Crux Books is Fantastic

I am totally loving Crux Books at the University of Toronto, and this is not only because it is the only bookshop in Toronto that I know for a fact orders in Ceremony of Innocence. (If there are other bookshops that have made that crucial phone call to Ignatius Press, or to Ignatius Press's Canadian supplier, I am unblissfully unaware of them.)

Crux Books is an interdenominational Christian bookshop at the University of Toronto, and not only does it hire impoverished theology students to work behind the counter, it sells theological books at a discounted rate. (How they turn a profit is a mystery to me.)

Crux is attached to Wycliffe College, which is Evangelical Anglican, but they have books by theologians from all the mainstream denominations for all the mainstream denominations. They are also interested in Christian fiction, and so have a ton of Lewis, Chesterton and Tolkien, plus little me.

Cindy at Crux tells me they take orders and ship out, so if you want to give the Amazon juggernaut a miss and support an independent bookshop, well, Crux is my North American bookshop of choice. Incidentally they also hosted a book launch for Seraphic Singles, which you can order through them, should you have any money left.

Any Christian who went to, or teaches at the University of Toronto, and has penned a book of Christian theology or fiction should mosey on down to Crux Books because when I did upon arriving in Toronto, Cindy got out her calendar and planned me a party. How awesome is that? Utterly. So on Monday, February 24 at four-thirty in the afternoon, I will be reading from Ceremony of Innocence in Wycliffe College, 5 Hoskin Avenue. The closest subway stop is Museum. (Just cross the street after the Faculty of Music, Queen's Park on your left, and turn right. Trinity College will now be on your right.) I will also tell anecdotes and answer questions and sign books.

Cindy showed me the Reading Room today. It is Victorian Gothic--U of T really went in for Victorian Gothic in the day--with a fireplace and cozy couches and portraits of long-dead Evangelical Anglican ministers staring crossly down. Cindy said she thinks I'll get six to fifteen people, and I declared, "I'm going to get twenty!"

Please let there be no blizzard. But even if there is a blizzard, let my twenty persevere!

If twenty show up, they may give more leverage to my suggestion to Cindy that she organize a Christian Fiction Conference. Hey, my friend Chris and I founded what is now Marquette's Lonergan on the Edge conference; I'm full of great ideas.

Anyway: Crux Books at the University of Toronto. Good thing. Buy your theology texts from them. Show up at their events. Check out their cute cashiers. If you live within hailing distance of Toronto, come on down to my reading. There will be coffee and tea and fellow readers including Aged P aka my mum.

P.S. Fiorella de Maria, whose Do No Harm I very much enjoyed and recommend, has got TEN (10) reviews on Amazon.com for DNH, whereas I have got only SEVEN for CI. Hint, hint.