Book Recommendations
Find Your Next Great Read
Welcome to our Book Recommendations page! One of our valued partners in the community is the Bruce County Library– with branches in all three towns, they are a wonderful asset to the municipality and have numerous programs for youth that we love to promote. On this page you’ll find book recommendations from our most avid readers on the council and team! All of the books listed here can be found at the Bruce County Library through the buttons attached.
Claire Recommends
The Story of Art Without Men
By Katy Hessel
The story of art as it’s never been told before, from the Renaissance to the present day, with more than 300 works of art. How many women artists do you know? Who makes art history? Did women even work as artists before the twentieth century? And what is the Baroque anyway? Guided by Katy Hessel, art historian and founder of @thegreatwomenartists. discover the glittering paintings by Sofonisba Anguissola of the Renaissance, the radical work of Harriet Powers in the nineteenth-century United States and the artist who really invented the “readymade.” Explore the Dutch Golden Age, the astonishing work of postwar artists in Latin America, and the women-defining art in the 2020s. Have your sense of art history overturned and your eyes opened to many art forms often ignored or dismissed. From the Cornish coast to Manhattan, Nigeria to Japan, this is the history of art as it’s never been told before
Nobody Cries at Bingo
By Dawn Dumont
In Nobody Cries At Bingo, the narrator, Dawn, invites the reader to witness firsthand Dumont's family life on the Okanese First Nation. Beyond the stereotypes and clichés of Rez dogs, drinking, and bingos, the story of a girl who loved to read begins to unfold. It is her hopes, dreams, and indomitable humour that lay bear the beauty and love within her family. It is her unerring eye that reveals the great bond of family expressed in the actions and affections of her sisters, aunties, uncles, brothers, cousins, nieces, nephews, and ultimately her ancestors.
Jaira Recommends
Freak The Mighty
By Rodman Philbrick
This book shows a lot of valuable perspectives. Freak The Mighty is about two boys named Max - who is the brawn - and Kevin - who is the brain. This book travels through their adventures in a goofy and lighthearted way.
Black Bird of the Gallows
By Meg Kassel
Another book I recommend is Black Bird of the Gallows. It's the first fantasy book that I didn't get bored of when I read it. It has a little bit of romance but is also an enjoyable fantasy.
Sam Recommends
Turtles All The Way Down
By John Green
I really enjoyed reading Turtles All the Way Down by John Green. It is written in first person from the perspective of a 16-year-old girl named Aza. I really like this book because it gives insight into Aza's thoughts as she struggles with anxiety and OCD. The book follows Aza and her best friend Daisy as they try to uncover the mystery of the missing billionaire in their town in hopes of getting a $100,000 reward.
The Seven Husbands Of Evelyn Hugo
By Taylor Jenkin Reid
I really like is The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. In this book, a now 79-year-old Hollywood star, Evelyn Hugo tells the story of her life, leaving out no details, to an aspiring journalist named Monique. This book is full of twists and surprises, and the plot twist at the end really brings the book together.
Ezra Recommends
Seven Empty Houses
By Samanta Schweblin
This book looks at seven different storylines. Each character faces a different inner dilemma; some chapters with more attention than others, but they are all thoughtful and every word as powerful as the last.
Milk and Honey
By Rupi Kaur
Rupi Kaur shares her story of hurting, loving, breaking, and healing through her poetry. Is some of the most beautiful writing I've ever read.
Explicit content
The Black Friend
By Fredrick Joseph
Fred Joseph shares his experiences growing up as a black kid in the US. The book covers systematic racism, white saviours, white privilege, and growing up as a black person surrounded by general racism. This book is really great because it serves as a conversation starter toolkit essentially.
Leigha and Alex Recommend
The Longest Ride
By Nicolas Sparks
Sophia Danko is one of the main characters... in college living with her roommates they decide to go to a rodeo (For a fun evening out) there she ends up meeting a Rodeo star, Luke Collins. One evening the two are driving home from an evening out and notice a vehicle in the ditch. In the vehicle, they find an elderly man named Ira Levinston. Ira is suffering from the loss of his beloved wife Ruth. This evening is only where their story begins…
The Absolute True Diary of a Part-Time Indian
By Sherman Alexie
I like this book because it is humorous and easy to read. It also incorporates an abundance of varying themes and messages that were important for me to recognize, as well as learn, as I read this book multiple times throughout my adolescent life. This book is a great read for youth and adults alike with new things to learn every time you pick it up. Highlighted themes in this book are censorship and the historic trauma of the Spokane Indians. Both themes can be expanded and applied to the current and past treatment of Indigenous peoples within Canada.
Sandra Recommends
Pride and Prejudice
By Jane Austen
Or any novel by Jane Austen, for that matter…) I love the wonderfully drawn female characters in Jane Austen's novels. Despite a restrictive patriarchal culture, Austen’s women are strong, independent, brave, and resolute. They are also imperfect, and willing to learn and grow. In Pride and Prejudice, Elizabeth Bennet is funny, smart, and bold. Her exchanges with the proud Mr. Darcy are deliciously sarcastic and yet perceptive. Despite her love for her family, she did not give up her individuality to do her parents’ wishes. Refusing to get married unless for love in the 1800s required a lot of courage and independence. Again, another female character from whom I draw inspiration! Here’s a suggestion, one that I found very satisfying, borrow an audiobook and listen to Austen’s novels. I particularly recommend this if you find Austen’s writing inaccessible, due to the fact her novels were written over 200 years ago.
Cloud Cuckoo Land
By Anthony Doerr
There are several stories being told that you need to keep track of - one set in fifteenth-century Constantinople, one in present-day Idaho, and one set on a twenty-second-century starship. An ancient Greek ‘codex’ (the historical ancestor to the modern book) links the characters together. But how? That’s what keeps you turning the pages. Initially, I found it frustrating at times to keep track of Anna, Omeir, Seymour, Zeno, and Konstance, and almost quit reading. But as the story unfolded it became easier to follow these characters and their compelling stories. It was exciting to see the puzzle pieces fall into place, finally drawing together these characters spanning over eight centuries. Cloud Cuckoo Land carries a strong message concerning war, and climate change, and is ultimately an homage to books, to resilience, and to hope.
Allan Recommends
Poetry
By Mary Oliver
Any poetry by Mary Oliver. In the Bruce County Library, the poetry books available are A Thousand Mornings and Felicity. Oliver’s poetry is insightful and inspiring.
Message in a Bottle
By Nicholas Sparks
A great romantic novel about different relationships.
The Gifts of Imperfection
By Brene Brown
Non-fiction. Great book for personal growth and developing self-awareness.
Fianna Recommends
An Absolutely Remarkable Thing
By Hank Green
I like this book because of the easy, humorous narration of the main character alongside insight about heavier topics. The main character is a bisexual woman which provides awesome,much-needed representation. Hank Green does a wonderful job tying real issues surrounding media coverage, the toxicity of public attention and the realistic reactions of a young person together into a riveting experience. The book follows April May, her girlfriend Maya and best friend Andy as they come into the public eye after discovering a towering monolith seemingly sent by aliens. Crazy adventures, bizarre occurrences and real human connections ensue. I couldn’t put it down, and I’m sure I’ll be rereading it soon! The sequel, A Beautifully Foolish Endeavour, is also out if you enjoyed the first.
*Content includes violence, death, mild homophobia*
Six of Crows
by Leigh Bardugo
Six of Crows is a YA Fantasy following six characters on a magical heist-- need I say more? Kaz Brekker, the notorious thief and lockpicking prodigy, gathers a ragtag band of convicts, criminals, and runaways to pull off the impossible. Personally, I recommend reading the “Shadow and Bone” trilogy prior to this book, but the worldbuilding is perfect and the stories are disconnected enough that it is not necessary.