The beloved American singer/songwriter, 80 this year, hasn’t stopped his busy schedule of touring — but apparently he found the time to commit his impressive life to longform. His autobiography (out May 5) covers ground from music to women and everything in between.
The New York Times scribe looked at what really builds good character — and whether it’s what we really think it is. Brooks looks at “resume virtues” vs. “eulogy virtues,” arguing that too often we prioritize the former at the expense of the latter. Get a preview of the book with this piece of his from the Times.
Heavily discussed since it hit shelves this spring, Ronson’s latest book (which came out March 31) looks at the aftermath of the worst kind of fame: sudden online infamy. Are the consequences of public shaming worth it? Is shame valuable — and if so, are we employing it properly?
Now that Parks and Recreation has sadly departed from the airwaves, actor Nick Offerman is continuing his next act as an author and general proponent of classic Americana. His new book Gumption (out May 26) looks at 21 historic Americans and their impact on Offerman’s life — humorously, we can only assume.
If you think you can’t figure out teenagers, imagine if you were stuck in a world populated only by teens. That’s the predicament a middle-school outcast finds himself in after a tragic accident, when he finds himself in a heaven full of his peers — and nobody else. This debut novel (out May 12) by new Canadian voice Smith is the perfect read for all of us still feeling a little wounded by our teen years.
Perhaps more relevant than ever now that the governmental guard has changed in Alberta and a federal election looms, Rubin looks at Canada’s economic future and the large role oil and carbon play in that, for better or for worse. His book (out May 12) argues that Harper’s vision of the future is not the right one, and argues that our successful economic future lies in a completely different direction.
Journalist Witt’s new book (out June 16) asks the question “What happens when an entire generation commits the same crime?” The crime in question is music piracy, which was intensely controversial when Napster appeared in the late ‘90s, but has become common practice for an entire new generation of music fans. The book traces the tale of music piracy, which has packed a lot into its short history.
Winner of a National Book Award, this poet’s new collection (March 31) examines the ways we see and are seen: the literal and the not so much. Hayes’ background as a visual artist clearly influences this collection, but it also stands alone as a work of the written word.
A collection of essays about death sounds like a pretty big bummer for warm-weather reading. But Paterniti’s work (which came out March 3) is actually touching and uplifting — as much about the life that came before as it is about the end of it.
The famed author of non-fiction adventure tales turns his eye to the problem of sexual assault on university campuses by focusing tightly on one single campus in Montana. The problems Krakauer uncovers in this book (which came out April 21) are both specific to this campus and endemic throughout higher education, and the subject matter is highly topical.
A new King book is always an event, and Finders Keepers (out June 2) isn’t likely to be an exception. His newest novel looks at an obsessed reader — the wrong kind — whose rage over his favourite author’s decision to sell out turns deadly, and what happens to the writer’s remaining book about his most famous character decades later.
Our second entry by a Parks and Recreation alum, Modern Romance (June 16) looks at our present-day search for love and the complications that surround it — through a humorous lens, unsurprisingly. What may be surprising is that the comic teamed up with Eric Klinenberg, a sociologist at NYU, and conducted interviews with experts around the world in his attempt to figure out just what makes our romantic lives tick.
You know what to expect from a Palahniuk book — some gore, a good dose of disturbing material, and just enough real life to make you squirm — and this one (out May 26) is sure to deliver just that. But as a bonus, you’ll also get a short story featuring Tyler Durden of Fight Club fame. That’s worth the price of admission alone.
Already a New York Times bestseller, Larson’s retelling (which came out March 10) of the sinking of the Lusitania is particularly relevant right now as this month marked the 100th anniversary of the luxury ocean liner’s final voyage — and ultimate destruction at the hands of a German U-boat.
The Read: Eating Habits of the Chronically Lonesome Author: Meghan Gail Coles Why We Love It: This short-story collection by Newfoundland’s Coles revolves around the theme of starvation, but not always of the physical sort. For a little extra incentive, this book recently beat out Michael Crummey’s Sweetland for the BMO Winterset Award.
The Read: Ru Author: Kim Thuy Why We Love It: This Canada Reads winner, now out in paperback, takes the reader from southeast Asia to Quebec but also covers the themes of love and struggle that will feel close to home for any reader.
The Read: The Misadventures of Awkward Black Girl Author: Issa Rae Why We Love It: If you know the web series of the same name, you’ll love Rae’s debut collection of confident, funny essays.
The Read: The Unspeakable Author: Meghan Daum Why We Love It: This sophomore collection of essays by Daum examines everything from the loss of a parent to cream-of-mushroom-soup casserole.
The Read: The Sixth Extinction Author: Elizabeth Kolbert Why We Love It: Recently awarded the Pulitzer Prize, this book makes the case that we’re currently experiencing the planet’s sixth mass extinction that we’ve set it in motion through our own actions.
The Read: God Help The Child Author: Toni Morrison Why We Love It: Morrison is always a must read, and this epic book looks at the marks that childhood trauma leaves on our adult lives is sure to be no exception.
The Read: Girl In A Band Author: Kim Gordon Why We Love It: She may not have become as well known (or notorious) as Courtney Love, but it’s hard to think of a ‘90s band more influential than Kim Gordon’s Sonic Youth. Her debut book looks at her life, including the band and the end of her marriage to former bandmate Thurston Moore.
The Read: Go Set A Watchman Author: Harper Lee Why We Love It: The long-awaited follow up to Lee’s To Kill A Mockingbird has been mired in controversy since it was announced, but it’s hotly anticipated at the same time. Though the book is coming out decades after Mockingbird, it actually predates that book, having been written in the mid-50s.
The Read: Better Than Before Author: Gretchen Rubin Why We Love It: Rubin’s The Happiness Project examined the details of what makes a happy life, and her newest book is an in-depth look at habits: which ones are worth having and how we all form them differently.
The Read: Spinster Author: Kate Bolick Why We Love It: Six and a half million adult Canadian women are unmarried, and that number only continues to grow. Bolick is among the ranks of the “single by choice,” crew and her book looks at the joys and value of a life lived alone.
The Read: The Girl on the Train Author: Paula Hawkins Why We Love It: Loved Gone Girl? Then you’ll want to pick up this thriller, where an ordinary commute becomes a woman’s entry into the lives of a mysterious couple and a missing person.
The Read: Come As You Are Author: Emily Nagoski Why We Love It: Nagoski is a bonafide sex scientist, PhD and all, and in this book she demystifies sex and orgasms in order to empower women and help them enjoy their sexuality.
The Read: Selfish, Shallow, and Self-Absorbed Author: Edited by Meghan Daum Why We Love It: Daum, mentioned above, edits this collection of 16 writers (mostly women) on their decision to not have children. The book examines the assumptions of our parent-centric culture and why so many people tend to stay away from it.
The Read: Very Good Lives Author: J.K. Rowling Why We Love It: Were you inspired by Rowling’s 2008 commencement speech at Harvard Unveristy? Now it’s available in book-form for the first time. And living up to the hype, it has been seven years since her speech.
Only Hadley (and perhaps Keanu Reeves) can get away with using the word awesome. This book is so compelling that you will have to quickly overcome any aversion to ‘that word’ as after reading it you will find that you will be unable to resist quoting segments of Hadley’s text in daily conversations. Hadley herself is a great lover of quotes and she expertly weaves snippets of dialogue from classic films such as The Princess Bride and Ghostbusters into chapters on life as a modern woman.
This short story chillingly depicts a woman’s descent into psychosis when her husband locks her in a room and forbids her from working. First published in 1892 it is a brave portrayal of the contemporary attitudes towards women’s physical and mental health.
It doesn’t matter what gender you are, this is a great book for thinking about the way people are and how we can show a little empathy. It’s also pretty funny.
If you don’t know who Roxane Gay is, you soon will. In this collection of political and personal essays Roxane explores how she has grappled to come to terms with her identity as a feminist. If you love pink, can’t stop watching the Fast and the Furious or otherwise feel excluded by certain definitions feminism , then you’ll love this book.
It’s witty, brutally honest and sets an example to women everywhere that it’s okay to not be ‘normal’ (whatever that is).
The author’s first and only novel, The Bell Jar was published just one month before Plath tragically took her own life. The novel explores unsettling themes of depression and is thought (by some) to mirror Plath’s own spiral into mental illness. It is also a feminist masterpiece, unpicking uneasy female stereotypes and despairing at what it was to be a woman at the time.
This book teaches you that everything will still be fine and hilarious and okay if your divorcee mum moves you to the countryside and starts writing tragicomic plays and buys a cow.
If you like your teen fiction centered around a strong, but flawed, female main character, then you need to check out Suzanne Collin’s distopian trilogy. You’ll be hooked within a couple of pages and it is more-than-possible to devour the entire three books in just a few days.
Focusing on female characters in Afghan society, this story of survival proves how brilliantly resilient women can be. It will make even the most reluctant feminist want to stand by her sister and fight for women’s rights.
Because it does exactly what the title says, and more. An amazing, funny, heartbreaking piece of work. Also Claire Balding once said it should be required reading in all schools, and she wasn’t kidding.
Women today have more power and professional success than ever before, yet we are not free from social control. This book will make you think about why and how you judge yourself when you’re stood in front of the mirror. The Beauty Myth was first published in 1991 but sadly it is still all-too-relevant today.
Lolita has been at the centre of much controversy, as it deals with the topic of child abuse in an unflinching manner, which is at times difficult to read. However, right from the very first word Vladimir cleverly weaves in clues that his narrator Humbert Humbert is not to be trusted and that the victim of child abuse is never to blame.
If you are unsure whether you ‘should’ be feminist this book will answer your questions and leave you with no doubt that feminism is a label that you are proud to apply to yourself.
Who has control of women’s bodies is an issue that is very relevant today. The Handmaid’s Tale gives us a prescient insight into just why it is so important that we protect a woman’s right to have control of her own body.
This graphic novel memoir of growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution is equal parts funny and heartbreaking. The book sees Marjane grappling with limitations and freedoms that come with being a ‘woman’.
