As we struggle under the generous heaps of academic reading that we are all forced to endure as students, I find it becomes easy to excuse casual reading at the end of a day of studying. Prior to university, I used to go through more books than I could afford in my spare time. Prior to owning a laptop, for that matter, I used to read every night before bed without fail. I found especially in first-year that I dismissed non-academic reading with the excuse that, after all my reading for my classes, I simply didn’t have it in me to pick up another book at the end of the day, no matter the content. It was much easier to pick up my laptop and watch a show or peruse a day’s worth of tweets.

This year, I decided to reinstate my reading habits in favour of twittering, tumblring, and so on. In the pursuit of this cause, I decided to go on an inexpensive book-buying binge which led me to explore the various used books stores we are lucky enough to have around campus in search of gems for my night-time reading. Based on my exploration, I offer this informal guide to used book stores around University of Toronto campus, for night owls, overachieving essay researchers, commuters seeking subway reads, and, of course, book-lovers here at U of T.

Willow Books, 333 Bloor St. West

Tucked next to the Bata Shoe Museum, this visually unimposing bookstore is very easy to miss as one is bustling along Bloor Street. The book selection of this literary trove, however, is hardly reflected in its lacklustre store front. Willow Books boasts a vast collection of books at fantastic prices. Their fiction section has plenty of classics and a hefty amount of modern literature as well. As the signs on the shelves explain, if you can’t find what you’re looking for, they probably have it in storage. The store also has nonfiction books on a wide range of topics, anthologies, and otherwise. This is the type of bookstore where you find all those books you’ve been meaning to read for years, at five dollars each. The top shelves have the fancy, expensive editions that are a pleasure to behold for any booklover but certainly unaffordable. Exercise caution, though, as many of the books from this store are more heavily used. While a used book can be just as good as a new one, and some might say better citing the added charm, some of these books were clearly previously used by students and are covered in markings that are more bothersome than endearing.

Seekers Books, 509 Bloor St. West (Downstairs)

Seekers Books has a noteworthy range of classic and modern titles among its assortment of used books. This store has a unique selection in terms of niche reading on obscure topics, and is a great place to scout material for ambitious essay researchers. The staff is helpful and warm, and the store is more spacious than others of its kind so you’re not stepping on fellow shoppers as you look for books. The book selection at Seekers will satisfy the hippie in you, but isn’t quite as thorough as others on this list.

Ten Editions Bookstore, 698 Spadina Ave

Ten Editions is marked by an appealing exterior featuring a display window that draws in the curious book-lover at first glance, as compared to the more subtle storefronts of many of the other noted used bookstores. Ten Editions boasts an interesting array of editions and a diverse selection of books, as well as an intriguing collection of old postcards and travel booklets. There are also $2.00 books at the front of the store to peruse if you’re feeling lucky, though the odds of finding a prize in this pile are not in your favour.

BMV Books, 471 Bloor Street West

BMV Books is a beloved staple of Bloor Street and the largest book store on this list. It is by far the most visually imposing, and its big windows out onto Bloor Street differentiate it from the other used book stores on this list in a refreshing way. In other words, BMV Books feels less like a basement or library, and more like a regular book store that happens to be selling used editions – and though some may find this openness an advantage, others who are perhaps more romantic may prefer to suffer for their used finds in dusty dens. That sense of being a normal book store permeates with the books being sold, which are high-quality books that usually aren’t too marked up, but have a low price and minor flaws to indicate they are used. BMV offers not only books, but also CDs, DVDs, VHS tapes, comics and magazines. It’s a well-organized store with friendly staff and really reasonable prices, as well as a lot of different, eye-catching editions alongside paperbacks that won’t cost you your life’s savings. The first floor holds fiction, with modern titles, classics, poetry anthologies, and a noteworthy Canadian literature section. The first floor also has a lot of the non-fiction titles, including the art section with its many impressive and cheap coffee table books. The second floor, which is filled with how-to guides, history books, and a youth section, also has 3 for $10 books that are definitely worth browsing with a lot of recognizable names on the shelves. These are often displayed outside the store as well. BMV Books has plenty of selection for those looking for something specific, but is also a great place to start searching for used books with its wide, high-quality selection and large, bright space.

If I’ve made a criminal omission, I assure you it is entirely accidental, and encourage you to include it in the comments!

Angela Grauerholz La bibliothèque (The Library), 1992, printed 1993 National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa

It was a dreadfully rainy afternoon and I was out for coffee with a good friend of mine who happens to be an Art History major. Our moods were dampened by the wet weather as we exchanged laments about long lectures and relentless readings. The second-week-of-school-slump was upon us, and was only made more dreary by the grey skies.

For a few days before this meeting, my friend had been asking me to go with her to a photography exhibit on campus. I had said yes noncommittally, like you say yes to a parent’s pleas to walk the dog or mow the lawn. As our coffee date was wrapping up, she implored me to attend the exhibit with her, and my strong desire to procrastinate at that particular moment in time prompted me to comply. (more…)

The Canadian national Exhibition (also known as the CNE and The Ex) is an annual event in Toronto. Although ticket prices tend to rise a bit each year, it’s something that I’ve enjoyed since childhood, and has become a tradition in my family. Since The Ex always takes place just before school starts, it’s a great way to mark the end of the summer holidays. Everyone should make an effort to go, whether it’s just once (to say that you’ve had the experience), or every year.

When is the Ex happening this year?

August 19th to September 5th.

What is there to do at The Ex?

There’s tons of stuff to see and do at the CNE, including:

• A variety of shows featuring cowboy trick riding, figure skating, and cultural song and dance
• The World Market, which features booths that showcase cool stuff from all around the world
• The Home Living Market – you can buy a sauna!
• The Arts and Crafts Market – browse (and buy!) cool jewellery, dips and jams, wind chimes, and tons of unique trinkets
• Carnival rides
• Carnival food – the usual corn dogs, cotton candy, and Tiny Tom doughnuts are always available (but why not try a Krispy Kreme Cheeseburger instead?)
• A kids playcentre
• A horticultural contest and gardening market – look at some spectacular blooms and gardens, and check out the annual flower competition
• Parades
• Last, but not least, the Labour Day air show!

Where can I get tickets to The Ex?

You can get tickets at the door but, if you want to avoid the lines and save a little money, some retailers such as Shoppers Drug Mart and Loblaws usually have discounted tickets. You can also buy discounted tickets online before opening day here.

How do I get to the The Ex via public transit?

Take the 509 Exhibition streetcar from Bathurst or Union Station and it will take you right to the entrance of the Ex. Or, you can take the GO train to Exhibition station.

Let’s go to the Ex!

It’s almost time for the Taste of the Danforth!

What is it?

Lori did a post covering the festival 2 years ago, but hopefully it won’t be rainy this year. Enjoy tons of yummy food, games, and shows all weekend!

Food?

Some food you may want to try: spanakopita (spinach pies) and loukoumades (honey balls) from Athens Bakery, kangaroo burgers from The Friendly Butcher, souvlaki, gyros, and backlava.

When is it?

August 5^th – August 7^th.

How do I get there?

The festival is super accessible by TTC. Just take the subway to Broadview, Chester, Pape, Donlands, or Coxwell station.

(If this doesn’t sound like your idea of a good time, or if you’re looking for even more stuff to do this weekend, you can also stop by the Brickworks Farmer’s Market on Saturday morning. You can take the free shuttle bus by Broadview station on Erindale, just north of Danforth.)

For more information, you can visit the Taste of the Danforth’s official website.

Post written in collaboration with Tian-Yuan Zhao.

Marshall McLuhan, an alumnus of our university, once stated that ‘the medium is the message’. But did you know that he was also a graduate of the same high school as Tian-Yuan Zhao, the founder of Tales of Harmonia? Amongst the many reasons Tian had for starting his own choir, the most important one stemmed from the knowledge that McLuhan had passed down. Tian felt that, because a choir is the medium whereby the message of a song is portrayed, it doesn’t matter if there’s variety within the genres of music that each choir at U of T specializes in. The only thing that matters is the medium – if, for example, jazz is the only genre of music performed by a choir, their performance can become stale. Tales of Harmonia intends on showcasing music from all genres. Its slogan is:

Whether it’s Accompanied or A Cappella, Arranged or Artistic, Occidental or Oriental, Sacred or Secular, as long as there’s a fire burning from deep within the song, we’ll be there to dish it!

Through practicing what they preach, Tales of Harmonia intends to generate a more personal, intimate, and special experience not only for their choral members, but for their audience.

Tales of Harmonia is a mixed 30-voice auditioned choir that aims not only to provide talented musicians with the opportunity to pursue excellence in music within a friendly, focused environment, but to do so alongside others who share the one other commonality that unites us as one – our collective power to geek* out about the various insanities of life.

*’Geek’: A person with a devotion to something in a way that places him or her outside the mainstream. This could be due to the intensity, depth, or subject of their interest. This definition is very broad but, because many of these interests have mainstream endorsement and acceptance, the inclusion of some genres as ‘geeky’ is heavily debated. Persons have been labelled, or have chosen to identify, as physics geeks, mathematics geeks, engineering geeks, sci-fi geeks, computer geeks, various science geeks, movie and film geeks (cinephiles), comic book geeks, theatre geeks, history geeks, music geeks, sport geeks, art geeks, philosophy geeks, literature geeks, historical re-enactment geeks, video game geeks, and role-play geeks. – Wikipedia

The group is built on the following tenets to provide all choral members with:
1) A more holistic musical experience.
2) A more heterogeneous (diverse) musical experience.
3) A geekier musical experience. In this context – ‘geeky’ isn’t a derogatory term as it refers to anything and everything from all mediums whereby art is expressed, such as movies, TV shows, books, anime, video games, math, history, engineering, and so on and so forth. I hope you get the gist.
4) A more ‘underground’ musical experience. While some songs are widely recognizable, most of the showcased songs are less popular amongst the masses. ToH’s repertoire draws from all genres.
5) A more innovative approach to musical groups as a whole. Now what does this mean? ToH not only intends on revolutionizing ‘what’ will be performed at concerts, but ‘how’ they’ll be performed as ToH intends on having multimedia concerts in the future, collaborating with other musical organizations as well as hoping to all ToH to grow into something more than just a choir into an entire musical/artistic experience for all who’s involved with it. Expect great things to come of this.

Tales of Harmonia dares to explore strange new worlds and to seek out new life and new Civilizations (I, II, III, IV, V, etc.). They boldly go where no choral ground has gone before. So join them for the ride – I assure you, you won’t ever regret it!

Here’s a sneak peek of the lists of songs ToH will be singing this year:

Star Wars – John Williams is the Man
Baba Yetu, Ipharadisi, and Parismaalase Lauluke
Nintendo A Cappella
Zelda Medley
Still Alive – Basix
I Will Derive
Rent
Pi Song
Avenue Q
5 Chinese Songs songs, including Jasmine Flower, Yellow River Cantata, and The Butterfly Lovers
3 Korean and 3 Japanese Folk songs
I Love the Whole Wide World
The Grand Fonic Hymn
Tshosholotza
The Legendary Sorcerer and Guiding Star
Le Ali Del Principio and To the End of the Journey of Glittering Stars
Zulu Mama
Les Misérables
Engineering Songs

Auditions for Tales of Harmonia will be held in the second or third week of September. One audition time/place has already been confirmed (September  12^th, 3PM, Bickersteth Room at Hart House), and another time/place has yet to be confirmed, but expect it to be in the Engineering Complex a day or two after the first day of auditions.

If you have any questions about the group, please don’t hesitate to email Tian-Yuan, check out their website at http://talesofharmonia.sa.utoronto.ca/ and/or check them out at the UTSU Clubs’ Fair, as well as the Engineering Clubs’ Fair.

It’s been just over two months since classes (thankfully) ended for the dedicated and tireless troopers here at U of T, but let’s face it: as much as we all look forward to some free time spent out in the sun, or even likelier spent inside our video game caves (Portal 2 anyone?), it’s all but impossible to avoid those boring days spent asking oneself, “What am I going to do today?”. I’m very happy to report that due to my brilliant sleuthing skills—okay, Googling skills, really—I stumbled upon an event that will delight playgoers, English students, and tree-huggers alike. That’s right, it’s the 29th Annual Canadian Stage Dream in High Park, featuring a play by everyone’s favourite bearded bard that is sure to delight, The Winter’s Tale.

To try and draw in those of you who perhaps prefer Two and a Half Men repeats (or anything at all) to Shakespeare, the performance is free, with donations of any amount accepted at the gate if you’re feeling generous à la Scrooge after seeing the three ghosts. As for you Shakespeare connoisseurs out there, this adaptation of the play by Canadian theatre director Estelle Shook is wonderful. With minimal props, live music in between acts thanks to two amazing violinists, and actors occasionally coming out into the “aisles” of the amphitheater, you instantly feel yourself enveloped in Shakespeare’s fictional land of Bohemia. Actor John Blackwood’s humorous portrayal of the roguish pickpocket Autolycus was of particular note and was clearly an audience favourite, garnering laughs and applause at each reappearance. David Jansen was also stirring as the guilt-ridden Leontes and provided a pleasing contrast to the comedic scenes, rounding out the play’s “tragicomedy” label.

For the remainder of you who, like me, are somewhere in between Shakespearephobes and Shakespearephiles, this play is a welcome chance to get out into the fresh summer air and enjoy a play full of twists and turns, tense drama and laugh-out-loud comedy, and even a man exiting the stage being pursued by a bear, as the famous stage directions dictate. So hop on the Bloor line to High Park station with a bag full of snacks, take the beautiful walk through the park to the amphitheater, snuggle up under a blanket with some friends (and yes, a mosquito or two), and enjoy an entertaining night under the stars. There is a certain unique ambiance that the outdoors provides to any dramatic performance.  This atmosphere particularly lends itself to Shakespeare’s plays, which often debuts at The Globe, the open-air amphitheater founded by the playwright himself. It is certainly fitting then, to appreciate his work in the way it was intended to be seen, in the way it has been admired by so many throughout the centuries; I’m certainly no bard, but you could almost call it poetic.

The Canadian Stage Dream in High Park will run until September 4, 2011 at the High Park Outdoor Amphitheater. The show can be seen every Tuesday to Sunday and begins at 8 p.m. (weather-permitting). Gates open at 6, so get there early to snag a good spot!

For more info, stop by http://www.canadianstage.com/dream

All of us have had that one boss that we didn’t like.  A boss who, for some unknown reason, hated their own life and took it out on others.  Unfortunately it seems to be part of the criteria for success: tolerating or overcoming a “horrible boss” to get to the top. Whether it be embarrassing or degrading, it’s the experience that’s made us stronger … or at least we would like to believe so.

New this summer is the film “Horrible Bosses” starring Jason Bateman, Charlie Day and Jason Sudeikis along side Kevin Spacey, Collin Farrell, Jennifer Aniston and Jamie Foxx.  With an A-list cast such as this its easy to clash: each star competing for the attention with bigger and bigger jokes resulting in an unrealistic, over-the-top flop.  “Horrible Bosses” manages to avoid this through the amazing chemistry of its actors.  The dry humour of Collin Farrell’s cocaine-addicted character and Kevin Spacey’s manipulative role paired with the dark, sexual comments said by Jennifer Aniston add to the comedy of the three stooges: Jason, Jason and Charlie.  Lets not forget the hilarious appearance of Jamie Foxx as Motherf*cker Jones, a name that in itself shows diversity from his Oscar-winning performance as Ray Charles in “Ray”.

The film starts out a bit slow, gradually drawing in the audience to meet and befriend its protagonists before upping the anti with witty jokes and slapstick humour.  “Horrible Bosses” combines a hilarious cast, impeccable chemistry, a simplistic storyline and a masterful script – the ingredient for a great comedy.  This summer hit is a must-see for anyone with a twisted funny bone.

Have a ‘Horrible Boss’ experience? Share in the comments section!

Check out the trailer here: Horrible Bosses Trailer