, 1927

How lucky we are!  Curiosity House has the privilege of being a well-loved bookstore in a quaint village in one of the most beautiful locations imaginable.  We have the loyal support of a fascinating community and we have the opportunity to share in, and enrich, the lives of the wonderful people who call themselves our customers.
This year has been an affirmation of the reciprocal relationship we have with our community.  During the summer, we were proud to discover that our customers had chosen Curiosity House as one of Canada’s Top 10 Favourite Bookstores. This is one of our finest achievements and that recognition was a wonderful gift from the people we serve everyday. We try very hard to remember the importance of maintaining our connection to our neighbours and friends and we make every effort to nurture that relationship, by providing the best possible service. This is our gift to you.
To that end this year, we have put our heads together to provide the best possible selection for everyone on your shopping list.  Once again, we have rolled out our Christmas gift registry.  This invaluable resource allows customers to create a wish list for family members and is a valuable tool which will help you decide what would be the perfect gift for those you love. We are also happy to feature our Books For Everybody Gift Guide, with great suggestions for your holiday gift buying. A co-operative effort between publishers and independent booksellers, this resource provides gift giving suggestions for every member of the family.  Please pick one up the next time you are in the store and don’t forget to take advantage of the $5.00 coupon inside your catalogue, as well!
Sometimes the greatest gifts don’t come wrapped in pretty paper and festooned with bows and glitter.  2011 has been a memorable year for Curiosity House, a year when we have received a gift beyond value – loyalty and support of community.  We thank you for your goodwill and generosity.  From the bottom of our hearts, the staff and partners of Curiosity House would like to wish our community the very best of the holiday season.

Catherine Randall & Miriam Vince
Mary Vandewater & Family
Rowland & Kate Fleming
Deirdre, Cheryl & Caitlin

What’s On in December

Saturday, December 3^rd, 2:00 to 4:00 pm

Opening Reception

In The Gallery:

Our Annual Christmas Group Show

Featured Artist - Bruce Ley
Weavers - Rebecca and Jim Kalbfleisch
Jeweller - Kate Esplen

Working in acrylic, Bruce Ley’s paintings are abstract expressions of colour and movement.  His new show, Improbable Conversations features his dynamic style, inspired by his fascination with curves and puzzles.
Kate Esplen  hand crafts wire jewellery in sterling silver and 14 karat gold-filled wire. These handmade wearable works of sculpture are classic, elegant and  unique.
Members of the Kitchener-Waterloo Weavers and Spinners Guild, Rebecca and Jim Kalbfleisch weave afghans, scarves, tea towels and runners.  Their fabulous fibre confections  are very popular at the Guild’s Spring and Fall sales and are sold at the Silo Weavers in St. Jacobs.

Come to our opening reception to find that special something for the people on your Christmas list.

Saturday, December 3^rd, 10:00 am to Noon

Author Event
Sonia Day

Sonia Day is a Toronto Star gardening columnist, an artist and an award-winning author.  Her new book, The Untamed Garden – A Revealing Look At Our Love Affair With Plants contains delicious tales and tidbits that may surprise you. In this gorgeously illustrated little volume, Sonia reveals some of the garden’s lusty secrets. Sonia will be available to sign books and visit with customers.  Please take an opportunity to meet this engaging author.

Saturday, December 10^th, 10:30 am to Noon

Author Signing, Story and Craft Time
darci-que

Creemore’s own children’s author, darci-que, has just finished a delightful new book, Mollie’s Birthday Party.  This wonderful story is the next in her popular series, The Adventures of Mollie Doodle, which details the exploits of her loyal Labradoodle.   Please join darci-que for a special story and craft time.  She will be available to visit with kids and parents and to sign copies of her books.

Saturday, December  17^th, 10:00 to Noon

Author Event/Book Launch
Bruce Brigham

In December 2009, author and photographer Bruce Brigham released his first book, Abandoned Ontario, which featured a photographic exploration of abandoned houses in Grey, Simcoe, Dufferin Counties and Peel Region. Abandoned Ontario, Book Two profiles all new locations and features abandoned houses, ghost towns and other abandoned historical sites from various locations in the province of Ontario.  Bruce will be visiting with customers and signing copies of his books at this official launch of Abandoned Ontario, Book Two.  Please join us.

Saturday, December 17th, 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 with a Christmas theme.

Friday, December 30th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

Artist’s Opening Reception

In the Gallery:
Lynn Connell –  Images from Africa

Please join Lynn Connell for cocktails and an opportunity to see her new works, inspired by her travels and charity work in Africa.  A portion of the proceeds from the sales from this show will go to support Lynn’s passion and mission, The Majengo Orphanage in Arusha Tanzania.

Give Books…

By Catherine Randall

We have so many books in the store that make the case for always having a “real” book in your home.  A book you can hold, find unexpected pleasures within, marvel at and share with a friend.  I have described just a few that have recently caught my eye.
Gems & Minerals, HC, $40.00 highlights the beauty and uniqueness of 260 of the gems and minerals found in the collection of the Royal Ontario Museum.  This is a book that will surely be leafed through often by children and adults alike and perhaps a shared exploration as you can’t help exclaiming out loud at these splendid colour photographs.
A hot book now and one every sports fan in your family will want to read and share is How Hockey Explains Canada, HC, $32.95 by Paul Henderson and Jim Prime (with a foreword by the Prime Minister).  The chapters include how hockey explains… Confederation, Don Cherry, Quebec, Alan Fotheringham, Modern Canadian Dentistry (!).  You get the picture.  Lots of photos illustrate the book about “the sport that defines a country”.
World Architecture: The Masterworks, HC, $46.00, by Will Pryce illustrates with stunning photography on every page and the accompanying text is informative and interesting.  The author has divided the book in two, before 1500 and after 1500.  The earliest work is the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul and the final building is the Guggenheim Museum in Bilbao, Spain.  You will want to leave this book out to dip into often and perhaps either remember a trip or plan a trip around a famous site.
Is there a lover of design and/or china in your circle of family and friends?  Dish: 813 colorful, wonderful dinner plates, HC, $40.00 would be a wonderful gift.  Beautiful and colourful photographs illustrate all sorts of plates from antiques to ultra modern.  There is some text but mostly page after page of stunning images of plates.
Who doesn’t love cook books?  I know people go on line to search recipes which is extremely helpful when you know what you want to make but what if you want to be inspired, find something new or an updated version of a favorite?  There are many luscious cook books on our shelves but the one I want to take home is Chef Michael Smith’s Kitchen, 100 of My Favorite Easy Recipes, PB, $32.00.  Just the photos of the food on the back cover are enough for me to get excited about getting in the kitchen.
Come and visit in December when we have the biggest inventory of books in the year and find that special book that you want to give or to own – a real book!

Great Christmas Suggestions For Young People…

(by Miriam Vince)

At Christmas, kids and books are a winning combination!  Publishers spend most of their year working hard to provide wonderful choices for the holiday season and booksellers are excited to provide imaginative and captivating gifts for you to give to the young people on your list.  Many of these titles can be found in your Books For Everybody 2011 Gift Guide, which contains a $5.00 coupon for qualifying purchases.  Here are just a few suggestions:

In A Porcupine in a Pine Tree ($16.99, HC)  by Helaine Becker  (Illustrated by Werner Zimmermann)  a hilarious cast of distinctively Canadian characters celebrate  the Twelve Days of Christmas, as only Canadians can! With Mounties who frolic, squirrels who curl and hockey players who celebrate the season as lords-a-leaping,  this hilarious, tongue-in-cheek  interpretation of the popular Christmas carol is the holiday perfect gift with a Canadian flair.
Author/illustrator Jan Brett is back with a new holiday offering.   Home for Christmas ($21.00, HC)  tells the story of Rollo the troll who, after spending time on the tundra with various animal families,  discovers that he wants to be home for Christmas even if that means behaving himself.   Lavishly illustrated, this book is sure to be an instant Christmas classic.

A Christmas Tree for Pyn ($19.50, HC) by Olivier Dunrea, captures the true spirit of Christmas.  Pyn has her heart set on decorating her very first Christmas tree, but Papa says, “No!”  Pyn is determined and she knows that a Christmas tree is just the thing their cottage needs to make the season festive and cheery.   A wonderful story of the love between a father and daughter, this book is sure to touch the hearts of kids of all ages.

Can You See What I See? Toyland Express ($15.99, HC) by Walter Wick is an  amazing search-and-find story from the creator of award-winning picture books,  and the photographer of the bestselling I Spy series. Can You See What I See? Toyland Express, follows the life of a toy train from the workshop to the attic, to the yard sale.  Readers can search for more than 250 hidden objects, and watch the train as it takes on various transformations along its journey.

For kids with a creative flair, we have a variety of book and craft kits from  Klutz, including, Draw the DC Universe, from Brett Breeding  ($21.99, HC),  Wicked Cool Friendship Bracelets, from Karen Phillips($18.99) and How to Draw Funny, by David Sheldon($19.99, HC).  We have several wonderful Lego books from Dorling-Kindersley.  Lego Brickmaster Ninjago ($32.99, HC) and Lego: Harry Potter: Building the Magical World of Harry Potter ($24.00, HC), provide book and brick combinations which are sure to appeal to all of the Lego fanatics in the family.  The Lego Star Wars Character Encyclopedia ($20.99, HC) and the Lego Ideas Book ($27.00, HC) will provide construction inspiration to kids of all ages.

Don’t forget classic books for children and young adults which are sure to please all members of your family.  Why not choose a copy of Where the Sidewalk Ends, Runny Babbit, The Secret Garden or The Wizard of Oz for your young person? We have a wonderful classics section with paperback, hardcover and beautifully illustrated editions which will make wonderful gifts for everyone on your list.  Can’t decide what to give?  A gift card gives the recipient the best gift of all – the gift of choice.

Whatever your gift-giving choices may be, please remember that the best gift you can give a child is the gift of reading…

What’s New With The Book Club?

December 7th, 2011, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of  December, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a discussion of Adam Gopnik’s Massey Hall Lecture, Winter, Five Windows On The Season. Our Bookclub  Selections for early 2012 are:

January
The Sisters Brothers – Patrick Dewitt

February
Northern Light - Roy MacGregor

March
The Sense of An Ending – Julian Barnes

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.

What’s On In the Gallery?

Coming To The Gallery At the End Of December…

Lynn Connell

Images of Africa

Art Fundraiser

Friday, December 30^th, 5:00 to 7:00 pm

Please join local artist Lynn Connell, for cocktails and a chance to learn about her fundraising efforts for children in Tanzania.  A portion of the proceeds from this show will be donated to the Majengo Orphanage in Arusha, Tanzania.

Opening Reception – Friday, December 30^th

Feb. 3rd – March 3rd

“Pinkalicious” – Our February Group Show

Opening Reception – Friday Febuary 3rd, 2012

March 3rd – April 6th

Adele Derkowski

Opening Reception – Saturday March 3rd, 2012

Christmas Hours 2011

Our hours for the Christmas season will be:

Friday, December 23^rd
10 am to 5 pm

Saturday, December 24^th
9 am to 5pm

Sunday, December 25^th

CLOSED

Monday, December 26^th
to
Thursday, December 29^th
10 am to 5 pm

Friday, December 30^th
10 am to 7 pm

Saturday, December 31^st
9 am to 5 pm

Sunday, January 1^st 2012
CLOSED

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…
This month’s book preview  highlights two books which are contenders in the CBC CANADA READS literary competition.  The first is distributed by Random House of Canada and the second is distributed by Harper Collins Canada.

On a Cold Road:  Tales of Adventure in Canadian Rock by Dave Bidini ($21.00, Paperback)
Currently Available

David Bidini, rhythm guitarist with the Rheostatics, knows all too well what the life of a rock band in Canada involves: storied arenas, one tour and bars wallpapered with photos of forgotten bands… Zit-speckled fans begging for a guitar pick and angry drunks chucking twenty-sixers and pint glasses. Opulent tour buses riding through apocalyptic snowstorms and cramped vans that reek of dope and beer. Brilliant performances and heart-sinking break-ups.

Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre ($21.00, Paperback)
Release Date:  December 7, 2011

A gripping, darkly comic memoir of a young underground revolutionary during the Pinochet dictatorship in 1980s Chile.
On September 11, 1973, a violent coup removed Salvador Allende, the democratically elected socialist president of Chile, from office. Thousands were arrested, tortured and killed under General Augusto Pinochet’s repressive new regime. Soon after the coup, six-year-old Carmen Aguirre and her younger sister fled the country with their parents for Canada and a life in exile.
In 1978, the Chilean resistance issued a call for exiled activists to return to Latin America. Most women sent their children to live with relatives or with supporters in Cuba, but Carmen’s mother kept her precious girls with her. As their mother and stepfather set up a safe house for resistance members in La Paz, Bolivia, the girls’ own double lives began. At eighteen, Carmen herself joined the resistance. With conventional day jobs as a cover, she and her new husband moved to Argentina to begin a dangerous new life of their own.
This dramatic, darkly funny narrative, which covers the eventful decade from 1979 to 1989, takes the reader inside war-ridden Peru, dictatorship-run Bolivia, post-Malvinas Argentina and Pinochet’s Chile. Writing with passion and deep personal insight, Aguirre captures her constant struggle to reconcile her commitment to the movement with the desires of her youth and her budding sexuality. Something Fierce is a gripping story of love, war and resistance and a rare first-hand account of revolutionary life.

Save us a spot by the fireplace…

“May you have warm words on a cold evening, a full moon on a dark night and a smooth road all the way to your door”

~ Irish Blessing

November can be such a grey and dismal month.   We have spent our October days luxuriating in the warmth of Indian Summer, but we anticipate the inevitable change to a cooler backdrop for our lives. Trees have shed their leaves and skies have changed to an icy blue.  Coats are heavier and hands and feet need extra protection.  Staying warm is our new preoccupation.
The cooler days of November stir up a great deal of warmth and excitement at Curiosity House. We eagerly anticipate the announcement of the winners of the Giller Prize, the Governor General’s Award and the Rogers Writers Trust Prize.  We have been working hard to order wonderful books to satisfy our customers’ shopping and wish lists for the upcoming holiday season.  We look forward to the opening of a delightful show from a local artist.  In partnership with the local school board, we will be hosting a fascinating presentation by a nationally known author.
It may be cold outside, but there are lots of opportunities to warm the spirit.  There may not be any opportunity to ski or snowshoe, but November does offer a chance to slow down, find a comfy chair, add another log to the fire and lose yourself in a book.

Miriam Vince, Editor

What’s On in November

Saturday, November 5th

2:00 to 4:00 pm

Artist’s Opening Reception

In The Gallery: David Wilson presentsCountry Life

David Wilson is an artist, writer and businessman who lives and works in the Creemore area.  His new show, Country Life, presents works primarily in oil and acrylic, which reflect the inspiration David finds in the landscape which surrounds us.   Join us at our opening reception and take the opportunity to meet this fascinating and talented artist.

Saturday, November 12th

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.
Monday, Nov. 14, 11:30 to 1:00 pm
Author Presentation at
Nottawasaga & Creemore
Public School
Hugh Brewster

Hugh Brewster’s newly released offering in the new I Am Canada series, Deadly Voyage: R.M.S. Titanic, Jamie Laidlaw, April 14, 1912 is an historically accurate novel, which details the experiences of a young Canadian boy returning to Canada from Britain on the maiden voyage of a doomed luxury liner. In Deadly Voyage, this award-winning author and noted Titanic historian draws from his vast knowledge of that fateful journey to create an enthralling tale of historical fiction — the ultimate adventure, whose terrifying end we know all too well.
Hugh will be leading a presentation and discussion of his new novel at Nottawasaga & Creemore Public School and will be available to sign copies of many of his books.  This fascinating and informative event is open to the public.  We encourage you to join us.

Friday, November  18th

7:00 to 9:00 pm
Meet and Greet / Author Event
Dr. John Bacher

The Tree Society of Creemore, with sponsorship from Curiosity House will pay tribute to local residents, Diane and Brian McKay, for their 20 years of leadership and dedication.  As part of this event, Dr. John Bacher, author of Two Billion Trees and Counting – The Legacy of Edmund Zavitz, will discuss Ontario’s reforestation project with particular emphasis on how it impacted our region and the Mad and Noisy watersheds. Copies of his book will be available for purchase at the event.  Tickets are $10.00 and are available at Curiosity House.  For more information contact Ingrid at 705-466-2658

Our

Featured Event
In November

Monday, November 14th
11:30 am to 1:00 pm

Author Event

Hugh Brewster

Presentation at Nottawasaga & Creemore Public School

Please Join Us!

In the Gallery in November

David Wilson’s

Country Life

Art Show and Sale

What’s New

With The
Book Club?

November 2nd, 2011
2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of November, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a discussion of
Esi Edugyan’s
Giller-nominated novel
Half Blood Blues

Our final book for the Fall  will be our  December selection

Winter, Five Windows On The Season
Adam Gopnik

Curiosity House

Knitting Group

Our Knitting Group meets
every Wednesday
from
2:00 to 4:00 pm.

As the winds of November begin to blow, our Knitting Group is crafting those warm scarves, mittens and sweaters to protect against the icy blasts of Winter!  Christmas is coming and there is still some time to make a gift with a personal touch, for loved ones.   We are always happy to order any needlework title which might suit your interest.

Please call us at
705-466-3400 or email us for more information.
What’s On
In the Gallery?

Dec. 3rd – Dec. 30th

Featured Artist
Bruce Ley
&
Our Annual Christmas Group Show
Opening Reception
Saturday, December 3rd

Dec. 30th – February 3rd

Lynn Connell

Opening Reception

Friday, December 30th

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…
This month’s book preview comes from the catalogues of

Random House of Canada

These two books are wonderful additions to your non-fiction library.  In the first one, a former US president gives his prescription to cure North America’s economic woes.    In the second a notable Canadian biographer details the downfall of a Canadian political party.  Both books are sure to be in great demand over the next few months…
Back to Work:  Why We Need Smart Government For a Strong Economy
by Bill Clinton
$25.95, Hardcover
Release Date:  November 8, 2011

“I wrote this book because I love my country and I’m concerned about our future,” writes Bill Clinton. “As I often said when I first ran for President in 1992, America at its core is an idea—the idea that no matter who you are or where you’re from, if you work hard and play by the rules, you’ll have the freedom and opportunity to pursue your own dreams and leave your kids a country where they can chase theirs.”
In Back to Work, Clinton details how we can get out of the current economic crisis and lay a foundation for long-term prosperity. He offers specific recommendations on how we can put people back to work and create new businesses, increase bank lending and corporate investment, double our exports, and restore our manufacturing base…
Clinton also says that we need both a strong economy and a smart government working together to restore prosperity and progress. He demonstrates that whenever we’ve given in to the temptation to blame government for our problems, we’ve lost our commitment to shared prosperity, balanced growth, financial responsibility, and investment in the future…
“There is no evidence that we can succeed in the twenty-first century with an antigovernment strategy,” writes Clinton, “with a philosophy grounded in ‘You’re on your own’ rather than ‘We’re all in this together.’”

When the Gods Changed:  The Death of Liberal Canada
by Peter C. Newman
$35.00 Hardcover
Release Date:  November 22, 2011

Peter C. Newman, Canada’s most “cussed and discussed” political journalist, on the death spiral of the Liberal Party.
The May 2, 2011 federal election turned Canadian governance upside down and inside out. In his newest and possibly most controversial book, bestselling author Peter C. Newman argues that the Harper majority will alter Canada so much that we may have to change the country’s name. But the most lasting impact of the Tory win will be the demise of the Liberal Party, which ruled Canada for seven of the last ten decades and literally made the country what it is. Newman chronicles, in bloody detail, the de-construction of the Grits’ once unassailable fortress and anatomizes the ways in which the arrogance embedded in the Liberal genetic code slowly poisoned the party’s progressive impulses.
When the Gods Changed is the saga of a political self-immolation unequalled in Canadian history. It took Michael Ignatieff to light the match.

Quips, Quotes & Trivia
“A book is the most effective weapon against intolerance and ignorance”

~ Lyndon Baines Johnson

Interesting and Quirky New Reads

By Catherine Randall

I thought this month I would briefly highlight some new, non-fiction books; some by well known authors and others not likely to be reviewed in the mainstream press. Full disclosure – I have not read any of them!
I heard an interesting interview on the radio with Micha Glenny, author of the newly released Dark Market: Cyberthieves, Cybercops And You, HC, $29.95.  Ironically, several days later my email account was hacked so I am even more interested in what is a dark market indeed.  Glenny recounts true crime stories of these cyber criminals who do everything from hacking email to bank and credit card fraud to industrial espionage.  This is astonishing and amazing, is very widespread and ultimately affects all of us.
Two books just added to our food/cookbook section are Natalie MacLean’s Unquenchable: A Tipsy Quest for the World’s Best Bargain Wines, HC, $29.95 and Adam Gopnik’s The Table Comes First: Family, France and the Meaning of Food, HC, $29.95.  The titles pretty much explain the contents of each book.  Both are excellent writers and I am looking forward to dipping into each book.  You might remember MacLean from her previous book Red, White and Drunk All Over.  Gopnik will deliver the Massey lectures this year across Canada and broadcast on the CBC November 7 – 11.  The book, Winter, Five Windows On The Season, PB, $22.95, is our book club selection for December.
There is a new illustrated edition of Michael Pollan’s popular Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual, HC, $28.00. Illustrated throughout with colourful paintings by Maira Kalman it will appeal to anyone interested in food, anyone who thinks they already know everything about food or anyone who thinks that they don’t need to know about food!  “It is not food if it arrives through the window of your car” or “Don’t eat cereal that changes the colour of the milk”.  It’s fun with a message.
How The Dog Became The Dog: From Wolves To Our Best Friends, by Mark Derr, HC, $31.50 is another gift idea.  How did that happen and when, and what is the relationship between wolves and dogs today?  Find out!  Unlikely Friendships, PB, $16.95 in photos and text describes 47 remarkable stories of relationships between animals such as a gorilla and a kitten or a leopard and a cow.  The photos and the accompanying stories are both touching and amazing.  This would be a great gift for almost anyone you know. There are blurbs by Temple Grandin on the covers of both books which says a lot about their authenticity and relevence.
The holidays are coming and we have many, many more suggestions.  Also pick up a copy of the Book For Everybody 2011 Gift Guide the next time you are in the store.  There is a $5.00 coupon inside to be used on any purchase… our gift to you.

Great Christmas Suggestions For Kids…

(by Miriam Vince)

Twice, over the past couple of weeks, a young person has come to the counter and asked for a pencil and paper.  Apparently, our younger customers have decided that it is already time to be making out their Christmas lists.  In case you are wondering, these are a few of the titles that are likely to be in high demand over the next couple of months:
For children 3 years and up, Picture a Tree (Barbara Reid , $19.99, HC) is a wonderful new book, featuring Reid’s award-winning  Plasticine artwork, which will change the way you look at and appreciate the beauty of trees.  Caramba and Henry (Marie-Louise Gay, $17.95, HC) is another wonderful book from critically acclaimed author/illustrator and the creator of the Stella and Sam series about siblings and their complicated, loving relationships.  The Busy Beaver (Nicholas Oldland, $16.95, HC) tells the story of a multi-tasking beaver who learns the hard way that being busy can be great, unless it also means being careless and impulsive.
For kids aged 9 and up, we have two wonderful graphic novels from Brian Selznick.  The Invention of Hugo Cabret($27.50, HC) is the story of a young boy who is a twelve year old orphan, clock keeper and thief who lives in the walls of a busy Paris train station, where his survival depends on secrets and anonymity. But when his world suddenly interlocks with an eccentric girl and the owner of a small toy booth in the train station, Hugo’s undercover life, and his most precious secret, are put in jeopardy. A 3-D film version of this fascinating book debuts in theatres late November.   In  Wonderstruck ($29.99, HC), Selznick takes readers on an awe-inspiring journey which tells the parallel stories of Ben and Rose, two children trying to find their place of belonging in the world. One story takes place is 1977 and is told in text, the other in 1927 and is told in pictures. Selznick uses intricate pencil sketches to weave these two into a single story in the end.  Visually stunning and full of fascinating detail, this remarkable book is sure to appeal to young adults and adults alike.
For children aged 10 to 14 years we have two new installments in high profile series.  The Son of Neptune ($21.99, HC) is book two in the Heroes Of Olympus  series.  Featuring his intrepid  teenage adventurer, Percy Jackson, this much anticipated sequel features a growing cast of courageous heroes and despicable enemies.  We also have the fifth installment in Shane Peacock’s award-winning Boy Sherlock Holmes series, The Dragon Turn  ($21.99, HC).  With humor and dizzying plot turns, Peacock invites his readers into the fascinating world of one of literature’s favourite characters, with a fresh adventure involving magicians, dragons, wizards and murder.
Each of these titles can be found in theBooks For Everybody 2011 Gift Guide, which is  available at the store and crammed full of great suggestions for the young people in your life.

“Long before Canadian authors

became know internationally,

the independent booksellers

were devoted to encouraging

Canadian readers and Canadian

writers, and committed to

forging a bond between them.”

- Jane Urquhart

Thankful…

   As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them. 
                 ~John Fitzgerald Kennedy

      We are thankful for so many things…

      At Curiosity House, we have been lucky to have a loyal clientele and an energetic staff who make it possible for our sophisticated bookstore to survive in a small village in central Ontario.  We have been blessed with benefactors whose unwavering support has made it possible to continue to provide great service to the village and to our customers, in spite of quiet times and economic downturns.  We have been fortunate to have support from our local BIA, as well as local merchants.
     We are thankful to have friends and family who support our vision and who understand the importance of bookstores to the cultural landscape of our town, our province, and our country.  Our country is lucky to have committed small business owners, who are willing to provide important cultural content to the population, in spite of e-books, e-tailers and large format and deep discount retailers.  
     Let us all give thanks for the bounty  which we enjoy everyday.  We know a life which is free from war and hunger, a life which holds opportunies for us to learn and succeed, a life which celebrates learning, expanding our consciousness and reaching out to others.  Let us all give thanks for our commitment to keep the book, reading, and the independent bookstore alive.
               
                 Miriam Vince, Editor

Think Independent

Read Independent

Buy Independent

What’s On in October

Saturday, October 1st, 2:00 to 4:00 pm  

Artist’s Opening Reception

 In The Gallery: 

Diane Hasley 
Our Emerging Artist for 2011… 

    Curiosity House is pleased to welcome Diane Hasley as our Emerging Artist for 2011.  In her show Colours of the Bay, Diane uses encaustic techniques and, inspired by the ever-changing skies she sees from her cottage on Georgian Bay, she explores the beauty of the natural environment which surrounds her. Please join us at the opening reception and take an opportunity to meet this talented artist.
 

Saturday, October 8^th, 9:30 to 11:30 am
Local Author Signing
Creemore Farmers’ Market
Carolyn Morris and Judith Plaxton

     Curiosity House will  be presenting two local authors to the Creemore Farmers’ Market.  Carolyn Morris and Judith Plaxton will be signing copies of their captivating young adult novels from 9:30 to 11:30 am.  Carolyn Morris is the author of Mourning Dove, a heart-warming novel which chronicles a young boy’s experiences while living on his grandparents’ farm and his attempt to come to terms with the loss of his father.  Judith Plaxton is the author of Morning Star, an engaging novel which explores a young girl’s quest to trace her roots to the days of slavery and her family’s escape to freedom via the Underground Railroad.  Please drop by the Market and take an opportunity to meet these fascinating authors.

Saturday October 8th, 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 with a Thanksgiving theme.

Saturday, October 15th, 3:00 to 5:00 pm
(Speaking at 4 pm for 15 min.)
Author Event – Donna McCaw

     Author Donna McCaw is a retirement expert, speaker and workshop presenter on Retirement Readiness and Retirement Planning for Women.  Her practical and entertaining new book, It’s Your Time:  Information and Excercises To Get You Ready For a Great Retirement, shows how to “plan a retirement that fits you and how you can enter this fulfilling time of your life with confidence and flexibility, ready for some nice surprises.”  Donna will make a short presentation and will be available to answer questions and sign copies of her informative book.  

Featured Event In October
Sunday, October 23^rd, 12 Noon to 3:00 pm
Author Event – Lunch with Joshua Knelman
At Chez Michel

A major work of investigative journalism, Joshua Knelman’s true crime story, Hot Art  is a fascinating look at the mysterious world of international art theft.  Joshua Knelman is an award-winning journalist and editor.  Tickets are $35.00 including taxes and gratuities.  Seating is limited and reservations are required.   Please join us and enjoy a special lunch with award-winning journalist and editor Joshua Knelman.  Tickets are $35.00 including taxes and gratuities.  Seating is limited and reservations are required. 
What’s New With The Book Club?

October 5th, 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of October, our Book Club will meet between 2:00 and 3:00 pm for a roundtable discussion of  John Vaillant’s powerful and critically-acclaimed book, The Tiger:  A True Story of Vengeance and Survival
Our list of selections for the rest of the fall season is: 

November
To the End of the Land
David Grossman

December
Winter: Five Windows On The Season
Adam Gopnik

Curiosity House Knitting Group                                                                     

Our Knitting Group meets every Wednesday from  2:00 to 4:00 pm.
With the arrival of cooler weather, members of our Knitting Group are sharing a renewed passion for their craft.  New projects have been started and we are regularly receiving new additions to our needlework and crafting section – inspiration!  

Please call us at 705-466-3400 or email us for more information.  

What’s On In the Gallery?

November and December 2011

Nov. 5 – Dec. 2

David Wilson
Landscapes and still life in oil and acrylic
Opening Reception – Saturday November 5

Dec. 3 – Dec. 30
Featured Artist
Bruce Ley & Our Annual Christmas Group Show
Opening Reception – Saturday December 3
Non-Fiction Suggestions For Adults

By Catherine Randall

     I thought I would highlight a few of the just released non-fiction titles that we recently received in the store and that have gone onto my “to read” list.
I am loving Joshua Knelman’s  book about art theft, Hot Art, HC, $29.95 and I am very much looking forward to hearing him tell his story of researching and writing about this truly fascinating subject at our event on Oct.23rd.   The subject grabs you right from the first paragraph and I am torn between page turning as fast as I can to see what happens, or slowing down to enjoy his excellent writing style.  You meet detectives, con men, lawyers, gallery owners, art history profs and, of course, criminals.  So far the story, and I am only part way into the book, has taken him to Hollywood, Toronto, New York, England and Egypt and I’ve just read about a Rembrandt painting that has been stolen 4 times.  Who would have thought that art theft is the fourth largest criminal activity in the world?  Fascinating!
     One of my favourite memoirs is Alexandra Fuller’s Don’t Let’s Go To The Dogs Tonight and I am so looking forward to reading her new book Cocktail Hour Under The Tree of Forgetfulness, HC, $29.95.  This book is in the same format with small photos at the beginning of each chapter which allows you to feel more connected to her family members and events in their lives.  She returns to the subject of Africa and her quirky family but the heart of the book is her mother Nicola, or Nicola Fuller of Central Africa as she sometimes introduces herself.  In her usual style the author is frank, humorous and insightful in describing her family’s journey of love, sadness, tragedy, hardship, optimism and acceptance.  I have skimmed a few pages just to feel again the thrill of her writing but look forward to settling down and starting at the beginning soon.
     Another author I like very much is Adam Gopnik who has written several books and is a frequent writer in The New Yorker magazine.   I was interested to learn that he is giving the Massey Lectures this year and has chosen the topic “ winter”.  His book, Winter: Five Windows On The Season, TP, $22.95 has just been released.  The lectures are November 7 – 11 and are broadcast on the CBC.  Winter is a season we know well in Canada and in our area we are familiar with the many personalities of the season.  This is also our book club pick for the December 7th meeting at the store.
     Two books sure to provoke discussion are right wing political writer Mark Steyn’s After America: Get Ready for Armageddon, HC, $32.95 and Ron Susskind’s Confidence Men, HC, $32.99 a critical look at Wall Street, Washington, President Obama and his circle of advisors.  We do also have copies of A Matter of Principle, HC, $37.00 by Conrad Black and the just released boxed set of book and accompanying 8 CDs,  Jacqueline Kennedy: Historic Conversations, HC, $60.00 which are her interviews with Arthur Schlesinger Jr. in 1964.
     There are many more new releases –literature, memoir, history, science, coffee table books etc so please drop in – catch up on what is current.

Great Kids Books For Fall…

(by Miriam Vince)

     There are some wonderful books for children and young adults which are set to be released this Fall.  I have spent the past few months reviewing catalogues and placing orders for exciting and entertaining new titles. Here are four new books which deserve special mention:
     Every Thing On It ($21.99, HC) by Shel Silverstein (1932 – 1999) is an amazing collection of never-before-published poems and drawings from the creator of Where the Sidewalk Ends, A Light in the Attic, and Falling Up. Silverstein was a cartoonist, playwright, poet, performer, recording artist, and Grammy-winning, Oscar-nominated songwriter and was the the author and illustrator of many beloved books of poetry and prose.  His crazy tongue-twister rhymes and goofy poems are sure to bend your brain and open your heart.
     The Bipolo Seed and Other Lost Stories ($17.00, HC) from Dr. Seuss (1904 – 1991) is the literary equivalent of buried treasure!  Seuss scholar and collector Charles D. Cohen has hunted down seven rarely seen stories by Dr. Seuss which were originally published in magazines between 1950 and 1951.  These seven stories were from a time just before Dr. Seuss became an internationally acclaimed children’s author and show some of the ideas which inspired his most popular books. This is a collection of stories that no Seuss fan, young or old, will want to miss!
     2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the fated maiden voyage of the luxury passenger liner RMS Titanic.  To co-incide with that fateful event, we have a riveting new novel from award-winning author and noted Titanic historian, Hugh Brewster.   Deadly Voyage:  RMS Titanic ($14.95, HC) is the next installment in the I Am Canada series from Scholastic Books.  Since its launch in Fall 2010, this series has been praised for its accurate and energetic exploration of fascinating moments in Canadian history, through the eyes of young men who lived through them. Brewster draws from his vast knowledge of that fateful journey to create an enthralling tale of historical fiction.
     Inheritance, by Christopher Paolini  ($27.99, HC) is the much anticipated conclusion of the Inheritance Cycle series which has captivated adults and young adults for the past ten years.  Due out in early November, this is the final book in the saga of Eragon Shadeslayer and his faithful dragon Saphira as they struggle to topple the evil king and save the people of Alagaesia.
     Each of these books has a special appeal – two are undiscovered treasures, one has historical significance and one is a much anticipated conclusion to a riveting fantasy series.  Most important, each is sure to provide hours of entertainment to the lucky young people who have the opportunity to get lost in the world of their imagination.

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…

This month’s book preview comes from the catalogues of
Thomas Allen & Son Ltd.

One book is a long-awaited new offering from a literary giant, the other is a delicious offering from a culinary giant.  

The Prague Cemetery  by Umberto Eco ($31.95, Hardcover)
Release Date:  November 8, 2011

Nineteenth-century Europe—from Turin to Prague to Paris—abounds with the ghastly and the mysterious. Conspiracies rule history. Jesuits plot against Freemasons. Italian republicans strangle priests with their own intestines. French criminals plan bombings by day and celebrate Black Masses at night. Every nation has its own secret service, perpetrating forgeries, plots, and massacres. From the unification of Italy to the Paris Commune to the Dreyfus Affair to The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, Europe is in tumult and everyone needs a scapegoat. But what if, behind all of these conspiracies both real and imagined, lay one lone man? What if that evil genius created its most infamous document?  
Eco takes his readers on an unforgettable journey through the underbelly of world-shattering events. Eco at his most exciting, a book immediately hailed as a masterpiece. 

Translated from the Italian by Richard Dixon.

Essential Pepin by Jacques Pepin ($45.00 Hardcover)
Release Date:  October 18, 2011

In his more than sixty years as a chef, Jacques Pépin has earned a reputation as a champion of simplicity. His recipes are classics. They find the shortest, surest route to flavour, avoiding complicated techniques.
     Now, in a book that celebrates his life in food, the world’s most famous cooking teacher winnows his favourite recipes from the thousands he has created, streamlining them even further. They include Onion Soup Lyonnaise-Style, which Jacques enjoyed as a young chef while bar-crawling in Paris; Linguine with Clam Sauce and Vegetables, a frequent dinner chez Jacques; Grilled Chicken with Tarragon Butter, which he makes indoors in winter and outdoors in summer; Five-Peppercorn Steak, his spin on a bistro classic; Mémé’s Apple Tart, which his mother made every day in her Lyon restaurant; and Warm Chocolate Fondue Soufflé, part cake, part pudding, part soufflé, and pure bliss.
Essential Pépin spans the many styles of Jacques’s cooking: homey country French, haute cuisine, fast food Jacques-style, and fresh contemporary American dishes. Many of the recipes are globally inspired, from Mexico, across Europe, or the Far East.
In the accompanying searchable DVD, Jacques shines as a teacher, as he demonstrates all the techniques a cook needs to know. This truly is the essential Pépin.

 Quips, Quotes & Trivia

The excitement of change…

Delicious autumn! My very soul is wedded to it, and if I were a bird I would fly about the earth seeking the successive autumns.
~ George Eliot

September is a month of change. The days are growing shorter and the evenings are cool.  Children are packing their book bags for school and we are beginning to see a change in the colour of the land around us. Orange leaves and golden skies are part of our new palette, as we head into Fall. Autumn is always a time of excitement in the bookselling industry.
This month the store welcomes an award-winning cookbook author and a local artist with a vibrant style.  We will also be participating in our final Art Crawl for the Summer.  We look forward to the excitement of the Purple Hills Studio Tour weekend and we are proud to be a sponsor of this important cultural event.

As we bid “Farewell!” to the waning days of a wonderful Summer, we eagerly anticipate Fall as an opportunity to discover new literary offerings and art experiences and to plan new events and programs for our customers.  The seasons are changing and we’re excited!

Miriam Vince, Editor

Celebrate!

Curiosity House Voted One of Canada’s Top Ten Favourite Canadian Bookstores!

In August, the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation held a  contest to decide the best local independent bookstores in Canada.  Curiosity House is honoured to be included in the CBC’s Top Ten Independent Canadian Bookstores. For more information follow this link to the  CBC Books Facebook Page.
To those who nominated Curiosity House, we would like to say “Thank You!”  We will do our best to continue providing you with excellent service.

What’s On in September

Friday September 2^nd 6:00 to 9:00 pm
Creemore Inspired Art Crawl

Curiosity House Books & Gallery, Maplestone Gallery, Moyaboya and the Mad and Noisy Gallery present our new art exhibits for September with a special apres art menu at Chez Michel (reservations suggested.)  Please join us!

Saturday, September 3rd

9:30 – 11:30 am Creemore Farmers’ Market

2:00 – 4:00 pm Curiosity House

Author Event - Pat Crocker

Pat Crocker is a culinary herbalist, professional home economist and an award-winning author of several cookbooks.  She also writes for international magazines, newspapers and corporate clients.  Her newly released offering,  Preserving:  A Resource Cookbook For Home Canning and Preserving has all the information anyone  needs to get started, and to keep going! This cookbook is practical, focusing on simple but effective concepts, with easy-to-follow, accurate and thorough instructions, detailed information on canning, jamming and freezing techniques and more than 200 recipes.

In Everyday Flexitarian, Pat and co-author Nettie Cronish tackle the challenge of bridging the gap between the meat lovers and vegetarians in your family, by providing recipes that can be easily adjusted to please every person at the table. Pat Crocker will be signing copies of these wonderful cookbooks at the Creemore Farmers’ Market from 9:30 to 11:30 am and at Curiosity House from 2:00 to 4:00 pm.  Please join us.

Saturday, Sept. 10^th 11:30 to 2:30pm

Artist In the Gallery

In The Gallery:

Marlene Bulas
Bright and Joyous…

A graduate of the Georgian College Design and Visual Arts program, Marlene Bulas learned a love of painting from her mother, who studied with the Group of Seven.   On her website, Marlene describes her paintings as “bright and joyous”.  With an impressionistic style, she creates landscapes, florals, still life and figurative paintings, using a variety of media.  We are pleased to welcome Marlene to the gallery and we hope that you will take an opportunity to  meet this talented artist at our opening reception.

Friday, September 16th

Author Drop-In

Award-winning author Philip Shepherd is appearing at workshops in Collingwood and Nottawa on the weekend of Friday Sept. 16 to Sunday Sept. 18.  He will be dropping by the store to sign copies of his inspiring book, New Self New World.  Drop by and pick up a copy of this inspiring book. More information regarding Philip Shepherd, his books and workshops, is available at http://www.philipshepherd.com.

Looking forward to Fall…

(by Catherine Randall)

The Fall is an eagerly awaited season in the book business.  New books are being released from mid-August on and all authors have their sights on the long-lists announced in the Autumn.  We have been ordering some books from authors that you will be excited about.  I have just finished Wayne Johnston’s new novel, A World Elsewhere.  The writing is brilliant and for most of the novel I was in awe of his clever use of language which helped to make up for the rather lackluster plot.  Landish Druken from Newfoundland meets “Van” Vanderluyden, son of the richest man in the world, while they are both at Princeton and their ensuing friendship, which later turns to a darker relationship, is the core of the story.  Deacon is a young orphaned boy Landish has been asked to care for and, having been disgraced at Princeton and then disowned by his infamous sealing captain father, the two scrape out an existence while living in an attic room on Dark Marsh Road.   Ultimately they end up at Vanderland, the huge estate Van has built in North Carolina.  It isn’t until the last quarter of the book that the plot suddenly takes off frantically in several different directions and the ultimate ending is somewhat dissatisfying but I still marvelled at Johnston’s amazing skill with language. I am glad I read the novel but it is not one of my favourite Wayne Johnston books.  The author’s note acknowledges his inspiration for the book is George Vanderbilt II and his mansion Biltmore near Ashville, N.C.
I am eagerly waiting for Michael Ondaatje’s new book, The Cat’s Table.  I expect this to be up there with the best of his books judging from a chapter I read recently in The New Yorker.  Set in the 1950s  it is the story of an 11 year old boy who has been put on board a ship in Colombo and told his mother will meet him in England when the ship docks.  Alone, he teams up with 2 other boys he knows slightly from his school.   The several pages I read were enough to get me hooked.
Other new books to anticipate – a collection of short stories, This Will Be Difficult To Explain, from 2010 Giller prize winner Johanna Skibsrud; Guy Vanderhaeghe’s A Good Man, the third in his trilogy that includes The Last Crossing and The Englishman’s Boy; David Davidar, former head of Penguin Canada, will explore, in his novel Ithaca, the struggles of a publisher whose leading author suddenly and inconveniently dies.  Frances Itani’s book, Deafening is a favourite of mine so I look forward to Requiem, the story of a Japanese-Canadian widower who takes off on a cross-country journey of discovery.
In non-fiction we have Margaret Atwood In Other Worlds critiquing and musing on science fiction; Joan Didion’s exploration of aging in Blue Nights and sure to be THE blockbuster Conrad Black’s memoir, A Matter of Principle.
We have copies of these books, and many more new releases, on order.  If you would like us to reserve a copy for you just give us a call or an email.  I look forward to hearing your favourite fall reads.

Getting Ready for School…

(by Miriam Vince)

For very young children, it is a good idea to ease them into the rigors of the first days of school with books and activities which encourage skills acquisition and improvement, while providing entertainment.  Here are a few titles which combine learning and fun:
In Richard Scarry’s ABC Word Book ($14.95 HC),  his beloved characters take kids all over town on a crazy trip from A to Z, where each letter of the alphabet is accompanied by a brief story, with an emphasis on letter identification.  This is a great book for kids who are just beginning to learn to read, as it gives them a chance to identify letters in the context of words and sentences.  Lowly Worm, Huckle Cat, Mr Fixit and many of his beloved characters are the stars of Richard Scarry’s Big Busy Sticker and Activity Book ($14.95 PB).  Packed with more than 900 stickers and loads of fun, this excellent resource provides preschoolers and kindergarteners with hours of learning activity, as they fill in missing words and images, and complete dot-to-dots and mazes, games and puzzles.
Everything I Need to Know Before I’m Five (Valorie Fisher, $19.99 HC), is perfect for kids heading to junior kindergarten.  Using bright photos of retro toys, this award-winning author/illustrator presents the alphabet, counting, opposites, shapes, colours and the seasons with a fresh and engaging approach which will appeal to parents and children. Do you know your letters? Can you count to twenty? This book will help Mums, Dads and kids to tackle some of these challenges.
The Super Sweet Big Book of Activity Fun and Super Cool Big Book of Activity Fun (Katelyn Burke,  14.95  PB) are two excellent learning resources which use games, mazes and word searches, dot-to-dot and interactive sticker activities to help kids learn their ABCs, colours, shapes and numbers. For children aged 4 years and older, these full colour books contain punchout pieces and fun facts about a variety of topics.
Finally, Brain Quest Workbooks, ($16.50 PB) reinforce what kids are learning in the classroom. With a lively layout and easy-to-follow explanations, these books are jam-packed with hundreds of curriculum-based activities, exercises and games in every subject, which make learning fun, interactive, and concrete. Most important, they are designed to help parents follow and explain key concepts.  We carry books for children from pre-kindergarten to grade 3 in the store, but would be happy to order one which suits your young person’s grade level.
Starting school can be a bit intimidating for young children.  These books may help to make this exciting new experience a bit easier and a lot more fun.  Now if they can just remember not to forget their knapsacks…

SAVE THE DATE!

Sunday October 23, 2011 at 12:00 Noon

Author Lunch - Joshua Knelman at Chez Michel

Joshua Knelman’s Hot Art has been described as “The Thomas Crown Affair meets The Devil in the White City”, in this fast-paced international true crime story.

Joshua Knelman spent four years immersing himself in the mysterious world of international art theft, travelling from Cairo to New York, London, Montreal and Los Angeles. His investigation finds there are only a handful of detectives, FBI agents and lawyers fighting a global battle against a thriving black market estimated to be one of the largest in the world. Meanwhile, the chain of criminals moves from thugs on the street to multinational organized crime syndicates, to a global network of art dealers who wash the artworks’ provenance clean again. In a surprise ending, Knelman learns that corruption can appear in the unlikeliest places.  A major work of investigative journalism, Hot Art is a globetrotting mystery filled with cunning and eccentric characters.  We will be holding a special lunch with Joshua Knelman at Chez Michel, at noon on Sunday, October 23rd.  For more details regarding this exciting event and ticket sales, drop by the store or contact us at
705-466-3400.

What’s New With The Book Club?

September 7th, 2011 from 2:00 to 3:00 pm

On the first Wednesday of September, our Book Club will meet between 2 and 3 pm to discuss Isabel Allende’s Island Beneath the Sea.
Our list of selections for the Fall is:

October
The Tiger (John Vaillant)

November
To the End of the Land (David Grossman)

December
On Winter (Adam Gopnik)

Curiosity House Knitting Group

Our Knitting Group meets every Wednesday from
2:00 to 4:00 pm.

The Curiosity House Knitters will be shifting into high gear as they start crafting those warm scarves, mittens and sweaters for Fall and Winter! Please call us at 705-466-3400 or email us for more information.

What’s On In the Gallery?

October 1 to November 4
Diane Hasley – Our 2011 Emerging Artist
Opening Reception Saturday October 1

November 5 to December 2
David Wilson – Landscapes and still life in oil and acrylic
Opening Reception Saturday November 5

December 3 to December 30
Featured Artist, Bruce Ley & Our Annual Christmas Group Show
Opening Reception Saturday December 3

Haven’t read them yet, but we’ve heard these books will be great…

This month’s book preview comes from the publishers represented by Raincoast Books. One book is the latest installment in a popular Canadian detective series and the other is  a wonderful gift book for children.

A Trick of the Light:  A Chief Inspector Gamache Novel by Louise Penny  $27.95 HC
Release Date: August 30, 2011

“Penny has been compared to Agatha Christie [but] it sells her short. Her characters are too rich, her grasp of nuance and human psychology too firm….”
~Booklist (starred review)

“Hearts are broken,” Lillian Dyson carefully underlined in a book. “Sweet relationships are dead.”
But now Lillian herself is dead. Found among the bleeding hearts and lilacs of Clara Morrow’s garden in Three Pines, shattering the celebrations of Clara’s solo show at the famed Musée in Montreal. Chief Inspector Gamache, the head of homicide at the Sûreté du Québec, is called to the tiny Quebec village and there he finds the art world gathered, and with it a world of shading and nuance, a world of shadow and light.  Where nothing is as it seems.  Behind every smile there lurks a sneer. Inside every sweet relationship there hides a broken heart.  And even when facts are slowly exposed, it is no longer clear to Gamache and his team if what they’ve found is the truth, or simply a trick of the light.

Treasured Classics by Michael Hague $21.99 HC
Release Date: September 21, 2011

Acclaimed illustrator Michael Hague brings his hallmark artistry to 15 classic stories that have delighted children for generations. From “Cinderella” and “Sleeping Beauty” to “The Gingerbread Man” and “The Three Billy Goats Gruff,” each story is lush with detail and loaded with magic. A wealth of fable and fantasy, truly to be treasured.

Michael Hague has illustrated more than 20 children’s classics. He is also the artist for several popular books written by his wife, Kathleen.

Quips, Quotes & Trivia

“The great book for you is the book that has the most to say to you at the moment when you are reading. I do not mean the book that is most instructive, but the book that feeds your spirit. And that depends on your age, your experience, your psychological and spiritual need.”

~ Robertson Davies