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Searching for your next book? Check out the new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf

Searching for your next book? Check out the new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf

Yahoo4 hours ago

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (Books B.C.), in partnership with the B.C. Libraries Cooperative, has just announced the launch of the Read Local B.C. eBookshelf.
The new eBookshelf collection will feature books that are 'either about B.C., set in B.C., or written by a B.C. author,' according to a statement.
So far, 17 B.C. publishers are participating in the collection and have submitted 652 titles, with more ebooks to be added in the future. The collection is curated by B.C. librarians and includes a variety of categories, including award-winning and nominated books, travel beautiful B.C., children's and YA books, and local non-fiction, the nature of B.C. and more.
All 71 B.C. public libraries are participating in the program.
'At a time when readers are eager to connect with made-in-B. C. books, we are so excited to be launching this collection. Library patrons across the province can now easily browse the Read Local B.C. eBookshelf collection and find titles that explore topics related to their communities and interests,' Matea Kulić, executive director Books B.C., said in a statement.
Patrons can browse hundreds of ebooks within the Read Local B.C. guide. Titles will be added regularly across a range of genres.
The collection is available via the Libby app.
To help celebrate the launch of the eBookshelf, Read Local B.C. has partnered with OverDrive to give one winner a new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. The contest is open now until June 20 and can be entered at: instagram.com/readlocalbc. The winner will be announced by June 23.
There will be an official public launch event at The Burnaby Public Library, McGill Branch, on June 19 at 11 a.m. B.C. authors Wayde Compton and Candie Tanaka will read from their award-winning books, and Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, will be on hand to officially announce the new initiative.
'B.C. is home to amazing authors and publishers, and now it's easier than ever to find their stories. The new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf allows people across the province to explore an incredible range of local books that reflect our communities, histories, and imaginations,' said Chandra Herbert in a statement. 'As an avid reader, I am so excited to see this fantastic tool launched as it shines a spotlight on our local publishers, authors, and illustrators. It will help more B.C. stories get discovered and shared by audiences of all ages.'
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Searching for your next book? Check out the new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf
Searching for your next book? Check out the new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf

Yahoo

time4 hours ago

  • Yahoo

Searching for your next book? Check out the new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (Books B.C.), in partnership with the B.C. Libraries Cooperative, has just announced the launch of the Read Local B.C. eBookshelf. The new eBookshelf collection will feature books that are 'either about B.C., set in B.C., or written by a B.C. author,' according to a statement. So far, 17 B.C. publishers are participating in the collection and have submitted 652 titles, with more ebooks to be added in the future. The collection is curated by B.C. librarians and includes a variety of categories, including award-winning and nominated books, travel beautiful B.C., children's and YA books, and local non-fiction, the nature of B.C. and more. All 71 B.C. public libraries are participating in the program. 'At a time when readers are eager to connect with made-in-B. C. books, we are so excited to be launching this collection. Library patrons across the province can now easily browse the Read Local B.C. eBookshelf collection and find titles that explore topics related to their communities and interests,' Matea Kulić, executive director Books B.C., said in a statement. Patrons can browse hundreds of ebooks within the Read Local B.C. guide. Titles will be added regularly across a range of genres. The collection is available via the Libby app. To help celebrate the launch of the eBookshelf, Read Local B.C. has partnered with OverDrive to give one winner a new Galaxy Tab A7 Lite. The contest is open now until June 20 and can be entered at: The winner will be announced by June 23. There will be an official public launch event at The Burnaby Public Library, McGill Branch, on June 19 at 11 a.m. B.C. authors Wayde Compton and Candie Tanaka will read from their award-winning books, and Spencer Chandra Herbert, Minister of Tourism, Arts, Culture and Sport, will be on hand to officially announce the new initiative. 'B.C. is home to amazing authors and publishers, and now it's easier than ever to find their stories. The new Read Local B.C. eBookshelf allows people across the province to explore an incredible range of local books that reflect our communities, histories, and imaginations,' said Chandra Herbert in a statement. 'As an avid reader, I am so excited to see this fantastic tool launched as it shines a spotlight on our local publishers, authors, and illustrators. It will help more B.C. stories get discovered and shared by audiences of all ages.' Is book banning coming to Canada? Libraries, book stores, authors watching closely Here are 5 B.C. books you should be reading right now Honour Black History Month with books by Black B.C. authors Here are 5 B.C. books you should read this summer Sense of smell is triggering time travel device in Vancouver writer's new Y/A novel Voices for the Islands helps readers turn apathy into action 50-year-old Harbour Publishing has just the book for you — plus its 5 greatest hits

A guide to non-drinking fun in downtown San Antonio
A guide to non-drinking fun in downtown San Antonio

Axios

time20-05-2025

  • Axios

A guide to non-drinking fun in downtown San Antonio

While margaritas and mariachis might be synonymous with the downtown experience, they're not all the fun that can be had. Why it matters: Downtown is just as fun without a drink in hand. Whether you're sober or simply looking for something different, there are plenty of ways to enjoy the heart of the city. Kayaking See the River Walk from a paddle-powered perspective. Outfitters like the newly revived Mission Kayak provide the gear, so all you have to do is show up and hit the water. Self-guided tours Stretch your legs and mind with a stroll through San Pedro Creek Culture Park or the King William neighborhood, both of which offer free online guides. Take in public art and new trails at the creek, or wander past the mansions in the historic neighborhood. Want a peek inside the King William homes? The annual home tour usually happens in December. Follow the King William Association on social media for updates. Themed barge rides Hop on a narrated barge and learn about River Walk history with Go Rio Cruises. Themed rides pop up throughout the year, including for Black History Month, Halloween and Christmas. Ticket prices vary. Ghost tour Whether or not you believe in spirits, a downtown ghost walk offers history with an eerie twist. Mural bike tour Explore the city's street art scene on an 8-mile electric bike tour with Mural Ride, which is led by local guides.

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour Is a Reminder That Black Art—and History—Can't Be Erased

Elle

time16-05-2025

  • Elle

Beyoncé's Cowboy Carter Tour Is a Reminder That Black Art—and History—Can't Be Erased

When Beyoncé initially announced the Cowboy Carter and the Rodeo Chitlin' Circuit Tour on the very first day of Black History Month, I immediately began to wonder how she planned to meet this moment in history. So much had changed in the past year since she first released the album itself. Many of her fans, myself included, were still trying to process the truths that the 2024 presidential election affirmed about America, only to be met in the new year with an onslaught of executive orders, natural disasters, plane crashes, deportations, and tariffs. The news cycle was so bleak that Beyoncé's tour announcement, and the overdue Album of the Year Grammy win she nabbed a few days later, felt like the first bits of positivity all year. The Grammy wins for Cowboy Carter, especially, were so satisfying. Music's biggest award show was giving its highest honor, as well as the Best Country Album award, to a project that received so much backlash simply because Beyoncé dared to defy genres and infuse country music motifs into her sound. Critics and the country music community reacted as if a Black woman born and raised in Houston, Texas, had no claims to the culture or sound she grew up with. As if enslaved Africans didn't create the banjo and use washboards and bone castanets to try and emulate the music of their homelands with whatever was available. As if Ray Charles, Charley Pride, and Linda Martell never existed. It's almost too on-the-nose how much the rejection she received mirrors the rejection Black women are currently feeling in America. Both the country and its namesake genre have gone above and beyond to downplay, shut out, or outright erase the fundamental ways Black people contributed to their origin. We saw it in the way the Country Music Awards completely shut out the Cowboy Carter album. And we're seeing it now in the various attempts to gut all things dedicated to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and to censor our libraries and museums. So as I walked into So-Fi Stadium for Beyoncé's fifth and final L.A. tour date—a record-breaking run that spanned two weeks—I was excited to see how the greatest performer of our time would set the stage for these parallels to converge. Like the album itself, the Cowboy Carter Tour doesn't take long to let you know what it's trying to say. Opening with the LP's first two tracks, 'American Requiem' and 'Blackbiird,' it's like Queen Bee is holding her own sort of mass for our divided states. She comes straight out of the gate with messages like, 'Nothing really ends, for things to stay the same they have to change again,' 'Take these broken wings and learn to fly,' and 'You were only waiting for this moment to be free,' that address the elephant in the room and hold space for our collective emotions. This feeling is only heightened as she mixes in 'The Star-Spangled Banner' with her cover of 'Blackbird,' a Beatles song Paul McCartney wrote as a message of hope and encouragement to Black people during the Civil Rights Movement. As she sings alone on stage, a visual of the her sitting in front of a large tattered American flag with gaping holes appears on the massive panoramic LED screen behind her, then a bold message flashes into view as she holds the song's final note: 'Never ask permission for something that already belongs to you.' Before you can fully register what's happening, the beat to 'Freedom' drops, a song from her Lemonade album that also soundtracked Vice President Kamala Harris's presidential campaign videos and rallies. Its placement at the end of the medley of ballads shifts the entire energy in the stadium. Now here's Beyoncé marching down the catwalk of the stage, stomping out any and all notions of defeat with each step. Then, as the song ends, another image of Bey appears on the big screen; this time she's wearing nothing but the pageant-like sash she wears on the Cowboy Carter album cover, except this time the message reads: 'The Reclamation of America.' In this moment, it's crystal-clear we're not just experiencing a concert, we're in the midst of a revival. Before getting to the big dance numbers, stunts, props (a golden mechanical bull, flying car, and giant horseshoe awaited), and custom couture costume changes, Beyoncé was making a pointed effort to refuel our spirits and remind us of our power. Without missing a beat, she takes us right into a spirited performance of 'Ya Ya,' perhaps Cowboy Carter's most direct critique of the country at this moment in time. Visuals of the issues discussed in the song (pay inequality, wildfires, floods, freedom marches) flash across the screen to the beat, as well as poignant lyrics like, 'history can't be erased.' To close out this portion of the show, a series of video clips that feel like a short film you'd see projected in a museum begin to play on the screen as the stadium goes dark. Scenes from various facets of Black culture fill the screen: Black cowboys, country musicians, gospel choirs, jazz bands, dance parties, family gatherings; performance footage from greats like James Brown, Nina Simone, Chuck Berry, and Tina Turner; and clips of Beyoncé through the years. Then, the montage cuts to footage of talking heads on cable news (their faces blurred out) who criticized the singer's foray into country music. The video concludes with a visual of Beyoncé turning a stack of TVs off before reappearing on stage to perform 'America Has a Problem' and, the song whose music video launched #BoycottBeyoncé, 'Formation.' The mother of three is holding no punches at this point. She sees the parallels, and she's calling them out one by one. Political messages continue to be sprinkled throughout the entirety of the show, but it's really in the first 30 minutes (yes, all of this happened that quickly!) of the almost three-hour show that Beyoncé's state of the union message is clearest. Donning cowboy motifs and American flag-patterned fabrics throughout, she is the picture of a citizen loving and critiquing her home at the same time. She stands two-boots-on-the-ground down in the truth that both things are possible—and necessary—when you are from a country that was built by your ancestors, but not for them. If part of Renaissance's mission was to uplift us post-pandemic, I'd argue that this second act is here to embolden us as we embark on the difficult road ahead. The Cowboy Carter Tour reinforces the power we have to use our voice and our gifts to protect ourselves and our culture in ways that cannot be touched. I'm sure some critics will write off these moments in the show as symbolic activism, or note ways Beyoncé could be doing more (despite the millions of dollars in charity she donates annually). Some valid points might be made, and (not but) it cannot be denied that Black art is revolutionary. Much like Kendrick Lamar's Super Bowl Halftime Show, it stands as a powerful reminder that no amount of effort can erase us from the fabric of American culture.

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