Book lovers and authors will unite to support The Toronto Public Library Foundation at the 2013 Book Lover's Ball on Thursday, February 7, 2013 at the Fairmont Royal York. Our very own Tracy Moore will be hosting the fundraising gala, with over 50 celebrated authors in attendance, including Vincent Lam, Terry Fallis, Jian Ghomeshi, Gretchen Rubin, and Lawrence Hill. The black tie gala, now in its eighth year, celebrates the Toronto Public Library, the busiest urban public library system in the world with more than 19 million visitors borrowing over 33 million items. Guests will enjoy mingling with Canada's most celebrated authors over dinner and live entertainment, while their donations will contribute to the enhancement of the Toronto Public Library. To find out more about this event and how you can participate, visit The Book Lover's Ball website. Photo credit: Toronto Public Library Foundation

Here at Cityline.ca, we love talking about books and what we're reading and loving right now. In our weekly feature, Friday Reads, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at what Cityline guest experts and staff members are reading, as well as sharing the current picks of some of our viewers. This week, we're taking a peek at the bookshelves of Winston Sih and Jenny Stranges! Winston Sih, our tech expert, has just begun reading The End of Growth by Jeff Rubin (Random House Canada). This best-seller follows Why Your World Is About to Get a Whole Lot Smaller, and discusses globalization, what happens as commodities continue to soar, and what that means to the growth of the economy. “It’s impressive to read about the bold arguments Rubin presents,” Winston says. “Rubin presents an argument that governments are getting it wrong, and that growth in the economy will come to a grinding halt. Not only is this read great for those interested in the economy, but ideal for those who like learning about the ever-evolving world we live in.” Jenny Stranges, one of our unit assistants at Citytv, has just finished reading Grace: A Memoir by Grace Coddington (Random House Canada), creative director of Vogue. Jenny was enchanted by this book; here's what she had to say about it: Much like with television, I knew that behind the scenes of fashion there's an entire world that we rarely have access to. The documentary The September Issue released in 2009 gave us a snippet of life inside Vogue, and showed us a character responsible for much of the iconic photography in the magazine, and who is brave enough to stand up to Ms. Anna Wintour: Grace Coddington. Ever since that film, I've been sort of fascinated with Grace as a professional and a personality. The book was everything I hoped it would be - part biography, part rise-to-fame, part behind-the-scenes. Coddington's passion for fashion photography was palpable, and her words had a way of uncovering the layers of a seemingly superficial world. The insight into the industry was invaluable. Of course, there was profuse name-dropping, but that's to be expected in a book written by a head-honcho in the fashion industry. The book was a touch expensive - I'd attribute that to almost hundreds of photos included in the pages - but absolutely worth it for the fashion and photography lover alike. What are you reading this Friday? Tell us in the comments what books are currently residing on your bedside table, and we might include your pick in next week's Friday Reads!

Here at Cityline.ca, we love talking about books and what we're reading and loving right now. In our weekly feature, Friday Reads, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at what Cityline guest experts and staff members are reading, as well as sharing the current picks of some of our viewers. This week, we're taking a peek at the bookshelves of Tracy Moore and Fiona Clark! Tracy Moore, our host, is reading Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn (Crown Publishing Group). This bestselling thriller has taken readers by storm this year and is showing up on many best of 2012 lists. "Chilling. That is the only word I can think of to describe turning page after page of Gone Girl. It is exciting, sexy, psychotic and so, so well-written," says Tracy. "The kind of book I could have finished in a weekend (if I didn't have two kids attached to my legs). If you want to see what happens when a psychopath marries an average Joe/Jane, just how bad things can get, read Gone Girl. Simply amazing." Fiona Clark, Cityline's Home Day producer has just begun reading Carly's Voice by Arthur Fleischmann with Carly Fleischmann (Touchstone), and she's hooked. Told by Arthur Fleischmann with the help of his 18 year old daughter Carly, living in Toronto with autism. She is non-verbal and yet she has appeared on talk shows like Ellen and Larry King Live. "At the age of 10, she shocked her family and therapists by typing a message on a laptop, saying that her teeth hurt – so finally she had a means of communication. In the beginning of the book, her father chronicles the early years and the struggle of coping with a child with severe autism, in addition to two other young children, (Carly has a twin sister and an older brother), the endless medical appointments, the search for answers and the fight to get Carly the right educational support," explains Fiona. "The family had another blow when Carly’s mother, Tammy, was diagnosed with lymphoma. I’m only on page 63, but it’s a page turner and I’m looking forward to the part where Carly begins communicating and her co-author role." What are you reading this Friday? Tell us in the comments what books are currently residing on your bedside table, and we might include your pick in next week's Friday Reads!

Looking for the perfect book to give the readers on your gift list? Tracy recently chatted with Indigo's Lisa Huie to find out what's on their Best of 2012 list: [embed]bcid:1995330483001[/embed] Lisa's top 5 books: 1. Sutton by J.R. Moehringer 2. Behind The Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo 3. The 100-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out The Window And Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson 4. The Casual Vacancy by J.K. Rowling 5. The Chaperone by Laura Moriarty What were your favourite books this year? Share your top picks of 2012 in the comments!

Here at Cityline.ca, we love talking about books and what we're reading and loving right now. In our weekly feature, Friday Reads, we give you a behind-the-scenes look at what Cityline guest experts and staff members are reading, as well as sharing the current picks of some of our viewers. This week, we're taking a peek at the bookshelves of Suzanne Gardner and Kate Moore! Suzanne Gardner, Cityline.ca's web content coordinator is reading There But For The by Ali Smith (Hamish Hamilton). This quirky, playful novel starts at a dinner party in London, when a guest leaves the table partway through the meal and locks himself in an upstairs room and refuses to leave. We then learn about this guest through an eclectic group of neighbours and friends, all of whom only somewhat know the oddball in question. "I'm only just starting to get into this book, but I'm already loving Smith's writing style," enthuses Suzanne. "She's so witty and clever, and knows exactly how to craft a winning sentence. Her writing alone will carry this novel for me." Kate Moore, Cityline's Around The House producer, is reading Chanel by Francois Baudot (Assouline Publishing). This short biography of fashion icon Coco Chanel is one of Kate's favourite books, and she says that she rereads this book every so often, "not only for the love of fashion and design, but for the love of this woman's perseverance, creativity and commitment. Born into poverty and raised in a convent, one would not have foreseen Gabrielle Chanel as a visionary and emancipator of women's fashions. This short bio is barely over an hour's read, but will captivate you long after with the emotion and images of her life, her men, and her designs." What are you reading this Friday? Tell us in the comments what books are currently residing on your bedside table, and we might include your pick in next week's Friday Reads!