Year-Round Reads in YMM

During the pandemic, it’s understandable to feel cooped up when you can’t go anywhere or do the activities you used to enjoy. While we live in beautiful Wood Buffalo, many of us in YMM rely on regular trips to Edmonton and abroad to spice up our year and get a little change of scenery. So, what can we do in the region when travel away isn’t an option? We’ve rounded up some picks for year-round enjoyment in YMM, pandemic or no pandemic!

Spring

Reignite Your Spark: Simple Steps to Extinguish Stress and go from Burned Out to Fired Up (2018)

By Carla White

Join local author and comedian Carla White on an empowering step-by-step journey into banishing stress and getting excited about life!

Gardening Books (Various)

By Lois Hole

Have gardening aspirations for this year? A woman of many hats, Lois Hole is remembered as an academic, politician, businesswoman, the “Queen of Hugs,” and professional gardener who was well-acquainted with the unique challenges of gardening in Alberta. Her books are a longtime favourite of gardeners in our region and will surely be interesting and helpful to novice gardeners and accomplished horticulturists alike!

Smoke & Mirrors (2018)

By Julie Rowe

Are you waiting for the spring thaw? How about a story that will make you melt? Local author Julie Rowe serves up steamy romantic suspense featuring a CDC nurse researching a deadly virus and the ex-Special Forces soldier assigned to assist her in her life-saving quest.

Summer

Through Thick & Thin (2019)

By Tony Bussey and Mark Griffin

Want to work on some new health goals for this summer or looking for some inspiration to live your best life? Tony Bussey tells how the 2016 evacuation served as a huge wake-up call that pushed him to make some lifestyle changes. Weighing 567 pounds, he shares the story of how he needed two seats on a plane to be evacuated, potentially taking a spot from another resident fleeing the disaster. That’s when he said, “Enough!” Become inspired by his heartwarming and motivational story.

MIP Go Pass

Want to check out all the cool things Macdonald Island Park has to offer? Opening the door to exciting experiences, the MIP Go Pass is an access program that provides individuals and families with the opportunity to explore all that MacDonald Island Park has to offer. Discover fun things to see and do, free of charge, by checking out this pass at Wood Buffalo Regional Library!

Autumn

NorthWord (Various Issues)

As the weather begins to cool and the leaves turn to their vibrant shades for a final show, what better time to cozy up with an issue of NorthWord Magazine, our Northern Canada literary journal? A wide variety of content is featured in each themed issue, so you’re sure to find something that speaks to you. Maybe, you’ll even be inspired to submit something of your own!?

Kill As You Go (2018)

By Therese Greenwood

Want a bit of a thrill? These 14 crime stories by local award-winning author Therese Greenwood are “tales of Prohibition-era crime, small-town murder, and family betrayal” sure to get your curiosity piqued and blood pumping.

Winter Community Collection: Read ‘em and Eat (2016)

By Wood Buffalo Regional Library

When it’s cold outside, you can warm up the house, or the kitchen, by cooking and baking these delicious recipes contributed by community members and staff of Wood Buffalo Regional Library!

Words in Motion (Various volumes)

Each year from September to January, the Wood Buffalo Regional Library accepts poem submissions from the community for its Words in Motion literacy program. A panel of judges selects the poems to be displayed in the library and printed in a yearly poetry booklet. Check out past poems and get inspired.

A Glimpse of Northeast Alberta (2014)

By Hélène Giguère

Have you ever wanted to capture the beauty of your natural surroundings? Our region is home to many gorgeous scenic areas and wildlife. Hélène Giguère offers a glimpse into some breathtaking scenes from Northeast Alberta in this photography book.