In our March 1st Newsletter we talked about the importance of local independent bookshops, but obviously their success depends on a great selection of titles and knowledgeable book sellers.
I fell in love with books at a very early age. My Dad was a big reader and read to my brother Tom and I the many titles from Thornton W. Burgess’ nature series: Mrs. Peter Rabbit, Paddy the Beaver, Reddy Fox - I still have a collection of twenty seven Burgess’ titles. So I got hooked on books and nature at a pretty early age. During my years of early schooling I read fiction and history, and then in university moved on to business titles. During my long business career I never had a mentor, instead authors like Welch, Collins and Tichy became my mentors. After retiring I wrote a bestseller “Dream Job” and then “21 Leadership Lessons”. So, I guess after all that history, opening a bookshop was just a natural progression of me connecting the dots. Today I naturally read a lot because I am in the business but also because I wish to be a community leader that can bring solutions to the issues of climate change, urban planning, and racial justice.
Now a lot has been written about the benefits of reading. Here are just a few things:
📚 good for your brain
📚 improves your conversational skills
📚 inspires you
📚 reduces your stress
📚 challenges your imagination
📚 increases your skills in an area of interest
📚 increases your cultural knowledge (without getting on a plane)
📚 entertainment
📚 mental stimulation
And don’t take the experts word on the importance of books - what do a few authors have to say about it?
“Each book is a mind alive, a life revealed, a world awaiting exploration”
~Dean Koontz
“Books are the treasured wealth of the world”
~Henry David Thoreau
“Books are a uniquely portable magic”
~Stephen King
Choosing your own particular magic is sometimes daunting - so many amazing books. We are here to help you with that.
Be our friend on www.goodreads.com and follow our reviews.
Follow us on our social media - Facebook, Twitter and Instagram - we are always highlighting great books as we discover them.
Stay tuned and when the opportunity arises sign up for our upcoming book clubs. Start the kiddoes early with a seat at our Saturday story telling events that will start as we move into Orange Covid levels.
And as always, come in to the River Bookshop and talk books with us, we love that and will always have a recommendation or two for you to investigate.
So with all that rationale and support for books I guess I will just end with this...
Richard,
Book Reader,
Book Seller,
Community Leader.
Last time I talked about how the milder temps had me thinking about gardening and now, the less I wear a heavy coat the more I think about not what I want to be growing but what I want to be cooking. And it always comes down to the BBQ.
New on our shelves today is Rodney Scott's World of BBQ and if that plate of ribs doesn't make you hungry I don't know what would. And what's easier than making some Foil Packet Dinners to throw on the grill...less dish and more delish!
And for those days when it's a little chilly or the spring rains have begun remember we are your location for jigsaw puzzles. We've just received a huge shipment of children's puzzles - from 12 pc all the way to 500. Fun for all ages! And if your family likes puzzles challenging there are always our 1000pc (or 2000pc) to tackle as a team.
And just out today, March 16, is Jeff Kinney's latest, Rowley Jefferson's Awesome Friendly Spooky Stories! If you have a Wimpy Kid fan - you gotta get this book!!
March 23 is another huge release date DogMan #10: Mothering Heights hits the shelves. Make sure to pre-order your copy today!
And as always we offer upcoming virtual events in partnership with Penguin Random House until we can welcome you back for our live presentations. These In Conversation events offer a chance to be in on the discussion between some of today's hottest authors. Watch for these and other upcoming events - you might just see your favourite writer!
We hope to see you soon!
Keep reading,
Lori and the River Bookshop Team