With so many new books coming out, fall can be both an exhilarating and an overwhelming time for readers.
At CBC Books, we’ve got you covered with a list of the must-read Canadian fiction titles publishing this fall.
From page-turning novels to compelling short story collections, there’s a wide variety of books to dive into, both from authors we already know and love and those who are making their exciting debuts.
If you’re interested in writing fiction, the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize will be accepting submissions between Sept. 1 and Nov. 1. You can submit your original, unpublished short fiction for a chance to win $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have your story published on CBC Books.
You’ve Changed by Ian Williams
In You’ve Changed, middle-aged couple Beckett and Princess are having marital issues. They’re sent into parallel mid-life crises after their friends come to visit for the weekend. While Princess is concerned that their problems stem from her physical attributes and turns to surgery, Beckett decides to relaunch his contracting business in the hope that his accomplishments will revive their relationship. They’re changing for each other but also discovering new things about themselves. Will their marriage survive?
When you can read it: Aug. 26
Ian Williams is the author of several books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. His debut novel, Reproduction, won the Scotiabank Giller Prize. He gave the 2024 Massey Lecture on his non-fiction book What I Mean to Say. Williams is a professor of English at the University of Toronto and director of the creative writing program. He is based in Toronto.
IdeasWhy Massey Lecturer Ian Williams Stays Open to All Perspectives
Aliens on the Moon by Thomas King
Aliens on the Moon follows the residents of a small Ontario town who are dealing with different life-changing challenges when their lives are suddenly upended by the arrival of aliens on the moon. Their reactions are both comical and revealing, with some fearing the aliens’ proclaimed mandate to save Earth and others seeing their visit as a chance to take advantage of possible perks like a massive discount weekend at Costco.
When you can read it: Aug. 26
Thomas King is a Canadian-American writer of Cherokee and Greek ancestry. His books include Truth & Bright Water, Green Grass, Running Water (which was on Canada Reads in 2004), The Inconvenient Indian (which was on Canada Reads in 2015), and The Back of the Turtle, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction in 2014. He also writes the DreadfulWater mystery series. He lives in Ontario.
The Next ChapterThomas King on Deep House
All Things Under the Moon by Ann Y.K. Choi
Set in 1924 in Korea, during the Japanese occupation, All Things Under the Moon tells the story of Na-Young, a young woman living in Daegeori, a rural village. When her father arranges a marriage for her to a man she’s never met, she and her friend decide to run away. On their journey, they have a violent encounter with the occupying forces, which drastically changes the course of both their lives. As their lives converge, the women try to control their destiny in a time and place full of constraints.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Ann Y.K. Choi is a writer and educator from Chung-Ju, South Korea, living in Toronto. Her debut novel, Kay’s Lucky Coin Variety, was on the short list for the Toronto Book Award. She has been recognized by the Korean Canadian Heritage Committee with its culture award, and teaches creative writing at the University of Toronto.
Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park
In Oxford Soju Club, North Korean spymaster Doha Kim is killed without explanation. His protege Yohan Kim only has one clue to figure out what happened to him — his dying words: “Soju Club, Dr. Ryu.” At the same time, Yunah Choi, a Korean American CIA agent, is pulling at threads for her investigation into North Korean spies after an assassination. As the plot lines become more and more entangled, the Soju Club — the only Korean restaurant in Oxford — seems to be at the heart of all the chaos.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Jinwoo Park is a Korean Canadian writer based in Montreal. He won the 2021 Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award and did his master’s degree in creative writing at the University of Oxford. Oxford Soju Club is his debut novel.
The Trial of Katterfelto by Michael Redhill
In the late 1700s, scientist and magician Gustavus Katterfelto draws crowds throughout the English country with his stunts and tricks, carefully planned and executed with the help of his friend Roger. In The Trial of Katterfelto, the two discover a mysterious metal horn from which the voice of a woman called Siri of Toronto rings through. She tells them of her world, struggling with climate disaster and unrest, and sends them on a quest that tests the bounds of their friendship.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Michael Redhill is a poet, playwright and novelist. His novels include Martin Sloane, which won the Amazon First Novel Award; Consolation, which was longlisted for the 2007 Man Booker Prize, and Bellevue Square, which won the 2017 Giller Prize. Redhill also writes mysteries under the pseudonym Inger Ash Wolfe. He currently lives in Toronto.
Days of Feasting and Rejoicing by David Bergen
In Days of Feasting and Rejoicing, Esther is an American expat living in the Thailand house of the popular and wealthier Christine. When the women are on holiday in Bali, Christine drowns despite Esther’s efforts to save her. In the commotion, the police confuse Esther for Christine and she jumps at the opportunity to be someone else. But as a police captain launches further investigations into Christine’s death, Esther finds herself pulling people into her lies.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
David Bergen has written numerous including Away from the Dead and Out of Mind. He’s won the Carol Shields Winnipeg Book Award, the Margaret Laurence Award for Fiction, the McNally Robinson Book of the Year and the Writers’ Trust Matt Cohen Award, in recognition of his dedication to his craft. He lives in Winnipeg.
The Cree Word for Love by Tracey Lindberg, illustrated by George Littlechild
Through original fiction stories and artwork, The Cree Word for Love looks at the way love manifests in Cree culture even though there’s no word for it in their language. It examines themes of family love, romantic love and self-love through the seasons and ceremonies of Cree life.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Tracey Lindberg is a citizen of As’in’i’wa’chi Ni’yaw Nation, Rocky Mountain Cree, and is from the Kelly Lake Cree Nation in British Columbia. She is a scholar, writer and law professor. Her debut novel was Birdie, which was shortlisted for Canada Reads 2016, the Kobo Emerging Writer Prize and the Georges Bugnet Award for Fiction. She lives near Ottawa.
George Littlechild is a Plains Cree artist born in Edmonton. His work is known for being bold and colourful, with serious political themes.
Beaver Hills Forever by Conor Kerr
Beaver Hills Forever is a novella that dives into the lives of four Métis people on the prairie — Buddy, Baby Momma, Fancy University Boy and Aunty Prof — who are exploring the options available to them. With alternating voices and stories, the characters reveal their dreams, challenges and day-to-day life.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
Conor Kerr is a Métis Ukrainian writer living in Edmonton. A 2022 CBC Books writer to watch, his previous works include the poetry collection Old Gods and the novel Avenue of Champions, which was longlisted for the 2022 Scotiabank Giller Prize and won the ReLit award the same year. His most recent book, Prairie Edge, was shortlisted both for the 2024 Giller Prize and the 2024 Atwood Gibson fiction prize. Kerr was on the 2021 CBC Poetry Prize longlist. He was also one of the jurors for the 2025 CBC Short Story Prize.
The Next ChapterBison roam Downtown Edmonton in Prairie Edge
Big of You by Elise Levine
Big of You is a short story collection featuring strong characters, including two young women hitchhiking in Europe and a space team dealing with the unexpected death of a colleague. Playful yet nuanced, Big of You spans time and place to capture moments both mundane and extraordinary.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
Elise Levine is a writer and a creative writing teacher at Johns Hopkins University. Her books include Say This, This Wicked Tongue and Blue Field. Her writing has been published in Ploughshares, Copper Nickel, Blackbird, The Walrus and Best Canadian Stories. Originally from Toronto, she currently lives in Baltimore.
Letters to Kafka by Christine Estima
Letters to Kafka, set in 1919 Vienna, follows Milena Jesenská, a 23-year-old trapped in a loveless marriage who translates to supplement her husband’s income. After meeting Franz Kafka in Prague, she sends him a letter asking permission to translate one of his stories from German to Czech. This leads to a passionate conversation through letters, eventually resulting in two meetings — and an affair that might be so much more.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
Christine Estima is a writer and journalist living in Toronto. She is the author of the short story collection The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society. Her work has appeared in New York Times, The Walrus, Vice, the Globe and Mail and CBC. In 2015, she was longlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize.
The Next ChapterChristine Estima highlights the contributions of Arab Canadians in her latest book
Suddenly Light by Nina Dunic
With striking realism, the collection Suddenly Light brings together 15 short stories that explore the joys and challenges of life and the threads that tie us together.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
Nina Dunic is an Ontario writer of the novel The Clarion, which won the Trillium Book Award and was on the 2023 Giller Prize longlist. She has been longlisted four times for the CBC Short Story Prize: in 2023 for The Artist, in 2022 for Youth, in 2020 for Bodies and in 2019 for an earlier version of Bodies.
Runs in the Blood by Matthew J. Trafford
Runs in the Blood is a short story collection about queer life and family, both biological and chosen. From stories about a lesbian mother taking her daughter to a princess party to a gay couple willing to do the unconventional to have a baby, Runs in the Blood is a dark, funny look into the concept of nature versus nurture.
When you can read it: Sept. 16
Matthew J. Trafford is the writer of the short story collection The Divinity Gene. He has an master’s degree in creative writing from the University of British Columbia and is currently based in Toronto.
Self Care by Russell Smith
In Self Care, Gloria is a young writer struggling with modern dating — the apps, the married men and the dick pics. One day, she makes a glib pass at a man on the subway platform. He shows up at her health club, waiting for her, a few days later. Gloria decides to meet him for coffee on the premise that she wants to interview him for an article about incels, but they find their way back to her place. Their relationship intensifies and she slowly feels herself falling into dangerous territory.
When you can read it: Sept. 16
Russell Smith is a Toronto writer and an acquiring editor at Dundurn Press. His books have been nominated for the the Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Amazon First Novel Award. Smith’s articles have appeared in New York Review of Books, the Globe and Mail and The Walrus.
Rufous and Calliope by Sarah Louise Butler
Rufous and Calliope are twin siblings in British Columbia. Rufous, a modern-day cartographer, makes a solo journey to find the childhood tree house hideaway where he, Calliope and their half-siblings once spent a summer on the run. On his trek, he must face harsh terrain while being flooded with memories as the lines blur between reality and dreams.
When you can read it: Sept. 16
Sarah Louise Butler is the writer of the novel The Wild Heavens, which was a 49th Shelf Book of the Year. She was named a CBC Writer to Watch in 2020 and lives in British Columbia.
The Spirit of Scatarie by Lesley Crewe
The Spirit of Scatarie is about three children born on Christmas Day in 1922 on Scatarie Island, off the coast of Cape Breton. As the three friends grow up, things around the island begin to change, including the start of the Second World War. Each takes on different roles during the war and they become separated, but the spirit of a young girl shipwrecked on the island 100 years earlier guides them on their way.
When you can read it: Sept. 16
Lesley Crewe is a Nova Scotia columnist, screenwriter and author of several novels, including Recipe for a Good Life, Beholden, Mary, Mary, Amazing Grace, Chloe Sparrow, Kin, and Relative Happiness, which has been adapted into a feature film, and The Spoon Stealer, which won the Jim Connors Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction and was longlisted for Canada Reads in 2022.
The Next ChapterThe Recipe for a Good Life — simplicity and the Maritimes
Starry Starry Night by Shani Mootoo
In Starry Starry Night, we see life through the eyes of Anju Ghoshal, a young girl growing up in Trinidad in the 1960s from the ages of four to 12. Though her family is comfortable, she must fend for herself early on and her observant voice offers perspective into family, loss and trauma in a British colony before and after its independence.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
Shani Mootoo is a writer and visual artist who currently lives in Ontario. Her debut novel was 1997’s Cereus Blooms at Night. Her novel Polar Vortex was shortlisted for the 2020 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Her other books include the novels Cane | Fire, Moving Forward Sideways like a Crab and Valmiki’s Daughter. In 2022, she won the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award for fiction writers in the middle of their career.
We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad
A sequel and prequel to Bunny, Mona Awad’s debut novel, We Love You, Bunny takes readers back to the New England town and creative writing MFA that started it all. A few years later, Sam publishes her book about the violent and surreal experiences with the other cliquey girls in her program. On her book tour, she stops at her alma mater and is kidnapped by her frenemies, who are upset with the way she portrayed them in her book. With Sam tied up in the fateful attic, the bunnies go back in time, recounting the story as they remember it.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
Awad is a Boston-based author whose debut short story collection, 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, won the Amazon Canada First Novel Award, the Colorado Book Award and was shortlisted for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize. She is also the author of the novels Bunny, Rouge and All’s Well. Awad teaches at Syracuse University.
The Next ChapterMona Awad’s Rouge explores the beauty myth with a horror tinged take on Snow White
The Sapling by Marc Bendavid
In this debut autobiographical novel, Marc develops a special bond with his teacher Klara, an immigrant to Toronto from South Africa. Throughout his time at the elementary school, they get closer, talking about art, books and the life she left behind — but not without scrutiny from the outside world. As Marc moves onto high school and beyond, they’re not in contact as much, and Marc struggles to hold onto the memories. When Klara’s daughter calls with sad news, all of what he experienced vividly returns.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
Marc Bendavid is a writer and actor originally from Toronto who divides his time between there and Los Angeles. The Sapling is his first book.
A Place for People Like Us by Danila Botha
A Place for People Like Us opens up the world of Hannah and Jillian, who instantly form an addictive connection. They’ve both got big dreams but are feeling lost at how to achieve them. When Hannah learns that Jillian hasn’t been honest with her, their relationship is put to the test — and they might find themselves even more lost than before.
When you can read it: Sept. 29
Danila Botha is the writer of the novel Too Much on the Inside and the short story collections The Things That Cause Inappropriate Happiness, Got No Secrets and For All The Men (and Some of the Women) I’ve Known, which was shortlisted for the Trillium Book Award, the Vine Award and the ReLit Award. She teaches at the Humber School for Writers.
Hemo Sapiens by Emily A. Weedon
Hemo Sapiens follows detective Luke and his wife, Beatrice, who are expecting their first baby. Luke becomes more and more concerned about Beatrice’s strange behaviour and obsession with frequenting a mysterious medical spa for prenatal treatments. Luke is then drawn to the spa’s enigmatic owner, who has a major secret of her own. When he’s thrown into an investigation about runaway boys found drained entirely of blood, he must figure out who’s behind it and protect his wife and child.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Emily A. Weedon is an author and screenwriter based in Toronto. Her debut novel was the dystopian Autokrator. She won a Canadian Screen Award for her work on Chateau Laurier and Red Ketchup.
The Hunger We Pass Down by Jen Sookfong Lee
In The Hunger We Pass Down, someone — or something — begins to clean up the house for overwhelmed single mother Alice Chow. While it’s a little unsettling, she’s happy to have extra time to spend with her kids and her mother, who finally decides to open up and share stories about her family history. As the past reveals itself, the family’s demons, both real and subconscious, start to make themselves known.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Jen Sookfong Lee has written the memoir Superfan, which was a finalist for the 2024 Forest of Reading Evergreen Award and the City of Vancouver Book Award; the novel The Conjoined, the non-fiction book Gentleman of the Shade; and the poetry collection The Shadow List. Lee is an editor for ECW Press. She’s from Vancouver’s East Side and currently lives in North Burnaby, B.C.
The Next ChapterJen Sookfong Lee on Superfan
Wolf, Moon, Dog by Thomas Wharton
When Wolf is left out of his pack, he is drawn to the strange animals that walk on two legs, humans. In exchange for food, he protects them through the night, and they realize that they’re not all that different after all. Wolf, Moon, Dog spans cultures, space and time to show the emotions and many iterations of the relationship between humans and dogs.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Thomas Wharton is the author of The Book of Rain, which was shortlisted for the 2023 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize; Icefields, which was a finalist for Canada Reads 2008, and Salamander, which was shortlisted for the 2001 Governor General’s Award for fiction and was also a finalist for the Rogers Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. He is based in Alberta. Wharton was on the longlist for the 2013 CBC Short Story Prize.
The Next ChapterThomas Wharton on The Book of Rain
The First Thousand Trees by Premee Mohamed
In The First Thousand Trees, Henryk has made a fatal mistake that has left him shunned by his community. With his parents dead and his best friend gone, he decides to leave his hometown to search for his distant family. But life in his uncle’s impoverished village is hard, and he’ll have to work to make a place for himself in the dark world where he finds himself.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Premee Mohamed is an Indo-Caribbean scientist and speculative fiction writer. Her series Beneath the Rising received nominations for the Crawford Award, British Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards and Aurora Awards. She is based in Edmonton. Her novel The Siege of Burning Grass was named best novel at the Aurora Awards, and her series Beneath the Rising received nominations for the Crawford Award, British Fantasy Awards, Locus Awards and Aurora Awards.
The Next ChapterThis compelling narrative is set in the future in the climate-crisis-stricken wilderness of Alberta’s Rocky Mountains
Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa
Pick A Colour tells the story of the day in the life of Ning, a retired boxer who works at a nail salon. Ning paints and polishes customers’ nails, falling into the routine and rhythms. But despite her anonymous exterior, she’s an intellectual, a deep thinker and is haunted by the roads not taken.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Souvankham Thammavongsa has written the short story collection How to Pronounce Knife, which won the Giller Prize and the Trillium Book Award. She’s also the author of four poetry collections and stand-alone stories that have been featured in The New Yorker, Harper’s Magazine, The Paris Review, The Atlantic and Granta. She was born in a refugee camp in Thailand and raised in Toronto.
It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard
When June Wood’s hit TV show gets cancelled, she’s got no excuse not to follow up on the mysterious email that invites her back to the New York City brownstone where she lived before moving to Los Angeles. The house was left to her and her former roommate, Adam, by the previous owner. The expensive property will soon be theirs — they just have to live together for four weeks while they finish the paperwork. One catch: June and Adam haven’t spoken in five years and aren’t on great terms. It’s Different This Time, right?
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Joss Richard is a writer and editorial and social media director. She’s worked at companies like Reese’s Book Club and Netflix. She created and hosts the podcast Three’s Company, Too and has won a Daytime Emmy Award. Born in Toronto, she lives in Los Angeles. It’s Different This Time is her debut book.
The Unfinished World by Marilyn Bowering
The Unfinished World follows Pearl after the death of her beloved grandmother, Nora. Still grieving, Pearl travels to Nora’s favourite places to spread her ashes and discovers handmade dolls that have been passed down in their family for generations. In each doll is a tiny note from Nora to Pearl, which leads her down a path of reflection and understanding to find her own happiness.
When you can read it: Oct. 4
Marilyn Bowering is a novelist and poet based in Victoria, B.C. Her books include Visible Worlds, which won the Ethel Fiction Prize, and More Richly in Earth, which was longlisted for the Saltire Prize.
Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell
After years of working at Dark Enterprises, Colin is dying to climb the corporate ladder and move forward from his low-level job. When he meets a mysterious stranger who offers him the opportunity to make it happen in exchange for a small favour, he can’t resist. But that small favour unleashes an ancient evil. In Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World, Colin will have to do whatever it takes to save it.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Mark Waddell is a writer and teacher living on Vancouver Island. He has a PhD from John Hopkins University in the history of science, medicine and technology. Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World is his debut novel.
Property by Kate Cayley
As neighbours grapple with their to-do lists, the challenges of parenthood and hosting a small dinner party, Property recounts the seemingly inconsequential events of one spring day in a gentrified neighbourhood. But by the end of the day, someone has died — a tragedy that marks the area forever.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Kate Cayley is the author of the short story collections How You Were Born and Householders, three poetry collections and multiple plays. Her books have won the Trillium Book Award and the Mitchell Prize for Poetry and her work has been published in Best Canadian Poetry, Best Canadian Stories, Brick and The New Quarterly. She lives in Toronto. Cayley made the longlist for the 2016 CBC Short Story Prize and the 2013 CBC Poetry Prize longlist.
Final Orbit by Chris Hadfield
Final Orbit is a thriller set in 1975, following the launch of an Apollo space mission. Apollo is meant to dock with a Russian Soyuz craft, signalling a new era of Soviet-American co-operation. When a deadly accident occurs, everything changes for the crew and for flight controller Kaz Zemeckis. At the same time, a secret Chinese spacecraft launches and is set to collide with the crew on the Apollo. Kaz must try to save the remaining crew in the sky by figuring out what’s going on with the enemy on land.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Hadfield was a military pilot and astronaut for 35 years. He was the first Canadian to walk in space and served as commander of the International Space Station. He received the NASA Exceptional Service Medal in 2002 and became a member of the Order of Canada in 2014. Hadfield is also the author of the thriller The Defector, the memoir An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, the children’s book The Darkest Dark, which was illustrated by the Fan Brothers, and the photo book You Are Here: Around the World in 92 Minutes. He lives in Toronto.
The Marionette by Terry Fallis
In The Marionette, successful thriller writer James Norval has always dreamed of living the life of the spies he writes about. He gets that opportunity when he ends up in a foreign prison after a string of bad luck, then is rescued by the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. As the favourite author of Mali’s president, he’s asked to help with a dangerous mission to remove 15 Canadians from Mali before their true intentions are revealed.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Terry Fallis is the author of several comedic novels including The High Road and Albatross. He won the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour for his debut novel The Best Laid Plans as well as for No Relation, and has been a finalist five times. The Best Laid Plans won Canada Reads 2011, when it was defended by Ali Velshi. He lives in Toronto.
The Next ChapterTerry Fallis on his favourite painters and why he wants to travel back in time
Princess Nai and Other Stories by Jamal Saeed
The stories in Princess Nai and Other Stories are poetic, imaginative and explore the dreams of their characters. Written throughout writer Jamal Saeed’s life — but most during the 12 years when he was a prisoner of conscience in Syria — Princess Nai and Other Stories opens windows into love, beauty, despair and hope.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Jamal Saeed is a writer from Syria now based in Kingston, Ont. He was shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Prize for his memoir My Road from Damascus.
Leave Our Bones Where They Lay by Aviaq Johnston
In Leave Our Bones Where They Lay, Jupi must travel every solstice to the base of a cliff to light a lamp and tell a story to appease an ancient being named Kipik — otherwise, there will be hell to pay. As Jupi nears the end of his life, he’ll have to pass on this burden to future generations, just as was done to him. But his children are not up to the task, so he must ask his granddaughter, who he barely knows, and see if she’ll be willing to carry their family’s weight.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Aviaq Johnston is an Inuk author from Igloolik, Nunavut, currently living in Iqaluit. Her books include Those Who Run in the Sky, which won an Indigenous Voices Award, Those Who Dwell Below and What’s My Superpower?, which was illustrated by Tim Mack.
A Fast Horse Never Brings Good News by Cary Fagan
A Fast Horse Never Brings Good News is a collection of five witty stories with compelling characters and sharp dialogue. From a love affair in 1970s London to musicians crossing into Saskatchewan to escape a deadly threat, the stories, while vastly different, are all fuelled by imagination.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Cary Fagan has written eight novel and six short story collections, earning him awards such as the Toronto Book Award the Canadian Jewish Literary Award for fiction. His books include A Bird’s Eye, Valentine’s Fall, The Student and The Animals. He lives in Toronto.
The Haunting of Paynes Hollow by Kelley Armstrong
Samantha Paynes is more than surprised when she learns that she was left the family’s valuable lake house property in her estranged grandfather’s will. They hadn’t spoken in 18 years, since her father died by suicide after he was accused of murdering a child at that very property. While Sam saw him burying the body, covered in blood, her grandfather always took his side. In The Haunting of Paynes Hollow, she must go back and stay at the house for a week to claim the property and, according to her grandfather, face the fact that she was wrong. Returning there brings up lots of old memories. She’s plagued by nightmares, paranoia and begins seeing things she never could have imagined.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Kelley Armstrong is the New York Times bestselling author of the Darkest Powers, Darkness Rising and Age of Legends trilogies for teens. She is also the author of numerous thriller and fantasy series for adults, three YA thrillers and the Royal Guide to Monster Slaying series. She lives in Ontario.
As the Earth Dreams edited by Terese Mason Pierre
As the Earth Dreams is a short story anthology of speculative fiction by Black Canadian authors. From teenagers flying on a magic carpet to a masseuse attending her mother’s fourth funeral, the stories span time, space and our understanding of the world, while envisioning stunning Black futures.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Terese Mason Pierre is a Toronto writer and editor at Augur magazine. Her work has appeared in The Walrus, Room, Brick, Quill & Quire, Uncanny Magazine and Fantasy Magazine. She won the Writers’ Trust Journey Prize and was named a Writers’ Trust Writing Star in 2023. Her debut poetry collection, Myth, was published in spring 2025.
The Works of Vermin by Hiron Ennes
The Works of Vermin is set in the fantastical city of Tiliard, carved into the stump of a tree that’s been around for years. Guy Moulène is determined to keep his sister out of debt so he takes on a dangerous job as an exterminator, hunting the terrifying creatures that crawl up from the river. He’s tasked with his most horrifying mark yet: a giant centipede with venom that can kill and a taste for art. But in order to keep his sister afloat, he has no choice but to pursue it.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Hiron Ennes is the writer of the novel Leech, which won the British Fantasy Award and was nominated for the World Fantasy Award. They are based in the Pacific Northwest region of British Columbia.
Six for Saint-Pierre by Kevin Major
The sixth book in the Sebastian Synard mystery series, Six for Saint-Pierre, takes Sebastian to the island of Saint-Pierre and Miquelon to visit his son, Nick, who is studying there for a semester. Nick’s new love, Zach, mysteriously disappears, and then turns up dead on a deserted shoreline. Sebastian finds himself trying to figure out what happened, while caught between the different strategies of the local gendarmerie, the RCMP and the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary.
When you can read it: Oct 14
Kevin Major is the Newfoundland writer of 23 books of fiction, non-fiction, poetry and theatre. His debut novel, Hold Fast, won the Governor General’s Award for children’s literature and was adapted into a feature film. His other crime novels in the Sebastian Synard series are One for the Rock, Two for the Tablelands, Three for Trinity, Four for Fogo Island and Five for Forteau.
Private Number by David Homel
Mikhail is a documentary filmmaker reeling from his latest project, which garnered attacks and attention from all sides after its screening. To get away from the commotion, he accepts an artist residency in the small mining city of Lepuy, France. The more time he spends in the town, the more he gets wrapped up in its business, from his fascination with a miner’s strike to an affair with Caroline, a married judge. As things get out of control, Mikhail wants to warn Caroline of the fallout but can’t because of her Private Number.
When you can read it: Oct. 16
David Homel is the writer of 10 novels including Electrical Storms, The Speaking Cure and The Teardown. He has also co-authored a series of books for children with Marie-Louise Gay. He lives in Montreal.
When Water Became Blue by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, translated by Rhonda Mullins
In When Water Became Blue, a woman embarks on an artist retreat on an island in the St. Lawrence Seaway, away from her partner and her daughter. While there, she encounters an artist who plants himself with an easel in front of the water every day, trying to capture the blue of the water. The two find themselves unable to look away from each other and tumble into a fleeting extramarital affair.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette a Montreal-based novelist, screenwriter and director. Her bestselling novel La femme qui fuit — inspired by her own grandmother’s life as an artist — was later translated into English and titled Suzanne. It won the Prix des libraires du Québec and was defended by Yanic Truesdale on Canada Reads 2019. Her other books include Je Voudrais Qu’on M’efface and Embrasser Yasser Arafat.
Rhonda Mullins is an award-winning translator based in Montreal. Her previous works include And Miles To Go Before I Sleep, The Laws of the Skies and Suzanne. A seven-time finalist for the Governor General’s Literary Award for Translation, Mullins won in 2015 for her translation of Jocelyne Saucier’s Twenty-One Cardinals. Her translation And the Birds Rained Down by Saucier was a Canada Reads selection for 2015.
A Little Holiday Fling by Farah Heron
Ruby Dhanji loves Christmas and everything to do with the United Kingdom. In A Little Holiday Fling, she’s on the verge of realizing her and her late mother’s dream of owning a small inn in England. She just needs hotel experience to make it happen. When she meets Rashid, the son of luxury hotel chain owners who hates the holiday season, she offers to give his nieces a Christmas they’ll never forget — if he’ll introduce her to his parents. But the more time they spend together, she starts to fall for him, even though she’s planning a move across the Atlantic.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Farah Heron is a writer from Toronto. She is also the author of the romantic comedies Just Playing House, Jana Goes Wild, The Chai Factor, Accidentally Engaged, Kamila Knows Best and the YA novels Meet Me on Love Street and Tahira in Bloom.
A Season for Spies by Iona Whishaw
A prequel to the Lane Winslow mystery series, A Season of Spies follows Lane in wartime England while on hiatus from her studies at Oxford. She’s working in a war office when she’s sent on a mission to escort an important agent to the north, where her family lives. As danger lurks throughout her journey, she’ll have to use everything she has to make it out safely and prove herself as a woman in a male-dominated world.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Iona Whishaw is a Vancouver-based author, former teacher and social worker. She has published works of short fiction, poetry, the children’s book Henry and the Cow Problem and the Lane Winslow Mystery series.
6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jurczyk
In desperate need to work on her new book, Agatha’s husband buys her a first class ticket on the 6:40 to Montreal, the scenic, six-hour train ride from Toronto to Montreal. The day is supposed to serve as a one-day writing retreat, with no Wi-Fi or distractions, but Agatha has plans of her own. When a passenger suddenly dies and the train breaks down in the middle of the snowy woods, things get sinister, and what was meant to be a peaceful train ride turns into a fight for survival.
When you can read it: Oct. 28
Eva Jurczyk is a writer and librarian from Toronto. Her books include The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections and That Night in the Library.
The Black Wolf by Louise Penny
The Black Wolf is the 20th mystery in the Inspector Gamache series, which follows the investigations of the head of the homicide department of the Sûreté du Québec. In this latest adventure, Gamache and his team uncover and prevent a domestic terrorist attack in Montreal, arresting a man known as the Black Wolf. But the arrest only uncovers a deeper conspiracy, most notably a sinister plot to make Canada the 51st state of the United States.
When you can read it: Oct. 28
Louise Penny is a celebrated writer best known for her mystery series following Chief Inspector Armand Gamache. The book series includes The Grey Wolf, Still Life, Bury Your Dead, A Trick of the Light and A World of Curiosities. It has sold more than four million copies worldwide. In 2022, the series was adapted into an Amazon Original eight-episode series called Three Pines. Penny won the 2020 Agatha Award for best contemporary novel for the 16th book in the series, All the Devils Are Here. In 2013, she was named to the Order of Canada.
Carthaginian Peace & Other Stories by Evie Christie
Carthaginian Peace & Other Stories is a short story collection examining everyday domestic life. The stories feature new lovers, friends hanging out in a park, mothers laying on the guilt, and couples trying to find a cure for loneliness.
When you can read it: Oct. 30
Evie Christie is an Ontario writer. Her books include Gutted, The Bourgeois Empire and Mere Extinction. She has adapted plays for Luminato, Necessary Angel Theatre Company and the National Theatre School of Canada.
A Ladder of Bones by Bunmi Oyinsan
A Ladder of Bones is a collection of intertwined stories that are set in West Africa, Canada, the United States and the Caribbean. The lives of five people, Siaka, Melvin, Timothy, Iona and Enilolobo — all who have lived terrifying childhoods — become interwoven when they return to West Africa as young adults. There they are forced to reckon with their pasts, while one of the characters tries to hunt them in a fit of rage.
When you can read it: Oct. 31
Bunmi Oyinsan is a Nigerian Canadian writer of novels, radio, television and theatre. Her YA novel Fabulous Four won the Matatu Prize and her novel Three Women was nominated for the Flora Nwapa Prize for women’s literature. Oyinsan writes, produces and presents the Sankofa Pan African Series on YouTube. She lives in Bowmanville, Ont.
Songs of Love on a December Night by David Adams Richards
In Songs of Love on a December Night, Jamie can’t shake the rumours about him surrounding his father’s death from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot. Years later, few people other than his fiancee, Gertie, believe his innocence, and the police finally arrest him. As details from the past resurface, the townsfolk — and the police — will have to reckon with the fact that there might be more to the story.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
David Adams Richards is an award-winning novelist, screenwriter, essayist, poet, senator and member of the Order of Canada. His books include Nights Below Station Street, which won the Governor General’s Literary Award, Mercy Among the Children, which won the Giller Prize, Lines on the Water, which won the General’s Literary Award for non-fiction, The Friends of Meagre Fortune and The Lost Highway. He lives in Fredericton.
Syncopation by Whitney French
In Syncopation, O and Z are young women, travel companions and lovers in a ravaged world. As a decades-long earthquake persists and people are forced to hide from deadly acid rain, the two women try to reconcile their ultimately different values — until a fateful choice must be made.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Whitney French is a writer, artist and publisher based in Toronto. Her work has been featured in Arc Poetry, Geist, the Puritan magazine, Water Magazine, CBC Books and Quill and Quire. French edited the anthology Black Writers Matter, which won the Saskatchewan Book Award for Publishing in 2020. She is the co-founder and publisher of Hush Harbour, a Black queer feminist press.
Queen Esther by John Irving
When Esther is not yet four years old, she’s orphaned and alone in Portland, Maine. Her father died on their passage from Vienna and her mother was murdered by antisemites in America. In Queen Esther, Dr. Larch of the orphanage realizes that Esther knows she’s Jewish and has trouble finding a Jewish family to adopt her. At 14, just as she’s about to become a ward of the state, Dr. Larch meets the Winslows, a philanthropic family who have previously fostered unadopted children. Even though they’re not Jewish, they take Esther in and she’s eternally grateful, even as she grows up and finds her way back to her birth city of Vienna.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
John Irving is an American-Canadian novelist and screenwriter. Irving achieved critical and popular acclaim after the international success of the 1978 novel The World According to Garp. His other work includes In One Person, The Cider House Rules, A Prayer for Owen Meany and Avenue of Mysteries. He lives in Toronto.
The Next ChapterJohn Irving take The Next Chapter’s Proust questionnaire
Evil Bones by Kathy Reichs
In Evil Bones, forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan is haunted by recent animal murders that have them mutilated and displayed in a strange way. When she gets a terrifying call that suggests the next victim could be human, she jumps on the case. After a woman is found killed in a way that mimics the animal murders, Temperance must race against the clock to solve the mystery and protect those she loves.
When you can read it: Nov. 18
Kathy Reichs is an academic and bestselling crime writer with more than 20 novels to her credit. Her bestselling mystery series about forensic anthropologist Temperance Brennan was adapted into the hit television show Bones. A long-time forensic anthropologist in Montreal, she now splits her time between Charlotte, N.C., and Charleston, S.C.
The Next ChapterKathy Reichs answers the Proust Questionnaire (Encore: Sept. 10, 2022)
Caste in the Stars by Leylah Attar
When Priya’s life falls apart, she finds herself at the last place she wants to be: her parents’ funeral home. Hoping to stay briefly, regroup and get back on her feet, she’s taken aback when her old crush, boy-next-door Ethan Knight, now a Hollywood actor, shows up back in town. He rents out the funeral home to shoot a movie and she finds herself trapped in close quarters with a man she can’t resist. She’ll have to decide if falling in love is worth the risk — and create space in a new-to-her world that wasn’t built with her in mind.
When you can read it: Dec. 16
Leylah Attar is an Indo-Canadian writer whose self-published work has been featured in New York Times, USA Today and Wall Street Journal’s bestseller lists. She won the Writer’s Digest Award and the IndieReader Discovery Award for her writing. Caste in the Stars is her debut traditionally published book. She lives in Toronto.
