Summer 2020: Books Selection by Bertrand Bookstore

Summer, the season made for exciting vacations; there is no better time than now to curl up with a good book and let its story carry you away. To help choose the right book for you, here are some suggestions from the experts at Bertrand Bookstore. Throughout le Vieux, you will find numerous green spaces and terraces that are perfect providers of comfortable, restful reading spots!

The Luminaries, by Eleanor Catton (McClelland & Stewart) – Fiction

Since we can’t fly halfway around the world this summer, this novel is the perfect way to travel. It takes us to New Zealand in 1866 during the West Coast gold rush. Walter Moody, the narrator, arrives in Hokitika while twelve men of the community are trying to solve the disappearance of Emery Staines, the richest man in Hokitika. Little by little, secrets come to light and no one is exactly as they appear. Part mystery, part historical novel, this story will undoubtedly captivate you.

The Lonely City, by Olivia Laing (Picador) – Essay

In this essay, Oliva Laing explores what it means to be alone. Loneliness takes many forms, and it is through the journey of various New York artists and her own experiences in New York that she tries to understand its origins, how we experience it, and why we seem to be so ashamed of it. Far from depressing, Olivia Laing brilliantly succeeds in tackling an experience that we all know, but of which so little is said.

The Fire Never Goes Out: A Memoir in Pictures, Noelle Stevenson (Harper Collins) – Graphic Novel

After the resounding success of her comic book "Nimona", Noelle Stevenson is back to offer us a glimpse into her life as a comic book artist. It is with great vulnerability in both her drawings and her writing that she recounts the ups and downs of her life.

Stand up, Yumi Chang!, Jessica Kim (Kokila) – Juvenile Fiction

An aspiring stand-up comedian, Yumi Chung finds an unexpected opportunity: a comedy camp offered by one of her favourite stars. The only problem is that everyone at camp thinks she's a certain Kay Nakamura. Yumi will have to find her own voice or risk sinking deeper and deeper into her web of lies. This middle-grade novel is a feel-good story that will definitely have you laughing out loud.