Members of KFPL’s New Adult Advisory Board have nominated their favourite reads and want you to help decide which book will be crowned the winner of the 2022 March Madness Book Bracket.
Starting March 1, vote for your favourite book in each bracket in KFPL’s Instagram stories. Every time you vote, you will earn an entry into a prize draw for a $25 Indigo gift card. The winner must be a current KFPL cardholder.
Here are the books in this year's competition!
The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green
Non-Fiction; Essays
Each review is also a memoir of quotes, personal memories, and earnest feelings as John rates things on Earth on a five star scale.
Michael loved the amazing range of the essays. Topics range from life, love, mental health, to Canada Geese, to Diet Dr Pepper, to Super Mario Kart, to whispering!
Borders: The Graphic Novel by Thomas King
Graphic Novel
An Indigenous boy and his mother refuse to identify themselves as American or Canadian at the border and become caught in the limbo between nations.
WHAT GORGEOUS ILLUSTRATIONS BY NATASHA DONOVAN. Michael loved that this book is bursting with colour and brings a short story by Thomas King alive.
Daughter of Sparta by Claire M. Andrews
Fantasy
This is a fierce retelling of the Greek myth of Daphne and Apollo with a focus on ancient religions and culture.
Christine liked the strong, female protagonist who will remind readers of Wonder Woman.
Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily R. Austin
Contemporary; Queer
Death-fearing lesbian and atheist Gilda, gets a job at a Catholic Church and becomes wrapped up in the mysterious death of her predecessor.
Julia like how the story was dark, hilarious and endearing all at the same time, and portrayed the struggle with mental health in a very real and relatable way.
Feelings: A Story in Seasons by Manjit Thapp
Graphic Novel
Thrapp illustrates a young woman’s mental health and aesthetics as they change with seasons.
Michael loved that every page is emotive and lush! The language is sparse, with even the creative lettering/font becoming art too.
The Girl and the Stars by Mark Lawrence
YA; High Fantasy
A teenager is cast out from her people to die because she is not strong enough to survive the arctic glacier where they live. Instead of dying, she discovers a community of other outcasts, and that her weakness is actually a sign of a magical gift.
Frances enjoyed the unique setting of this fantasy novel -- set entirely on and in a glacier during an ice age (on another planet) -- as well as the prose, and the composure of the female protagonist.
The Ice Swan by J'nell Ciesielski
Historical Romance
Counted among the Russian diaspora after the Russian Revolution, Princess Svetlana must come to terms with her new life in France.
Christine liked learning more about Russian history, and the beautiful romance between Svetlana and Wyn. Perfect for Downton Abbey fans.
Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao
Fantasy/Sci-Fi
Giant mech warriors! Futuristic fiction grounded in Chinese history! A young woman choosing revenge against a society that destroyed her sister!
Michael loved that it is an intense breath of fresh air taking on the patriarchy. Great Canadian YA fantasy!
Leaving Isn't the Hardest Thing: Essays by Lauren Hough
Non-Fiction; Essays
Lauren Hough describes her life and career trajectory as affected by her time in the Children of God cult and the US Airforce, among other factors.
Lidia thinks this book provides a sobering look at systemic injustices as crystalized in the life of one U.S citizen, and is also laugh-out-loud hilarious.
The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke
Mystery
During their stay on a remote Scottish island, mother Liv, and her daughters Clover and Sapphire go missing, leaving the third daughter Luna on her own. Twenty years later Clover is found; however, she is the same age as when she went missing and Luna returns to the island to find answers to her family’s strange disappearance.
Julia liked jumping timelines as well as the infusion of folklore, mythology, and the occult within the story.
The Lost Village by Camilla Sten
Mystery
Documentary filmmaker, Alice Lindstedt, obssessed with an old mining town whose inhabitants all mysteriously disappeared one day, hopes to make the village the centrepeice of her next film. However, after setting up camp and exploring the village with her crewmembers they begin to wonder whether they are truly alone, or if there is someone watching them.
Julia loved reading the two plots unravel, one in the present and one in the past, as the characters discover more about the history of the village and the truth behind the inhabitants’ disappearance.
Nothing But Blackened Teeth by Cassandra Khaw
Horror
A group of horror-loving friends gather at a haunted Heian-era mansion for a destination, soon to discover there is already a bride there, a ghost bride who is waiting for another victim to join her.
Julia loved the infusion of Japanese folklore and the love-to-hate-them characters.
The Paris Apartment by Kelly Bowen
Historical Fiction
Aurelia inherits famous art in her grandmother's apartment, leading her to a mysterious art restorer.
Christine liked the story surrounding the lost art.
A Phở Love Story by Loan Le
YA Romance
The plot follows a well-crafted Romeo and Juliet love story between two children of rivalling phở restauranteurs.
Michael liked the cute romance. The first time they hold hands is ADORABLE. I was aww’ing out loud.
The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle
Romance
Piper Evans is a podcaster, who secretly loves romance novels, and is also a teacher. When fictional royals move near her house, can she keep her two lives separate?
Christine liked the many Canadian references and the humor.
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abe
Historical Fiction
This is a novel about the famously wealthy Astor family through the eyes of Jack Astor's second wife, Madeleine, and how their travels around the world bring them to the fateful voyage on the Titanic.
Christine liked how hauntingly decadent the dramatic story was.
