Explore book clubs, author readings & more.
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Red Cedar is the Kid’s Reader’s Choice Award for BC.
Kids in grades 4-7 are welcome to attend the Red Cedar Book Club to chat about nominated titles for the 2023/24 Red Cedar Book Award. Read fiction or non-fiction nominees and vote for your favourite in the Spring. Winners are announced in early June! During meetings we will talk about what we’ve read, do some activities, and eat snacks.
Find the list of nominated titles at www.redcedaraward.ca
No registration required. Call 604-984-0286, ext. 8141 for more information.
This event takes place in the Children's Program Room at Lynn Valley Library.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Parkgate Wednesday Evening Book Club:
True Biz by Sara Nović
October 4 at 7:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
November 1 at 7:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
March 6 at 7:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
April 3 at 7:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
May 1 at 7:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
June 5 at 7:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Discuss great reads from the comfort of your couch or from faraway shores with Libby Book Club! We pick top e-books and audiobooks from the Libby app and discuss them every month on Zoom.
Register online to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion. Join us every month, or just for the meetings you prefer. Copies of these titles are available as both eBooks and audiobooks in Libby. Contact info@nvdpl.ca if you need help getting a copy.
2023–2024 Schedule for Libby Book Club:
We're hosting this virtual program on Zoom. Register online to receive a link to join the meeting. What you'll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=79837&sn=
Not your average book club!
In this friendly book club, we read Advance Reading Copies of soon-to-be-published books and share our reviews! We meet monthly to discuss our books with fellow bibliophiles.
Read & Review Teen Book Club is for grades 7-12.
No registration required. Questions? Email tag@nvdpl.ca for more information.
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Parkgate Tuesday Afternoon Book Club:
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
November 7 at 2:30pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
December 5 at 2:30pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
February 6 at 2:30pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
March 5 at 2:30pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
April 2 at 2:30pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
May 7 at 2:30pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Red Cedar is the Kid’s Reader’s Choice Award for BC.
Kids in grades 4-7 are welcome to attend the Red Cedar Book Club to chat about nominated titles for the 2023/24 Red Cedar Book Award. Read fiction or non-fiction nominees and vote for your favourite in the Spring. Winners are announced in early June! During meetings we will talk about what we’ve read, do some activities, and eat snacks.
Find the list of nominated titles at www.redcedaraward.ca
No registration required. Call 604-984-0286, ext. 8141 for more information.
This event takes place in the Children's Program Room at Lynn Valley Library.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Lynn Valley Wednesday Afternoon Book Club:
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
January 10 at 2:30pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
February 14 at 2:30pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
March 13 at 2:30pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
April 10 at 2:30pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
May 8 at 2:30pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
June 12 at 2:30pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Interested in reading more books by 2SLGBTQIA+ authors?
Join Queerly Quilled, the library’s first teen-led book club! Each month we meet at Lynn Valley library to select and discuss queer books ❤ Snacks provided.
Queerly Quilled is for teens grades 8-12.
No registration required. Questions? Email tag@nvdpl.ca
Location: Learning Lab on the 2nd floor of Lynn Valley Library, next to the Teen Area.
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Lynn Valley Thursday Evening Book Club:
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
October 12 at 7:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
November 9 at 7:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
January 11 at 7:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
April 11 at 7:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
May 9 at 7:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
June 13 at 7:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Capilano Thursday Afternoon Book Club:
September 21 at 2:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
October 19 at 2:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
November 16 at 2:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
January 18 at 2:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
February 15 at 2:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
May 16 at 2:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Red Cedar is the Kid’s Reader’s Choice Award for BC.
Kids in grades 4-7 are welcome to attend the Red Cedar Book Club to chat about nominated titles for the 2023/24 Red Cedar Book Award. Read fiction or non-fiction nominees and vote for your favourite in the Spring. Winners are announced in early June! During meetings we will talk about what we’ve read, do some activities, and eat snacks.
Find the list of nominated titles at www.redcedaraward.ca
No registration required. Call 604-984-0286, ext. 8141 for more information.
This event takes place in the Children's Program Room at Lynn Valley Library.
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Capilano Tuesday Evening Book Club:
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
September 26 at 7:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
October 24 at 7:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
November 28 at 7:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
January 23 at 7:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
February 27 at 7:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
March 26 at 7:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Paws 4 Stories is a St. John Ambulance Therapy Dog Community Service that is designed to assist in helping to improve reading skills of children.
In this program, children have the opportunity to read to a friendly, certified therapy dog. Reading to a therapy dog can be motivating and especially beneficial for children who are hesitant or anxious about reading.
Ages 6 - 12. Sessions are 20 minutes in length - children can sign up for a maximum of 2 sessions each.
Registration required. Call Parkgate Library to register: 604-929-3727, ext. 8166. Registration is first-come, first-served, though priority will be given to those who have not participated before.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Parkgate Tuesday Afternoon Book Club:
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
November 7 at 2:30pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
December 5 at 2:30pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
February 6 at 2:30pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
March 5 at 2:30pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
April 2 at 2:30pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
May 7 at 2:30pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Parkgate Wednesday Evening Book Club:
True Biz by Sara Nović
October 4 at 7:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
November 1 at 7:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
March 6 at 7:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
April 3 at 7:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
May 1 at 7:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
June 5 at 7:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Discuss great reads from the comfort of your couch or from faraway shores with Libby Book Club! We pick top e-books and audiobooks from the Libby app and discuss them every month on Zoom.
Register online to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion. Join us every month, or just for the meetings you prefer. Copies of these titles are available as both eBooks and audiobooks in Libby. Contact info@nvdpl.ca if you need help getting a copy.
2023–2024 Schedule for Libby Book Club:
We're hosting this virtual program on Zoom. Register online to receive a link to join the meeting. What you'll need to attend: A computer with microphone (or headphones) and webcam, or your smartphone/tablet.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=79837&sn=
Not your average book club!
In this friendly book club, we read Advance Reading Copies of soon-to-be-published books and share our reviews! We meet monthly to discuss our books with fellow bibliophiles.
Read & Review Teen Book Club is for grades 7-12.
No registration required. Questions? Email tag@nvdpl.ca for more information.
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Lynn Valley Wednesday Afternoon Book Club:
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
January 10 at 2:30pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
February 14 at 2:30pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
March 13 at 2:30pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
April 10 at 2:30pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
May 8 at 2:30pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
June 12 at 2:30pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about
Do you love to talk about what you’re reading? Join a book club to share your thoughts and hear what others have to say about books that spark discussion, curiosity, and debate! Discover new “Books to Talk About” and join a community of booklovers at NVDPL. Simply read the book and join us at the meeting!
Register online for the time and location that’s most convenient for you to receive meeting instructions and information in advance of the discussion! Join us every month or just for the meetings you prefer. If you miss a meeting but still want to discuss the book, you can also join us at a different time or location. Click here to see all six Books to Talk About book clubs.
2023–2024 Schedule for the Lynn Valley Thursday Evening Book Club:
Laughing with the Trickster: On Sex, Death, and Accordions by Tomson Highway
October 12 at 7:00pm
Celebrated author and playwright Tomson Highway brings his signature irreverence to an exploration of five themes central to the human condition: language, creation, sex and gender, humour, and death. A comparative analysis of Christian, classical, and Cree mythologies reveals their contributions to Western thought, life, and culture—and how North American Indigenous mythologies provide unique, timeless solutions to our modern problems. Collected essays from the 2022 Massey Lectures. Learn more.
True Biz by Sara Nović
November 9 at 7:00pm
"True biz? The students at the River Valley School for the Deaf just want to hook up, pass their history final, and have doctors, politicians, and their parents stop telling them what to do with their bodies. This revelatory novel plunges readers into the halls of a residential school for the deaf, where they'll meet Charlie, a rebellious transfer student who's never met another deaf person before; Austin, the school's golden boy, whose world is rocked when his baby sister is born hearing; and February, the headmistress, who is fighting to keep her school open and her marriage intact, but might not be able to do both. As a series of crises both personal and political threaten to unravel each of them, Charlie, Austin, and February find their lives inextricable from one another—and changed forever. Learn more.
January 11 at 7:00pm
Hungarian psychiatrist Viktor Frankl's 1959 memoir has riveted generations of readers with its descriptions of life in Nazi death camps and its lessons for spiritual survival. Based on his own experience and the stories of his patients, Frankl argues that we cannot avoid suffering but we can choose how to cope with it, find meaning in it, and move forward with renewed purpose. At the heart of his theory, known as logotherapy, is a conviction that the primary human drive is not pleasure but the pursuit of what we find meaningful. Learn more.
In this captivating blend of science and memoir, a Canadian health journalist and former cellist explores music as a source of health, resilience, connection, and joy. Traveling from state-of-the-art science labs to a remote village in Zimbabwe, her investigation gets to the heart of music’s profound effects on the human body and brain. Blending science and story, Wired for Music shows how our species’ age-old connection to melody and rhythm is wired inside us. Learn more.
Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan
April 11 at 7:00pm
It is 1985 in a small Irish town. During the weeks leading up to Christmas, Bill Furlong, a coal merchant and family man faces into his busiest season. Early one morning, while delivering an order to the local convent, Bill makes a discovery which forces him to confront both his past and the complicit silences of a town controlled by the church. Small Things Like These is a deeply affecting story of hope, quiet heroism, and empathy from one of our most critically lauded and iconic writers. Learn more.
We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama
May 9 at 7:00pm
In the wake of China's invasion of Tibet throughout the 1950s, Lhamo and her younger sister, Tenkyi, arrive at a refugee camp in Nepal. They survived the dangerous journey across the Himalayas, but their parents did not. As Lhamo - haunted by the loss of her homeland and her mother, a village oracle - tries to rebuild a life amid a shattered community, hope arrives in the form of a young man named Samphel and his uncle, who brings with him the ancient statue of the Nameless Saint-a relic known to vanish and reappear in times of need. Decades later, the sisters are separated, and Tenkyi is living with Lhamo's daughter, Dolma, in Toronto. While Tenkyi works as a cleaner and struggles with traumatic memories, Dolma vies for a place as a scholar of Tibetan Studies. But when Dolma comes across the Nameless Saint in a collector's vault, she must decide what she is willing to do for her community, even if it means risking her dreams. Learn more.
The Heart is a Lonely Hunter by Carson McCullers
June 13 at 7:00pm
Carson McCullers’ prodigious first novel was published in 1940 to instant acclaim when she was just twenty-three. Set in a small town in the middle of the deep South, it is the story of John Singer, a lonely deaf-mute, and a disparate group of people who are drawn towards his kind, sympathetic nature. The owner of the café where Singer eats every day, a young girl desperate to grow up, an angry drunkard, a frustrated black doctor: each pours their heart out to Singer, their silent confidant, and he in turn changes their disenchanted lives in ways they could never imagine. Learn more.
We're moving to a new events platform!
To register for this program, please visit: https://nvdpl.events.mylibrary.digital/series?si=&sn=books+to+talk+about