My favorite books of the year to give for Christmas

What could be better than a book for Christmas? When chosen well, it guarantees hours of enjoyment for the lucky recipient, at a very modest price. Here are my favorites of the past year that I believe you can't go wrong with. Click on the title to read my full review, and on the image to purchase the book. (Note: this list is not in order of preference, I couldn't do that, but in chronological order, from most recent read to oldest).

1. La Scouine

A very pleasant surprise from my literature class. It is a rewrite of a novel by Albert Laberge written in 1918. If I haven't read the original version, I can assure you that this one will hook you. Black humor, joual, and sentences that rhyme as if there was nothing more natural. A delight.

2. How to Be an Antiracist

2020 was a year of upheaval. The death of George Floyd and the protests that followed was one of them, and it may have made some people realize that they are not as informed as they should be. For those people, I highly recommend this book. It covers the basics in a tone that is not at all sanctimonious, and it does its job: informing beautifully.

3. Aliss, comic book version

This famous book by Patrick Sénécal now has its comic book version, and it's quite successful. The illustrations are both beautiful and horrifying and the story is just as gripping as we remember it. Once you start, it's impossible to stop. Fans of the author will be delighted.

4. La bouche pleine ("Mouth Full")

This book is designed for young women, and ideally, those who are struggling with their relationships. It's funny, it's raw, it's deeply engaging. The kind of book you still think about months later.

5. Loving What Is

This is a very down-to-earth personal growth book. It gives us a frighteningly simple method to unravel our nagging thoughts and make us wonder where the truth is in them. This book is really effective and accessible to everyone.

6. Some of these Quebec short stories in a lovely format

This collection seduced me. Very small short stories, in pocket format, that can be read in half an hour. But what a half hour. Even those who don't read much will love it.

7. The Book of Dust

I am not the only one who absolutely loved the first volume of this new trilogy. Those who have already read His Dark Materials will love to dive back into it, and those who don't know it will have the chance to dive into the story from the very beginning.

8. Mindset: The New Psychology of Success

I honestly don't understand how I went through so much of my schooling without reading this book first. This is the basics: basically, it explains that when you see intelligence as a skill that can be developed, you do better and become smarter. Seeing it as an intrinsic quality over which you have no control is not only depressing, but wrong. It is exceptionally well written and incredibly enlightening.

9. Propriété privée ("Private Property")

I see this book as a substitute for a movie. No joke, if you have a power outage at home and only have two candles left, open this book, you'll have an equally good experience. It reads in just a few hours, in one breath, it makes us angst and laugh. I loved it.

10. Roux clair naturel ("Natural Light Red")

Being an ex-redhead myself, I was the perfect reader for this little novel. You may be expecting something light and shallow with this title, but think again. It is suspenseful and makes you think long afterwards. But with joy, because it is an extremely enjoyable book to read.