National Network for Equitable Library Service

Meet Iain Reid: an overeducated, underemployed twenty-something who moves back in with his lovable but eccentric parents on their hobby farm. But what starts out as a temporary arrangement turns into a year-long extended stay, in which Iain finds himself fighting with the farm fowl, taking fashion advice from the elderly, fattening up on home-cooked food, and ultimately easing (perhaps a little too comfortably) into the semi-retired lifestyle.

“HowYaGettin’On?” is how downtown St. John’s, Newfoundland, corner boy Snook says hello. He’s been hanging around, telling yarns, and having a laugh for over thirty years now, and this is his welcome for you to read all about some of that. Known as a fast talker and funny laugher, Snook finally jotted down some of his musings on . . . stuff—all sorts of stuff. Some of it’s actually half-decent, as they say. So have a sit (wherever you please, or need to), relax your literary standards, and see what goes on in one of the most suspect minds and imaginations in this province.

Humorous, inspiring, and sometimes thought-provoking stories The subject of outhouses must be handled delicately. So we will tiptoe around it, moving from foot to foot, like you would—and you do—when you need to “go” and there is no suitable facility nearby. A novel is too long for one sitting. However, a book like this contains short reads, and you can simply fold down the corner of the page when you are done. Upon your next visit, you might choose a story at random, the length of which you’ll determine by estimating the time required to complete the job.

Bill Rowe, author of the critically acclaimed political drama Danny Williams: The War with Ottawa (Globe and Mail Bestseller, 2010), is back in fighting form and ready to throw a few more punches at the local, national, and world leaders who fill our lives with endless amusement and exasperation.

Steve Patterson's The Book of Letters I Didn't Know Where to Send is a collection of — wait for it — letters, written by award-winning stand-up comedian — you guessed it — Steve Patterson. The host of CBC Radio's The Debaters since 2007, Steve Patterson has become a household name, with more than 700,000 listeners tuning in each week. He has performed at several of the Just for Laughs prestigious televised galas, including one hosted by Steve Martin.

Winner of the 2015 Evelyn Richardson Non-fiction Award This is a sex book. It’s a book about having sex by yourself, with one person, or with twenty people if everyone is down. It’s about saying words like cunt, fuck, and come. But it’s also about the things we don’t talk about—the mystery, the expectations, and the bullshit that can go along with sex.

This quirky ode to a quirky land is a humorous nostalgia trip and a fun Canadian history lesson couched in a hipster quiz book. If you’ve ever wondered Why is the inuksuk more revered than Wheelchair Jimmy? Does the iconic beaver really represent us better than The Littlest Hobo? Is everyone going canoeing without me or is canoeing way less of a thing than it’s made out to be? then this book is for you. Is Canada even real?

A hilarious self-help book for recovering Leafs fans everywhere. We’ve all heard it. The sound of one team sucking. Our team. The Leafs. It starts as an almost imperceptible hum, a month or so after the home opener, once the shine of the new season wears off, building in intensity with each defeat until the sound explodes like the noise a star might make if you ripped its heart out. Fact is, being a Maple Leafs fan is a kind of addiction: irrational, compulsive, dependent. You can’t just quit cold turkey. You need help … And that’s where The Sound of One Team Sucking comes in.

Hamilton Spectator columnist Paul Benedetti’s essays paint a wonderfully funny portrait of family life today. Paul Benedetti has a good job, a great family, and successful neighbours — but that doesn’t stop him from using it all as grist for a series of funny, real, and touching essays about a world he can’t quite navigate. Benedetti misses his son, who is travelling in Europe, misplaces his groceries, and forgets to pick up his daughter at school. He endures a colonoscopy and vainly attempts to lower his Body Mass Index — all with mixed results.

One Animal Among Many: Gaia, Goats, and Garlic examines the real-life experiences of creatures great and small. Best known for his witty columns in Harrowsmith, David Waltner-Toews explores the interconnectedness of all life with insight and humour. The collection looks at everything from sheep farming to herbal remedies and rabies.