October 2022 Staff Picks

Brenda’s Pick: Ride the rising wind: one woman’s journey across Canada by Barbara Bradbury Kingscote

The author of this book died in 2019 at the age of 91. The journey recounted took place in 1949 when she was 21 years old. She rode her horse from Quebec to British Columbia, a trip of almost 6500 kilometres. As she tells her tale, all the details and logistics and beauty of a younger Canada come across, as well as the difficulties and challenges. Barbara Kingscote is the mother of Powell River horsewoman, Phoebe Kingscote, which adds a local spin. Even in 1949, leaving home with only $100 in your pocket required a lot of faith, in yourself and others.

Brenda’s Pick : The Phantom of the Open (DVD)

Based on a true story, this movie is a delightful tale of a man who fell in love with the game of golf and entered the British Open without ever having played a on an actual course. His notoriety, which he still holds today, is hitting the worst score ever tallied.  Undeterred he entered the contest several more times under various fictitious names. His favourite saying was “Practice is the road to perfection”. Sally Hawkins plays Maurice Flitcroft’s (Mark Rylance) wife beautifully.

David’s Pick : The Power of the Dog by Thomas Savage

Recently made into a film by Jane Campion, the book is a meditation on power, family pathologies, repressed homosexual desire, & cruelty. It’s a fable written in spare prose, set in the declining years of the American West.

Jayme’s Pick : In America (DVD)

By far one of the best, most moving and beautifully presented movies I have ever seen.  Moment for moment – it is exquisite in the telling of love and friendship, fears of life, death and loss.  How this family and their friends overcome all the boundaries of being human: racially, familial, with the basic prejudices of humanity to find that love is the greatest thing we have for each other.

Natalie’s Pick : Astra by Cedar Bowers

Local author, Cedar Bowers from Galliano Island, BC released her debut title Astra in 2021 and was longlisted for the Giller Prize. The coming-of-age story is unique in that the reader gets to know the protagonist Astra Brine from ten different perspectives, through different characters who interact with Astra as she grows up. The story begins within a remote BC commune where Astra is born and follows her to the city, through marriage and old age. The writing is fantastic and the reading experience is unusual and engaging.

Sonia’s Pick : Tidy by Emily Gravett

One of my Autumn favourites, Tidy is a book in rhyming verse about seasons changing, leaves falling, a compulsively tidy badger and so much more. This easy to digest kids’ book gets to the heart of unintended environmental consequences with words and pictures that are both amusing and harrowing. Ultimately, Tidy allows space for the reader to empathize and reflect on the plight of the animals within its pages and draw their own conclusions.