Simcoe Reads

6 Libraries. 6 Books. 1 Winner.

What is Simcoe Reads?

6 Libraries. 6 Books. 1 Winner.

Six libraries are bringing their communities together with Simcoe Reads, a cover-to-cover conversation for adults.

Each library has selected a local champion and book they believe everyone in Simcoe County should read.

You can:

BORROW all 6 books at each library.

READ all 6 books and pick your favourite!

ATTEND the grand finale conversation on October 24th at the Udney Community Centre to VOTE for your favourite to win.

FOLLOW the libraries on social media for events and updates and visit simcoereads.ca for more information.

Simcoe Reads 2024

An open book graphic with a photo of Midland Public Library's Simcoe Reads selection for 2024 on the left - "Moon of the Turning Leaves" by Waubgeshig Rice, and a photo of the author on the right.

And the winner is…

Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice! Congratulations to Midland Public Library and their Champion  Kevin Cascagnette!

 Special thanks to our Champion Cass Sigler for representing NTPL and Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline at the event.

Graphic of an open book. The left page is the cover of the novel "Women Talking" the right page is of the author, Miriam Toews.

Simcoe Reads 2024 Cover-to-Cover Conversation

Thursday, October 24
6:30 pm
Udney Community Centre
2347 Concession Rd. 10, Brechin

6 Libraries. 6 Books. 1 Winner. NTPL has joined forces with 5 other libraries in this cover-to-cover conversation. 

Join us for the Grand Finale 2024 Cover to Cover Conversation! Watch all six library Champions defend their chosen titles.

For more information, please contact Kim at [email protected].

New Tecumseth Public Library

Into the Bright Open: A Secret Garden Remix by Cherie Dimaline

In this queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden, an orphaned girl is sent to live in the Georgian Bay wilds and discovers family secrets both wonderful and horrifying.

CHERIE DIMALINE is an internationally bestselling author. Her 2017 book The Marrow Thieves was named by TIME magazine, one of the Best YA Books of All Time and won the Governor General’s Award and the Kirkus Prize.  Her novel Empire of Wild  became an instant Canadian bestseller, was named Indigo’s 2019 Best Book and is being adapted into an opera. Hunting By Stars was a 2022 American Indian Library Association Honor Book and her new novel VENCO debuted at #1 on Canadian bestseller lists. Other 2023 titles include Funeral Songs for Dying Girls, Anthology of Monsters and Into the Bright Open. Cherie lives in her Georgian Bay Métis Community and writes/produces for screen and stage.

Graphic of an open book. The left page is the cover of the novel "Women Talking" the right page is of the author, Miriam Toews.

NTPL’s SIMCOE READS VIRTUAL OPEN BOOK CLUB 

Into the Bright Open, A Secret Garden Remix

Tuesday, September 24
7:00-8:30 pm
Zoom

Join us for a discussion of Into the Bright Open by Cherie Dimaline, with NTPL’s Simcoe Reads Champion, Cass Sigler.

In this queer YA reimagining of The Secret Garden, an orphaned girl is sent to live in the Georgian Bay wilds and discovers family secrets both wonderful and horrifying.

Details of the other five Simcoe Reads titles will also be discussed!

 

Photo of NTPL's champion, Cass Sigler

Champion: Cass Sigler

Cass Sigler is a non-binary and queer hairstylist who has lived, worked and volunteered in Alliston since 2012, and been a small business owner since September 2019. Cass is passionate about creating safer spaces and providing more accessible hair services to marginalized communities, specifically the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. In their free time, you can find them reading, gaming or creating.

Barrie Public Library

Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby

3 butlers, 4 guests and a week to remember as family descend on the Yatra Institute, a spiritual retreat on Sutil Island. The goal? To fulfill the last wishes of its owner and determine who is the most suitable heir. But did the owner die of natural causes or is there something more sinister at play?

SUSAN JUBY  is the award-winning, bestselling author of Mindful of Murder, which debuted at number one on the independent bookstores’ bestseller list and was nominated for the Leacock Medal for Humour. She has also written Getting the GirlAnother Kind of Cowboy and The Woefield Poultry Collective, as well as the bestselling Alice series (Alice, I ThinkMiss Smithers; and Alice MacLeod, Realist at Last). Her novel Republic of Dirt won the Leacock Medal in 2016. Susan Juby lives on Vancouver Island with her husband, James, and their dogs, who are convinced they could have lucrative careers as social media stars.

Open book with photo of Barrie Public Library's Simcoe Reads selection "Mindful of Murder" by Susa Juby on the left and a photo of the author on the right.
Photograph of Barrie's champion, Amy Courser

Champion: Amy Courser

 

Virtual Author Visit

Susan Juby

Mindful of Murder

 

Thursday, September 26
7 pm

Zoom

Hosted by Barrie Public Library, join us as we gather for an evening of conversation with author Susan Juby whose book “Mindful of Murder” is Barrie’s pick for Simcoe Reads 2024.

 

Essa Public Library

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

And Then She Fell follows Alice, a young Haudenosaunee mother who goes through a kind of looking glass, as she deals with postpartum depression and married life away from her family and traditions. It’s a story of difficult truths, told with humour, horror and a bit of surrealism.

ALICIA ELLIOTT is a Mohawk writer and editor living in Brantford, Ontario. She has written for The Globe and Mail, CBC, Hazlitt and many other publications. She’s had numerous essays nominated for National Magazine Awards, winning Gold in 2017 and an honorable mention in 2020. Her short fiction was selected for The Best American Short Stories 2018 (by Roxane Gay), Best Canadian Stories 2018, and The Journey Prize Stories 30. Alicia was chosen by Tanya Talaga as the 2018 recipient of the RBC Taylor Emerging Writer Award. Her first book, A Mind Spread Out On The Ground, was a national bestseller in Canada. It was also nominated for the Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction and won the Forest of Reading Evergreen Award.

Open book graphic with cover of Essa Public Library's Simcoe Reads selection for 2024 on the left "And Then She Fell" by Alicia Elliott and a photo of the author on the right.
Photo of Essa Public Library's champion, Stephanie Cryer

Champion: Stephanie Cryer

 

 

Innisfil IdeaLab and Library

The Berry Pickers by Amanda Peters

When a Mi’kmaq family travels to Maine to pick blueberries for the summer, it’s only a matter of weeks before their four year old daughter suddenly disappears. Norma, who grew up in Maine as an only child, has the impression that her parents haven’t been truthful to her so she trails her family’s secret for years.

As the Mi’kmaq family of this young girl feels loss over decades, The Berry Pickers is about the trauma, search for truth, and unwavering love of family that arises from this mysterious circumstance.

AMANDA PETERS is a writer of Mi’kmaq and settler ancestry. Her debut novel, The Berry Pickers, was the winner of the Andrew Carnegie Medal for Excellence in Fiction and the 2023 Barnes & Noble Discover Prize, and was a finalist for the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Amazon First Novel Award. Peters is a graduate of the master of fine arts program at the Institute of American Indian Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, and has a certificate in creative writing from the University of Toronto. She lives and writes in the Annapolis Valley Nova Scotia where she is an Associate Professor in English and Theatre at Acadia University.

An open book graphic with a photo of Innisfil IdeaLab and Library's Simcoe Reads selection for 2024 on the left - "The Berry Pickers" by Amanda Peters, and a photo of the author on the right.
Photo of Innisfil IdeaLab & Library's champion, Barbara Love

Champion: Barbara Love

Barbara Love is a proud Innisfilian, mother of three and grandmother of five. A retired nurse, she is an enthusiastic volunteer and unwavering in her support of the Innisfil ideaLAB & Library.

Midland Public Library

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

In the years since a mysterious cataclysm caused a permanent blackout that toppled infrastructure and thrust the world into anarchy, Evan Whitesky has led his community in remote northern Canada off the rez and into the bush, where they’ve been rekindling their Anishinaabe traditions, isolated from the outside world.

WAUBGESHIG RICE is an author and journalist originally from Wasauksing First Nation. His books include the Independent Publishers Book Award–winning short story collection Midnight Sweatlodge and the national bestselling novel Moon of the Crusted Snow. Reporting for CBC News for the bulk of his journalism career, in 2014 he received the Anishinabek Nation’s Debwewin Citation for excellence in First Nation Storytelling and from 2018 to 2020 he hosted Up North, CBC Radio’s afternoon show for northern Ontario.

An open book graphic with a photo of Midland Public Library's Simcoe Reads selection for 2024 on the left - "Moon of the Turning Leaves" by Waubgeshig Rice, and a photo of the author on the right.

Author Visit

Waubgeshig Rice

Moon of the Turning Leaves

Thursday, September 19
6:00 pm
Midland Public Library
320 King Street, Midland

Care. Resilience. Life-Changing.

Midland Public Library is proud to partner with the Midland Cultural Centre to provide an author talk by Waubgeshig Rice, focused on his work and his books Moon of the Crusted Snow and Moon of the Turning LeavesMoon of the Turning Leaves is the choice of this year’s Simcoe Reads Community Champion, Kevin Cascagnette, who will be in conversation with Waubgeshig.

 

Champion: Kevin Cascagnette

Kevin Cascagnette is a versatile professional in the creative industry, hailing from Midland, Ontario. With expertise in graphic design, art direction, and photography, Kevin brings a fresh perspective to his projects. He has a successful photography business and is dedicated to community service. As a proud Indigenous individual, Kevin adds a unique viewpoint as he champions Moon of The Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice.

Ramara Public Library

The Strangers by Katherena Vermette

A staggering intergenerational saga that explores how connected we are, even when we’re no longer together—even when we’re forced apart.

KATHERENA VERMETTE (she/her/hers) is a Red River Métis (Michif) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. vermette received the Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry for her first book, North End Love Songs. Her first novel, The Break, won several awards including the Amazon First Novel Award, and was a bestseller in Canada. Her second novel, The Strangers, won the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize, was longlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, named Indigo’s 2021 Book of the Year, and was a #1 national bestseller. Her work in children’s literature includes the graphic novel series A Girl Called Echo. vermette lives with her family in a cranky old house within skipping distance of the temperamental Red River.

Graphic of an open book with Ramara Public Library's Simcoe Reads selection on the left - "The Strangers" by Katherena Vermette, and a photo of the author on the right.
Photo of Ramara Public Library's Simcoe Reads Champion for 2024, Sherry Lawson

Champion: Sherry Lawson

Sherry never meant to ever be an author. Turning fifty convinced her to leave a record for her children and grand-children. Sherry’s stories take us through a chaotic childhood and instances as a young adult of outright racism.  There are tears and laughter, just like in real life. 

Author Visit

Katherena Vermette

The Strangers

Tuesday, August 27
6:30 pm
Virtual Program

Join us as we welcome Katherena Vermette, author of “The Strangers”, Ramara Library’s book selection.

Katherena Vermette (she/her/hers) is a Michif (Red River Métis) writer from Treaty 1 territory, the heart of the Métis Nation, Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada.

Born in Winnipeg, her Michif roots on her paternal side run deep in St. Boniface, St. Norbert and beyond. Her maternal side is Mennonite from the Altona and Rosenfeld area (Treaty 1).

Simcoe Reads 2024 MC

Dr. Raj Grover

Dr. Raj Grover is the Medical Director of the Medical Imaging Department at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre, Past President of the Professional Staff Association at RVH and a member of both the Innisfil Public Library and RVH Foundation Board. He is a passionate community champion and father of two eager readers. Dr. Grover has a keen interest in how our public institutions can support healthy communities and reflect the diversity and needs of our residents.

Photograph of the 2024 Simcoe Reads MC, Raj Grover (Last year's winner).

Previous Years

2023:

  • New Tecumseth Public Library: Women Talking by Miriam Toews, championed by Melissa Medaglia.
  • Barrie Public Library: How to Calm Your Mind – Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times by Chris Bailey, championed by Shakir Barmare.
  • Bradford-West Gwillimbury Public Library: Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez, championed by Jen Turner.
  • Essa Public Library: The Maid by Nita Prose, championed by Amy Kiezebrink.
  • Innisfil IdeaLab and Library: On the Ravine by Vincent Lam, championed by Raj Grover. ** Winner **
  • Midland Public Library: Breast Cancer – After the Diagnosis: One Woman’s Story of Overcoming Setbacks by Jayne Pritchard, championed by Roberta Douglas.
  • Ramara Public Library: A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny, championed by Jane Ste. Marie.

Master of Ceremonies 2023: Krista White

2022:

  • New Tecumseth Public Library: What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad, championed by Shira Harrison McIntyre.
  • Barrie Public Library: Can You Hear me Now? by Celena Caesar-Chavannes, championed by Claudine Cousins.
  • Bradford-West Gwillimbury Public Library:  Hench by Natalie Zina Walschots, championed by Meade Helman.
  • Essa Public Library: Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, championed by Krista White.   ** Winner **
  • Innisfil IdeaLab & Library: Not on My Watch by Alexandra Morton, championed by Jeanette Luchese.
  • Midland Public Library: The Last High by Daniel Kalla, championed by Suzanne Marchand.
  • Ramara Public Library: The Forgotten Home Child by Genevieve Graham, championed by Dorothy MacDonald

Master of Ceremonies 2022: Emily Nakeff

2021:

  • New Tecumseth Public Library:  Greenwood by Michael Christie, championed by Judy Penz Sheluk.
  • Barrie Public Library: A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott, championed by Carolina Belmares.
  • Bradford-West Gwillimbury Public Library: Ayesha at Last by Uzma Jalaluddin, championed by Emily Dahlgren.
  • Essa Public Library:  Gutter Child by Jael Richardson, championed by Grace Baker.    ** Winner **
  • Innisfil IdeaLab & Library:  The Company We Keep by Frances Itani, championed by Anne Smith.
  • Midland Public Library: The Centaur’s Wife by Amanda Leduc, championed by Cady McLaughlin.
  • Ramara Public Library:  Indians on Vacation by Thomas King, championed by Linda Lyons.

Master of Ceremonies 2021: Lisa Morgan