Books and Beyond

The can't-miss books, podcasts, films, and multimedia with a Queen's connection.

Summer 2026

  • Book cover for The Unravelling of Ou, featuring an illustrated sock puppet with button eyes.

    The Unravelling of Ou

    Hollay Ghadery, Artsci’04

    How does one unravel oneself from an imaginary friend, especially when that “friend” has been integral to your journey? That 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s a question Hollay Ghadery, Artsci’04, asks in her debut novel, The Unravelling of Ou. The Iranian-Canadian writer 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s novel is about the relationship between Minoo and her beloved sock puppet, Ecology Paul. As Minoo decides whether to break with the puppet over familial concerns, the book explores teenage pregnancy in Iran, exile to Canada, sexuality, and how a sock came to support Minoo emotionally. It 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s an imaginative novel that examines trauma, cultural norms, and mental health. The author 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s acclaimed memoir Fuse won the 2023 Canadian Book Club Award.  is available at Palimpsest Press.

  • Book cover for Without Prejudice, featuring a portrait of the author against a rainbow background.

    Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge

    Harvey Brownstone, Law’80

    Trailblazing lawyer Harvey Brownstone, Law’80, was Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s first openly gay judge. After 26 years on the bench, Justice Brownstone is now retired – and he 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s not holding back. His new book, Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge, is an unflinching memoir that takes readers on a poignant and, at times, darkly funny journey behind the scenes of criminal and family courts. Mixing his professional story of judicial innovation with personal reflections on the many challenges he faced over the years, Justice Brownstone paints an autobiographical portrait of resilience. Watch for a Hollywood film adaptation starring David Arquette this fall.  is available at ECW Press.

  • Book cover for A Journey in Surgery, featuring a surgical scene and author portrait.

    A Journey in Surgery: The Memoir of a Canadian Surgeon

    Dennis Pitt, MD’72

    Charting one 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s path through life is rarely simplistic – especially when it comes to careers. Dennis Pitt 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s grandfather and parents were all involved in the Canadian Armed Forces, so that career path seemed inevitable. Yet after a few “pivotal events,” Dr. PItt, MD’72, found himself applying for medical college. Once there, the field of choice was wide open, though the idea of becoming a surgeon had never been part of his plan. A Journey in Surgery: The Memoir of a Canadian Surgeon recounts Dr. Pitt 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s career as a surgeon; it also serves as a commentary on the history of medicine as well as its future. Dr. Pitt sadly passed away in February, but his book remains as a record of his life and work.  is available at FriesenPress.

  • Book cover for Restorying Your Story, featuring abstract geometric shapes behind vertical bars.

    Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Past Injustice

    Michael Gauthier, MEd’11, PhD’17

    Our stories matter, but sometimes it 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s necessary to “restory” our lives – that is, look back at the past to map a new future. Michael Gauthier, MEd’11, PhD’17, knows well how this can be done. In Restorying Your Story: Reclaiming Your Voice in the Face of Past Injustice, he writes about his experience as a young Indigenous man, a “Survivor of intergenerational trauma,” who turned to addiction as a way of coping and was eventually incarcerated. He then worked to restory his life by breaking cycles of harm, working to change internal narratives.  is available at Medicine Wheel Publishing.

Spring 2026

  • Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Economy, Explained by Marwa Abdou

    Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Economy, Explained

    Marwa Abdou, Com’08, Artsci’09

    Feeling a little shell-shocked by Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s current economic turmoil? Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Economy, Explained is a podcast to help make sense of the state of the economy. From trade to inflation, each episode features insights and analysis by experts from the Business Data Lab (BDL). The podcast is hosted by Marwa Abdou, Com’08, Artsci’09, a senior research director at BDL, an organization founded by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce. A BDL production, the podcast is available on 14 streaming platforms and covers topics such as Trump tariffs, women entrepreneurs, Canada 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s recession risk, and more. Listen to .

  • Strangely, Friends by Karen Dubinsky

    Strangely, Friends: A History of Cuban-Canadian Encounters

    Karen Dubinsky, PhD’91

    In contrast to the stance taken by the United States toward Cuba, Canada has continued to foster a relationship with the island, thanks in part to connections forged between individuals. In Strangely, Friends: A History of Cuban-Canadian Encounters, author Karen Dubinsky, PhD’91 – Queen 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s professor emeritus, Global Development Studies/History – reveals the often-overlooked history of human relationships that defy borders. The book is inspired in part by the Queen 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s–University of Havana educational/cultural exchange program, which she helped co-ordinate from 2008 to 2023. is available at Between the Lines.

  • The Weary Carry On by Bowman Wilker

    The Weary Carry On

    Bowman Wilker, Artsci’93

    A mysterious woman keeps reappearing at the edge of a dying mining town, only to disappear back into the wilds of British Columbia. A constable is assigned the unenviable task of investigating these sightings, but his search threatens to destroy him – and possibly the entire town. The Weary Carry On, the debut novel by Bowman Wilker, Artsci’93, is set in 1923, a pivotal moment in Canadian history marked by the downfall of the Grand Trunk Pacific Railroad and the formation of the RCMP. The author 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s prior work includes the children 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s picture book Crackerjack Jack (2018), and contributions to various children 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s magazines. is available at The Wild Rose Press.

  • Count On Me by Ann Cavlovic

    Count On Me

    Ann Cavlovic, MA’00

    What happens when familial relationships become tangled up with money? Count On Me, by Ann Cavlovic, MA’00, explores the unravelling of an already dysfunctional family grappling with aging, debt, and generational harm. Heartfelt, humorous and poignant, the novel, which is set in Kingston, looks at our sense of entitlement to other people 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s money, generational cycles, and how relationships can transcend transactions. This is her first novel; her short fiction and creative non-fiction have been published in Canadian literary journals and magazines. is available from Guernica Editions.

  • Count On Me by Ann Cavlovic

    Count On Me

    Ann Cavlovic, MA’00

    What happens when familial relationships become tangled up with money? Count On Me, by Ann Cavlovic, MA’00, explores the unravelling of an already dysfunctional family grappling with aging, debt, and generational harm. Heartfelt, humorous and poignant, the novel, which is set in Kingston, looks at our sense of entitlement to other people 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s money, generational cycles, and how relationships can transcend transactions. This is her first novel; her short fiction and creative non-fiction have been published in Canadian literary journals and magazines. Available from Guernica Editions.

Fall 2025

  • Book cover titled “Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics: Implications for Civil-Military Relations,” edited by Lindy Heinecken and Christian Leuprecht, with an orange-to-red gradient background and the Springer logo.

    Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics

    Dr. Christian Leuprecht, PhD’03

    During the COVID-19 pandemic, militaries were routinely deployed domestically, including in Canada. Was the military 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s role scrutinized? What was the extent of civilian oversight and control? Were there accountability measures in place? And when it was all over, had the military 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s public image changed? Editors Dr. Christian Leuprecht, PhD’03, and Lindy Heinecken seek to address these questions in Military Operations in Response to Domestic Emergencies and Global Pandemics. Published in July 2025, is now open access and available for free from Springer Nature.

  • Book cover for “Beyond the Pipeline: Redefining Value, Success, and the Future of Women in STEMM—Together,” edited by Cassie Leonard, with black text on a light blue background and illustrations of women navigating a pipeline.

    Beyond the Pipeline

    Emily Bishop, Sc’09

    When there 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s a leak, we typically blame the pipe without considering the forces at work that might be creating the leak. This “leaky pipe metaphor” has been used to blame women who enter STEMM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and medicine) but then “leak” from careers – that is, leave their fields. Busting this myth, Beyond the Pipeline examines the systemic pressures forcing women out of their disciplines. Contributing author Emily Bishop, Sc’09, and others share stories of burnout, bias, career pivots, and resilience, arguing for strategies to create more inclusive and sustainable STEMM workplaces. is available from ELMM Press.

  • Book cover titled “Future-Generation Government: How to Legislate for the Long Term” by Nicholas Chesterley, featuring bold orange text and illustrations of telescopes arranged vertically on a white background.

    Future-Generation Government

    Nick Chesterley, Artsci’10

    Remember SARS – the acute respiratory illness that struck Toronto in 2003 and made thousands sick, killed more than 40 people, and shut the city down economically? That was just one of several “near-­pandemics” that preceded the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. From SARS to other outbreaks, these crises exposed how unprepared governments were, in particular highlighting the short-sightedness of leaders. In Future-Generation Government, Nick Chesterley, Artsci’10, looks at practical reforms that can help leaders respond to tomorrow 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s challenges without compromising today 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s democratic rights and freedoms. is available from McGill–91ÖĆƬł§ Press.

  • Book cover for “Forgotten Exiles: Short Stories” by Cyril Dabydeen, featuring expressive painted artwork of a person and large yellow text over a muted background.

    Forgotten Exiles

    Cyril Dabydeen, MA’74, MPA’75

    Imagine being caught between two worlds: a stranger in your country of origin but uncomfortable in your new home. Cyril Dabydeen, MA’74, MPA’75, left Guyana during the 1970s, when the intelligentsia was being pushed out, for Lake Superior, Canada. Never quite at home here but unable to set down roots himself in his home country, the now well-established Canadian poet reflects on this state of intermundane in Forgotten Exiles. Themes of race, class, and self-discovery are at the heart of the collection 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s enthralling narratives. is available at Mosaic Press.

Summer 2025

  • Ami Trivedi smiles confidently in a light blazer against a bold orange background. Large navy and white text beside her reads “ASK FOR IT” in all caps.

    Ask For It

    Ami Trivedi, Artsci’19, MIB’21

    Learning to understand “who you are talking to, what the situation is, and how to filter yourself accordingly” are fundamental to building stronger relationships, according to Ami Trivedi, Artsci’19, MIB’21. This aptitude helped inform the entrepreneur 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s philosophy behind her podcast, Ask For It, in which she shares sales strategies, mindset shifts, and real-world lessons to help people elevate their performance. Her episodes address how to nail an interview, ask for a raise, and take control of one 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s career. Ask For It is found on most platforms offering podcasts.

  • Cover of the book The Music Lover 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Guide to North America by Josephine Matyas and Craig Jones, featuring bold text and colorful illustrations of musical and travel icons.

    The Music Lover 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Guide to North America

    Craig Jones, MA’87, PhD’97

    Take two music lovers and add a desire for North American travel and you get a guidebook for the musically obsessed. Co-authored by Craig Jones, MA’87, PhD’97, and his wife, Josephine Matyas, The Music Lover 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s Guide to North America explores the familiar (think Nashville) to the less well known: including the Celtic Interpretive Centre in Cape Breton, N.S., featuring Ashley MacIsaac 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s and Natalie MacMaster 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s fiddles, to the Hank Snow Home Town Museum in Liverpool, N.S. is available from Bloomsbury Publishing October 2025.

  • Book cover for The Silent Film Star Murders by Melodie Campbell. A woman in a blue swimsuit looks out a ship's porthole, framed by bold art deco borders.

    The Silent Film Star Murders

    Melodie Campbell, Com’78

    Ever since she was young, Melodie Campbell, Com’78, wanted to be either Carolyn Keene (the pen name used by authors of the Nancy Drew series) or Agatha Christie, and she 91ÖĆƬł§ ’s well on her way to achieving that, having authored 19 novels, many of them mysteries. Her latest whodunnit, The Silent Film Star Murders, involves former mob goddaughter Lucy Revelstoke (from her Merry Widow series) confronting another murder. This one is set on an ocean liner during the roaring ’20s.  is available from Cormorant Books.