Columbine

Dave Cullen's 10-year-in-the-making journalistic retrospective on America's most notorious school shooting looks at the many details of what happened before and after the event, now 15 years in the past.

What is it similar to? This book reminded me of Seductive Poison, a book about the Jonestown massacre, and despite its journalistic integrity, more fictionalized accounts of school violence like Hey, Nostradamus! Overall, it mostly reads like a lengthy piece from a high-quality news magazine. It is not written in the style of true-crime books.

Am I in the mood? Are you interested in sociology, psychology and non-sensationalist journalism? Do you feel like delving into the minds of troubled kids and reading about a sad story? Go for it. I wouldn't read this if it is February and the weather is bad and you are feeling depressed.

Find the book? Anywhere- I read it digitally from the public library. 

Listen to an NPR interview with the author

Read about the book on Salon.com

Watch the author's many televised interviews

Can't get enough? Dave Cullen has become something of an international expert in school violence and can be found on news outlets discussing many more recent tragedies at the "watch" link above.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? I would recommend this book when you are in a mindset to contemplate serious and weighty issues.

How To Be A Woman

Part autobiography, part feminist exhortation this comedic book by Caitlin Moran (pronounced Cat-lin) covers her youth and childhood growing up in a low-income family in the UK and her attempts and accomplishments navigating the world as a woman. 

What is it similar to? This book was a bit like Female Chauvinist Pigs meets Bossy Pants. The biographical element is a thread that holds together a more general message for women. It also strongly reminded me of a favourite, but not well known, book I owned in my early teens called Real Gorgeous.

Am I in the mood? If you are looking for a humorous "issues" book that I would guess most Western women can relate to, I would say go for it. The book hits upon almost all subject areas that are difficult for many women to navigate, what to wear, having babies, body image, sexist language, harassment, relationships, you name it!

Find the book? Anywhere- Read it digitally from the public library. Also available on audio.

Listen to an NPR interview with the author

Read an interview with the Guardian

Watch Caitlin Moran at the Edinburgh International Author's festival

Can't get enough? The author has a book of short stories and a recent novel, "How to Build a Girl" which can be found on her website, http://www.caitlinmoran.co.uk/.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? I would recommend this book to all women and any man who wants an accessible glimpse into modern feminism and the female perspective. Be warned: pulls no punches and contains graphic language.

Stuff: Compulsive Hoarding and the Meaning of Things

Stuff is a look into the minds and homes of people who practice compulsive hoarding. The authors, Dr. Randy O. Frost and Dr. Gail Steketee are psychologists who pioneered research into this disorder. They delve with sensitivity into people's personal stories and talk about the history and psychology of the need to compulsively accumulate material goods.

What is it similar to? As a readable, pop-style psychology book, this book has some similarities to books like The Psychopath Test, however because it is written by practicing professionals it feels more like one of Oliver Sack's case study books. 

Am I in the mood? If you are looking for an interesting, easy to read glimpse into the lives of others, go for it. This book is slightly disturbing, but not unmanageably so. 

Find the book? Got it as an e-book from the library, this book is widely available.

Listen to an NPR interview with the authors

Watch Randy O. Frost discuss the causes of hoarding. 

Read a review from the Washington Post. 

Can't get enough? Find out where you are on Dr. Frost's "Clutter Image Rating" scale. 

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Yes. This book was fascinating and looked deeply into the issues surrounding compulsive hoarding. Anyone interested in psychology at any level would enjoy this book. 

Pilgrim's Wilderness

This fascinating story of the Hale family homesteading on the Alaskan frontier and the drama it brought to a small and eccentric community was written by journalist and the family's sometime Alaskan neighbour, Tom Kizzia.

What is it similar to? This book reminds me of Jeanette Walls' Half Broke Horses, with the frontier feel and uniquely American flavour. Goodreads describes it as Into the Wild meets Helter Skelter. 

Am I in the mood? This book is a rollercoaster, and it is about real people who are currently living their lives in the modern United States. You are in the mood if you want to delve into the lives of others and the disturbed mind of a charismatic leader of people. 

Find the book? Got it as an e-book from the library, this book is widely available.

Listen to an NPR interview with the author

Watch the author on Alaska Public Media

Read an article on the New York Times Arts Beat blog

Can't get enough? You can watch the family sing with their friends on YouTube.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? I would recommend this book when you are in the mindset for something disturbing and fascinating. Although non-fiction, this book has a riveting plot line, conspiracy theories, a zany and multi-faceted cast of characters and a distinctive wild-west American flavour. If you like the sound of that, read on.

Orange is the New Black

Even though you may have seen the Netflix show, this book is an autobiographical account of author Piper Kerman's experience of spending a year in prison. She has an 'outsider' view of her imprisonment and the prison system, as she is from a family and community where few people spend time in jail. 

What is it similar to? This book is just some great, reflective writing about personal experience. Might be comparable to Jeanette Walls' The Glass Castle . There is almost a feel that it is a series of short stories or blog posts with a running theme. Because it is a memoir of a single year in the author's life, the characters she encounters make up a lot of the story.

Am I in the mood? If you like funny, dramatic, introspective and honest all in one package, you might be in the mood. This is not a challenging book to get through, but has lots of interesting insights into the U.S. prison system and the impact of mandatory minimum drug laws on American women. 

Find the book? Anywhere- I listened to the audiobook through the public library online system.

Listen to an NPR interview with the author

Watch the author on HuffPost live

Read a comparative interview that contrasts the TV show and the author's experiences on Huffington Post

Can't get enough? You can always watch the fictionalized version on Netflix (it was made by them, so is their exclusive content, not going to show up on your local cable network).

Would you recommend this book to a friend? I would recommend this book if you want a few good laughs and a compelling personal story. I think it is worth a read, and will likely re-read it in the future.

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts

A look at addiction from the perspective of a medical doctor who works in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside,  Dr. Gabor Maté examines the many factors that contribute to addiction. He shares personal stories, talks about the neurological, psychological, sociological, public policy and emotional challenges that go into forming addiction. 

What is it similar to? I would say that it reminds me of reading books by Oliver Sacks, in that it has a lot of interesting information from medical science couched in accessible personal anecdotes.

Am I in the mood? If you are ready to think about your brain, your childhood and how people are impacted by society's treatment of addicts, read away. Don't read it while you eat lunch- if you have a weak stomach- medical doctors do not spare medical details. 

Find the book? Picked up a hard copy at Book City in Toronto. Already lent it to a friend. It is one of those pass-it-around types. May be worth requesting if they don't already have it at your local library. 

Watch the author speak at TEDX Rio 

Listen to an NPR interview with the author. 

Read a ton of related articles linked from the author's website.

Can't get enough? Dr. Maté is also the author of books on parenting, stress and ADD. You can find links to these on his website. 

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Definitely. This was a moving, inspiring and fascinating read. I kind of want to become a neurologist or psychiatrist after reading it. 

Divergent Trilogy

This trilogy by American author Veronica Roth (who happens to be a best-selling author with a creative writing degree- yes, it is possible!) is a post-apocalyptic dystopian series written for a YA audience. The story is set in a futuristic Chicago in which people have all been divided into 'factions' according to personality traits. The central character is Tris, a sixteen-year-old girl, who narrates the first two books. The author adds a second narrator to the third book, a young man named Tobias. 

What is it similar to? There is quite a bit of this type of fiction out there right now. Recent books this trilogy is similar to would include the Uglies series by Scott Westerfeld and the Hunger Games trilogy. Older books it reminds me of include Lois Lowry's The Giver and it has elements of Ender's Game as well.

Am I in the mood? If you are looking for occasionally slightly didactic, but mostly action-packed writing that you can read quickly and just go along for the ride, these are a good choice. There is social commentary, but it is not overwhelming and certainly these books can just be read as fun action-adventures. There is reasonable depth to the characters and the writing is solid.

Find the book? Hard not to find- every bookstore will have them. Libraries- anticipate a waiting list, the teen girls are all over these. There is kissing.

Listen to an interview with the author about the trilogy. 
Read a detailed review.

Can't get enough? Divergent is already a movie. Watch the trailer. I think it comes out in March.

Would you recommend this book to a friend? Sure, but probably not to everyone's taste. Best if you like sci-fi and don't mind reading fiction aimed at a young audience.