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36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You
1 April 2019 - 3:59pm
36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You is a White Pine 2019 nominee written by Vicki Grant, an author of 14 award-winning novels native to Canada. This book follows the story of two polar opposites, Hildy and Paul, that end up in a University psychology study made to test if two strangers can fall in love by answering 36 intimate and deep questions. Hildy is an awkward and quirky goody-two-shoes that comes from a privileged background whereas Paul is a complete bad boy who lived a rough life and likes to hide his struggles from the people around him. Paul signed up for the study to earn the $40 that was promised whereas Hildy did it out of pure curiosity and the science behind it. Will 36 questions be enough to make these polar opposites fall in love?The Marrow Thieves
31 January 2019 - 5:26pmBy Cheri Dimaline
This dystopian feels all too real and familiar. Climate change and rising sea levels have reclaimed and changed much of the land, engulfing entire cities. Humans have lost the ability to dream, and are being driven crazy and dying because of it. The only cure is in the marrow of indigenous peoples, but harvesting the dreams from them causes death.
French is a young indigenous lad fleeing for his life in the wilderness. With recruiters on his heels to drag him off to re-opened residential schools, every day is about survival, not only from the men that hunt him, but also from the elements. While on the run with other indigenous people fleeing the recruiters, he learns about his people's past; their stories, their language and their customs. But trusting even his own people can lead to terrible consequences.
Escape from Syria
17 January 2019 - 12:35pmBy Samya Kullab
This tale gives a fictional but all too real account of a family’s flight from war and the terrors of a refugee camp. Told from the point of view of Amira, it gives some light background to the war and the reasons why so many people fled. Once out of Syria, the family settles in Lebanon, but Lebanon is fearful of war coming to them, and does not allow most Syrians to work or own homes. Out of money, the family are forced to live a meagre existence in a refugee camp.
This story also touches on the difficulty of getting out of the camps to a safe country, of getting medical attention, of educational opportunities. It doesn’t take sides, just tells how things are. Though moving to Europe or North America means having access to these things, it also shows a new set of difficulties, learning a new language, new rules, new geography and climate.
Black Chuck
14 January 2019 - 3:22pm
Réal and Evie are mourning the death of Shaun - his best friend, her boyfriend, and the father of her unborn child. They are struggling to reconcile their feelings about his death, and even though they weren't very close before Shaun's death - their guilt and knowledge that maybe Shaun wasn't the all-around good guy he wanted people to see is bringing them together.
This book has some very dark themes but if you like the tv show Supernatural at its darkest points, you will likely enjoy the mix of indigenous mythology, grief and tragedy along with some amazing and vivid writing.
