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Musings from the Bookshop
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Happy October everyone!
I clung tightly to the last vestiges of summer this year, but have now fully submitted to the allure of autumn. Easily my favourite time of the year for many reasons, it is also a time when we are reminded to be thankful for not just the year's harvest, but for family, home and friends. In the twenty years I have worked at the Halifax Bookmark, I have had the great fortune of befriending many incredible people, both among the staff and the customers. The kindness and respect shown to me by so many wonderful people makes my place of work also a place of comfort and joy (not just quoting a carol here). Bookmark has factored into so many pivotal moments in my life, and my love and enthusiasm for my job has rarely, if ever, diminished. So, in short, thank you to all of you! Bookmark is so much greater for all of the people who have kept it running in one way or another, both those in front of and behind the counter.
There is plenty to look forward to this month. A number of you are eagerly anticipating visits from both Emily St. John Mandel and Ann Cleeves, but these are just two of many events happening this season. Please keep a close watch on each store's site to keep apprised of future functions to mark on your calendar. Of course, there are always exciting new titles hitting our shelves every week. I was particularly pleased to see the release of Melissa Harrison's
The Given World! I look forward to hearing about what you will be reading next time we chat in the shop. After all these years, those conversations are still a highlight of my day.
As this is the October newsletter, it would be positively remiss of me not to wish everyone a happy Hallowe'en! We have no shortage of scary stories to tell in the dark, usually found in our horror or current affairs sections. And if you happen to feel a chill in the Halifax location, it's not likely a ghost, but our overactive air conditioning.
Best wishes to all and to all a good fright!
Neil
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The Readerity Series 2026
The Readerity Series is one of the signature initiatives that Bookmark invests in to honour our commitment to promote books and reading. The idea is to give voice to Atlantic Canadian authors and their thoughts on the value of books and reading. The authors’ contributions are preserved in a limited edition chapbook which is given away free, and through an annual Readerity Talk event.
2026 marks the 8th edition of Readerity and features award winning Nova Scotia author, Carol Bruneau. Carol’s brilliant essay,
Finding One’s Place in the Land of Strange: Carlo Collodi’s The Adventures of Pinocchio: Story of a Puppet, is a timely addition to the Readerity Series.
When asked how the rereading of
Pinocchio for Readerity gave her insight into the social and political times in which we now live, Carol said she had “no idea when she chose to reread
Pinocchio that the story would reflect so eerily on conditions now. Social injustice, the suffering of the poor, the immorality of the greedy, the evils of a transactional world rife with grifters - the book has it all, as if tailored for readers in the times we find ourselves in. And yet goodness and love endure, even when at times they feel like feeble flames in the darkness. In Collodi’s story, even the most blockheaded puppet eventually evolves into a human, at the core of whom is a beating, loving heart.”
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You are invited to attend one of the Bookmark Soirée and Readerity Talk events -
Charlottetown on October 8th at 7 pm in Studio 1, Confederation Centre of the Arts
Halifax on October 15th at 7 pm in the An Seanchai Room, The Olde Triangle Irish Alehouse, 5136 Prince Street.
Fredericton on November 3rd at 7 pm at Gallery 78, 796 Queen Street
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STAFF QUESTION: "What's the spookiest book you have read?"
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Lori
If I’m going to be pigeon-holed for my reading interests, it’s going to be for loving anything with a hint of Ireland or a good old murder mystery. They’re my comfort reads but I don’t really think of them as scary or spooky. If we’re talking about a book that has haunted me the most, it would be Miriam Toews’
A Complicated Kindness. I couldn’t read another book for weeks after finishing it. Maybe the answer is the only Stephen King book I’ve ever read,
Lisey’s Story.
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This book has been patiently waiting for me for a couple of months now. I fell in love with Doireann Ní Ghríofa’s earlier book
A Ghost in the Throat when I read it and have been hearing nothing but praise for this one. |
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Mike at our Halifax store told me I had to read this one. Not that I didn’t believe him, but now that it’s on the Booker longlist, it is required reading for me. |
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Also on the Booker longlist, I started this one just before my “required reading“ homework of 2026 so wasn’t able to finish it. Now that my reading for the Giller project is wrapping up, this will be first in my pile to read .. starting from the beginning, of course. |
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I’m late to the Barbara Kingsolver fan club but
Demon Copperhead has haunted me since I read it last year so I’m excited to see where she’ll take me next.
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Niam
One of my all time favourite spooky reads is
Salem’s Lot. Although maybe not the scariest thing I have ever read, I think this is Stephen King’s best for invoking a feeling of spookiness. You can feel the crisp autumn air, hear the hinges of the old wooden doors, see the moon settle ominously over the town. This to me is a perfect autumn and Halloween read, the build up is slow but it makes you appreciate the town and cast of characters that much more.
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Poignant and bleak, this isn’t a book to read if you’re looking for something that’s uplifting. A true crime story at its core, this book is more of an examination of human life and the troubles and ills that individuals suffer throughout the process of living. |
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This short novel brought me into a side of history I wasn’t overly familiar with. Taking place during the early days of the French colonization of Algeria, this novel is brutal and unrelenting, never letting up for the broad cast of characters. |
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Funny, sad, heartbreaking, and yet heartwarming, Barbara Pym was able to pack in almost every emotion possible in this one. Filled with classic dry British humour, beautiful countryside settings, and some of the best interior descriptions I have read. This is a great rainy day read. |
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The less I say about this one the better. If you choose to pick up this novella, you will be brought on a ride to hell and back, with every page making you want to throw the book across the room while also never letting it go. Intense, violent, cold, and lacking almost any hope at all, this one won’t be for everyone but for the people who do enjoy it, you will not forget it. |
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Leanne
I do not have a
scariest book that I have read, as I do not like scary books so I tend to avoid them for myself.
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I loved
The Berry Pickers, so I was very excited for this book to arrive. Peters invites us into her characters’ lives while giving us a glimpse of what it means to be Mi'kmaw.
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I have heard great things about this book and I care about how we treat this world. Looking forward to learning new ways to make a positive difference on the environment.
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A retelling of Cinderella with a family from Hong Kong in the 1940s and in the US in the 1960s. Historical fiction, some magic, and a curse? Sounds like a good read to me.
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This is set in present day New Jersey and Tipperary, Ireland in 1954; the story focuses on the lives of 2 women, both young and preparing for marriage. Sudden news and events change their future in unexpected ways, and I look forward to finding out how the book ends.
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The Fall edition of The Booksellers’ List has arrived, featuring 20 highly anticipated new releases handpicked by indie booksellers across Canada. From new novels by beloved authors to thought-provoking nonfiction, there’s plenty here to keep your reading stack full all season long.
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“The purpose of a storyteller is not to tell you how to think, but to give you questions to think upon.”
- Brandon Sanderson |
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How scary do you like your books?
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Last month we asked you which book you would have chosen to read as a child. Here are the results: |
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Spooky or sweet, we have all kinds of fall-themed books for little readers this season. |
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Research on the value of reading
“Reading is more than words—it’s how we learn to feel, understand, and connect with the world around us. It doesn’t just build literacy; it builds our emotional understanding.”
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Giller Prize Shortlist
The Giller Prize shortlist was announced yesterday. Congratulations to the authors, and special thanks to the jury who pored over MANY books and had the difficult task of whittling down over 140 books written by Canadian authors over the last year to a remarkable longlist of 14, an even more astounding shortlist of five, until the eventual announcement of this year’s Giller Prize winner on Monday, November 16th at 9 p.m.ET
“This year’s Giller Prize […]was chosen by a jury of independent Canadian booksellers: professional readers who, like the writers whose work they selected, live and work in communities across Canada. These stories take place in both rural hamlets and big cities.” At Bookmark we are very proud and somewhat in awe of the participation of our very own Dan McDonald and Lori Cheverie, Bookmark owner and Charlottetown manager respectively, in the jurying process. Both prodigious readers, they took on a task, along with their fellow booksellers across Canada, which would be daunting to many. The jury has our respect and our admiration for an awesome job.
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Booker Shortlist
The winning book will be announced on Monday, 9 November 2026, at a ceremony in London. The winner will receive £50,000, while the shortlisted authors will each receive £2,500.
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Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival
While the in person Blue Metropolis Literary Festival took place earlier in the year, it lives on online through podcasts and other virtual programming. Located in Montreal, the most recent was the 28th annual event bringing together authors, writers, thinkers, philosophers, translators, journalists, and, dare we say, readers, for a selection of interviews, discussions, lectures, debates, and masterclasses.
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The Bookseller’s List, Kids Edition
The Bookseller’s List: Best Kids' Books of 2026 is here! For this inaugural list, indie booksellers across Canada nominated almost 1,000 children’s books published this year. From those recommendations, 20 standout books for readers ages 0-12 rose to the top. From picture books and graphic novels to middle-grade adventures, the list is packed with books that indie booksellers are excited to put into the hands of young readers.
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“An economy genuinely local and neighborly offers to localities a measure of security that they cannot derive from a national or a global economy controlled by people who, by principle, have no local commitment.”
- Wendell Berry |
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It feels like just yesterday we were writing about National Cookbook Month (October), and the Taste Canada Awards, which are scheduled this month. At this writing, there are shortlisted titles featured on their socials, as well as this delectable list of recent Canadian cookbooks our staff have identified.
Bon appetit! |
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Tis the season for hauntings. This selection of ghost stories varies from the psychological, to the literal and the metaphysical. From the truly hair-raising to the heartbreaking, these tales should keep you up at night and unnerved during the day. |
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Events
Dates, times and locations are current as of publication date. Please refer to www.bookmarkreads.ca for updates or changes. |
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Book Launch with Brenton Dickieson
Tuesday, October 6th at 7 pm
We are pleased to be hosting the launch of Brenton Dickieson’s book
The Spiritual Imagination of C.S. Lewis, moderated by Kate Scarth.
Faculty Lounge, Main Building, UPEI.
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Book Launch with Carol Bruneau
Thursday, October 8th at 11 am
Please join Carol Bruneau in the bookshop for a brief reading and discussion of her new novel
The Little Way followed by a book signing.
Bookmark, 111 Kent Street
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Bookmark’s Annual Soirée and 2026 Readerity Talk
Thursday, October 8th at 7 pm
Come enjoy an evening of stimulating conversation with other book people, the highlight of which will be the 2026 Bookmark Readerity Talk by award-winning author Carol Bruneau moderated by Deirdre Kessler. Refreshments will be served.
Studio 1, Confederation Centre of the Arts
Please rsvp to heather@bookmarkreads.ca
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Book Launch with Steven Mayoff
Tuesday, October 13th at 7 pm
Please join us in the bookshop for the launch of Steven Mayoff’s inventive new novel
Poor Man’s Opera.
Bookmark, 111 Kent Street
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Book Launch with Nancy Taber and Katie Mac
Friday, October 16th at 7 pm
We hope you can join us for a wonderful evening of fiction featuring Nancy Taber, author of
Cove of Witches, and Katie Mac, author of
Dunk River Murders.
Beaconsfield Carriage House
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Book Launch with Malcolm Murray
Monday, October 19th at 7 pm
We are pleased to be launching Malcolm Murray’s new book
Moral Puzzles: Contractarian Fix.
Faculty Lounge, Main Building, UPEI
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An Evening with Emily St. John Mandel
Thursday, October 22nd at 7pm
We hope you can join us for a not-to-be missed evening of books and conversation celebrating the launch of Emily St. John Mandel’s new book
Exit Party, moderated by Island author Caitlyn Paxson.
Florence Simmons Performance Hall
Tickets here.
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An Evening with Ann Cleeves
Thursday, October 29th at 7 pm
You are not going to want to miss Ann Cleeves, creator of the detectives featured in the television series
Vera,
Shetland, and
The Long Call, in conversation with Mattea Roach, host of the popular CBC Radio show
Bookends, at the Delta Prince Edward. This is going to be a wonderful evening for book lovers, book clubs, as well as fans of the tv shows.
Delta Prince Edward
Tickets here.
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Have you made your book club selections yet? How do you choose what your group will read? Here are some titles we like, both recent and backlist, sure to provoke a range of opinions, just what you want for a spirited discussion. |
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“After nourishment, shelter, and companionship, stories are the thing we need most in the world.”
— Philip Pullman |
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Bookmark carries an extensive selection of wall & desk calendars as well as planners & agendas. In spite of the digital era that we live in, paper calendars and planners are increasing in popularity, Shop early for our best selection. |
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Overheard in the Bookshop |
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"Thank you for being so welcoming to my four-footed child today. Even dogs can find kindred spirits on PEI!"
- Katy and Vloki |
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