New Fiction and Non Fiction Books for Spring 2023

It’s been a long winter, but spring has finally arrived, at least according to the calendar! Make sure to take a break between spring cleaning chores including cleaning out cupboards and closets, and getting your garden ready for planting with some delicious new non fiction and fiction books for spring 2023. Here are some exciting new books for spring 2023 that you’ll want to add to your reading list!

Go As A River by Shelley Read

I received an advanced copy of Go As A River by Shelley Read and was hooked by the fifth page! Some have compared this book to Where The Crawdads Sing although I can’t comment on that since I have not read that book. On a Colorado peach farm set among the mountains, seventeen-year-old Victoria Nash works the farm while looking after her family since the death of her mother. She meets a captivating young man, Wilson Moon, from out-of-town purely by chance while running an errand in town. Their meeting and passionate relationship changes the course of both of their lives. Read is a gifted writer who paints exquisite pictures with her words. For example, she describes the look of snow as “sifted flour”. The story has benefited from an editor’s ruthless pen as there is nothing extraneous or drifting about the plot. This 300+ page novel weaves themes of racism, the environment and personal strength to create a truly memorable experience for the reader.



Go As A River by Shelley Read is available on March 28, 2023. ISBN 978-0-385-68877-2

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns

In this contemporary twist of the movie Taxi Driver, Damani is a queer, Pakistani woman driving a rideshare to support her ill mother. Often facing dangerous situations, she equips herself with hidden weapons to protect herself against violent customers. She navigates a minefield of customers such as the woman whom she drives to Bingo and young adults who vomit in her car. Damani’s rideshare colleagues are trying to organize to obtain more pay and rights for drivers while many other protests are taking place in the city. One day, Damani hits a woman, Jolene, who is white and wealthy, and with whom she develops a passionate relationship. Guns’s writing is sharp, funny and insightful and she knows how to develop momentum towards the story’s climax. This page turner gives a clear picture of the enormous effort it takes for members of marginalized communities trying to simply exist.

Your Driver Is Waiting by Priya Guns is published by Doubleday, a division of Penguin Random House. ISBN 978-0-385-54930-1

The Next Millionaire Next Door by Sarah Stanley Fallaw and Thomas J. Stanley

This book is an updated version of the original, The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley. Although many reviewers on Goodreads noted that it rehashed a lot of the information provided in the original book, this was not a concern for me since I didn’t read the first book. The information presented, supported by research, about the habits of millionaires was an eye-opener for me. For instance, wealthy people tend to buy Hondas and Toyotas, not high-end vehicles; they do not spend that much money on clothes, and they live in homes they can easily afford. The typical millionaire next door is not ostentatious about his/her wealth, which means your next door neighbour could be a millionaire (or multi-millionaire) and you would not know it. The Next Millionaire Next Door is a very inspiring read. I recommend it if you want to curb your spending and build wealth.

The Next Millionaire Next Door by Sarah Stanley Fallow is published by ISBN13: 978-1493035366

On the Ravine by Vincent Lam

One of the most anticipated books for spring 2023 is On the Ravine by Vincent Lam. The novel picks up several years later from where his Giller-Prize-winning short story collection, Bloodletting & Miraculous Cures left off. Dr. Chen, who runs a clinic for drug addicts, becomes concerned about the rising Fentanyl crisis in the city. Claire, a brilliant violinist who is addicted to heroin, appears at his clinic and the story takes off from there as Dr. Chen becomes personally involved in treating her. This book captivated me from the first few pages due to a number of reasons: 1) It takes places in Toronto, mostly in downtown Toronto and Rosedale; 2) The subject matter involves the treatment of heroin addicts; and 3) The exceptional writing. Lam draws from his own experiences as an addictions doctor, which gives richness and authenticity to the story. I have to admit there were sections of the book where I had to pay very close attention, particularly when the author was describing the effects of certain drugs or the intricacies of medical procedures. Lan gives us a microscopic view of the psychology of the drug user, the limitations of the medical profession and the weaknesses of the pharmaceutical drug industry all through a compassionate lens. I marvel at the author’s ability to excel in both the medical and writing fields and I wouldn’t be surprised to see this book nominated for The Giller Prize.

On The Ravine by Vincent Lam is published by Penguin Random House Canada. ISBN 978-0-7352-7771-7

Run Towards the Danger by Sarah Polley

Sarah Polley has made her name as an actor, writer and director in the film industry. Some of her work includes actor in the film, The Sweet Hereafter, writer of the Alias Grace TV miniseries, and writer and director of Away From Her, in which she was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Adapted Screenplay. Polley recently won the Oscar for Best Adapted Screenplay for Women Talking. During her career successes, Polley experienced several traumatic incidents including, more recently, a concussion. A doctor specializing in traumatic brain injuries advises her that she must “run towards the danger” in order for her brain to heal. Expanding upon this recommendation, Polley seems to be determined to run towards the traumas she has experienced in order to lessen their impact instead of allowing them to remain deep-rooted in her subconscious. The result is an unsparing account of some truly scary events including her harrowing encounter with Jian Ghomeshi when she was just 16 and the unsafe conditions on the sets of her TV show The Road to Avonlea and the film, The Adventures of Baron Munchausen. This is a gripping collection of essays that offer a groundbreaking strategy towards healing.

Run Towards the Danger is published by Penguin Random House Canada. ISBN 9-780735-242906

I hope you enjoyed learning about these new books for spring. You may be interested in reading, “Where To Have Easter Brunch in Toronto 2023“.