10 cool books by 10 Canadian authors

Happy Canada Day! In celebration of all things maple and polite, here are some of my favourite books by some amazing Canadian authors.

1.  Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay – It’s so rare these days to find a stand-alone fantasy novel, and although this one is roughly the size of a brick, it’s so worth the effort to read. With page count to think about, the action and description are perfectly balanced, instead of moving too fast or too slow. This is a book for people who really want to read epic fantasy but don’t want to wait years and years for a series to end.
2. A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee – I love to read books about strong women and girls learning crazy skills that help them solve crimes and help others. This historical mystery series is all about girl power, with a little bit of romance thrown in for good measure. The main character doesn’t let anything stop her in the pursuit of justice, even when she is constantly underestimated because of her gender. Along with trying to solve crime, she also begins to unravel the mystery of her own past, which may be connected more closely to her case than she originally expected.
3. The Hunchback Assignments by Arthur Slade – Modo is such a lovable character that you can’t help feel connected to him as he desperately tries to make friends and impress his benefactor. This series is so unique, with so many unexpected characters and plot twists, that I found it hard to give up when the final book was published. This is one of the few series that I have happily purchased in hard cover because I knew I would reread them all again and again.
4. Eye of the Crow by Shane Peacock – This young Sherlock Holmes series provides a wonderfully detailed back-story to the eccentric detective we all know and love. With a high-born mother and a low-born father, Sherlock has no friends but a great mind that he puts to use trying to solve mysteries around London. His powers of observation occasionally get him in to trouble though, and soon he is the lead suspect in a horrible murder.
5. The Wild Wood by Charles de Lint – I picked this book up on a whim and I’m so glad I did. It’s the first book I ever read by de Lint, and I was totally unprepared for a story that mixed realism and fantasy so perfectly that you begin to wonder if it could all be possible. This book is so beautiful and heart-wrenching, and the writing can only be described as lyrical. It is not to be missed.
6. The Reluctant Journal of Henry K. Larsen by Susin Nielsen – I had no idea what to expect with this book because the cover makes it look like a middle-grade book but the content is very heavy. Nielsen does such a wonderful job examining the impact of bullying on the victims and their families. This book fearlessly confronts both sides of story, and is so deserving of the awards it has won.
7. The Unlikely Hero of Room 13B by Teresa Toten – This book about teens working through obsessive-compulsive disorder is so sweet and funny. This is a story all about overcoming the obstacles in your life, learning to trust yourself, and finding the strength to ask for help when you need it. I think it is so important for these stories to be told, and I really hope that one day we will see this be made into a movie because I think it would be great on the big screen.
8. Scott Pilgrim’s Precious Little Life by Bryan Lee O’Malley – Yeah, you may have seen the movie, but did you read the books? If you haven’t taken the time to look at this series you are doing yourself a disservice. I personally don’t think that the movie did this story justice. It works so much better as a series of graphic novels because the story needs that time to develop.
9. The Boundless by Kenneth Oppel – This book is so much fun! There are yetis and a train and a circus! The main character has to use all his wits and the help of his new friends to make his way through the train to save the day. I love how the author took a piece of Canadian history and made it into this fantastic story full of magic and mayhem. It makes you want to immediately board a train and go on a cross-Canada adventure of your own.
10. The World More Full of Weeping by Robert J. Wiersema – This is my manager’s favourite author, and having read this interesting little book, I totally understand why. This is another Canadian author who manages to blend fantasy and reality together to create intense stories that keep you engaged. There is a subtle darkness to this book that makes you look a little closer at the shadows along the edge of the woods and wonder if there’s something more in there.

So, who are your favourite Canadian authors?