Sunday January 3rd, 2010 Coffee Shop Novels

There are so many things that I’m inspired to write about. Today’s topic was given to me as a suggestion by a co-worker. At the time I thought, how could I write a column about coffee shops? Then one night it came to me - I could do a column about novels that take place in the towns of my favourite shops. First I discovered I’d have to shortlist the towns, due to the length of my list, and also you can’t always find novels that take place there. Otherwise my list would have included towns in Wisconsin, like Bayfield, Hayward and Rice Lake, and Minnesota towns like Moose Lake. I could go on and on. Really, I could. Ask anyone. Here are a few novels to keep things percolating.

Thunder Bay, Ontario

I’ve been patronizing Seattle Coffeehouse for about 10 years now. It’s like my second home and I feel like some of the staff are part of my family. So far it’s my only retirement plan. The coffee is good, the fireplaces are cozy and the desserts and light lunches are great. I actually visit all of the coffee shops in town, each of which has something special to offer, but I’d have to say Seattle is my personal favourite.

There are so many novels that take place in Thunder Bay, it’s hard to know where to begin. Two that I’ve read come to mind – Some Of Skippy’s Blues by Margie Taylor and Sailor Girl by Sheree-Lee Olson. We have The Factory Voice by Jeanette Lynes on order. This book is centered around a Fort William military aircraft factory. Hmmm – I wonder where that could be. There’s also Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger. It’s part of the Cork O’Connor series. This time Cork’s old friend Henry, who is seriously ill, asks for two favours. One is to take care of his dog Walleye and the other is to locate a son that he’s never met. The search for the son takes him from his Minnesota home to Thunder Bay.

Duluth, Minnesota

The first Caribou Coffee we ever went to was in St. Cloud. I was hooked from the first cup. Later Duluth got its own Caribou Coffee shops, but the St. Cloud location is still my favourite. I love the wood, the fireplace, the bathrooms complete with a Toto toilet. Even the names of the drinks are fun, such as the Fa La Latte.

I wanted to include St. Cloud in this article, but could only find one novel that took place there. So, I’ll use Duluth instead. Here are some of the books that take place there – This Little Piggy Went To Murder by Ellen Hart, Something In The Water by Mike Savage and All Fall Down by Robert McGregor. The last title takes place during the flu epidemic of 1918, and involves a murder that’s disguised as a flu death. For some reason most of the books set in Duluth appear to be mysteries. I don’t know why, it’s a bit of a mystery. We don’t carry these three novels, but you can borrow them through our Interlibrary Loan service.

Grand Marais, Minnesota

I’m a big fan of the Java Moose in Grand Marais. If you’ve ever been there on a late December afternoon as the sun sets over the harbour and the waves crash on the shore, you’ll know why. My favourite drink is the butter brickle caramello. Yum!

Books that take place in or near Grand Marais are Lone Wolf by Kristine L. Franklin, Trial At Grand Marais by Gene Anderek, and The Keeper’s Daughter by Leanne Denise Knott. The last title is set on the shores of Lake Superior. After a horrific November storm, the sole survivor of a shipwreck washes ashore at the Haven Point Lighthouse and is found by the keeper’s young daughter, Eleanor. Thus begins a tale of friendship and love set against the North Shore at the turn of the twentieth century.

Well there you have it. Now grab a book and head out to your favourite coffee shop. I hope you enjoy your visit a latte. And by the way – Happy New Year!

Karen Craib is a Library Technician at the Brodie Library.