It was snowing this morning; which means Christmas is right around the corner! We love the holiday season in Toronto, but more on that later. We’ve got some book reviews to share!

These books will make great gifts for the book-lover in your family or you can just buy them for yourself – whatever floats your boat!

An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth by Commander Chris Hadfield

A memoir of sorts from now-retired Canadian Astronaut, Commander Chris Hadfield. This is a great read for anyone who is a fan of following your dreams and to a greater extent, space travel. Chris outlines how goal setting, visualization, a morbid curiosity and “learning to sweat the small stuff”  help keeps him in check both in space and on Terra Firma.

S. By J.J. Abrams and Doug Dorst

A mysterious book is left in a school library by one student and is picked up by another student. Inside the book she finds liner notes and clues to a wider conspiracy surrounding the book’s author. They begin conversing through the liner notes in order to unravel the mystery. Told in a stunning  meta-narrative and containing enough accompanying ephemera to enrage most librarians, to quote the back cover –  this is J.J. Abram’s “love letter to the written word”. Pro tip: while it’s hardly a “subway read” it makes a fantastic weekend adventure (if you have the time).

Have any others that you think should make our December reading list? Leave us a comment or let us know on Twitter!