Edgemont Village’s 32 Books & Gallery recently hosted a free reading, and wine and cheese event featuring Charles van Sandwyk, internationally acclaimed author and artist.
The event is just one of the ways the local book shop continues to engage with the community.
“We get to know our customers by name, we watch their children grow up and into new and exciting books, we support teachers and students with book talks in the schools, we host author events and we offer a well-curated selection of interesting books and with a special emphasis on our Canadian writers.
“Most importantly, we are a place where people connect: with one another, with us, and with the wonderful stories that grace our shelves,” says Deborah McVittie, proprietor.
Independent bookstores are an important part of any community and particularly so in Edgemont Village where more than 80 per cent of the businesses are owned and run by women, which has created a strong sense of mutual empathy and support between customers and those who serve them, she says.
“32 Books & Gallery is an oasis of literary and artistic delight in the heart of Edgemont Village in North Vancouver. We offer our customers a wonderful selection of books in all genres as well as gifts for all ages and inclinations – unusual greeting cards; art for the wall, mantel and garden; jewelry by Canadian artisans; games and puzzles, journals, stationery and gifts; and, of course, personal knowledgeable service with a smile.”
With the autumn season upon us and the holiday shopping season fast approaching, 32 Books offered to share their short list of some of the newest and most fabulous books for fall.
Fiction
Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien (a Canadian who grew up in Vancouver). Winner of the Governor General’s Award for fiction, short listed for the Booker Prize and the Giller.
Thrice the Brinded Cat Hath Mewed by Alan Bradley (Canadian – Okanagan). The eighth book in the popular series about young sleuth Flavia de Luce.
Wenjack by Joseph Boyden (Canadian). A beautifully illustrated novella, a look into the world of Chanie Wenjack, a residential school runaway trying to find his way home.
Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire. A graphic story of Chanie Wenjack who died walking the railroad tracks, trying to escape from a residential school.
Nutshell by Ian McEwan. A classic tale of murder and deceit from one of the world’s master storytellers.
Barkskins by Annie Proulx, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Shipping News and Brokeback Mountain. This new masterwork, set in New France, is a dramatic novel about the taking down of the world’s forests.
Rather Be the Devil by Ian Rankin. A tale of twisted power, deep-rooted corruption and bitter rivalries showcasing Rankin and Rebus at their unstoppable best.
Non-Fiction
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen. This autobiography is for all Springsteen fans but also for the workers and dreamers, lovers and loners, artists, freaks, or anyone who has ever wanted to be baptized in the holy river of rock and roll.
Vancouver In the Seventies: Photos From a Decade That Changed the City by Kate Bird. Words and images create an unforgettable celebration of the decade in which Vancouver came into its own.
Canada, by Mike Myers. Hilarious and heartfelt, part memoir, part history and pure entertainment. A funny and thoughtful analysis of what makes Canada Canada, Canadians Canadians and what being Canadian has always meant to Mike Myers.
Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow by Yuval Harari. Explores the projects, dreams and nightmares that will shape the 21st century from overcoming death to creating artificial life, and asks the fundamental question: Where do we go from here?
Barbarians Lost by Alexandre (Sacha) Trudeau. Trudeau visits artists and migrant workers, townspeople and rural farmers. An insightful and witty account of the dynamic changes going on in China, as well as a look back into the deeper history of this highly codified society.
British Columbia from Scratch: Recipes for Every Season by Marchessault and West. A book that celebrates the bounty of British Columbia and the simple joys of cooking from scratch.
–Compiled by Erin McPhee
