Tag Archives: book recommendations

Way Back When: Discovering 1923 in 2023

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Well, it’s 2023, which feels like a strange and unwieldy number for a year to be after the neat symmetry of 2022. I thought for today’s post it would be interesting to look at different events that occurred exactly 100 years ago, and feature various books, movies, and resources for you to explore corresponding to those events. For one thing, ‘those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it’, and for another…this makes learning history fun! (For me, at the very least, but hopefully for you too). Without further ado, let’s jump right in.

cover of Red Star Over Russie by David King

January | The USSR (Union of Soviet Socialist Republics) aka the Soviet Union is established after a period of revolution. Red Star Over Russia by David King has a self-explanatory subtitle; it’s a Visual History of the Soviet Union From the Revolution to the Death of Stalin: Posters, Photographs and Graphics From the David King Collection. I’m a visual learner myself, and this graphic book is eye-catching and eye-opening, and reminds readers of the intersection of art and politics as a revolutionary incentive, as propaganda, and as an art movement in and of itself.

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HOTS Farewell to 2022: A Year in Review

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It’s time to ring in a new year1 and say goodbye to the old! As I have the honour2 of writing the final Hot Off the Shelf post of 2022, I thought it’d be nice to have all the HOTS writers share their top three reads for the year. Or, to be more accurate: their top two reads for the year and then an open category for the 3rd, so long as it’s available at VPL. One of us chose a book, two chose albums, and one chose a game3. We also have a special Editor’s Choice category from our lead, Heather.

To make this more interesting than a simple list of items4 I followed up my colleagues’ choices with some questions, the answers to which you’ll find below. Like an answer, but want some follow-up? Ask in the comments! We’re all going to be monitoring this.

Along with each writer’s choices and answers to the questions, you’ll be getting my first thoughts on seeing/researching each title to help inform where my questions came from5.

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National Day of Remembrance & Action on Violence Against Women Day

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An image that reads December 6th is National Day of Remeberance & Action on Violence Against Women Day

Thirty years ago today, in 1989, fourteen women were murdered in a senseless and brutal attack at Polytechnique Montréal, and December 6th was thenceforth declared a day for remembrance and action against such violence.

Below, you will find a list of resources and information for those who may be in need of help, would like to support someone in need of help, or would simply like to be better informed on what to do and how to conduct themselves in the face of violence, misogyny, and discrimination. Due to the themes and subject matters within, the listed titles may contain content some readers might find triggering. Please explore with your own well-being in mind.

We hope that with this blog post, we at the Vaughan Public Libraries can offer support, education, and assistance to all those who come to us.

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