Recommended Reading

Book Reviews, Best Sellers & Online Book Clubs
Recommended Reading for Kids
Adult Book Clubs
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Origin story : a big history of everything
Christian, David

A captivating history of the universe - from before the dawn of time through the far reaches of the distant future.

The only girl in the world : a memoir
Julien, Maude

For readers of "Room" and "The Glass Castle." Maude Julien's parents were fanatics who believed it was their sacred duty to turn her into the ultimate survivor - raising her in isolation, tyrannizing her childhood and subjecting her to endless drills designed to "eliminate weakness." But Maude's parents could not rule her inner life. By turns horrifying and magical, this is a chilling exploration of psychological control that ends with a glorious escape.

Breaching the Peace : the Site C Dam and a valley's stand against big hydro
Cox, Sarah

Breaching the Peace tells the story of the ordinary citizens who stood up to the most expensive megaproject in BC history and the government-sanctioned bullying that propelled it forward. Starting in 2013, journalist Sarah Cox travelled to the Peace River Valley to talk to locals about the Site C dam and BC Hydro's claim that the clean energy project was urgently needed. She discovered farmers, First Nations, and scientists caught up in a modern-day David and Goliath battle to save the valley, their farms, and traditional lands from wholesale destruction. Told in frank and moving prose, their stories stand as a much-needed cautionary tale at a time when concerns about global warming have helped justify a renaissance of environmentally irresponsible hydro megaprojects around the world.

Boys : what it means to become a man
Giese, Rachel

The successes of feminism have led to greater opportunities for girls, by challenging stifling stereotypes about femininity and broadening the understanding of what it means to be female. While boys have travelled alongside this transformation, narrow definitions of masculinity and manliness haven't faced the same degree of scrutiny. Whether they're being urged to "man up" or warned that "boys don't cry," young men are subjected to damaging messages about manliness: they must muzzle their emotions and never show weakness, dominate girls and compete with one another. Boys: What It Means to Become a Man examines how these toxic rules can hinder boys' emotional and social development. If girls can expand the borders of femaleness, could boys also be set free of limiting, damaging expectations about manhood and masculinity? Could what's been labelled "the boy crisis" be the beginning of a revolution in how we raise young men? Drawing on extensive research and interviews with educators, activists, parents, psychologists, sociologists, and young men, Giese--mother to a son herself--examines the myths of masculinity and the challenges facing boys today. She reports from boys-only sex education classes and recreational sports leagues; talks to parents of transgender children and plays video games with her son. She tells stories of boys navigating the transition into manhood and how the upheaval in cultural norms about sex, sexuality and the myths of masculinity have changed the coming of age process for today's boys. With lively reportage and clear-eyed analysis, Giese reveals that the movement for gender equality has the potential to liberate us all.

Zero waste : simple life hacks to drastically reduce your trash
Su, Shia

"We have a worldwide trash epidemic. The average American disposes of 4.4 pounds of garbage per day, and our landfills hold 254 million tons of waste.What if there were a simple―and fun―way for you to make a difference? What if you could take charge of your own waste, reduce your carbon footprint, and make an individual impact on an already fragile environment?A zero waste lifestyle is the answer―and Shia Su is living it. Every single piece of unrecyclable garbage Shia has produced in one year fits into a mason jar―and if it seems overwhelming, it isn’t! In Zero Waste, Shia demystifies and simplifies the zero waste lifestyle for the beginner, sharing practical advice, quick solutions, and tips and tricks that will make trash-free living fun and meaningful. Learn how to build your own zero waste kit, prepare real food―the lazy way, make your own DIY household cleaners and toiletries, be zero waste even in the bathroom, and more! Be part of the solution! Implement these small changes at your own pace, and restructure your life to one of sustainable living for your community, your health, and the earth that sustains you."--Provided by the publisher.

Conversations worth having : using appreciative inquiry to fuel productive and meaningful engagement
Stavros, Jacqueline M.

Conversation is a crucial part of everything we do. But most of us are unaware of the nature of our conversations, let alone how to make them consistently affirming and empowering. This book shows how to use Appreciative Inquiry, one of the most effective and widely used approaches for fostering positive change, to dramatically improve the outcomes of our conversations.

30-day meditation challenge : exercises, resources, and journaling prompts for a better life
Silverman, Emma

"In Emma Silverman’s newest book, she teams up with her yoga teacher, Nicole Stumpf, to make meditation accessible, interesting, and fun. Exploring meditation traditions from around the world, Silverman and Stumpf invite readers to try thirty different meditations and then record their experiences after the practice. This book combines thousand-year-old meditation traditions with the newer phenomenon of prompted journaling.Studies at Harvard University found that just eight weeks of meditation rebuilds the gray matter of your brain that supports learning and memory. The National Institute of Health has written that meditation increases activity in the parasympathetic nervous system, which is associated with a state of relaxation. A study at the University of Wisconsin in Madison found that “mindfulness meditation” improves both our mood and the strength of our immune system. There are dozens more scientific and peer-reviewed studies that agree: meditation can change your life for the better."--Provided by the publisher.

The girl who smiled beads : a story of war and what comes after
Wamariya, Clemantine

Vegetables love flowers : companion planting for beauty and bounty
Ziegler, Lisa Mason

"Fight garden pests and increase your yields the natural way with this tried and true technique!Planting vegetables and flowers together is one of the oldest ways to create a healthy, bountiful garden, but there's more to the method than you might think. Vegetables Love Flowers will walk you through the ins and outs of companion planting, from how it works to which plants go together and how to grow the best garden for your climate. With the right information and some careful planning, you can help your plants thrive--and beautify your garden in the process."--Provided by the publisher.

Brothers of the gun : a memoir of the Syrian war
Hisham, Marwan

This is the story of a young man coming of age during the Syrian war from its inception to the present. Marwan Hisham became a journalist by courageously tweeting out news from a city under siege by ISIS, the Russians, and the Americans, all at once. He watched the country that ran through his veins be destroyed in front of him, and eventually joined the relentless stream of refugees risking their lives to escape. This is a story of pragmatism and idealism, impossible violence and repression, and, even in the midst of war, profound acts of courage, creativity, and hope.

The magic of tiny business : you don't have to go big to make a great living
Rowe, Sharon

Too many of us feel trapped by work that doesn't allow us to live our purpose, feed our passions, or use our gifts. We fantasize about starting our own business, but we're told this will mean going deeply into debt, spending years working eighty hours a week, and coping with the relentless pressure to grow. Sharon Rowe says there's another way: go tiny. She is here to show you how. Tiny isn't a size--it's a state of mind. Like a tiny house, a tiny business is built on maintaining a laser focus on what is absolutely essential to you. It's defined by your priorities and intentions, not by how many employees you have. As a young mother with a newborn child, what mattered to Rowe when starting Eco-Bags Products was having a flexible schedule, time for her family (one of her mantras was "Never miss a school play"), time for herself, and financial security and doing something that made the world a better place. Lacking an angel investor and starting from scratch, with limited capital or business experience, Rowe created a company that enabled her to achieve all those goals. Using the story of Eco-Bags Products as a case study, Rowe takes you step-by-step through the process of creating a successful tiny business. She shows how to test your concept, convey your values, prepare for upturns and downturns, manage your money, create alliances, and more, always staying true to the "tiny" ethos. You'll learn how to grow sustainably, practice patience, and be consistent and persistent with what you stand for. Featuring cartoons and illustrations by New Yorker cartoonist Julian Rowe, The Magic of Tiny Business is a breath of fresh air for business owners and entrepreneurs who want the freedom and autonomy of owning their own business without compromising their personal values.

The wind in my hair : my fight for freedom in modern Iran
Alinejad, Masih

An Iranian journalist in exile discusses leaving her country, challenging tradition, and sparking an online movement against compulsory hijab.

The sun does shine : how I found life and freedom on death row
Hinton, Anthony Ray

A man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he did not commit describes how he became a victim of a flawed legal system, recounting the years he shared with fellow inmates who were eventually executed before his exoneration.

Prep-ahead breakfasts & lunches : 75 no-fuss recipes to save you time & money
Milham, Alea

"This new recipe collection from Alea Milham, author of Prep-Ahead Meals from Scratch and founder of the blog Premeditated Leftovers, is bursting with fresh, time-saving ways to fuel your family and yourself. Ready to end the days of skipped breakfasts and takeout lunches? With Alea's expert advice, you'll have your fridge stocked with homemade grab-and-go meals, full of ingredients you can feel good about. Simple do-ahead techniques help you savor even the busiest weekday mornings. Find breakfasts the whole family will enjoy, with options like Italian Vegetable Mini Frittatas, Garlic and Rosemary Sweet Potato Pancakes and Strawberry Rhubarb Baked Oatmeal. Packing lunch doesn't have to mean the same old soggy salad! Batch cooking and ingredient prep make grabbing a flavorful meal from your lunch bag a no-brainer. Try the Bourbon Beef and Quinoa Bowl, Chopped Chimichurri Steak Salad and Chicken Marsala Pockets. Skip the pre-packaged snacks and try Alea's recipes for your own treats and desserts, too. Prep-ahead meals take planning, so let Alea do the hard work for you. Recipes include instructions on how to store and reheat each dish, taking the guesswork out of meal prep. This book will help you build money-saving shopping habits and adopt clever cooking strategies that stick. From flavorful hot cereals and breakfast breads to one-bowl wonders and salads on the go, quick morning and afternoon meals will become the highlight of your day."--provided by Amazon.com.

Rough beauty : forty seasons of mountain living
Auvinen, Karen

"In the bestselling tradition of Cheryl Strayed’s Wild and Helen MacDonald’s H Is for Hawk, a stunning, inspirational memoir from an award-winning poet who ventures into the wilderness to seek answers to life’s big questions and finds her way back after losing everything she thought she needed. During a difficult time, Karen Auvinen flees to a primitive cabin in the Rockies to live in solitude as a writer and to embrace all the beauty and brutality nature has to offer. When a fire incinerates every word she has ever written and all of her possessions -- except for her beloved dog Elvis, her truck, and a few singed artifacts -- Karen embarks on a heroic journey to reconcile her desire to be alone with her need for community. In the evocative spirit of works by Annie Dillard, Gretel Ehrlich, and Mary Oliver, Karen’s rich and compulsively readable memoir is as much an inward as it is an outward pilgrimage. Her pursuit of solace and salvation by shedding trivial ties and living in close harmony with nature, along with her account of finding community and love, is sure to resonate with all of us who long for meaning and deeper connection. Rough Beauty is a luminous, lyric exploration of and homage to her forty seasons in the mountains, embracing the unpredictability and grace of living intimately with the forces of nature while making peace with her own wildness." -- Provided by publisher.

Keetsahnak : Our missing and murdered Indigenous sisters
Campbell, Maria

"In Keetsahnak / Our Murdered and Missing Indigenous Sisters, the tension between personal, political, and public action is brought home starkly. This important collective volume both witnesses the significance of the travelling exhibition Walking With Our Sisters and creates a model for antiviolence work from an Indigenous perspective. The contributors look at the roots of violence and how it diminishes life for all. They acknowledge the destruction wrought by colonial violence, and also look at controversial topics such as lateral violence, challenges in working with 'tradition,' and problematic notions involved in 'helping.' Through stories of resilience, resistance, and activism, the editors give voice to powerful personal testimony and allow for the creation of knowledge." --

Prisoner 155 : Sim©đn Radowitzky
Comotto, Agust©Ưn

Simon Radowitzky was a rare anomaly, a man who became a myth and then, on the other side of misery, horror, and vilification, an ordinary person again: a youthful assassin who died as an old man working in a toy factory.

Goodbye, sweet girl : a story of domestic violence and survival
Sundberg, Kelly

In this brave and beautiful memoir, written with the raw honesty and devastating openness, a woman chronicles how her marriage devolved from a love story into a shocking tale of abuse -- examining the tenderness and violence entwined in the relationship, why she endured years of physical and emotional pain, and how she eventually broke free.

The natural home : Simple, pure cleaning solutions and recipes for a healthy house
Louet, Isabelle.

"With THE NATURAL HOME, you'll discover how to clean everything in your house the healthy way with just a few inexpensive, easy-to-find products using tried and true cleaning methods that have been around for centuries. Organized by product and location in the home, the book includes an in-depth explanation of natural products like vinegar, lemon, and baking soda which can be used to clean most areas in your home. There's a cleaning guide by room; tips for maintaining materials like marble, stainless steel, and wood; solutions for every stain; natural fragrances for your home; laundry tips; and natural products for pets. Also included are recipes for cleaning products you can make on your own that will help disinfect, whiten, deodorize and remove even the toughest stains in bathrooms, kitchen, carpets, and clothing."--Amazon.com.

Fermented probiotic drinks at home : make your own kombucha, kefir, ginger bug, jun, pineapple tepache, honey mead, beet kvass & more
Evans, Felicity

This book makes it easy and fun to fit probiotics into your busy routine with refreshing fermented drinks you can make at home. It turns out there's much, much more to enjoy beyond premade kombucha and kefir. Here are 50 recipes for eight different elixirs - from Chinese Jun to Mexican Pineapple Tepache - that will bring surprising flavours from around the world right to your table.

Open sandwiches : 70 smørrebrød ideas for morning, noon and night
Hahnemann, Trina

The massive trend for all things Scandi, healthier eating and the profile of New Nordic cuisine worldwide, have led to the renaissance of the open sandwich. Smorrebrod are the classic Danish variety and in the hands of chef and food writer Trine Hahnemann, they are a treat for the senses as well as the taste buds. Traditionally using a rye bread base, they can be topped with a huge variety of vegetables and pickles, fish, meats, herbs, salads - and can even include sweet options. Trine offers 50 recipes for delicious, healthy open sandwiches that are beautiful enough to serve at a dinner party or simply make a quick and filling snack using leftovers. From quick-cured salmon to blue cheese with apple, the delightful recipes are accompanied by photographs from acclaimed Danish photographer Columbus Leth.

Infused boze : over 60 batched spirits and liqueurs to make at home
Kordalis, Kathy.

In Infused Booze, Kathy Kordalis teaches you how to enhance your cocktails and brighten up any home bar. It's so simple to infuse your own spirits - all that's required is a glass bottle, your spirit of choice and a little imagination and time. Savour the decadent Cherry Gin, or take summer refreshments to the next level with Lime and Lemongrass Gin. Make your own Liquorice Whiskey for the perfect digestif or spice up your parties with Jalapeno Vodka. Most infusions take just 10 minutes to prepare and are ready to drink in just three days. Best of all, Kathy has included a bespoke cocktail for each recipe, to make sure you get the most out of your flavoured booze. With a flavoured beverage to suit any occasion, Infused Booze is full of ideas to boost your spirits.

The good mothers : the true story of the women who took on the world's most powerful mafia
Perry, Alex

When Lea Garofalo marries a man she thinks will save her from the mob only to discover he is an 'Ndnrangheta cocaine smuggler, she helps send him to prison and goes into hiding with her young daughter. Thirteen years later, in 2009, Lea "disappears." For most Italians, Lea's fate is just another mafia tragedy. But prosecutor Alessandra Cerreti considers a tantalizing possibility: that the 'Ndrangheta's murderous sexism might be its greatest flaw-and. Approaching two more mafia wives, Alessandra must persuade them to court death by testifying against their families in return for a new future for themselves and their children.

Pacific Northwest Coast Native art in marquetry
Dean, Paul R. (Paul Richard)

This beautiful book serves as a stunning introduction to people interested in using marquetry, also called painting with wood veneers, to recreate Pacific Northwest Coast Native Indian art style designs. Those who know of this art form may be interested in re-creating their designs using wood veneers. Readers will learn about the skills and techniques of marquetry using the "window method" and cutting wood veneers with a knife. Pacific Northwest Coast Native Art in Marquetry demonstrates how marquetry (whether using the saw or knife for cutting veneers) can be adaptable to any subject in addition to Pacific Northwest Coast Native art. Cutting exercises are included, as well as step-by-step instructions to complete the Blue Hummingbird picture in the Nuu-chah-nulth nation's style. Also included are four other Pacific Northwest Coast Native art designs by Jim Gilbert and directions about how to reproduce them in marquetry.

More love, less conflict : a communication playbook for couples
Robinson, Jonathan

The pace of modern life leaves little time to truly connect with our partners, yet the need for good communication is greater than ever before. This book of strategies will teach you how to communicate effectively through structured practices. You'll learn simple ways to keep the lines of communication open, become a better listener, understand and avoid your own and your partner's triggers, and solve common problems.The methods in this book will help you to build your communication skills in a safe and deliberate way. Once your communication muscle is strong, you will have the ability to handle almost any situation. Your relationship will be filled with more intimacy and connection and less frustration and arguments.

Little traveller : 10 small felt intrepid explorers and over 30 tiny travel accessories to sew!
Gooding, Simone.

This enchanting book contains step-by-step instructions and diagrams for a delightful collection of animals and dolls made from 100% wool hand dyed felt, complete with felt, linen, and knitted accessories.

125 nature hot spots in alberta : the best parks, conservation areas and wild places
McAdam, Leigh.

125 Nature Hot Spots in Alberta is organized by region. Each hot spot entry includes a descriptive destination profile, colour photographs and a sidebar of at-a-glance information.

Large mammals of the Rocky Mountains : everything you need to know about the continent's biggest animals--from elk to grizzly bears and more
Ballard, Jack (Jack Clayton)

This is the ultimate guide to big mammals of the Rocky Mountains-Elk, Grizzly Bears, Wolves, Bison, Black Bears, Moose, Bighorn Sheep, Mountain Lions, and Whitetail Deer. This book offers up substantive yet easily digestible information on these big mammals, from where they live to what they prey on to how they communicate and more. More than 400 full-color photographs throughout make this a keepsake reference for years to come.

The seed bead book : over 35 step-by-step projects made with modern beads
Haxell, Kate

Make you own unique accessories for a fraction of the price you would pay in-store with over 35 fabulous projects and variations to make for yourself and as gifts for friends. Every project builds on what you learned in the techniques section and shows you how to develop your skills.