12:00 - 12:30 PM :: Warlords - Tim Cook

Two portraits flank the doors leading into Canada's House of Commons: Sir Robert Borden to the left and W.L.M. King to the right. While each man appears flatteringly stern, wise, and charismatic, it is the portrait plaques that are of particular interest. Borden's caption reads: "World War I War Leader, 1914–1918," while King's caption is similar: "World War II War Leader, 1939–1945." No other dates are given.

Perhaps that definition makes sense for Borden, who did little of note before the war; it does not ring true for King, Canada's longest serving prime minister. Yet in both cases world wars shaped their careers and legacies. They ushered in massive government changes: income tax, health care, and conscription; changes to society through industrialization, enfranchisement, and patriotic unpaid labour; and they raised enormous armed forces from a civilian base.

Warlords is a fast-paced narrative that humanizes the war effort through the eyes of the prime ministers. Set against how our senior politicians governed themselves and the nation during these difficult times, it offers an invaluable perspective of war and war leaders.

Tim Cook is the Great War historian at the Canadian War Museum, as well as an adjunct professor at Carleton University. His books have won numerous awards, including the 2009 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-Fiction for Shock Troops. He lives in Ottawa with his family.

Allen Lane Canada - $34.00 - History

12:30 - 1:00 PM :: Undesirables - Ali Kazimi

In May 1914, the Komagata Maru, a ship carrying 376 immigrants from British India, was turned away when it tried to land in Vancouver Harbour. Many of the men on board, veterans of the British Indian Army, believed it was their right to settle anywhere in the empire they had fought to defend. They were wrong. Immigration boats surrounded the ship, making the passengers virtual prisoners. Thus began a dramatic stand-off that would become one of the most infamous events in Canadian history. Why would Canada turn away these South Asian migrants when it had accepted more than 400,000 immigrants the previous year? Why were some of the passengers killed upon their forced return to India? How did this ship pose a threat to the mightiest empire the world had ever known? Undesirables: White Canada and the Komagata Maru addresses these and other provocative questions.

Ali Kazimi is a Toronto-based filmmaker. Continuous Journey, his 2004 feature documentary investigating the events surrounding the Komagata Maru, has won awards on three continents to date. Kazimi is an associate professor in the Department of Film at York University.

Douglas & McIntyre - $39.95 - History

1:00 - 1:30 PM :: The Curiosity of School: Education and the Dark Side of Enlightenment - Zander Sherman

Though most of us have spent a considerable amount of time in school, few have spent much time considering the institution itself. What is the true function of the school system? We assume that education will make us free but mandatory schooling was actually introduced specifically to make citizens less free as governments sought to create a loyal citizenry and industry trained workers. The Curiosity of School will make you reflect on your own experience at school and probably provoke an argument or two. And isn’t that what education should be about?

Zander Sherman has worked as a freelance writer, photographer, and musician. He has currently lives north of Toronto. When he isn’t writing, Sherman composes music. In 2011, a short film he scored was a finalist for the Annecy International Animated Film Festival. The Curiosity of School is his first book.

Viking Canada - $32.00 - Non-fiction

1:30 - 2:00 PM :: The Virtual Self - Nora Young

We generate enormous amounts of online data about our habits: where we go, what we do, and how we feel. Some of that data is information we choose to record; some of it we leave behind in digital trails merely by going about our daily lives in an increasingly digital world. The Virtual Self examines the growing phenomenon of self-tracking – why it’s compulsive, and what it means for our sense of self. While the data we create can be a powerful tool for personal improvement, and for building more responsive communities and governments, it also comes with real dangers. Nora Young argues that if we wrestle now with issues such as privacy and information control, we can harness the power of all that data.

Nora Young is the host and the creator of Spark, a show about technology and culture that airs on CBC Radio. She was the founding host of Definitely Not the Opera, where she first began writing and broadcasting about technologically mediated change. She lives in Toronto.

McClelland & Stewart - $29.99 – Social Science

2:00 - 2:30 PM :: Intolerable - Kamal Al-Solaylee 

Kamal Al-Solaylee’s father was one of the wealthiest property owners in the south of Yemen, but when the country shrugged off its colonial roots his family was forced to leave. After a few peaceful years, even the safe haven of Cairo struggled under a new wave of Islamic extremism. The family returned to Yemen, a country that was then culturally isolated from the rest of the world. As a gay man living in an intolerant country, Al-Solaylee escaped to Canada. While he was enjoying the freedoms of life in the West, his once-liberal family slowly fell into the hard-line interpretations of Islam that were sweeping large parts of the Arab-Muslim world. The differences between his life and theirs were brought into sharp relief by the 2011 revolution in Egypt and the civil war in Yemen. Intolerable is part memoir of an Arab family caught in the turmoil of Middle Eastern politics, part personal coming-out narrative and part cultural analysis.

Kamal Al-Solaylee, an assistant professor and undergraduate program director at the School of Journalism at Ryerson University, was previously a writer at The Globe and Mail. Al-Solaylee also worked at Report on Business magazine and has written features and reviews for the Toronto Star, National Post, The Walrus, Toronto Life, Chatelaine, EYE WEEKLY, Literary Review of Canada and ELLE Canada.

HarperCollins Canada - $31.99 - Memoir

2:30 - 3:00 PM :: Room For All of Us - Adrienne Clarkson

In this unusually revealing personal inquiry, former Governor General Adrienne Clarkson explores the immigrant experience through the people who have helped transform Canada. The Canadians she befriends—whether an Ismaili politician, a Holocaust survivor, a Chilean artist, or a Vietnam War deserter—illustrate the changing idea of what it means to be Canadian and the kind of country we have created over the decades. Like her, many of the people who came to Canada did not have a real choice; they often arrived friendless and with a sense of loss. Yet their struggles and successes have enriched our country immeasurably. Written with humour and insight and enriched by Clarkson’s own memories of her trajectory from Hong Kong refugee to distinguished Canadian figure, Room for All of Us is a tale of many destinies.

Adrienne Clarkson, Canada's twenty-sixth Governor General, has had a multi-faceted career as an accomplished broadcaster and distinguished public servant. She has received numerous prestigious awards and honorary degrees in Canada and abroad, and in 2005, she founded The Institute for Canadian Citizenship. Her autobiography, Heart Matters, appeared in 2006, and her biography of Norman Bethune was published in 2009 as part of Penguin's Extraordinary Canadians series.

Penguin Canada - $22.00 - Memoir

3:00 - 3:30 PM :: Road To Valour - Aili McConnon and Andres McConnon

Road to Valour is the inspiring, against-the-odds story of Gino Bartali, the cyclist who made the greatest comeback in Tour de France history and, between his Tour victories, secretly aided the Italian resistance during World War II. Set in Italy and France against the turbulent backdrop of an unforgiving sport and threatening politics, Road to Valour is the breathtaking account of one man’s unsung heroism and his resilience in the face of adversity. Based on nearly ten years of research in Italy, France, and Israel, including interviews with Bartali’s family, former teammates,a Holocaust survivor Bartali saved, and many others, Road to Valouristhe first book ever written about Bartali in English and the only book written in any language to fully explore the scope of Bartali’s wartime work. An epic tale of courage, comeback, and redemption, it is the untold story of one of the greatest athletes of the twentieth century.

Aili McConnon is a Canadian journalist living in New York who has been a staff writer for BusinessWeek and has also written for the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, and the Guardian.

Andres McConnon has been a historical researcher for several books. Aili and Andres are siblings, born in Toronto.

Doubleday Canada - $32.95 - History

3:30 - 4:00 PM :: The Woman Who Changed Her Brain - Barbara Arrowsmith-Young

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young was born with severe learning disabilities that caused teachers to label her slow, stubborn—or worse. But by relying on her formidable memory and iron will, she made her way to graduate school, where she chanced upon research that inspired her to invent cognitive exercises to “fix” her own brain. Recent discoveries in neuroscience have conclusively demonstrated that, by engaging in certain mental tasks or activities, we actually change the structure of our brains—from the cells themselves to the connections between cells. Our brains shape us, but this book offers clear and hopeful evidence of the corollary: we can shape our brains.

Barbara Arrowsmith-Young is the Director of Arrowsmith School and Arrowsmith Program. She holds both a B.A.Sc. in Child Studies from the University of Guelph, and a Master’s degree in School Psychology from the University of Toronto (Ontario Institute for Studies in Education).

Free Press, an imprint of Simon & Schuster - $29.99 – Non-fiction

4:00 - 4:30 PM :: Menu Confidential - Megan Ogilvie

Menu Confidential is a book for every Canadian who dines out. That’s most of us. One-quarter of Canadians, 8.5 million people, dine out once or twice a week. Most Canadians intend to eat right when having a meal outside their home, but few put those good intentions into practice. Packed with colour photographs, Menu Confidential is not a traditional weight-loss book. Rather, it is a guide to navigating the dining scene, with solid facts, eye-opening analysis and easy-to-use tips. Over time, those who make better, more informed choices can lose weight, becoming smart diners with an edge on keeping those creeping pounds at bay.

Megan Ogilvie is a health reporter at the Toronto Star, where she writes the popular column “The Dish”. Prior to starting her career in journalism, Megan spent a year learning to write about science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. And while she adores a good burger, Megan now knows to order the junior version (and the smallest pack of fries) and enjoys every bite.

Collins, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers Ltd. - $19.99 - Health

4:30 - 5:00 PM :: Ecoholic Body: Your Ultimate Earth-Friendly Guide to Living Healthy and Looking Good - Adria Vasil

Adria Vasil is back with a book no health- or planet-conscious Canadian should be without. In Ecoholic Body, Vasil explores the various pollutants hiding in everything from our sinus meds to sunscreen, while calling out natural products that fake their green cred. Vasil covers the tough choices we make when we hit the drugstore, health store or brand-name clothing chains. Ecoholic Body boasts exhaustive testing guides for everything from natural deodorant (do any of them work?) to herbal shampoos; detailed suggestions for getting healthy by picking supplements and super foods that are good for the planet and your body; sustainable sex; tips on the latest eco-friendly fashion; plus everything you need to know for giving your kids the healthiest start.

Adria Vasil is the bestselling author of Ecoholic and Ecoholic Home. She's been writing the feisty and informative “Ecoholic” advice column for NOW Magazine since 2004 and has covered environmental issues for NOW's news section for over a decade.

Vintage Canada - $29.95 – Non-fiction

5:00 - 5:30 PM :: The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary (Winner of the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize for Literary Non-fiction) - Andrew Westoll

Andrew Westoll spent months at Fauna Sanctuary, a refuge for thirteen chimps rescued from a research lab, as a volunteer caregiver. In The Chimps of Fauna Sanctuary, Westoll vividly recounts his adventures in the chimp house and the heart-wrenching histories of its residents. Through Westoll’s eyes, we witness the chimps’ remarkable recovery first-hand. Simple things like establishing friendships, nurturing alliances, grooming one another and playing games are all poignant testament to the capacity of these animals to heal—and to learn how to be chimps again.

Andrew Westoll is an award-winning narrative journalist and internationally published author. A former biologist and primatologist, his first book, The Riverbones, is a travel memoir set in the jungles of Suriname, where he once lived as a monkey researcher. Andrew now lives and writes in Toronto.

HarperCollins Canada - Hardcover: $29.99; Paperback: $17.99 - Non-fiction