Having trouble concentrating? It might be because your room is a mess. In this international bestseller, Japanese cleaning consultant Marie Kondo will show you how to reorganize and get rid of clutter, for good. Using her famed KonMarie method, you must ask yourself: “Does this spark joy?”

Thanks to the modern applications of reason and science, the world is improving. Steven Pinker, a Montreal native and a graduate of Dawson College and McGill University, shows how the world has become less violent and less poor than it ever has been before. Bill Gates has called Enlightenment Now his favourite book of all time, with good reason. With plenty evidence and over 70 charts and graphs, this book will challenge your outlook on human progress.

How could we not include this one? The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is, according to some, one of the defining self-help books of the decade. With his sometimes snarky and always crass style, Mark Manson flips over societal ideas about positivity, anxiety, and hardship. Oh, and he’ll also tell you that contrary to what you’ve been told, you aren’t special. You’ll either hate this book or you’ll absolutely love it, but we say it’s worth giving a shot.

Malala Yousafzai was just 15 when she wrote about her experiences as a Pakistani girl under Taliban rule. A strong advocate for the right of girls to receive an education, she began writing for the BBC when she was 11, and when she was 14, she was shot by a Taliban gunman. I am Malala chronicles her journey, discussing her time at the school her father opened for girls and the tumultuous history of Pakistan. Yousfazai later became the youngest-ever Nobel Peace Prize laureate, at the age of 17. After reading her story, you’ll never again take your education for granted.

With so much going on in the world right now, it can be hard to focus and prioritize. In The Organized Mind, McGill Professor Daniel J. Levitin draws on the latest neuroscience to explain how our brains deal with the constant deluge of information we receive. He gives concrete tips and tricks for how to stay on top of it all and focus on what really matters.