Grate Groan-Up Spelling Bee a Success

Last night, Georgina Public Libraries hosted our second annual Grate Groan-Up Spelling Bee. 12 teams of 3 adults spelled their way to the top. Congratulations goes to the first place spellers from Jericho Youth Services!

The event raised $13,500 which will be used by the Library and the Festival of Stories to promote family literacy in Georgina.

BreakfastTelevision producer Kevin Forget emceed while Mayor Rob Grossi "MisPronounced" err... pronounced the word list. MP Julia Munro, Advocate editor John Slykhuis and Chamber president Dan Fellini judged.

Thank you to our sponsors, CIBC, all the contestants, and a very lively crowd of "cheerleader bees". Hope to see you at the third annual Grate Groan-Up Spelling Bee!

New Book Thursdays

New books we received this week:

Trivia Friday

Questions (card 230):

CH (Children's Literature) - Who is Max the Bunny's gem of a big sister?

CL (Classic Literature) - What demonic Ambrose Bierce work was originally titled The Cynic's Word Book?

NF (Non-fiction) - What straightforward title did New York Times science writer Natalie Angier give to her bestselling "intimate geography" of the female body?

BC (Book Club) - What Cameron Crowe debut novel bore the subtitle A True Story?

AU (Author) - What creator of The Rockford Files and The A-Team moonlights as the author of Shane Scully detective novels?

BB (BookBag) - What author looks at murder from a medical examiner's viewpoint in her bestselling chillers Cause of Death and Postmortem?

How did you do? Check comments for answers.

Trivia Friday

Questions (card #195):

CH (Children's Literature) - What tale did Roland Smith write from the point of view of Meriwether Lewis' faithful companion?

CL (Classic Literature) - What Leon Uris book begins: "The airplane plip-plopped down the runway to a halt before the big sign: WELCOME TO CYPRUS?

NF (Non-fiction) - What legendary Hollywood producer entitled his 1994 memoir The Kid Stays in the Picture?

BC (Book Club) - What Isabel Allende bestseller concerns Eliza, a Chilean orphan who follows her love to California during the gold rush?

AU (Author) - What Dorset novelist's heart, according to legend, is not buried beside his dear Emma because his sister's cat ran away with it before the ceremony?

BB (BookBag) - What century did Barbara Cartland choose for most of her romance novels?

What We're Reading this Month

Read about Vanderhoof's 2-year sailing adventure in the Caribbean. Just what the doctor ordered for a dreary March!

The Sutton Book Club meets on the last Tuesday of each month, 7:30pm, at the Peter Gzowski Branch. For more info, call 905-722-5702.

*** Special meeting date this month: Tuesday, April 1st

Trivia Fridays

Questions (card #122):

CH (Children's Literature) - What 2002 tale by Avi recounts the story of "Asta's son", dodging a murder rap in medieval England?
CL (Classic Literature) - What famed humorist created the memorable characters Stanley Featherstonehaugh Ukridge and Cyril "Barmy" Fotheringay-Phipps?

NF (Non-fiction) - What title character "had a sad little tail, barely long enough to brush his hocks," in a 2001 bestseller?
BC (Book Club) - Who named Denise, the protagonist of his novel The Rescue, for the producer of the movie version of his Message in a Bottle?

AU (Author) - What British fantasist wed U.S. poet Joy Grisham shortly before her death from bone cancer in 1960?
BB (BookBag) - What author's 1992 legal thriller Degree of Guilt marked the return of attorney Christopher Paget from his 1979 hit, The Lasko Tangent?

How did you do? See Comments for answers.

New Book Thursdays

Spring is Around the Corner, and we have the books to get you started!

New Book Thursdays

We receive books on many different subjects every week. Here's a sample of this week's new arrivals:

New Books this Week

Just a few of the new books in this week:

Happenings

Author Reading with Wayne Johnston
Wednesday, January 23. 7:30pm at the Town of East Gwillimbury Civic Centre

Johnston was born and raised in Newfoundland, where most of his novels are situated.
Among his work are award winning THE STORY OF BOBBY O’MALLEY (1986), THE DIVINE RYANS (1990) and THE COLONY OF UNREQUITED DREAMS (1998), which was identified by the Globe and Mail newspaper as one of the 100 most important Canadian books ever produced.
Wayne’s first work of non-fiction, a personal memoir of Newfoundland called BALTIMORE’S MANSION (1999), won the Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction and was nominated for the 1999 Governor General’s Award for Non-Fiction.
In his latest novel, THE CUSTODIAN OF PARADISE (2006), he resumes a story he began in COLONY, following Sheilagh Fielding, one of the most memorable and beloved characters in Canadian Fiction. It won the Drummer General’s Fiction Award and was a finalist for the Trillium Book Award.

Tickets may be purchased at the door and at both the Holland Landing and Mount Albert branches of the library: $10 ($8 for members). For more information, please call 905/836-8589 or write to egfriends@sympatico.ca.

What We're Reading This Month

In Sutton:

Leap of Faith: memoirs of an unexpected life by Queen Noor

A national best-seller on its first publication in 2003, Leap of Faith is the story of a young American woman who became wife and partner to an Arab monarch. In it, Queen Noor of Jordan provides a compelling portrait of her late husband King Hussein and his lifelong effort to bring peace to his wartorn region and an insider''s view of the growing gulf between the United States and the Arab nations. But most of all it is a love story--the intimate account of a woman who lost her heart to a king, and to his people.

Join us Tuesday, January 29th at 7:30pm to discuss Leap of Faith. Newcomers are always welcome!

Happenings

2007 Giller Prize Awarded Tonight



Canada's most lucrative literary prize is being awarded in a gala ceremony tonight. With a purse of $50,000 the Giller rivals the GGs for most coveted award among authors. Not lucky enough to be invited to the black-tie soiree? Curl up on the couch and watch the action live on Bravo! as well as on CTV. Seamus O’Regan will reprise his role as host of the broadcast.

Friday Trivia

Questions (card #284):

CH (Children's Literature) - What Margery Williams title character is brought to life by the nursery magic Fairy ?
CL (Classic Literature) - Whose 1952 novel Invisible Man has its hero proclaim: "I am invisible, understand, simply because people refuse to see me"?
NF (Non-fiction) - What 1993 tome was M. Scott Peck's second trek down his best-selling road?
BC (Book Club) - Whose novel Vida earned Abbie Hoffman's jibe: "This is not the fugutive life as I've observed it for more than six years?
AU (Author) - What grande dame of young-adult fiction is less well-known by her first two names, Susan Eloise?
BB (BookBag) - What Ian Frazier humor collection features a title essay that imagines a cartoon character's lawsuit over an unreliable rocket sled?

How did you do? See Comments for answers.

New Books

Every week Georgina Public Libraries receives dozens of new books. Here's a sample of what's new today. To place these on hold, get copies delivered to your branch, or see what else we have, visit our online catalogue. Don't know how to place your own holds? Call or send me an e-mail.

Happenings

Evergreen author Giles Blunt will be in East Gwillimbury tomorrow evening.

Meet him on Wed. Oct. 24, 2007 at 7:30 pm in Sharon at the Civic Centre. Tickets ($10, members $8) available at the libraries in Mount Albert and Holland Landing.

Hosted by the Friends of the East Gwillimbury Public Library, award-winning Canadian Blunt will read from his newest novel, By the Time You Read This, and others. This is a fantastic opportunity to be up close and personal with one of Canada's leading mystery writers.

Giles Blunt grew up in North Bay, Ontario which is thinly disguised as Algonquin Bay in his John Cardinal mystery series. Several of his novels have won awards: Forty Words for Sorrow (British Crime Writers’ Macallan Silver Dagger), The Delicate Storm (Arthur Ellis Award for Best Novel), and Black Fly Season (one of Margaret Cannon’s Best Mysteries of the Year). The most recent By the Time You Read This is a Globe and Mail Best Book and a nominee for the Duncan Lawrie Dagger the biggest crime fiction award of the world. He has also written scripts for Law & Order, Street Legal and Night Heat.

Happenings

The International Festival of Authors begins this week at the Harbourfront Centre. Running from October 17 to 27 the IFOA is the highlight of the literary year in Canada. This is great opportunity to attend readings and rub elbows with favourites like Margaret Atwood, Ian Rankin, Isabelle Allende, Elizabeth Hay, Peter Robinson, and more!

The IFOA includes readings, interviews, lectures and round table discussions as well as public book signings and a festival bookstore. The IFOA also presents a number of special events including readings by Scotiabank Giller Prize and Governor General’s Literary Awards finalists, as well as the highly anticipated awarding of the Harbourfront Festival Prize.

Literary fans in Georgina, a drive down to the city might be in order!

Evergreen a Hit, Favourite a tie!

Wednesday night readers from all over Georgina gathered at the Peter Gzowski branch in Sutton to discuss the 10 Evergreen 2007 books, eat some yummy treats and take home some great prizes. Thank you to everyone who dropped in for the Party!

We'd like to thank our sponsors who graciously donated prizes: Canadian Tire, The Cookshop and Marketplace, Village Traditions, Apples of Gold, Swiss Chalet, The Stephen Leacock Theatre, Georgina Leisure Pool, Sutton Home Hardware, Gem Theatre, Confidente Spa and Salon, and The Simcoe Arms. Thank you!!

Congratulations to the winners of our grand prizes: Wendy Hardman of Pefferlaw, Bobbi Sabatini of Keswick and Tatiana Vernon of Jackson's Point.

Wednesday we also voted for our favourite Evergreen book. There was a tie between Absolute Honour and The Birth House.

Votes will be accepted until Thursday, October 25, so please contact me, or leave a comment with your choice, and it will be counted.

What I Read on Vacation...

What does a Librarian do on vacation? Well, read, of course! The Evergreen list provided great entertainment ideas to help pass many hours flying and waiting in airports. Here's what I read on vacation...

Dream Wheels by Richard Wagamese Joe Willie Wolfchild is about to become a World Champion rodeo cowboy when he is severely injured by a bull he is riding. As he comes to terms with the way his life has changed as a result of the injury, he is supported by his close family. Claire Hartley and her son Aiden have lived a nomadic life as Claire has moved from one unsuitable man to another. After Aiden is arrested as a result of a botched robbery, an Edmonton policeman helps them find a new beginning, but they both must still face their past and choose their futures for themselves. Ontario Library Association

A fantastic novel that's part Western, part family saga and all well-written!

Still Life is anything but still

If you like the intelligent mysteries of Ian Rankin, Peter Robinson or Anne Perry, but like the gentle style of Agatha Christie, Louise Penny is the author for you.

I liked Still Life so much that I had to rush out and read its sequel, Fatal Grace. I can only hope that there is soon more to come from this talented writer.

Here's a bit about Still Life:

The murder of a much loved and highly regarded woman in a small village in the Eastern Townships of Quebec brings Chief Inspector Armand Gamache of the Sûreté du Québec to the small village of Three Pines. As Gamache and his team investigate and discover whodunit, they meet a variety of the locals and learn that everyone in this picturesque village has a secret.

Reserve your copy of Still Life today! Since it's an Evergreen book, signing it out may win you a prize!

What We're Reading in Sutton...

Tuesday, September 25 7:30-8:30pm

Peter Gzowski Branch, Sutton (905) 722-5702

Join us to discuss The Way the Crow Flies, the second novel by award-winning Canadian author Ann-Marie MacDonald. It was first published by Knopf Canada in 2003, and went on to a finalist for the Giller Prize.

The plot of the novel revolves around a fictionalized version of the Steven Truscott case and is set for the most part at a real Royal Canadian Air Force station: RCAF Station Centralia.

At 720 pages long, it's not a light read, but it's well worth it. I have several copies available to borrow at the Sutton branch. Come in, e-mail me, or give me a call to reserve your copy.