2025 was super busy for me, and thankfully books kept me grounded. I never leave the house without a book in my bag; you never know when you’ll be waiting in line or stuck on the TTC! It’s nice to review books as a way of reflecting on the past year, appreciating the way the stories told on the page intersect with real life. Sometimes all you need is to turn the page to find the answers or create a small shift in your perspective. Here are my favourite books of the year, in no particular order.
1. Finding My Way by Malala Yousafzai – Malala’s latest memoir is much different than her first one that focuses on her father’s activism, growing up in Swat Valley, and the Taliban’s assassination attempt and her subsequent recovery. In this book we hear from a girl that’s trying to build a normal life at Oxford, but must grapple with the fact that her past and what she represents to the world cannot be escaped. She answers many questions that I’d always wondered about – how does she deal with constant death threats and hatred from her own people? How does she remain true to her cause for girls’ education? How was she able to find true love amidst all the scrutiny? And most of all, how does she balance it all?! While in the middle of the book, I heard that Malala was coming to Toronto as part of her book tour, and I was so thrilled to attend! She was interviewed by Maitreyi Ramakrishnan from Never Have I Ever. Similar to Malala’s writing style, in person she was very funny, candid, and connected warmly with the audience (even staging an impromptu counselling session where people could ask her questions about their own lives). I appreciated her focus on mental health, and the impact of the resurfacing of her trauma and ability to heal and pave a new way for herself. “When you make a choice, don’t look back and imagine there were better options. Make the best decision with what you happen to know at the time, and then explore, enjoy, meet the challenges.”
2. Death by A Thousand Cuts by Shashi Bhat – A friend recommended this book to me, and I read it throughout the summer, under a tree on the grass, and curled up on my sofa with a cup of tea. The writing is beautiful and each story brings to life a woman facing a unique challenge, that she navigates both with awkwardness and with pride, struggling to find her way through. My favourite story was about a frugal woman looking for both work and a man, evading her parents recommendations for suitors (she was falsely advertised as “homely”, not a word that her parents were too familiar with). She ends up meeting John on her own, who is the right amount of penny-wise and thoughtful; so much so that “she wanted to make love to him on a pile of coupons.” The stories highlight the push and pull of complex relationships; as a reader I found myself initially devising a better exit plan for the character and then learned to quietly observe the way in which she learned her lessons in her own time.
3. The Dating Debacle by Erin Lisbeth – I picked up this light-hearted read at Indigo when I went home to Ottawa; it had a sticker “Local Author” and I always love to support homegrown talent! It tells the dating adventures of Sofia, an ambitious young writer looking for her dream man, while adeptly avoiding the one right before her eyes. I could relate to the agony and excitement of dating apps, cringe-worthy messages, and the slight ego boost of having multiple messages in your inbox. Sofia’s story shows us that you’re in charge of when to move forward and when to pull back, when to swipe left and when to swipe right. And when you turn those stories into good journalism, suddenly your love life becomes your job and endless entertainment for others! Butterflies, heart fluttering, and suddenly feeling nervous are not overrated after all.
4. The Vinyl Diaries by Pete Crighton – I met the author of this book at Flying Books, a cute little book store on Queen West where you can grab a drink, a book, and even some fries! Pete had just released his honest and racy memoir, interlaced with his favourite musical tracks. He told me a bit about his memoir writing process and I told him a bit about my comedy writing process – and what a coincidence that the night before I’d attended Elvira Kurt’s comedy show, who is a close friend of Pete’s! He signed my book and in the weeks that followed in the summer, I read it by the shores of Humber Bay, on the bus, and at the cafe Birds and the Beans (which clearly Pete knows a lot about). His books show an unabashed willingness to explore one’s true nature: sexual, emotional, and musical. I was impressed with his bravery in telling the details of his adventures in love and sex, in a way that causes your jaw to drop (and his too apparently!). As Pete says, “Exploring the depth of our passions is the true essence of life.”
I closed my notebook, tossed my empty coffee cup in the overflowing bin, and walked out with a clear head and a clearer sense of purpose. It was time to pull the Band-Aid off. I did need love. Overwhelming, powerful, all-consuming love. I wanted to feel it. I wanted to give it. And I knew I didn’t have it.
– Pete Crighton
5. Seven by Farzana Doctor – I picked up this book one summer from Queen Books, where Farzana was sitting outside and signing books. We chatted about dilemmas that characters face and how one person’s struggle can put your own in perspective. Her book Seven alternates between the main character Shari’s story and the research of a beloved ancestor, whose decorated contributions and marriages hold more than meets the eye. Shari is unearthing her own experience with khatna, a harmful traditional practice practiced by her community in India. For me, it’s always been a black-or-white issue, but this book made me understand how layered the issue is, and the impact of persistent ideas and beliefs. The relationship between Shari and her husband is revelatory, in its exploration of how to break through trauma that surfaces during the most intimate of moments. There are so many important themes in this book that expanded my views on activism, trauma, mother-daughter relationships, patience, marriage and love, the bonds of community, and historical figures whose stories never fail to dazzle us.
6. All the Little Monsters by David A Robertson – I deeply related to this searing memoir about the experience of anxiety and the havoc it causes. The author’s tale truly captures this unbearable state of mind that unfortunately must be bared, and the suffering that can arise from memory and imagination. Both can be beautiful; both can be deadly when misused. Especially for the intelligent and creative-minded, he shows us how imagination can be used to create the most horrible scenarios. “When you are disaster googling, you’re inviting fear into your life. It’s almost like, in some messed-up way, you want the fear, because after you live so long with anxiety, it’s a part of you. What would you be without it?” He talks of his visits to the ER, experiences with medications, exacerbations of the illness during times of personal grief, and how anxiety impacts loved ones. His success as a writer also proves that you can struggle with anxiety and still produce beautiful works of art. Coincidentally while reading the book, I happened to sit behind him at an event with Miriam Toewes at the Toronto Reference Library! Of course I gushed about the book, and then got too shy to say anything else.
7. Kinda Funny:Stories by a Full-Time Comedian (with four part-time jobs) by JJ Barrows – After watching JJ Barrows’ comedy special “Doodle All Day”, I was hooked! She is funny, grounded, and generous in spirit. Her collection of stories shows where she gets her comedic material from! I loved the situations where she was totally awkward, only because she was trying to be perfect. I relished the parts about her comedic journey, and the grit that it takes to make it in the industry as a woman. “I’m a hard worker, don’t get me wrong, but I’m also gifted. I’m tired of pretending I’m not so that other people will feel more comfortable.” The requirements of filming her Dry Bar comedy special were shocking – immodesty was highlighted as “the comedian’s defined chest outline is visible.” It made me think of how important it is to be in control of your own art to whatever extent possible. My favourite parts were the insights she gleaned from her relationship from her amazing partner Josh, her “everything bagel” and how the littlest things (like loading the dishwasher) can present long-lasting nuggets of wisdom.
8. Sociopath by Patric Gagne – I picked up this book at Heathrow, on my way home to Canada after visiting my sister and nieces in London. I started reading it at a swanky pub at the airport, surprisingly cozy and comforting with a cappuccino. I was intrigued by the first line: “My name is Patric Gagne and I am a sociopath.” I’d never before thought that a person could be a sociopath and have self-awareness and a desire to share their story and help others. The author’s interactions with others seems almost clinical at times, and gives you insight into the functioning of a sociopathic mind, and a deeper understanding that our mental health is on a spectrum. Her intelligence is so vast that she flips the script and starts studying her own frame of mind, reminiscent of Viktor Frankl’s Man’s Search for Meaning. And there is a beautiful love story interspersed, one that shows the capabilities of human love even when it is not conventional and requires numerous challenges to prove that it is true. Are we all doing our best given our limitations, and is it fair to judge others’ capabilities to love if we don’t understand their limitations?
She's Come Undone 