Looking for your next read? Check out all our lists of Canadian fiction, nonfiction, poetry, comics and children’s books to read in the second half of 2024!
Our top pick: Peggy by Rebecca Godfrey, with Leslie Jamison
Peggy tells the story of Peggy Guggenheim and her rise to making her name synonymous with art and genius. From her early beginnings in New York as the daughter of two Jewish dynasties to her adventures in the European art worlds, she is forced to balance her loyalty to her family and her desire to break free from conventions and live her own original life.
Our top pick: Revenge of the Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell
In Revenge of the Tipping Point, Malcolm Gladwell revisits the lessons of his groundbreaking book The Tipping Point and reframes the subject of social epidemics in the current context. Using stories and research, Gladwell highlights a concerning form of social engineering and offers a guide to making sense of modern contagion.
Our top pick: The Flesh of Ice by Garry Gottfriedson
Dedicated to survivors of Kamloops Indian Residential School (KIRS) and all residential schools in Canada The Flesh of Ice is a collection of poems and personal narratives of writer Garry Gottfriedson of the Secwépemc (Shuswap) First Nation. Where Gottfriedson’s last collection Bent Back Tongue discussed the history of Indigenous people in Canada as affected by the government of Canada and the Catholic Church, this book describes the lived realities of those who attended KIRS, citing their pain, their resilience and their necessary voices.
Our top pick: All Our Ordinary Stories by Teresa Wong
Starting with her mother’s stroke a decade ago, Teresa Wong takes a journey through time and place to find the origin of her feelings of disconnection from her parents. The series of stories carefully examine the cultural, language, historical and personality issues that have been barriers to intimacy in her family.
Our top pick: Under All the Lights by Maya Ameyaw
When Ollie Cheriet’s song becomes popular online he’s approached to write an album, go on tour and fulfill all his dreams as long as he can learn to manage his stage fright. As the pressure of being in the spotlight grows, his new touring partner Jesse begins to make him feel more at ease. In the coming-of-age novel Under All the Lights Ollie explores what it means to be an artist in the spotlight while he learns more about his anxiety disorder and bisexuality.
Our top pick: The Mango Monster by Derek Mascarenhas, illustrated by Meneka Repka
In The Mango Monster Marianne and her cousin Zoe are trying to solve the mystery of who is stealing the mangoes from their mango tree. They have waited all year for mango season, so when mangos start to disappear from the lower branches of their trees, they are determined to find out who is responsible. Could it be a mango monster?
Our top pick: The Shape of Lost Things by Sarah Everett
In the middle-grade novel, The Shape of Lost Things, Skye’s world completely changed four years ago when her brother Finn went on the run with her dad. One day they get a call saying that Finn has been found, but the boy who returns home — who is quiet and secretive — is nothing like the brother that Skye remembers. Skye tries to piece together what happened and how to deal with all the changes that she and her family are going through.
