Blog

Category: Vancouver

Julie Morstad at Lucky’s This Weekend!

by Dan
Events + Graphica + Vancouver / October 30, 2012

Join award-winning, Vancouver-based illustrator Julie Morstad launch The Wayside, her new book from Drawn + Quarterly, on Saturday evening at Vancouver comics store Lucky's starting at 7pm! 

Julie Morstad
Saturday November 3rd, 7pm
Lucky's Comics
3972 Main Street, Vancouver
T: 604-875-9858

PS: If you don't live in Vancouver, Julie will also have events in Toronto at TYPE, and at the Librairie D+Q in Montreal next month! (Yay!)

---

Diane Morgan’s new cookbook Roots

by Danielle
Events + Food & Drink + Vancouver / October 03, 2012

Diane Morgan (incredibly awesome Chronicle Books author) is in Vancouver for the next few days and will be hosting a few events at Barbara Jo's Books to Cooks.

North by Northwest Cooking Club Taping
Friday, October 5, 12:00 p.m.
Pop by the shop for a live taping with CBC's NXNW host, Sheryl MacKay. Diane will chat about her new book Roots and will demonstrate a recipe.

Thanksgiving Primer for Root Vegetables
Friday, October 5, 6:00 to 9:00pm
Demonstration/Book signing, $45 (includes book)
 
Digging into Asian Root Vegetables
Saturday, October 6, 10:30am to noon
Cooking Class/book signing, $95

ALSO

Catch Diane Morgan tomorrow morning at 8:30 on BT (Vancouver) making this recipe from her new book Roots: The Definitive Compendium with More Than 225 Recipes

Beet Hash with Spicy Chicken Sausage and Soft-Cooked Eggs

Consider this as a main course for weekend brunch or even Sunday supper—it’s all about comfort food. Adding beets puts a spin on classic potato hash, bringing a shock of color and an earthy sweetness to an otherwise traditional dish. Bring out the hot sauce if your guests want some spice--that’s traditional, too.

Serves 6 as a main course

4 tbsp/60 ml olive oil
8 oz/225 g spicy Italian chicken sausages (about 2 links)
2 lb/910 g red-skinned, Yukon Gold, or Yellow Finn potatoes, peeled and cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
1 lb/455 g red beets, peeled and cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
1 tsp kosher or fine sea salt
1 large yellow onion, cut into 1/2-in/12-mm dice
1 tbsp fresh thyme leaves
1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper
6 large eggs

In a 12-in/30.5-cm frying pan, preferably cast iron, heat 2 tbsp of the oil over medium heat and swirl to coat the pan. Add the sausages and brown on all sides until cooked through, about 8 minutes. Remove the sausages from the pan and set aside to cool.

Reduce the heat to medium-low, add the remaining 2 tbsp oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Add the potatoes, beets, and salt and sauté just until coated with the oil, about 1 minute. Cover and steam for 5 minutes, stirring once. Add the onion and stir to incorporate, then re-cover cook, stirring once or twice, until the onion is softened, about 7 minutes longer.

Meanwhile, cut the sausages into rounds 1/4 in/6 mm thick. Set aside.

Uncover the pan, increase the heat to medium-high, and add the thyme and pepper. Stir to dislodge any bits stuck to the pan bottom, then continue to sauté the potatoes and beets until tender, about 10 minutes longer. Gently fold in the sliced sausages and cook until heated through, about 2 minutes longer. Taste and adjust the seasoning.

Using a large spoon, make 6 shallow depressions in the hash, spacing them evenly around the pan and putting one in the center. Carefully crack an egg into each depression. Cover the pan, reduce the heat to medium, and cook the eggs until the whites are set and the yolks are still runny, about 5 minutes. Serve immediately, topping each egg with a sprinkle of salt and pepper.

 

---

Cory Doctorow Vancouver Kidsbooks

by Dan
Events + Fiction + Science Fiction and Fantasy + Vancouver / September 28, 2012

If you live in Vancouver and you're asking yourself "when, oh when, can I meet Cory Doctorow?" I want to let you know that you don't have long to wait!

The outspoken and controversial author/blogger/podcaster will be giving his take on technology, sci-fi and writing at West Point Grey Unitied Church Sanctuary in Vancouver on Sunday October 21 staring at 7pm. Organized by our amazing friends at Kidsbooks, tickets are $23.50 each and include a copy of his new book Pirate Cinema .* 

Tickets are available here. 

Kidsbooks Cory Doctorow Vancouver Event
Sunday October 21st at 7:00pm
OffSite venue:
West Point Grey Unitied Church Sanctuary
4595 West 8th Ave., Vancouver BC

Download flyer (PDF)

 

*The book will be available for pickup from October 2/12, or at the event, WITH THE PRESENTATION OF THE TICKET. 

---

Hilary Davidson BC Crime Tour

by Dan
Events + Fiction + Mysteries and Thrillers + Vancouver / June 13, 2012

Award-winning Canadian crime-writer Hilary Davidson (The Damage Done, The Next One To Fall) is visiting the fair province of British Columbia next week, kicking off a tour of bookstores and libraries with fellow authors Ian Hamilton, Robin Spano and Deryn Collier with an event at the W2 Media Cafe in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon. Full details of the tour, which includes Squamish, Richmond and Burnaby, are below. See you there?

Sunday June 17 2012: Vancouver, 2-5 p.m.
Real Vancouver Crime: Join Sean Cranbury of Books on the Radio as he hosts The Crime Tour (Hilary Davidson, Ian Hamilton, Robin Spano and Deryn Collier) for an afternoon of readings at W2 Media Café (111 West Hastings St., Vancouver; 604-689-9896) on Vancouver's Lower East Side. Open to the public; $5 cover.

Monday June 18 2012: Squamish, BC, 6:30pm-8pm
Murder in the Woods: The Crime Tour (Hilary Davidson, Ian Hamilton, Robin Spano and Deryn Collier) travels up the Sunshine Coast to the Squamish Public Library (37907 2nd Avenue, Squamish, BC; 604-892-3110) for an evening of chatting mystery and writing in the wooded beauty of the Sea-to-Sky highway. This event is free and open to the public. Books will be for sale on site by Armchair Books.

Tuesday June 19 2012: Vancouver, 1pm-3pm
Come down to Chapters on Robson & Howe (788 Robson Street, Vancouver, BC; 604-682-4066) to meet and visit with The Crime Tour authors (Hilary Davidson, Ian Hamilton, Robin Spano and Deryn Collier).

Tuesday June 19 2012: Richmond, BC, 7pm-9pm
A Mystery Evening to Die For: Join The Crime Tour authors (Hilary Davidson, Ian Hamilton, Robin Spano and Deryn Collier) for a full evening of author readings, a panel discussion on the writing process and a lengthy Q&A at the Richmond Public Library Brighouse (Main) Branch (100-7700 Minoru Gate Richmond, BC; 604-231-6422). Books will be available for sale on site from Dead Write Books.

Thursday June 21 2012: Burnaby, BC, 7pm-8:30pm
“Triple Threat: Chicks Who Solve Crime!” featuring Hilary Davidson, Robin Spano, and Deryn Collier at the McGill Branch of the Burnaby Public Library (4595 Albert Street, Burnaby, BC).The program is free but the library asks that people sign up in advance online, or by calling 604-299-8955.

---

Tubers Event at the W2 Media Café, June 14

by Danielle
Art & Photography + Events + Fiction + Music + Vancouver / June 06, 2012

While writing the stories, I also took a lot of the found sounds I had started to record over the years of riding the subways and being entranced by “subway sonics”, began to write songs around them.  Whether this was turning the rhythm of train wheels turning on tracks into insatiable grooves, or whether it was using conversations that had a musical lilt, I tried to write music around this sonic bric-a-brac, and then align each piece of music with one of the 9 stories.  Each piece essentially became a mini-soundtrack to one of the subway stories and has formed the Tuber album.

—Mark Jowett, author and a founding partner in the Nettwerk Music Group.

Tubers is a collection of nine tales set in the subways of Paris, London and New York. Written by Mark Jowett, co-founder of Nettwerk, and accompanied by 7” vinyl record and amazing full-colour art by acclaimed animator Matthias Lechner, it's the perfect book for the subway, bus or streetcar, especially if you have portable record-player in your pocket! (NB: Tubers actually comes with a download code for a nine-track album created for the book so you can, in fact, listen to it on the skytrain or the bus on your way to work. Pocket turntable not required!)

We're celebrating the launch of Tubers next week with a multimedia spectacular on Thursday June 14th at the W2 Media Café in Vancouver, starting at 8pm. The event will feature Kevan Ellis (Cinderpop/SK Robot), Téa Petrovic, Hamish Thompson (The Hermit), Robb Mitchell, and Mark Jowett himself (Cinderpop/Moev). Actors Mercedes Baines and Louis J Chirillo will read from the book. Entry is $8, with $2 going to the World Wildlife Fund. 

In the meantime, take a listen to Mark Jowett's track Tweety Bird from the book:

And you can download download the Pacha Massive remix here.

JOIN US FOR THE LAUNCH OF TUBERS
8pm Thursday June 14 W2 Media Café
#250-111 W Hastings Street,
Vancouver, BC
 

For more updates, please take a look at the following social media sites for Tubers:

Website
Facebook
Twitter

---

Inside the Fall 12 Sales Conference

by Natalia
News + Vancouver / May 01, 2012

Last week was the Raincoast Fall 2012 sales conference.  This is when all our publishers come to Vancouver to talk to the sales team about their brand new fall titles.  For us publicists, it's a chance to hear about the hot upcoming books and see what will be in store for us this fall!  There were so many fabulous books that it made my head spin, but I thought I would share a small selection of my favourites...

 

I was blown at conference by this new series of classics from Thunder Bay Press.  The picture does not convey how beautiful this series is: they're gorgeous books with a soft, velvety leather cover, a celebration of the tactility of the page.

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Canterbury Classics singles series

 

 

 

I like to think of myself as a scholarly being, a reader of highfalutin' literary fiction, an intellectual.  But then someone throws a book about cat pee in front of me and I think it's hilarious. So much for the highbrow.

I Could Pee On This: And Other Poems By Cats
Francesco Marciuliano

 

 

 

If you think doing your Christmas shopping on time is a challenge, try getting a book to press in time for the holidays.  Publishing is an industry that has to roll way ahead of the game.  But this picture book from Sourcebooks is so lovely and sweet it could be enjoyed any day of the year.

A Flower in the Snow
Tracey Corderoy and Sophie Allsopp

 

Whoever thought rocks would be interesting?   This is a quirky one, but I'm intrigued by the promised chapter on inukshuks...

Cairns: Messengers in Stone
David Williams

 

 

 

 

 

Sometimes it's the cover that pulls you in.  I love these little quill duelists.

The Language Wars: A History of Proper English
Henry Hitchings

 

 

 

 

And from Drawn & Quarterly, a very cool collection by New Yorker cartoonist Adrian Tomine.

New York Drawings
Adrian Tomine

 

 

 

 

 

What upcoming book are you most excited to see this year?

---

Eben Weiss visits Vancouver

by Danielle
Environment + Reference + Sports + Travel + Vancouver / April 22, 2012

We had the pleasure of meeting Eben Weiss (aka BikeSnob USA) last week while he was in Vancouver for his book tour. By 'we' I mean my boyfriend and myself. I had to do it cause it's my job. The BF on the other hand took time off work to tag along for fun. Not that I minded this particular working day because we rode bikes all day and it's our fave thing to do!

For those of you who don't know who Eben Weiss is, he writes the emencely popular blog bikesnousa and wrote a couple of books.

 

 

We had met him at his hotel where we all biked over the Caffé Musette for a nice cup of coffee and some snacks while we waited for legendary Amy Walker and her crew to get suited and booted for their Eben interview for bicycle.com.

Essentially they ride around town showing people riding in
real-life situations - on the streets, trails and bike routes of our city from the back of a Yuba Mundo cargo bike. It looks pretty tricky to handle but these two had the down packed.

After a couple hours of riding around beautiful Vancouver (oh and the weather was awesome btw!) we were starved so stopped for few tacos at Taqueria before heading over to Bike Dr. for the group ride.

We ended the night at Chapters where Eben answered questions from the crowd and signed stock. We talked about everything from biking and rainbows to religion and salmoning. (Grab the book, you'll know what I mean after reading it)

Following morning Eben graced our local TV waves at BT. Here's the link.

I'm pleading to get Eben up to Toronto.
I'll keep you all posted on if and when that happens.

Happy riding!

---

Meet the author: Claire Dederer

by Natalia
Biography & Memoir + Events + Vancouver / March 01, 2012

Claire Dederer will be at Banyen Books next Tuesday (March 6th) to discuss her new book Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses. The event starts at 6:30pm (full details are below).

 

Claire Dederer
Tuesday, March 6th: 6:30pm to 8:00pm
Banyen Books
3608 West 4th Avenue in Vancouver
Free admision

“Poser is a powerful, honest, ruefully funny memoir about one woman's openhearted reckoning with her demons . . . In the hands of a gifted writer, the universal is embedded within the personal.  —The New York Times Book Review

“One part memoir, one part social critique, one part yoga history, Claire Dederer’s Poser: My Life in Twenty-Three Yoga Poses asks what contemporary motherhood ought to look like … Poser is superb.” —The Globe and Mail

“This memoir about her decade doing downward dog while raising two kids and trying to keep her marriage alive reads like Eat, Pray, Love for hip but harried moms . . . funny, well-observed, and ultimately inspiring.” —People four stars

Check out Claire's latest interview on NPR!

---

My Favorite Books of 2011: Crystal (Children’s Book Publicist)

by Crystal
Kids + Vancouver + YA Fiction / December 22, 2011

Seriously? You want me to pick my favorite children's books from 2011? That's like a parent choosing which of their kids is their favorite! Impossible. Can't be done. There are just too many FABULOUS choices!

Ok if you really want to twist my arm. Here are a few of my MANY favorite books from 2011. I should also say that I love all of the kids books that my collegues chose, but decided not to have any repeats. 

Not For Parents Travel Book

I first heard that Lonely Planet was planning a line of Children's Books at sales conference 4 years ago. I waited for 4 long years for a Lonely Planet Children's Book to chomp my Kids Publicity teeth into. This book did not disappoint. Like the adult version of The Travel Book it features a page for every country in the world. Fun facts will keep kids turning page after page, trying to find new, gross things to gross mom out, while not even realizing their learning. An example: When Queen Elizabeth II visited Belize in 1985, she was served a local rodent called a gibnut, which some people say looks a bit like a giant rat without a tail (picture below). It tastes like rabbit.

Yeah. Gross. 

When I Was Small

This beautiful picture book is all the lovelier because the author (Sara O'Leary) and illustrator (Julie Morstad) are both really fabulous Canadian women. I also love that the little girl looks an awful lot like my daughter, Bella, if she would only allow me to have her hair chopped off into a bob. The story is of a mother telling her son the story of what it was like when she was little, however she takes it one step further and tells a fantastical story about her not only being little (young) but also little (tiny). My favorite spread is the one below where she feasts upon raspberries.

Zeal Of Zebras

I confess. I have a shelf in my sewing studio of children's picture books that inspire me creatively. I don't let me daughter play with these books (mostly because I know that she will steal them and bring them to her own room.) Zeal of Zebras is one of the books that graces my sewing studio bookshelf. Created by Woop Studios (the graphic designers for the Harry Potter movies) this book of collective nouns is visually stimulating, educational and just plain entertaining. Really who knew that a group of pandas is called an embarrassment of pandas? The page below is the one that I find myself turning to most often as it reminds me of my time snorkeling with the sea turtles on The Big Island.

Glow

I affectionately call this title "The Book That Almost Ruined My Summer Vacation". It was just so good that I couldn't put it down! My husband and daughter were pretty upset that my nose was buried in my book the entire time instead of playing with them in the sand. Like Hunger Games in space, this book is a must read. Here is a trailer to give you a sneak peek.

 

Embrace

Last but definitely not least I'm going to cheat a little bit. One of my favorite things about being a Children's Book Publicist is that I get to read a lot of books well before they hit bookstores.

Embrace is a book coming in March but I read it a few months ago and just can't get it out of my head. Here is a link to a blog post that I wrote on the day that we did the Embrace Cover Reveal. Sourcebooks also created a Making The Cover video which I found to be really fascinating. So much goes into creating a book cover.

 

Embrace Cover Shoot from Sourcebooks Inc on Vimeo.

Wishing you happy reading this holiday season and into 2012!

Crystal 

---

Intern Insights: A Raincoast Wishlist

by Janet
Picture Books + Travel + Vancouver + YA Fiction / December 13, 2011

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! I hope you have all been enjoying Egg Nog Hot Chocolates (Crystal's creation) and gingerbread cheesecakes! My favourite things this season include lighting the Christmas tree, watching old holiday classics (Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, Elf etc.) and enjoying cheery tunes that bring back many memories.

It's easy to forget how to enjoy the season with holiday shopping and wallet stress but I've narrowed down ten of my favourite things with Raincoast to give you some ideas - whether it's a gift for someone else or for YOU!

Here's my “little” wish list:

 

1.  Moleskine:
   
   Who doesn’t love the feel of a new notebook waiting for your pen to scribble ideas and thoughts down? One of my top wishes from Moleskine, other than their pens, sketchbooks and new bag line, is their Passions Journal line. There’s one for everyone: the cinephile, the bookworm, the traveler etc.
   
   I definitely want the Book Journal, here’s a great YouTube trailer:
    
2. Zombie Lovers!
   First it was vampires, then werewolves and now everyone's current obsession is ZOMBIES!
   Raincoast offers two great books for anyone who is a zombie fanatic. First, is the humorous “Dead Inside” which is like PostSecret mixed with the Zombie Apocalypse.
   
   Then there's The Walking Dead: Rise of the Governor, a back story graphic novel which explores one of the series' most sinister characters. (The Walking Dead is currently an acclaimed TV Series airing on AMC.)
   
    
3. Ivy & Bean Paper Doll Play Set: Some great gift ideas for any Ivy and Bean fan! There's the Paper Doll Play Set where you can play out your own Ivy and Bean scenarios or the Mini Notes set which combines creative stationary with your two favourite trouble makers!
   
   
   
   
   
    
4. Grandpa Green:
   What is greater than the gift of a good story and beautiful illustrations? Grandpa Green is a heartwarming book that you can give to anyone at any age. I am a personal fan of this book and think it would make a great gift for any loved one!
   
   The book trailer:
   
    
5. The Cheesemongers Kitchen: For any foodie or cheese fan is a fantastic cookbook with creative recipes for everyone's favourite dairy product: CHEESE!
   Recipes include delicacies like Foccacia with Venetian Black Truffle and Squash Tuscan Devil's Pecorino with honey. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
    
6. Your Playlist Can Change Your Life: For anyone looking for some inspiration or going through any life changing events I would recommend this lovely little book that states simply, music can change your life. 
    
7. The Art of Pixar: I don't know a single person who has not loved at least one Pixar movie. As storytellers they have transcended animation from being just for kids or families to anyone. They have rooted their characters, their art and their stories deeply in our hearts. I love this large book that shows you the making of their films:
   
    
8. Darker Still: Some good YA Fiction coming your way, this is a great read for anyone who enjoys sinister magic and fantastic situations. Imaginative and with an original concept this is a great stocking stuffer!
   
   "Many teens will be reeled in by the romance, but will also be left thinking about how different things were for women a century ago, trapped by gender and birthright. This smart novel will have wide appeal." (Shelf Awareness)
   
    
9. Animals With Hangovers:
   A great and humorous photobook of animals with HANGOVERS! Share this with the animal lover in your life, you know the one – they always forward you cute animals on YouTube or are constantly posting funny cat photos on Facebook.
   
   
   
   
   
    
10. Lonely Planet's Best of Travel 2012:
    Travel junkies will enjoy this book with its great tips and beautiful photography! The book includes:

• Lonely Planet ranks the top 10 countries, regions and cities to visit in 2012.
• The best travel experiences for the year ahead, from feeling the football fever in Ukraine to awaiting the Apocalypse on the Ruta Maya.
• Over 35 events mapped out month by month in the 2012 travel planner.

 

Happy Holidays!

---

Page 1 of 8 pages  1 2 3 >  Last »