It’s so easy to say that a particular time of year is more suited for reading, but as I sit here, curled up in a chair with a blanket across my knees, staring out at a sort-of sunny, definitely chilly morning, I am going to say that November is the perfect month for reading!
THE FIRST THIRTY: THURSDAY NOVEMBER 2 7:00PM ET INSTAGRAM LIVE
I just finished Lucy E.M. Black’s THE BRICKWORKS and am thrilled I get to sit and chat about writing this engrossing historical novel. It is told from the perspective of two Scottish immigrants, Brodie Smith (née Hamilton) and Alistair Lamont, who embark on an industrialist’s dream at the beginning of the last century. There are two beautiful love stories, tragic deaths, conniving characters, arson and of the course an inciting incident based on a very tragic true story. Published by Now or Never Publishing, it is the perfect gift for anyone interested in rural Ontario history. Check out the trailer.
On November 12, Genevieve Scott joins us online for a reading and conversation about her latest novel, THE DAMAGES from Penguin Random House. Get tickets here. PWYC. All proceeds to the author.
Told between two timelines, THE DAMAGES tells the story of Ros, who starts university in 1998 hoping to be accepted by the in-crowd, and who dismisses her dorm roommate, Megan, for a better college experience with the cool kids. Until her roommate disappears and she’s blamed.
Fast forward to 2020 and Ros has an 11 year-old son, fathered by one of those cool boys from college, and as the pandemic starts, so does the unraveling of truths she’s not sure she wants to believe. How can the father of her son be accused of sexual assault?
On November 26, we return to TYPE Books in the Junciton for our second in person event of the season. Grab your tickets here or at the door. This event will also be available to watch on ZOOM. Every purchased ticket will be sent the link. ALL proceeds go to the authors.
REUNITING WITH STRANGERS tells the story of five-year-old Monolith, who “is taken from the Philippines to live with his mother in Canada, he immediately lashes out. Unable or unwilling to speak, he attacks her and destroys his new home. Everyone wants to know why—and everyone has a theory. But unlike the solid certainty his name suggests, the answer isn’t so simple.”
Sofia Mostaghimi will read from her debut novel, DESPERADA from Penguin Random House Canada.
“Kora can’t make it through the funeral for her little sister, Kimia, the bright star of her Iranian-Canadian family. She also can’t go on with her life as if nothing has happened. Shocking her family and friends, she quits her job and books a one-way flight away from home, seeking experiences that will obliterate her sadness. Or maybe help her become more like Kimia, who was always able to act on her own desires and keep other people’s expectations at bay.
Moez Surani joins us with his first novel, THE LEGEND OF BARAFFO from Book*hug Press.
“In Baraffo, a town gripped by revolutionary fervour, a boy named Mazzu grapples to understand the motivations of Babello, a man imprisoned for an act of arson. When Babello begins a hunger strike and another building is set ablaze, tensions mount among the citizens and Mazzu considers a risky solution.”
There will be a book raffle and free chocolate!
Junction Reads 
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