Susn Juby's memoir, Nice Recovery is shown. It features a woman wearing a white and red dress, lying face on a bed, with her arms out to either side.

My favourite books of 2022 (so far) 

Canadian YA author Susan Juby is dominating my reading life

I think I’m addicted

Since discovering Juby’s 2003 breakout YA novel Alice, I Think in a Little Free Library a few weeks ago, I’ve now made good use of the Toronto Public Library’s Holds system to read seven of Juby’s print books and listen to one audio book.

That’s right! Eight books in just over a month.

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Rise Sister Rise is the rousing call I need to hear right now

Rebecca Campbell’s 2016 book envisions a Tangibly better future for women

Rise Sister Rise: A Guide to Unleashing the Wise, Wild Woman Within practically jumped into my hands the first time I saw it. The cover, the colours, the title, the subtitle and the author bio on the back page… They all spoke directly to me.

And yet, I didn’t buy it that first time I held it in my hands. I don’t really understand why. But now that I’ve read it, I think maybe I wasn’t quite ready to hear the wisdom within this surprisingly empowering book.

Campbell’s tome, which rings with poetic truth, says exactly what I need to hear right now. The book is an invocation and an invitation for all women to turn to the wisdom they already have. It also calls for women to cultivate sacred sisterhoods.

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This book about cat walking brings me joy in a dark time

What gives me joy, you ask?

I know you didn’t, but I’ve been asking myself this question during pandemic lockdowns. And the short answer is: Trees, books, words, sneakers, spring, and cats.

It’s a nice list, I think, because it’s simple. There’s one quirky joy though, which can’t be expressed in a single word. This one requires a bit more explaining.

It might seem weird to some, but I get effervescent feelings from collecting quirky books. Often small in size, but not exclusively so, and written by obscure authors, these are books hardly anyone has ever heard of, let alone read. I hold these books in a special place in my heart. They tell me stories about me. 

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