Every year, all of us at Read Local BC delight in bringing you the best that the BC publishing world has to offer. With so much amazing talent to choose from in our province, it is no easy task to highlight what is “best.” Nevertheless, in true end-of-the-year spirit, we’re counting down our favourite posts of the year, featuring some of our most popular and unique topics from the blog—each highlighting 2020’s best of the best in BC publishing.
9. Hot off the Press Titles for Weekend Reads
Sometimes you know exactly what kind of narrative you want to read, but with thousands of books and descriptions to wade through, it can be daunting to discover just the right book to scratch that nagging literary itch. Never fear! We’ve got you covered for all your weekend reading needs. Whether you want a touching story of human ingenuity or a dose of poetry for the soul, this post has a little something for everyone to fill the long winter evenings.
8. Iron Dog Books: A Permanent Parking Spot for a Mobile Book Community
Iron Dog Books’s tidy little red truck is iconic in the BC booksellers landscape, combining the nostalgic thrill of the cozy bookstore experience with the mobility to reach people and communities all across the Lower Mainland. The opening of Iron Dog’s new brick and mortar store just over a year ago was therefore full of fanfare, both for people familiar with the mobile bookstore, and for those thrilled to finally have a bookstore in their neighbourhood! This fantastic interview with owner Hilary Atleo explains how Iron Dog Books came to be, and what the future has in store.
The world around us remains in constant flux, with new social movements bringing greater awareness to social issues and justice for marginalized groups. It’s only natural for older generations to want to raise children who are able to navigate these complex social issues with compassion and understanding, but it can be hard to broach what are traditionally difficult and mature topics with young children. Fortunately, these age-appropriate children’s books create the perfect foundation.
When speaking of the Lower Mainland, a lot of the smaller cities tend to get lumped together under that single moniker used to describe the relatively small geographical area of Metro Vancouver. But this reduces the historic and current diversity of the suburbs. This article highlights the uniqueness of Vancouver’s numerous, distinct surrounding cities in poetry, photography, and histories.
5. Explore with BC Books on BC Ferries
Few other experiences capture the nostalgia of childhood summers in BC more than taking a trip on a ferry. From the thrill of standing on deck with the wind rushing against your face to grabbing an early breakfast at the underdeck cafe, BC Ferries are part of the British Columbian way of life. And of course, book lovers know exactly where to go to browse or snag a local book or three: Passages Gift Shop. With a section dedicated to just local reads, we have to say that we’re big fans as well. This post highlights some local books which call forth the scent of the sea and the beauty of BC’s coastal landscapes.
4. to love our beautiful planet even more: An Interview with annie ross
This year we had the opportunity to run some fantastic interviews by Rob Taylor with local poets as part of our series for National Poetry Month. The interview with annie ross was by far and away an audience favourite. Here annie talks about craft, nature, inspiration, and the complicated creatures we call human beings.
3. To Make a Long Story Short
Sometimes you just want to have a quick narrative break in your day, and don’t want to be sucked into the deep recesses of a long-spanning novel. Short stories are perfect for afternoon pick-me-ups, or some quiet wind-down time in the evening. Short story collections also happen to be among some of our favourite books! This article shares some of 2020’s stellar short story collections from local authors.
2. Tips for Success During the International 3-Day Novel Contest
But what if you want to write your own stories? There are countless groups, days, and even whole months dedicated to getting a jumpstart on writing that novel. For us, we prefer the International 3-Day Novel Contest, presented by Anvil Press. While the contest runs over Labour Day, there’s no reason why these hot writing tips from local authors can’t be applied at any other time of the year. What are you waiting for? The holidays are the perfect time to pick up writing!
1. Your Reading Shouldn’t End When Indigenous History Month Does
National Indigenous History Month is naturally a great time to highlight some of British Columbia’s talented Indigenous authors and their writing. We are incredibly grateful for the increased space and reception that has opened up the publishing world to these incredible stories. However, as this article highlights, anytime is a good time to read local Indigenous authors. We celebrate Indigenous History Month in June, but these fantastic books keep us coming back for more, year-round.
It has been a truly incredible year for publishing in BC. Our to-be-read lists have once again expanded to bursting and we are looking forward to a few quiet days this holiday to catch up on some great reads. We hope that you have found a few new favourite books of your own this year, and likewise plan to spend some time snuggled up with a good book. From all of us to all of you, we’d like to wish you a safe, healthy, and happy holiday season, and a glorious New Year.
2 replies on “Countdown to 2020’s Best RLBC Posts”
Just to say, yes, if course read BC books published by our province’s stellar publishers but sometimes a good book about BC written by a BC writer is published elsewhere (my Weight of the Heart, published by Palimpsest, in Ontario, but featuring our own Ethel Wilson) and deserves mention too. (BC publishers weren’t interested in taking it.)
Thanks for the recommendation of a BC read from an independent publisher, Theresa! Read Local BC is a project of the Association of Book Publishers of BC (ABPBC), and specifically highlights books published by ABPBC members. Click here to learn more about Read Local BC and the ABPBC.