October is Canadian Library Month, a time to celebrate our love of libraries and the stories that bring us together. KFPL staff have curated a list of recommended reads that highlight the power of books to inform, inspire and delight—from powerful memoirs and heart-pounding nonfiction to joyful children’s stories and heartwarming romances.
I love You More by Emil Sher and Barbara Reid
Junior: Through delightful word play and vibrant modelling clay art, young Des travels through his busy, diverse neighbourhood, highlighting different relationships across age, gender and race, and moments bound together by love.
Walking in Two Worlds by Wab Kinew
Teen: In the real world, Anishinaabe teen Bugz is shy and self-conscious. But in the virtual world, her alter ego is not just confident but powerful. In both, Bugz struggles with identity, toxic masculinity and complicated family and cultural dynamics, all set against the backdrop of a post-pandemic, high-tech future.
Women Who Woke up the Law by Karin Wells
Adult: A highly readable, fascinating account of the women, their lawyers and the cases that changed women's rights in Canada. It sometimes took decades, and cases were initially lost, but these brave women and their cases sparked fundamental change.
In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas
Adult: This sweeping and deeply researched novel is set in the Black communities of Ontario that were the last stop on the Underground Railroad. In 1859, a female journalist interviews a runaway after the killing of a white slave catcher. What follows is an extraordinary exchange of tales that reveal the interwoven history of Indigenous and Black peoples throughout North America.
Three Holidays and a Wedding by Uzma Jalaluddin and Marissa Stapley
Adult: Jalaluddin pairs up with fellow Ontario writer, Marissa Stapley, for this multi-faith rom-com. Two strangers are stuck in the small town of Snow Falls along with the cast and crew of a holiday romance movie, nosy family members, and their lifelong crushes. A fun, celebratory holiday read.
Flags of Canada by Stephen Harper
Adult: A solid primer about the early flags of Canada and how they influenced the national flag. Particular attention is given to how French and English symbolism shaped the evolution of Canada's official and unofficial national flags.
The Library of Legends by Janie Chang
Adult: When Japanese bombs start to fall over 1937 China, Nanking and her classmates flee with a 500-year-old collection of folklore and myth. This enchanting story interweaves history, mythology and the fierce determination to preserve one’s culture.
Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast by John Vaillant
Adult: Riveting examination of the link between the oil and gas industry, climate science and the 2016 Fort McMurray wildfire. Vaillant’s description of that fire and the efforts to extinguish it is heart-pounding reading. A compelling read to help us understand our new fire reality.
All Our Ordinary Stories: A Multigenerational Family Odyssey by Teresa Wong
Adult: A beautiful look into intergenerational relationships that centres on an immigrant family whose roots are shaped by China's Cultural Revolution. Wong explores the way history, culture, and language can serve as both barriers and gifts when passed from one generation to the next.
Sucker Punch: Essays by Scaachi Koul
Adult: Funny, fierce and painfully real. Koul’s Sucker Punch dives into divorce, race, body image, friendship and the experience of growing up the daughter of immigrant parents.
