11 Canadian books coming out in May we can't wait to read

A new month means new books! Here are 11 books coming out in May we can't wait to read.

Ghosts by David A. Robertson

Image | Ghosts by David A. Robertson

Caption: David A. Robertson is the author of the YA novel Ghosts. (HighWater Press)

Ghosts is the third book in David A. Robertson's Reckoner series following an Indigenous teen named Cole Harper, who returns home after many years away. In Ghosts, Cole is dead and time is running out for Wounded Sky First Nation as Mihko Laboratories, which manufactured an illness that once afflicted the community, has reopened its research facilities.
When you can read it: May 1, 2019

Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

Image | Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali

Caption: Love from A to Z is a YA novel by S.K. Ali. (Andrea Stenson, Simon & Schuster)

When Zayneb gets suspended for standing up to a xenophobic teacher, she's sent to her aunt's house in Doha, Qatar for an early spring break. She ends up meeting Adam, a teenager trying to hide his multiple sclerosis diagnosis from his grieving father. Love from A to Z, a YA novel, is S.K. Ali's second book, following Saints and Misfits.
When you can read it: May 7, 2019

Me, Myself, They by Joshua M. Ferguson

Image | Me Myself They by Joshua Ferguson

Caption: Me Myself They is a memoir by Joshua Ferguson. (House of Anansi Press)

In Me, Myself, They, advocate and filmmaker Joshua M. Ferguson writes about making history as the first person in Ontario to receive a non-binary birth certificate. The memoir begins in childhood and moves into adulthood as Ferguson's understanding of gender identity evolves and grows into something beyond the binary. Films by the Vancouver-based artist include Whispers of Life and Limina.
When you can read it: May 7, 2019

26 Knots by Bindu Suresh

Image | 26 Knots by Bindu Suresh

Caption: 26 Knots is a novel by Bindu Suresh. (Invisible Publishing)

26 Knots weaves a complicated love story: Araceli falls for a fellow journalist named Adrien, who is already in love with Pénélope, who can't decide between him and Gabriel, who is too traumatized by his father's abandonment to be a good partner. The book is Montreal pediatrician Bindu Suresh's debut novel.
When you can read it: May 11, 2019

A Brightness Long Ago by Guy Gavriel Kay

Image | Guy Gavriel Kay/A Brightness Long Ago

Caption: A Brightness Long Ago is a novel by Guy Gavriel Kay. (CBC)

As the son of a humble tailor, Danio Cerra rose through the ranks of society with his incredible intelligence. He's unhappily employed at the court of a count whose nickname is 'the Beast,' but fate throws him a bone in the form of Adria Ripoli, an assassin who traded her family's wealth for freedom. Guy Gavriel Kay is a bestselling sci-fi and fantasy novelist, whose work includes Tigana and Children of Earth and Sky.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

The Reality Bubble by Ziya Tong

Image | The Reality Bubble by Ziya Tong

Caption: The Reality Bubble is a nonfiction book by Ziya Tong. (Noel Fox/Penguin Random House Canada)

Science journalist Ziya Tong reminds readers that the human eye pales in comparison to what animals with infrared, ultraviolet and 360-degree vision can see. She looks into 10 of humanity's biggest blind spots, including where our food and energy comes from and where our waste goes. Tong was the anchor of the Discovery Channel's science program Daily Planet and defended By Chance Alone by Max Eisen on Canada Reads(external link) 2019.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Image | We Contain Multitudes by Sarah Henstra

Caption: We Contain Multitudes is a YA novel by Sarah Henstra. (paolascattolon.com, Penguin Teen)

A letter-writing assignment brings together high schoolers Kurl — an ex-football player known for fighting and for being held back a year — and Jo — a gay, nerdy teenager who loves poetry. As their fledgling, unexpected friendship grows, Jo and Kurl face homophobia and bullying from their peers and families. We Contain Multitudes is Sarah Henstra's second YA novel. She recently won the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction for the book The Red Word.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

I Become a Delight to My Enemies by Sara Peters

Image | I Become a Delight to My Enemies by Sara Peters

Caption: I Become a Delight to My Enemies is a work of experimental fiction by Sara Peters. (Strange Light/Anna Malla)

I Become a Delight to My Enemies is a work of experimental fiction, combining poetry and prose vignettes to depict the tortured lives of women and girls who live in a place called The Town. Sara Peters's cast of female narrators take turns telling stories of cruelty, shame, resistance and transcendence. Peters, who is based in Toronto, has contributed to publications like Slate and The Threepenny Review and previously published the poetry collection 1996.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

Bina: A Novel in Warnings by Anakana Schofield

Image | Bina by Anakana Schofield

Caption: Bina is a novel by Anakana Schofield. (Arabella Campbell, Knopf Canada)

Bina, a woman at her wit's end, records her story on the backs of old envelopes. Her main subject is that of a tumultuous lifelong friendship, one filled with drama, trauma, love and joy. Anakana Schofield is the author of the Scotiabank Giller Prize finalist Martin John and Amazon.ca First Novel Award winner Malarky.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

Mind and Matter by John Urschel

Image | Mind and Matter by John Urschel

Caption: Mind and Matter is a memoir by John Urschel. (John Urschel/Penguin Random House Canada)

John Urschel tells his story of excelling in two separate streams of life: football and math. As a 13-year-old, Urschel was taking college-level calculus courses, while playing on his high school football team. He went on to become an offensive lineman for the Baltimore Ravens and a PhD candidate at MIT. Mind and Matter, co-written by Louisa Thomas, is Urschel's first book.
When you can read it: May 14, 2019

This Place by Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Brandon Mitchell, et al.

Image | This Place

Caption: This Place is an anthology of comics. Contributors include (from top left): Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Sonny Assu, Tara Audibert, Kyle Charles, Brandon Mitchell, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, GMB Chomichuk, Natasha Donovan, David A. Robertson, Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair, Scott B. Henderson, Ryan Howe, Jen Storm, Richard Van Camp, Andrew Lodwick, Scott A. Ford, Katherena Vermette, Chelsea Vowel, Donovan Yaciuk and Alicia Elliott. (HighWater Press)

This Place is an anthology of comics featuring the work of Indigenous creators as they retell the history of Canada of the past 150 years. Elements of fantasy and magical realism are incorporated throughout the book, telling the stories of characters like Jack Fiddler, an Anishinaabe shaman facing murder charges, and Rosie, an Inuk girl growing up during WWII. Contributors include Kateri Akiwenzie-Damm, Rachel and Sean Qitsualik-Tinsley, David A. Robertson, Richard Van Camp, Katherena Vermette, Chelsea Vowel and more.
When you can read it: May 17, 2019

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