So I live in an apartment. Which means no trick-or-treaters. Very sad, I know. But because I like to be prepared, I always buy some Halloween candy...
Author Archives for Ali
It’s Vancouver International Writer’s Festival time! It starts tomorrow! There are so many authors! I’m overwhelmed and forced to use exclamation points! No but seriously, it’s a...
A few years ago I was being made fun of by some American friends for celebrating REAL Thanksgiving in October. We’ve only been celebrating it since 1957,...
Here is a fact about me: I have a lot of shoes. Many of them have very high heels, which makes storing them awkward, because unfortunately, a...
I don’t even really know how to begin this post. Last week Jim Deva died. Jim was co-owner of Little Sister’s Book & Art Emporium, an LGBTQ...
Well it’s official everyone. Summer is over. My face: I mean, that’s the official date, but I think we all knew fall was here when pumpkin spice...
Twice a year we host open houses in our Vancouver and Toronto showrooms, and invite accounts to come in and check out new books. I’m officially in...
So we’ve all been talking about the changing of seasons around here, and at the Ampersand offices that means catalogue mailing. I love that mailing time means...
I hope everyone is enjoying the last long weekend of the summer (sobbing)! I just wanted us all to remember that Labour Day has a long and...
Books are so weird. It’s still August (although it’s feeling more autumnal here in Vancity), but for us reps, fall is over! On to winter! That being...
As crazy as it sounds, we’re about to go into conference for the Winter 2015 books! I’ve already gotten a start on the picture books, and here...
Through the magic of the internet, you’re able to read this post, even though I’m on vacation in the Okanagan, visiting my sister and her adorable puppy. In...
And to the rest of you, enjoy whatever holiday it is that you get today! Back in July I promised you some fun BC trivia for today,...
Hello all! I hope everyone had a most excellent weekend. I know I did! For months now, I’ve been training to run 10kms in under 55 minutes, and...
Wow, that was an AMAZING weekend, you guys! I Anne-with-an-E’d it up, ate my own weight in seafood, and had the most wonderful time. Pics or it...
Greetings from Halifax! I’m here for the Atlantic Bookfair, which is put on by the Atlantic Independent Booksellers Association. It’s my first time heading this far east in the...
So one of the benefits of my job is that I have a standing subscription to Chirp, Chickadee, and Owl magazines. Last week I got the latest...
Happy Monday all! I know we’re all very excited about Canada Day tomorrow (check out Vanessa’s post for fun books here). I thought I’d share my favouite piece of...
Today is the first day of the Alberta Book Reps Association Fall Bookfair! Hurray! So here I am in lovely Calgary, talking to booksellers and librarians from all over...
By which I mean: making jam. I like to rock out to Bob Marley, too, but really this is about JAM. I love jam. A lot. When I was a kid,...