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24 Rep Picks to Read this Fall
by Brooke
Art & Photography + Biography & Memoir + Essays + Fiction + Food & Drink + Graphica + Humour + Kids + Picture Books + YA Fiction / October 03, 2016
Fall is here! And fall = not feeling guilty about staying in all weekend with your books. So if you're ready to curl up with a blanket and a good read, but not sure which book to pair with your pumpkin spice beverage, let some of the pros help you out with some of their favourite books of the fall season.
Judy Parker
The Guineveres
by Sarah Domet
"I am eagerly anticipating The Guineveres. The editors at Flatiron Books have not yet let me down as they have introduced me to new voices and new stories in the past. Debut author Domet’s story of the complicated nature of female friendship is already receiving early rave reviews, including a comparison to The Virgin Suicides. I can’t wait!"
by Sarah Domet
"I am eagerly anticipating The Guineveres. The editors at Flatiron Books have not yet let me down as they have introduced me to new voices and new stories in the past. Debut author Domet’s story of the complicated nature of female friendship is already receiving early rave reviews, including a comparison to The Virgin Suicides. I can’t wait!"
Waiting for Snow
by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Renata Liwska
by Marsha Diane Arnold, illustrated by Renata Liwska
"Despite complaints about long winters, we prairie people love the first snow! Waiting for Snow charmingly reflects the excitement and impatience of children waiting for those first snowflakes. Renata Liwska’s adorable illustrations of the cast of animals coming together to try to make it snow and learning that everything happens in its own time are spot on. This is a wonderful celebration of snow and an ode to the virtues of patience!"
Dani Farmer
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Bad Girls Throughout History
by Ann Shen
"I’m a fan of any book that puts historical figures like Ada Lovelace alongside modern heroines like Malala Yousafzai. These 100 women deserve to be remembered for challenging the establishment with their politics, innovations and talents; after all, in the immortal words of Tina Fey and Amy Poehler, 'Bitches get stuff done.'”
Vassa in the Night
by Sarah Porter
"Urban fantasy and Russian folklore make for page-turning magic when Brooklyn is plunged into darkness and Baba Yaga is to blame."
Ryan Muscat
We Gon' Be Alright
by Jeff Chang
"Jeff Chang is one of America’s most astute cultural observers, and in We Gon’ Be Alright, he turns his attention to race in America in light of police killings of unarmed civilians, Ferguson, and Black Lives Matter. Chang is the acclaimed author of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, and Who We Be. Built around a central essay on Ferguson and the killing of Michael Brown, We Gon’ Be Alright is an impassioned and charged look at the most contentious issues in the current discussion of race in America."
"Jeff Chang is one of America’s most astute cultural observers, and in We Gon’ Be Alright, he turns his attention to race in America in light of police killings of unarmed civilians, Ferguson, and Black Lives Matter. Chang is the acclaimed author of Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip Hop Generation, and Who We Be. Built around a central essay on Ferguson and the killing of Michael Brown, We Gon’ Be Alright is an impassioned and charged look at the most contentious issues in the current discussion of race in America."
Gertie's Leap to Greatness
by Kate Beasley, illustrated by Jillian Tamaki
"In what’s sure to be an instant classic in the vein of Ramona Quimby, Gertie’s Leap to Greatness is a sweet and heartwarming story about a precocious and sassy young girl trying to be the best fifth grader ever, in order to show her absent mother what she’ll be missing if she leaves town. This is a masterful debut novel for Kate Beasley, and the book is also filled with gorgeous illustrations by the fantastic Toronto cartoonist Jillian Tamaki, a Governor General’s Award and Caldecott-winning veteran."
"In what’s sure to be an instant classic in the vein of Ramona Quimby, Gertie’s Leap to Greatness is a sweet and heartwarming story about a precocious and sassy young girl trying to be the best fifth grader ever, in order to show her absent mother what she’ll be missing if she leaves town. This is a masterful debut novel for Kate Beasley, and the book is also filled with gorgeous illustrations by the fantastic Toronto cartoonist Jillian Tamaki, a Governor General’s Award and Caldecott-winning veteran."
Laurie Martella
The Other Einstein
by Marie Benedict
"This is the untold story of Mileva Maric Einstein, a brilliant math scholar and Albert Einstein’s first wife. It’s the subject of debate just how much scientific contribution she had made to her husband’s famous works. A little more recognition would be nice."
The Trap (new in trade paper)
by Steven Arntson
"It’s A Wrinkle in Time set in the 1960s, small town Iowa. A sci-fi mystery that has four friends who travel through the “subtle plane” (sound familiar?) and discover that they are not the only ones with this amazing ability to have out-of-body experiences. Fun middle grade read!"
Lorna MacDonald
Table Manners
by Jeremiah Tower, illustrated by Libby VanderPloeg
"An entertaining and practical guide to manners for everyone and every occasion by Jeremiah Tower — a larger than life celebrity chef and food entrepreneur. Tower has advice on everything: food allergies, RSVPs, iPhones, running late, thank-yous, restaurant etiquette, even what to do when you are served something disgusting. Witty design and line drawings, couples with practical bits of advice make this an ideal gift for anyone of any age. This is Strunk & White for the table."
The Storybook Knight
by Helen Docherty, illustrated by Thomas Docherty
"From the author illustrator team who brought us the best-selling Snatchabook, The Storybook Knight celebrates the power of reading and the love of a good book. Leo is a gentle knight — a reader not a fighter. But his parents want him to battle griffins and trolls and slay dragons. Leo sets out on a quest with a sword and a shield and plenty of books. He manages to tame a number of unruly beasts in his own way — through the power of a good story. Written in rhyming text and richly illustrated, this is a story to delight children and parents alike."
Saffron Beckwith
Small Victories
by Julia Turshen, foreword by Ina Garten
"This is a fantastic book filled with tricks and tips and more importantly, yummy things to eat!"
The Odyssey: A BabyLit Monsters Primer
by Jennifer Adams, illustrated by Alison Oliver
"What a great addition to this awesome series... finally I can get all those mythical creatures straight!"
Jenny Enriquez
Mooncop
by Tom Gauld
by Tom Gauld
"I absolutely loved Tom Gauld’s Goliath so I’m very excited for Mooncop, the story of the last policeman on the moon. This may be a sci-fi tale, but at its core it’s a very human story about looking to connect with others that’s perfect for both sci-fi fans and the general reader."
Bunny Slopes
by Claudia Rueda
by Claudia Rueda
"This very entertaining interactive picture book is like Hervé Tullet’s Press Here, but with an adorable skiing bunny! Tilt, turn, and shake the book to help Bunny make it down the hill and avoid dangerous obstacles. Lots o’ fun!"
Karen Beattie
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Ont-Pot Pasta
by Sabrina Fauda-Role
"This cookbook is the answer to every exhausted-at-the-end-of-the-day person’s dreams. Find 1 pot. Put the simple and few ingredients into the pot. Cook this pot over a medium heat for 15 minutes. Let pot rest off the heat for 5 minutes. Pour yourself a glass of wine and dinner is ready. No kidding! The design is fresh and hip with each recipe shown in arty before and after full colour photos. The yummy solution for workweek meals."
Other-Wordly
by Yee-Lum Mak, illustrated by Kelsey Garrity-Riley
"Here’s this season’s gift book for word nerds: an illustrated collection of words and definitions for unexpected things — like the sunlight that filters thru’ the leaves of trees. The illustrations are done in a dreamy palette of soft pinks, greys and blues, giving this wee gem a wistful vibe."
Cheryl Fraser
The Travel Book
by Lonely Planet
"With 800 new images in this third edition, The Travel Book features images from every country in the world. A perfect gift for anyone curious about the world. The interior pictures are compelling and the updated cover demands that you pick up this beautiful edition."
Busy Builders: Airport
by Timothy Knapman, illustrated by Carles Ballesteros
"A book, and airport set and model pieces — what a great way to start a trip, or just learn about busy airports. Little travelers can read all they need to know about airports on the plane, and have a total entertainment package when they arrive at their destination."
Ali Hewitt
A Beauty Collected
by Rachel Garahan
"Graceful and meditative, the abecedarium of photos for adults encourages all of us to find the beauty in the natural world."
Muddle & Mo
by Nikki Slade Robinson
"This charmingly illustrated picture book shows what happens when you realize that your friend isn’t the same as you. Fortunately Muddle and Mo learn that even though one is a duck, and the other a goat, they can still be best friends!"
Karen Stacey
The Other Paris (new in trade paper)
by Luc Sante
"The Other Paris is a cross between Brassai’s and Bresson’s world, albeit a slightly grittier side of Parisian life; the cabarets, the bohemian world, the darker side of the city of lights. With vivid narration, impeccable research and an aesthete’s taste for anecdotes, Luc Sante’s newest collection will intrigue. Highly recommended for all history and culture collections."
How Cities Work
by Lonely Planet
"For fans of David McAuley’s How Things Work, another fabulous book for kids (ages 6+) to discover the inner workings of their world!"
Scott Fraser
The African Svelte
by Daniel Menaker, illustrated by Roz Chast
"An illustrated collection of malapropisms, eggcorns, and unintentional wit, sure to please all lovers of language."
Apocalypse Bow Wow
by James Proimos
"Many dog parents wonder what their fur babies get up to when they’re not home. But what if there were no humans around at all? The dogs in Apocalypse Bow Wow are learning to live in a world without people. What will they do now that they’re the leaders of the pack?"
