Bev writes:

My nephew is 13 and autistic. He is celebrating his Bar Mitzvah and is very interested in all things to do with Judaism. My sister suggested a coffee table like book with pictures. Can you advise?

We turned this one over to Rachel, who had several suggestions for you. As she put it, "Choosing a bar mitzvah gift can be tricky since it all depends on interests and reading level." That being said, she thinks the following recommendations might be just the thing....

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Sheila writes:

Help! I have about 100 pages left in the Dave Duncan series The Seventh Sword and I have no idea which author to read next. I prefer fantasy series; I want to become part of what I am reading. I have read all of David Eddings, George R. R. Martin, Stephen R. Lawhead, Robert Jordan, Sara Douglass, Raymond E. Fiest, Jack Whyte, Bernard Cornwell's Arthur series, Anne Bishop's Black Jewels trilogy, and Guy Gavriel Kay's Fionavar Tapestry. I always go back to Eddings and Kay when I have nothing else. I have read a few Terry Brooks and Piers Anthony but would not pick them up again.

Chad Ginther, who is better versed in such matters than anyone we know, makes the following recommendations...

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The winners of the 2008 Manitoba Book Awards were announced Saturday night at a gala event in Winnipeg.

Wayne Tefs won the McNally Robinson Book of the Year Award for his novel, Be Wolf.

Kevin Marc Fournier won the McNally Robinson Book for Young People Award (Older Category) for Sandbag Shuffle.

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Carhullan Army$26.00 add to cart

Sarah Hall's The Carhullan Army, a tale of a dystopian Britain, has won the 2007 James Tiptree Jr. Award. The Tiptree Award is presented annually to a work that expands or explores gender roles in science fiction and fantasy.

The Award was created in 1991 to honour Alice Sheldon, who used Tiptree as her pen name. Sheldon's short fiction was notable for its treatment of men's and women's roles in society.

Margaret writes:

I have read Hotel Rwanda (excellent), I Am Hutterite (very good), and The Measure of a Man by Sidney Poitier (excellent). What would you suggest?

We checked in with Kerry Harris, who looks after our Biography section, and here's what she suggests:

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The titles on this year's shortlist for the Leacock Prize are:

• The Gum Thief by Douglas Coupland
• The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
• Spanish Fly by Will Ferguson
• King John of Canada by Scott Gardiner
• And God Created Manyberries by Ron Wood

The winner of this year's award will be announced during a luncheon at Orillia’s Stephen Leacock Museum on April 30.

Mike Paget writes:

"I work as an educational designer and simulation technician for the faculty of medicine, and I also make videogames in an art context. I read a fair bit of technical material, so I'm always looking to balance that with fiction. I've read the complete works of the following and liked them:

• Steinbeck
• Hemingway
• Murakami
• Kafka
• Mishima
• Hesse
• Dostoevsky

I'm not a huge Thomas Pynchon fan. But I definitely enjoy somewhat noir, suburban hallucinatory existentialism. I also read some bad fantasy pulp."

Well Mike, your question had several of our booksellers frothing at the mouth, since your taste happens to coincide nicely with theirs....

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McNally Robinson Booksellers has announced the sale of its building on Stephen Avenue Walk in downtown Calgary. The transaction was completed a few weeks ago and McNally Robinson is now a tenant in the building. The new owners are seeking a tenant to replace the bookstore.

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Shelley asks:

"I'm looking for some new authors to read. I mostly enjoy mystery/thrillers, suspense, etc. Some of the authors I enjoy reading include: Sandra Brown, Mary Higgins Clark, Catherine Coulter, Christine Feehan, Lisa Gardner, Julie Garwood, Tess Gerritsen, Kay Hooper, Linda Howard, Lisa Jackson, Iris Johannsen, James Patterson, Dean Koontz, Karen Robards, J.D. Robb, Nora Roberts, and Mariah Stewart. Any suggestions of authors along these lines would be greatly appreciated."

Thanks for your question, Shelley. That certainly gives us a lot to work with. Three booksellers -- Chadwick, Gord and Steve -- have come up with some books and authors that should suit your taste....

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