Hi guys — have missed you terribly. Well, actually, that’s not quite true. I was in fact having the time of my life in Albania and wasn’t really thinking about this newsletter. BUT. I’m back now, and I am ready to talk SERIOUSLY about back-to-school, and what that means for RB and teachers and also, duh, just you guys in general. So, because it’s September, Russell Books School Book Fairs will be starting back up. To get started with our School Fairs program, visit our website here. Also, one more housekeeping thing — thank you so much to everyone who attended our warehouse sale. I was there in a jet-lagged haze visiting my dear father, and I was SO impressed with the stacks of books people were carrying. You guys look good with books in your hands, let me tell you. Come back to RB for more whenever you want!
Okay. See you guys down there. Miss you already.
Back-to-School Sale
So, school starts September 8th this year, which gives us all a little extra time to relax, prepare, and, DUH, buy books! I, for one, have to stock up on some children’s lit in order to feel fully ready for my little students … my Percy Jackson boxed set is missing 2 books and it’s just … a whole thing. If you have your own boxed set dilemmas, or just want to take advantage of an awesome sale, head over to our store September 3rd-September 8th!
Book Release: Listening Once Again to Our Great Mother
Join Elder Bill Jones and author Karen Moe to celebrate the release of Listening Once Again to Our Great Mother: The Fairy Creek Blockades and the Life Story of Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones. The evening will include readings from the book, discussion between the authors, and questions from the audience.
WHERE: Russell Books 100-747 Fort St, Victoria BC
WHEN: Sept 17th. Doors at 6:30, event starts at 7pm
COST: $10 basic ticket; $30 VIP ticket including signed copy of the book; 0$ Equity sliding scale ticket
Tickets available on EventBrite
About the book: An inspiring personal transformation through rediscovery of Indigenous self.
“I was lost before I was born”: the starting point of Pacheedaht Elder Bill Jones’ lifelong journey of decolonization. “You were all Indigenous once”: the starting point for ending a world based on exploitation and greed.
In 2020-2021, settlers and First Nations people held what became Canada’s largest act of civil disobedience – the Fairy Creek Blockades – in Port Renfrew, British Columbia. During this fight to save some of the province’s and the world’s last remaining old-growth forest, the protesters experienced a collective transformation and were reacquainted with our Great Mother. As Elder Bill sat in a tent during a West Coast storm at the height of the Blockades, he experienced the final phase of his personal decolonization when he had a realization that has informed his life ever since.
Weaving together the stories of Elder Bill’s personal life and those of his ancestors with Elder teachings, settler feminism, and the story of the Blockades, Listening Once Again to Our Great Mother shares wisdom that will inspire readers to reach their own self-awakening, now and for generations to come.
Staff Picks
“The Unbearable Lightness of Being” by Milan Kundera - A perennial favorite; Kundera’s most well-known work is the definition of literary fiction. Must it be? It must be.
“Seven Moons of Maali Almeida” by Shehan Karunatilaka - “Darkly funny, unique novel about a recently dead murder victim navigating the surprisingly bureaucratic afterlife. 2022 Booker Prize winning book from Sri Lankan author. “
“The Book Witch” by Meg Shaffer - “Rainy March is a proud, third-generation Book Witch, sworn to defend works of fiction from all foes real and imaginary. With her magical umbrella and feline familiar, she jumps in and out of novels to fix malicious alterations and rogue heroes like a modern-day magical Nancy Drew. When her grandfather goes missing, only the fictional detective she loves can help her solve the case.”
Moss’d In Space by Rebecca Thorne - “Is there such a thing as “soft sci-fi”? If so, this is it -- in the best possible way. This character-driven space odyssey is snarky, heartwarming, and hopeful. I enjoyed every second.”
Among Others by Jo Walton - “A re-read – I love this book more every time I read it! Mori from Among Others remains in my top ten of fictional characters I wish were my friends in real life.”
Craft Crawl
On Friday, September 25th and Sunday, September 27th, get ready for an amazing local shopping event inspired by a pub crawl, taking place in, you guessed it, your very own Victoria.
The Craft Crawl is an event where participants are invited to visit multiple craft-related businesses across Victoria and collect stamps in a passport or bingo card as they go. Each stop offers a unique experience, such as a small discount, product demonstration, workshop promotion, make-and-take activity, or featured item. RB will be participating, so be sure not to miss us!
The Craft Crawl will take place September 25th–27th! We will see you there.
Planet Earth Poetry
Planet Earth Poetry is a 30-year-old weekly reading series celebrating poets and poetry. Their season runs from September—June (with a break in December) featuring local poets and poets from across Canada.
We are honoured to host their weekly in-person events, which take place on Friday evenings in the store.
The first event of Season 31 will take place Friday September 11 and will celebrate the launch of Yvonne Blomer’s Sublime Anthology and will also include a book sale fundraiser for PEP. You can find more information about the September schedule here.
Orange Shirt Day
This year, Orange Shirt Day falls on Wednesday, September 30th. The day, as we all know, honours the children who never came home from residential schools, and by extension their families who have lived with the consequences of these losses for generations. On the 30th, please make sure to wear an orange shirt, and drop by our store to pick up some Indigenous-authored reading material — it’s important, and we’ve got lots of fantastic books to choose from.
Thanks for reading!
Well, that’s all for now. I’m going back to reading My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier … really wishing someone had once written in their journal, “Molly, my torment!” about me. Do you think it’s possible? I’m kind of trying to haunt someone. And, you know what I’m going to say — if you’re looking for your next Gothic romance, you know where to find it! We’ll see you at our store soon :-)
Want to follow us throughout the month for updates, new additions and more? You can find us on Instagram, Facebook and BlueSky You can also browse our stock and find more about upcoming events on our website.