Calgary’s Will Ferguson has donned his hiking boots once more in his latest book, BEYOND BELFAST : A 560-MILE WALK ACROSS NOTHERN IRELAND ON SORE FEET. For all his vast experience, Ferguson continues to be one of the worst travelers around. He is forever lost, unable to read maps or follow simple directions, and somehow manages to always arrive at museums and such after they have closed. In Belfast, Ferguson is hit by a truck, gets attacked by dogs, beaten by muggers, contracts food poisoning, is infected with scabies, almost drowns in the river Bann, and is electrocuted after falling into a live fence. Yet the majesty and beauty of Ireland shines throw all of his misadventures, resulting in a fascinating tour of this politically troubled land.

Children and parents alike should enjoy Patricia Pollaco’s brightly illustrated JANUARY SPARROW. Not many picture books have captured the struggle of the Underground Railroad, but this book does just that; brilliantly capturing the fear and courage of those wishing to escape slavery.

Preschool Story Time this Wednesday at 11:00 am, 1:15 pm, & 6:30 pm, and Toddler Story this Friday at 10:30 am will be all about Hockey!

Any and all kids ages 9 to 11 (grades 4 to 7) are invited to attend BOOK BITES, a new book club meeting every third Thursday from September to May, beginning at 4 pm. Come out and talk about books, do fun activities, and enjoy some snacks.

And any and all teens are invited to CHATTERZ, their own book club which meets every second Thursday from September to May, beginning at 4 pm. For more information on either of these book clubs, please contact Deanne at 426-4063.

Come and see the fantastic folk art display of Yoki Prints, courtesy of Jurgen Flemming.

ADULT NEWLY AQUIRED SHELF:

No Kids : 40 Good Reasons Not To Have Children – Corinne Maier (306.87)

The Curse of the Good Girl – Rachel Simmons (305.23)

First Kill Your Family – Peter Eichstaedt (303.640)

Connected : The Surprising Power of our Social Networks – Nicholas A. Christakas (302.3)

Bomb Canada and Other Unkind Remarks in the American Media – Chantal Allan (303.4827)

Racing toward Armageddon – Michael Baigent (236.9)

Who Owns the Arctic – Michael Byers (341.4)

Canadian Human Rights Act : Quick Reference – Jamie Knight (342.71085)

Gravity, Steam, & Steel : An Illustrated History of the Roger’s Pass on the C.P.R. (385.0971)

How to Thrive as a Teacher Leader – John G. Gabriel (371.106)

Opening the Energy Gates of Your Body – Bruce Kumar Frantzis (613.7148)

Long Life Prescription – Sari Harrar (613)

The MERCK Manual Home Health Handbook (610)

Latin / English : English / Latin Concise Dictionary – Judith Lynn Sebesta (473.21)

The Drunkard’s Walk : How Randomness Rules Our Lives – Leonard Miodinow (519.2)

Lighting Their Fires : Raising Extraordinary Kids in Mixed-up, Muddled up, Shook-up world – Rafe Esquith (649.1)

Painting for the Absolute and Utter Beginner – Clair Watson Garcia (751.426)

The Communication Problem Solver – Nanette Rundle Carroll (658.45)

Great Canadian Speeches : Words that Shaped a Nation – Brian Busby (819.5)

The Fourth Part of the World – Toby Lester (912.73)

Beyond Belfast : A 560-mile walk across Northern Ireland on Sore Feet – Will Ferguson (914.16)

High Society : The Life of Grace Kelly – Donald Spoto (bio)

Divorced & Deadly : Finally Free – Josephine Cox (fic)

Walking on Water – Jancis M. Andrews (fic)

The Heretic Queen – Michelle Moran (fic)

Fired Up – Jayne Anne Krentz (mys)

Dragonseed – James Maxey (pb)

Dragonforge – James Maxey (pb)

Ark of Fire – C.M. Palov (pb)

Julie & Julia (DVD)

Slumdog Millionaire (DVD)

Weight Loss Cardio Kick (DVD)

Chair Aerobics for Everyone : Wheelchair Workout (DVD)

YOUNG ADULT & CHILDREN’S NEWLY ACQUIRED ITEMS:

Chart Toppers – Bob Brunning (ya 782.4216)

Whispers from the Camps – Kathy Kacer (ya 940.5318)

Untamed : A House of Night Novel – P.C. Cast (ya fic)

Freefall – Roderick Gordon (ya fic)

Devious : An It Girl Novel – Cecily Von Ziegesar (ya fic)

Never Swipe a Bully’s Bear – Katherine Applegate (j fic)

Never Swim in Applesauce – Katherine Applegate (j fic)

Chaos in China – Cora Taylor (j fic)

Day Light, Night Light : Where Light Comes From – Franklyn M. Branley (j 535)

First Picture Word Book in Polish – Felicity Brooks (j 491.85)

Ickstory : The History of Vampires and Other Blooddrinkers – Sylvia Branzei (j 398.45)

The Vampire Book – Sally Regan (398.45)

Bug Buts – Dawn Cusick ( j 595.7)

Come and Learn With Me / Ewo, seh kedidih – Sheyenne Jumbo (j 971.93)

Gruffen – Chris d’Lacey (j fic)

The Trouble with Dilley – Rachana Gilmore (j fic)

Stormy Weather – Debi Gliori (j pic)

January Sparrow – Patricia Pollaco (j pic)

The Little Dump-Truck – Margery Cuyler (j pic)

MIKE’S BOOKNOTES:

Shortly before he graduated with First Class Honours from Oxford University, T.E. Lawrence bicycled across France, and then walked more than 1,000 miles across Syria. He became an archaeologist, solider, spy, diplomat, and a writer. His daring exploits during the First World War became legendary; he engaged in guerrilla warfare, led massive train bombings, rode a camel across thousands of inhospitable desert miles to beg for supplies, escaped from a Turkish military prison, and strategically helped the royals of Mecca win the Arab Revolt. After the war Lawrence wrote THE SEVEN PILLARS OF WISDOM; a thousand-page memoir of his accomplishments, which will become one of the most literate and highly praised works of the 20th century.

He then forgets the manuscript is a railway cafe, and it is lost forever.

Lawrence—who quickly jotted down what he could remember, but always felt he had ‘lost something’ from his original—is not alone in this type of literary horror. In 1837 Thomas Carlyle sent his manuscript of THE FRENCH REVOLUTION to philosopher John Stuart Mill, hoping to get his opinion on it. Mill’s illiterate housekeeper rolled it up and used it to light a fire.

Almost one hundred years later, A Swiss editor expressed interest in seeing the work of a 23-year-old Ernest Hemingway. He quickly wired his wife, who packed up all of his novels, essays, and short stories, and took the train to Switzerland. Leaving the suitcase unattended while she went to buy a drink, it quickly disappeared. Hemingway was devastated.

Russian scholar Mikhail Bakhtin—taking no chances—wrote out 2 copies of his NOVEL OF EDUCATION. He sent one to his publisher in Moscow, and kept one himself. As luxuries became scarce during the Second World War, Bakhtin used his copy to roll cigarettes with, knowing his other copy was safe with his publisher. Of course during the siege of Moscow, his publisher’s building was destroyed, along with the last copy of his manuscript.

Sick of having to insert new pages into his typewriter, Jack Kerouac taped sheets of paper together, thus creating a 12-foot-long scroll. He typed ON THE ROAD this way, and gave it to his friend Lucien Carr to deliver to the publisher. Carr did deliver it, but not before his dog got at it, chewing and swallowing the book’s ending.

Even the computer has saved no one. In 2008 Robin Sisman—having just finished her novel HOLLYWOOD ENDING--left her office to buy a sandwich. When she returned, the building had burned down, taking with it her computer, backup discs, and printouts of her book.

Like her literary predecessors, she was left with no choice but to “start again”. One can almost hear their screams.