Check out some feature recommendations along with this list of books and films selected by UBC Okanagan Library employees.
There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak
“I loved everything about this book ; the beautiful writing, the three characters in different time periods all connected by a drop of water, and how it sparked a genuine interest in ancient Mesopotamia and inspired me to learn more. S
hafak is a captivating storyteller and this was one of the rare stories that I didn’t want to end. For anyone who enjoys historical fiction, literary fiction or Middle Eastern history.”
–Karin, Library Services Assistant, Collections
Borrow There are Rivers in the Sky
The Serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world by Robin Wall Kimmerer
“A concise and beautiful read, that uses the serviceberry tree as a way to reflect on how community, gift giving, and mutual support reflect the ecological relationships between humans and the natural world.”
–Sajni, Learning and Curriculum Support Librarian
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
“Set in the small town of Proofrock, Idaho, the novel follows Jade Daniels, a teenager who is obsessed with slasher movies. She believes a real-life slasher scenario is unfolding around her. As mysterious deaths begin to occur, Jade sees herself as the only one who understands what’s happening. Blending her deep knowledge of horror films with her own traumatic past, she tries to prepare a newcomer, Letha Mondragon, to be the “final girl” who survives. But as the violence escalates, Jade must confront both external threats and her own inner demons in a chilling, emotional journey of survival.”
– Hannah, Library Services Assistant
Disney’s Christopher Robin: a film
“A lovely film that is a heartfelt addition to the classic Winnie the Pooh stories.”
– Elizabeth, Student Support Analyst
Island X: Taiwanese Student Migrants, Campus Spies, and Cold War Activism by Wendy Cheng
“Island X tells the stories of students who fled to the US from the martial law regime in Cold War-era Taiwan in the 1960s and 70s. Drawing from archives and interviews about migrants’ family histories, Cheng demonstrates how Taiwanese student activists were surveilled and politically persecuted by both their home country’s authoritarian government and by US intelligence apparatuses. As international students in the US are facing undue scrutiny once again, this timely account of student activism and geopolitics should be of interest to readers of Cold War politics, immigrant family histories, and spy thrillers.”
– Eric, AIM program assistant
The complete list of staff recommendations
Click on the link to learn how to borrow from UBC Library
The Serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world by Robin Wall Kimmerer
My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak
Disney’s Christopher Robin a film
Island X: Taiwanese Student Migrants, Campus Spies, and Cold War Activism by Wendy Cheng
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams
Chatter: the voice in our head, why it matters and how to harness it by Ethan Kross
The Good Soldier Svejk: and his fortunes in the World War by Jaroslav Hasek
The Big Melt by Emily Riddle
Understanding comics by Scott McCloud
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Blood of extraction: Canadian imperialism in Latin America by Todd Gordon & Jeffery R. Webber
To Govern China: Evolving Practices of Power edited by Vivienne Shue and Patricia Thornton
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
DYI Album Art : Paper Bags and Office Supplies by J. Namdev Hardist
Medicine wheel for the planet by Jennifer Grenz
Skid Dogs by Emelia Symington-Fedy
A man called Oveby Fredrick Backman
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
I’m thinking of ending things by Iain Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
All about love by bell hooks