August 2026 ph.cr. ~ unsplash: Lyle Hastie Hi there, Reader, Being the messenger of questionably favoured news is not always a bad thing, I'd say. The questionably favoured news in this case is: the days are getting shorter. And with this we begin to return to darkness. Don't get me wrong ~ I am absolutely delighted that we have lots of sunny, Summer days left to enjoy; long and lazy days to languish along shores and beaches, reading beach reads and cozy mysteries; stolen moments under...
14 days ago • 6 min read
July 2026 * photo cr.: UnSplash Hello, Reader! Happy Summer! I am hopping into your inbox with a short note about new meetups and events coming up this Summer. I'm also keeping this brief so you can head back outside to enjoy the gorgeous weather!! Last month we shared about the new meetups that started this past month. Well, we're still tickled about how the hosts have been bringing all this newness to the chapter's lists of meetups, and totally in love with how much you've enjoyed getting...
about 2 months ago • 6 min read
June 2026 We're well into Spring and moving swiftly (some say too swiftly!) into Summer, Reader. We've said hello and goodbye to a million tulips; we've seen magnolia and cherry blossoms bloom; we've seen forsythia go from bright yellow to deep and rich greens; and, we've already welcomed the unfurling of leaves on all the trees that surround us. As Summer approaches this month, lilacs will make themselves known with their bright purples, creams and pinks, and their strong and heady scent....
3 months ago • 6 min read
May 2026 ph. cr.: Alexandr Popadin (UnSplash) Hi there, Reader, So happy you're here with us. You're one in a million. No... really. There's no denying that truth. That's the thing about numbers... they can support just about any assertion, and help it make sense. Some of the numbers that are part of the reading world include page- and chapter-numbers, book sales' numbers and rating numbers on best selling lists. They also include the numbers involved in reading challenges, whether they're...
4 months ago • 5 min read
April 2026 ph. cr.: Alicia Christin Gerald (UnSplash) In Canada, statistics tell us that nearly half the adult population reads at a lower than high school level. The reason for this is often linked to economic and employment well-being. And while correlation does not imply causation (low literacy does not cause poverty or lack of well-being), the links are undeniable. I don't need to tell you about the importance of literacy, Reader, but reading and literacy have farther reaching positive...
5 months ago • 4 min read
March 2026 cr: Pavel Abramiankou The winds of change are forever blowing. And, Reader, I don't do well with change. The expression, "plus ça change..." has often been an underlying thought in my mind when things change and I am not ready for it. Though I've learned that this idiom is considered pessimistic, I used to think that it simply meant what a famous Greek philosopher said: “the only constant in life is change.”* I would murmur that French phrase quietly to remind myself that clinging...
6 months ago • 5 min read
February 2026 Carlingwood Branch - Ottawa Public Library (ph.cr.) Hello Reader, February is coming in... what do they say? In like a lion... hm. Well I think, if the weather remains lion-ish 🦁 for a few more days, moving into March in several weeks should be smooth and lamb-ish 🐑 don't you? I hear cheering for all the snow we are getting however, from the hardy folks who skate, ski and phat bike (mostly from my dear darling husband who lovessss this snowy weather). But the cold temperatures...
7 months ago • 8 min read
January 2026 photo cr.: Liana S Welcome, Reader, to the turning of 2025 to 2026 and to all of you who are newly joining, welcome to our little corner of the Internet. And to everyone... we are truly grateful that you are here. Happy New Year! As part of my own journey into the new year this week, I am participating in a writing workshop and one of the first questions was, "When you hear the word 'Winter', what comes to mind?" I paused a moment and wrote... Cold. When I think of Winter,...
8 months ago • 5 min read
December 2025 (redux) I may have been unclear, Reader... When providing the list of meetups for December in my last note to you, the formatting was a bit wonky. This may have caused some confusion. Here's hoping the list below, with its repaired formatting, clears things up. Thanks for your patience with the extra email. 'Hope to see you at one of this month's meetups! Warm wishes,~ nicole · · ─────── ·𖥸· ─────── · · NOVEMBER 2025 EVENTS 📆 Rather than a list of meetups, perhaps you'd prefer a...
9 months ago • 2 min read