The Idea of North, Steve Martin
Comedian Steve Martin fell in love with the works of Group of Seven artist Lawren Harris. He helped curate an exhibition of Harris’s work for the Hammer Museum in Los Angeles in association with the Art Gallery of Ontario. This gorgeous book, ideal for art lovers, is a record of that exhibition and features a selection of Harris’s work predominantly from the 1920s and ’30s, $54.95.
Two Years Eight Months and Twenty-Eight Nights, Salman Rushdie
The king of magic realism has made a habit of penning wildly imaginative novels, and his latest is no different. Here, the book is narrated 1,000 years in the future, looking back and trying to understand how it all went wrong. Steeped in history with an eye to the future, Rushdie always manages to entertain and take readers on a memorable journey, $34.
Why Not Me, Mindy Kaling
Creator of popular TV show The Mindy Project, American comedian and actress Mindy Kaling returns with her second hilarious book Why Not Me? A perfect gift for those in your life who really need a good laugh, this book is filled with Kaling’s personal essays and pop culture insight that made her first book a bestseller, $33.
15 Dogs, Andre Alexis
This novel won this year’s prestigious Giller Prize as well as the Rogers’ Writers Trust Fiction Prize and immediately landed at the top of many gift lists. Perfect for those who like to ponder the big questions, the book tells the story of a group of dogs granted human consciousness and language as the result of a bet between two gods, $17.95.
Fast After 50, Joe Friel
For the aging but still fiery competitor in your life, this book lays out a pathway to maintaining your body to compete at a high level and face down the physical deterioration that occurs after 50. Positive, straightforward and insightful, Fast After 50 allows athletes to plan for training, rest, recovery and (of course) competition, $29.
Lucky Peach, Peter Meehan
Made in collaboration with the Lucky Peach magazine editors, Lucky Peach Presents 101 Easy Asian Recipes looks like the pick of the year for the culinarily inclined. As the title suggests, this book offers up some big, bold flavour combinations in not-so-daunting recipes that flout tradition in the tastiest possible way, $45.
Welcome to Night Vale, Joseph Fink, Jeffrey Cranor
If there was ever a gift perfect for podcast lovers, it would be even more podcasts. But a close runner-up might be the Welcome To Night Vale novel, the continued story of the world’s weirdest and most deadly fictional town. The book is based on the hit podcast of the same name that has become something of an international sensation, $24.99.
Doctor Who Colouring Book, BBC
Yes, adult colouring books are not only a thing, they are a very popular thing at that. This book, for the nerd in your life who also happens to have a hankering for colourful doodlings, offers up 45 images with which to play. Included are illustrations of planets, galaxies, villains, the TARDIS, the time vortex — all the important stuff — along with the good doctor himself, $19.99.
Shift Work, Tie Domi
The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t exactly filling fans with Stanley Cup dreams, so why not give the hockey fan in your life a taste of the franchise’s glory days when pugilistically-inclined player Tie Domi patrolled the ice? Shift Work chronicles Domi’s 16 years in the NHL as a fearless enforcer, including stints in New York and Winnipeg along with his storied years on the Toronto squad, $32.
Unfaithful Music, Elvis Costello
Grammy Award–winner Elvis Costello is one of the most engaging and prolific musicians on the planet, Costello’s new memoir tells the story of his unique musical life through a seemingly inexhaustible supply of stories written in humorous, engaging and crystal clear prose. A wonderful gift for serious music lovers, $36.
