Carrefour Atlantic Emporium and The Puffin Gallery’s Allison Picks Her Top 5 from our #GiftAtlantic Collection
Hello! My name is Allison, and I help run Carrefour Atlantic Emporium and The Puffin Gallery in Downtown Halifax.
Operating since 1994 when our owner relocated from Corner Brook, Newfoundland, Carrefour Atlantic is a combination art gallery, bookstore and gift shop that aims to showcase amazing things from all over Atlantic Canada. More than 99 percent of the books in our shop originate from Atlantic Canadian authors, illustrators and publishers.
These past two years have been very difficult for us. We lost most of our older books at the beginning of 2020 because of some burst pipes, and the pandemic didn’t help matters at all. We operate on the Halifax waterfront in Historic Properties, which is an area that relies heavily on tourism. We lost around four-fifths of our normal business for the 2020 summer season.
In addition, since the beginning of the pandemic, we have been operating with only three staff members. This year, it has been challenging to keep some more popular titles in the shop due to stock shortages with publishers. Thankfully, since so many of our books are local, we have had an easier time getting stock than many other bookstores in the city.
Although 2020 was bleak, 2021 has definitely been looking up! This summer and fall, we saw so many visitors from all over Canada visit our little shop. We have also had so many local people visit us who are interested in getting to know more about books from their own region. Meeting new people and helping them learn more about Atlantic Canada has always been one of the great joys of operating our shop, and it’s thrilling to get to do it again!
Here are my Top 5 picks from this year’s #GiftAtlantic Collection:
Best East Coast Jams, Pickles, Preserves and Breads
Alice Burdick
Formac Publishing
Whenever someone in our shop lingers by our Atlantic Canadian Cookbook section, they’re usually treated to me talking their ear off about how I love to cook. (One of my great benefits of working at a bookshop is trying out recipes from all the books so I can properly recommend the books.)
Burdick has gone out of her way to assemble a plethora of interesting and delicious recipes from all over Atlantic Canada. My favourite recipe from this book (so far!) is the Nova Scotia Sandwich Bread, but the Autumn Spiced Apple Butter is also a perfect edition this Holiday Season!
Fishnets and Fantasies
Jane Doucet
Vagrant Press
Here’s a fact about Jane Doucet: she is a better bookseller than me!
When this book came out earlier this year, she stopped by our shop to sign a few copies. While we were shooting the breeze, two tourists came in and she immediately was able to sell them a copy!
Fishnets is a pretty cheeky book with plenty of laughs. A sharp and silly delight, I’d recommend it for any adult reader who could use a good giggle with some heart this season!
Kisses Kisses, Baby-O (Trilingual Edition)
Sheree Fitch
Nimbus Publishing
It has always been important in our shop to showcase books from all the different cultures that live in Atlantic Canada. For years, our shop stocked the individual French, English and Mi’kmaw versions of this book, so we were thrilled when the trilingual version came out! This book is a great introduction for young children to the multilingual fabric of East Coast life.
Waterfalls of Nova Scotia
Benoit Lalonde
Goose Lane Editions
Have a nature-lover on your list? This is the book for you!
Although I’m not much of an outdoorswoman, this book is still gorgeous and engaging. It has information for hikers and sightseers of all skill levels. With phenomenal colour photos and detailed trail guides, it will get you well on your way to seeing the waterfalls, and the surrounding nature, Nova Scotia has to offer.
Secrets of the Hotel Maisonneuve
Richard Levangie
Nevermore Press
This book pick doesn’t just come from me; it was one of Michel’s (the octogenarian owner of our shop) favourite books of the past year. It has also been our most requested middle-grade book of the past decade, and for good reason! With an engaging mystery for readers of all ages, Secrets of the Hotel Maisonneuve is a fantastic read that brings plenty of puzzles, history and heart to the table.
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