Our MJ Readers book club recently read, ‘The Harp in the South‘ by Ruth Park & ‘My Family and Other Animals‘ by Gerald Durrell. Another one of our clubs the Dundas Readers read ‘The Life to Come‘ by Michelle de Kretser. One group loved their book while the other one not so much. Read what our groups thought about their books below!
Continue readingAuthor Archives: Jody
Best Reads of 2020 Staff Picks!
I think it is fair to say, that 2020 will go down in history as one of those years, every one can’t wait to finish! It has certainly been a challenge, and I am sure most people are looking forward to catching up with family & friends over the holiday period.
For us here at the library it has definitely been different! We’ve had to think of new ways to engage with our members, get creative with the way we present programs and learn new skills. But throughout all of this we have still managed to read our way through 2020. In fact, I think we have read more than ever this year. And if there is one thing Librarians love better than reading, it is sharing what they have been reading with anyone who is willing to listen J
So, I have put together a list of our ‘Best Reads of 2020’ in the hopes that you might find something new to read. Our picks include new publications and some older ones too.
If you would like to share your, ‘Best Reads of 2020’ with us we would love to hear from you.
Share your ‘Best Reads’ of 2020 via our online ‘Read & Review’ form; be sure to mention somewhere that it’s a ‘Best Read of 2020’. If I get a lot of suggestions, I will put together a blog post with all your picks!
Fingers crossed you find your next great read!
Jody
Continue readingChristmas Cooking!
Not long now until Christmas Day, and for those of you who love nothing better than spending the weeks and days leading up to Christmas in the kitchen preparing yummy food, we have the books to help you along.
Check out our awesome collection of Christmas books & DVDs! Find that special recipe that will have everyone asking for a copy year after year.
I don’t know about everyone else but, I love nothing better than endlessly flipping through Christmas books each year; not to mention my obsession with watching Jamie’s Christmas DVDs each year.
Along with a great list of books, I have also included a couple of our favourite recipes we cook each year. While we can’t remember where we originally found these ‘well loved’ recipes, we would like to acknowledge the amazing cooks out there who were passionate enough to shared their recipes with us; we are eternally grateful!
Happy Holidays
Jody
Vegan Christmas Feasts: inspired meat-free recipes for the festive season by Jackie Kearney
Festive Table, an Australian Women’s Weekly title.
Celebrating Christmas, an Australian Women’s Weekly title.
Continue readingNew Book Club Kits
This month, two of our Dundas book clubs read and reviewed ‘The Things She Owned‘ by Katherine Tamiko Arguille and ‘The Surviors‘ by Jane Harper. Which just happen to be two of our new Book Club Kits; I hope they enjoyed them!
Read what they thought below!
Continue readingThe Golden Age of Hollywood in Books
This year, I admit I have become a little obsessed with The Golden Age of Hollywood; in books that is!
This started when I was browsing the newsagency for some light reading, and I came across The Australian Women’s Weekly Special Editions, Icon magazine. Packed full of retro photos, interesting stories and nostalgia, these special edition magazines have become my go-to Sunday morning reading.
I have been filling the gaps between issues reading some biographies & books about the stars who have intrigued me the most, the majority of those being women who found Hollywood at the time anything but golden. While some of their stories proved to be tragic, that didn’t stop their strength and determination from shining through.
Below I have listed a few titles I have browsed over the course of 2020, in the hopes that you might find something interesting to read over the coming summer months.
Happy Reading!
Jody
Judy Garland a Biography by Anne Edwards
Get Happy: The Life of Judy Garland by Gerald Clarke
Home: A Memoir of My Early Years by Julie Andrews
Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews
Hedy Lamarr’s Double Life by Laurie Wallmark
Elizabeth Taylor: the lady, the lover, the legend-1932-2011 by David Brett
Ava: A Life in Movies by Kendra Bean
Audrey Hepburn: a photographic journey of a beautiful star’s rise to silver-screen icon by Gabrielle Mander.
Katharine Hepburn: a remarkable woman by Anne Edwards
Hollywood love stories: true love stories from the golden days of the silver screen by Gill Paul