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The concubine's children: portrait of a family divided
By Denise Chong. 1994
Chong traces her family's history from China to Canada. Her grandfather left his wife and emigrated to Canada, accompanied by…
the concubine he bought in 1924. In Canada, they stinted and sacrificed to support his family in China. Chong tells of her grandparents and parents, and the visits she made to China to try to unite the strands of her family's past. Winner of the 1995 CNIB Talking Book of the Year Award. 1994.Ten green bottles: the true story of one family's journey from war-torn Austria to the ghettos of Shanghai
By Vivian Jeanette Kaplan. 2002
For a brief period between 1938 and 1941, roughly 20,000 Jews found refuge from the Nazis in the one place…
not requiring visas, police certificates or proofs of financial independence: Shanghai. In 1939, the author's family made a month-long, 7,000-mile journey to Shanghai, struggling with heat, disease, poverty, and fear. With the war's end came the shock of learning what became of family and friends left behind in Europe. Descriptions of violence. 2002.Tempting Faith DiNapoli: A Novel
By Lisa Gabriele. 2002
Faith genuinely wants to be a good Catholic girl and she's pretty sure Jesus loves her, though the evidence is…
sometimes difficult to find. The trouble is, Faith's angry with everyone in her family. She breaks every commandment and finds herself torn between who she wants to be and who she is. 2002.Les artisans de la paix: comment Lloyd George, Clemenceau et Wilson ont redessiné la carte du monde
By Margaret MacMillan. 2006
Paris, 1919 : après la " guerre qui devait mettre fin à toutes les guerres ", des hommes et des…
femmes de tous les pays convergent vers la capitale pour la conférence de la Paix où va se redessiner la carte du monde. Outre les représentants des plus grandes puissances victorieuses - Wilson, Lloyd George et Clemenceau -, affluent journalistes, ambassadeurs et porte-parole de cent causes différentes - de T.E. Lawrence à la reine Marie de Roumanie, en passant par J.M. Keynes et Hô Chi Minh. Paris est alors le centre du monde, le lieu où se liquident les empires, où naissent de nouveaux pays, et où vont se nouer drames et malentendus. Quelques descriptions de violence. 2006. Titre uniforme: The peacemakers.Canadian Tire was founded by A.J. and John Billes in 1922 and grew to become a national institution. In 1986,…
one of A.J.'s sons decided to sell his company shares to a group of Canadian Tire dealers, sparking a feud with his sister, Martha. 1990 winner of the National Business Book Award. Strong language.The year of magical thinking
By Joan Didion. 2005
Writer reflects on her emotional response to the unexpected death of her husband, John Gregory Dunne, after a visit to…
their comatose daughter. Discusses the shock of suddenly facing a crisis, the memory of their time together as a family, and the meaning of marriage. National Book Award. Bestseller. 2005.Vimy
By Pierre Berton. 1986
In 1917, the Canadian Corps seized and held the best-defended German bastion on the Western Front, a feat thought impossible…
by the British, French and German forces. The author believes they succeeded because the men were civilians, with flexible minds unfettered by military rules. Bestseller 1986. Winner of the 1987 CNIB Talking Book of the Year Award.The Russian album
By Michael Ignatieff. 1987
Through the use of his grandparents' diaries, the author recreates his family history. The Ignatieffs, firmly entrenched in the Russian…
nobility, served in the tsarist government. In late 1917, the events of the Revolution overtook the family and they chose exile in the West. 1987 Governor General's Award winner. 1987.The man in the white sharkskin suit: my family's exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
By Lucette Lagnado. 2007
Lagnado's father, Leon, used to conduct business in his signature white sharkskin suit in Cairo in the years between World…
War II and Nasser's rise to power. But with the fall of King Farouk, Leon and his family, like other Egyptian Jews, lost everything and had to flee. With all of their belongings packed into 26 suitcases, the family departed for any land that would take them. 2007.The Reformation: Europe's house divided 1490 - 1700
By Diarmaid MacCulloch. 2003
The Reformation is often chronicled as a single, momentous period in the history of the Church, where a number of…
competing groups of reformers challenged a monolithic and corrupt Roman Catholicism over issues ranging from authority and the role of the priests to the interpretation of the Eucharist and the use of the Bible in church. MacCulloch argues instead that there were many reformations. He challenges common assumptions about the relationships between Catholic priests and laity, and explains that even within various groups of reformers there was scarcely agreement about ways to change the Church. 2004, c2003. If you request this book on CD it will be on 2 or more CDs. You must play the first CD to the end before playing the next CD.Take my family - please!
By Gary Lautens. 1981
Lautens, winner of the 1981 Leacock Medal for humour, shares his hilarious and entertaining recollections of living, loving, and savouring…
his experiences with a wife, three children, and a dog. Nominated for the 1984 CNIB Talking Book of the Year Award. Winner of the 1981 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal. 1981.Snark!, the herald angels sing: sarcasm, bitterness, and the holiday season (Snark Series)
By Lawrence Dorfman. 2011
Bah! Humbug! It's that time of year again. Time to spend too much, drink too much, eat too much, smile…
falsely, dig down deep to try and find "good cheer," battle crowds, try to find parking in over-crowded lots, ignore surly clerks, bartenders, waiters, valets, and parking lot attendants, all in the pursuit of that moment of happiness known throughout the world as--dun, dun, dun: the Holidays. Has there ever been a time more suited to tapping into snark? With commentary, jokes, and quotes regarding Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza, New Year's; on bad presents, worse in-laws, horrible children, and much more glorious excess. UnratedGod's mailbox: more stories about stories in the Bible
By Marc Gellman, Debbie Tilley. 1996
Eighteen stories about the first five books of the Bible. Poses questions and spins humorous answers about the Garden of…
Eden, the plagues of Egypt, and the Ten Commandments. The tale of Noah introduces the concept of Rainbow People like Moses, Jesus, Buddha, Muhammed, and maybe you. Sequel to Does God Have a Big Toe? (DB 32181). For grades 4-7Good Offices
By Evelio Rosero. 2009
When Father Almida is summoned to an audience with the parish's principal benefactor, a stand-in is found in Father Matamoros,…
a drunkard with an angel's voice whose sung mass is mesmerizing to all. But Matamoros hides a darker side, and when the church's residents throw a feast for him he encourages them to lose all their inhibitions and give free reign to their most Bacchanalian desires. A satire on the iniquities of the Catholic church in Colombia, Good Offices is at once comic, surreal and startling, a novel that will linger long in the mind.Sad Janet
By Lucie Britsch. 2020
A whip-smart black comedy for fans of Fleabag and My Year of Rest and Relaxation'Loved this book' EMMA GANNON'Surprising and…
irreverent...Be prepared for edginess, dark humor and profanity' NEW YORK TIMES'Hilarious, wise, wicked' CYNTHIA D'APRIX SWEENEYNamed one of the Best Books of the Summer by LitHub, The Millions, Refinery29, and Hey Alma.***Meet Janet. Janet is sad. Not about her life, about the world. Have you seen it these days? The thing is, she's not out to make anyone else sad. She's not turning up to weddings shouting that most marriages end in divorce. She just wants to wear her giant coat, get rid of her passive-aggressive boyfriend, and avoid human interaction at the rundown dog shelter where she works.That is, until word spreads about a new pill that promises cynics like her one day off from being sad. When her family stages an intervention, and the prospect of making it through Christmas alone seems like too much, Janet finally decides to give them what they want. What follows is life-changing for all concerned - in ways no one quite expects.Hilarious, provocative and profound, Sad Janet is the antidote to our happiness-obsessed world.***PRAISE FOR SAD JANET:'If you're a Halle Butler fan or like despair cut with humour, you'll love this' Leigh Stein, author of SELF CARE'As I was reading this, my partner kept asking why I was laughing. This book is dark and hilarious and will speak to everyone who's ever wondered why they spend time with humans and not just dogs' Rowan Hisayo Buchanan, author of Starling Days and Harmless Like You'A tragicomic riot of a book - charging, foul-mouthed and tender, across the modern condition' Claudia Dey, author of Heartbreaker'Try reading Sad Janet ... It might just make you happy' Marcy Demansky, author of Very Nice'A biting, pitch-perfect novel about one woman's desire to stay true to herself in a world that rewards facile happiness ... a dazzling debut' Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney'The narrative voice of Janet in Britsch's debut novel is a skin-tingling combination of new and necessary' Booklist starred review'Loved this book... it made me lol via the dark humour and dry observations. An artful take on the "happiness economy"' Emma Gannon, author of Olive'I loved SAD JANET'S cynical humour. Superbly original, with spot-on one-liners. Brilliantly bleak, but with a spark of hope' Caroline Hulse, author of The AdultsThe Adults: A Christmas vacation with your ex. What could go wrong?
By Caroline Hulse. 2018
'Genuinely unputdownable books are rare in my experience. This is one. A brilliant, original comedy' Daily Mail* * * *…
*MEET THE ADULTS...Claire and Matt are divorced but decide what's best for their daughter Scarlett is to have a 'normal' family Christmas with them all together.Claire brings her new boyfriend Patrick, a seemingly eligible Iron-Man-in-Waiting. Matt brings the new love of his life Alex, funny, smart, and extremely patient. Scarlett, their daughter, brings her imaginary friend Posey. He's a rabbit.Together the five (or six?) of them grit their teeth over Organized Fun activities, drinking a little too much after bed-time, oversharing classified secrets about their pasts and, before they know it, their holiday is a powder keg that ends - where this story starts - with a tearful, frightened, call to the police...But what happened? They said they'd all be adults about this...* * * * *'I loved The Adults! Funny, dry and beautifully observed. Highly recommended' Gill Sims, #1 bestselling author of Why Mummy Drinks and Why Mummy Swears'Such a breath of fresh air! Witty, intensely human and (dare I say it) relatable ... The perfect comedy of errors' Katie Khan'The Adults is my top read of 2018 so far. Absolutely hilarious ... This one will stay with me for a long time' Cathy Bramley 'Packed with sharp wit, engaging characters and off-beat humour, this is a fresh and feisty thrill-ride of a novel' Heat'I took this book on holiday and couldn't put it down! I've never read anything quite like it' The Unmumsy Mum'Gripped me from the start. Reminiscent of Liane Moriarty's Big Little Lies - a sure-fire winner' Cass Hunter, author of The After Wife'Brilliantly funny - will have you wincing in recognition' Good Housekeeping'Funny, poignant, real - a truly original book that made me laugh, cry and cringe in equal measure. I loved it' Charlotte Duckworth'Razor-sharp comedy - barbed and brilliant. The characters are totally convincing ... Sparky, heart-felt and fantastically fun, this is a fabulous debut' Sunday MirrorThe Public Prosecutor
By Brian Doyle, Jef Geeraerts. 1998
Albert Savelkoul, Public Prosecutor of Antwerp has power, money, an aristocratic wife and a high-maintenance mistress. A wonderful life-until Opus…
Dei takes a less than benevolent interest in it. So starts a harrowing yet humorous tale of blackmail and murder.Baby Monkey, Private Eye
By Brian Selznick, Mr David Serlin. 2018
Caldecott Medalist Brian Selznick and debut children's book author David Serlin create a dazzling new format especially for young children!A…
New York Times Bestselling BookAn Amazon Best Book of the YearA Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the YearParents Magazine Best Early Reader of the Year"A marvel." --The New York Times"Inventive... fabulously expressive..." --San Francisco ChronicleWho is Baby Monkey?He is a baby.He is a monkey.He has a job.He is Baby Monkey, Private Eye!Lost jewels?Missing pizza?Stolen spaceship?Baby Monkey can help...if he can put on his pants!Baby Monkey's adventures come to life in an exciting blend of picture book, beginning reader, and graphic novel. With pithy text and over 120 black and white drawings accented with red, it is ideal for sharing aloud and for emerging readers.Thoughtless: A sharp, profound and hilarious new novel - for all the overthinkers...
By Lucie Britsch. 2023
"No one understands the misery and hilarity of being alive better than Lucie Britsch ... Writing like this takes talent…
and the most tender of hearts." JEAN KYOUNG FRAZIER, author of PIZZA GIRLAll her life, Susan's loved ones have been hiding a terrible secret from her: If she thinks too hard, her head will explode. Luckily, her devoted boyfriend, anxious parents and fierce best friend are prepared to do whatever it takes to keep Susan safe in ignorant, thoughtless bliss. And until now, Susan has lived happily in a bubble of TV and takeaways, social media and small talk; anything to distract her from the spiralling thoughts that so often haunt the rest of us - thoughts that would be deadly for her. But what happens when reality creeps in and Susan's perfectly curated world starts to crumble? Can we distract ourselves from the real world forever... and should we?Praise for Lucie Britsch'Surprising and irreverent' NEW YORK TIMES'A strangely exuberant meditation on sadness' REFINERY29'A whip-smart, biting piece of tragicomedy... Hilarious, profound' HUFFINGTON POST'A wicked satire of our obsession with happiness' THE i'A tragicomic riot of a book - charging, foul-mouthed and tender' CLAUDIA DEY 'Like a grown up Daria' HELEN MCCLORY 'If you're a Halle Butler fan or like despair cut with humour, you'll love this' LEIGH STEIN'Dark and hilarious' ROWAN HISAYO BUCHANANGood Offices
By Evelio Rosero. 2009
When Father Almida is summoned to an audience with the parish's principal benefactor, a stand-in is found in Father Matamoros,…
a drunkard with an angel's voice whose sung mass is mesmerizing to all. But Matamoros hides a darker side, and when the church's residents throw a feast for him he encourages them to lose all their inhibitions and give free reign to their most Bacchanalian desires. A satire on the iniquities of the Catholic church in Colombia, Good Offices is at once comic, surreal and startling, a novel that will linger long in the mind.