8 Spring releases we can’t wait to read

While the cold – and drizzly – winter months are a great excuse to stay inside reading, we still look forward to the coming of spring. Warmer, sunnier days call for afternoons spent in the park with a good book, or on a patio with a cold drink – preferably also with a good read. Books structure our seasons as much as the weather does, so here are a few coming releases we’re looking forward to just as much as the sun.

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In New Ground: A Memoir of Art in the Kootenays (Caitlin Press / Dagger Editions, May 2019), we’re granted an inside look at the experience of the woman behind the Kootenay School of Arts, as well as its foundational framework of feminism, activism, and community in BC. Shortly after Ann Kujundzic and her artist-husband Zelijko emigrate to Canada from Edinburgh in the 1950s, Ann becomes an integral part of the founding of the Kootenay School of Art. New Ground grants us a long-awaited glimpse into the life of an incredible woman – from her work with the Kelowna Art Centre to her involvement in the Voice of Women and her advocacy of women’s reproductive rights – and the institution that started it all. A must-read for those interested in the history of art and feminism in the province.

Exploring the contradictions and consequences inherent in the relocation of people in rural and urban areas, Moved by the State: Forced Relocation and Making a Good Life in Postwar Canada (UBC Press, May 2019) asks the tough questions about displacement of vulnerable peoples. Author and UBC professor of history Tina Loo interrogates the assumed notion that the actions of the state are always for the good of the people.

This spring, find a brewery with an outside space, order a flight of local craft beer, and dig into Island Craft: Your Guide to the Breweries of Vancouver Island (TouchWood Editions, May 2019). It’s your guide to planning the ultimate island road trip, complete with nearly 40 breweries between Victoria (the province’s craft beer capital) and Campbell River. John Stott, fellow hophead and craft beer enthusiast, leads us on a journey chronicling the history, relationships between brewers, and tasting notes of the ever-growing craft beer community on the island. This is more than just a beer tour – this is a fundamental text for anyone interested in the burgeoning local beer industry.

Thaw your frosty winter heart with this wry and humorous collection of poetry from Dina Del Bucchia. It’s a Big Deal! (Talonbooks, April 2019) is a meditation on what’s cool, what’s trending, and what modern society values as a big deal. From the big things like death and politics to the small things like avocado toast and a perfect Instagram post, Dina looks at our interpretations of this modern life – and is really funny about it.

Bouncing between childhood and early adulthood, Marie-Sissi LaBréche’s auto-fictional novel Borderline (Anvil Press, June 2019, translated from the French by Melissa Bull) explores a young girl’s experience of growing up in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve neighbourhood of Montreal. A stern grandmother and schizophrenic mother contribute to the incubation of a young rebellious Sissi, the story’s protagonist. Her childhood trauma and the difficulties of living an adult life amidst mental health issues and despair begins to unspool when she attends writing classes. The result is a raw and lyrical story of a life lived unflinchingly.

Spring may be hiking season, but this year we’re looking for more ways to explore the outdoors. Bikepacking in the Canadian Rockies (RMB | Rocky Mountain Books, May 2019) will inspire both intermediate and beginner bikers to explore the Rockies on two wheels. Before his untimely death from cancer, author and biking enthusiast Ryan Correy trekked through several national parks in the Rockies to complete this comprehensive guidebook. Start where Correy left off and reinvigorate your capacity for curiosity.

For the fan of true crime stories, look no further than The Bulldog and the Helix: DNA and the Pursuit of Justice in a Frontier Town (Heritage House Publishing, May 2019). Tracing the painful past of a town rocked by the murder of two girls – 12-year-old Carolyn Lee in 1977, and 11-year-old Jessica States in 1996 – The Bulldog is a portrait of the dedicated work of the Alberni Valley Times’ reporter Shayne Morrow and the advances in DNA technology, which ultimately lead to the conviction of the girls’ killers.

A candid and touching memoir of identity discovery, This One Looks Like a Boy: My Gender Journey to Life as a Man (Greystone, March 2019), follows the story of Lorimer Shenher’s journey from childhood gender dysphoria to his acceptance of himself as a trans man. A personal examination of the difficulties of getting from point A to point B – including a childhood in Calgary, his struggles with alcohol, and his work as a detective on the Robert Pickton serial murder case – Shenher never shies away from being honest about one of his life’s most important decisions.