Twenty books you need to know about
Dealing with grief continues to be a topic that fascinates publishers and authors
We might look at the new year as a blank page onto which we can write a whole new chapter of our lives. We can also look at it as the chance to add to our to-read piles and be introduced to a whole new year’s worth — and in this case decade’s worth — of new ideas, characters and stories.
Even this early in the year some trends are becoming apparent.
Women writing thrillers have been dominating the bestsellers lists for a few years now, and that trend shows no sign of slowing down this spring. Canadian women writing thrillers you’ll want to grab include Roz Nay with “Hurry Home,” Robyn Harding, who’s out with “The Swap,” and Amy Stuart with the thriller “Still Here.”
Dealing with grief and dying continues to be a topic that fascinates both publishers and authors, but new takes on it resonate in a time of broader societal difficulty — how do you find joy in times where grief and death seem overwhelming: “How to Die,” by Ray Robertson, (Biblioasis, Jan. 28) riffing on Montaigne’s idea that “He who would teach men to die would teach them to live.”; in “Nobody Ever Talks About Anything But The End,” by Liz Levine (Simon and
Schuster, Jan 28) who writes about grief after losing her sister and best friend; and Catharine Owen draws together 24 Canadian writers that reach across different ages, ethnicities and gender identities in the remarkable collection of essays “Locations of Grief: An Emotional Geography” (Wolsak and Wynn, April 21)
How can I forget “Rage Baking” by Katherine Alford with essays, etc. from impassioned women activists who are also bakers; Canisia Lubrin’s new book of poetry, “The Dyzgraphxst?” As always there are so many books and so little time.
JANUARY
“Not One Of These Poems Is About You,” Teva Harrison (House of Anansi, Jan. 7) Toronto artist and poet Teva Harrison was diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer at age 37. She did not give in to it but, instead, shared her experiences, her thoughts in a first book, “InBetween Days,” a colouring book, and, now, in this post-humously published book of poetry and illustrations (she passed in 2019 at age 42), continues grappling what it means to live with the disease.
“The Skin We’re In,” Desmond Cole (Doubleday Canada, Jan 28) Written by Black activist Cole, this book takes a look at the year 2017 — “one year in the struggle against racism in this country.” It’s a month-by-month chronicle of Cole’s experiences during a year which also marked Canada’s 150th birthday.
FEBRUARY
“Disfigured: On Fairy Tales, Disability, and Making Space,” Amanda Leduc (Coach House, Feb. 4) An important book, this is an affirming memoir from one of the organizers of the Festival Of Literary Diversity (FOLD). In it she explores how disabled bodies have usually been associated with unhappy endings — and works to show that life is full of joy and struggle no matter who you are.
“Miss World 1970,” Jennifer Hosten (Sutherland House Books, Feb.17) From publisher Kenneth Whyte’s newish house focusing on non-fiction, this title stands out. The story of Jennifer Hosten, a young woman from Granada, who became the first Black woman to win the Miss World contest — the same night in the 1970 contest that “women’s liberation” activists stormed to protest inequality. A fascinating read.
“Soot,” Dan Vyleta (HarperCollins, Feb 25) This is the sequel to “Smoke,” in which sins and evil thoughts poured out of people’s bodies in the form of black smoke, an affliction which doesn’t touch the aristocracy, despite the smoke being released in an effort to create an equal society. This book revisits the imagined alternative year 1909, 10 years after the action in “Smoke,” in which the main characters think they’ve figured out how to control the smoke.
MARCH
“The Forgotten Home Child,” by Genevieve Graham (Simon and Schuster, March 3) Brings alive in the imagination the lives of what were once called Barnardo children — kids who came from England to Canada to be adopted into families here. While historically not all of the stories were positive, Graham evokes the experience of a groundswell of young immigrants from which many in this country are descended.
“The Mirror and the Light,” Hilary Mantel (HarperCollins, March 10) Fans have been waiting for this one for a while: the final book in the internationally bestselling historical trilogy that began with “Wolf Hall,” then “Bring Up the Bodies,” both of which won the Booker Prize. This one traces the final years of Thomas Cromwell.
“My Dark Vanessa,” Kate Elizabeth Russell (HarperCollins, March 10) When Stephen King writes about a debut novel that it’s “a well-constructed package of dynamite” you know it’s worth reading. This psychological thriller travels between 2017 and the rise of the #MeToo movement and 2000, when Vanessa, 15, has an affair with her 42-year-old English teacher. The buzz it’s getting is already ferociously loud, so watch for it.
“Lean Out,” Tara Henley (Appetite by Random House, March 24) We’ve all heard the term “lean in” which Facebook honcho Sheryl Sandberg used to encourage women to climb the corporate ladder. Toronto’s Henley decided she needed to learn how to “lean out” and spoke to others who are dropping out of the mainstream and escaping from overwork.
“The Glass Hotel,” Emily St. John Mandel (Harper Collins, March 24) From the author of “Station Eleven” this is a compelling read from the very first page. The plot is driven by a Ponzi scheme gone wrong and allows Mandel to look at big ideas such as guilt and responsibility, and the incredible repercussions that can come from a few illthought actions.
“No More Nice Girls,” by Lauren McKeon (House of Anansi) Toronto writer McKeon takes a look at why we haven’t come such a long way, baby. Women have been told for years they can be anything they want to be — so what, exactly, is stopping them? McKeon takes a look at new models of power in this book that’ll get us all thinking and taking a new course of action.
APRIL
“The Subtweet,” Vivek Shraya (ECW Press, April 7) Shraya has been prolific in the past few years — with graphic novels, memoirs, children’s books and books of poetry and a book imprint along with music, film and art. She continues her creative streak with her second novel, “The Subtweet” a look at online life and the peril of a single tweet but also brown women, friendship, music and jealousy “Everything I wanted in a book,” she tweeted.
“How to Pronounce Knife,” Souvankham Thammavongsa (McClelland and Stewart, April 7) A stunningly beautiful collection of short stories. While this is Thammavongsa’s debut collection, she’s already won awards for her stories — including the O. Henry award — and her poetry, and been published in magazines around the world. The stories are about the day-to-day lives of immigrants and refugees making a life for themselves — in Thammavongsa’s hands told poetically and powerfully.
“Vanishing Monuments,” John Elizabeth Stintzi (Arsenal Pulp Press, April 7) This is a big year for northern Ontario’s Stintzi. They’re out with a big novel, where the lead character, a non-binary photographer named Alani, returns home where their mother is suffering from dementia. They are simultaneously publishing a book of poetry with House of Anansi titled “Junebat” (April 7). The poetry collection maps Stintzi’s depression and reckoning with gender identity.
MAY
“Memoirs and Misinformation,” Jim Carrey and Dana Vachon (Random House of Canada, May 5) Not exactly what you’d expect from the Canadian comic known for his flexible facial expressions, this is a semi-autobiographical novel about a successful movie star that takes on celebrity, romance, acting and, as his publisher calls, it a “deconstruction of persona.”
“Ridgerunner,” Gil Adamson (House of Anansi, May 12) This is the follow-up to Adamson’s popular and award-winning “The Outlander” in which the notorious character known as the Ridgerunner reappears after nearly 20 years. Set in the Rocky Mountains, Montana, Banff, it’s being described as “a literary Western.”
“A History of My Brief Body,” Billy-Ray Belcourt (Hamish Hamilton, May 19) At just 23 years old, Belcourt won the Griffin Prize for Poetry for his book “This Wound is a World” — he’s also been a Rhodes scholar and, now, is publishing his first book of prose, a memoir that begins with his early life in Joussard, Alta, on the Driftpile First Nation and goes on to explore loves, sexual exploration and intimacy.
JUNE
“All I Ask,” Eva Crocker (House of Anansi, June 2) Crocker made waves with her 2017 debut short story collection, “Barrelling Forward,” which won awards even before it was published. This is her first novel, in which its smart young characters grapple with a digital world while exploring how to live their lives; it’s a story for our times.
“The Lying Life of Adults,” Elena Ferrante (Europa Editions, June 9) This could also be called a tale of two Naples — from the author of the beloved “My Brilliant Friend” and other novels that fell into the Neapolitan series. In this new novel, Giovanna’s face in changing from pretty to that of an ugly, spiteful adolescent. She’s searching for herself in the Naples of the heights and the Naples of the depths … and brings us on a compelling literary journey.
LATER IN THE YEAR
“Darkness as a Bride,” by John Irving (Knopf Canada) The legendary author of “A Prayer for Owen Meany” and “The World According to Garp” this fall sees his 15th novel published, which he describes as a ghost story. It’s set partly in Canada and partly in the U.S. and returns to themes that might seem familiar — it’s a mother-and-son story, which he’s explored in some of his beloved books including “The World According to Garp” and “A Prayer For Owen Meany.” Can’t wait.