There are as many reasons to read a book as there are books to read.
That was the takeaway from Thursday night’s Simcoe Reads Live debate at the Angus Recreation Centre, where Dr. Raj Grover, representing the Innisfil ideaLAB & LIbrary, was voted Simcoe Reads grand champion.
Seven Simcoe County champions, representing libraries from across the county, came together for the fourth annual competition with the singular goal of convincing the audience that their book selection was the best book in the county and one every resident should read.
Grand-champion Grover did the best job as the largest portion of the audience — about 70 folks from across the county — voted his entry, On the Ravine by Vincent Lam, as the best of the lot.
Grover, the medical director of the medical imaging department at Royal Victoria Regional Health Centre (RVH) in Barrie, said one of the book’s characters, Fitzgerald, forced him to re-examine some of his opinions — one of the great results of reading.
“He’s a physician in disrepute — his licence has been revoked,” Grover said. “He deals pharmaceutical grade drugs and safe surroundings to addicts, but I think he does it so they don’t buy drugs laced with fentanyl or other dangerous products.”
A compassionate drug dealer who guarantees his ‘patients’ a safe trip.
Bradford West Gwillimbury champion Jen Turner touted Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez, while Barrie’s champion, Shakir Barmare, threw his support behind How to Calm Your Mind – Finding Presence and Productivity in Anxious Times by Chris Bailey.
Essa champ Amy Kiezebrink selected The Maid by Nita Prose while Midland’s Roberta Douglas picked Breast Cancer After The Diagnosis by Jayne Pritchard.
Melissa Medaglia of New Tecumseth championed Women Talking by Miriam Toews and Ramara’s Jane Ste. Marie made a case for A World of Curiosities by Louise Penny.
The champions were asked six questions:
- Why did you pick this book?
- What were the obstacles in your book and what impact did the obstacles have on the characters in your book?
- What is the most important thing a reader would learn from your book?
- How thought-provoking was your book and did it change your opinion about anything?
- What issue in your book is most relevant to struggle and challenges facing our society today and how does your book affect how people might understand those struggles in everyday life?
- Why should everyone in Simcoe County read your book?
They were given one minute each to answer each question.
As expected, the answers were as varied as the books and the readers.
For Kiezebrink, her book’s main character, Molly, was simply delightful, who taught her about empathy. Barmare said the lessons he learned from How to Calm Your Mind are essential to his well-being and is sure everyone could benefit from reading it.
Douglas said her book, by former CKVR/CTV News Barrie anchor Jayne Pritchard, provides a lesson in resilience and determination.
Pritchard sat in the audience and beamed with pride as Douglas offered words of praise for her book.
“When I heard my book had been nominated, I was very surprised and very happy,” Pritchard said. “It means my book has made an impact and will continue to make an impact.”
That’s the power of the written word.
All of the selections were written by Canadian authors and all of them are available at your local library.
