I wanted to list a few of my favourites (books I recommend to others) in case you need something to snuggle up with by the fire this winter (or if you, like me, received copious amounts of Chapters gift cards for Christmas). These are in no particular order.
1. What We All Long For by Dionne Brand
This book is about a group of second generation immigrants (or is it first? I can never remember which - but they were born here in Canada) navigating their way through the Canadian (Torontonian) landscape with one foot in their respective immigrant cultures. I didn't know what to expect from this novel (as Brand is traditionally celebrated for her poetry and I like poetry as I like a punch in the face), but this novel was really well written and really satisfying.
2. The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill
This book is haunting. The first chapters were a beast to get through, but the story was amazing. I have always been drawn to books depicting the struggles of slavery, and this book was so well done. It really brought to life, while maintaining accuracy, the entire cycle of the American slavery legacy. If you can stomach the (historically accurate) brutality, this book will deliver.
3. Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel
This novel is one of my favourites of all time. I have read all of Ravel's work, and think she is an amazing author. Most of her novels take place amidst the Palestinian/Isreali conflict, but rather let that serve as a backdrop or support to her beautiful stories. This novel is a moving love story that saw me sobbing alone in my dorm room during my undergrad. I have read it a number of times since, and still found it just as good.
4. The Dead Don't Dance by Charles Martin
This book is arguably my favourite book by a male author. The way Martin writes the emotional scenes in this book is breathtaking. I am not one for sappy, drawn-out love stories, so expecting that going into this book, I was pleasantly surprised. If you like novels with solid character development and moving scenes, this is one for you.
