We’re feeling the love today at RLBC, and we want to share it with you readers! We’ve put together a reading list full of romances, loving friendships, self care tips, and love letters to our favourite activities. Show your love for BC’s publishers this Valentine’s day and add these titles to your TBR pile!
Romantic Dinners
The Sipster’s Pocket Guide to 50 Must-Try BC Wines: Volume 2 by Luke Whittall (Touchwood Editions)
Your go-to guide to BC wines. This fantastic volume includes a list of BC’s best wines, fun pairing activities and history on BC varieties. The perfect read to pair with your Valentine’s Day dinner.
Coming April 18, 2023!
Rhubarb: New and Classic Recipes for Sweet and Savory Dishes by Søren Staun Petersen (Touchwood Editions)
Did you know about this aphrodisiac? Rhubarb is the perfect treat to incorporate into your next date night. Bakers and home cooks alike will delight in this recipe book that includes sweet and savory recipes featuring the romantic ingredient.
Coming April 18, 2023!
Poetry and Drama
Forget-Sadness-Grass by Antony Di Nardo (Ronsdale Press)
“This is a wonderfully variegated collection, where the poet evokes the life of the daylily, meditating on its beauty, couture, and transience, making surprising and mysterious connections to our personal experiences while expressing universal truths.” —Laurence Hutchman, author of In the Writers’ Words: Conversations with Ten Canadian Poets
Out now!
The Piano Teacher by Dorothy Dittrich (Talonbooks)
Winner of the 2022 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama, The Piano Teacher follows pianist Erin and the unconditional friendship she develops with her piano teacher, Elaine. The play is written by acclaimed playwright and musical director Dorothy Dittrich.
Out now!
#postdildo by Danielle LaFrance (Talonbooks)
“At first glance I knew this was a book I wanted to get deep inside. Danielle makes poetry-love that turns on the whole body: stimulates the intellect, massages the sweet spots that enjoy complexity, titillates erogenous zones with creative eXXXperimental writing.” —Annie Sprinkle, ecosexual artist and filmmaker, co-author of Assuming the Ecosexual Position–Earth as Lover
Out now!
Emily & Elspeth by Catherine McNeil (Caitlin Press)
A moving and beautiful queer love story that follows two women and their unique paths to love, described by the publisher as “weird, wonderful, and slightly dangerous.”
Coming February 24, 2023!
For Kids
My Promise by Dr. Jillian Roberts, illustrated by Slavka Kolesar (Orca Books)
A lovely book that shows little ones they will be loved unconditionally and empowers parents and caregivers to raise well-rounded, resilient individuals. The board book is accompanied by striking illustrations from Slavka Kolesar.
Out now!
Kai’s Tea Eggs by Karina Zhou (Arsenal Pulp Press)
An important story about self love and pride. The perfect story for any young reader who, like Kai, has felt the frustration of trying to fit in before finally learning to appreciate who they are.
Coming April 11, 2023!
In the Key of Dale by Benjamin Lefebvre (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Described as the perfect read for fans of Heartstopper, In the Key of Dale follows a queer teen music prodigy’s journey to self love.
Out now!
The Girl Who Loved the Birds by Joseph Dandurand, illustrated by Elinor Atkins (Nightwood Editions)
The third picture book in a series of Kwantlen legends by award-winning author Joseph Dandurand, The Girl Who Loved Birds follows a young Kwantlen girl who feels a deep connection to the birds in her community. Eventually, her feathered friends begin to return her kindness.
Coming April 29, 2023!
Non-Fiction
Frances Barkley: Eighteenth-century Seafarer by Cathy Converse (Heritage House)
From the publisher: A rivetingly imagined re-telling of the voyages of Frances Barkley (1769–1845), who as a young woman travelled the world on a trading mission with her sea captain husband.
Coming April 4, 2023!
Remnants: Reveries of a Mountain Dweller by Natalie Lang (Caitlin Press)
A love letter to Sumas Mountain, Remnants explores our relationship with the natural world and offers a vision for a better future.
Coming February 24, 2023!