I remember the first time I heard the term “critical race theory.” It wasn’t clear in that first exposure what it meant and whether it was bad or good, the only thing I took away from it was that there were a lot of people who seemed very upset by it, and I didn’t
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE 1619 PROJECT – NIKOLE HANNAH-JONES
I’ve been eagerly looking forward to this book since I first found out about it. It’s an expansion of an award-winning article published in The New York Times in 2019 to commemorate 400 years since the first ship carrying African slaves landed in America. It was a sensation, bringing a history not often taught
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME – TA-NEHISI COATES
This book is short but will turn your worldview on its head, shake it up and set it decisively to rights. It follows in the tradition of James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time, a book so short but with such power that it is still one of the most important books on race in
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THIS BOOK IS ANTIRACIST – TIFFANY JEWELL
This Book is Anti-Racist is a graphic non-fiction book for young readers that covers the basics of racism – history, terminology, identities, and how to deal with and address it. I picked it up mostly because I liked the graphic style and have been looking for books on the topic for any age, as I
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WOMEN’S HISTORY MONTH + INT’L WOMEN’S DAY | BOOKS ON FEMINISM & EXPERIENCES OF WOMANHOOD
We are now in Women’s History month, and today is International Women’s Day, one of my favourite celebrations of the year. I think it’s so important for women – and men – to understand the ways sexism still affects all of us. From employment opportunities to salaries, domestic violence, childcare, medical attention, poverty –
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NON-FICTION NOVEMBER 2019 | TBR AND RECOMMENDATIONS
I’m very excited because tomorrow marks the beginning of one of my favourite themed reading months of the year – Non-Fiction November hosted by Olive from ABookOlive. The behind the monthly event is simple: read more non-fiction than you usually do. If you never read it, read one non-fiction book. If you normally
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | NATIVES – AKALA
About once every five years I pick up a non-fiction book that leaves me speechless in wonder. I’ve been lucky this year, because I’ve had a few of these – some memoir, some topical. This book, however, is arguably the most deeply impactful book I have read or expect to read for a decade
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | GIRL, WOMAN, OTHER – BERNARDINE EVARISTO
I was intimidated going into this book. It’s long, and it’s written in an experimental style of verse that doesn’t include periods or capitals. I was nervous I’d be unable to find my feet and that it would prove too difficult for me to get into. Not so. It took about 50 pages, but
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CANADA READS REVIEW | FORGIVENESS – MARK SAKAMOTO
This is the true story of Mark Sakamoto’s grandparents’ experiences during WWII and how those experiences shaped their lives – but also how they chose to take back control in spite of them. The first section of the book alternates between two stories. His maternal grandfather’s experiences as a young soldier sent to Hong
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE GUERNSEY LITERARY AND POTATO PEEL PIE SOCIETY – MARY ANN SHAFFER & ANNIE BARROWS
I’ve had this book sitting on my shelf for… I don’t even know how long, but definitely years. And it’s not like I didn’t know it would be good. I’d been told. Several times, and by a few different people whose opinions of books I trust. So I have no idea why I waited so
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THE SUNDAY REVIEW | THE GOLD EATERS – RONALD WRIGHT
Ronald Wright’s newest book is a brilliant and epic work of historical fiction set in 16th century Peru. It begins with a young Peruvian boy called Waman. Waman lives in a small fishing village on the coast with his parents and cousin, Tika. At the cusp of manhood, Waman is itching to experience the
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BOOK REVIEW | COMPACTS AND COSMETICS: BEAUTY FROM VICTORIAN TIMES TO THE PRESENT DAY – MADELEINE MARSH
Back in the day (i.e. about 5 years ago) I took some Women’s Studies courses in college. One of the main things I learned that stuck with me was that the worse things are for society in general, the better they are for the relative status of women in that society. For example, during
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BOOK REVIEW | WHAT IS AMERICA?: A SHORT HISTORY OF THE NEW WORLD ORDER – RONALD WRIGHT
What is America: A Short History of the New World Order is Ronald Wright’s third historical text, following in the footsteps of Stolen Continents, a historical account of the conquest of the Americas and A Short History of Progress, the book based on Wright’s 2005 Massey Lectures series. Both of these texts have been
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BOOK REVIEW | THE DEVIL IN THE WHITE CITY: MURDER, MAGIC, AND MADNESS AT THE FAIR THAT CHANGED AMERICA – ERIK LARSON
I was on my way home from Chicago a few years ago and had a stop over in Sea-Tac. With time to kill, I wandered into one of the only open stores and started browsing through the books and magazines on display. For some reason I picked up this book and impulsively bought it.
