Some of the most thrilling stories are in books about survival, offering insight into the will to live. However, survival stories aren’t always about life and death — stories can also involve characters attempting to remove themselves from obstacles toward a better life away from trauma. Although some stories may be tragic, readers can appreciate […]
Book bans and challenges have been around for a long time, and the first time I encountered it was when I was a teenager. The Harry Potter series was all the rage, and I had recommended it to my friend. My friend mentioned that they were not allowed to read the series because of the […]
In honour of Asian Heritage Month, we’re highlighting Asian writers of speculative fiction with a focus on stories featuring Asian characters. Staff in the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation and Fantasy selected the following books from a wide range of sub-genres within speculative fiction. These titles were published in 2022 by Asian authors around […]
May 5 every year is the National Day of Awareness of Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls and Two-Spirit People (MMIWG2S) in Canada. Also known as Red Dress Day. On this day in a typical year, you might notice some red dresses hanging near a church, on campus, or from someone’s balcony, and you […]
Happy spring everyone! As the days get longer and the weather gets warmer, one of my favourite things to do on a sunny spring day is to read a book under the shade of a tree. So refreshing! This season, we're adding more titles to our collections. Here are just a few of the many […]
Life at age 65 is full of possibilities! It's a time to pursue dreams and hobbies, travel, connect with family and friends and, of course, claim senior discounts and pensions. As the saying goes, "Age isn’t a number, it’s an attitude." Many of the title recommendations for our category "a book about a person over […]
For me, this is one of the easier categories to cross off for the Reading Challenge. I love reading books about other places, especially cities and countries on my travel wish list. The books could be travelogues or memoirs about living somewhere, but they could also be novels or short stories that help me learn […]
2SLGBTQ+ people have always existed in every part of human life, in every part of the world. Our communities are diverse, and it's important to uplift voices from all backgrounds and experiences. This Reading Challenge category highlights 2SLGBTQ+ identities and how they often intersect with other marginalized groups, such as race, religion, nationality and dis/ability. […]
To quote Whitney Houston out of context, the children are our future, or in this case, young authors. Young authors bring an immediate and fresh voice to their work. And in terms of social issues, young people’s voices are vital as they draw attention to new perspectives that affect us all but perhaps have a […]
I’m not much of a sports fan, but I will unashamedly jump on the bandwagon if the city’s team is in the finals (2019, anyone?). Although I may not watch any live sports, I do appreciate the stories that are based on it. What was the player feeling during their last game before retirement? How […]