Stroll

Stroll celebrates Toronto's details at the speed of walking and, in so doing, helps us to better get to know its many neighbourhoods, taking us from well-known spots like the CN Tower and Pearson Airport to the overlooked corners of Scarborough and all the way to the end of the Leslie Street Spit in Lake Ontario.

"Happy Holidays 2015! It has been a rough year for the Quinns, but I would like to start by saying thank you for all of the well wishes and positive missives sent our way." A second Christmas on Nantucket finds Winter Street Inn owner Kelley Quinn reflecting on the past year as he writes a holiday letter to friends and family. Though the year has had its share of misfortune and worry, the Quinns have much to celebrate. Kelley, now single, at least is on better terms with his first wife Margaret, who is using her celebrity to lure customers to the inn in record numbers. Their son Kevin has a beautiful new baby, Genevieve, with the Inn's French housekeeper, Isabelle; and their daughter, Ava, is finally dating a nice guy--her devoted colleague, Scott. Now the Quinns are looking forward to celebrating Genevieve's baptism, welcoming Isabelle to the family, and enjoying the cheer of Nantucket's traditional Christmas Stroll. But just when a peaceful family gathering seems within reach, Kelley's estranged second wife, Mitzi, shows up on the island after souring on her relationship with the inn's former Santa Claus. Soon Kelley isn't the only Quinn entertaining a surprise guest from Christmases past as lovers old and new gather beneath the mistletoe. With jealousy, passion, and eggnog consumption at an all-time high, it's going to take a whole lot more than a Christmas miracle to get the Quinns--and the inn--through the holidays intact. Follow the Quinn family through the entire Winter Street Series: Winter Street Winter Stroll Winter Storms Winter Solstice

Everything might have turned out quite differently, had the red mug stood there in the end. But it was the blue one, and therefore the life of Alice took its course. Her encounters with sunglasses, watering cans and hilarious garden gnomes accompany her on a path which changes direction every other moment, draws loops or makes U-turns. If the journey encounters a fork in the way, certainly Paul the plastic pig is there on the spot, to issue it’s bizarre advice. If there is a puzzle to solve or if she lacked clarity, Alice promptly gets expert advice from little Mathilda. A book with a collection of ten stories from Alice’s Universe.

A unique collaboration that explores themes of love and family, this collection features poems that are based on works of art placed alongside the very works that inspired them. It includes paintings by Natalka Husar; drawings, monotypes, and lithographs by Claire Weissman Wilks; and photographs by Goran Petkovsky.

No-nonsense Nantucket detective Merry Folger grapples with the aftermath of the COVID-19 pandemic and two murders as the island is overtaken by Hollywood stars and DC suits. Nantucket Police Chief Meredith Folger is acutely conscious of the stress COVID-19 has placed on the community she loves. Although the island has proved a refuge for many during the pandemic, the cost to Nantucket has been high. Merry hopes that the Christmas Stroll, one of Nantucket’s favorite traditions, in which Main Street is transformed into a winter wonderland, will lift the island’s spirits. But the arrival of a large-scale TV production, and the Secretary of State and her family, complicates matters significantly. The TV shoot is plagued with problems from within, as a shady, power-hungry producer clashes with strong-willed actors. Across Nantucket, the Secretary’s troubled stepson keeps shaking off his security detail to visit a dilapidated house near conservation land, where an intriguing recluse guards secrets of her own. With all parties overly conscious of spending too much time in the public eye and secrets swirling around both camps, it is difficult to parse what behavior is suspicious or not—until the bodies turn up. Now, it’s up to Merry and Detective Howie Seitz to find a connection between two seemingly unconnected murders and catch the killer. But when everyone has a motive, and half of the suspects are politicians and actors, how can Merry and Howie tell fact from fiction? This latest installment in critically acclaimed author Francine Mathews’s Merry Folger series is an immersive escape to festive Nantucket, a poignant exploration of grief as a result of parental absence, and a delicious new mystery to keep you guessing.

Some of you are going to buy this book because you will think that you know me. I hope you are in for a surprise. Some of you will remember me as mother, wife, foster mom, Stepmom, friend or maybe just a casual hi. I am giving away feelings here that have long been hidden, except on pieces of paper in a folder tucked away from a sometimes hurting world. I have reached a point in my life where I feel secure and happy enough to share with you all the love, anger, smiles and tears that has made up my life. I hope you all find enjoyment and a little piece of yourself here.

THE TORONTO STAR'S "30 BOOKS WE CAN'T WAIT TO READ THIS SPRING" The updated edition of a Toronto favorite meanders around some of the city’s unique neighborhoods and considers what makes a city walkable What is the 'Toronto look'? Glass skyscrapers rise beside Victorian homes, and Brutalist apartment buildings often mark the edge of leafy ravines, creating a city of contrasts whose architectural look can only be defined by telling the story of how it came together and how it works, today, as an imperfect machine. Shawn Micallef has been examining Toronto’s streetscapes for decades. His psychogeographic reportages situate Toronto's buildings and streets in living, breathing detail, and tell us about the people who use them; the ways, intended or otherwise, that they are being used; and how they are evolving. Stroll celebrates Toronto's details – some subtle, others grand – at the speed of walking and, in so doing, helps us to better get to know its many neighbourhoods, taking us from well-known spots like the CN Tower and Pearson Airport to the overlooked corners of Scarborough and all the way to the end of the Leslie Street Spit in Lake Ontario. "When I moved to Toronto in 2011, Stroll was the first book I added to my library and course reading lists. My students and I get lost in the PATH, sneak into lobbies, and visit the archives with this book as our guide. Micallef’s friendly voice invites us to slow down and notice not just a few landmark buildings but the city’s built fabric as a whole. This updated version offers our collective memory a much-needed affectionate yet critical view of recent changes to the city." – Erica Allen-Kim, Author of Building Little Saigon "Stroll is a delightful and eccentric guidebook, full of clever writing, amusing stories and charming maps that will make you want to strap on your walking shoes and head into the streets of Toronto." – Carol Off, Author/Broadcaster "Shawn Micallef is the unofficial mayor of Toronto, the genial ambassador the city needs and deserves. As he strolls Toronto’s broad avenues and its little streets, he finds hidden pockets of delight – and weirdness, too. Join him and fall in love with the city again." – Liz Renzetti, author of Bury the Lead "Shawn Micallef looks at the city in a way we all should more often – he sees it as a living book that is alive with stories just waiting to be told to the attentive observer. In Stroll, he gives us an introduction to just how interesting and surprisingly dramatic those stories are, and how exciting our city is when we hear them." – David Crombie, former mayor of Toronto "A smart and intimate guide to the city that makes you feel like an insider from start to finish." – Douglas Coupland This new edition updates things in the city that have changed and includes several new walks.

The collection of poems in this book were chosen with everyone in mind. The child who may be ready to question so many things, those who love nature and can just bubble over with watching something as simple as an insect or a golden sunset. The many who have ones and their hearts are breaking and they need to be reminded there are no Good Byes in Heaven! Maybe you need a special poem to tell someone how you feel, or a unique Gift for most any occasion. I believe Stroll With Me will sweetly whisper to each soul and help them find many Golden Nuggets.