Check out these feature recommendations along with a list of books and films selected by UBC Okanagan Library employees.
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
“There is much to love about this novel but first and foremost is Sybil, one of the most endearing and relatable characters. Reading her life story through letters was such a joy and felt very human and real. There’s love & loss, sadness & hope, kindness & humor, and in the end an uplifting message that there is still life to be lived in our final chapters. Kudos to Virginia Evans who pulled off a plot completely through letters so effectively it felt a bit like magic. 5 stars!”
–Karin, Library Services Assistant, Collections
Bad Land by Corinna Chong
“When Regina’s estranged brother shows up unannounced on Regina’s front lawn in Drumheller AB you just know something is about to unravel. Not only do the characters and the family secrets just under the surface tug you through this story, but the plot is unexpected and fresh. Line-by-line this book sings. Bad Land is like the fossil traced throughout, it’s compact, heavier than it appears, stunning, and completely unique.”
– Dania, Communications and Marketing Specialist
Alchemised by SenLinYu
“A dark and long novel that brings together themes of war, trauma, and oppression in a bleak world, maybe too close to home but engaging nonetheless.”
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
“Tradwife wakes up in the pioneer days and faces that reality? Perfect. A quick paced novel that shows how ‘good’ those days of yore actually were.”
–Sajni, Head of Teaching Partnerships and Public Services
One day, everyone will have always been against this by Omar El Akkad.
This was our Anti-racism Book Club read for this year. In this book, Omar El Akkad speaks mainly of the genocide in Gaza as well as numerous other facets of Western imperialism. Our book club engaged in thoughtful discussion on the Egyptian-Canadian-American author’s thoughts and experiences as a journalist, father, human, etc. We encourage folks to engage with the asynchronous content on our Google site: 2026 Anti-Racism Book Club
– UBC Okanagan Library Equity & Diversity Committee
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
“It’s been a while since I read this book, but what stuck with me was a sense of wonder for human history and experiences as Bryson makes them relatable, often hilariously so, in a way that most texts do not. In addition, when he comes to more modern times, you will marvel at how we in fact managed to persevere through disastrous early experiences with inventions, such as the refrigerator, to end up with the versions we know now.”
–Larissa, Library Services Coordinator
Eddy’s Kingdom a film by Greg Crompton
“In 1971 Eddy Haymour bought Rattlesnake Island, just across the lake from Peachland, intending to build a Middle East-themed amusement park but was thwarted by the provincial government’s repossession of the land. In 1976 he held the Canadian embassy in Beirut hostage at gunpoint to get it back. This is a must-watch if you want in on this piece of local lore. And, if you want to know more after viewing, check out “From Nut House to Castle” and “Helplessness, Hostages, and Heroics” in OSC!”
– Alex, Archivist
2025 features
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. Shafak 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, Head of Teaching Partnerships and Public Services
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, Recent 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
One Day, Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad
A man called Ove by Fredrick Backman
The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett
A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
Island X: Taiwanese Student Migrants, Campus Spies, and Cold War Activism by Wendy Cheng
Bad Land by Corinna Chong
Eddy’s Kingdom a film by Greg Crompton
Christopher Robin a film by Disney
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
Blood of extraction: Canadian imperialism in Latin America by Todd Gordon & Jeffery R. Webber
Medicine wheel for the planet by Jennifer Grenz
A year without a winter edited by Dehlia Hannah
DYI Album Art : Paper Bags and Office Supplies by J. Namdev Hardist
The Good Soldier Svejk: and his fortunes in the World War by Jaroslav Hasek
All about love by bell hooks
My Heart Is A Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Beaver Hills Forever by Conor Kerr
The Serviceberry: Abundance and reciprocity in the natural world by Robin Wall Kimmerer
Chatter: the voice in our head, why it matters and how to harness it by Ethan Kross
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Understanding comics by Scott McCloud
Bee sting by Paul Murray
Playground by Richard Powers
I’m thinking of ending things by Iain Reid
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Big Melt by Emily Riddle
There are rivers in the sky by Elif Shafak
Alchemised by SenLinYu
When the forest breathes by Suzanne Simard
Skid Dogs by Emelia Symington-Fedy
Banyan Moon by Thao Thai
The Receiver by Sharon Thesen
To Govern China: Evolving Practices of Power edited by Vivienne Shue and Patricia Thornton
The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams