The holidays are the perfect time to catch up on personal reading. If you’re looking for books to add to your wish list or for a gift, this past year has seen some great novels published. Here are five books from 2016 perfect for you or the bookworm on your list:
1. The Beaver Hall Group: 1920s Modernism in Montreal
Last fall, the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts exhibited a collection of the Beaver Hall Group’s work. The paintings show a different era in Montreal. As The Montreal Gazette explained, the exhibition “[reflects] the city’s bustling jazz-age euphoria through the works of the spirited young artists of that period.” If you saw the exhibition and loved it, or missed it but want a chance to see some of Montreal’s best art, the collection is available in a coffee-table book. The paintings offer every Montrealer a rich look into the city’s history and art.
2. L’Anniversaire de Kim Jong-il
In this French graphic novel, Aurélien Ducoudray and Mélanie Allag, show life in North Korea through the eyes of a child. The book follows the life of 8-year-old Jun Sang as he discovers his country may not be what he was taught to think it is. French media group, RTL, explained that Docoudray “was convinced that the best way to tell the horrors of this dictatorship was to go through the innocent gaze of a child.”
3. Wenjack
In this novella, Scotiabank Giller Prize–winning author, Joseph Boyden, tells the true story of Chanie Wenjack, an Ojibwe boy running away from a residential school. During his escape, Wenjack is watched by the spirits of the forest. Fittingly, each chapter is named after a different creature and accompanied by an illustration. The book is short, less than 100 pages but, as Maclean’s puts it, it’s “spellbinding.” You can read Boyden explain more about writing this novel here.
4. 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl
Written by Canadian author, Mona Awar, this novel tells the story of Lizzie, a teen growing up in a Mississauga. Through a series of short stories, readers watch as Lizzie struggles not only with growing up but also with her weight. The Globe and Mail described the book as being “an emotional experience for anyone who looks in the mirror and doesn’t like what they see.” In this novel, Awar takes a critical, feminist stance on the pressure put on women to always look perfect.
5. Sing for Your Life: A Story of Race, Music, and Family
Daniel Bergner’s fifth novel is a perfect gift for any non-fiction lover. The book tells the story of Ryan Speedo Green, an African American opera singer. It chronicles Green’s journey from juvenile detention centers to becoming an award-winning opera singer. Bergner’s storytelling also reveals the difficulties people of colour are faced with in the opera world. Since the novel’s publication in October, it has received much praise, including being a New York Times Book Review Editor’s Choice.