Summer reads are back again this year with contributions from Catherine, Jules and Fanny so far!

Here's a selection of titles from me that I've either recently read or am excited to get into while lolling in patios, parks and near bodies of water.

FICTION

The Half-Drowned by Trynne Delaney

The Half-Drowned by Trynne Delaney is an experimental Afrofuturist novella that showcases resilience among a group of individuals in a seaside, post-apocalyptic dystopia. There is so much poetry in this book. The beautifully flowing narrative transports me to the east coast. In a masterful move, Trynne paints so much love and hope alongside their imagination of a bleak future. We’ve got signed copies for sale in the shop!  

Lote by Shola Von Reinhold

I’ve had the pleasure of receiving an advance copy of this book from the wonderful Metonymy Press. The book has received rave reviews in the UK where it was originally published, and several colleagues have read and loved it as well. Metonymy will be putting together an outdoor event to launch this book on June 18th. Mark your calendars!

Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah

I’m a huge fan of writer, editor, and translator Dimitri Nasrallah. Nasrallah’s latest book is a story of 80s Montreal, and specifically this city’s marginalization of immigrants during that time. It is told through the perspective of Muna Hedad, who has recently arrived in Montreal from Lebanon and is looking for a means to support her son. Although the portrait is of a different era in Montreal’s history, so much of it rings true in our current moment. 

Jones by Neil Smith

I’m really excited to dig into Neil Smith’s latest novel Jones! The book follows the lives of two siblings. It examines the treacherous intersection between love and violence, and the extreme measures they take to escape the legacy of inheritance. Keep an eye out for this book in August 2022. 

Personal Attention Roleplay by H Felix Chau Bradley

Since it was released last fall, Chau Bradley’s Personal Attention Roleplay has been our #1 bestselling short story title (and our # 2 overall fiction title, waltzing with the wonderful When We Lost Our Heads by Heather O’Neill). Chau Bradley’s stories are bold, speculative, and composed in stunning prose. They’re riddled with references to specific places you’ll recognize in Montreal and beyond. I recommend keeping these stories with you to read in parks on summer days.  

Manhattan Blues par Jean-Claude Charles

Ma collègue Catherine m’a fortement conseillé de lire ce livre de Jean-Claude Charles qu’elle a trouvé vraiment spécial. C'est une histoire d’amour atypique dans le New York des années 80s écrite avec beaucoup de charisme et de poésie.

A Night Chorus by Billy Ray Belcourt

I’ve loved the entirety of Becourt’s oeuvre so far and I’m elated to read his debut novel, which traces the life of a young queer indigenous man trying to finish his thesis. Check out an excerpt here. 

COMICS / BD

Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands by Kate Beaton

                                                                                                                                                          Ducks is a profoundly moving memoir that captures labour relations, rural/urban dichotomies, a context for climate catastrophe, friendship, sisterhood, alienation, late stage capitalism, and so much more. Beaton’s book was just called the graphic memoir of the decade by Publisher’s Weekly, three months out from being published! I'm so excited for the world to be able to read this book.

Rave by Jessica Campbell

Jessica Campbell was a special guest of Librarie D+Q this year at FBDM & it was such a pleasure to meet her. I’ve been handselling the heck out of her latest comic gem, Rave. It’s a story about growing up in small towns, where queer lives all too often need to be kept hidden, and where people struggle to find community and show up for each other.

Adieu Triste Amour par Mirion Malle

J’adore l'œuvre de Mirion Malle. Hyper hâte que sa nouveauté soit maintenant en librairie. Les couleurs sont magnifiques. Les interactions entre les personnages sont pleines d’esprit. Quelle belle réflexion sur les relations, l'amitié, et les bouleversements inévitables dans la vie. 

July Underwater by Zoe Maeve

July Underwater is Montreal comics creator Zoe Maeve’s follow up to her debut The Gift, although Maeve’s sophomore publication was actually written/drawn before The Gift. July Underwater follows the story of a youthful summer imbued with grief. Maeve’s two main characters interact among panels drawn in iconic urban locales. As the story unfolds, the Virginia Woolf and Patricia Highsmith books being read by the protagonist are interpreted in comic itself. 

The Con Artists by Luke Healy

I’ve been a really big Luke Healy fan since first reading him in 2017. It’s a thrill to see him join the ranks of D+Q. The Con Artists is such a fun, hilarious and memorable story about friendship and grown-ups trying to grow up further. Expertly drawn panels and apt comedic timing infuse this summer read.

Acting Class by Nick Drnaso

Acting Class is the follow up to Nick Drnaso’s masterwork and Booker nominated Sabrina. His third book follows ten strangers who meet at a free acting class in a community center. The teacher is a mysterious figure, and his lessons are elliptical in nature, but also somehow resonate with what each participant is experiencing beyond the community center’s doors. With each session, their bond to one another grows deeper as the outside world seems to fall away.

It’s So Magic by Lynda Barry

Lynda Barry is one of my favourite authors full stop! I’ve been loving reading about the adventures of Maybonne Mullen in Come Over Come Over and My Perfect Life. Keep an eye out for It’s So Magic, due in store in September!

Symptômes par Catherine Ocelot 

La vie d’artiste est un livre qui est vraiment spécial pour moi. Il y a même un entrevue avec Daphné B. et Julie Delporte qui est dessinée au sein de la librairie Drawn & Quarterly. Symptômes a l’air super et j’ai hâte de le lire!

Shelterbelts by Jonathan Dyck

I’ve been following Jonathan’s work since the early days of Guts Magazine (which is back, yay!!). Dyck's illustrations always popped alongside the wonderful ideas of this online magazine. This debut did not disappoint. It showcases queer folks in a Mennonite community in rural Canada, and the complexity of how we show love and fit in. 

NON-FICTION / ESSAIS

Bedroom Rapper by Rollie Pemberton 

The inimitable Rollie Pemberton visited us the other day in the shop and it was wonderful to meet him. I'm loving this book so far. It’s an incredibly relatable snapshot of growing up in that era of dial-up internet in the 90s. It includes fascinating musical anecdotes alongside astute industry criticism. What a profound meditation on race, identity, and belonging in Canada.

Rehearsals For Living by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

I’m a major fan of both Leanne Betasamosake Simpson and Robyn Maynard & have been eagerly anticipating this book. It’s so cathartic to read about our troubled world through the prism of these legendary authors' correspondence. Their beautiful prose recounts struggle, activism and possibility. 

The authors will be in Montreal for a SUONI PER IL POPOLO event on June 15th.

Stay tuned for more summer reads from my colleagues in the coming days and weeks!