We asked the BookNet staff for their favourite books of the year. Read on to see what BookNet is reading and recommending. You can find them all in this CataList catalogue.
Lauren, Conventions & Operations Manager
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
A crackling overview of the systematic exclusion of women from all aspects of private and public life and the opportunities that present themselves when women are (quite literally) counted. Propulsive and inspiring, this book welcomes a new generation of change-makers to build a world that is truly representative of the entirety of the human condition.
Zalina, Marketing & Communications Manager
The Electric State by Simon Stålenhag
Continuing my tradition of being slightly behind the times, I'm recommending this illustrated sci-fi book by Simon Stålenhag, a Swedish artist and author, that came out in 2018. In it, an eerie, melancholic story about a teen girl and her robot unravels alongside cinematic illustrations of a post-apocalyptic America that you can pore over for hours. Yes it's illustrated, but it's very much for adults (or teens). I can't think of a better example of a book that needs to be held in your hands and read in print, preferably while it's raining and you're under a cozy blanket.
Shimona, Research Associate
The Art of Leaving: A Memoir by Ayelet Tsabari 🇨🇦
A collection of essays on childhood to adulthood centred around home, leaving, and returning by an Israeli woman of Jewish-Yemeni background who lived in Canada (and other places) before returning to Israel. I loved the memoir for its beautifully written, vivid, personal stories of family, culture, loss, passing, belonging, diaspora, and home. Recommended to those who think about those concepts and find them familiar, and to those who want to learn and appreciate another perspective.
Honourable mentions: Seveneves by Neal Stephenson and Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez.
Jackie, Director of Product Development
Five Days Gone: The Mystery of My Mother's Disappearance as a Child by Laura Cumming
A biography/memoir of a daughter's determination to come to an understanding about her mother's childhood, and a five-day disappearance that happened when her mother was three. Village secrets and lies, parental love for a child, and a reckoning with the past, Laura Cumming brings her prodigious talents as an artist and writer to describe and reflect on her mother's life with a surprising and moving conclusion. Maybe my favourite book of the decade.
Small in the City by Sydney Smith 🇨🇦
I’m another supporter of Sydney Smith's wonderful book, a deserving award-winner and best-of list-maker. Each illustration is just beautiful as he explores a day in the life of one small person, a profound exploration in just a few pages of love and belonging and what it means to be small when everything around you is big.
Elizabeth, Project Coordinator
The House at the Edge of Night by Catherine Banner
This book is enchanting. Read purely because it’s a Loan Stars pick, I ended up spending much of the year recommending it to others (which I guess I’m still doing right now…). An engrossing and oddly whimsical read, one where you find yourself transported to a small island off the coast of Italy as it slowly creeps towards modernity over several generations. A fascinating look at belief, fascism, and the strength of community and family, it leaves you wondering if magic can still creep in to the darkest corners of history.
Pandora’s Lab: Seven Stories of Science Gone Wrong by Paul A. Offit M.D.
This book is a warning. Seven cases that highlight what happens when people, with arguably the best of intentions, chuck scientific method out the window. It’s far, far too short for how fascinating it is, but it leaves a lasting impact. For example, I now know how the term “junkie” originated and I’m still processing that information. But if you’re looking to put current events into context, this book will help. I also suggest you follow it up by reading The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston to really double down on what happens when you allow politics to dictate research funding.
Carol, Project Manager
This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar 🇨🇦 and Max Gladstone
This is not just one of my favourite books of 2019, but one of my favourite books of the decade. Red and Blue, agents on opposite sides of an eternal war that spans time and space, begin an unusual correspondence. Their story is defined against a backdrop of cultural references from the ancient to the modern, communicated in the form of old-fashioned letters, albeit with methods of delivery that Mrs. Leavitt likely never envisioned in her Guide to Etiquette and Correspondence. While neither agent is human, their relationship turns out to be a thoroughly human one. The reader will have to decide though, if the referenced Shakespearean play is a comedy or a tragedy in this timeline.
P.S. The cover art is brilliant.
Tom, Bibliographic Manager
The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada's Public Wealth by Linda McQuaig 🇨🇦
Linda McQuaig's The Sport and Prey of Capitalists: How the Rich Are Stealing Canada's Public Wealth is a surprisingly pleasant read. Neither dry nor dense. It's a defence of the benefit of public enterprise and demonstrates over and over that paying capitalists a 7-15% return on their investment really doesn't make sense when government money through bonds is available at a small fraction of that price; and public ownership protects consumers much more effectively than the invisible hand of their self-interest that somehow favours investors over them.
Teardown: Rebuilding Democracy from the Ground Up by Dave Meslin 🇨🇦
This is a must-read for any activist, jaded or newborn. It's clearly written chapters can easily be used in school civic courses (if any are left). Meslin cites the electoral reform section as the most dense and then provides a short, clear, and completely readable summary of the options. No one can claim reform is too complex after reading it. And it romps across all facets of government and activism offering criticism of what we have, numerous examples of existing systems that work better, and offers a plan for change that can start simple and local, and grow. Well organized, well thought out — it's a book that shows the depth of the author's understanding enhanced into a classic by great editorial work.
Hannah, Product Coordinator
Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
A gothic space adventure with swashbuckling necromancers and a juicy whodunit at its centre. Do I have your attention yet? This book is an incredibly entertaining romp that blends the fantasy, sci-fi, and murder mystery genres. I thoroughly recommend it to anyone looking to have some fun with the next book they read. Lives up to the hype and then some.
Honourable Mentions: Reamde by Neal Stephenson and My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh.
Monique, Project Manager
Happiness by Will Ferguson 🇨🇦
After our exploration of swearing in Self-Help titles earlier this year, I was reminded of one of my favourite books about book publishing — Will Ferguson's Happiness, about an editor who fishes a manuscript from the trash and accidentally decimates the entire self-help industry and changes the world (oops!). It's darkly funny and absurdist, and I think especially enjoyable for anyone who loves books, publishing, and has a little cynicism in their heart about Self-Help. Sometimes it's worth a trek to the backlist to go back to some gems you might have missed over a decade ago!
Kid Gloves by Lucy Knisley
Lucy Knisley is one of my favourite graphic memoirists and since her books tend to track around different life stages (Displacement is a great story of family bonding, Something New makes a great gift for the newly engaged, An Age of License is perfect for the new adult curious about traveling, and Relish is perfect for any foodie). Her books always blend research, sincerity, and fantastic humour with heart and vulnerability. Kid Gloves is a beautiful and honest book about new motherhood that (I hope!) the new parents in my life enjoyed receiving as much as I enjoyed reading it!
The Adventure Zone: Murder on the Rockport Limited! by Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Carey Pietsch
We've talked about the rise of Dungeons and Dragons before on the blog and this graphic novel adaptation of the McElroys' hit podcast is so much fun. This instalment is a great blend of fantasy, comedy, and murder mystery. It was one of my favourites to listen to and the graphic novel adaptation does a great job recapturing that joy for a whole new audience! Start with the first book in the series, Here There Be Gerblins, if you're looking to bring a new fantasy or adventure fan into the fold. With the next in the series due this summer, you've got time to catch up!
Tim, Project Manager & Retailer Liaison
Autonomous: A Novel by Annalee Newitz
"Autonomous is to biotech and AI what Neuromancer was to the Internet." — Neal Stephenson
A genius scientist plays Robin Hood, hacking the corporate-controlled pharmaceuticals that the industry has priced for the rich and famous. She sells her scripts on the black market and stumbles upon a bug in one of the drugs that she has hacked.
She has a submarine. She is being pursued by the government. There are AI robots! What's not to love? Comparisons to Neuromancer and Snow Crash do not miss the mark. Though Annalee Newitz, who is also the founding editor of io9, is not Canadian, there are a lot of Canadian settings in this thrilling, hopefully soon-to-exist TV series. Fingers crossed.
Looking forward to reading her next book, The Future of Another Timeline.
Noah, President & CEO
Lands of Lost Borders: Out of Bounds on the Silk Road by Kate Harris 🇨🇦
I seem to be stuck on a theme as one of my picks last year was also about biking. Follow along with Kate Harris as she bikes the Silk Road from beginning to end. Part travel and adventure log, part a study of science and exploration, Lands of Lost Borders explores what travel and determination mean to us. Satisfy your wanderlust from your own couch.
Andy, UI/Web Developer
The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak
Traditionally, the absolute last thing my five-year-old would want to do is read a book that doesn’t have any pictures. Except, that is, for The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak. This book is a ton of fun to read for kids and grownups, too.
This book immediately makes the child being read to the centre of attention. I’ve yet to find a kid's book out there that even comes close to doing what this one does. It's engaging, absurdly silly, and has a beautiful use of typography.
If you have a child or love reading to children, I couldn’t recommend that you add this book to your collection more. Blork.
Ainsley, Marketing Associate
Arcadia: A Novel by Iain Pears
If you’ve ever read an Iain Pears novel, you’ll understand how difficult they are to describe accurately. I could tell you that this is the best Shakespearean/fantasy/sci-fi/spy/time travel novel I’ve ever read, but that’s maybe not so helpful since it’s not exactly a crowded category. This novel is layered like a Russian nesting doll. Maybe the best comparison is David Mitchell’s Cloud Atlas — where it starts out as several unconnected stories that by the end have woven seamlessly together.
Once Upon a Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol,🇨🇦 illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault 🇨🇦
The narrator of this book tells the child “wrapped in a downy blanket” what happens on this northern night as they lay sleeping. It’s full of beautiful imagery brought to life by Isabelle Arsenault’s equally beautiful illustrations. Highly recommended as it’s a gentle, calming bedtime read.
You can easily request advance reading copies (ARCs) on CataList.