Fact is stranger than fiction

Ah, it’s August. A fabulous time to slip outside and slide onto a lounge chair with a good book. At the beach, under a tree at the park, in one’s back garden, or even at a café here on Front Street. There are many places to relax and sail into another world - that of a great story.

Fiction, in particular, seems suited to this month. Perhaps because August is associated with holidays and vacation, linking it with adventure and enjoyment. Not only is fiction a great escape, it has the welcome side effect of deepening our empathy and ability to see things from other perspectives. Do you ever notice that avid readers of fiction seem open-minded and curious about the world?

There are many books that we’ve heard others buzzing about this summer. We haven’t read these ones yet, but we’d be delighted to hear about your experience reading any of the following new releases:

Exit Party by Emily St. John Mandel
Kin by Tayari Jones
Land by Maggie O’Farrell
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Whistler by Ann Patchett

Is reading for pleasure something you haven’t done in a while? Do you enjoy discussing what you’ve read with someone else? If so, you may want to join a book club. Oprah Winfrey, Jenna Bush Hager, and Dua Lipa all have book clubs you can join online through Goodreads, YouTube, or other platforms.

There are also local, in-person groups here in Niagara. Some are run independently and others through organizations, such as bookshops and local libraries.