It’s the Victoria Day long weekend in Canada, affectionately known as May 2-4, a nod to both Queen Victoria’s birthday, and a case of twenty-four beers (known as a two-four). One would think beer would be Canada’s national drink, but one would be wrong. It is the Bloody Caesar! All hail! https://nationalpost.com/life/food/all-hail-the-caesar-canadas-national-drink
I can attest to the fact that, as mentioned in the article, Caesars are “not a thing” in the U.S., where it’s the Bloody Mary all the way – but there is no comparison, in my humble Canadian opinion!
But, I digress. It’s the long weekend, there are blog posts to be written and books to be read, and the weather is warm!! (Unusual in itself, as May 24 weather in Canada is always a crapshoot. Snow is not unheard of!)
In honour of the Queen’s birthday, I want to recommend a book for royal watchers, or even pseudo-royal watchers, like me. I recently read The Woman Before Wallis by Toronto author Bryn Turnbull. It is the story of Thelma Morgan, who had an affair with the Prince of Wales before he abdicated the throne for her friend Wallis Simpson. Thelma had sailed back to the U.S. to support her twin sister, Gloria Vanderbilt, in a sensational custody battle over her daughter, also named Gloria (who grew up to be the fashion icon and is the mother of CNN’s Anderson Cooper). What with the royal customs and personalities, the posh social events, and the celebrity aspect of the Vanderbilt family, I found this book very engaging.
Here is a CBC article about the book: https://www.cbc.ca/news/world/royal-fascinator-fact-fiction-thelma-furness-wallis-simpson-the-crown-1.5703534
and here is a link to the book itself: https://www.chapters.indigo.ca/en-ca/books/the-woman-before-wallis-a/9780778361022-item.html
Speaking of celebrities and other famous people, I came across this article by Constance Grady entitled Who Deserves a Book Deal? It’s an interesting discussion about the role of publishers in ensuring that readers have access to accurate and truthful information, and not giving a platform to those who deliberately seek to mislead for personal and political gain. It’s become quite common for publishers such as MacMillan and Simon & Schuster to go head-to-head on these issues with their staff, authors and advocacy groups. As Grady quite rightly points out, “No one is owed a book deal, and editors turn down prospective authors every day without anyone crying censorship.” I, for one, would be happy if books by the likes of Kellyanne Conway and Mike Pence never see the light of day.
On a lighter, warm and fuzzy note, I recently e-met Emma, a young woman from the Collingwood area in Ontario, who has started an Etsy shop called EmsReadingBoutique. She sells all kinds of lovely book-ish treats, such as a Blind Date with a Book (you give her a genre and she sends you a book she has rated as five stars), as well as packages such as the Self-Love Box, Night of Indulgence Box, and the Reader Box, which all include a book and other goodies. Check her out here for fabulous gift ideas: https://www.etsy.com/shop/emsreadingboutique/
Until next time, happy reading, and enjoy the warmer weather!