Looking for something to read this B.C. Day? Here are 10 suggestions from the NewsRadio Bookshelf to help you out.
Untold Tales of Old British Columbia
Historian Daniel Marshall feels B.C.’s place in the Canadian story is often given short shrift in the written record but especially in the way it is taught. His latest book, Untold Tales of Old British Columbia, in its own small way, tries to set that record straight.
Michael Kluckner has been writing about Vancouver and its vanishing heritage for 40 years. His latest book, Surviving Vancouver, continues that work. Like many of his previous titles, it is both a richly illustrated remembrance of things past and an incisive warning for the future.
The Sunshine Coast: From Gibsons to Powell River, Third Edition
It’s not an island but you have to take a ferry to get there. B.C.’s Sunshine Coast — a 160-kilometre stretch of waterfront from Howe Sound to Desolation Sound — is renowned for its laid-back lifestyle and spectacular views. But Howard White, author of The Sunshine Coast: From Gibsons to Powell River, says it’s more than just a pretty face.
Traitor By Default: The Trials of Kanao Inouye, The Kamloops Kid
Kanao Inouye is one of only two Canadians ever to face prosecution for war crimes. In Traitor By Default, author Patrick Broke looks at the strange, little-known case of the B.C.-born war criminal nicknamed “The Kamloops Kid” and “Slap Happy Joe” by Canadian POWs.
Out of Darkness: Rumana Monzur’s Journey Through Betrayal, Tyranny, and Abuse
Rumana Monzur likes to say she lost her sight but gained her vision. In 2011, the Vancouver woman made headlines around the world when, on a return trip to Bangladesh, she was left blinded by a vicious attack by her then-husband. Today, she is the subject of Out of Darkness, a powerful new biography by author Denise Chong.
Pictures on the Wall: Building a Canadian Art Collection
Michael Audain is best known as the founder and chairman of Polygon and for the art gallery in Whistler that bears his name. In Pictures on the Wall, he explains how, over seven decades, he amassed a distinguished and diverse collection of Canadian and international art.
No Means No: From Obscurity to Oblivion
From 1979 until their break up in 2016, No Means No did things their own way, commercial success be damned. Now, the story of the legendary B.C. punk rockers is being told in a new book, No Means No: From Obscurity to Oblivion, by Jason Lamb with Paul Prescott.
Races: The Trials and Triumphs of Canada’s Fastest Family
If you live on the North Shore, there is no doubt you have heard of Harry Jerome, the legendary North Vancouver-raised Olympic sprinter. What isn’t as well known is the racism he and his family endured. Races, written by Harry’s sister Valerie Jerome, may change that.
Terry & Me: The Inside Story of Terry Fox’s Marathon of Hope
Every year, on the second Sunday after Labour Day, Terry Fox runs are held in cities across Canada, including in his adopted hometown of Port Coquitlam, B.C. In Terry & Me, former publicist Bill Vigars offers a fresh perspective on the man who tried to run from coast to coast on one leg to raise money for cancer research.
East Side Story: Growing Up at the PNE
Calgary has the Stampede, Edmonton has K-Days, in Toronto it’s the Ex. In Vancouver, the yearly summer celebration is known simply as the PNE. And few know it better than Vancouver-based writer, comedian, and elementary school teacher Nick Marino, author of East Side Story.