Great Reads

This week we highlight two titles that might be of interest as you look for that next great read!

Every picture may tell a story but so, too, could used cars. Leamington native Bill Sherk, a syndicated columnist for thirty Canadian newspapers, has published a collection of old car stories in Old car detective: favourite stories, 1925 to 1965. With the book spanning forty years, Sherk has endeavoured to select at least one story for each year (except for the war years of 1943 to 1945, when no new cars were built) and to include at least one story from every Canadian province. In this book you will meet the man in New Brunswick who chopped the top off his 1927 Whippet sedan in honour of the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II; the young fellow from Kingston, Ontario, who thought his 1937 Ford coach looked better with all four fenders taken off; the owner of a 1947 Hudson that burned so much oil he had to wear a snorkel mask while driving it; the father who borrowed his son's hot rodded '53 Monarch (built only in Canada) and got pulled over by the police for street racing; and the grandmother who moved from England to Canada and drove her Morris Minor on the wrong side of the road. Behind every old car there's a story waiting to be told.

Canada, with its vast and unreachable territories, was an important testing ground for all aspects of early aviation. Jim Shilliday, journalist and former RCAF jet fighter pilot, has penned a beautifully illustrated history of both civil and military aviation in A Memory of Sky: a pilot’s view of Canada’s century of flight.

The next meeting of the Friends of Muskoka Lakes Public Library, a volunteer, charitable, organization comprised of individuals from across the Township of Muskoka Lakes, is Thursday, April 7 at 7pm at the Port Carling branch. Friends help raise funds to purchase equipment and materials not available through the regular Library Budget, strive to increase the use of the library facilities and services and help nurture the appreciation of literature and culture in our communities, and work throughout the year to provide programs for children and adults that will be of interest and value to the community. The Library Board and the Township of Muskoka Lakes Municipal Council are responsible for the operation of the Township libraries. The Friends support the Library Board and Library staff to help make our libraries a comfortable and stimulating place to be. New members are always welcome. There is no membership fee to become a Friend but donations are always welcome and greatly appreciated. Receipts for income tax purposes will be issued on request.

The Muskoka Lakes Public Library Board will be having their next meeting on Tuesday April 12 at 3:00 p.m. at our Bala Library location. All meetings are open to the public and we invite anyone interested to attend. Meetings are held at 3:00 p.m. the second Tuesday of each month.