What book changed your life? Here are some must-read recommendations from around B.C.

What book should all Canadians read?

It's a hotly-debated question that brought five panelists together this week for the The Canada Reads competition.

By Chance Alone by Max Eisen, championed by science journalist Ziya Tong, pulled ahead as the winner in the annual battle of the books for 2019.

But it's not the only book British Columbians have fallen in love with.

Here are a few other must-read suggestions from around the province:

The Oryx and Crake, by Margaret Atwood

"That was a really important book for me. It definitely feels like we are moving into the times that Atwood was writing about. I was afraid as I read it, thinking, 'This is going to happen in our future."Shelly Dodson, Pitt Meadows.

Starlight, by Richard Wagamese

"I can't say I've finished reading it because the book was not finished. What an absolutely brilliant piece of writing. I just could not put it down what incredible insight that man had about the human condition, nature and the environment." Bob Hayes, Kelowna.

Homes, by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah

"One thing I got from it was how important he found his Muslim faith, and how regenerating it was for him to go to church and go to prayer. I really thought that was an important aspect of the book because it gave me an insight to the Muslim religion that I didn'thave before. It gives me so much more understanding of the people around me." Jean Nelson, Clearwater.

And No Birds Sang, byFarley Mowat

"It describes PTSD without us knowing what it is.It stuck in my head because it's an extremely striking book. When men go to war, you don't realize why some would do what would normally seem to be bizarre things. Mowat describes it so well that you really do understand." Jean McNeill, Surrey.

The Way The Crow Flies, Ann-Marie MacDonald

"There is something for everybody in this book: politics, suspense, family relationships and a murder mystery. I took it away on holiday with me and was completely absorbed." VickiSimmons, Campbell River.