Staff Picks
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Fiction set in India
Posted by Emma on June 17, 2022
Enjoy the latest Staff Picks blog from Ken Haigh. We wish Ken luck on his next pursuit as a volunteer ESL teacher to a small rural primary school in Tathang, West Sikkim. Sikkim is a small, mountainous state in the north of India, wedged between Nepal and Bhutan.
Ken's top Fiction set in India:
A Passage to India by E.M. Forester - The plot revolves around the mysterious events that happened on a picnic excursion to the Marabar Caves. Was Miss Quested really assaulted in the dark echoing cavern or did she imagine the whole episode? A tragedy of good intentions that exposes the hypocrisies of the British Raj.
Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie - The story of three children born at the stroke of midnight on the eve of India’s Independence. The narrator, Saleem, discovers that he can communicate telepathically with other children born at the same time who also have magical powers.
The Henna Artist by Alka Joshi - A story about second chances set in northern India in 1955. Lakshmi, a young bride, runs away from her abusive husband to the city of Jaipur where she reinvents herself as the Henna Artist whose skills are sought by the wealthy of the city. Years later, her husband tracks her down accompanied by a little sister Lakshmi did not even know she had.
The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda - A favorite with book clubs, this novel follows the fortunes of two families, one from the slums of Mumbai, who must give up their daughter for adoption, and one from an affluent part of San Francisco, who are the girl’s adoptive parents. As the girl grows up, she feels caught between the two worlds, and travels to India on a journalism fellowship to learn more about her heritage.
The Hero’s Walk by Anita Rau Badami - Another story of an extended family, this time set in a village near Madras in southern India. When family patriarch Sripathi learns of his daughter’s death in Canada, he must fly to Vancouver to bring home a granddaughter he has never met. Sripathi had not approved of his daughter’s marriage to a white foreigner, and he must now try to understand a granddaughter who dislikes him and who refuses to speak.
If you have time, you might also try Arundhati Roy’s The God of Small Things and Shauna Singh Baldwin’s What the Body Remembers. If you are a mystery fan, check out M.J. Carter’s The Strangler Vine.
Staff Picks -Technology
Posted by Ashley on June 15, 2022
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Staff Pick: Technology
Posted by Ashley on May 18, 2022
Android Phones for Seniors in Easy Steps by Nick Vandome
Local Authors
Posted by Emma on May 6, 2022
The Blue Mountains Public Library is proud to be part of such a thriving local literary community. Please take a moment to browse this list of local authors whose books we have in our collection. Read local! We could not possibly capture all of the local authors with published works so stay tuned for more Local Author Book Lists!
Acclaimed and Award-Winning Literary Biography and Autobiography
Posted by Ken on April 11, 2022
When we find a book we enjoy, one that really moves us, it’s natural to want to know a little more about the author. Here are some fine literary biographies and autobiographies, each of which is an award winner into the bargain!
Armchair Travel
Posted by Ken on March 2, 2022
Many of us are waiting for a day when it will be possible to travel safely again, but in the meantime, we can still take wonderful journeys through books. If you have already read Eat, Pray, Love, or A Year in Provence or Wild or Under the Tuscan Sun, here are a few books that you might have overlooked, some older but definitely worth revisiting.
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My iPad for Seniors Eighth Edition Book Review
Posted by Ashley on March 17, 2021
A great read for those who have an iPad but aren't sure where to start.
Scotiabank Giller Prize 2020 Longlist
Posted by Elisa on September 15, 2020
Start reading! The winner will be announced on November 9th.
Teen Book Review: The Summer I Turned Pretty
Posted by Mary on May 23, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens By Teens
Teen Book Review: Crown of Midnight
Posted by Mary on May 16, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - By Teens For Teens
Teen Book Review: The Siren
Posted by Mary on May 9, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens By Teens
Teen Book Review: Eleanor & Park
Posted by Mary on April 25, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens By Teens
Jump the queue and read these great eBooks right now!
Posted by Elisa on April 24, 2020
Teen Book Review: Throne of Glass
Posted by Mary on April 15, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens By Teens
Teen Book Review: The Wrath and the Dawn
Posted by Mary on March 28, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens By Teens
Teen Book Review: Artemis Fowl
Posted by Emma on March 19, 2020
Library Student Page Book Reviews - For Teens by Teens
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Posted by Ashley on March 17, 2020
Reviewed by Ashley
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Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
Posted by Emma on October 30, 2019
Reviewed by Emma
21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act by Bob Joseph (2018)
Posted by Sabrina on July 18, 2019
Gale Health & Wellness Resource Centre
Posted by Ashley on July 2, 2019
Do you know about our Virtual Branch?
Celebrate National Indigenous Peoples Day on June 21 by checking out some films from the library.
Posted by Andrea on June 20, 2019
Head for the Hills: books to inspire outdoor adventure!
Posted by Allison on June 5, 2019