There may be only 50 days left in 2025, but there’s still time to cross the finish line and reach your reading goals this year. These BC books are lower in word count but are packed with rich prose about gripping historical accounts, the quirks of being human, and finding connection. Regardless of your reading taste, you’ll surely find a new engaging read to inhale before the year’s end.
The Broken Map Home by Konosuke Masuda, translated by Keiko Honda (Caitlin Press)
In The Broken Map Home, Konosuke Masuda recounts his journey living in Korea under 35 years of Japanese colonial rule, as translated by his granddaughter. Drafted by the Japanese Army just three months before the end of the war, Masuda joined fellow Japanese citizens on their perilous flight from North Korea toward repatriation in Japan. This short, yet powerful read is a humanizing counter-narrative account of resilience amidst global conflict that transcends boundaries and borders.
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Separated from Santo by Brian Barazzuol, illustrated by Cam Drysdale (Heritage House)
Told from the perspective of one Italian-Canadian family’s traumatic separation from their loving father during WWII, Separated from Santo, is an eye-opening graphic novel on Canada’s internment camps for Italians arrested for being an “enemy alien.” Once a refugee looking for a better life in Canada, Santo, a bakery owner, is interned for 24 months with little to no communication between him and his family. Writer Brian Barazzuol, great-grandson of Santo and his wife, Alice, depicts how the injustice impacted him and his family and highlights what it means to regain faith in humanity when yours is called into question.
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Bird Brothers, A Delhi Story by Rina Singh, illustrated by Barkha Lohia (Orca Book Publishers)
Bird Brothers depicts the powerful true story of brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammad, passionate about the majestic raptors that populate the sky in their hometown in Dehlhi. Inspired by a tragic incident where they found a black kite tangled in manja they couldn’t help, the brothers devoted their lives to becoming educated on how to mend injured birds in order to rescue and rehabilitate these special birds back into the wild.
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Sophie Shares the Stars by Heather Smith, illustrated by Catherine Petit (Orca Book Publishers)
In this stunning picture book, we meet a young girl named Sophie and her adoptive father, Michael. When Michael gets sick, square crackers and ginger ale don’t help. Sophie gives Michael the Big Dipper for his wall, and that makes him smile. Even though Michael doesn’t look sick, Sophie knows the truth. And just like he’s there for her, she’ll be there for him no matter what.
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The Wedding: A Novel by Gurjinder Basran (Douglas & McIntyre)
The Wedding follows the family drama and secrets that come to a boil when two South Asian families have to come together in the lead-up to a lavish wedding between Devi and Baby, highlighting all the ways in which an entire community reckons with identity and class. Set in Vancouver and Surrey, BC, this story interweaves themes of culture clashes and the immigrant experience, delivering a wide-ranging but intimate portrait of a vibrant, complex Sikh community.
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Hummingbird by Elaine Ávila (Talonbooks)
Hummingbird is a story about how even the smallest creatures can spark big change. When Alex jokingly picks “hummingbirds” for a school project, they don’t expect it to change their life. Their research uncovers hidden family secrets, a mysterious journal, and a link between a miniscule bird and a major pipeline protest.
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Painting Victoria by Robert Amos (Harbour Publishing)
Painting Victoria looks back at five decades of Robert Amos’ works into a vibrant love letter to the city of Victoria. Featuring works from major collections and his own archives, readers are invited to see the city’s boats, gardens, heritage buildings, and hidden corners, captured through his eyes with warmth and whimsy.
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Future Works by Jeff Derksen (Talonbooks)
Future Works explores how to live fully in the present while imagining new futures. Written over a turbulent decade, this collection is funny, angry, and deeply moving—a poetic meditation on labour, cities, nature, and the work of reimagining time itself.
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