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January & February 2018

YOUR 2017 MANITOBA BESTSELLERS
Fiction
  1. The Break by Katherena Vermette. Softcover. $22.95.
  2. The Water Beetles by Michael Kaan. Softcover. $22.95.
  3. Grandmother, Laughing by Armin Wiebe. Softcover. $19.00.
  4. Once More with Feeling by Méira Cook. Softcover. $22.95.
  5. Comma (poetry) by Jennifer Still. Softcover. $20.00.
  6. Fall in One Day by Craig Terlson. Softcover. 19.99.
  7. The Prussian Captain by Ann Brough. Softcover. $22.99.
  8. Follow Me Down by Sherri Smith. Hardcover. $34.99.
  9. Crows, Stones & Other Poems (poetry) by Steve Lennon. Softcover. $19.95.
  10. Social Studies (play) by Trish Cooper. Softcover. $15.95.
Nonfiction
  1. Lake Agassiz by Bill Redekop. Softcover. $29.95.
  2. An Army of Problem Solvers by Shaun Loney. Softcover. $20.00.
  3. Out of Old Manitoba Kitchens by Christine Hanlon. Hardcover. $24.95.
  4. Stories Best Left Untold by Gord Mackintosh. Softcover. $29.95.
  5. The Way of Letting Go by Wilma Derksen. Softcover. $21.99.
  6. When They Appeared by Stan Michalak. Softcover. $20.00.
  7. Abandoned Manitoba by Gordon Goldsborough. Softcover. $29.95.
  8. Portraits of the North by Gerald Kuehl. Hardcover. $35.00.
  9. Colour Manitoba by Natalie Thiessen. Softcover. $16.95.
  10. Stuck in the Middle 2 by Bartley Kives & Bryan Scott. Softcover. $35.00.

 

YOUR 2017 SASKATCHEWAN BESTSELLERS
Fiction
  1. Adam's Witness by J.C. Paulson. Softcover. $18.99.
  2. The Winners' Circle by Gail Bowen. Hardcover. $32.00.
  3. The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel. Softcover. $19.00.
  4. Swedes' Ferry by Allan Safarik. Softcover. $19.95.
  5. The Gold by David Carpenter. Softcover. $21.95.
  6. Glass Beads by Dawn Dumont. Softcover. 20.00.
  7. What's Left Behind by Gail Bowen. Softcover. $19.95.
  8. Dust-ship Glory by Elaine M. Will. Softcover. $19.95.
  9. Life of Pi by Yann Martel. Softcover. $21.00.
  10. Daddy Lenin and Other Stories by Guy Vanderhaeghe. Softcover. $19.95.
Nonfiction
  1. Firewater: How Alcohol is Killing My People (and Yours) by Harold Johnson. Softcover. $16.95.
  2. Saskatoon: A History in Words and Pictures by Amy Jo Ehman. Softcover. $22.95.
  3. The Education of Augie Merasty by Joseph A. Merasty. Hardcover. $21.95.
  4. Barcelona Is In Trouble by Henry Woolf. Softcover. $20.00.
  5. A World We Have Lost by Bill Waiser. Hardcover. $70.00.
  6. The Great Saskatchewan Bucket List by Robin & Arlene Karpan. Softcover. $19.95.
  7. Love This Saskatchewan by John Perret. Hardcover. $39.95.
  8. All the Sweet Things by Renée Kohlman. Hardcover. $39.95.
  9. With Love from Iraq by Maureen Haddock. Softcover. $13.95.
  10. Towards a Prairie Atonement by Trevor Herriot. Hardcover. $22.95.

 

Congratulations Di Brandt

On November 28, Winnipeg Arts Council announced the appointment of Di Brandt as Winnipeg’s first Poet Laureate. An author with a respected local, national and international profile, Brandt is well-known for her impressive commitment to her community as a teacher, editor and mentor.

 

A Word from our Saskatoon Inventory Manager

Congratulations to Joanne Paulson , whose mystery novel Adam's Witness vaulted to the top of this year's bestseller list after being released this fall. Congratulations also to Gail Bowen for having two titles on the list again this year, as does Yann Martel . Allan Safarik 's novel Swedes' Ferry appears for the fifth year in a row, a bestseller since its publication. Robin and Arlene Karpan's Great Saskatchewan Bucket List is another perennial bestseller, making the list every year since it was released in 2012. —Caroline Walker

In Saskatoon, look for our in-store display of all these great books by local authors.

 

The Best of McNally Robinson — at The Forks

Watch for a McNally Robinson satellite store to open soon at The Forks Market!

Located on the mezzanine at the east end of The Forks Market, next to the elevator for easy access, the store will feature the best of the new literary fiction and non-fiction titles, a selection of our finest gift items. McNally Robinson for Kids and Babies will also be there with your favourite books for children and teens. Watch our website or follow us on Facebook and Twitter for the latest developments.

 

$5 Delivery

Enjoy next day delivery in Winnipeg on in-stock titles for as little as $5.00.

This is a city-wide service and delivery costs depend on the distance we have to travel to reach you. See this page for more information, or call us at 204-475-0483.

Sorry, this service is not available in Saskatoon.

 

What To Read

A collection of recent books particularly recommended by Chris Hall. Look for our in-store What To Read display tables.

Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. $24.99. With the atmosphere of a noir thriller, this historical novel takes us into a world populated by gangsters, sailors, divers, and union men during WW II. America is at war and Anna Kerrigan works at the Brooklyn Naval Yard, where women are allowed to hold jobs that once belonged to the men who have gone overseas. She becomes the first female diver, the most dangerous of occupations, repairing the ships that will help America fight the war. Manhattan Beach is a deft exploration of a transformative moment in the lives and identities of women and men. (Scribner. October)

Wonderland by Steven Johnson. Softcover. $27.00. Johnson argues that, throughout history, the cutting edge of innovation lies wherever people are working the hardest to keep themselves and others amused. He  introduces us to the colourful innovators of leisure: the explorers, proprietors, showmen, and artists who changed the trajectory of history with their luxurious wares, exotic meals, taverns, gambling tables, and magic shows. He compellingly argues that observers of technological and social trends should be looking for clues in novel amusements. You'll find the future wherever people are having the most fun. (Riverhead. November) 

The Attention Merchants by Tim Wu. Softcover. $23.00. It’s called an information economy, but now that access to information is unlimited, our attention has become the ultimate commodity. In every moment of our waking lives, we face a barrage of efforts to harvest our attention. This condition is not simply the byproduct of recent innovations but the result of a century's growth in the “attention  industries” — from newspapers to radio and television to  Internet companies. The basic business model has never changed: free diversion in exchange for a moment of your time, sold to the highest-bidding advertiser. Wu lays bare the true nature of “paying attention,” a reality we can no longer afford to ignore. (Vintage. September)

The Angel of History by Rabih Alameddine. Softcover. $22.95. This novel follows Yemeni-born Jacob as he revisits his life over the course of one night in the waiting room of a psych clinic. We see his upbringing in an Egyptian whorehouse, his adolescence under the aegis of his wealthy father and his life as a gay Arab man in San Francisco at the height of AIDS. Jacob is taunted mercilessly by the  presence of alluring Satan, who urges him to remember his painful past, and dour Death, who urges him to forget and give up. A profound story of the war between memory and oblivion, set within the portrait of a man and an era of deep political and social upheaval. (Grove. November) 

A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee. Softcover. $27.99. What happens when one attempts to exchange the life one is given for something better? This novel explores two defining currents of our century: displacement and migration. Five characters, in very different circumstances — from a  domestic cook in Mumbai, to a vagrant and his dancing bear, and a girl who escapes terror in her home village for a new life in the city — find out the meanings of dislocation, and the desire for more. Mukherjee delivers a haunting vision of people defined by that most unquenchable of human urges, the striving for a different life. (Chatto & Windus. November)

Why Time Flies by Alan Burdick. Softcover. $23.00. "Time" is the most commonly used noun in the English language; it's always on our minds. But what is time, exactly? Why does it seem to slow down when we're bored and speed by as we get older? This witty and meditative exploration takes readers on a quest to understand how time gets in us and why we perceive it the way we do. In the company of scientists, he visits the most accurate clock in the world; discovers that "now" actually happened a split-second ago; lives in the Arctic where one can lose all sense of time; and makes, for one fleeting moment in a lab, time going backward. (Simon & Schuster. January)

The Power of Meaning by Emily Esfahani-Smith. Softcover. $23.00. We have a lot to be happy about and yet we're more dissatisfied than ever. Smith argues that we've been chasing the wrong thing. It's not  happiness that makes life worth living, it's meaning. Drawing on the latest cognitive science research, as well as insights from literature and philosophy, Smith moves effortlessly from George Eliot and Aristotle to Monty Python, spelling out the four pillars of the meaning mindset. She then shows us how we can lean on the pillars in difficult times, and how we might begin to build a culture of meaning in our families, our workplaces, and our communities. (Penguin. January) 

Katalin Street by Magda Szabo, translated by Len Rix. Softcover. $21.95. In prewar Budapest three families live on gracious Katalin Street, their lives closely intertwined. Their lives are torn apart in 1944 by the German occupation, which only one family survives intact. The new regime relocates them to a cramped Soviet-style apartment where they struggle with social and political change, personal loss, and unstated feelings of guilt over the deportation of the Held parents and the death of little Henriette, who had been left in their protection. But the girl survives in a ghostly afterlife and reappears at key moments as a mute witness to the inescapable power of past events. (NYRB Classics. September) 

Tómas Jónsson, Bestseller by Guoberger Bergsson and translated by Lytton Smith. Softcover. $25.95. Considered to be the "Icelandic Ulysses" for its wordplay, neologisms, structural upheaval, and reinvention of what's possible in writing, this bawdy novel is like nothing else Icelandic you thought you knew. A retired, senile bank clerk  confined to his basement  apartment, Tómas Jónsson decides that, since memoirs are all the rage, he's going to write his own. Egoistic, cranky, and  digressive, Tómas’ rants subvert the idea of the memoir itself, something that's as relevant today in our memoir-obsessed society as it was when the novel was first published in 1966. (Open Letter. July) 

Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga. Softcover. $22.95. From 2000 to 2011, seven Indigenous high school students died in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The seven were hundreds of miles away from their families, forced to leave home and live in a foreign and unwelcoming city. Journalist Tanya Talaga focusses on the lives of these students and this city while also providing a history of Canada’s residential schools and the damage they’ve done to the lives of their Indigenous students. In so doing she offers a larger picture of Canada's long struggle with human rights violations against Indigenous communities. (Anansi. October)

 

Author of the Month
JANUARY
Ali Smith  

Born in Inverness, Scotland, Ali Smith is one of the most distinctive and innovative voices on the literary scene today. Her novels and short story collections have placed her at the forefront of contemporary British fiction. She has won the Whitbread Award and the Baileys Women's Prize for Fiction as well as being shortlisted multiple times for the Man Booker Prize. Ambiguity is a theme that runs throughout all of Smith’s fiction and is arguably the characteristic that best defines her treatment of character and self.

In Winter , the second novel in Smith’s Seasonal Quartet, life-force matches up to the toughest of the seasons. Her shapeshifting novel casts a warm, wise, merry and uncompromising eye over a post-truth era in a story rooted in history and memory and with a taproot deep in the evergreens of art and love.

In a novel of ferocity, tenderness, anger and generosity of spirit, Sophia Cleves is a Scrooge for our time, a retired businesswoman whose work always took precedence over family. Now holed up in her 15-bedroom house in Cornwall, she is, as her estranged sister, Iris, observes, “an old miserly grump who had nothing in the house for your son and his girlfriend for Christmas except a bag of walnuts and half a jar of glace cherries”.

Although there’s no traditional Christmas miracle in Winter , the entire book is in it own way testament to the miraculous powers of the creative arts: “That’s one of the things stories and books can do, they can make more than one time possible at once,” one of the characters explains. (Hardcover. $30.00. Hamish Hamilton. January)

FEBRUARY
Alan Bradley  

Alan Bradley was born in Toronto. After a long career in television broadcasting, he took early retirement from the University of Saskatchewan to write full-time. He has published many children’s stories and was the recipient of the first Saskatchewan Writers Guild Award for Children’s Literature. The first novel of his Flavia de Luce series, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie , won the 2007 Debut Dagger Award of the Crime Writers Association in the UK; the 2009 Agatha Award for Best First Novel; the 2010 Dilys, awarded by the International Mystery Booksellers Association; the Spotted Owl Award, given by the Friends of Mystery, and the 2010 Arthur Ellis Award, given by the Crime Writers of Canada for Best First Novel.

In Bradley's ninth Flavia de Luce novel, The Grave's a Fine and Private Place , twelve-year-old Flavia is struggling to fill her empty days in the wake of an unthinkable family tragedy. For a needed escape, Dogger, the loyal family servant, suggests a boating trip for Flavia and her two older sisters.

As their punt drifts past the church where a notorious vicar had recently dispatched three of his female parishioners by spiking their communion wine with cyanide, Flavia, an expert chemist with a passion for poisons, is in her element, when something grazes against her fingers as she dangles them in the water. She clamps down on the object, and pulls up what she expects will be a giant fish. But in Flavia’s grip is something quite different: a human head, attached to a human body. If anything could take Flavia’s mind off sorrow, it is solving a murder, although this one that may lead the young sleuth to an early grave. (Hardcover. $29.95. Doubleday. February)

 

Our Feature Paperbacks
JANUARY

Solitude
by Michael Harris
Our January 30% Off Price $13.97.
Add to Cart

In a world of perpetual interconnectivity, the capacity to be alone is one of life’s subtlest skills. Real solitude is a contented and productive state that allows us to reflect and recharge, improving our relationships with ourselves and, paradoxically, with others. Solitude by award-winning author Michael Harris ( The End of Absence ) examines why our experience of solitude has become so impoverished, and how we may grow to love it again in the frenzy of our digital landscape. (Anchor. January)

FEBRUARY

Lincoln in the Bardo
by George Saunders
Our February 30% Off Price $16.10.
Add to Cart

On February 22, 1862, two days after his death, Willie Lincoln was laid to rest in a marble crypt in a Georgetown cemetery. That very night, shattered by grief, Abraham Lincoln arrives at the cemetery and visits the crypt, alone, to spend time with his son’s body. Set over the course of one night and populated by ghosts of the recently passed and the long dead, Lincoln in the Bardo explores death, grief, the powers of good and evil in the debut novel by this award-winning master of the short story. (Random House. February)

 

Wanna Play?

QUEENDOMINO: A family board game where strategy counts as much as luck

Queendomino is a follow up to 2016's Spiel des Jahres winner Kingdomino, in which you claim domino-style tiles in order to build up your kingdom. Claim wheat fields, forests, lakes, grazing grounds, marshes, and mountains while your gallant knights bring you riches — and if you make sure to expand the towns on your lands, you will make new buildings appear, creating new strategies! 2 to 4 players, ages 8 and up. Playing time 25 minutes. $45.00.

Play Queendomino either as an expansion to Kingdomino or as a standalone game.

 

Good to Know
Financial Times

Managing your money can be frustrating and confusing. Life is expensive. It doesn’t matter if you make $40,000 or $140,000 a year, it can feel like you’re constantly broke. Can you afford that new car, that vacation, that night out? You think so, but it feels impossible to know. What if instead of feeling guilty and anxious about money, you felt happy and secure?   Worry-Free Money by Shannon Lee Simmons shows you how to create a financial plan that will let you spend knowing you’ll be ready for the future. (Softcover. $21.99. HarperCollins. December)

Being smart with money isn’t just about what you put in the bank. It’s about everything — from the clothes you put in your closet, to your financial relationship habits, to the food you put in your kitchen (instead of ordering in again). Whether you’re in need of an overspending detox, buried under student debt, or just trying to figure out how to live on an entry-level salary,   The Financial Diet by Chelsea Fagan gives you tools to make a  budget, understand investments, and deal with your credit. (Softcover. $25.00. Henry Holt. January)

 

Putting a Spin on Things

An engrossing narrative history of ideas and science,   The Spinning Magnet by Alanna Mitchell tells the fascinating history of one of the four fundamental physical forces in the universe: electro-magnetism. From investigations into magnetism in 13th century feudal France and the realization six hundred years later in the Victorian era that electricity and magnetism were essentially the same, to the discovery that Earth itself is a magnet, spinning in space between the magnetic North Pole and magnetic South Pole.

But the story comes with a warning. The poles periodically reverse, and when they do, the Earth will be unprotected from solar radiation storms that, among other things, will wipe out all electromagnetic technology. No satellites, no internet, no smart phones — maybe no power grid at all. (Hardcover. $34.00. Penguin. February)

  The Healthy Brain by Aileen Burford-Mason makes the case that most people’s brains are under- performing because they are undernourished. As the most metabolically active organ of the body, the brain’s nutritional needs are ten times higher than those of any other organ. That means the brain is the first organ to falter when it is improperly fed.

Burford-Mason offers step-bystep guidance on how to implement dietary changes and select appropriate supplements for optimal brain power at any age. She cites real-life case histories from her practice and summarizes leading-edge scientific research to support her advice. Feeding the brain properly is a lifelong project, and memory and cognition in later life depend on the care and feeding our brains receive throughout our entire lives. (Softcover. $22.99. HarperCollins. January)

 

What Are We Doing Here?

Novelist and essayist Marilynne Robinson, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, has spent her career plumbing the human spirit. In her new collection of essays,   What Are We Doing Here? , she addresses the modern political climate and the mysteries of faith. Whether she is investigating how the work of great thinkers like Emerson and  Tocqueville inform our political consciousness or discussing the way that beauty informs and disciplines daily life, Robinson’s peerless prose and boundless  humanity are on full display. (Hardcover. $32.95.  McClelland & Stewart. February)

Insightful, funny and ever-timely, Zadie Smith's second collection of essays,   Feel Free , reaches out in all directions, from German Old Masters to the new masters of East Coast rap, from social networks opening lines of communication to national referenda closing doors, and draws back a rich feast of ideas. Here pop culture, high culture, social change and political debate all get the Zadie Smith treatment: dissected with razor-sharp intellect, set brilliantly against the context of the utterly contemporary, and considered with a deep humanity and compassion. (Hardcover. $32.00. Hamish Hamilton. February) 

 

Open Books
Passionate Lives

  I Am, I Am, I Am by  Maggie O’Farrell is an astonishing memoir of the near-death experiences that have defined the author's life. The childhood illness that left her in the hospital for nearly a year, which she was not expected to survive. A teenage yearning to escape that nearly ended in disaster. An encounter with a serial killer on a remote path.

O’Farrell captures the perils running just beneath the surface, and illuminates the preciousness, beauty and mysteries of life itself. (Hardcover. $29.95. Knopf. February)

Mokhtar Alkhanshali grew up in San Francisco, one of seven siblings brought up by Yemeni immigrants.  Inspired to learn the complex art of coffee making, the twenty-four year-old goes to Yemen. He is on the verge of success when civil war erupts in 2015 and he can't get out of the country.

  The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers weaves together the history of coffee, the ongoing Yemeni civil war, and the journey of a young man following his dream.  (Hardcover. $36.00. Knopf. February)

In   Wallis in Love , Andrew Morton uses diaries, letters, and other never-before-seen records to offer a fresh portrait of Wallis Simpson, the woman for whom Edward VIII so infamously abdicated his throne.

Morton follows Wallis from her romantic adventures in Washington in the 1920s to her entrance into London Society in the 1930s. Along the way, he offers insights into a complex woman striving to determine her own fate in a turbulent world. (Hardcover. $36.50. Grand Central. February)

 

Saskatchewan Mind Games

  Psychedelic Revolutionaries by P.W. Barber recounts the history of hallucino genic-drug research in Saskatchewan, and the roles played by Humphry Osmond, Abram Hoffer, and Duncan Blewett, who broke new ground in the 1950s and 1960s in the use of hallucinogens like mescaline and LSD, the formulation of biochemical hypotheses for schizophrenia, and the development of thera pies to treat alcoholism. Barber details the experiments as well as the researchers, including the team's connections to such notables as Aldous Huxley and Linus Pauling. He also examines popularly held myths surrounding the drugs, and shows how the research made extensive contributions to this scientific field that led to radical innovations in mental health, many of which are still relevant today. (Softcover. $34.95. University of Regina Press. January)

 

The Forgotten Lives of Early Christian Women . While often overlooked, women played important roles in early Christianity. In a four-part series, educator Heather Barkman looks at women’s roles in early Christianity, from the New Testament gospels and letters of Paul, to the second-century non-canonical gospels in which Mary Magdalene was particularly prominent. February 13, 20, 27, March 6 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm. Pre-registration required. Cost $120.00 per person. (Please note: Our Community Classroom programs are only available at our Winnipeg location.)   Register online >>>
 

 

It's Getting Better All the Time

Our ego, and its accompanying sense of nagging selfdoubt, is one affliction we all share. And, while our ego claims to have our best interests at heart, in its never-ending pursuit of attention and power, it sabotages the very goals it sets to achieve.   Advice Not Given by Mark Epstein reveals how Buddhism and Western psychotherapy, two traditions that developed in entirely different times and places, come to the same conclusion: When we give the ego free reign, we suffer; but when it learns to let go, we are free. (Hardcover. $35.00. Penguin. January)

Timing is not only important in achieving success, sometimes it can be everything. While it is often assumed to be an art,   When: The Scientific Secrets of Perfect Timing by Daniel H. Pink shows that timing is really a science. How can we turn a stumbling beginning into a fresh start? Why should we avoid going to the hospital in the afternoon? And what is the ideal time to quit a job, switch careers, or get married? Drawing on research from psychology, biology, and economics, Pink reveals compelling insights into how we can live richer, more engaged lives by considering the "when" of a situation. (Hardcover. $37.00. Riverhead. January)

In 2015, when New York Times journalist John Leland set out to meet some of the city’s oldest inhabitants — all over eighty-five — he thought of aging as the relentless deterioration of body, mind, and quality of life. But the six elders he interviewed took him in a different direction. He was given a life-changing education in resilience and joy. Based on these interviews, Leland's book,   Happiness Is a Choice You Make , is a heartening revelation that, even as our faculties decline, we still wield extraordinary influence over the quality of our lives. (Hardcover. $34.00. FSG. January)

 

Difference

“If you only read the books that everyone else is reading, you can only think what everyone else is thinking.” — Haruki Murakami

The stories contained in Camilla Grudova ’s debut collection The Doll’s Alphabet (Softcover. $19.95. Coach House Books) open a door into a unique new world. Published to much acclaim in the UK earlier this year by Fitzcarraldo Editions, her impact is now being felt in her own home country, with a number of end-of-year lists to her credit already alongside many glowing reviews. The praise in this case is entirely justified. Grudova’s world, described as a “mildewed dystopia” by one commentator, is like no other. A ramshackle, whimsical universe, it is also shot through with humour and a distinct darkness. Her stories have been compared to those of Angela Carter, an apt distinction, with a strong feeling of Victorian literature crossed with European folk tales, reenacted by a decaying puppet show with a strong feminist bent. Punctured tins of meat, buttons, swatches of cloth, and the collected detritus of generations are heaped in their corners.

Belying their antiquarian scaffolding, these tales are possessed of a distinctly modern atmosphere. The keen observations on art, power, and gender relations never disappear amidst the oddity of their accompanying subject matter; whether women are sloughing off their skin to reveal the whirring sewing machines beneath, taking the shape of wolves, or attempting to survive in a society where caring for the inept male “"philosophy students" around them is seen as the height of duty. Nor do the stories themselves become lost in the sheer possibility of their contents. There is a firm hand at the wheel.

Grudova’s indelible images are woven from the very stuff of dreams — at once firm and ephemeral — grounded, yet disorienting. Though the stories dance about the edges of the fantastic, this is a world that feels lived in, and as Grudova has mentioned, one that feels intensely  real to her. The image of sewing machines recurs throughout, and it is their ability to create a vast and beautiful tapestry from humble materials that compares positively to the authorial conjuring on display.

With a second collection and a debut novel currently waiting in the wings, we’re likely to hear much more from Grudova in the years to come. Now is the time to get in on the ground floor and encounter a writer and an imagination like no other. Gurdova’s voice is thrillingly personal and deliciously weird.  — John Toews

 

Monteverde, A World of Writing Luxury

Monteverde offers high quality and elegant writing instruments that combine the finest European resins, celluloid's, and carbon fibers with state-of-the-art ink technologies.

Pens
Monterverde's Aldo Domani Collection of fountain pens, with their mid-sized profile and smooth finish, make them a favourite for those desiring an easy and pleasurable writing experience. $49.00

Inks
Available in a variety of colours, Monetverde's new Ink Treatment Formula (ITF) drastically improves ink-flow quality, extends cap-off time and improves ink drying time on paper. $9.50

Please visit us in-store to browse these items.

 

 

Looking Back, Looking Forward
History! It's Alive

The 21st century has been hailed as the Age of Networks. However, in   The Square and the Tower , Niall Ferguson argues that networks have always been with us. From the cults of ancient Rome to the dynasties of the Renaissance to Facebook, The Square and the Tower tells the story of the rise, fall and rise of networks, and shows how network theory — concepts such as clustering, degrees of separation, weak ties, contagions and phase transitions — can transform our understanding of both the past and the present. (Hardcover. $40.00. Penguin Press. January)

By the middle of the 19th century, Britain had become the largest empire in history and the leader of the new global industrial economy. And yet with all its achievements, it was also a society permeated with doubt, fear, and introspection. Bookended by the Act of Union (with Ireland) in 1800 and the 1906 victory by the Liberal Party, David Cannadine's   Victorious Century catches the relish, humour and staginess of the age, but also the dilemmas faced by Britain’s citizens from all walks of life. (Hardcover. $54.00. Viking. February)

In   How Democracies Die , Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue democracy no longer ends with a bang — in a revolution or military coup — but with a whimper: the slow weakening of critical institutions, such as the judiciary and the press, and the gradual erosion of longstanding political norms. The good news is that there are many exits on the road to authoritarianism. The bad news is that the election of Donald Trump forebodes that the process is already underway. (Hardcover. $35.00. Crown. January)

 

From the end of the eighth century the Vikings went out from Scandinavia sometimes travelling  thousands of miles from home. Join Richard Castro for Vikings on Friday February 23 from 2:00 to 4:00 pm and discover, on the one hand, how the Vikings from Denmark, Sweden and Norway were similar, and on the other hand, how they were very different in terms of the places they actually went. Pre-registration required. Cost $25.00 per person.  (Please note: Our Community Classroom programs are only available at our Winnipeg location.)   Register online >>>

 

Annie Pootoogook

When Annie Pootoogook won the Sobey Art Award in 2006, she cracked the glass ceiling for Inuit art, securing its place in contemporary Canadian art discourse and establishing herself as an artist of international importance. Her life and death is a story of national significance. The complex narratives weaving through her short life speak to possibility and heartbreak, truth and reconciliation, the richness of community, and the depths of tragedy.

  Annie Pootoogook: Cutting Ice accompanies an exhibition organized by the McMichael Canadian Art Collection, the gallery of record for works on paper from Annie Pootoogook’s Inuit community of Kinngait (Cape Dorset). Under the direction of Nancy Campbell, this publication and the exhibition serve to commemorate the life and work of a remarkable artist a year after her tragically early death. (Hardcover. $45.00. Goose Lane. February)

 

Positively Healthy

A Healthy Society, the Updated and Expanded Edition by Ryan Meili is one doctor’s vision for a new approach to politics — and a new approach to building a healthier world.

Drawing on his experiences as a family physician in the inner city of Saskatoon, in rural Saskatchewan, and in Mozambique, Dr. Meili argues that health delivery too often focuses on treatment of immediate causes and ignores more fundamental conditions that lead to poor health. Far more than the actions of health care providers, it is the social determinants of health — income, education, employment, housing, the wider environment, and social supports — that make the greatest difference. (Softcover. $24.95. UBC Press, Purich Books. December) This updated edition describes the positive steps that have been taken since the first edition was published in 2012. 

 

CALL FOR PHOTOS

Do you love taking photographs? We’d like to consider your images of Manitoba for a new hardcover book: MANITOBA by MANITOBA: Photos of a Province by its Citizens , to be published in the spring of 2019 by McNally Robinson.

This is a book by Manitobans and will feature full-colour images of what you love about Manitoba. Keeping in mind that we want to discover a world beyond the environs of Winnipeg, a subject which we explored in our 2013 book WINNIPEG by WINNIPEG , we will look only at photographs taken outside of Winnipeg's perimeter.

Please send your submissions by email attachment to [email protected]. The deadline for submissions is 11:59 pm, October 31, 2018.

For more information on the submission process, please visit this page .

 

Washable Paper Bags!

UASHMAMA® washable paper looks and feels like leather, but washes with ease. Made in Italy, these bags are soft yet resilient. The manufacturing process is similar to leather as the paper is stretched and tanned making it durable to withstand washing and daily use.

Tote Bag $189.00 • Otti Bag $119.00 •  Lunch Bag $89.00 • Basic Bag Small $22.00 • Basic Bag Medium $26.00 •  Basic Bag Large $30.00 • Pencil Case $22.00

Please visit us in-store to browse these items.

 

Fiction & Poetry
Great New Fiction

Traumatized WW II vet Art Kenning is the alcoholic first-aid man in an isolated sawmill village in the interior of B.C. But the sad comfort of his self-imposed detachment is shattered when one of the most powerful men at the mill arrives at his door asking for his help. What unfolds over the course of that night and following day in Deep River Night by Patrick Lane (Red Dog, Red Dog) forces Art to confront acts of evil, both in the present and the past, as well as the consequences of his own inaction. (Hardcover. $32.00.  McClelland & Stewart. February)

Following Umbrella (2012) and Shark (2014), The Phone , the third in Will Self's Kittlerian trilogy, continues to explore the interplay between minds, madness and technology across the 20th century. Uniting our most urgent contemporary concerns, from the ubiquitous mobile phone to a family in chaos; from the horror of modern war, to the end of privacy, Phone is a modernist tour de force in which technology, love and violence converge in postwar Iraq where mindless passions will determine the destiny of nations. (Hardcover. $38.95. Grove. January)

Part coming-of-age story, part revenge tragedy, Fiona Mozley’s debut, Elmet , is a dark parable of life lived off the grid in modern Britain. The simple life of the 13-year-old Daniel is turned upside down when his father leads an insurrection of underpaid farm labourers against a greedy landlord. Shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize, Elmet is a lyrical commentary on contemporary society and one family's precarious place in it, as well as an exploration of how deep the bond between father and child can go. (Softcover. $19.99. HarperCollins. December) 

 

New Fiction in Translation

In Love by Hanne Orstavik, translated by Martin Aitken a mother and son, Vibeke and Jon, have just moved to a small town in Norway. While Jon goes out to sell lottery tickets for his sports club and Vibeke heads off to the library, a sense of uneasiness grows. Love illustrates how language builds its own reality that separates us from each other, and how such distance may have fatal  consequences. (Softcover. $17.00. Archipelago.  February)

Written while on a writer's residency in Warsaw, the narrator finds herself haunted by the story of her older sister, who died a mere two hours after birth. The White Book by Han Kang ( The Vegetarian ), translated by Deborah Smith becomes an exploration of white things, of swaddling bands that became her shroud, breast milk she did not live to drink, the blank page on which the narrator herself attempts to reconstruct the story.  (Hardcover. $16.50. Portobello Books. January) 

 

Hope Springs Eternal

Manitoba's Hope Nicholson is the author of The Spectacular Sisterhood of Superwomen (2017), which features the powerful, compelling, entertaining, and heroic female characters who've populated comic books from the very beginning. She is also a busy editor who has compiled such collections as Moonshot (a collection of Inuit, Métis, and First Nations comic book stories) and The Secret Loves of Geek Girls (an all-female comic and text anthology of true stories of geeky love).

She follows up the latter with The Secret Loves of Geeks , a comics and prose anthology collection of  tell-all tales about love, sex and dating that features work by Margaret Atwood, Gerard Way, Dana Simpson, Patrick Rothfuss and more. (Softcover. $19.99. Dark Horse. February)

If that weren't enough, Nicholson has teamed up with Samantha Beiko to compile Gothic Tales of Haunted Love , a comics anthology of ill-fated lovers, ghostly revenge, and horrific deeds in the spirit of 1970s gothic romance comics such as Haunted Love and Dark Mansion of Forbidden Love.  It features work by Hope herself,  David Alexander  Robertson, Samantha Beiko, Scott Henderson and  others. (Softcover. $25.00. Bedside Press. January) 

 

Prairie Surrealism

In Safety Sand , Garry Thomas Morse invites the reader to step through a multilayered literary filter of uncanny allusions and cavalier translations to explore a nomadic Manitoba of the mind. Prairie surrealism is born!

"Bones of the Last Bison," the centrepiece of the collection, is an erasure exhibit that strips away the layers of Charles Mair’s celebrated poem "The Last Bison," providing fractured  commentary on Mair’s efforts to stir up  hostility against Louis Riel and the provisional  government in 1870, and also his early "environmentalist" work about the decline of the buffalo on the prairie, at once concealing and revealing what this has meant in practical and spiritual terms for Indigenous peoples. (Softcover. $18.95. Talonbooks. January)

 

Our Sights & Sounds

Music CDs & Records

John Coltrane. Chasing Trane , directed by John Scheinfeld. A documentary available in Blu-ray ($23.99) & DVD ($18.99). Set against the social, political and cultural landscape of the times, Chasing Trane brings saxophone great John Coltrane to life, as a man and an artist whose influence continues to this day. The film features never-before-seen Coltrane family home movies, footage of Coltrane and his band in the studio, along with rare photographs and television appearances. Soundtrack available separately on CD for $14.99. (Universal. November)

André Rieu. Amore . CD $14.99 . The new album from the king of the waltz is a bright, summery offering of delightfully romantic music. Fresh from breaking his own UK box office record for his Maastricht 2016 concert, André Rieu and his Johann Strauss Orchestra return with a brand new album. Amore features unique versions of classic love songs, including Richard Clayderman’s "Ballade pour Adeline," Elvis Presley’s "Love me Tender" and Nana Mouskouri’s "Only Love," uniquely crafted, arranged and performed by André Rieu and his orchestra. (Universal. December)

Björk. Utopia . CD $18.99 . Vinyl $39.99 . Filled with flute and birdsong, Björk’s 10th album is deeply personal, a discovery of googly-eyed romance, a rebuke of violence inherited by men, and a generous offering of love song after love song, rendered musically with elegance and passion. Utopia runs 14 tracks in length and includes previously released single "The Gate." In contrast to her previous album, 2015's Vulnicura, which Björk has referred to as her heartbreak album, the new record explores the potential for a more optimistic future. (Sony. December)

Chris Stapleton. From a Room Volume 2 . CD $10.99 . Vinyl $21.99 . For the longest time, people in Nashville knew Chris Stapleton as a songwriter who wrote hits for some of the biggest names in country music: Tim McGraw, Kenny Chesney, Dierks Bentley and more. Then in May 2015, Traveller, Stapleton's debut solo album, was released and everything changed. The third full-length release for the award-winning country singer-songwriter continues with his powerful brew of country, folk, blues and Southern rock and soul. (Universal. December)

 

DVD & Blu-Ray Movies

The Breakfast Club , directed by John Hughes. Blu-ray $43.99 . With this 1985 pop-culture phenomenon, writer-director John Hughes established himself as the bard of American youth, capturing how teenagers hang out, act up, and goof off. The Breakfast Club brings together an assortment of adolescent archetypes — the uptight popular girl (Molly Ringwald), the stoic jock (Emilio Estevez), the foulmouthed rebel (Judd Nelson), the virginal bookworm (Anthony Michael Hall), and the kooky recluse (Ally Sheedy) — and watches them shed their personae and emerge into unlikely friendships. (Criterion. January)

Matinee , directed by Joe Dante. Blu-ray $37.99 . It's 1962, and fifteen-year-old super fan Gene Loomis can't wait for the arrival of Woolsey, who is in town to promote his latest movie about atomic power gone berserk. But the absurd vision of Woolsey's celluloid tale takes on a sudden urgency as the Cuban Missile Crisis places the real threat of atomic horror just 90 miles off the coast. John Goodman is at his uproarious best as the movie promoter Lawrence Woolsey brings his unique brand of flashy showmanship to the unsuspecting residents of Key West, Florida. (Shout! January)

Night of the Living Dead , directed by George Romero. 2-disc Bluray set $45.99 . A disparate group of people takes refuge in an  isolated farmhouse in rural Pennsylvania in a bid for survival as they come under siege by hordes of the recently deceased, returned to "life" as bloodthirsty, flesh-eating ghouls. Romero's groundbreaking 1968 cult classic, now available in this 4K restoration from Criterion, pioneered the zombie genre of horror films and spawned a host of sequels and imitators. Contains featurettes, interviews, theatrical trailer, audio commentary, and more. (Criterion. February)

Doc Martin, Series 8 . Blu-ray $46.99 . DVD $39.99 . After all their ups and downs as a couple, Doc and Louisa seem to have finally made peace with each other. But now they face a new challenge: living together in Portwenn with their baby, John Henry. Doc is still stubborn and grumpy, but he's trying his best to be a better husband and father, while Louisa considers switching careers. Can Martin cope with all the changes, or will he risk the fragile accord he’s forged with his family? All the regulars return, along with notable guest stars Sigourney Weaver and Caroline Quentin. (Acorn TV. December) 

 

BABIES
Take Another Peek

What would you do if you were settling down for a quiet bedtime story and you realized that a crocodile had fallen into your storybook and was — not to put too fine a point on it — wreaking havoc? Would you slam that book shut and cram it back onto the bookshelf? Or would you be brave enough to peek?   Open Very Carefully by Nick Bromley and illustrated by Nicola O'Byrne is a fun board book with a little bit of bite. (Board Book. $11.99. Candlewick. January)

 

Friends Indeed

In   So Far Up by Susanne Strasser, Bear can’t reach the cake — it’s so far up, and he’s so far down! A cast of friendly animals — who are all so far down — try to help bear reach the cake. But what happens when a child swoops in with other plans? (Board Book. $9.99. Charlesbridge. January)

  So Light, So Heavy by Susanne Strasser draws toddlers in by repetition, opposites, humour, and an unexpected twist in this board book story about Elephant’s quest to get the seesaw to teeter. A cast of friendly animals — who are all so light—try to help move the seesaw, but Elephant’s side won’t budge. He’s so heavy. Then what happens when a child swoops in with other plans? (Board Book. $9.99. Charlesbridge. January)

 

Dennis Lee & Mem Fox, Always with Good Yarns to Tell

Good Night, Good Night collects some of Dennis Lee’s best-loved poems on the themes of bedtime and dreaming, brought to life by the warm and whimsical art of award-winning illustrator Qin Leng. This board book is the perfect nighttime read-aloud for the very young. (Boardbook. $12.99. HarperCollins. February)

Count along with Mother Duck as her ducklings try to waddle across the bridge. Ducks Away by Mem Fox and illustrated by Judy Horacek is a delightful counting tale that introduces young readers to the basic principles of addition and subtraction. (Hardcover. $22.99. Scholastic. February)

 

Sleeps & Cuddles

The Spring Time Sleeper from Little Me is an adorable one-piece footie decorated in a floral pattern. It is 100% cotton, has front snap closure from neck to feet for easy dressing, long sleeves for extra comfort, and matching cap. Sizes: newborn to 9 months. $22.50

Soft and huggable, this matching 7" doll from Gund rattles during play to delight baby. Machine-washable and appropriate for all ages. $14.00

The Puppies Footie Sleeper from Little Me features an all-over dog print with elbow patches on each sleeve and a full front snap opening for easy changes. Matching hat is included. Sizes: newborn to 9 months. $22.50

This matching 10" teddy bear from Gund is perfect for baby's every adventure. Includes embroidered facial features, extra soft stuffing, and a washable surface. $20.00

Please visit us in-store to browse these items.

 

KIDS
Wriggles & Giggles

Marcus is a worm, and a bird named Laurence who looks very much like a chicken is about to eat him. So what does Marcus do? He strikes up a conversation, of course! But Marcus's troubles are just beginning: soon he is clinging to Laurence's neck on an absurd journey to Kenya, where his feathered companion hopes to meet other flamingos. Except Marcus can't actually read a map, and this bird is clearly not a flamingo.   They Didn't Teach THIS in Worm School! by Simone Lia is a middle grade buddy story that will have readers wriggling with laughter. (Hardcover. $16.99. Candlewick. February) (Ages 7-9)

Rot is a mutant potato. Like most mutant potatoes, Rot loves all sorts of contests. But after entering the “Cutest in the World Contest,” he loses heart when he realizes what he's up against: an itty-bitty baby bunny, a little-wittle cuddly kitten, and an eenie-weenie jolly jellyfish.   Rot, the Cutest in the World! by Ben Clanton will have kids collapsing in giggles as they wait to find out if the judges in the contest have room in their hearts for an adorable mutant potato? (Hardcover. $23.99. Atheneum. December) (Ages 4-8)

For Lily, her first day of school turns into a disaster when she throws up on the playground! Fortunately, quirky Darby comes to the rescue. Darby likes frogs and candy and oddball stuff. But before you can say "BFF," Darby's former best friend, mean-spirited Jill, returns unexpectedly.   Best Buds Under Frogs , Leslie Patricelli's first middle grade novel, is an engaging tale of fourth-grade life involving hilarious mishaps with frogs, accidentally shaved eyebrows, and school pranks gone awry. (Hardcover. $15.99. Candlewick. February) (Ages 7-10)

When Ellis Coffey discovers a caterpillar that seems to follow his directions, he thinks he has a chance to win the annual Woolly Worm race. The prize money is $1,000—exactly the amount of the deductible for his dad's back surgery. If Ellis can train his woolly worm to be the fastest in the country, he's sure he can solve all his family's problems.   The Worm Whisperer by Betty Hicks and illustrated by Ben Hatke is a story of friendship, family, and hidden talents. (Softcover. $10.50. Square Fish. December) (Ages 8-12)

 

Vikki VanSickle's Latest Novel

Vikki VanSickle's latest novel,   The Winnowing , tells a dystopian tale for young adults about two friends who are torn apart just when they need each other the most. Marivic and Saren promise to stick together, especially through the uncertain winnowing procedure, a now inevitable part of adolescence. But when tragedy separates them, Marivic will need to trust her own frightening new abilities if she is going to avenge Saren and right a decade of wrongs, even when it means turning her back on everything and everyone she’s known and loved. (Softcover. $10.99. Scholastic. September) (Ages 12 & up)

 

Picture Book Friends & a Grumpy Panda

Bear and Wolf are young and curious, slipping easily into friendship as they amble along together, seeing new details in the snowy forest. Together they spy an owl overhead, look deep into the frozen face of the lake, and contemplate the fish sleeping below the surface. Then it's time to say goodbye: for Bear to go home and hibernate with the family and for Wolf to run with the pack. Dan Salmieri's debut as author/illustrator,   Bear and Wolf , is a beautifully rendered story of friendship and the subtle rhythm of life when we are open to the world and to each other. (Hardcover. $27.50. Enchanted Lion Books. February) (Ages 4-8)

  Pandamonia by Chris Owen, and illustrated by Chris Nixon starts off innocently enough: “So you’re here at the zoo on this glorious day. / You’re sure to have fun— it’s a great place to play. / Come in. Look around. Relax and explore. / Inside you will find there are creatures galore. / You’ll have a magnificent time at the zoo….” But whatever you do, DON'T WAKE THE PANDA! A delightful rhyming text ideal for read-aloud fun, full of playful art and one very grumpy panda. Readers soon learn of the consequences of disturbing the panda. (Hardcover. $18.50. February. Kane Miller Books) (Ages 4-10)

 

I have always wanted to...

A Writing Contest

McNally Robinson Booksellers and Scholastic Canada invite Saskatchewan's grade 5 and 6 students to enter our annual writing contest. This year the theme is "I have always wanted to...." go into space, swim in the sea, climb a mountain, drive a train, go back into the past or forward into the future. Think of something you really want to do, and then write a story about how you would do it and what it might be like. Let your imagination run wild.

This year's special guest judge is Vikki VanSickle, author of the acclaimed Clarissa books, including Words That Start With B (CBA Libris Awards Children’s Book of the Year Finalist), Love Is a Four-Letter Word (Indigo Kids Best Book of 2011), and Days That End In Y . Her latest novel is The Winnowing .

Writing submissions should be between 500 and 1000 words, and may be fiction or non-fiction.

Entries will be accepted in-store or via email ( Winnipeg [email protected] / Saskatoon : writingcontest.saskatoon@gmail. com) until 11:00 pm on Friday March 23, 2018.

For more information, visit the Kids desk in your nearest McNally Robinson bookstore, or call us: Winnipeg 204-475-0492 / Saskatoon 955-1477.

 

February is "I Love to Read" Month

Two new whimsical picture books celebrate the love of reading.

A visit to the library can be full of surprises. When the librarian is late for story time, the children go off to look for her and follow mysterious paw prints to find a bear sitting at her desk. Is the bear a new librarian? Not exactly. The new LiBEARian opens a book about bears and utters a loud growl. The kids love it! Then the real librarian appears and sends the bear back into the book he came from. The New LiBEARian by Alison Donald and illustrated by Alex Willmore is a winsome tale of a universal childhood experience — story time at the library — infused with magic. (Hardcover. $23.99. Clarion Books. January) (Ages 4-7)

Some people collect stamps. Some people collect coins. Some people collect art. And Jerome? Jerome collects words… The Word Collector by Peter H. Reynolds is an extraordinary tale of a young boy who discovers the magic of the words all around him — short and sweet words, two-syllable treats, and multisyllable words that sound like little songs. Words that connect, transform, and empower. From the creator of The Dot and Happy Dreamer, this book is a celebration of finding your own words, and the impact you can have when you share them with the world. (Hardcover. $21.99. Scholastic. February) (Ages 4-8)

 

Teaming up with the Moose & the Blades

McNally Robinson Booksellers Teams Up with the MANITOBA MOOSE and the SASKATOON BLADES to Celebrate "I Love to Read" Month

Students and teachers can enter their classroom for a chance to win school visits from their local teams, and McNally Robinson is excited to sponsor a special "I Love to Read" hockey game in each city. And in Saskatoon, we'll be hosting a special breakfast with the Blades in Prairie Ink!

For details on our Manitoba Moose "Stick to Reading" program, please visit this page .

For information on our Saskatoon Blades "I Love to Read" program, please see this page .

 

More Fun Stuff to Do at McNally Robinson for Kids

Join us for these upcoming events at our Saskatoon location:

  • Puppet Show: Tuesday, February 20. Join us for a fun-time puppet show in the story circle at 1:30pm.
  • Board Game Day: Thursday, February 22 is Board Game Day at McNally Robinson. Games will be set out on tables in the morning for anyone to play. No time limit, play and stay all day long if you want.
  • Superhero Party: Friday, February 23, from 1:30 to 2:30. Our Superhero Party features two surprise superheroes, games, and activities.

No reservations required. All these events are free and kids of all ages are welcome. (Please note: these events are only taking place at our Saskatoon location.)

 

The Kid's Watchlist

 

TEEN SCENE
A New Series by Katherena Vermette

Pemmican Wars is the first graphic novel in a new series entitled A Girl Called Echo by Governor General Award-winner Katherena Vermette, and illustrated by Scott B. Henderson and Donovan Yaciuk. It introduces readers to a13 year-old Métis girl, Echo Desjardins, as she struggles with loneliness at her new school and with a new foster family.

Her loneliness is assuaged, however, when sitting in history class one day, Echo is transported to another time and place — a bison hunt on the Saskatchewan prairie — and back to the present. In the following weeks, Echo slips back and forth in time, and experiences the perilous and bygone era of the Pemmican Wars. (Softcover. $18.95. Highwater Press. November) 

 

Kristine Scarrow and the Healing Power of Fiction

In   The 11th Hour by Saskatoon author Kristine Scarrow, Annika Dietty thinks her future is with Dylan Sopick — until they run away together.

One day, after weeks of secret planning, seventeen-year-old Annika Dietty leaves home at dawn to run away with her boyfriend, the charming and popular Dylan Sopick. She tried telling her friends and family how amazing Dylan is, but seeing as they all seem set against the relationship, she’s decided their only chance is to run away together.

But not everything goes according to plan, and Dylan seems to be having more and more trouble dealing with every obstacle they encounter. At first Annika is sympathetic, knowing that he’s had a harder life than she has, but soon Dylan’s behaviour becomes unsettling, and Annika realizes that her safety is at stake. She finally admits to herself that Dylan needs help she can’t provide. She wants to get him to help — if she’ll get the chance. (Softcover. $12.99. Dundurn Press. February)

Kristine Scarrow is the author of two  previous young adult novels, Throwaway Girl (2014) and If This Is Home (2017). She  is the writer-in-residence at St. Paul's Hospital in Saskatoon, where she works as part of the Healing Arts Program. 

SK EVENT MAR 6

 

Black, Pierce, Albert: Our Fantasy Picks

Jude was seven when her parents were murdered and she and her two sisters were stolen away to live in the High Court of Faerie. Ten years later, Jude wants nothing more than to belong there, despite her mortality. But many of the fey despise humans. Especially Prince Cardan, the youngest and wickedest son of the High King. But in The Cruel Prince , the first book in a new trilogy by Holly Black, civil war threatens to drown the Courts of Faerie in violence, and Jude must risk her life in an alliance to save her sisters, and Faerie itself. (Hardcover. $24.99. Little, Brown. January)

Arram Draper is destined to be one of the realm’s most powerful mages. The youngest student in his class, he has a Gift with unlimited potential. At his side are his two best friends: Varice, a girl with an often-overlooked talent, and Ozorne, the “leftover prince” with secret ambitions. Together, they will shape kingdoms. In Tempests and Slaughter , Book One of The Numair Chronicles by Tamora Pierce, as Ozorne gets closer to the throne and Varice gets closer to Arram’s heart, Arram must decide where his loyalties truly lie. (Hardcover. $24.99. Random House. February)

To the reading public, Tales from the Hinterland are dark fairy tales written by Alice's grandmother. But to Alice, they're so much more than just stories. In The Hazel Wood , the debut novel by Melissa Albert, Alice and her mother are living on the road, trying to outrun the bad luck that always seems to find them. Then when things begin to get better, Alice's mother is kidnapped by a being who claims to be from the Hinterland. In an effort to rescue her mother, Alice befriends a classmate and sets out to find where her own story went wrong. (Hardcover. $22.50. Flatiron. February)

 

Teen Protagonists Make a Difference

Fifteen-year-old Sadia Ahmadi is passionate about one thing: basketball. When tryouts for an elite basketball team are announced, Sadia jumps at the opportunity. Her talent speaks for itself. Her head scarf, on the other hand, is a problem. In Sadia by Colleen Nelson, Sadia’s parents, friends and teammates all have different opinions about what she should do. But Sadia alone has to find the courage to stand up for herself — on and off the court. (Softcover. $12.99. Dundurn. February)

Sixteen-year-old Elena Mendoza is the product of a virgin birth. This can be scientifically explained, but what can’t be explained is how Elena is able to heal a girl from a gunshot wound or why the shooter disappears into the clouds. In The Apocalypse of Elena Mendoza by Shaun David Hutchinson, Elena comes to realize the world is coming to an end and that she might be the only person who can save it. (Hardcover. $23.99. Simon & Schuster. February) 

 

The “Be First” Book Club

Our Winnipeg “Be First” reading group for teens is a book club with a difference. Receive a preview copy of a selected title, read the book before it even hits the shelves, then join us to discuss it. The registration fee is $5.00. The pre-publication copies are limited. Please sign up asap. For more information, visit the Kids desk or call 204-475-0492. (Please note: this program is only available at our Winnipeg location.)

JANUARY
In a country ripped apart by war, Tareq lives with his big and loving family… until the bombs strike. A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi is a timely novel about refugees escaping from war-torn Syria, and masterfully told by a refugee who experienced the crisis firsthand. (Hardcover. $23.99. Philomel. February) Our discussion group meets Wednesday January 17 at 7:00 pm.

FEBRUARY
In the medieval kingdom of Goredd, women are expected to be ladies, men are their protectors, and dragons get to be whomever they want. Tess of the Road , the first in an epic fantasy duology by Rachel Hartman, features a brave new heroine with a troubling secret and a tumultuous past. (Hardcover. $21.99. Scholastic. March) Our discussion group meets Wednesday February 21 at 7:00 pm.

 

OUR VIBRANT COMMUNITIES

Winnipeg

Come From Away
The Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. January 4 – February 3. In a heartbeat, 38 planes and 6,579 passengers were forced to land in Gander, Newfoundland, doubling the population of one small town on the edge of the world. On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all. royalmtc.ca

Heavy Bell — By Grand Central Station
January 13, 8:00 pm. Presented by the West End Cultural Centre. Heavy Bell is a duo made up of Royal Canoe front-man Matt Peters and actor/singer-songwriter Tom Keenan. "By Grand Central Station" is a song cycle based on Elizabeth Smart’s poetic novel By Grand Central Station I Sat Down and Wept. Originally published in 1945, the book is based on events in Smart’s own life. The album, which will be launched at this event, features members of the Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra, Begonia, Chic Gamine, Royal Canoe, Slattern, and Imaginary Cities. Songs will be punctuated by live readings from the novel, performed by Winnipeg actors Alissa Watson and Sarah Constible. Tickets available at McNally Robinson and the West End Cultural Centre. heavybellmusic.com

David French's Salt-Water Moon
Prairie Theatre Exchange. January 25 – February 11. Directed by Ravi Jain, A Factory Theatre production touring with Why Not Theatre. A timeless tale about love and hope under the Newfoundland moon. It’s 1926. The First World War is over and, every day, young people abandon the villages of Newfoundland for a new life in the big city in the neighbouring country of Canada. But eighteen-year-old Jacob has come home from Toronto to Coley’s Point, to win back his former sweetheart in French’s Canadian classic about love, loss, and reconciliation. pte.mb.ca

The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
Manitoba Theatre for Young People. January 26 – February 4. Manitoba Theatre for Young People. The Pevensie siblings travel to the land of Narnia through an enchanted wardrobe in a theatrical adaptation of the classic C.S. Lewis story. Theatrical invention and imagination combine to bring all of the fantastical characters and magic of Narnia to life. mtyp.ca

Phillip Glass Headlines the 2018
Winnipeg New Music Festival. January 27 – February 2. Through his operas, symphonies, his compositions for his own ensemble, and his wide-ranging collaborations, Philip Glass has had an extraordinary impact upon the musical and intellectual life of his times. wnmf.ca

Shanleyfest 2018
January 30 – February 18. Presented by the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre. The 2018 Master Playwright Festival features Irish-American playwright John Patrick Shanley. His extensive body of work includes an Oscar and Writers Guild of America award for Moonstruck and Pulitzer Prize for Doubt. royalmtc.ca

Theatre Projects Manitoba Salons
The Goodwill Social Club. February 6, 7:00 pm. Shall We Gather at the River. March 6, 7:00pm. Young Turks, Old Souls Every month, emerging and established artists come together with audiences in a cabaret setting to explore the playwrights and themes of the season. Music, song, dance and theatre. theatreprojectsmanitoba.ca

City of Stars
Winnipeg Jazz Orchestra. February 11, 2:00 pm & 7:30pm. Winnipeg Art Gallery. The WJO takes you to Hollywood's with big screen movie classics such as A Streetcar Named Desire and Anatomy of a Murder with a nod to recent critical darlings like Whiplash and La La Land. winnipegjazzorchestra.com

A Tale of Two Cities
Camerata Nova. February 24, 7:30 pm & February 25, 3:00 pm. Westminster United Church. Camerata Nova presents an early music extravaganza with an expanded period choir, soloists and ten top period instrumentalists in a choral blockbuster that has never been performed previously in Manitoba. cameratanova.com

The Sleeping Beauty
The Royal Winnipeg Ballet. February 28 – March 4. The Centennial Concert Hall. The Sleeping Beauty has long been a jewel in the RWB's classical repertoire. Celebrated for its glorious music, lavish costumes and regal sets, this glittering production showcases the depth and breadth of the RWB’s talented company. rwb.org

How the Heaven Go by Joseph Aragon
Prairie Theatre Exchange. March 1 – 18. In a play that searches for wonder where science and the soul collide, a woman on an experimental drug begins to see the vibrating energy that makes up all matter. pte.mb.ca

 

Saskatoon

Live Five Independent Theatre
Currently in its fourteenth year, Live Five presents local, professional indie theatre from the heart of Saskatoon’s own Broadway area at The Refinery Arts & Spirit Centre. With everything from world premieres by local playwrights, to the latest international scripts, to top-notch classics, Live Five promises a variety that will keep the ride-home conversations lively and off the beaten path.

This year McNally Robinson is partnering with Live Five to offer recommended readings that are sure to enrich the theatre-going experience.

Keep an eye out in-store and at The Refinery as each play approaches. In January we open Peach by local playwright Danielle Roy: a one-woman tour-de-force on the exploratory blush and crush of first love. In March we’ll present Boom by Peter Sinn Nachtrieb: a doomsday date that is part Twilight Zone, part quirky sitcom, and entirely extraordinary. We close the season in April with Arthur Miller’s definitive tale of the American Dream unrealized — Death of a Salesman. Learn more at livefive.ca .

First up: Peach by Danielle Roy
January 25th – February 4th at The Refinery Peach is a young lady longing for love — True Love; but will it be everything that her TV makes it out to be? Based on a harrowing and beautiful true story, Peach is a coming-of-age tale that explores sex, beauty, and tragic games of the heart.

Sunday Tours at the Remai Modern
Sundays at 1:00 pm until April 29. Remai Modern. 102 Spadina Crescent East. These weekly drop-in tours, led by Program Guides, explore current exhibitions. Tours offer viewing strategies, answer questions and help visitors of all ages make personal connections to art. No registration required, free with museum admission. Meet outside of Cameco Play Area on the 2nd Floor. remaimodern.org

Malanka, a Ukrainian New Year Celebration
January 13. Dakota Dunes Casino. With a menu of authentic Ukrainian food, a performance by the Yevshan Ukrainian Folk Ballet Ensemble and music by prairie polka masters The Western Senators, this Malanka is not to be missed. dakotadunescasino.com

Winterruption
January 18-21. Various Venues. The Broadway Theatre, in conjunction with CFCR 90.5 FM: Saskatoon Community Radio, Planet S Magazine and Regina Folk Festival, present Winterruption! Break up the winter chill with four days of live music at nine venues throughout Saskatoon. broadwaytheatre.ca

Saskatoon Symphony Orchestra Presents Homecoming
January 20. TCU Place. Tania Miller returns to conduct the SSO for the first time in more than a decade. Since graduating from the University of Saskatchewan Music Department, Miller went on to be Canada’s first female Music Director when she took over the podium of the Victoria Symphony Orchestra. Trumpeter Guy Few, a Saskatoon audience favourite, delivers a new concerto written by Canadian John Estacio in honour of Canada’s 150th celebrations. saskatoonsymphony.org

Join us January 16 at McNally Robinson for a Master’s Series Music Chat with Eric Paetkau and Mark Turner.

PotashCorp Wintershines Festival
January 27-February 4. Saskatoon Farmer's Market. Features an Ice Park, Ice Scultpure Garden, Winter Camp in the City, Soup Cook-Off and so much more. Various events and activities happening every day. Celebrates local culture and Saskatoon's "cool" winter culture. potashcorpwintershines.ca

Persephone Theatre Presents Butcher
January 31-February 14. Rawlco Radio Hall. This edge-of-your-seat thriller explores the murky waters between revenge and justice as a lawyer, a police officer and a translator uncover past crimes that won’t stay buried. persephonetheatre.org

Saskatoon Summer Players Presents Broadway Goes to the Movies
February 10-11. The Bassment. This co-presentations with the Saskatoon Jazz Society feature songs from Broadway musicals that have gone on to be made into movies. saskatoonsummerplayers.ca

Saskatoon Blues Festival
February 26-March 4. TCU Place. Open your eyes to the diversity and scope of that multi-faceted music genre known as "The  Blues" as the Saskatoon Blues Festival featuressome of Canada's best musical talent, as well as International artists. [email protected]

 

WARM UP WITH PRAIRIE INK'S WINTER FARE
Warm your body and brighten your soul throughout the chilly days of winter with food specials and drinks from Prairie Ink Restaurant and Bakery.

TREAT YOUR VALENTINE TO A SPECIAL DINNER
On Wednesday February 14, Prairie Ink is serving a special Valentine's Day dinner. In Winnipeg , we're offering a special Valentine's Day menu, as well as our full regular menu. Reservations are recommended. Call 204-975-2659. In Saskatoon , we're serving a three-course dinner from 5:00 pm to 9:00 pm. Reservations are required. Call 955-3579.

JOIN US FOR WINE NIGHT EVERY THURSDAY
At our Winnipeg location, enjoy selected bottles of wine at half price from 4:00 pm to 9:00 pm every Thursday at Prairie Ink Restaurant & Bakery, but remember to please drink responsibly. (Sorry, not available at our Saskatoon location.)

BREAKFAST WITH THE BLADES
Wednesday February 21 at 9:30 am. In Saskatoon, enjoy a plated breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, hash browns and fruit with members of the Saskatoon Blades hockey team. This special breakfast event is held in conjunction with the Blades' "Stick to Reading" celebration of "I Love to Read" month. Price of the breakfast is $10.00 per person. Reservation are required. For more information or to make a reservation, please call Prairie Ink at 955-3579.

PAINT NITE WITH SHIRA TENNENHOUSE
Winnipeg location. Sunday January 14 at 7:00 pm: "Let It Snow" Sunday January 21 at 7:00 pm: "Fox Hill". In just about two hours, while you’re sipping on a glass of wine, beer, or champagne cocktail, Sira Tennenhouse guides you through a painting step-by-step. At the end of the night, take home your own unique masterpiece. You will be amazed with what you can do! Please note: no food or drink is included with your ticket price. Tickets are only available online and must be purchased on the Paint Nite website: paintnite.com. Also note: this event only takes place at our Winnipeg location.


For more information on Prairie Ink, or to make a reservation, please give us a call:
Winnipeg 204-975-2659 •  Saskatoon 306-955-3579

Visit our Prairie Ink site for hours, menus, and more.

 

Thank you for reading.

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