My favourite book of the summer so far has been The Power of Regret: How Looking Backward Moves Us Forward by Daniel H. Pink. We often use phrases like #NoRegrets in our society, without actually considering that regret may have a positive flipside if we think about it differently. This book looks at the most common types of regret experienced by people around the world (the one that stood out to me is that people most often regret not taking a bold path when one was presented to them). Ultimately, if we take what we consider to be ‘regret’ and reframe it, it can be a powerful growth tool for all of us. I also love this book because it shows how much we have in common in our global community when it comes down to the fundamentals of being.

- Meaghon Reid

I love to read books, but this year it's been hard to get through a physical copy and I've relished the moments I've had to absorb audiobooks. One that has sparked a lot of sincere contemplation was Ruby Hamad's White Tears/Brown Scars. The investigation of gender and race provokes important self-reflections and challenges our willingness to listen to the bold thinking that's presented.

- Jaclyn Silbernagel 

Nickel and Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America is a peek at what life is like for those working in low wage jobs in America. Barbara Ehrenreich wanted to write about the working class in America and decided “to do the old –fashioned kind of journalism, where you go out there and try it for yourself.”  After careful consideration and encouragement from friends and family Barbara decides to temporarily live a low-income life, to see for herself, if a person could make ends meet on minimum wage alone without government assistance. In her book, Barbara earns $6 to $7 an hour for all of her jobs in 2001, in 2022 the federal minimum wage remains at $7.25. All around, Nickel and Dimed is a must read! Thought provoking, funny, and terrifyingly relevant 21 years later.

- Lee Steven

It’s my personal goal to convert as many people into Libby users as possible. Punch in your Calgary Public Library card info, and you’ll get access to over 100,000 epubs and 30,000 audiobooks. Last week, my hold on Rehearsals for Living by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson came through. The book captures a correspondence between Maynard (well-known for her writing on anti-racism, policing and the justice system) and Simpson, who writes extensively about Indigenous resistance. In their back and forth, they weave personal experiences with historic context and an analysis of systemic oppression in a powerful way. 

- Sarelle Azuelos

I came across an article last week talking about The Polished Hoe. By Canadian author Austin Clarke, the novel follows the murder confession of Mary Mathilda, who claims to have killed the plantation owner for whom she has worked for more than 30 years — and whose mistress she has been for most of that time. Set in the West Indies in the ’50s it takes place over 24 hours and spans the lifetime of its central character. A special 20th anniversary edition is being released in September, but I was able to get my hands on a copy for my next read!

- Ameera Shivji

The title, Call Me Indian intrigued me from the start, but the image on the cover solidified my interest in this book. The image of Fred Saskamoose in a Chicago Blackhawks jersey is inspiring for young Indigenous athletes, but the lower image of boys at Residential School is a reminder that Fred Saskamoose had overcome great systemic barriers to become the first First Nations person to play in the NHL. I have yet to complete reading the book, but the pages I have read made me feel all emotions from anger to pride. 

- Buddie Dixon

This summer, I’m most excited to read A History of My Brief Body by Billy-Ray Belcourt. This book came out in 2020, but I was lucky enough to recently find a copy at a used bookstore. This memoir is structured as a collection of essays that begins with a letter to Belcourt’s kokum. Belcourt is an award-winning writer and academic from the Driftpile Cree First Nation whose work reflects on gender, sexuality, colonial violence, grief, longing, love, and joy. I saw him perform at a poetry show several years ago and walked away with a signed copy of his excellent debut work, This Wound is a World.

- Tessa Penich