CALGARY BESTSELLERS
FICTION
1. Wall of Wishes
Suzy Vadori. The final book in the Fountain trilogy. When the fountain that has granted the wishes of
St. Augustus students for nearly a century is threatened, Ava must join forces with new girl Courtney to save it. Local author.
2. I Knew You Could Do It!
Nancy Tillman. A celebration of everyday accomplishments as well as life’s milestones, I Knew You Could Do It applauds anyone who has overcome hurdles and challenges, and also cheers them into the future.
3. Impact Statement
Bob Stallworthy. Impact Statement is a book of transitions, from life to death, asking for help from a long-ignored faith, neglecting and repairing relationships. This is, in every sense, a book of love poems. Local author.
4. The Back of the Turtle
Thomas King. Showcasing King’s brilliant wit and trademark wordplay, The Back of the Turtle is a funny, smart, sometimes confounding, and altogether unforgettable tale of betrayal, salvation, and the resilience of life.
5. Wendy, Master of Art
Walter Scott. A graphic novel of an aspiring contemporary artist who has travelled the world and is now back in a small town getting her Master of Fine Arts, while all of her insecurities come crashing down on her.
6. Girl, Woman, Other
Bernardine Evaristo. Stories of the lives of 12 women in Britain, raising questions of gender, race, equality, over several decades.
7.
A Gentleman in Moscow
Amor Towles. An unrepentant aristocrat is sentenced to house arrest in a luxury hotel.
8.
Underground Railroad
Colton Whitehead. As Whitehead brilliantly re-creates the terrors of the antebellum era, he weaves in the saga of the U.S., from the brutal abduction of Africans to the unfulfilled promises of the present day.
9.
The Day You Begin
Jacqueline Woodson. Woodson’s lyrical text and Rafael López’s dazzling art reminds us that we all feel like outsiders sometimes — and how brave it is that we go forth anyway.
10.
Eight Perfect Murders
Peter Swanson. Murders are happening that seem similar to mystery novels that have been written. The owner of an old bookstore is the prime suspect.
NON-FICTION
1. How to Be an Antiracist
Ibram X Kendi. Kendi weaves an electrifying combination of ethics, history, law and science with his personal story of awakening to anti-racism. This is an essential work for anyone who wants to go beyond the awareness of racism to the next step: contributing to the formation of a just and equitable society.
2. The Skin We’re In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power
Desmond Cole. A bracing, provocative, and perspective-shifting book from one of Canada’s most uncompromising writers. Canadian author.
3. White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard for White People to Talk About Racism
Robin Diangelo. Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear and guilt, and by behaviours including argumentation and silence. In this in-depth exploration, Diangelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what we can do to engage more constructively.
4. Stamped From the Beginning
Ibram X Kendi. In this deeply researched and fast-moving narrative, Kendi chronicles the entire story of anti-black racist ideas and their staggering power throughout American history.
5. Why I’m No Longer Talking to White People About Race
Reni Eddo-lodge. Being upset that discussions of race and racism in Britain were being led by those who weren’t affected by it, Eddo-lodge wrote this book to provide a new framework for how to see, acknowledge and counter racism.
6. Humankind: A Hopeful History
Rutger Bregman. A new perspective on the past 200,000 years of human history, setting out to prove that we are hardwired for kindness, geared toward co-operation rather than competition, and more inclined to trust rather than distrust one another.
7. The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz
Erik Larson. Takes readers back to a time of true leadership, when, in the face of unrelenting horror, Winston Churchill’s eloquence, courage, and perseverance bound a country, and a family, together.
8. The First Stampede of Flores Ladue: The True Love Story of Florence and Guy Weadick and the Beginning of the Calgary Stampede
Wendy Bryden. Bryden presents this No. 1 Calgary Herald bestseller detailing the true story of the romance that started the Stampede. Local author.
9. 21 Things You May Not Know About The Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality
Bob Joseph. Based on a viral article, 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act is the essential guide to understanding the legal document and its repercussion on generations of Indigenous Peoples, written by a leading cultural sensitivity trainer. Canadian author.
10. Viola Desmond Won’t Be Budged!
Jody Nyasha Warner. Viola is an unsung hero of one of Canada’s oldest and most established Black communities. Desmond’s act of refusal awakened people to the unacceptable nature of racism and began the process of bringing an end to racial segregation in Canada. Canadian author.