The holiday season is here and, hopefully, along with it, comes some rest and reflection on the closing year.
We have the perfect BC reads to not only sustain you through this holiday break, but help you recharge. Looking for a cozy bedtime story to snuggle up with a young reader on a blustery day? A dessert recipe with Westcoast flavour to satisfy your holiday sweet-tooth? Adventures through the rugged coast you can journey on with your feet by the fire? Or, if you take these slower moments to turn inward, you’ll also find stories about identity, family dynamics, and personal growth. Rest, reflect, and recharge however you like, with BC reads.
Happy holiday reading from all of us at Read Local BC!
For Holiday Baking
Thyme for Dessert by DL Acken with Aurelia Louvet (Touchwood Editions)
From the publishers: Thyme for Dessert is a stunningly photographed and practically minded celebration of West Coast flavours for the sweet-toothed that is sure to delight locals and visitors alike.
Out now
For Adventuring From Your Own Home
A Festive Season on Vancouver Island by Bill Arnott (Rocky Mountain Books)
From the publishers: In A Festive Season on Vancouver Island, Bill Arnott transports readers to the enchanting holiday season on Vancouver Island, blending personal insights with the stunning landscapes of the region. From snow-capped mountains to lush forests, Arnott captures the island’s natural beauty and rich cultural history, offering an immersive experience that highlights the connection between tradition, adventure, and local charm.
Out now
The Final Spire: ‘Mystery Mountain’ Mania in the 1930s by Trevor Marc Hughes (Ronsdale Press)
From the publishers: In 1934, four mountaineers from Manitoba piled into their Plymouth and pointed its headlights west to Tatlayoko Lake in British Columbia. Their goal? To conquer B.C.’s tallest mountain.
Winner of the Sunshine Coast Writers and Editors Society Award for Non-Fiction, described by a judge as “vivid and graphic, we feel the rough granite under our hands, the frigid wind on our face, the ice crunching beneath our feet.”
Out now
Raincoast Chronicles 25: m̓am̓aɫa Goes Fishing by Alan Haig-Brown (Harbour Publishing)
From the publishers: This 25th edition of Raincoast Chronicles intertwines Alan Haig-Brown’s experiences of his formative years as a deckhand on a We Wai Kai seiner with the historical and cultural context of BC’s commercial fishing industry.
Out now
The Cariboo Trek of Callum McBay by Colin Campbell (Tradewind Books)
From the publishers: It’s 1862 and 17-year-old Callum leaves Scotland to join the gold rush in British Colombia’s Cariboo region, hoping to save the family farm from foreclosure. Along the Harrison-Lillooet Trail, he befriends a colourful cast of fellow prospectors, and is forced to confront mortal dangers, including violent ruffians and a treacherous terrain. Callum witnesses how the onslaught of outsiders fortune-seekers and settlers alike—prove destructive to the First Nations communities and the natural environment.
Out now
Wilderness Mother: A Memoir of 13 Years off the Grid by Deanna Barnhardt Kawatski (Ronsdale Press)
From the publishers: Revised and updated 30th anniversary edition of the wilderness classic of raising a young family in the remote wilds of northern Canada.
Out now
For Turning Inwards
The Whole Beautiful World by Melissa Kuipers (Touchwood Editions)
From the publishers: Original, witty, and subtle, these stories feature characters who must navigate life in a small town, and will appeal to fans of Miriam Toews and Kathleen Winter. This collection of beautifully crafted short stories features complex characters whose internal struggles manifest in their most intimate relationships, told by a writer with a compassionate eye.
Out now
Restaurant Kid: A Memoir of Family and Belonging by Rachel Phan (Douglas & McIntyre)
From the publishers: A warm and poignant narrative about finding one’s self amidst the grind of restaurant life, the cross-generational immigrant experience, and a daughter’s attempts to connect with parents who have always been just out of reach.
Out now
Revolutions by Hajer Mirwali (Talon Books)
From the publishers: Revolutions sifts through the grains of Muslim daughterhood to reveal two metaphorical circles inextricably overlapping: shame and pleasure. In an extended conversation with Mona Hatoum’s artwork + and –, Revolutions asks how young Arab women – who live in homes and communities where actions are surveilled and categorized as 3aib or not 3aib, shameful or acceptable – make and unmake their identities.
Out now
For Storytime
That Christmas by Stéphanie Demasse-Pottier, illustrated by Lucie David (Rocky Mountain Books)
From the publishers: At long last the whole bunny clan – parents, siblings, aunts, uncles, and grandparents – are reunited in the big house for a multigenerational Christmas. While everyone else is in their beds on Christmas Eve, two mischievous little bunnies hatch a plan to be the first to wake early on Christmas Day and catch him before he leaves and share the exciting discovery with the rest of the family.
Out now
Wampanoag Seasons by Carrie Anne Vanderhoop, illustrated by Mangeshig Pawis-Steckley (Tradewind Books)
From the publishers: In Wôpanâak Seasons: Seeqan, Neepun, Keepun, Pup8n, a young Wampanoag child takes readers on a seasonal journey through Aquinnah, on Neope, known as Martha’s Vineyard. Each season showcases the rich cultural heritage of the Wampanoag people. With striking illustrations and lyrical prose, this book is about an appreciation of the land and the joy of coming together with family and community all year round.
Out now
Sally’s Snow Day by Andrew Larsen, illustrated by Dawn Lo (Orca Book Publishers)
From the publishers: In Sally’s Snow Day, Sally puts on her coat and boots for a fun snowy day at the park, where she plays with other pups and watches people create snowdogs of all shapes and sizes before she heads home for a well-deserved nap.
Out now
Lucy Tries Hockey by Lisa Bowes, illustrated by James Hearne (Orca Book Publishers)
From the publishers: Lucy and her family are skating on an outdoor rink when she sees a game of hockey going on. It looks like fun, but maybe too challenging. Supported by her parents, Lucy enrolls in an introductory hockey clinic, and thanks to an encouraging instructor, she and her friends learn basic hockey skills, have fun on the ice and decide to add hockey to their list of favorite sports!
Out now
My Little Santa Claus by Gabrielle Vincent (Rocky Mountain Books)
From the publishers: A timeless story of kindness and giving that will captivate young readers and become a beloved holiday tradition for years to come. Now available in English for the first time, My Little Santa Claus (Mon Petit Père Noël) is a magical Christmas story by the beloved author-illustrator Gabrielle Vincent (1928–2000). This heartwarming tale is perfect for bedtime reading year-round or as a thoughtful holiday gift for young readers.
Out now
The Princess and the Pants by Carla Voyageur (Strong Nations Publishing)
From the publishers: Written as a tribute to the author’s grandmother, this beautifully illustrated story reimagines a fairy tale in a contemporary Indigenous setting. On the banks of the Gwa’yi River, a young Dzawada̱ʼenux̱w princess grows up to be a curious student, an influential leader, and a mother. She is a humble person and doesn’t speak of her royalty to her children, but when they learn she is a princess at a traditional celebration, they are in disbelief.
Out now
A Cabin Christmas by Glynnis Hood, illustrated by Ardis Cheng (Rocky Mountain Books)
From the publishers: Colourful and lively illustrations draw you into a touching tale about how a community of all shapes and sizes comes together, just in time for Christmas.
Out now