Bestsellers and a lazy afternoon. Summer's here and it's time to relax. Not sure what to read as you hit the hammock? Try a bestseller. Lists are available weekly in the Chronicle Herald, Globe and Mail and the New York Times, or on-line at http://www.thechronicleherald.ca/Books; http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/books/bestsellers; http://www.nytimes.com/best-sellers. The challenge is to pick a list and read your way through.

 Let's start with some great Canadian titles. "Water for Elephants" by Sara Gruen remains at number 1 on the Globe and Mail list of Canadian fiction (July 2, 2011). The list also includes "Secret Daughter" by Shilpi Somaya Gowda, "Alone in the Classroom" by Elizabeth Hay, "Sanctuary Line" by Jane Urquhart and "Room" by Emma Donoghue.

 "Water for Elephants," recently released as a film, is an atmospheric, gritty and compelling novel of star-crossed lovers, set in the circus world of 1932.

 In a culture that favours sons, the only way for Kavita to save her newborn daughter's life is to give her away. "Secret Daughter" explores the emotional terrain of motherhood, loss, identity and love, as witnessed through the lives of two families - one Indian, one American - and the child that indelibly connects them.

 "Alone in the Classroom" by Elizabeth Hay tells the tale of Connie Flood, a student in a small prairie school in 1929, who helps a backward student, Michael Graves, learn how to read. Observing them and darkening their lives is the principal, Parley Burns, whose strange behaviour culminates in an attack so disturbing the repercussions continue to the present day.

 Jane Urquhart's latest novel, "Sanctuary Line," is the eagerly anticipated new novel from the author of "Away," "The Stone Carvers" and "A Map of Glass." Set in the present day on a farm at the shores of Lake Erie, the novel weaves elements from the 19th-century past, in Ireland and Ontario, into a gradually unfolding contemporary story of events in the lives of the members of one family that come to alter their futures irrevocably.

 Emma Donoghue, who was born in Ireland but now lives in London, Ontario, is known primarily for her historical fiction. Her latest effort, "Room," is a departure and was on the Man Booker Prize short list in 2010. "Room" is Jack's story. Jack is a five-year-old boy, born into a 12' x 12' room, the only home he's ever known. His mother, kidnapped seven years earlier, has created a world for her son that is rich in play and learning. But now they must escape.

 Longer descriptions and reviews of these and other books are available in the libraries' catalogue (http://www.southshorepubliclibraries.ca). Drop by the library to browse our selection, or place a hold on a specific title on-line using your library card number. You can also apply for a card on-line if you don't already have one.

 Challenge yourself this summer, and enjoy some hot summer afternoons while you're at it.

 Details on South Shore Public Libraries' programs, branches and hours are available on the libraries' website at http://www.southshorepubliclibraries.ca. South Shore Public Libraries. Read. Discover. Learn. Share.

posted on 07/26/11