21 works of Canadian nonfiction to watch for in the first half of 2018
Mark your calendars! These fine works of nonfiction are coming soon to a bookshelf near you.
Hard To Do by Kelli María Korducki
What it's about: In Hard To Do, Kelli María Korducki explores the history and politics of the contemporary romantic relationship and the how and why of how the ending of such relationships has changed throughout time.
When you can read it: May 22, 2018
The Year of Less by Cait Flanders
What it's about: After getting herself out of $30,000 of consumer debt, Cait Flanders decides to spend a year only buying consumable products, like food and gas. What unfolds is not only an education in our consumer habits, but also a highly personal and life-changing journey.
When you can read it: Jan. 16 2018
Most Dramatic Ever by Suzannah Showler
What it's about: The Bachelor is one of the most popular — and scoffed at — reality shows of all time. But when so many gimmicky shows come and go, The Bachelor has remained, consistently popular on air three times a year. Showler explores how and why this show has not only stood the test of time, but continues to challenge our notions of popular culture and television and surprise fans and critics alike.
When you can read it: Jan. 23, 2018
Lands of Lost Borders by Kate Harris
What it's about: Kate Harris thought she wanted to be an astronaut. But after a cycling trip on Silk Road with her childhood friend Mel Yule, she realized what she actually wanted to be was an adventurer. Lands of Lost Borders chronicles her memorable journey of returning to the Silk Road with the intention of cycling it again. This time, from beginning to end.
When you can read it: Jan. 30, 2018
The Spinning Magnet by Alanna Mitchell
What it's about: The magnetic North Pole and South Pole have traded places in the past — and it will happen again. When it does, it might mean the end of modern civilization as we know it. Award-winning science writer Alanna Mitchell looks at the science behind how and why this happens, and how, if it happens soon, what it means for civilization.
When you can read it: Jan. 30, 2018
The Wife's Tale by Aida Edemariam
What it's about: Journalist Aida Edemariam recalls her grandmother's life from growing up in the Ethiopian city of Gondar to being married at 10, to surviving a revolution and civil war. The Wife's Tale is the story of a resilient woman, tied with the story of the country she calls home.
When you can read it: Feb. 27, 2018
Dear Current Occupant by Chelene Knight
What it's about: Through a series of letters, Chelene Knight recalls growing up as the only mixed East Indian/Black child in her family during the 1980s and 1990s in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside. Her family lived in 20 different residences and Knight revisits each one, trying to deconstruct and understand her past.
When you can read it: March 1, 2018
The Measure of My Powers by Jackie Kai Ellis
What it's about: In her late 20s, Jackie Kai Ellis was living the dream. But she was miserable. She found solace in the kitchen and decided to give up everything she knew and loved to pursue this passion. This journey takes her to France, Italy and the Congo, but more importantly, gives her a path to a new, fulfilling life.
When you can read it: March 6, 2018
The Year of No Summer by Rachel Lebowitz
What it's about: On April 10, 1815, Indonesia's Mount Tambora erupted, altering weather patterns for an entire year. In a series of linked essays, Rachel Lebowitz explores the scientific, cultural and religious impacts of this phenomenon.
When you can read it: March 6, 2018
Shrewed by Elizabeth Renzetti
What it's about: Globe and Mail columnist Elizabeth Renzetti explores this moment in feminism in this frank and funny essay collection.
When you can read it: March 6, 2018
Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot
What it's about: Heart Berries is a memoir about a woman's coming of age on the Seabird Island Indian Reservation in British Columbia, having grown up with an activist mother and an abusive and alcoholic father, and coming to terms with her own mental illness.
When you can read it: March 13, 2018
The Unceasing Storm by Katherine Luo
What it's about: Katherine Luo shares her story about growing up during the Chinese Cultural Revolution — a young girl from Hong Kong who moved to mainland China, only to be rejected by the country she loved because of her capitalist class origins and overseas connections.
When you can read it: March 31, 2018
The Never-Ending Present by Michael Barclay
What it's about: The Never-Ending Present is the first print biography of Canada's greatest rock band. With dozens of interviews, Michael Barclay explores The Tragically Hip's music, but also its place in Canadian culture and the legacy the band's lead singer, Gord Downie, leaves behind.
When you can read it: April 3, 2018
Why Young Men by Jamil Jivani
What it's about: Jamil Jivani explores the socioeconomic and cultural forces that inspire young men just like him to turn to violent radicalization, and offers a way forward for how society can view these young men differently, and change their futures.
When you can read it: April 3, 2018
Pay No Heed to the Rockets by Marcello Di Cintio
What it's about: Marcello Di Cintio explores the Palestinian experience as seen through the lens of authors and literature in Pay No Heed to the Rockets.
When you can read it: April 10, 2018
Best Before by Nicola Temple
What it's about: Best Before looks at the science, business and culture of processed food and challenges readers to ask themselves if we've gone too far.
When you can read it: April 24, 2018
The Power of Kindness by Brian Goldman
What it's about: The host of CBC Radio's White Coat, Black Art questions his own empathy as a veteran ER physician. He takes readers on a search for kindness inside his own brain circuits, and on an around the world journey to meet the most empathic people on the planet, including those who are putting empathy into robot companions.
When you can read it: April 24, 2018
The Boy on the Beach by Tima Kurdi
What it's about: When a photo of the body of Tima Kurdi's nephew, Alan, washed ashore, Kurdi became a spokesperson for the refugee crisis in Syria. From sharing her own story, growing up in Damascus and emigrating to Canada at 22, Kurdi provides the human side of a story that's dominated the news cycle.
When you can read it: April 2018
Boys: What it Means to Be a Man by Rachel Giese
What it's about: By blending reporting, cultural analysis and personal narrative, journalist Rachel Giese explores modern masculinity and how and why we are raising boys the way we are today.
When you can read it: May 1, 2018
Just Let Me Look at You by Bill Gaston
What it's about: Bill Gaston explores the dynamics between father and son by looking at his difficult relationship with his dad and his own relationship with his children.
When you can read it: May 8, 2018
I've Been Meaning to Tell You by David Chariandy
What it's about: David Chariandy contemplates how to tell his young daughter about the politics and history of race by sharing their family's story and his personal experience as the son of black and South Asian migrants from Trinidad.
When you can read it: May 29, 2018