Natalie Lehto is a certified kinesiologist and an endurance athlete. She owns and operates Within You, a fitness and lifestyle studio in her hometown of Thunder Bay, Ontario, where she lives with her husband Andrew and their three children, Sophie, Cloé, and Lucas. You can find Natalie at http://www.withinyou.ca Shauna Kosoris: What can you tell... Continue Reading →
Staff Review – I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Some books have titles that are simple, everyday titles. Some books have titles that grab your attention and result in many questions. I think it's fair to say the title of Jennette McCurdy's memoir falls in the attention-grabbing category. Some readers may recognize McCurdy as the child/teen actor best known for her role as Sam... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: Maus: A Survivor’s Tale Part II: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
Art Spiegelman's "Maus: A Survivor's Tale" is one of the most critically acclaimed and poignant tales of Holocaust survival. In April, we reviewed Part I, and will now be looking at Part II: And Here My Troubles Began. I found the title of this volume striking, as if Vladek hasn't had any troubles until now... Continue Reading →
Staff Review – Phyllis’s Orange Shirt by Phyllis Webstad
Review written by Kayla Berthelette I am Metis and recently received my diploma in the Native Child and Family Services program at Confederation College before becoming employed at the Thunder Bay Public Library. I also have three young kids at home, and broaching the topic of Canada’s dark history of residential schools isn't something I... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: Heavy by Kiese Laymon
Review Written By: Kayla Berthelette Kiese is a kind man, even though his life has been anything but kind to him. Kiese witnesses rape, survives intense parental abuse, and endures a life encompased by addiction, lies and intense racism. This book would’ve been an embarrassment to Kiese’s mother. She spent so much time and effort... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle
I don’t tend to read a lot of nonfiction works, but when I do, they’re almost always a memoir. I find memoirs compelling and interesting, as they are the best way to learn about the life of anyone, no matter how similar or different from you they may be. Jesse Thistle tells the story of... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
I’ve heard the name Ta-Nehisi Coates many times, for many different reasons. He is the award winning author of numerous novels, and is also the author of a 50-issue run of the “Black Panther” graphic novel series, as well as writing for the “Captain America” series of Marvel Comics. He is known for writing powerful... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: Unreconciled: Family, Truth, and Indigenous Resistance by Jesse Wente
Review By: Kayla Berthelette This book makes me so mad at our government and the Indian Act. If you want a real eye- opener and a perspective of what it’s like to question your own identity, I suggest you run to the shelf and grab this title. Perhaps my own identity crisis comes into play... Continue Reading →
Staff Review: Mamaskatch: A Cree Coming of Age by Darrel J. McLeod
Review written by Kayla I read this book after a co-worker suggested it to me, and was so impressed. As a Metis person, I am often looking for titles I feel I can relate to and gain perspective from- and this book brought me on a roller coaster of feelings. I felt high and I... Continue Reading →
New and Upcoming Non-Fiction (Dec. 2021)
Click on the title of the book to place a hold! The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story - Nikole Hannah-Jones A dramatic expansion of a groundbreaking work of journalism, 'The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story' offers a profoundly revealing vision of the American past and present, placing slavery and resistance at the center of the American story. ______________________________ All We Want: Building the Life We... Continue Reading →