The winter thus far has certainly been a little different. Whether you love or hate winter weather the past few weeks have thrown us all a little off balance. Snow, sleet, and rain over the course of the day and then freezing overnight is vile no matter how you look at it. With that in mind, and considering that you may not be able to enjoy your favourite outdoor seasonal activities, some of the staff and I have pulled together favourite reads from 2015. Those of you who already have reading on your winter activity list, I hope you find some new reading inspiration here.
Picture Books:
Wolfie the Bunny by Ame Dyckman
This sweet picture book shares the sibling relationship between a bunny and her adopted younger brother. Will Dot ever accept Wolfie or not?
The Princess and the Pony by Kate Beaton
Princess Pinecone’s pony may not be the horse she wished for, but sometimes we’re surprised by getting exactly what we need.
Juvenile Graphic Novels:
Roller Girl by Victoria Jamieson
Fans of Raina Telgemeier’s “Smile” will enjoy this tale of friendship, growing up, and finding your own interests.
Lumberjanes by Noelle Stevenson and Grace Ellis
Don’t be surprised when you see Stevenson’s name come up again under Young Adult Graphic Novels, her stories are truly enthralling. I hope you enjoy these feisty girls as much as we did.
Young Adult Fiction:
The Five Stages of Andrew Brawley by Shaun David Hutchinson
This is an intensely emotional read about grief, guilt, and how different kinds of relationships can help us heal.
The Prom Goer's Interstellar Excursion by Chris McCoy
Come along on this extremely funny extraterrestrial road trip with humans caught up in wacky alien adventures in the tradition of offbeat sci-fi like the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
Faerie Wars by Herbie Brennan
If you’re looking for an engaging fantasy series with interplay between the human and faerie worlds I invite you to join Henry and Mr. Fogarty on their adventures.
Young Adult Graphic Novels:
Nimona by Noelle Stevenson
Is a funny, clever, and bittersweet fantasy graphic novel that you'll wish was part of a series.
Adult Graphic Novels:
Mind MGMT by Matt Kindt
This graphic novel series has been described as being somewhat similar to the television series “Lost”. We have a flight where something goes wrong, but the flight reaches its destination with one problem. None of the passengers have retained their memory.
Displacement: A Travelogue by Lucy Knisley
Knisley’s second travelogue tells the story of a cruise with her grandparents, with all the highs and lows that accompany such a vacation.
Adult Fiction*:
The Girl with All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Finn Fancy Necromancy by Randy Henderson
The Three by Sarah Lotz
The Fold by Peter Clines
Eighth Grave after Dark by Darynda Jones
All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr
The Rosie Project and The Rosie Effect by Graeme Simsion
Outline by Rachel Cusk
Adult Non-fiction*:
Future Crimes: Everything is Connected, Everyone is Vulnerable, and What We Can Do About It by Marc Goodman
Super Fresh: Super Natural, Super Vibrant Vegan Recipes by Jennifer Houston and Ruth Tal
The staff who contributed to this list were given very short notice that I wanted their thoughts on favourite books they read this year (most of which were also published this year) and I marvelled at how quickly they were able to provide titles and some thoughts on the books. Needless to say my own to read list grew exponentially while preparing this column, as did the lists of several staff members. Wishing you the very best of winter reading.
*Adult fiction and non-fiction lack descriptions due to my running out of words! Needless to say all of these titles have been greatly enjoyed by staff and are ones that they heartily recommend.
Ruth Hamlin-Douglas
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