New & Notable Adult Nonfiction - May HighlightsUnpublished

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A riveting and stylish saga set in Paris during World War II, THE ART SPY uncovers how an unlikely heroine infiltrated the Nazi leadership to save the cultural legacy of the West. On August 25, 1944, Rose Valland, a woman of quiet daring, found herself in a desperate position...

"[Swan's writing offers] not only an enjoyable read, but also the chance to think and reflect on the vast complex living entity that is the world." --Nobel Prize-winner Olga Tokarczuk Where do we belong if we don't fit in? A memoir about what it means to defy expectations as a woman...

America's most beloved wiseass finally tells his life story with all the humor you'd expect from a man who made a career out of making fun of pretty much everything. How does the son of a Presbyterian minister wind up winning a Pulitzer Prize for writing a wildly inaccurate...

NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW EDITORS' CHOICE * The heartrending story of twin sisters torn apart by China's one-child policy and the rise of international adoption--from the author of the National Book Award finalist Nothing to Envy "Remarkable . . . Barbara Demick...

A poignant, tenacious memoir by musician Greta Morgan chronicling how she rediscovered her artistic voice after losing her ability to sing. In 2019, Greta Morgan was on the rise. She was a touring member of Vampire Weekend, performed with Jenny Lewis, and garnered critical acclaim with her...

"Hess's debut memoir bursts with humor and intelligence as it weaves the story of her own pregnancy....This unexpected page-turner is as vulnerable as it is sharp." --Vulture As an internet culture critic for The New York Times, Amanda Hess had built a reputation...

A transformative 300-mile walk along Japan's ancient pilgrimage routes and through depopulating villages inspires a heartrending remembrance of a long-lost friend, documented in poignant, imaginative prose and remarkable photography. "An epic, exquisitely detailed journey, on...

A colourful illustrated history of the buildings in Vancouver's Chinatown, celebrating the richness, diversity, and vibrancy of the Chinese community. Buildings are more than just bricks and mortar; they are keepers of secrets and history. With more than seventy vibrant illustrations,...

NATIONAL BESTSELLER The riveting true story of the star-crossed friendship between two neuroscientists--one famous, the other forgotten--who mapped the brain, but lost each other. In the early 1920s, when neurosurgery was more likely to be a death sentence than a...

"The story of how one language left the steppes of Ukraine and became the earth's dominant language family has become clearer and more exciting than ever before. Hooray for a book where the author's curiosity, diligence, and literary craft gets it all down in what will stand as the go-to...

"A bold and soaring work of history . . . whip-smart, deeply researched, and beautifully written." --Jonathan Eig, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of King: A Life "A soaring narrative."--Keith O'Brien, New York Times bestselling author of Fly Girls<...

Perfect for BC locals and travelers alike, discover 100 amazing places to swim outdoors in the Lower Mainland and on the Gulf Islands, Sunshine Coast, and South-central Vancouver Island. Here is a guide for everyone who loves to swim, from waders to long-distance swimmers,...

A memoir-in-essays on transness, dad rock, and the music that saves us. When Wilco's 2007 album Sky Blue Sky was infamously criticized as "dad rock," Niko Stratis was a twenty-five-year-old closeted trans woman working in her dad's glass shop in the Yukon Territory. As she...

New York Times Bestseller In the spirit of her bestselling book Hope in the Dark, Rebecca Solnit explores how our actions can shape the future and the liberatory possibilities of embracing uncertainty. Beginning with an essay about a three-hundred-year-old violin and...

The legendary Stephen Fry retells the adventures of Odysseus for the fourth and final installment in his internationally bestselling Greek Myths series.   Odysseus's journey from the battlefields of Troy to his home in Ithaca is one of the greatest...

"Phenomenal...a jaw-dropping book." --Jon Stewart, The Daily Show Named by both The New York Times and The Economist as one of the best books of the year so far, this "scrupulously reported" (The New...

A Financial Times Most Anticipated Book of 2025 A sweeping, dramatic history of capitalism as seen through the eyes of its fiercest critics. At a time when artificial intelligence, climate change, inequality, trade wars, and a right-wing populist...

Andrew Coyne, one of Canada's most esteemed political thinkers, delivers a powerful exposé of the nation's crumbling democratic institutions.  With characteristic wit, insight, and rigor, Coyne dismantles the comforting myths Canadians tell themselves about their political...

THE INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Superbly reported . . . Reads like a Shakespearean drama on steroids." -- Los Angeles Times "Explosive." --The New York Times "[The] most significant book to date about Biden's cognitive decline."...

A smart, incisive look at the technologies sold as artificial intelligence, the drawbacks and pitfalls of technology sold under this banner, and why it's crucial to recognize the many ways in which AI hype covers for a small set of power-hungry actors at work and in the world. Is...

New science reveals the groundbreaking potential of the vagus nerve to regulate your body's vital systems and heal a wide variety of medical conditions without drugs The vagus nerve is fundamental to our health and vitality, coordinating critical functions  from the precise...

From the celebrated writer, observer and naturalist Robert Macfarlane comes a brilliant, perspective-shifting new book, which answers a resounding "yes" to the question of its title. At the heart of Is a River Alive? is a single, transformative idea: that rivers...

The pelt of a dog named "Mutton" languished in a drawer at the Smithsonian for 150 years until it was discovered, almost accidentally, by an amateur archivist. This book tells Mutton's story and explores what it can teach us about Coast Salish Woolly Dogs and their cultural significance. ...

A full-colour guide to more than 200 species of coniferous and broadleaf trees found throughout the parks, woodlands, and urban green spaces of Victoria, BC. Victoria, British Columbia, known by locals as the "City of Gardens" also holds the esteemed position as Canada's warmest...

"Exceptional. . . . When It All Burns is one of those books that immerses the reader in the nuances of a world most of us know only through the lens of tragedy and destruction. Thomas' visceral, crystalline prose only adds fuel to the fire." --Los Angeles Times A...

"A trove of thrilling material . . . skillfully examines the racism, sexism, economic privation and class prejudices that permeated postwar England . . . There's so much to admire in this engaging, deeply researched book." --The New York Times Book Review "An absorbing...

A brilliant and bloody examination of the axe's foundational role in human history, from prehistoric violence, to war and executions, to newspaper headlines and popular culture. For as long as the axe has been in our hands, we have used it to kill. Much...

"{{Britt Frank}} has found a way to combine IFS with other approaches to create practical exercises for you to not only learn to love parts you've hated, like the inner critic, but help them transform into inner helpers." -Richard C. Schwartz, PhD, creator of Internal Family Systems and author of...

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER From the author of the New York Times bestsellers Humankind and Utopia for Realists--"a more politically radical Malcolm Gladwell" (The New York Times)--comes a bold manifesto daring us to harness our talents...

A New York Times Bestseller Super Agers is a detailed guide to a revolution transforming human longevity. This is a breakthrough moment in the history of human health care. The person making that bold claim is one of the most respected medical researchers in the world,...

NEW YORK TIMES AND #1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER * The award-winning authors and podcasters Glennon Doyle, Abby Wambach, and Amanda Doyle created We Can Do Hard Things--the guidebook for being alive--to help fellow travelers find their way through life. When you travel...

A practical and gentle guide to navigating the difficult relationships that shape your life, from KC Davis, beloved therapist and bestselling author of How to Keep House While Drowning. Just as her bestseller How to Keep House While Drowning helped...