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Mental Health Month

Featured Top Picks • May 17, 2022 • Ryann Anderson

It’s Mental Health Awareness Month—an annual opportunity to speak up about the hardships and stigmas of mental health challenges. Mental health affects us all, and this year we are amplifying this message: “Together for Mental Health.”

We’ve curated a selection of BC-published books that highlight the challenges facing those who struggle with mental health and celebrate the victories of the community. 

If you are struggling and live in BC, support is available. Call 8-1-1 any time, or visit HealthLink BC for more services. 


Cover of "Noonday Dark"

Noonday Dark by Charles Demers (Douglas & McIntyre)

A follow up to Charles Demers’ acclaimed mystery novel, Primary Obsessions, this second volume in the Dr. Annick Boudreau Mystery Series uses gritty humour and an edgy protagonist to create a detective novel like none other. Nathan Ripley writes: “Demers writes sharp, witty dialogue and delivers a nuanced portrayal of the stigmatization of mental illness in collision with crime.” 

Releasing June 4, 2022!

 
Cover of "Olivia Wrapped in Vines"

Olivia Wrapped in Vines by Maude Nepveu-Villeneuve, translated by Charles Simard and illustrated by Sandra Dumais (Orca Book Publishers)

Originally published in French as Simone sous les ronces, this charming picture book was the winner of the 2020 Prix des libraires du Québec in the youth category. Perfect for introducing children to the idea of “big feelings” and anxiety through a relatable and accessible story.

 
Cover of "Calm"

Calm by Dr. Jillian Roberts (Orca Book Publishers)

From the publisher: Dr. Roberts is a child psychologist, professor and author who is a regular contributor to HuffPost, Global News, and the CBC. This book offers a gentle reminder for adults that keeping themselves calm is important in order to bring an upset child into a state of calm with them. 

 
Cover of "In the Blood"

In the Blood by Alan Hill (Caitlin Press)

A powerful autobiographical debut from poet Alan Hill. This deeply revealing collection of poems offers a nuanced portrait of two brothers, who spend their lives in and out of institutions. Hill reveals the ways that bonds can be both forged and broken by mental health struggles and crises.

 
Cover of "Going to Ground"

Going to Ground: Essays on Aging, Chronic Pain and the Healing Power of Nature by Luanne Armstrong (Caitlin Press)

A deeply personal collection of essays that explores the relationship between chronic pain, and mental health. The essays are reflective and grounded in nature, using philosophy to probe themes of aging and family, and the idea to “never trust anyone over 30.”

 
Cover of "Broken Circle"

Broken Circle: The Dark Legacy of Indian Residential Schools—Commemorative Edition by Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine (Heritage House)

Theodore Niizhotay Fontaine (1941–2021) was a member and former chief of the Sagkeeng First Nation in Manitoba. He attended the Fort Alexander and Assiniboia Indian Residential Schools from 1948 to 1960 and was an advocate for reconciliation and for those suffering from PTSD. This new, commemorative edition of Broken Circle is a powerful memoir of survival and healing.

Releasing May 17, 2022!

 
Cover of "Dancing is the Best Medicine"

Dancing is the Best Medicine: The Science of How Moving to a Beat Is Good for Body, Brain, and Soul by Julia F. Christensen and Dong-Seon Chang, translated by Katharina Rout (Greystone Books)

Learn more about the proven mental and physical benefits of dancing in this fun and quirky science book, written by a pair of neuroscientists. You’ll also learn the history of dance and its role in physical and mental health treatment throughout the years. 

 
Cover of "This Has Always Been a War"

This Has Always Been a War: The Radicalization of a Working-Class Queer by Lori Fox (Arsenal Pulp Press)

A powerful non-fiction read that explores the intersection of poverty and mental health. Written by prolific essayist whose work has previously appeared in The Globe and Mail, VICE World News, and The Guardian, this collection offers a personal critique of capitalist patriarchy as seen through the eyes of a queer radical.

 
Cover of "The Acid Room"

The Acid Room: The Psychedelic Trials and Tribulations of Hollywood Hospital by Jesse Donaldson and Erika Dyck (Anvil Press)

A history of psychedelic psychiatry in New Westminster’s Hollywood Hospital from 1957 and 1968. 

John Moore of BC Bookworld has said of the book that “in this concise entertaining history of New Westminster’s long-demolished Hollywood Hospital, Jesse Donaldson and Erika Dyck take a trip back in time that sets the record straight on what was clearly a lost opportunity for psychiatric medicine.”