Algonquin Reads!

Student Writing contest

2011-11-29T18:34:00.000-08:00

We are excited about our student writing contest. We are looking for either something creative that is inspired by this year's book Motorcycles and Sweetgrass or something more like a review or a piece of literary criticism. And it doesn't have to be only written. We have had submissions in the past that included a painting and a video presentation. The sky's the limit! Have fun!

There is cash prizes to be won, and fame!! You could be published in Algonquin Times, and on the Algonquin Reads web site.

This would look AMAZING on your resume, to have won this contest, so go for it and enter your piece!

The students who entered in the past were amateur writers, coming from different programs such as paralegal, outdoor adventure, library technician and more! So you can do it too!

Best of luck and contact us if you have questions about this contest and want the full contest details sent to you - email me at merriah [at] algonquincollege.com

Happy creating!
Helena

Used Book Sale

2011-10-30T18:02:00.000-07:00

Check out the great deals at our Used Book sale, on Tues Nov 1 and Wed Nov 2 at the Woodroffe campus, from 11-3. The money we raise funds the Algonquin Reads activities such as our annual Student Writing Contest. Prices can't be beat! Just $0.50 for paperbacks and $1.00 for hard cover. Come visit us in the Marketplace Cafeteria and in the J-N link.

Who cares about libraries? - Books - Macleans.ca

2011-08-30T18:15:00.000-07:00

Who cares about libraries? - Books - Macleans.ca

Next year's book

2011-05-19T13:53:00.000-07:00

We are excited to announce our book for next year - the 2011-2012 academic year - which is Drew Hayden Taylor's hilarious, inspiring and bestselling book, Motorcycles and Sweetgrass. This book was nominated for the Governor General's award and is now available for sale in the Algonquin College First Class bookstore. Read it now and get ready for the fun events next year!

Books we love - part 2 (Perth)

2011-03-03T10:55:00.000-08:00

More great recommendations from Perth campus readers...

Strangers in a strange land by Robert Heinlein

Grandmothers counsel the world : women elders offer their vision for our planet by Carol Schaefer
"Very good for the times we are in ."

Conversations with God by Neale Walsch
"Love it"

Katfka on the shore by Haruki Murakami

Heart of darkness by Joseph Conrad
"A classic philosophical tale about a man's descent into madness and life injustices and truths."
+
Call of the wild by Jack London
"A classic tale about the bond between man and nature."

The ground beneath her feet by Salman Rushdie

The wind-up bird chronicle : a novel by Haruki Murakami

Villa Incognito by Tom Robbins

The tiger : a true story of vengeance and survival by John Vaillant
"From the author of The Golden Spruce, an absorbing true story of tiger(s) and men."

Trauma farm by Brian Brett

Zoe Whittall coming to Algonquin College

2011-02-11T12:26:00.000-08:00

Zoe Whittall is coming for an author reading on Friday March 11, 2011, from 11:00am to 12:00pm in room T102, Woodroffe campus. Learn more about this great book, participate in a Q&A and enjoy some refreshments on us!

Check out Zoe's blog at: http://zoewhittall.blogspot.com/

More Books We Love. . .

2011-01-13T19:07:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Pembroke for these great recommendations and keep sharing!

The Gargoyle by Andrew Davidson
I loved this book! This was a book that chose me. It’s an intriguing tale of a man whose life consists of drugs and pornography until he is in a car accident and his body is severely burned. His identity is stripped away when his body is devastated by the burns. He plans suicide until a patient from the psych ward starts to visit him and proclaims that she has known him in their past lives. With the help of Marianne Engel, he heals his body and more importantly, his soul.
-Vickyrae, Library Technician

The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Anything by Chuck Palahniuck

Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
A memoir that recounts Ayaan’s life growing up in Somalia and her escape to the Netherlands.
-Maureen

Outlander Series by Diana Gabaldon
Outlander
Dragonfly in Amber
Voyager
Drums of Autumn
The Fiery Cross
A Breadth of Snow and Ashes
An Echo in the Bone
-Maureen

The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment by Eckhart Tolle
This book explains the importance of staying in the present moment. If you find you have a lot of fear and uncertainty about yourself and your life, this book will help bring more peace into your life.
-Shawn

Transformation in Christ by Dietrich von Hildebrand
Dietrich von Hildebrand, son of the famous German painter, started life in a luxurious villa in Florence, surrounded by the urbane artistic leaders of Europe’s cultural scene, with their materialistic beliefs and values, alongside their intellectual and cultural richness. This is an extremely perceptive analysis of the spiritual world he found as he became transformed in Christ through his church after a famous German philosopher shocked him y saying, ”the Catholic Church has the truth”.
-Nancy

The Joy of Cooking by Irma Rombauer
The standard source for standard but delicious fare.
-Nancy

The Book of “John”
The fourth gospel book in the New Testament is the personal story of a teen chosen to be a disciple of Jesus.
-Nancy

To Live Again by Catherine Marshall
After her husband died, in the middle of life, the future for young mom Catherine looked bleak. Through her trust in God, she followed the adventures he had for her, out of her depths to a productive, joyful life as an influential author, as her books on her husband’s sermons and life brought many people inspiration by reading them and seeing the very popular movie made from “A Man Called Peter”. A true story.
-Nancy

Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin
First ambassador to France from the United States, early researcher in electricity, influential 18th century political thinker; this down to earth account details the principles and discipline that he systematically used to accomplish so much, so well.
-Nancy

Crisis in Masculinity
Read this if you don’t think it matters how fathers rear children beyond a pay cheque.

2010-10-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings from Perth!

We've had some great recommendations in the past few weeks...

The moon and sixpence - Somerset Maugham
The amazing (loosely-based) tale of Paul Gaugin, a father and businessman who leaves his life behind to become an artist and live in Tahiti. Great book!

Still Alice - Lisa Genova
Amazing book! This book gives a heartbreaking, real look at the life of a person with Alzheimer's. Could not put it down!
Sam

Survival of the sickest [a medical maverick discovers why we need disease - Sharon Moalem]
is a fascinating look into how genes are switched off and on, how these fairly recent discoveries are leading to changes in our understanding of disease and sickness, etc. It's written in a very readable style and would be especially appealing to individuals studying in any of the health professions.

Eat, pray, love (the book) - Elizabeth Gilbert
Ya, I know, there's a movie now But the book was great. Excellent writing, great fleshed out character development and who doesn't like Eating and Loving and...Pray?

All I really need to know I learned in kindergarten [: uncommon thoughts on common things] - Robert Fulghum
"Life altering" - Newsweak
"I love this book" - My Mom
"San Fran-tastic" - Andy Cockburn

Angela's ashes -Frank McCourt

The great gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald!

"Anything" by Alistair MacLeod

Colony of unrequited dreams - great Canadian novel by Wayne Johnston

See a recommended title that you'd like to read? Check our library catalogue to see if we have a copy (and if we don't have a copy, check with the library to see about borrowing a copy from another library!)

Books We Love!

2010-09-23T06:29:00.000-07:00

We are scattering journals around the college, called Books We Love. If you find one, write a short review of a book you love and pass it on. We'll publish select entries on our blog.

Here is another review:
"The book, Theories of Relativity, by Barbara Haworth-Attard, opened my eyes to a different level of the cities and towns we live in. The main character is a boy named Dylan who is living on the street. It is not so much Dylan's story, but the interwining lives of the characters he meets, that drew me in. From Twitch, the drug addict, to Amber, soon-to-be single mom, to Vulture, fighting his way to the top of the pile through the manipulation and control of everyone around him; Haworth-Attard's characters drew me into their world of dirt, pain, and desperation. I will never walk down a city street the same way again. Reaslistically portraying a world right under our noses, Theories of Relativity, is a good book to read for anyone wanting a different perspective".

Other suggested books to read are:
1. The Shadow of the Wind, by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
2. A Fine dark line by Joe Lansdale
3. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
4. Firefly Lane, The Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah
5. The Help by Kathryn Stockett
6. City of Thieves by David Banioff

Books We Love!

2010-08-20T10:07:00.000-07:00

We are scattering journals around the college, called Books We Love. If you find one, write a short review of a book you love and pass it on. We'll publish select entries on our blog.

Here is the first review we received:
"I greatly enjoyed An Acre of Time by Phil Jenkins. This book describes the history of a small part of what is now Ottawa, from the ancient pre-historic past up until very recent times.

I was given this book as a gift, and expected it to be extremely boring... in fact I didn't try reading it for twelve years: Ottawa author, geologic time, slow beginning.

But I was wrong! After a slow beginning, Jenkins gets into fascinating gossip about who did what to whom, and I couldn't put it down.... ended up carrying it around with me everywhere.

Highly Recommended!"

Book trailer

2010-07-20T16:39:00.001-07:00

Check out the hilarious book trailer for Holding Still for as Long as Possible.

Announcing Next Year's Book!

2010-06-15T06:47:00.001-07:00

We are excited to announce next year’s Algonquin Reads book of choice! The 2010-2011 book is Holding Still for as Long as Possible, by Zoe Whittall. The book revolves around a love triangle of a paramedic, a former teen star and fashionable filmmaker. It describes the lives of twenty-somethings who grew up on anti-anxiety medications, war on terror, SARS and text-messaging. Emerging author Zoe Whittall’s debut novel Bottle Rockets Heart was named a Quill & Quire Best Book and Globe and Mail “Top 100” book.
The book will be available in the First Class bookstore (at Algonquin College) at a reduced rate, especially for Algonquin Reads! Pick up your copy and join in on all the fun, starting August 2010!

2010-05-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

Another possibility for next year's book!!

Zoe Whitall - Holding still for as long as possible.

In this robust, scruffy, elegantly plotted, and ultimately life-affirming novel, rising star Zoe Whittall presents a dazzling portrait of a generation we’ve rarely seen in literature — the 25-year-olds who grew up on anti-anxiety meds, text-messaging each other truncated emotional reactions, unsure of what’s public and what’s private. With this extraordinary novel — which offers a thrillingly detailed inside look at the work of paramedics, devastating insight into anxiety disorders, and entertaining celebrity gossip — Zoe Whittall fulfills the promise of her acclaimed first novel, Bottle Rocket Hearts, and proves herself as one of our most talented younger writers.

Next year's book

2010-04-05T11:25:00.001-07:00

We are now in the process of choosing the book for next year! Tell us what you think. Which book would you like to read? Please comment!

We are considering:
1. Ottawa writer Rick Mofina and his book Panic Zone, due to come out in June 2010. This is the second in a series (after Vengeance Road) and is a fast paced thriller.

"The Panic Zone is a headlong rush toward Armageddon. It's brisk pace and tight focus remind me of early Michael Crichton."
Dean Koontz #1 New York Times bestselling author.

2. Ottawa writer Phil Jenkins and his book River Song which is a non-fiction book about the history of the St Lawrence River, told in a narrative and personal style.

He was the winner of the Ottawa Citizen Award for Non-Fiction and Winner of the Canadian Authors Association Lela Common Award for Non-Fiction

3. Drew Hayden Taylor and his book Motorcyles and Sweetgrass. It is a story of magic, family, a mysterious stranger . . . and a band of marauding raccoons.

“Drew Hayden Taylor has woven an epic tale of magic, mystery and charm for the world to discover in Motorcycles & Sweetgrass. This is a novel to savor. A complete delight!”— Richard Van Camp, author of The Moon of Letting Go and The Lesser Blessed

4. Ottawa author and winner of the Ottawa Book Award for 2009, Andrew Steinmetz and his book Eva's threepenny theater which tells the story of his great-aunt Eva who performed in the first workshop production of Bertolt Brecht’s masterpiece The Threepenny Opera, in 1928.

5. Tom Henighan's book due out in July 2010 entitled Nightshade.

Deadly nightshade - the poison plant par excellence … and in historic Quebec City at an important scientific conference concerning the genetic manipulation of trees it means murder!

Police, RCMP, and a mysterious FBI agent from Washington converge on the scene. But the sharpest eye belongs to Sam Montcalm, a despised "bedroom snooper" from Ottawa whose primary concern is to clear a First Nations activist of the crime. Sam is middle-aged, tough, and sophisticated, with a taste for classical music and serious art. Yet he's also a lone wolf who feels displaced nearly everywhere, and his relations with his colleagues, the police - and with women - are always complicated. "You're a psychic wound without a health card," a friend comments.

The story moves to its surprising climax as Montcalm follows the trail of murder back to Canada's capital and into the Gatineau Hills, his deep sense of cynicism about human nature confirmed as he closes in on the killer and struggles to come to terms with himself.

Tom Henighan is an Ottawa writer and editor. His fiction includes The Well of Time, shortlisted for the Seal Books First Novel Award; Mercury Man, shortlisted for the Red Maple Award; Viking Quest and Viking Terror, the latter shortlisted for the City of Ottawa Fiction Prize, and Doom Lake Holiday, a teen mystery set in Ontario's Rideau Lakes.

2010-01-30T15:27:00.000-08:00

I noticed that I had posted Chapter 18's questions before posting Chapters 15, 16 and 17. Therefore, I'm going to back up a bit. Here are the questions for Chapters 15 and 16, both talking about music:

Chapter 15 – Listen to “Hurt” by Johnny Cash at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SmVAWKfJ4Go . Do you agree or disagree that it is “sooo mournful” and “let’s [listeners] release [their] grief in small, beautiful doses”? Do you think it is realistic that fans of Nine Inch Nails (who, incidentally, recorded “Hurt” before Cash) and Marilyn Manson could feel this way about a song recorded by Johnny Cash, mostly known for being a country and western singer?

Chapter 16 – Luke talks about dancing with his mother and says how “. . . the song . . . had somehow become her love for me.” What does this say about Luke’s relationship with his mother? Are you envious of Luke’s relationship with his mother?

Question for Chapter 18

2010-01-15T07:56:00.000-08:00

This chapter's question is a two-part question:

1. Why do you think Luke purposely antagonized Mr. Tanner during their meeting?
2. What do you think of Mr. Tanner’s reaction to Luke’s behaviour in this meeting (have you ever had to deal with someone like Mr. Tanner)?

2010-01-04T14:26:00.000-08:00

New questions for Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet will begin appearing next week. Please come back and join the discusssion!

Chapter 14 Question

2009-11-24T10:15:00.002-08:00

Clearly, Fang has had an unhappy childhood. Does this justify his experimenting with so many different drugs? Do you know anyone who has done this type of drug experimentation; if so, what were his/her results?

Chapter 12 Question

2009-11-24T10:15:00.001-08:00

Have you ever been in a situation like Luke’s: in a closed-in space with someone you really like? If so, how did you handle it? If not, what do you think you would have done in Luke’s situation?

Chapter 12 Question

2009-11-24T10:14:00.001-08:00

Why do you think Proulx (the author) included the scene with Fang not being able to breathe and “the harelipped dude”? She didn’t need these specific things to create the meeting between Faith and Luke at the concert.

Chapter 11 Question

2009-11-24T10:13:00.000-08:00

Chapter 11 – Why do you think Luke told the truck driver, a stranger, about his gift of prophecy and not those close to him, such as his parents or friends?

Chapter 10 Question

2009-11-24T10:12:00.000-08:00

Chapter 10 – Why do you think Fang stopped climbing, began jumping and eventually replaced both by getting stoned regularly instead?

General Question 9

2009-11-09T08:52:00.000-08:00

What do you think of Proulx’s treatment of the media in her novel – the hounding of Luke, Luke’s friends and Luke’s parents; the coverage of the raid in McCreary Park? Do you think this treatment is justified?

Question -- Chapter 9

2009-11-09T08:51:00.000-08:00

Luke recalls Stan “making it all look so goddamn effortless.” Have you ever felt this way about another person and consequently felt yourself to be inadequate? If so, describe those feelings.

General Question 8

2009-10-27T07:08:00.001-07:00

Do you believe in fate; for instance, was fate the reason Luke was unable to save Mr. Bernoffski?

Question -- Chapter 8

2009-10-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

In the final paragraph of the chapter, Luke says that those teenagers of the “male variety” would say “everything was cool” even if it wasn’t. Can you explain his statement? Why does he limit his statement to males?

General Question 7

2009-10-27T07:06:00.000-07:00

Many novels appeal to a more specific audience. Would you agree that this novel appeals to adolescents, parents and teachers equally? Why or why not?

Chapter 7 Question

2009-10-27T07:05:00.000-07:00

What is it about adolescents, do you think, that made the 200 “Slokum Sucks” t-shirts sell out in one hour? Why do you think the older generation (for example, the principal, Luke’s mother) were unhappy about that?

General Question 6

2009-10-17T15:41:00.001-07:00

Do you find it difficult to believe that a forty-something Canadian woman from Ottawa so convincingly created the voice of a teenage boy from a small town in the States? Why or why not?

Chapter 6 Question

2009-10-17T15:39:00.000-07:00

Luke says “anger – the only emotion I was really good at.” How many adolescents to you think feel this way and why?

General Question 5

2009-10-07T12:26:00.002-07:00

What do you think of Proulx’s inclusion of pop culture references (for example, The Wizard of Oz, That ‘70s Show, the Chili Peppers, Pokemon cards, Nirvana, the Foo Fighters, Tommy Hilfiger)? How might these references affect future readers, say 10 or 15 years from now? Consider her reference to the movie O Brother, Where Art Thou? that plays a large and important role in Chapter 16.

Chapter 5 Question

2009-10-07T12:24:00.000-07:00

Do you think Luke’s treatment of his mother, who wants Luke to talk to his uncle, is justified? Why or why not?

General Question 4

2009-09-30T10:09:00.000-07:00

Part I: Why do you think Proulx included Uncle Mick who has the same gift of prophecy as Luke?
Part II: Why do you think Luke is so reluctant to speak with him?

Chapter 4 Question

2009-09-30T10:08:00.000-07:00

Did you see the same humour as Luke did in the situation that resulted from Luke’s father trying to escape the procession to Stan’s gravesite, or do you think it just made the situation more desperate?

General Question 3

2009-09-23T11:32:00.001-07:00

Joanne Proulx is Canadian. Why do you think she set her story in a small American town instead of a small Canadian town?

Chapter 3 Question

2009-09-23T11:31:00.000-07:00

Why do you think Luke was so angry at Mr. Bernoffski for dying? After all, Luke did what he could to prevent Bernoffski’s death.

General Question 2

2009-09-16T11:52:00.000-07:00

Would the story be different if it were set in a larger city such as New York or Toronto instead of the fictional small town of Stokum, Michigan?

Chapter 2 Question

2009-09-16T11:51:00.000-07:00

Can you explain the different approaches to the media attention by Slater, Fang and Luke?

General Question

2009-09-09T10:05:00.002-07:00

Do you think some readers might be offended by teenagers reading this book due to its language and references to drug use? If so, who or what types of people? Is their offence justified? If yes, why? If not, why not?

Chapter 1 Question

2009-09-09T10:05:00.001-07:00

Chapter 1 – How do you think you would handle what Luke went through when his prophecy about Stan came true?

Algonquin Reads Virtual Book Club

2009-09-09T10:01:00.000-07:00

Welcome to Algonquin College’s virtual book club! To get the discussion rolling, each week two Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet questions will be posted.

This week, the first question is based on Chapter 1 and the second is a general question about the Algonquin Reads book. Next week a question about Chapter 2 and another general question will be posted. This will go on until the end of the winter semester (the end of April, 2010). Then, next year we’ll start again with a new book.

Everyone at Algonquin is invited to join in the discussions about Joanne Proulx’s engaging novel. Please express your opinion, add to someone else’s, and/or agree or disagree with others’ viewpoints.

We are all looking forward to these exciting discussions!

Stay Tuned!!

2009-09-05T09:15:00.001-07:00

Stay tuned for discussion questions. Within the next few days, I will post two discussion questions. I will post 1 new discussion question each week for several weeks, so that Algonquinites can share their feelings about Proulx's discussion-worthy Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet.

I am looking forward to sharing thoughts about our book.

Ann

Read the book!

2009-05-08T07:33:00.000-07:00

For the inaugural year of the Algonquin Reads! Project, the committee has chosen a book by a local Ottawa author, Joanne Proulx. The book is called Anthem of a Reluctant Prophet.

It is a Globe and Mail Top 100 Selection, and is published by Penguin Canada. It is a compelling, well written tale from the perspective of a seventeen year old who suddenly finds he can forsee someone's death. It is suspenseful, funny, and thought-provoking.

Read the book and get involved in a number of events to be hosted around Algonquin College, from September 2009 to April 2010!

Welcome to Algonquin Reads!

2009-05-04T07:37:00.000-07:00

This is the blog for the Algonquin Reads project at Algonquin College, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.