HAMILTON READS

From pantless guinea pigs and spicy romantic fantasy, and from a tragically needless death in Ancaster to wartime memories hashed out in a Hamilton bar, these are local reads to heat up your summer!

Summer is the perfect time to conquer your to-be-read pile, whether you’re soaking in the sun at the beach or prefer the refuge of an air-conditioned coffee shop. Visit one of Hamilton’s independent bookstores to pick up one (or all!) of these great local reads. 

Guinea Pigs Don't Wear Pants 
Written and illustrated by Chris Paul (Rainbows) Farias

For decades, Chris Paul (Rainbows) Farias has helped individuals and organizations create spaces where everyone can feel like they belong through their work as an award-winning strategist, keynote speaker, queer educator, and expert in inclusion and belonging. But up until now, there’s been one thing missing from their impressive resume — children’s book author! That changed in June with the release of Guinea Pigs Don’t Wear Pants, their first picture book, which has everyone squealing. Celebrity endorsements include Rosie O'Donnell, Paris Hilton, and Fred Penner, among just a few! Farias says Guinea Pigs Don’t Wear Pants is the book they wish existed as a kid growing up in a small town. Using playful rhymes and vivid illustrations, it celebrates individuality and the freedom to express oneself, whether you’re flaunting lipstick, skirts, or chicken shirts — or none of the above!  

A Kiss of Crimson Ash
By Anuja Varghese

Three years after her short story collection, Chrysalis, won both the Writers’ Trust of Canada’s Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers and the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, Anuja Varghese is back with her debut novel — A Kiss of Crimson Ash. Inspired by medieval India’s most epic love stories, it brings readers to Nandapore, a fictional city of secrets and spellcasters, where they’ll meet a newly crowned queen, a heartsick prince, a common thief, and a courtesan with magic in her blood. The first of a trilogy, A Kiss of Crimson Ash is the perfect summer read that blends romance, fantasy, and a little bit of spice! 

The Peace Thieves
By Brent van Staalduinen

The Peace Thieves, the most recent book by Hamilton’s Brent van Staalduinen, is dedicated to “those who answer the call, and for those who love them.” It’s the story of Francis, a reserve army medic, who bore witness to the aftermath of ethnic cleansing in Croatia in the mid-1990s. Now, he runs a bar where soldiers like himself come to try to forget their wartime memories. That’s when Viva arrives in Hamilton, searching for the father she never knew. Told through the alternating voices of Francis and Viva, The Peace Thieves is a book about secrets, family, and the true costs of war. 

Blame: Death, Disability, and the Search for Justice for Guy Mitchell
By Dustin Galer

On a cool spring evening nearly 15 years ago, Guy Mitchell, a 38-year-old man with developmental disabilities, died in a dark, underground cistern on a rural property in Ancaster. Known for his energy and sociability, Mitchell delighted in helping others. However, those responsible for his care didn’t provide him with even the most basic of necessities. When police arrived, they found a disturbing scene with no running water, heat, or food. In Blame: Death, Disability, and the Search for Justice for Guy Mitchell, award-winning writer Dustin Galer meticulously explores what happened to Mitchell, reconstructing the events leading up to and following his death, as well as the systemic failures that allowed it to happen. 

Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge
By Harvey Brownstone

Born in Hamilton, but now living in the Niagara region, Harvey Brownstone is a retired judge of the Ontario Court of Justice and the first openly gay judge in Canada. His new memoir, Without Prejudice: My Life as a Gay Judge, was released this spring, recalling the many obstacles he surmounted, including homophobia, poverty, and depression. Those with an interest in law will be especially inspired by Brownstone’s impactful judicial career, marked by numerous innovations in the justice system, particularly revolutionizing Ontario’s child support enforcement program.