Not that I’m asking…

Yesterday, I read a funny article in Publisher’s Weekly called, Holiday Gifts That Writers Will Actually Use, by Hannah Gersen. If you’re stuck for ideas, check out her post for some great gift-giving tips. My personal favourite:

4. John Cheever famously donned a suit every morning in order to write. But as Ann Beattie recently revealed, and as a generation of bloggers already knows, most writers wear awful clothing while they are working. Help your writer friend out by giving her a beautiful robe to cover up her bizarre ensembles. Even if she already has one, she probably hasn’t washed it in a long time, and could use another.

And while I’m on the seasonal theme, I have been checking out Christmas/Winter books for the youngest book lovers in my life, and have come to the conclusion there are very few that I would consider buying. Perhaps it’s time to write one myself. (Will ponder that idea over the holidays.)

I have been hearing about Desolation Sound for years. It’s the most northerly community on BC’s Sunshine Coast and, from all reports (in spite of the gloomy name), it is a stunningly beautiful area. I had hoped to get there last summer, but never actually made it. So, imagine my thrill to find a new book about the place. (I can live vicariously.)

The book is Adventures In Solitude: What Not to Wear to a Nude Potluck and Other Stories from Desolation Sound by CBC Radio host, Grant Lawrence. It is funny, poignant, well written and filled to the brim with tales of interesting and quirky people who have lived in or passed through Desolation Sound over the years.

The stories span several decades and comprise an eclectic blend of writing that includes larger-than-life characters, wild frontier escapades, a reverence for nature, and an abiding love for family and friends. What more could we want?!!!

It was a book that surprised and delighted me, and convinced me I must get to Desolation Sound very soon.

To find out more about Adventures in Solitude, go here. You’ll be dreaming, too.

The one hundredth anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic is fast approaching and we are seeing the release of new books on the subject of this epic tragedy. As you know, the Titanic was billed as the “Unsinkable Ship,” yet it went down and hundreds of people lost their lives. And, even though much has been written about the ship over the years, there continues to be huge interest in reading about it today.

For a list of recent Canadian books on the Titanic, check out the current edition of Book News, by the Canadian Children’s Book Centre and see their section on maritime disasters.

What can we learn from these books? That no ship is unsinkable, that history is full of fascinating stories, and that kids are always keen to learn about them.

I just finished re-reading a wonderful book called, Passages: Welcome Home to Canada. It is a collection of thoughtful and inspiring essays by Canadian writers who were born in other countries. It includes articles by Shyam Selvadurai, Anna Porter, M.G. Vassanji and Moses Znaimer to name a few.

The first time I read Passages (a few years ago), I was writing my own thoughts on the topic: The Kids Book of Canadian Immigration. At that time, I read Passages (and many other books) strictly for research. On this second reading, I savoured the book and turned each page with enjoyment and contemplation. It is a lovely piece of work!

Another collection I am reading is a set of short stories titled, The Empty Family, by Colm Toibin — someone I had not read before but have heard about for a long time. These are beautifully written stories, set in Ireland, and full of poignancy, longing, melancholy and regret. I look forward to reading many more books by this writer. (He writes in a range of genres apparently — poetry, novels, essays and more.)

What are you reading this fall? Feel free to send your recommendations.

When I was researching my recent books on small, local farms and urban gardens, I visited a wonderful community garden called, World in a Garden Project.

Like many of the gardens in the Vancouver area, they use earth-friendly practices to grow their food, and believe in showing children the growing process “from seed to table.”

If you are in the area and have children who might enjoy some gardening activities, you can check out a couple of their summer programs here.

This photo is from my book, Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. It was shot by photographer, Brian Harris, and shows a boy harvesting rye at the World in a Garden community project in Kerrisdale.

Happy Growing!