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Reading Challenge 2024 - A book recommended by your library

Broad yet memorable, this list features staff recommendations in a variety of topics.

Find more book suggestions and information about the Reading Challenge. Start at any time of the year!

If you like to read in French, check out lists of recommended books for Défi lecture 2024.

Cover image of Coexistence : storiesBelcourt, Billy-Ray, author.
Book, 2024

This was shared at a talk at the Bram & Bluma Appel Salon at the Toronto Reference Library. The collection of short stories dive into Indigenous love and loneliness set across the prairies, Canada’s west coast, reserves, university campuses and literary festivals. Characters navigate life’s challenges, search for connections and learn to see the beauty and struggles that exist side by side. It’s about understanding each other and embracing how the past, present and future can all come together in a single moment.

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook Group

Other categories:

  • a book published in 2024

All formats

Cover image of Conflict is not abuse : overstating harm, community responsibility, and the duty of repairSchulman, Sarah, 1958- author.
Book, 2016

A fellow colleague mentioned how this title was making its round with the staff and the public, so I knew I needed to at least give it a flip-through. In the current political climate where it often seems like there are only two opposing opinions with no grey zone, it can be intimidating to reveal where one stands, careful not to be grouped with the unpopular perspective. If you've ever found yourself conflicted with either fear of expressing your view or angry with someone else's, this book will help explain why we feel the way we do. Or, at least give you pause the next time you feel the need to react from the gut.

-Christine, Librarian

Other categories:

  • a book about community

All formats

Cover image of Gastro obscura : a food adventurer's guideWong, Cecily, author.
Book, 2021

If you're interested in travel and food, this is the book for you. Created by Atlas Obscura, the book is well-organized and researched, stocked with beautiful and sometimes alarming, imagery with local delicacies to ignite the imagination. It will haunt you and delight you. Popping maggot-infested cheese, anyone?

-Christine, Librarian

Other categories:

  • a book about a holiday

All formats

Cover image of GreenwoodChristie, Michael, 1976- author.
Book, 2019

It’s a great story that covers three or four generations of a mismatched family. I really liked its narrative structure. It starts in the present then moves into the past to about 1900. Then about halfway through, the story starts back to bring us back to present day at the end. It's a knock-out story full of memorable characters and although not preachy about environmentalism, the theme is certainly a backdrop to the entire novel.

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook Group

Other categories:

  • A book about a community

All formats

Cover image of My life in FranceChild, Julia.
Book, 2006

Imagine Julia, newly arrived with her husband Paul in post-war Paris, falling head over heels for French cuisine. From learning the secrets of sauces at Le Cordon Bleu to tackling the complexities of French recipes and sometimes failing hilariously. The book isn't just about food; it's about Julia's infectious passion for life and the joy she found in every buttery, wine-infused moment. It's a must-read for anyone who wants to experience France through the eyes (and taste buds) of a culinary legend.

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook group

Other categories:

  • a book about a holiday
  • a book about a historical female figure

All formats

Cover image of No place to go : how public toilets fail our private needsLowe, Lezlie, 1972-, author.
Book, 2018

It can sometimes feel like that's the majority of the questions at the reference desk: where is the washroom? But it's no surprise as free, accessible options seem few and far in-between, especially when one's in a foreign city. After reading this book you'll recognize public washrooms for what they are: a political quagmire, plugged with unresolved social issues.

A municipal poop map is mentioned.

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook group

Other categories:

  • a book about politics

All formats

Cover image of RadicalizedDoctorow, Cory, author.
Book, 2019

Radicalized is a collection of sci-fi novellas that zoom in on some wild what-ifs about our future. Picture kitchen appliances rebelling with DRM, a superhero tackling racism with his powers, a guy getting radical over healthcare injustice and elites holed up in bunkers during a pandemic. It's a rollercoaster of speculative fiction that makes you think about the world we're heading into, with a dose of thrilling storytelling.

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook group

Other categories:

  • a book about community

All formats

Cover image of Speak, silenceEchlin, Kim, author.
Book, 2021

What starts off as a story about a journalist who's trying to reunite with an ex-lover quickly changes its track to focus on the women she ends up connecting with as victims of abuse during the Bosnian War.

I found it really powerful and timely. The story is sad but so important to hear. Highly recommend!

-Recommended in the Reading Challenge Facebook Group

Other categories:

  • a book about politics
  • a thriller or true crime
  • a book about a holiday

All formats

Cover image of Terrain: the houseplant book : an insider's guide to cultivating and collecting the most sought-after specimensLowrie, Melissa, author.
Book, 2022

Hey plant people, this hefty tome has it all! If you want to elevate your plant game, this book will take you from beginner to know-it-all. Seriously, I've become borderline insufferable after reading it.

My favourite bits are the beautiful pictures and advanced level plant care tips I never considered like:

  • mimic wind by shaking your plants to increase stem durability
  • consider pot material for different varieties based on idea growing conditions (porous clay pots best for plant that prefer more moist soil conditions)
  • exacting propagation methods

-Reagan, Librarian

Other categories:

  • A book with a long title
  • A book about an invention (too many to name)
  • A book about community (origins of plant varieties)
  • A book referencing a work of art (plants are the only art in my house!)

All formats