Our Favourite Season is Awards 

As Moira from Schitt’s Creek would say, her favourite season is “Awards”. McGill Libraries has nearly every award-winning film from the Oscars, Golden Globes, Screen Actors Guild Awards and Director’s Guild Awards. This month’s display includes a selection of winners from the past five years, in DVD and as evideos. 

Family drama and relationships 

Many award-winning films explore complicated relationships and stories withing families. These are for viewers looking to get lost in character-driven stories about human connections. The Whale is the story of reclusive English teacher who seeks redemption by reconnecting with his estranged teenage daughter. In A Real Pain, two cousins embark on a Holocaust history tour of Poland, with moments of joy while coming to terms with grief and loss. Past Lives chronicles childhood friends, Nora and Hae Sung, over 24 years and several countries.  

Stories of Women 

For patrons looking for women’s stories, Barbie uses satire and fantasy to explore the pressures placed on women. The Eyes of Tammy Faye reframes a public figure long reduced to caricature, in a male‑dominated religious empire. In contrast, Women Talking offers a stark, intimate look at women confronting systemic harm and reclaiming their power. 

Power in True Stories 

Documentary films open a window into real lives and moments that shape our world. Our collection spans decades, genres and tone – from vibrant to harrowing, providing something for everyone who wants to take a closer look at a given subject. Summer of Soul is directed by Questlove, and showcases the 1969 Harlem Cultural Festival, which celebrated Black history, music, and fashion over six weeks.  For a look into the Russian siege of Mariupol in 2022, check out 20 Days in Mariupol. In 1991, French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft captured their lives and romance on stunning 16mm footage; Fire of Love explores their passion. 

Films for Mini-Movie Lovers 

Children’s films are also included in our award winners. Flow is a dialogue-free, animated adventure about a solitary cat navigating a flooded, post-apocalyptic world. For those who like more of a sing-along, Encanto follows the stories of a magical family in Columbia called The Madrigals, and in particular, the ups and downs of Mirabel.  Soul looks at big questions like “what is the meaning of life” and “what is our purpose” when a middle-school teacher ends up in the “Great Before” and teams up with a soul-in-training.  

Check out the Redpath Book Display in the McLennan-Redpath and our virtual display to see other titles that you may enjoy. Happy viewing!  

Podcasts have transformed the way we learn, connect, and share stories with each other. From investigative journalism to intimate conversations, podcasting offers a unique blend of accessibility and creativity. Whether you’re a seasoned podcaster or just curious about the craft, our latest book display celebrates the voices shaping this dynamic industry.

The art of storytelling
Jessica Abel’s Out on the wire: The storytelling secrets of the new masters of radio explores narrative techniques that make audio compelling. Abel’s work emphasizes how structure and emotion create unforgettable stories. This is essential reading for anyone who wants to develop their expertise.

Voices of change
Sarah Florini’s Beyond hashtags: Racial politics and Black digital networks examines how podcasting intersects with race and activism. Florini explores how Black creators use digital platforms to challenge narratives and build community, demonstrating how podcasting can be a powerful tool for social justice.

Academic innovation
Lizzie Beckstead’s Podcast or perish: Peer review and knowledge creation for the 21st Century reimagines scholarly communication through audio. This book shows how podcasts are reshaping academic publishing, making research more accessible and engaging for wider audiences.

Decolonizing podcasting
Baham and Higdon’s The podcaster’s dilemma: Decolonizing podcasters in the era of surveillance capitalism examines how podcasters navigate issues of power, identity, and resistance in a digital landscape dominated by surveillance and profit motives.

Streaming stories about podcasts
The display also features streaming films like Catch and kill: The podcast tapes (available to stream on Kanopy), which delves into the Ronan Farrow’s reporting behind one of the most explosive media stories of our time.

Works of fiction 

Sadie by Courtney Summers is a gripping novel that follows a young woman’s quest for justice after her sister’s murder, told through alternating perspectives of Sadie’s journey and a true-crime podcast investigating her disappearance, making it a perfect pick for fans of Serial or Someone Knows Something. 

Global perspectives
Ying Huang’s Ear economy: China audio streaming programs study offers insight into the booming audio industry in China. Huang’s analysis reveals how cultural and economic forces shape podcasting trends worldwide, providing a deeper look at how local trends influence global listening habits.

This book display invites you to explore podcasting from every angle: technical, cultural, and creative. Stop by McLennan-Redpath and discover how these authors are amplifying voices and shaping the future of audio storytelling.

In honour of Latin American and Hispanic Heritage month, our October book display invites you to explore the vibrant, complex, and deeply personal stories of Latinx diasporas in Canada and beyond. Entre mundos / Between Worlds brings together fiction, memoir, poetry, and scholarship that reflect the lived experiences of Latin American communities navigating migration, memory, and identity.

These books trace journeys across geographic, cultural, and emotional borders. They speak of homes left behind and new ones imagined, of identities shaped in motion, and of creativity born from displacement. Whether through the lens of revolutionary memoirs, diasporic art, digital storytelling, or speculative fiction, each work offers a unique perspective on what it means to live “entre mundos.”

Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter follows six-year-old Carmen Aguirre as she flees Chile for Canada with her family after Pinochet’s 1973 coup. Five years later, Carmen returns to South America with her mother and stepfather—members of the Chilean resistance—and begins living a double life alongside her sister. By 18, she becomes a militant herself, navigating a world of secrecy, danger, and defiant hope.

Latinocanadá highlights the literary contributions of Hispanic writers who have settled in Canada over the past thirty years, offering newly translated selections of their work. Latin America Made in Canada delves into questions of cultural production and identity within the Canadian landscape. Meanwhile, books like Rock the Nation and LatiNext explore Latinx artistic expression—through music and poetry respectively—revealing how creativity flourishes across diasporic communities.

Young, Well-Educated, and Adaptable, along with the French-language titles Marche ou crève : voix migrantes de l’Amérique latine and Rencontres : écrivains et artistes de l’Argentine et du Québec, document the diverse experiences of Latin American immigrants in Quebec. Historias de Montreal offers a similar perspective through fictional narratives, capturing the imagined and lived realities of diasporic life.

The display also features popular writers such as Silvia Moreno-García, a Mexican-Canadian author whose novels—Silver Nitrate, Mexican Gothic, and Velvet Was the Night—blend history, horror, and noir with Latinx sensibilities. Also included is Montreal-based Chilean author Nicholas Dawson, represented by works like Partir de loin, Désormais, ma demeure, Se faire éclaté.e : expériences marginales et écritures de soi, and House within a house, which explore themes of marginality, identity, and self-expression.