Summer is back in the Kootenays, and for avid readers there is no greater pleasure than a good book and an icy drink on the patio.
On the beach or under a shady tree also works.
The Kootenay Book Weekend is celebrating its 14th annual event this year, and book lovers can discover great summer reads as they prepare for this three-day book-loving celebration in the fall. This year’s event is Sept. 22 to 24 at the Best Western Baker Street Inn in Nelson, B.C.
Registration is open now, and organizers have released the list of books that will be the focus of the weekend.
Inspired by true events, The Girl Who Wrote in Silk is by Washington author Kelli Estes. This story weaves between modern day and a century earlier, telling the tale of a woman exploring her late aunt’s island estate when she finds an elaborately stitched piece of fabric hidden in the house. As she peels back layer upon layer of the secrets it holds, she discovers the story of Mei Lein, a young Chinese girl mysteriously driven from her home a century before.
A Man Called Ove was a blockbuster bestseller in Sweden for author Frederik Backman, and since its translation into English has won over readers internationally with its warm story of a curmudgeon who perhaps is not all that he seems. Goodreads says “…when a chatty young couple with two chatty young daughters move in next door and accidentally flatten Ove’s mailbox, it is the lead-in to a comical and heartwarming tale of unkempt cats, unexpected friendship, and the ancient art of backing up a U-Haul.” Sounds like a perfect summer read.
The Gift of Rain is the debut novel of Malaysian author Tan Twan Eng. Set during the tumult of the Second World War on the lush island of Penang, he tells the tale of Philip Hutton, a young British-Chinese man caught in the tangle of wartime loyalties and deceits. With lots of rich historical detail, this book promises to be the perfect escape to another world, one where courage and loyalty between friends is tested as war rages around them in occupied Malaysia.
The featured author and special guest for Book Weekend 2017 is Invermere writer Elinor Florence. She will join the conference for an author talk Sunday, Sept. 24. Her book, Bird’s Eye View, is the story of a bright, idealistic young woman who joins the air force after her town in Saskatchewan becomes a British Commonwealth Air Training Base during the Second World War. Rose Jolliffe travels to England to be trained as an aerial photographic interpreter, working with intelligence officers at a converted mansion. She spies on the enemy from the sky, watching the war unfold through her stereoscope. Wartime history, action, drama, mystery and romance are all packed into this Canadian bestseller.
Early-bird registration for the Kootenay Book Weekend is $95, and includes all events, from author talk to discussion groups, lunches and more. A book-themed silent and live auction, toonie book table, and trivia night are also part of the weekend. For more information on Kootenay Book Weekend or to register, check out http://kootenaybookweekend.ca, email KBW@KootenayBookWeekend.ca or check them out on Facebook.