The Owl's Nest Books & Gifts

Gary Hickling, resident of Strathmore, Alberta, will be launching his mystery novel Mature Retribution: A Smile on Thursday, February 23rd.

Owl’s Nest Books is proud to be hosting this event.  Come down to meet Gary, enjoy a glass of wine and check out a new mystery.

From Tate Publishing:

‘I’m beginning to think seniors are tough old birds, with their wits intact and a head on their shoulders that still works with amazing results.’

So says Ben Boyd, 66, who has recently moved into an apartment block exclusive to seniors. A widower, Ben still feels resentment and anger at the loss of his wife and emotionally adrift in a world which seems to always outrun him. Ben meets fellow residents Martha, Lin, and Jack and friendship, trust, and admiration grow between the four elders. Each has their various talents, skills, and experiences which makes them unique in their own way.

But there are troubles in the neighborhood. Reports of theft spread across the block and rumors of a smiling stranger begin to surface. Could these things happen in such a great community? Does every Eden have its serpent? Ben must come to grips with the hand he’s been dealt, but also hold onto the life he has left.

Fortunately, he has the assistance of his new-found friends who are intelligent, caring individuals, willing and able to reach out a helping hand. What happens when a new age intrudes into the lives of an older few is yet to be told. Gary A. Hickling’s Mature Retribution: A Smile is just one story about the always present and ever-subtle work between life and death, one which readers won’t put down.

Date: Thursday, February 23rd
Time: 7:00pm
Our address: 815A 49th Avenue SW (Elbow Drive at 49th Ave)

On Thursday, March 22nd 2012, Owl’s Nest Books will host a reading with Angela Kolias.  Her book Alpha Omega Yoga: The Art and Science of Self-Transformation was released this fall.

From the book’s description:

Yoga in the West has gone from being esoteric and on the  fringe to now being mainstream as a physical work out. The  physical practice of yoga is merely a means to the end.  What is yoga really all about? What do all the centuries of  practice and insight reveal?

For those who want to go  deeper into the experience of Birth – Death and  Enlightenment here is a book written in simple poetic form  giving an overview of the big picture of infinity,  manifestation and our place in it with an introduction to  the pose of Savasana, corpse pose, as the beginning point  for inner work and transformation.

Please join us to hear Angela read from and answer questions about her book.

The Owl’s Nest is thrilled to be hosting a writing and art workshop for kids in grades 4 through 9, with the support of the Child Well-being Initiative, and local author Carolyn Pogue.

At this workshop, you’ll hear inspiring storing about kids using words and art to change the world as well as make your own art and writing.

The workshop is on Thursday, March 29th 2012 from 10am to noon.

Please register early, as space in this workshop is limited.  Participants should bring a notebook or some paper, a pen and their wild imagination!

Carolyn Pogue’s novel Gwen was a finalist for the W.O. Mitchell Book Prize.  The author of 12 books for children, teens and adults, Carolyn presents workshops at schools and writing camps.

This month, the Junior Owlets had a special treat.  Joining them for the discussion of Feather Brain was a special guest: the author, Maureen Bush!

Lucas is obsessed with dinosaurs.  He knows everything about them.  When he gets dinosaur model making kit, he is not impressed.  It’s just a test tube of clear liquid and a few instructions.  Lucas is not prepared for what happens when he mixes that liquid into the papier-mache.  And what is he going to do about his ‘new’ friends?

- For a younger audience
- Liked the characters.
- Liked how the problem was resolved.
- Some found it a little simple.
- Cliffhanger
- Really liked description of making models.
- Good conflict.
- Kept you guessing to the end.
- Characters were very believable
- Very funny
- Liked conflict between Lucas and Kyle.
- Very well written.
- Stopped the book at the right point.
- Liked the dinosaurs.
- Well written.
- A little short.
- Liked how the parents were uninvolved and he had to sort out his own problems.
- YEAH, DINOSAURS!

Final score: 8.439995 out of 10

Next month, the Junior Owlets will be reading The Magician’s Elephant by Kate DiCamillo.  The meeting will be on Sat March 3rd at 9:00 am.

From the Hardcover edition:

What if? Why not? Could it be?

When a fortuneteller’s tent appears in the market square of the city of Baltese, orphan Peter Augustus Duchene knows the questions that he needs to ask: Does his sister still live? And if so, how can he find her? The fortuneteller’s mysterious answer (an elephant! An elephant will lead him there!) sets off a chain of events so remarkable, so impossible, that you will hardly dare to believe it’s true.

If you’re a kid in grades 3 to 6 and are interested in joining Junior Owlet’s, we’d love to have you.  Membership is free and open all year.  Just give us a call at 403-287-9557, email us at owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca or just drop in to one of the meetings.

Parents, are you looking for a great enrichment activity for your pre-school child?

Starting on February 24th, Owl’s Nest Books & Gifts will be hosting a pre-school storytime for kids aged 2 through 5 every Friday morning at 10:30.

Storytime will be hosted by Cynthia, who also runs our kids and teen book clubs and works as a professional storyteller.  And if you’ve every been in our store during one of the book club meetings, you can tell how much fun the kids have with Cynthia.

Storytime is free but registration is recommended.  Call 403-287-9557 or email owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca to reserve your spot.

January’s selection for our teen book club, Fledglings, was Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly.

Andi Alpers’ life is falling apart.  She is haunted by the tragic death of her younger brother.  Her guilt has sent her into a spiral of drugs and self-loathing.  In a parallel story, Alexandrine Paradis survives during the French Revolution dependent upon her skills as an actress and spy.  She becomes a servant to the royal family and a companion to the young dauphin, Louis-Charles.  Andi finds Alex’s diary, and is drawn into France during the 1790s.

- Really like the parallels between the stories
- Description really draws you in
- Book freaked out some readers.
- Loved the musical interconnections and the historical aspect.
- Beautiful and raw.
- Historical aspect was fascinating
- Unsure that Andi really needed to do the time slip as journal provided that.
- Characters were well developed, both primary and secondary.
- Setting was very much a character.

Final scores averaged to 8.8 out of 10.

The next Fledglings meeting will be Tuesday, February 21st at 4:30pm.  The book up for discussion is Sister Wife by Shelley Hrdlitschka.

From the book’s description:

In the isolated rural community of Unity, the people of The Movement live a simple life guided by a set of religious principles and laws that are unique to them. Polygamy is the norm, strict obedience is expected and it is customary for young girls to be assigned to much older husbands.

Celeste was born and raised in Unity, yet she struggles to fit in. Perhaps it’s because of Taviana, the girl who has come to live with them and entertains Celeste with forbidden stories, or Jon, the young man she has clandestine meetings with, or maybe it’s the influence of Craig, the outsider she meets on the beach. Whatever it is, she struggles to accept her ordained life. At fifteen she is repulsed at the thought of being assigned to an older man and becoming a sister wife, and she knows for certain she is not cut out to raise children. She wants something more for herself, yet feels powerless to change her destiny because rebelling would bring shame upon her family.

Celeste watches as Taviana leaves Unity, followed by Jon, and finally Craig, the boy who has taught her to think “outside the box.” Although she is assigned to a caring man, his sixth wife, she is desperately unhappy. How will Celeste find her way out of Unity?

If your a teen in grades 10 through 12 and are interested in joining Fledglings, please email us at owlsnestbooks@shaw.ca, call us at 403-287-9557 or just drop into one of the meetings.

One of our owners, Michael Hare, was recently a guest on CBC Radio’s Alberta@Noon programme, discussing the hottest books of the season. Laurie Greenwood of Edmonton was also a guest and there were several suggestions by callers.

You can listen to Wednesday’s programme on the CBC website’s podcast, but here’s a cheat sheet of Mike’s suggestions. Please call us at 403-287-9557 to reserve your copy of any of these great books, as they’re sure to go fast.

Adult: Fiction

Micro by Michael Crichton & Richard Preston
Hardcover $34.99
Modern day environmental/technological thriller set in Hawaii.

The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt
Paperback $22.95
Award winning dark/humourous western set in 1850s Oregon.

River City by John Farrow
Paperback $24.oo
Historical mystery set in Montreal.

Death Comes To Pemberley by P.D. James
Hardcover $32.00
James’ sequel/tribute to Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice

When She Woke by Hillary Jordan
Paperback $19.99
Futuristic retelling of Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter.

Adult: Non Fiction

Whitewater Cooks With Friends by Shelly Adams
Paperback $34.95
Third in the series of fast, tasty, easy recipes from Nelson, B.C.

The First Stampede Of Flores LaDue by Wendy Bryden (Local author)
Hardcover $29.99
Biography of the wife of Guy Weadick

Tell Anna She’s Safe by Brenda Missen PB $22.95
Gripping true-crime novel told by a friend of the victim.

The Texting Dictionary Of Acronyms
Paperback $6.99
BFF = Best Friends Forever, LOL = Laugh Out Loud — Excellent stocking stuffer.

Spilling The Beans by Julie Van Rosendaal
Paperback $29.95
Everyday cooking and baking with beans and grains.

The Quest Daniel Yergin
Hardcover $ 44.00
An account of the quest for the energy our world needs.

Children and Young Adult:

Diary of a Wimpy Kid: Cabin Fever by Jeff Kinney
Hardcover $16.95
Latest in a now-famous series about a rambuctious boy in grade four.

11 Birthdays by Wendy Mass
Paperback $7.99
Caught in a time warp, Amanda relives her 11th birthday over and over again.

The Invention of Hugo Cabret by Brian Selznick
Hardcover $27.50
An orphaned twelve-year-old boy trying to survive in the walls of a busy Paris train station.

The Great Rabbit Rescue by Katie Davie
Hardcover $14.99
Humourous account of a missing rabbit, a sick boy and two friends who try to help.

Divergent by Veronica Roth
Hardcover $19.99
Futuristic tale where sixteen-year-olds are forced into “factions”.

Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
Paperback $10.99
Emotionally troubled modern-day seventeen-year-old time travels into the French Revolution.

The Maze Runner by James Dashner
Paperback $11.99
Students with erased memories seek escape from a sci-fi-like maze.