Perimeter’s favourite book recommendations for the new year

Looking to add some good reads to your bookshelf? We’ve collected a batch of literary recommendations from people across Perimeter Institute to get you inspired to hit the books in the new year. Happy reading.  

Connor Behan, Postdoctoral Researcher

The Last Hours, by Minette Walters.

This is an immersive story set in the Middle Ages, which follows a group of men and women who have recently been freed from indentured servitude by the arrival of the bubonic plague. Their efforts to create a new and more just society are threatened when details of their past lives begin to emerge. Readers can expect well-researched historical fiction combined with mystery and suspense. 

Luca Ciambelli, Postdoctoral Researcher

Angels and Demons, by Dan Brown

Highly recommended as it immerses you into what’s essentially a complex and thrilling treasure hunt. It also nicely puts science into the mix, with CERN and antimatter. Recommended to relax and distract your mind, especially after long days thinking about physics and reading complex articles; perfectly structured in short paragraphs to read bit by bit. 

Luciano Combi, Postdoctoral Researcher

Ever Since Darwin: Reflections in Natural History, by Stephen Jay Gould

I'm reading this collection of essays by Stephen Jay Gould on topics of evolution, biology, and science in general. It's masterfully written, infinitely interesting, and fun. Each essay is only a few pages long. I really recommend it, even if one is not particularly interested in biology and archaeology. 

Marina Maciel Ansanelli, Resident PhD Student

The Ways of White Folks, by Langston Hughes

I am really enjoying the book I’m reading right now: The Ways of White Folks. It is a series of short fictional stories about the interaction between the worlds of black people and white people in the deeply segregated society of the United States of the 1920s-1930s (the book is from 1934). All the stories that I’ve read so far are really impactful! 

Geoffrey Ryan, Research Scientist

A Memory Called Empire, by Arkady Martine

A pulpy, fun, and thoughtful sci-fi novel about the pull between the cultures of your home and of the empire next door. And it asks the question: how do you solve a murder without telling anyone you have the victim's memories in your head? 

Himanshu Sahu, Resident PhD Student

Stoner, by John Williams

Stoner follows the life of William Stoner: his life is not heroic and cannot be defined as anything but an ordinary life. For many, it may appear to be a failure. However, despite Stoner's seeming failure in many aspects of life, I think John Williams has portrayed best that, "It's the love of the thing that's essential." 

Elie Wolfe, Research Scientist

The Colossal Book of Mathematics, by Martin Gardner

Frankly, Martin Gardner is almost always guaranteed to please the curious reader. Primarily a journalist, Gardner curates an impressive collection of recreational mathematics with beautifully clear jargon-free writing accessible to a wide general audience. I was delighted by his explanation of sphere-packing paradoxes in nine dimensions, captivated by his descriptions of helical handedness in organic systems, and tickled by his simple presentation of non-transitive dice. It’s the kind of book that makes for great weekend reading and will make you see the world around you a little bit differently. I found myself excited to tell my friends about what I had learned in almost every chapter! The only downside is that the book is quite dated at this point, and quite a few of the “open problems” he tantalizes readers with have since been resolved. For instance, his chapter on aperiodic tilings of the plane primarily focuses on Penrose tiles, but was written decades before the aperiodic monotiles such as the Hat, the Turtle, and the Spectre were discovered. Even so, a fantastic compendium, heartily recommended. 

Gang Xu, PSI Lecturer

The Three-Body Problem Trilogy, by Cixin Liu.

It’s a science fiction book about Earth's past, present, and future.  It gives an answer to Fermi's paradox: are we alone in this universe? If we are not, where are the aliens? 

Damian Pope, Outreach Scientist

Quantum in Pictures, by Bob Coeke and Stefano Gogoioso

Quantum physics is humanity’s best understanding of the universe so far. It’s also notoriously tough to understand. This book presents a radically new and powerful way of thinking about quantum. It explains all of quantum physics using cartoon-like pictures and a handful of simple rules.

I love it because the researchers who wrote it tried hard to make quantum accessible to everyone. Also, the ideas in the book are being used by scientists to help build cutting-edge quantum computers. 

Maya Berger, Grants and Awards Officer

A Wrinkle in Time, by Madeleine L'Engle.

I first read A Wrinkle in Time when I was nine years old, and it introduced me to themes of self-acceptance, nonconformity, the power of the human spirit, and time as a dimension, as well as being my gateway into science fiction.   

Lauren Fitzgerald, Senior Manager, Donor Relations

Bluets, by Maggie Nelson

My favourite book is Bluets by Maggie Nelson. It's a blend between poetry and prose (often described as a lyrical essay) that explores love, grief, and life through an exploration of the colour blue. It's strikingly beautiful and full of emotion, despite its short length of just over 100 pages. 

Grace Hunter, Senior Writer/Editor

The Lottery and Other Short Stories, by Shirley Jackson

I’m endlessly jealous of Shirley Jackson’s writing skills, and this collection of short stories showcases a master of horror at work. Her tales use building tension and some black humour along the way to skewer social conventions.  

Cody Moore, Data Governance Analyst

The Wedding People, by Alison Espach

The Wedding People reads like a rom-com, but it carries much deeper and thought-provoking themes. The characters and their relationships are rich and engaging, with observant commentary on friendship, priorities, and the pressures of society. The story takes you on a genuine emotional journey, anchored by a main character who is deeply relatable in her struggles and growth. The takeaways from this book are bittersweet and reflective, I absolutely loved it!

Carleigh Nicholas, Advancement Coordinator, Events and Special Projects

Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, by Margaret Atwood

Smart, funny, and really engaging. I love that Margaret is Canadian, specifically from Ontario, and I especially liked getting a glimpse of what it was like to be a Canadian woman writer in her time. She incorporates real people who shaped or impacted her life in her books, which she touches on throughout this memoir. Her humour is dry and sharp which made the book feel light.  

Emily Petroff, Director, External Relations

The Count of Monte Cristo, by Alexandre Dumas

My number one favorite book of all time. It's the perfect novel. It has adventure, revenge, hidden identities, fabulous wealth, and human folly, not to mention the 1800's equivalent of wire fraud over the telegraph, and the biggest emerald in the world. It's set during an incredibly tumultuous time in France's history and the fictional story effortlessly weaves into the events of the period. This is one novel where a movie will absolutely never do it justice. Yes, it's over a thousand pages, but don't let that intimidate you! This book is a wild ride from start to finish.

Happy reading, and many thanks to all our contributors.

All responses have been lightly edited for clarity.