book nook

A collage of the book covers of the works listed in the article
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Book Nook: Independent West Africa: tradition, modernization, and identity in a post-colonial Africa

Peak Web June 7, 2026

By: Jonah Lazar, Staff Writer In West Africa in the 1960s, the literary scene in the newly independent nations stretching from Senegal to Nigeria was booming. Writers such as Chinua Achebe, Wole Soyinka, and Léopold Sédar Senghor defined not just the literary landscape of the time, but also spearheaded mass political dialogue. Through political and literary movements such as négritude, which aims to celebrate and reclaim pride in identifying as African, these authors became vital to constructing post-colonial theory within West Africa. This list will celebrate a few of the defining works within this incredible literary niche.  The Suns of…

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Political reads: The Last Honest Man by James Risen

Peak Web June 7, 2026

By: Tomos Land, Staff Writer Pulitzer prize-winning journalist James Risen captures the consequential life of Senator Frank Church in his aptly-titled book: The Last Honest Man: The CIA, the FBI, the Mafia and the Kennedys — and One Senator’s Fight…

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This is a collage of the book covers of the books mentioned in the article
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Four book recommendations for Disability Pride Month

Peak Web July 24, 2025

By: Phone Min Thant, Arts and Culture Editor knot body by Eli Tareq El Bechelany-Lynch knot body is a collection of poems, short stories, and letters that address various themes, along with how people with disabilities are treated unjustly by…

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This is series of photos displaying the covers of the four selected books
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Book Nook: Quiet books for loud times

Peak Web July 10, 2025

By: Ashima Shukla, Staff Writer Revery: A Year of Bees by Jenna Butler   This book feels like a long exhale. Set on an off-grid farm in Alberta, it follows Butler’s journey as a beekeeper. In the gentle rhythm of tending…

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It is a photo of the spines of the listed books neatly arranged on a stack
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Book Nook: Young adult queer book recommendations

Peak Web July 1, 2025

By: Rusham Verma, Peak Associate One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston If you’re a sci-fi fanatic and a hopeless romantic, this book was written just for you. It’s about a lonely and walled-off 23-year-old girl, August Landry, who moves to…

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Three books spread out on a flat surface in this order from left to right: Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, The Souls of Black Folk by W.E.B. Du Bois, and Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
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The Book Nook: 100 years of literature on Black liberation

Peak Web March 10, 2025

By: Yildiz Subuk, Staff Writer Content warning: this piece centres around racial segregation and systemic oppression.  Over the past century, Black writers have produced some of the most impactful works of non-fiction examining race, prejudice, and oppression. The three books…

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An East-Asian woman shown twice in two different costumes: to the left is a golden set of battle armour and a royal headdress, while the right is a burgundy dress with silver web-like designs near the torso. In the background are golden dragon-like scales.
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Book Nook: Xiran Jay Zhao’s Iron Widow series

Peak Web January 30, 2025

By: Phone Min Thant, Staff Writer Content warning: brief mentions of murder and war.  Those familiar with Chinese history are probably no stranger to Empress Wu Zetian, the only legitimate empress of The Middle Kingdom. But, did you know there…

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A review of The Hundred Years War on Palestine by Rashid Khalidi

Peak Web November 28, 2023

By: Sude Guvendik Content warning: discussions of genocide. Rashid Khalidi’s book, The Hundred Years’ War on Palestine, is an essential read if you want to understand the history of Palestine. The notion that this history is too complicated to understand…

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Cover of Mexican gothic
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Mexican Gothic reimagines colonial horror stories

Peak Web November 9, 2023

By: Saije Rusimovici, Staff Writer Content warning: brief mention of eugenics and colonialism. Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia will leave you unsettled, frightened, and absolutely horrified. Just thinking about it sends a chill down my spine. Halloween may be over,…

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Book cover of East Side Story featuring a black and white photo of a roller coaster and a colourful font for the title.
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East Side Story sheds a new light on the PNE

Peak Web November 7, 2023

By: Alex Ileto, Peak Associate Content warning: mention of Japanese internment camps. Founded in 1910, the Pacific National Exhibition (PNE) nestled in Hastings Park in East Vancouver is considered a hallmark of Vancouver by many. For over 113 years (and…

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