Use this page to scan recent stories from 49thshelf, see the themes that keep appearing, and jump into complete story briefs.
I’m sitting in a coffee shop, drinking a pumpkin-spice-Zeitgeist matcha latte, when without warning my head splits open and a novel bursts forth and displaces the Weltschmerz-and-bacon-ketchup muffin on the table before me. And so my new novel, The Comedian’s Book of the Dead is born, fully formed and without the aid o
Children’s books can reveal the wonder of our world just as we’re beginning to understand it. They show what our reality—and by extension we—might become, often without the limits imposed by that reality. It’s what makes them so much fun to read. Adventure books in particular encourage children to think about how they
Our Children's Librarian columnist, Julie Booker, brings us a new view from the stacks every month. * It’s Okay, Just Ask , by Monique Leonardo Carlos, illustrated by Salini Perera , is the story of firsts as a new Canadian, including a first day at school. We follow a boy packing up his old home, taking a plane to Can
In his novel The Strange One , which I read as a teenager, Fred Bodsworth wove together the stories of a naturalist and a barnacle goose. Alternating point-of-view novels have fascinated me ever since, both reading them and writing them. More recently, from Ian Williams’s What I Mean to Say , I’ve carried the idea that
Since 1969, University of Alberta Press has been publishing with purpose while connecting ideas, research, and stories with readers in Canada and around the world. As a non-profit scholarly publisher, the Press brings together authors, scholars, knowledge-holders, and communities to publish thoughtful and engaging work
When I was fourteen, Grandpa Charlie began to tell me the stories of our ancestors. I was the curious one and, one day, sitting in front of two abandoned long houses on the Pacheedaht reservation in Port Renfrew BC, Grandpa told me, “You’re the only one of my children who asked about us.” When I was home from the Port
When people ask about my latest book, Saudade , I will start by saying it is a book about death and grief, and it has stories within stories. Death is a main character, I’ll add. But it’s not a dark book. More a love story than anything. Well, dark too, but with funny bits. When a writer finishes publishing a book—afte
While I worked on my debut novel, Welcome to Sunny Town , about a group of dysfunctional expats living in Japan, I was constantly on the hunt for books about travel, impermanence, and in-between mindsets. I was drawn to characters who felt out of place, who were crossing borders to escape heartache, who were reinventin
Our Children's Librarian columnist, Julie Booker, brings us a new view from the stacks every month. * Humour abounds in You’re in Good Paws , by Maureen Fergus , when the human boy, Leo, visits the hospital for a tonsillectomy, but it’s full of animals—both patients and staff! The waiting room includes a cat with its h
The Queen of Florida is a wickedly entertaining romp featuring retired widow June who delves into the deep underbelly of paradise—Boca—to get everything she knows she deserves. In this list, Jeff Bercuson shares his favourite crime novels, plus one bonus. ***** The New York Times Book Review called him “a major America
It's easy to feel helpless and hopeless in these increasingly complex and uncertain times. But thankfully, I read books. And I find that flipping through the pages of a story is one of the easiest, most beautiful and nourishing antidotes to despair. In an age when we are bombarded with AI-generated content and when the
First Day Jitters are no joke! For students AND teachers, walking into class during the first weeks of a new school year can be nerve-wracking. How can books help? Reading together can contribute to a kinder and more collaborative classroom. Choosing which books to start the year with can feel like a big decision. Here
Open the app view when you want faster scanning, saved stories, and source-focused reading in one place.