This Sunday, another season of Rossland Reads kicks off. It’s a time when four books and book-lovers go head to head to find out which book is the one that every Rosslander should read.
This year the event will be facilitated by Jennifer Ellis. Each week starting Oct. 21, one book will be eliminated until there is one left.
The four defendants are Ida Koric, Stewart Spooner, Tracey Billett and Patricia Groulx.Ida Koric is a teacher (mainly English) and currently works on-call for the district.
She enjoys reading and talking about books (especially being critical) and feel a tonne of pressure, because she feels that an English teacher has no choice but to win a literary debate.
Like many Rosslanders, she appreciates the Kootenay lifestyle and enjoys outdoor everything in all seasons.
“I chose “Beggar’s Garden” because I believe short stories are under-appreciated, and in terms of this particular book, they all work together to paint a picture of Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside,” Koric said. “I grew up in Vancouver, so while there were many familiar landmarks in the book, it was an area of town I avoided, for the same reasons many other people do. Therefore, the book served as a bit of an eye-opener and helped me to understand the individuals who live and congregate there.”
Stewart Spooner is a long time Rossland resident, the trails manager for the Kootenay Columbia Trails Society and a passionate mountain biker and skier.
Spooner said he chose to defend the Golden Spruce, written by John Vaillant, for one main reason.
“It so compellingly engages with the ethics of our reliance on the exploitation of the natural environment for our economic prosperity,” Spooner said.
Tracey Billet is a a teacher at the alternate schools in Trail and Castlegar. Raised in Nelson and lived in Rossland since 1982.
“I’m a sports junkie: Skiing, mountain biking, and hockey (goalie and yes I fit the goalie “stereotypes) are my main passions but any sport is worth giving a try,” Billet said. “I was a ski racer from an early age and then coached skiing for 10 years before getting my teaching degree.”
She also coached mountain biking (men, women, kids)in the Kootenay with Betty Go Hard and Devine ride, as well as provincially with Trek Dirt Series.
She said chose When it Rains because her childhood friend wrote it.
“I like murder mysteries, and I like settings that are real and have meaning and understanding. When she talks about Commercial Avenue in Vancouver, and because I’ve spent time there, it really helps to bring the book to life,” she said.
The fourth book is Treading Water, by Anne DeGrace. Patricia Groulx is defending the book. It is Based on the real town of Renata and chronicles the lives of individuals that lived there before it was flooded out to create the Arrow Lakes.
The first night is Sunday, Oct. 21, from 4-6 p.m. at Cafe Books West. Times vary after that. The event is put on with help from the Rossland Public Library.
