Non-Fiction

After graduating university at age 21 Kate leaves her home in Cape Breton Nova Scotia to work towards paying off her student loans in the oil sands of Northern Alberta. She details her experiences dealing with misogyny, sexual harassment and watching the degradation of the environment first hand. This memoir is moving and at times hard to read. It opens a window into issues that need to be addressed. This beautifully drawn graphic memoir should be required reading for all Canadians.

You don’t have to be a Red Hot Chili Peppers fan to be enthralled by the rollercoaster ride that is the memoir, Scar Tissue. Lead singer and front man Anthony Kiedis candidly recounts his life growing up in Los Angeles, starting the Red Hot Chili Peppers and their own brand of cosmic hard-core mayhem funk and everything that comes afterwards, whether good or bad. Readers will get an inside scoop on major moments in music and pop culture as well as be shown the raw reality of life as a heroin addict. Join Kiedis as he takes a look back on his life and tells a tale of debauchery, devotion, hardship, and redemption.

In the 1980s, American journalist Bill Buford immersed himself in a British football 'hooligan' culture - soccer fans who engage in crowd violence whether. It doesn't matter whether their favored team wins or loses, football hooligans represent all that is. Among the Thugs tries to understand how these riots come to be and provides a dark look at the society in which hooligan culture has emerged. If Canadians can probably recall the absurdity of the 2011 Stanley Cup riot in Vancouver - they will find Among the Thugs to be a dark read whose subject matter demands to be looked upon.

Ever wondered why garlic is said to ward off vampires? Or how it can cure so many ailments? Or why it's become a staple in so many cuisines worldwide? Well look no further; Robin Cherry's readable and well-researched biography of garlic covers it all as she explores the dynamic history of the food, investigating its mythology, its symbolic role in class politics and bigotry, and its place as one of the world's most beloved kitchen staples. Complete with over one hundred recipes and multiple essays, this book will have you thinking, growing, cooking, and dreaming garlic.

Delve into the dark and heart-wrenching world of a child star whose parents that aught protect the best interest of their child are instead focused on themselves. A father who doesn't care enough to be involved and a mother who “cares” too much. Jennette McCurdy, iCarly superstar, is brutally honest in a way that leaves you uncertain as whether to cry or laugh, weaving the devastating story of her upbringing in front of millions. McCurdy makes us laugh our way through all the things that should cause us deep pain but are too much too shoulder in serious conversation.

"But it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make for you, Net. 'Cuz I'm not like my parents. I want what's best for you.”

This is the story of a child that desperately wants to make her mom happy and a mom who's self-interest controls everything -- Jennette's body, career, and happiness.

Man's search for meaning is about the author's experiences in Nazi concentration camps and his struggle to survive. Viktor experienced that the desire to find meaning or an object in life can help human beings to survive in the face of sufferings. For Viktor, it was hope that helped him to get through the hard time in the camps. He talks about Logotherapy. We, human beings drive the pursuit of what we find meaningful! The Japanese philosophy of IKIGAI is based on similar beliefs. Written in a medium pace, this book is an inspirational story of finding meaning in very act of living. Sometimes all that is left is Hope!

On the evening of May 30, 1899, a stagecoach was robbed 30 miles from Globe, Arizona. But this was no regular robbery. This time the bandit was a woman: Pearl Hart. But who was Pearl Hart and what were the circumstances that led to her famous robbery? Tracing Hart’s story back to her childhood, Boessnecker narrates and interweaves the stories of Lillie Naomie Davy (1971-1935), the young girl from Kawartha Lakes, Ontario who would become one of the most famous outlaws in American history, and the other Davy children who lived complex lives of their own to present an unflinching picture of life on the American frontier. What follows is a story of robbery, addiction, conviction, incarceration, escape, recapture, and the bonds of family. A fast paced and well researched that seeks to dispel many of the myths and misconceptions about the “Wild West”, Wildcat is full of interesting, flawed characters who led adventurous lives.

In 1963, 23 year old Annie Ernaux realizes she is pregnant. Being unmarried and still in university, she decides that she must seek an abortion despite the practice being illegal in France. Motivated by fear and shame, she asks doctors, friends, and acquaintances for help in finding an abortionist. Almost 40 years later, Ernaux uses her old diary to recount and find meaning in her experience.

Widely regarded as one of the worst movies ever made, The Room is a fascinating piece of cinema. Even more perplexing than the film is its eclectic and mysterious author, producer, and director, Tommy Wiseau. In The Disaster Artist: My Life Inside The Room, the Greatest Bad Movie Ever Made, author Greg Sestero (alongside coauthor Tom Bissell), documents his personal history with Wiseau and offers an inside look at the bizarre and hilarious history of The Room’s creation and production. For fans of movies and cult films, Sestero and Bissell’s The Disaster Artist is a must-read!

Japanese cleaning and tidying consultant Marie Kondo goes through the process of the art of tidying and organization of ones life and home. Overtime we accumulate stuff and many people have a hard time letting go of things they may not need in their homes. The fundamental thing to keeping things is saying “does this spark Joy?” if yes it stays if no it goes. Starting with sorting your life by categories not by room. Creating special events or days to do this instead of a little bit each day. When you're sorting and processing you discard right away and move to the next items. She highly emphasizes that we should not start with mementos are family sentimental items because you will never let go of anything. Sort all items off the organization and place it in the middle of the floor and room it will force you to look at the mountain and deal with the situation. Once the process of weeding is done you fold and organize everything back in to place. Storage and organization materials do not have to be bought or expensive many uses for cardboard boxes and things you already have can be used as storage items. Finally, her book goes through the spiritual and magical feelings that happen to a person once they have completed this transformation

Life in the City of Dirty Water: A Memoir of Healing by Clayton Thomas-Muller is a biography, love letter, and handbook for environmental activism all bound in one. It is a challenging read as Thomas-Muller openly writes about his struggles with abuse, racism, violence, and intergenerational trauma. However, there is joy found in the wittiness of Thomas-Mullers' recount of his childhood innocence, and the wisdom shared from his life experiences.

The Secret Garden meets Victorian England in this eclectic garden anthology. From hidden grottos to fairies to peacock-shaped topiaries, historian Todd Longstaffe-Gowan meticulously describes these eccentric gardens and their equally as eccentric creators. In a whimsical, yet academic tone, the English gardens come alive from the point of view of the contemporaries who designed, visited, or critiqued them. English Garden Eccentrics is complete with photographs, paintings, sketches, and even poems to fully immerse readers into Victorian society.

Prepare to step into the vivarium of Joshua Brookes, to behold Lady Broughton’s marble mountains, or dare to enter George Henry Law’s menacing stalactite-filled cave. Perfect for lovers of history, gardening, and design, readers grotto check this one out!

Uncovering the previously untold story of the most famous American hacking group of all time, Joseph Menn weaves a timeline from the early formation of the group to the present day using narrative non-fiction and founder interviews. Formed in 1984, the Cult of the Dead Cow arguably invented the concept of hacktivism, pressured tech giants like Microsoft to protect their users' information better and took on groups like the Church of Scientology. Many of its early members ended up working as executives and top government advisors. Others worked in the development of Tor as well as consulting on cybersecurity initiatives and weapons used by the US government.

What’s in an author’s closet? Japanese literary icon Haruki Murakami, author of 1Q84 and The Wind-up Bird Chronicle, steps away from writing about cults, earthquakes, failed marriages, and physical embodiments of psychological phenomena to dive into a more approachable topic: the humble t-shirt. In a series of short, casual essays, Murakami uses his collection of printed tees as an opening to opine on surfing, music, bears, and culture in general. While keeping true to the author’s eclectic nature, Murakami T brings a brevity and lightness to the author’s voice, without a single portal to the underworld or mysterious disappearance.

‘The late Christopher Hitchens’: Those words from Christopher Hitchens’ obituary are what jolted the author to write his memoir: Hitch-22. How may you ask is it possible for a dead man to write his memoir? Read Hitch-22 to find out.

Hitch-22 is a candid portrait of the international best-selling author, journalist, essayist, atheist, socialist, lecturer and intellectual—and the last person you would want to debate—the scathingly witty yet always eloquent, Christopher Hitchens. The title reflects Hitchens’ commitment to doubt. From the Vietnam war he opposed to the Iraq war he supported, the British-American Hitchens infuriated right and left alike with his independent convictions and contradictions. Through his trademark use of irony, humor, and understatement, Hitchens writes openly and intimately about the painful suicide of his mother (initially considered a murder), the act of suicidal writing, death, and friendship.

Christopher Hitchens was diagnosed with esophageal cancer shortly after Hitch-22’s publication. He died on December 15, 2011.

If you were told that because of one woman’s cells many diseases have been cured, would you know this person? What if you were told that this woman’s cells were stolen, and her rights were violated so that medicine may advance? Her name is Henrietta Lacks, and she is responsible for savings countless lives and advancing medical technology. You may have even had her cells introduced to your body, and yet her and her family remain unnoticed. In 2010 Rebecca Skloot published The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks which is an in depth look at her life and story. In 1951 Lacks was diagnosed with cancer and entered a Johns Hopkins study. In the study scientists discovered that her cells could reproduce indefinitely outside of the host, which has never been possible. They named her cells HeLa and these cells are responsible for developing the polio vaccine, cloning, gene mapping and many more medical advances. Her cells have been sold by the billions, yet her family cannot even afford basic health insurance. Skloot tells a riveting story full of collisions between race, politics, bioethics, medicine, scientific discovery, and faith healing. Attempting to answer: who was Henrietta Lacks?

In the wake of her father’s sudden death, natural historian and falconer Helen MacDonald realizes a life-long ambition: she sets out to train a northern goshawk, a notoriously stubborn bird species. MacDonald skillfully weaves her own journey of training Mabel the Goshawk with the story of another falconer: writer T.H White, whose own disastrous attempt at training a goshawk in the 1930s illustrates the tension between humanity’s need to dominate and Mother Nature’s innate resilience. Part-memoir and part-natural history book, MacDonald offers a beautiful treatise on grief, connection, and healing. This book is for anyone who nurtures a curiosity about the natural world and the creatures living in it – check out similar natural world titles here.

Between the World and Me is a lyrical letter written from father to son. Coates is concerned with the black body, its fragility, it's juxtaposition against the body and lives of those who believe they’re white. It is memoir, poem, indictment. It is love, anger, grief, timely, and timeless.

Having read this while on strike, I was caught up in the idea of future investments. So much of the action we do today have known or unknown effects on those who come after us. The letter format makes this explicit: Coates frames each action as something that will affect his son, references the actions of his own father and grandfather, and so on.

Beautiful and personal, Stories of Métis Women: Tales My Kookum Told Me is a collection of stories by multiple Métis women on life, history, family, and culture. Separated by theme, the book follows different stories of womanhood and heritage, with enlightening life stories that help further the readers understanding of Métis culture. The book is formatted in both English and Northern Michef, which is a mix of Cree, French, and a variety of different Indigenous languages. Sometimes unsettling but nonetheless highly important, these stories further detail the experiences of being a Métis women specifically but also Métis people in Settler Canada. It outlines many important historical points of Métis culture while speaking of Metis present and future. There are stories that describe residential schools, various forms of discrimination, and racism, so one should read with that in mind. It also is a book that celebrates the long and flourishing culture that is the Métis Nation, and the matriarchs that have maintained stories and love throughout history.

The Path to Power (The Years of Lyndon Johnson, Volume 1), defies expectation within the world of nonfiction by becoming more rather than less relevant as time passes. Though written more than 40 years ago now, this biography of Lyndon Johnson, which spans the years preceding his birth through his early political successes in Congress, provides a provocative view of both his own complicated character and some of the critical origins of the current American political climate. Robert Caro combines an immersive and engaging writing style with incredibly in-depth research, including archival records and his own extensive interviews with first-hand witnesses of all stages of the life and surroundings of the contentious former President of the United States. This biography of a former US president will bring newfound complexity to your view of biographies, history, and politics.