Staff Reviews

Staff Reviews

Adult Review September 2026

If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light by Choyeop Kim

A brilliant collection showcasing the outskirts of futures - those who are left behind by technologies, or isolated by advancements and achievements.

This whole collection is very quietly sad, centering stories of women isolated in thought, in space, in their one-of-a-kind experiences. Woman at the forefront, as in stories ‘My Space Hero’ and ‘Spectrum’, face undue scorn; women in the margins (‘Archival Loss’ and namesake ‘If We Cannot Go at the Speed of Light’) face invisibility.

Her writing isn’t bleak – it taps into something tender and subtle. This is sci-fi at a human pace.

Adult Fiction: pr8190886

 

This month's adult review was written by Harrison Gilhuly, Adult Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.



 

 

Kids / YA Review September 2026

The Third Period Comeback by E. K. Johnston

In an almost dystopian - indeed, apocalyptic - current events news cycle – even for children – this book is an oasis, a balm. It is a funny, quirky-character driven book with Canadian in-jokes, wonderful inclusiveness, Canadian settings and activities – cottages/cabins, hockey, camping, etc. And, it also has magical elements that make the plot remarkably unpredictable. Reading it feels like Ms. Johnston had a riot writing it.

You probably have favourite authors, like I do, who could write anything, and you’d look forward to reading it – for any age level, any genre, fiction, non-fiction, Cabbage Seeds Catalogue – whatever.

E.K. Johnston is one of these, for me. I’ve thoroughly enjoyed her YA titles, so far, and she has my vote for best book title ever – Exit, Pursued by a Bear.

Holding an author in such high esteem, can be perilous. Looking forward to reading a book, sets one up for disappointment. The Third Period Comeback is Ms. Johnston’s first foray into Juvenile Fiction. Here, huge anticipation was justified - it’s a barnburner.

A clan of hockey playing tween cousins, conspire one summer, to do what their parents, aunts, uncles, grandparents, and great, great relatives – together with the NHL and generations of Toronto Maple Leaf fans – have failed to do. In the story, their great, great grandfather died in a plane crash, and was never found. In the story, the Maple Leafs haven’t won the Stanley Cup since; ergo, it’s widely believed that the team is cursed by the disappearance. In the story, every member of the cousins’ extended family, is also believed to be cursed, and therefore banned from playing organized hockey after childhood. In the story, curses are a real thing. “Curse breaking” is an industry, etc. (This story arc references the Maple Leafs’ curse narrative in the real world. For that “true” curse, see the Tragically Hip song, “Fifty-Mission Cap.”)

The cousins spend every summer together under the lax supervision of their grand parents, at a family huddle of cabins in the wilderness. As it happens, the crash took place en route to this remote location – and therefore possibly nearby. This summer, the oldest cousins are approaching the end of their hockey playing careers, as dictated by the curse. This summer, the band of cousins find research about the curse from previous generations. Their older relatives worked in solitude. This generation of cousins pool their resources, and believe in each other, if not themselves. It’s hard to say enough about this empowering, authentic, engaging very Canadian story. Mostly, it’s a story about innocent, childhood fun.

I should add, I am not a Maple Leaf fan. I’m not an NHL fan. I am a fan of the PWHL and Canadian National Hockey teams. If I can enjoy this book, you can too. We are all on team Canada.

Middle Grade Fiction pr8363747

This month's Kids & YA review was written by Helen Wilding Cook, a Juvenile & YA Fiction Print Selection Specialist at Library Bound.

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Return Policy

Material purchased from Library Bound that is received by the Library with a production defect, may be returned for a full credit or a no charge replacement.

An order duplicated by Library Bound, or a title that does not fit the Library’s ARP profile, may be returned for a full credit.

Material received by the Library with processing specifications that do not match the Library’s processing profile, may be returned for a full credit or a no charge replacement.

  • Returns must be made within 60 days of the invoice date
  • Authorization from Customer Service is required to return material that is cancelled by the Library


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Library Bound will issue a credit for all acceptable defective material in a timely manner.  Please do not claim a credit or short pay an invoice until LBI has issued the appropriate credit.

Return Authorization Contact Information
Print Material:
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Lisa Strome                                               Michael Gray
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AV Material:
CD Music & Video Games                        DVD Material
Tracy Reid                                                     Anna Kardas    
Music & Video Game Coordinator           DVD Coordinator  
519-885-3233 x29                                       519-885-3233 x30       
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Customer Cancellation Policy

Customers requesting an order cancellation should contact one of the following:

Print & Audiobooks:                                CD Music & Video Games:
Lisa Strome                                                 Tracy Reid
Print Coordinator                                       Music and Video Game Coordinator
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519-885-3233 x24                                       519-885-3233 x29
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DVD Material:                                           Multilingual Material:
Anna Kardas                                               Sue Clarke
DVD Coordinator                                       Multilingual Selection Specialist
1-800-363-4728 x30                                  1-800-363-4728 x32
519-885-3233 x30                                      519-885-3233 x32
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We will confirm receipt of your request within 2 business days. We will then respond within 5 business days to notify you if the material is eligible for return. 

We can cancel an order if the material has not been shipped from the vendors, and only if we have return privileges with that specific vendor. Special circumstances will be dealt with individually. 

Please note, we have an automatic 12-month back order cancellation date, unless we have been notified of an alternate date by the library. In most cases, material orders in our system that have reached 12-months from the initial order placement date will be automatically cancelled.

To avoid placing a duplicate order, please check the status of your order by contacting one of our Specialists, or by checking your order status on our website.

 

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We are an opportune employer who seeks to find skilled individuals to join our team. Our customers are our top priority and they are entitled to quality products catalogued and processed to the highest standards, and delivered in a timely fashion. It is our job at Library Bound to meet or exceed all the requirements of our customers. At Library Bound, we recognize that our greatest resource is our associates. It is our goal to promote and maintain a work environment that enables associates to function at their highest level. Our colleagues can expect:

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Library Bound is currently hiring in our Processing, Cataloguing, and Print departments.  If you would like to join our team, we welcome you to submit your resume.

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Your Canadian choice for all your library needs  

Library Bound Inc. provides solutions to Canadian library needs. Specializing in print, video, music, audio books, and multilingual products, Library Bound has the materials to create a collection that your patrons will enjoy.

We also provide the services you need to ensure that all your material is shelf-ready. We offer acquisition, cataloguing, processing, and Automatic Release Programs as part of our complete package of services.

Contact us today for more information on how we can meet your specific collection needs.

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