Welcome to our new monthly newsletter. You’ll notice a new look and format. Going forward you will receive one newsletter at the beginning of each month with all of our event happenings, book picks, and any other news we’d like to share.

We decided to move things over to Substack to streamline our communication and to better connect with our community. It’s here where you’ll find all of our newsletters and event announcements. Speaking of which, keep reading to hear about the next 3 events.

As well, I have turned on the ‘chat’ function so there is now the opportunity to meet online and continue our conversations if you so wish. I have started things off with a ‘Tell me what you’re reading’ thread - a perfect place to browse for recommendations for the summer.

EVENT: THE BOOK LOVERS CLUB - July 28th

The Book Lovers Club met last week at The Bruce Hotel to discuss The Things We Never Say by Elizabeth Strout. Wow - what an incredible gathering and discussion. We had the largest group we’ve had so far for book club (almost 30 people!!) but we still created space for everyone to contribute and bring forth their ideas and thoughts. I’m still processing this one, and be on the lookout for a future post about this over at Stories from the Writer’s Life. In the meantime, if you haven’t already read this gem of a novel, I wholeheartedly recommend it. I loved it so much. It’s a book that will stay with you long after the last page.

We meet again at the end of this month to discuss Whistler by Ann Patchett, which esteemed book critic Ron Charles calls: “…that loveliest of summer gifts, a story of reconciliation, of old affections renewed, of a family’s circumference enlarged.” It is a gift of a book indeed, and I personally cannot wait to dig deep into its themes with the group.

We have 2 spots still open if you’re interested in joining us.

Tickets can be purchased here.

*Please note: Book Club will be on pause for August, and will resume in September.

The Book Lovers Club - Summer Edition

We’re reading Whistler by Ann Patchett

Tuesday June 28th - 6pm to 8pm

The Lobby @ The Bruce Hotel, 89 Parkview Drive, Stratford, ON

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Event: Summer Garden Party - Tuesday July 21st

We are so looking forward to hosting bestselling authors and friends Molly Fader and Kate Hilton in just 2 weeks time at The Bruce Hotel for our Summer Garden Party. There will be lots of laughs, great insights, behind-the-book talk, and delicious drinks and nibbles.

You will definitely want to add their 2 hot books to your summer reading list:

Lady X by Molly Fader:

“Incendiary, cathartic and deeply satisfying.” —Heather Marshall,

The search for a notorious vigilante exposes the secrets between three generations of women in this propulsive novel of female resistance and rage, sweeping from contemporary L.A. to gritty, 1970s New York.

City of the Muse by Kate Hilton:

“Ambition, greed and privilege collide in City of the Muse, a captivating whodunit set during the Egyptology craze of the early 20th century…” - Bryn Turnbull

For fans of The Lost Apothecary, a gripping dual-timeline novel about the mysterious death of an indomitable female papyrologist during an archaeological dig in the early 1900s and an aspiring young female researcher’s present-day quest to find out who killed her.

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Summer Garden Party: An afternoon with Molly Fader and

Tuesday July 21st - 2pm to 4pm

Outdoor Event - on the grounds of The Bruce Hotel, 89 Parkview Dr, Stratford, ON

Tickets available here.

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5 new books to read this month:

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson:

“Like Jackson’s popular debut, Pineapple Street, this is one of those rare books that feel both breezy and meaty, sharp but empathetic.”
—Toronto Star

An ambitious young woman insinuates herself into a tight-knit social set, shaking up friendships and marriages in a small seaside town. A frothy novel of love, money, sex, and friendship, from the New York Times bestselling author of Pineapple Street

{Note: I devoured Pineapple Street. So good! And I cannot wait to read this new one from Jenny Jackson who also happens to be the vice president and editorial director of fiction at Alfred A. Knopf.}

Country People by Daniel Mason:

“Dazzling . . . both intimate and epic, playful and serious. To read it is to travel to the limits of what the novel can do.”—The Guardian

A year in the life of a family as they strike out into the unknown (aka Vermont), leaving all the comforts of home behind—a rollicking, lyrical novel from Pulitzer Prize finalist Daniel Mason, the bestselling author of North Woods and one of America’s greatest living writers.

{Note: I will read anything tells me to read. Her Substack newsletter is a must read. It’s also what convinced me to give Widow’s Bay a try - TOTAL RECOMMEND!)

Make Nice by Ryan Effgen:

"Witty and introspective. Bring this one on vacation."
—Booklist

Sandwich meets The Wedding People in this irresistible comedy of manners as three generations of a family—a snail scientist, a soon-to-be divorcée, her teenage daughter, a hapless con man, and their feckless patriarch—descend on a ritzy Lake Michigan vacation island.

{Note: I really enjoy Catherine Newman, author of Sandwich, so if it’s a comp to this book I’m all in.}

Julius Julius by Aurora Stewart de Peña:

Finalist for the Atwood Gibson Fiction Prize
A Globe and Mail Best Book of the Year

…Two-parts Mad Men to one-part Doctor Strange, this time-travelling paradox of a novel will change the way you see the ads on your morning commute."
—The Globe and Mail

With biting wit, Aurora Stewart de Peña satirizes the creative industry she’s spent years in. From the people who brought you the invention of advertising comes Julius Julius, a rambling architectural wonder, outpost of the very first ad man of ancient Pompeii, built on the backs of generations of creative survivors who just want to lie on the floor of a conference room and cry about the lumber account without being sexually harassed.

{Note: New in paperback. I hosted Aurora last year when the book was first released and enjoyed meeting her as much as I enjoyed this book. It’s witty, it’s fresh, and it’s not like anything I’ve read before. Plus, she’s from STRATFORD!!! local alert}

What We Found Instead by Heidi Reimer:

“What We Found Instead is the rom-com I didn’t know I needed, with a platonic female relationship at its centre: it made me laugh, cry, and long to live in Northern Ontario. Heidi Reimer knows how to write a complicated woman to delight in even as she builds a small channel where we might pour our rage.” —Liz Harmer, author of The Amateurs and Strange Loops

A moving and compulsively readable novel about two very different women and the unlikely bond they forge in the wreckage of one man’s betrayal.

{Note: I’ve been following ’s writing since her debut novel, The Mother Act. I subscribe to her Substack where she writes about books and the creative practice. I’ve had my eye on this new book by her and look forward to reading it.}

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Event: ACOTAR #6 MIDNIGHT RELEASE PARTY - October 26, 2026

Tickets available here.

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Have a great July, see you back here in August.

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Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone

Aga Maksimowska on the preoccupations and patterns of a writer

Aga Maksimowska is the author of GIANT, the 2013 Toronto Book Award finalist coming-of-age novel about premature sexual development and the fall of Communism in Poland. Her stories and essays have been published in Brick, The New Quarterly, The Humber Literary Review, White Wall Review, The Lincoln Review, Room, The Globe and Mail…

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Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone

A Summer Reading List

Dear readers…

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13 days ago · 1 like · Rina Barone

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CLAIRE CAMERON's most recent novel, The Last Neanderthal, was a national bestseller and a finalist for the 2017 Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. It sold in eleven territories. Her second novel, The Bear, was longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, sold in ten territories, and was a #1 national bestseller. It won the Northern Lit Award from the Ontario Library Service, which her first novel, The Line Painter, also won. Claire has led canoe trips in Algonquin Park and worked as an instructor for Outward Bound, teaching mountaineering, climbing, and whitewater rafting in Oregon and beyond. Her writing has appeared in The New Yorker, The New York Times, and The Guardian, and she is a monthly contributor to The Globe and Mail. She lives in Toronto.

About the book: How To Survive a Bear Attack

*INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER*One of CBC's Great Canadian Books to Read This SpringIn this debut memoir from the bestselling author of The Bear and The Last Neanderthal, Claire Cameron confronts the rare genetic mutation that gave her cancer by investigating an equally rare and terrifying event—a predatory bear attack.When Claire Cameron was nine years old, her father told her he was dying. In the years after he was gone, she overcame her grief among the rivers and lakes of Algonquin Park, a vast Canadian wilderness. Around that same time, in 1991, a couple was killed in a rare predatory black bear attack in the park—an event that shocked and haunted Claire.Years later, with children of her own, Cameron was diagnosed with the same kind of deadly skin cancer as her father. Caught in a second wave of grief, she was told by her doctor, “the ideal exposure to UV light is none.” No longer able to venture into the wilderness as she once had, she again became obsessed with the bear attack in Algonquin Park. How could terror rip through such a beautiful place? Could she separate truth from fiction? She headed north to investigate.Seamlessly weaving together nature writing with true crime investigation in this unflinching account of recovery, How to Survive a Bear Attack is at once an intimate portrait of an extraordinary animal, a bracing chronicle of pain, obsession, and love, and a profoundly moving exploration of how we can understand and survive the wildness that lives inside us.

Stories from the Pink House with Rina Barone is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone at rinabarone.substack.com/subscribe

This interview was recorded on Tuesday December 3, 2024 in front of a live audience at Creemore Springs Brewery in Creemore, Ontario as part of the event series, Beer & Books, a partnership between Curiosity House Books and the brewery. Stories from the Pink House’s Rina Barone interviewed Nita Prose in person about her bestselling mystery series that includes The Maid, The Mystery Guest, and her new novella, The Mistletoe Mystery. This interview has been edited and condensed for time.

NITA PROSE is the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Mystery Guest and The Maid, which has sold more than two million copies worldwide. A Good Morning America Book Club pick, The Maid won the Ned Kelly Award for International Crime Fiction, the Fingerprint Award for Debut Book of the Year, the Anthony Award for Best First Novel, and the Barry Award for Best First Mystery. The Maid was also an Edgar Award finalist for Best Novel. Visit Nita at nitaprose.com.

About the Book: The Mistletoe Mystery

*INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLER*Molly the Maid has a whole new mystery to solve in this heartwarming novella from the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Maid and The Mystery Guest.Molly Gray has always loved the holidays. When Molly was a child, her gran went to great lengths to make the season merry and bright, full of cherished traditions. The first few Christmases without Gran were hard on Molly, but this year, her beloved boyfriend and fellow festive spirit, Juan Manuel, is intent on making the season Molly’s most joyful yet.But when a Secret Santa gift exchange at the Regency Grand Hotel raises questions about who Molly can and cannot trust, she dives headfirst into solving her most consequential—and personal—mystery yet. Molly has a bad feeling about things, and she starts to wonder: has she yet again mistaken a frog for a prince?A heartwarming, magical story about the true spirit of the season, The Mistletoe Mystery reminds us that love is the greatest mystery of all.

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This interview was recorded on Friday November 8, 2024 in front of a live audience at Creemore Springs Brewery in Creemore, Ontario as part of the event series, Beer & Books, a partnership between Curiosity House Books and the brewery. Stories from the Pink House’s Rina Barone interviewed Brett Popplewell in person about his bestselling nonfiction narrative, Outsider. This interview has been edited and condensed for time.

BRETT POPPLEWELL is a bestselling author and associate professor of journalism at Carleton University in Ottawa. He has written for Bloomberg Businessweek, Mother Jones, The Globe and Mail, the Toronto Star, Sportsnet, Maclean's and The Walrus, among other publications. A winner of multiple National Magazine Awards in Canada, his work has also appeared in The Best American Sports Writing and The Best Canadian Essays. 

About the book:

Into the Wild meets Born to Run meets The Stranger in the Woods in a fascinating true story of a marathon-running hermit and a journalist’s quest to solve the mystery at the core of the enigmatic man’s existenceWhen journalist Brett Popplewell first heard about Dag Aabye, an aging former stuntman who lived alone inside a school bus on a mountain, running day and night through blizzards and heat waves, he was intrigued and bewildered. Captivated by the seemingly implausible tale of a wild super-athlete aging more slowly than the rest of us, he was determined to meet the apocryphal white-haired man who was pushing the boundaries of the human mind and body beyond what anyone could dream was possible.What Popplewell witnessed on a secluded mountain perch led him on a six-year odyssey to uncover the true story of the 81-year-old man. Outsider takes readers on a remarkable journey from Nazi-occupied Norway to Argentina and British Columbia. The book chronicles how a child born under mysterious circumstances during World War II finds his way onto the big screen in Goldfinger, is heralded as the world’s first extreme skier, and is later driven into the wilderness. Both joyful and tragic, Outsider presents a bold challenge to our notions of aging, belonging and human accomplishment.

Get full access to Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone at rinabarone.substack.com/subscribe

This interview was recorded on Tuesday October 1, 2024 in front of a live audience at Creemore Springs Brewery in Creemore, Ontario as part of the event series, Beer & Books, a partnership between Curiosity House Books and the brewery. Stories from the Pink House’s Rina Barone interviewed Lesley Crewe in person. This interview has been edited and condensed for time.

It was an intimate and engaging conversation with Leslie Crewe, a renowned author from Nova Scotia known for her relatable novels filled with humour and heart. Leslie discussed her latest book, 'Death and Other Inconveniences,' which explores themes of widowhood and family dynamics. She shared how personal experiences, including loss and family history, inspire her writing, revealing her process of transforming real-life challenges into fictional narratives. Leslie highlights the importance of storytelling in preserving cultural history and connecting with readers, using humour to balance life's ups and downs. She also touches on her unique writing process, her journey to becoming a bestselling author, and the personal significance of her books.

Interview Highlights

00:00 Introduction to Leslie Crewe

01:16 Reading from 'Death and Other Inconveniences'

04:22 Exploring the Character of Margo

04:48 Personal Inspirations and Writing Process

05:42 Themes of Widowhood and Family Dynamics

06:48 Humour and Heart in Writing

09:37 Mining Personal Experiences for Stories

14:36 Creative Process and Writing Routine

24:01 Cape Breton and Personal History

26:10 Recognition and Reflections on Success

28:44 The Importance of Stories and Legacy

Stories from the Pink House with Rina Barone is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone at rinabarone.substack.com/subscribe

Our first audio recording is with pop culture icon Bibbe Hansen, a performance artist, visual artist, musician, poet and writer. I recently visited with Bibbe at her home in upstate New York, where we discussed her poetry, her Factory days with Andy Warhol, and the creative process.

The recording will be published here on Stories from the Pink House next week, but for now, here is a short clip from that interview with the brilliant Bibbe, where she discusses how to live consciously as an artist in the world.

Thank you for reading, and now listening, to Stories from the Pink House.

Stories from the Pink House with Rina Barone is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Get full access to Stories from the Writer's Life with Rina Barone at rinabarone.substack.com/subscribe