Gung Hay Fat Choy!
February 12, 2018 |Happy lunar new year, everyone! I hope you’re able to get to a parade and watch the dragons dance, and maybe even score some delicious dumplings of...
Book-inspired Halloween costumes are so hot right now
October 24, 2017 |This may be the only time I ever say this… PUT THE BOOK DOWN. It’s October 24th, do you know what your Halloween costume is? Maybe you’re...
Summer Fun
August 28, 2017 |Summer is almost over, but the kids aren’t back at school quite yet! Here are some titles to keep them occupied until September 5th! My Big Book...
True North strong and free!
July 28, 2017 |We here at Ampersand have had a full month of July. When we weren’t out visiting accounts or reading our favourite new books in the sun, we’ve...
Summer Wedding!
July 24, 2017 |Hi everyone! Guess what I did the other day! I GOT MARRIED! Yep, Peter and I tied the knot in front of about 60 of our closest...
Happy Pride Month!
June 19, 2017 |I hope everyone is having an excellent Pride Month, with parades and fighting for equal rights for all LGBTQ+ peoples! In between all these events (check out...
Celebrate Mother’s Day!
May 4, 2017 |Spring has sprung (or is still springing here in Toronto) and Mother’s Day is around the corner! Whether you live far away from mom or you see...
MLK Day Suggested Reading
January 16, 2017 |Today we celebrate Martin Luther King, Jr.’s incredible life and legacy. If you are looking for the perfect read today may I suggest Michael Eric Dyson’s Tears We Cannot...
Happy Holidays!
December 19, 2016 |Season’s greetings! December is one of my favourite times of year. Here in Vancouver it tends to be cold, dark, and wet (this year it’s coldER, dark,...
Jolly Ol’ England, Here I Come!
November 21, 2016 |It feels a little early to be thinking about, especially since we are in the middle of our conference for Spring 2017, but winter holidays are coming...
Cake!
May 23, 2016 |Oh hi all, and a happy Victoria Day to you! I’m celebrating by eating a delicious Victoria sponge, courtesy of Mary Berry and DK! Baking with Mary...
Manning Park
March 14, 2016 |This past weekend, my partner and I went off to Manning Park to get in some cross country skiing, and, of course, some all important apres-skiing. Really,...
Winter Wonderland
January 25, 2016 |This weekend I headed off to Apex Mountain in the BC interior. Some people looked like this: I did a lot more hanging out here: But a fabulous...
Still on Vacation
December 28, 2015 |This was me all last week, so I’m still at home, in my stretchy pants! -Ali
Almost Time for Christmas
December 21, 2015 |I spent this weekend crafting some gifts, shopping for others, and indulging in just the right amount of eggnog with brandy! Whether you celebrate or not, I...
Boogie Woogie Santa Claus
December 17, 2015 |It’s the last Friday before Christmas. This means it’s time for the annual, “Oh my God I haven’t bought any presents and the malls are insane why...
Gettin’ in the Spirit
December 4, 2015 |I’m back from sales conference! My head is full of new books and my TBR (to be read) pile has grown by about a million ARCs. ...
It’s finally Halloween!
October 30, 2015 |I’ve spent the last few days driving around and visiting some of my favourite North Island stores. While Vancouver Island and its booksellers have been lovely,...
Time to get Spooky
October 16, 2015 |In one of my forays into the wilds of the internet, I turned up this fantastic Spooktober Reading Bingo card from Julie Israel’s blog: I love...
A beautiful long weekend in Toronto
October 14, 2015 |We’re already halfway through the work week (when did that happen?) and I’m still thinking about the awesome Thanksgiving weekend I had. It involved lots of...