2021 in Books
Free books at the bottom of this article!
With 2021 behind us, below are my favourite books I read this last year, with some honourable mentions and specific picks down below.
In no particular order, my favourite 9:
We Came We Saw We Left: A Family Gap Year — Charles?Wheelan
If you were like me, you had at least one vacation planned before the pandemic started, and have tried countless times to see if maybe, now (or in a month? Two? Six?), it would be safe to travel again. While you’re waiting to travel, read this book. Charles Wheelan takes you on a family journey around the world on a gap year for everyone, and takes you away from today’s present realities and gets you excited to start planning your next adventure whenever it will be safe to do so.
In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts: Close Encounters with Addiction — Gabor?Maté
The War On Drugs isn’t working (if you didn’t know already). Gabor Maté, a physician who worked with patients with mental illness, HIV, and drug additions in Vancouver’s East Hastings neighbourhood, describes his patients and their backgrounds in an eyeopening book.
Fulfillment: Winning and Losing in One-Click America — Alec MacGillis
Last January I cancelled my Prime membership for a variety of reasons, and Alec MacGillis’ book served as a stark reminder about how Amazon is fighting for every dollar it can, and not just in the consumer product space but in cloud computing and video production as well.
Fight for History, The: 75 Years of Forgetting, Remembering, and Remaking Canada’s Second World War — Tim?Cook
75 years after the end of the Second World War, Canadians don’t remember, and don’t celebrate the victories and the massive contributions we made — especially for our size back then. We could use with a bit more patriotism and reminders about what we achieved and our contribution to the democratic world order.
Beginners: The joy and transformative power of lifelong learning — Tom Vanderbilt
One of my favourite books over the last few years was Tom Vanderbilt’s “Traffic”, so I was excited to read his latest book. Focusing on five main skills, he spends a year just dedicated to learning, and (re)discovers that learning is lifelong.
The Secret Life of Groceries: The Dark Miracle of the American Supermarket — Benjamin?Lorr
A behind the scenes look at what really makes all of our supermarkets tick with interviews with truckers, entrepreneurs, and others.
Surviving Autocracy — Masha?Gessen
Born in Moscow in Soviet times, Gessen understood what was happening with Trump leading up to the 2016 US Presidential elections. A staunch critic of dictator Vladimir Putin, they provide a unique perspective of where we came from, where we are headed, and how we can change it.
From the Ashes: My Story of Being Metis, Homeless, and Finding My Way — Jesse?Thistle
An incredible story from someone who has endured so much trauma and difficulty in his life, yet battled against everything and is now an assistant professor at York University.
New York, New York, New York: Four Decades of Success, Excess, and Transformation — Thomas?Dyja
There’s truly no place in the world quite like NYC, and this book gives a great history of the city in recent years. I couldn’t help but find the book not only helpful to understand New York over the last few decades, but the United States as a whole as well.
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Honourable Mentions and Specific?Picks:
Soft City: Building Density for Everyday Life — David Sim, Jan?Gehl
David Sim does a great job covering urban design concepts in a visually appealing and simple way. David is an Urban Expert at Gehl, making this an excellent addition to the rest of the Gehl family library.
Salt Sugar Fat — Michael?Moss
While not a new book, having been published in 2014, it is still an excellent book and makes you rethink what you pick off the shelves at the grocery store (reminder to self: shop the perimeter, not the aisles).
Neglected No More: The Urgent Need to Improve the Lives of Canada’s Elders in the Wake of a Pandemic — Andre?Picard
From one of, if not the, most prominent health reporters in Canada comes a sobering book about how we have failed in caring for our seniors in a respectful and decent way, and how COVID only exacerbated the fact.
Women of the Pandemic: Stories from the Front Lines of COVID-19 — Lauren?McKeon
The title says it all. A book filled with impactful stories that remind us why we need to get vaccinated and wear a mask.
Lookout: Love, Solitude and Searching for Wildfire in the Boreal Forest — Trina?Moyles
A fascinating memoir about the life of a Lookout Observer who came back to Alberta after years working in humanitarian work overseas and what it was like to be isolated for such long stretches of time.
Voice In The Wild — Laurie?Sarkadi
Life in the North of Canada isn’t like the rest, and after twenty years in Yellowknife, Laurie Sarkadi puts together a great memoir.
The Cold War In Val-d’Or: A History of the Ukrainian Community in Val-d’Or, Quebec — Myron?Momryk
A very specific read, but fellow Ottawinian-Ukrainian-Canadian Myron Momryk put together a great read about the Ukrainian Community in a Northern Quebec community.
Dream Land: One girl’s struggle to find her true home — Lily?Hyde
The Soviet Union tried to destroy the spirit and culture of the Crimean Tatars, but never could. The story of a young girl who returns to her ancestral homeland with her family, who have to fight for their right to their homeland. Published in 2008, it is more relevant today than ever for both Crimean Tatars and Ukraine.
The Company: The Rise and Fall of the Hudson’s Bay Empire — Stephen?Bown
A good overview of the history of arguably the most important business enterprise in Canadian history.
Mental Health Advocate & Consultant | Leading Mental Health Initiatives
3 个月Cassian, Appreciate you sharing this!
Principal | Infrastructure Management
3 年Definitely adding some of these to my list, thanks for sharing! Was going to suggest a swap until I noticed the ebook links ??