Recommended by Daniela Mazić, Public Services and Community Outreach Technician:

Chakraborty, Shannon. The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi. New York: Harper Voyager, 2023. Popular Reading PS3603 .H33555 A66 2023

The Adventures of Amina Al-Sirafi by Shannon Chakraborty is set in the medieval middle east and is rooted in the myths and legends of the Indian Ocean. It tells the story of a notorious pirate, now retired but convinced to have one last adventure on the high seas to retrieve a former crewman’s kidnapped daughter with a final chance at becoming a legend herself.

Recommended by Adrienne Findley-Jones, Library Technician, Research & Collections Support:

Cho, Nam-ju. Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982. Translated by Jamie Chang. New York: Liveright Publishing Corporation, 2021. Popular Reading PL994.17 .N36 A61613 2021

This book is about a woman in South Korea, but we women in Canada can relate to the life events Jiyoung experiences. The book inspired the 4B movement, and it may inspire each of us to think closely about our lives, our decisions, and who we trust.

Recommended by Billy J. Choi-Gekas, Circulation Supervisor:

Pui-Lan, Kwok. The Anglican Tradition from Postcolonial Perspective. New York: Seabury Books, 2023. Stacks BX5005 .K96 2023

Billy is extremely excited to be recommending that your next read be Kwok Pui-Lan’s newest publication. Pui-Lan is one of the major voices in postcolonial, feminist, and Asian theologies, and is a leading and awarded Anglican systematic and contextual theologian. The Anglican Tradition from Postcolonial Perspective is essential reading for those interested in the Anglican Communion within its colonial and imperial history. This new work provides a global perspective and demonstrates the intersectionality that colonialism has with other marginalizing systemic structures that both historically and currently influence theology and the communities informed by such theological commitments.

Recommended by Laurel Coo, Cataloguing Technician:

Peters, Amanda. The Berry Pickers. Toronto: Harper Perennial, 2023. Popular Reading PS8631 .E8212 B47 2023

In 1962, 4 year old Ruthie was scooped up off the side of the road where she’d wandered away from her Mi’kmaw family while they were berry picking for a Maine farmer. “Adopted” by well-meaning strangers, it would be 50 years before she rejoined the remnants of her own Nova Scotia family, left in tatters by this devastating event. While this story includes racism and entitlement disguising a criminal act as a good intention, its conclusion is a triumph of family strength.

Recommended by Heather Buchansky, Head, User Services:

Lorinc, John, ed. What We Talk about When We Talk about Dumplings. First edition. Toronto: Coach House Books, 2022. Popular Reading TX769 .W43 2022

A delightful and informative anthology about a culinary common denominator found in cultures the world over – the dumpling. Warning: this book will make you hungry! 

Recommended by Rebekah Bédard, Distinctive Collections Librarian:

Toews, Miriam. Fight Night: A Novel. New York: Bloomsbury Publishing, 2023. Popular Reading PS8589 .O38 F54 2023

Eleven-year-old Swiv lives with her mother and aging grandmother in this exuberant (and hilarious!) tale of the vibrancy of life, women, and family relationships amidst hardships.

Recommended by Kate MacDonald, Nicholls Librarian & Director:

Grescoe, Taras. The Lost Supper: Searching for the Future of Food in the Flavors of the Past. Vancouver ; Greystone Books, 2023. Popular Reading TX353 .G74 2023

Non-fiction author Taras Grescoe presents this highly readable travelogue about threats to global food production connected to our dependence on monoculture agriculture. Based on his interviews with farmers, food historians, and agricultural researchers working with rare culinary species or implementing ancient farming techniques, Grescoe considers how bringing some of these practices back may improve biodiversity and mitigate threats to our food production systems.