The CBC Books fall reading list: 39 books to check out this season

Need a great book to read this fall? CBC Books has got you covered with a list of must-read Canadian titles.

If you’re interested in writing fiction, the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize is accepting submissions until 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 You can submit your original, unpublished short fiction for a chance to win $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and have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.

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad A book cover of a bunny head with flowers. An author headshot of a woman with long brown hair. We Love You, Bunny is a book by Mona Awad. (Scribner Canada)

We Love You, Bunny is the sequel and prequel to Bunny. It follows Samantha Heather Mackey on a book tour for her newly published novel. But when she stops in New England, her eerie, sweet-faced former classmates — rich girls with a dark creative streak — kidnap her in retaliation for how she portrayed them in her book, and soon unleash their twisted powers.

Born in Montreal and based in Boston, Mona Awad is the author of the debut short story collection 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl, which 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 Rogue, Bunny and All’s Well. We Love You, Bunny is longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize.

Still by Joanna Cockerline A yellow book cover with a dandelion on it. A black and white headshot of a woman with long blonde hair. Still is a novel by Joanna Cockerline. (The Porcupine’s Quill)

A story of community, survival and hope, Still follows the story of Kayla, a woman living and working on the streets of Kelowna, B.C., as she searches for her missing friend, Little Zoe, a fellow sex worker. In the process, Kayla begins to confront her own past, and the pain and resilience of her childhood, and the path that led her to the streets.

When she befriends an outreach volunteer with her own struggles, they take photos together, realizing that everything is not always as it appears.

Joanna Cockerline is an author from Kelowna, B.C. She won second place in the CBC Short Story Prize in 2002 and her work has been published in Room, The Fiddlehead and En Route. She was nominated for the Pushcart Prize in 2022 and co-authored the short story collection Seeing Our Sisters with Munira Hussein, Rehema Zuberi, Hellen Mwololo, Ellah Hallets and Jacque Nzioka. Still is longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize.

The Cree Word for Love by Tracey Lindberg A book cover of a colourful painting of a Cree woman. A headshot of a woman with brown hair and glasses looking right. The Cree Word for Love is a book by Tracey Lindberg, pictured, illustrated by George Littlechild. (HarperAvenue, Keysay Cook-Lindberg)

Through original fiction stories by Tracey Lindberg and artwork by George Littlechild, Lindberg’s latest work of fiction, 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.

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 on WSÁNEĆ territory near Victoria. Lindberg was recently announced as a juror for the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize.

Decolonization and Me by Kristy McLeod and Phyllis Webstad A book cover with orange-coloured, and faded orange-coloured t-shirts in a circle and two headshot photos of a woman with short grey hair and another with long brown hair. Decolonization and Me is a book by Kristy McLeod, right, and Phyllis Webstad, left. (Medicine Wheel Publishing)

Residential school survivor and founder of the Orange Shirt Day movement, Phyllis Webstad, joins Métis scholar Kristy McLeod to co-author a powerful book of thoughtful conversations exploring decolonization, Indigenization, healing, and the shared responsibility of Truth and Reconciliation. Through Decolonization and Me, readers are invited to confront personal biases, denial, and privilege, and to reflect deeply on their own relationship with reconciliation.

Webstad is Northern Secwepemc from the Stswecem’c Xgat’tem First Nation (Canoe Creek Indian Band). She comes from a mixed Secwepemc and Irish/French heritage. She currently lives in Williams Lake, B.C. Her first children’s book, The Orange Shirt Story, tells the story of how Webstad’s favourite orange shirt was taken from her on her first day at residential school when she was six years old.

McLeod is a Métis scholar with family roots in the Lac St. Anne and Red River Settlements. She has served as Chair of the Education Committee for the Métis Nation of Greater Victoria and has been a Director-at-Large on its board since 2021. She is currently a PhD Candidate in Curriculum and Instruction exploring Métis identity.

Breakaway by Karissa Donkin A book cover with women playing ice hockey and a headshot photo of a woman with a shoulder-length blonde hair. Breakaway is a book by Karissa Donkin. (Goose Lane Editions, Karissa Donkin )

In Breakaway, Karissa Donkin tells the behind-the-scenes story of the Professional Women’s Hockey League, tracing its journey long before its inaugural full season in 2024. She explores how the league was founded, the drafting process, early practices, and the dramatic arc of its first season, highlighting the many obstacles that had to be overcome to bring professional women’s hockey to life.

Donkin is a reporter with CBC Sports and has also worked with CBC’s Atlantic investigative unit. She has received a National Newspaper Award and multiple Atlantic Journalism Awards for her investigative reporting, and was nominated for the prestigious Michener Award. Breakaway is her debut book.

The Antifa Comic Book by Gord Hill A composite image of a man with a hate on beside an illustrated book cover featuring masked people protesting in the street. The Antifa Comic Book is a graphic novel by Gord Hill. (Gord Hill, Arsenal Pulp Press)

Originally published in 2018, The Antifa Comic Book looked at the history of fascism and anti-fascist movements over the last 100 years. In this expanded edition, Gord Hill adds more recent incidents including the January 6, 2021, U.S. Capitol attack and the 2022 Canadian convoy protests. Hill also includes the work being done by anti-fascist organizations and individuals to stop the rise of dangerous ideologies.

Hill is a member of Kwakwaka’wakw nation and lives in British Columbia. His previous books include The Anti-Capitalist Resistance Comic Book and The Antifa Comic Book.

Revolve by Bal Khabra A book cover with a figure skater and hockey player standing next to each other. Revolve is a book by Bal Khabra. (Penguin Random House Canada)

Revolve is the latest instalment in the Off the Ice hockey romance series. It follows Sierra Romanova, a former Olympic figure skater whose promising career was derailed by a life-altering accident that now triggers panic attacks every time she steps onto the ice. Back at Dalton University, Sierra is determined to make a comeback, and when she’s paired with Dylan Donovan, a hotshot hockey player recently kicked off his team for bad behaviour, sparks fly both on and off the ice.

Bal Khabra is a Vancouver-based writer. Her other novels include Collide and Spiral.

Suddenly Light by Nina Dunic A green book cover of cartoon people A headshot of a woman with orange hair and glasses. Suddenly Light is a book by Nina Dunic. (Invisible Publishing, Brianna Roye)

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.

Nina Dunic is an Ontario-based writer of the novel The Clarion, which won the Trillium Book Award and was on the 2023 Giller Prize longlist. Dunic was named a writer to watch by CBC Books in 2023, and 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. Three of the 15 stories in Suddenly Light were longlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize.

In the Field by Sadiqa de Meijer A photo composite of a woman with her brown hair in a bun on the left and a book cover of a painted gray sky and grass on the right. In The Field is a book by Sadiqa de Meijer. (Palimpsest Press)

In The Field is a collection of essays that explore profound questions: What meaning does a birthplace hold? What draws us to connect with a work of art? How do we honour the remains of the dead?

When you can read it: Oct. 15

Sadiqa de Meijer is a writer who was born in Amsterdam and is currently living in Kingston, Ont. Her other books include the poetry collections Leaving Howe Island and The Outer Wards. She won the 2012 CBC Poetry Prize for Great Aunt Unmarried and has since won the 2021 Governor General’s Literary Award for nonfiction with her memoir alfabet/alphabet: a memoir of first language.

Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance by Kate Robb A book cover with a man figure looking up at a woman figure reading a book and a headshot photo of a woman with long blonde hair. Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance is a book by Kate Robb. (Penguin Random House )

In Kitty St. Clair’s Last Dance, Jules inherits a crumbling dance hall from the glamorous and eccentric Kitty St. Clair. Soon, her former lover Reeve, a charming developer, reappears, hoping to turn the hall into condos and rekindle their romance. Seeking clarity, Jules turns to Kitty’s diary and is transported into her past, where long-buried secrets may guide Jules’s future.

Kate Robb is an Ontario-based writer. Her books include This Spells Love and Prime Time Romance.

An Astonishment of Stars by Kirti Bhadresa A woman with a brown bob and bangs smiles into the camera. A book cover shows a cake decorated with stars on a star-covered pink table. An Astonishment of Stars is a short story collection by Kirti Bhadresa. (Samuel Obadero, ECW Press)

An Astonishment of Stars is a short story collection that focuses on racialized women navigating all the hardships of everyday life. From a wife who uses the name of her white husband in public to the teen girl who watches her rebellious older sister slip away, the stories shed light on those who often remain unseen.

Kirti Bhadresa is a Calgary-based fiction and nonfiction writer whose work has appeared in The Fiddlehead, Prairie Fire, The Quarantine Review, The Sprawl and Room. She was a finalist for the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association Award in the feature writing category. An Astonishment of Stars is longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize.

Letters to Kafka by Christine Estima A book cover of a woman lying down in black and white. A headshot of a woman with long black hair. Letters to Kafka is a book by Christine Estima. (House of Anansi Press, Panther Sohi)

In Letters to Kafka, a young woman named Milena Jesenská reaches out to literary icon Franz Kafka, to translate his work from German into Czech. Their correspondence soon turns from professional to personal, as a passionate love affair spurs between them. These letters, imagined by Christine Estima are responses to Kafka’s letters to Jesenská which were immortalized in the book Letters to Milena.

Estima is a writer, playwright and journalist of mixed ethnicity (Lebanese, Syrian and Portuguese) who was raised in Montreal and is currently based in Toronto. She was longlisted for the 2015 CBC Nonfiction Prize for her essay Sarajevo Roses. Her debut novel was The Syrian Ladies Benevolent Society.

A Truce That Is Not Peace by Miriam Toews A red book cover with a lone rowboat in the middle of the lake. A black and white headshot of a woman with long hair. A Truce That Is Not Peace is a book by Miriam Toews. (Knopf Canada, Mark Boucher)

In A Truce That Is Not Peace, Miriam Toews answers the question: “Why do you write?” As she thinks the question over, she unearths new layers of grief and helplessness surrounding her sister’s suicide, which happened over 15 years ago — and realizes that one of her reasons for writing is to fill the gaping silence her sister left behind.

Toews, who was raised in Manitoba and is currently based in Toronto, is the award-winning author of several books. Her previous works include A Complicated Kindness, Summer of My Amazing Luck and Women Talking, which was adapted into an Academy-award winning film directed by Sarah Polley. She has received numerous awards, including the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction, the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was appointed to the Order of Canada in 2025.

Love by Alexander Finbow, edited by Shea Proulx, illustrated by Jillian Fleck A composite image of an illustrated pink book cover featuring various people hugging beside three portraits of the authors. Love is an illustrated story collection edited by Alexander Finbow, top left, and Shea Proulx, top right, and illustrated by Jillian Fleck. (Renegade Arts Entertainment, jillianfleck.com)

Love is a collection of 50 original short comics — ranging from science fiction to comedy and memoir — by storytellers from Alberta. The stories centre around the joy of love in all its unique, quirky and diverse incarnations.

Alexander Finbow is a writer, CEO and publisher at Renegade Arts Entertainment, based in Canmore, Alta.

Shea Proulx is an artist, editor and author of the children’s book ABC Monstrosity. Proulx is based in Calgary.

Jillian Fleck is a multidisciplinary artist and comic creator from Calgary. Their work has been featured in various anthologies and publications. Their previous graphic novels are Cheryl and Lake Jehovah.

Other Evolutions by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia A book cover with a gold robot hand and on the right is a photo of a woman with black hair. Other Evolutions is a novel by Rebecca Hirsch Garcia. (ECW Press, Writers’ Union of Canada)

Other Evolutions follows the story of Alma Alt, a mixed-race, Jewish-Mexican girl who grows up sheltered in a wealthy Ottawa neighbourhood. Her innocence starts to fade, when she discovers that her older sister, Marnie, has been choosing to pass herself off as being white — a revelation that leads to conflict and unimaginable tragedy in the family.

Rebecca Hirsch Garcia is an Ottawa-based writer whose work has been published in Threepenny Review, PRISM international, The Dark and elsewhere. She won the O. Henry Prize in 2014 for her short story A Golden Light. Her short story collection The Girl Who Cried Diamonds was runner-up for the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and shortlisted for an Ottawa Book Award. Other Evolutions is her first novel.

Motherness by Julie Green The book cover with an orange and pink illustration and the author: a woman with short hair smiling at the camera, wearing red rimmed glasses and a black sweater Motherness is a memoir by Julie M. Green. (ECW Press, submitted by Julie M. Green)

Motherness: A Memoir of Generational Autism, Parenthood and Radical Acceptance is about Julie M. Green’s experiences as a late-diagnosed autistic woman. Almost 10 years after learning that her son is autistic, Green was also diagnosed, shedding light on a lifetime of feeling othered and misunderstood. The memoir traces her journey from childhood to motherhood, as she must advocate for her young son while navigating her own struggles.

Green’s work has appeared in Washington Post, Globe and Mail, Chatelaine, Today’s Parent and more. She writes The Autistic Mom on Substack. Born in Cornwall, Ont., Green studied creative writing at Concordia University. She spent 10 years in the U.K. before relocating to Toronto. Green was longlisted for the 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize and currently lives in Kingston, Ont.

All Things Under the Moon by Ann Y.K. Choi A book cover of a river, trees and mountains. A woman with long black hair smiling. All Things Under the Moon is a book by Ann Y.K. Choi. (Simon & Schuster, John Burridge)

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.

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.

Cannon by Lee Lai A composite image of an illustrated book cover beside a portrait of a woman with a hat and glasses on. Cannon is a graphic novel by Lee Lai. (Drawn & Quarterly, Bee Elton Photography)

When titular character Cannon, a stoic and well-behaved cook, is left to close up the restaurant she works at, she destroys the place. With tables and chairs upended and smashed plates littering the ground, her best friend Trish — with whom she has weekly hangs where they bond over Australian horror films — shows up to help her make sense of exactly what’s going on with her.

Lee Lai is an Australian cartoonist who now lives in Montreal. Her first book was Stone Fruit.

Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell An illustrated book cover featuring two hands and a city on fire. A headshot of a bald man wearing glasses. Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World is a book by Mark Waddell. (Viking, Vivienne McMaster)

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.

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.

The Idea of An Entire Life by Billy Ray Belcourt A composite image of an Indigenous man in a denim jacket beside a book cover featuring a man's hand. The Idea of An Entire Life is a poetry collection by billy-ray belcourt. (Jaye Simpson, McClelland & Stewart)

The Idea of An Entire Life is an intimate exploration of anguish, love, queerness and political possibility in the twenty-first century. The collection combines lyric verse, sonnets and fragments to craft poems in Billy Ray Belcourt’s usual autobiographical and philosophical style — arguing that we are all our own monuments of grief and awe.

Belcourt is a writer from Driftpile Cree Nation in Alberta. His debut collection of poetry was This Wound is a World and won Belcourt the 2018 Griffin Poetry Prize. The collection also won the 2018 Indigenous Voices Award for most significant work of poetry in English and was a finalist for the 2018 Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry.

Endling by Maria Reva A composite image of a book cover that shows a trailer car on a piece of striped land with mountains in the foreground and on the right is a black and white headshot photo of a woman. Endling is a book by Maria Reva. (Knopf Canada, Anya Chibis)

Endling tells the story of three women whose lives are changed by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Yeva, a scientist, is obsessed with breeding rare snails, funding her work by dating Westerners who have come to Ukraine on romance tours. Sisters Nastia and Solomiya are also entwined in the marriage industry to figure out what happened to their mother. When the war begins, their plans are foiled and the hard truths of war are examined.

Maria Reva was born in Ukraine and grew up in New Westminster, B.C., where she currently lives. Her short story collection Good Citizens Need Not Fear won the 2022 Kobzar Literary Award and was on the 2020 Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize shortlist. Her debut novel Endling was longlisted for the 2025 Booker Prize and shortlisted for the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize. Reva is a judge for the 2026 CBC Short Story Prize.

10,000 Ink Stains by Jeff Lemire A composite image of a man with glasses and a blue button-up shirt beside an illustrated book cover. 10,000 Ink Stains is a graphic novel by Jeff Lemire. (Penguin Random House Canada)

In 10,000 Ink Stains, legendary comic book creator Jeff Lemire takes readers back through the creation of some of his iconic books, including Essex County, Sweet Tooth, Black Hammer and more. Combining essays, artwork from each book and personal stories, Lemire shares never-before-seen insights into his creative process.

Lemire is a New York Times Bestselling graphic novelist whose work includes Roughneck, Essex County, The Underwater Welder and Gord Downie’s Secret Path. The Toronto comic creator has also worked on Justice League and Green Arrow for DC Comics and Hawkeye for Marvel. In 2017, he won an Eisner Award for Black Hammer in the Best New Series category, and in 2022, he won Best Digital Comic for Snow Angels, a collaboration with Scottish cartoonist Jock.

You’ve Changed by Ian Williams A yellow book cover of a cartoon heart with an arrow splitting it. A headshot of a man with brown curly hair smiling and looking right. You’ve Changed is a novel by Ian Williams. (Random House Canada, Zackery Hobler)

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?

Ian Williams is the Toronto-based author of several books of fiction, non-fiction and poetry. His debut novel, Reproduction, won the Giller Prize in 2019, and his latest, You’ve Changed, is longlisted for the 2025 Giller Prize. He gave the 2024 Massey Lecture on his nonfiction book What I Mean to Say. Williams is a professor of English at the University of Toronto and director of the creative writing program.

A composite image of an Indigenous woman looking to the left of the frame beside a book cover featuring colourful Indigenous beadwork. procession is a poetry collection by katherena vermette. (Vanda Fleury, House of Anansi Press)

In katherena vermette’s third collection of poetry, she explores what it means to be at once a descendent and a future ancestor. procession is a grouping of frank and heartfelt poems that examines ancestral dreams, 1980s nostalgia, prairie life and how it changes as a child, parent and future elder.

vermette is a Michif (Red River Métis) writer from Winnipeg. Her books include the novels real ones, The Break, The Strangers and The Circle, poetry collections North End Love Songs and river woman and the four-book graphic novel series A Girl Called Echo.

North End Love Songs won the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry. The Break was a finalist for the Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General’s Literary Award for fiction. It was defended by Candy Palmater on Canada Reads 2017. The Strangers won the 2021 Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize and was longlisted for the 2021 Scotiabank Giller Prize. real ones was also longlisted for the 2024 Giller Prize.

vermette is also a senior editor at Simon & Schuster Canada.

We’re Somewhere Else Now by Robyn Sarah A composite image of a portrait of a woman with glasses looking into the camera beside a book cover featuring a photo taken between buildings. We’re Somewhere Else Now is a poetry collection by Robyn Sarah. (Stephen Brockwell, Biblioasis)

We’re Somewhere Else Now is the first collection of new poems from Robyn Sarah in a decade and it chronicles the pandemic years with Sarah’s flair for combining the spiritual with the familiar. The poems touch on grief, unexpected change and the awe of the human experience.

Sarah is the author of 12 collections of poems, two books of short stories and a book of essays on poetry. My Shoes Are Killing Me won the 2015 Governor General’s Award for poetry. Her poetry has appeared in several anthologies. She lives in Montreal.

Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa A white book cover with multicoloured fake nails. An author headshot of a woman with black hair in front of a purple background. Pick a Colour is a book by Souvankham Thammavongsa. (Knopf Canada, Steph Martyniuk)

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.

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.

Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing by Susan Aglukark A photo composite with a book cover that features a blue sky and snowy ground in the middle and on the left is an author headshot photo of a woman with short black hair and on the right is an author photo of a woman wearing black glasses wearing a turquoise scarf. Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing is a memoir by Susan Aglukark, left, and Andrea Warner, right. (Denise Grant, HarperCollins, Submitted by Andrea Warner)

In Kihiani, Inuk artist Susan Aglukark shares her humble beginnings growing up with six siblings in a predominantly Inuit community on the western shores of Hudson Bay. After a life-altering event at age eight, she embarks on a long journey of healing — a path that ultimately led her to becoming a celebrated singer.

Aglukark is an Inuk musician and the author of children’s books Una Huna?: Ukpik Learns to Sew, Una Huna? What is This? and Una Huna.

52 Ways to Reconcile by David A. Robertson An orange book cover with red, white, black and yellow writing. An author image of a man with black-grey hair and a beard. 52 Ways to Reconcile is a book by David A. Robertson. (McClelland & Stewart, Amber Green)

52 Ways to Reconcile is a guide for both Indigenous and non-Indigenous people who want to take action when it comes to reconciliation — and shows how we can work together on the long road ahead.

David A. Robertson, a member of the Norway House Cree Nation, has released over 30 titles since 2010, including picture books, graphic novels, fiction and memoir. He is a two-time winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award and is currently based in Winnipeg.

Stigmata by Scott Jackshaw A composite image of a portrait of a person smiling into the camera beside a white book cover with a drop of blood at the centre. Stigmata is a poetry collection by Scott Jackshaw. (Nathan Maher Levy, Talonbooks)

Stigmata draws on inspiration from a wide archive of practices and texts including body horror, postculturalism, queer theory and apophatic theology. The collection of poems combines the “sacred” of theology and the “profane” of leaking and lust to create a treacherous journey through the cross-currents of religion and sexual deviancy.

Scott Jackshaw is a scholar, editor and poet from Edmonton. Their writing has appeared in The Capilano Review, CV2 and Jacket2.

Julius Julius by Aurora Stewart de Peña A book cover of a yellow dachshunds entering a black hole. A headshot of a woman with long black hair. Julius Julius is a novel by Aurora Stewart de Peña. (Strange Light, Jamie Nikolaou)

Julius Julius is a novel that tells the story of the world’s oldest advertising agency, where the air conditioning is controlled by ghosts and the walls are filled with bones. As recounted through the perspectives of three people who work there in different time periods, the cracks of agency and the cost of stoking desire are revealed.

Aurora Stewart de Peña is a Toronto writer whose nonfiction and fiction has appeared in Vice, The Globe and Mail and The Ex-Puritan. Her plays have been produced around the world. She has worked for many advertising agencies throughout her career and won Clio, One Show and D&AD awards for her work. Julius Julius is on the shortlist for the Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize.

Wild Card by Elsie Silver A purple book cover with mountains on it, an airplane and cards. A headshot of a woman with long brown curled hair. Wild Card is a novel by Elsie Silver. (Sourcebooks, Bloom Books)

In Wild Card, Gwen can’t help her attraction to her ex-boyfriend’s dad, grumpy fire pilot Sebastian Rousseau. When they end up living under the same roof by a stroke of wild fate, they can’t escape the tension between them.

Sebastian is trying to repair his relationship with his son and giving in would absolutely ruin his chances. But as the two spend more and more time together, they fall into a situation that, however messy, feels inevitable.

Elsie Silver is a B.C.-based writer of steamy romance novels. Her other books include the Gold Rush Ranch series and Flawless of the Chestnut Springs series.

An Orange, A Syllable by Gillian Sze A composite image featuring a portrait of an Asian woman smiling into the camera beside a book cover featuring an open window half-covered with a sheer curtain. An Orange, A Syllable is a poetry collection by Gillian Sze. (Nadia Zheng, ECW Press)

An Orange, A Syllable focuses on motherhood, language and art as the central speaker bears witness to her child’s first words raising questions about signification and significance. Each prose poem toggles between definitions of “fit” while the final section of the book uses words to deconstruct the work of Danish painter Vilhelm Hammershøi — specifically his paintings of empty rooms.

Gillian Sze is a Winnipeg-based writer and teacher. She is the author of the children’s books The Night Is Deep and Wide and You Are My Favorite Color, which was a finalist for the Quebec Writers’ Federation Award. Her poetry collections include Quiet Night Think, which won the 2023 Pat Lowther Memorial Award.

LISTEN / Gillian Sze on An Orange, A Syllable:

All in a Weekend12:09“An Orange, A Syllable” explores how language develops from baby to child

Crash Test by Amy James The book cover with two race car drivers standing back to back and the author, a white woman with long brown hair looking at the camera Crash Test is a novel by Amy James. (Avon/HarperCollins)

The Formula 1 romance Crash Test follows racing driver Travis Keeping and his secret lover, racing driver Jacob Nichols. When Jacob is involved in a massive crash, no one but Travis knows they’ve been secretly dating for a year. As the F1 season barrels on, Travis must keep fighting for the championship win while Jacob has to recover from his traumatic injury. But perhaps those months apart are what they need to better find their way back to each other.

Amy James is based on the east coast of Canada. Her debut novel is A Five-Letter Word for Love which was nominated for the Rakuten Kobo Emerging Writer Prize.

Nowhere Girl: Life as a Member of ADHD’s Lost Generation by Carla Ciccone A photo composite of a book cover of a hand holding a cellphone and on the right is an author headshot of a woman with long brown hair. Nowhere Girl is a book by Carla Ciccone. (Random House Canada, www.carlaciccone.com)

In the memoir Nowhere Girl, Carla Ciccone shares how being diagnosed with ADHD at 39 changed everything. For most of her life, she carried the weight of being misunderstood — but what she once believed were personal failings were, in fact, symptoms of an undiagnosed disorder. Her story speaks to the silent struggles of a generation of women who, like Ciccone, went unseen and unheard for too long.

Ciccone is a Toronto-based writer focused on personal essays, women’s health, cultural stories and humour pieces. She’s written for The New Yorker, Chatelaine, Elle Canada, Romper, Harper’s Bazaar and more.

Red Pockets by Alice Mah A photo composite that features a red book cover with gold lettering on it and on the right is an author headshot of a woman with short black hair. Red Pockets is a book by Alice Mah. (Doubleday Canada, Katherine Rose)

When Alice Mah returns to her ancestral rice villages in South China, she finds that after a record year of wildfires, there are no tombs left to sweep. In Red Pockets, Mah confronts the loss of her ancestors’ resting places, wrestles with rising eco-anxiety, and reflects on what it means to call different countries and landscapes home.

Mah is a Chinese Canadian-British writer born in Smithers, B.C., who now lives in Glasgow. She is a professor of urban and environmental studies at the University of Glasgow and the author of Petrochemical Planet and Plastic Unlimited.

It’s Different This Time by Joss Richard A cartoon book cover of a man and a woman in front of a New York brownstone. An author headshot of a woman with long curly black hair. It’s Different This Time is a book by Joss Richard. (Dell, Sela Shiloni)

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. But It’s Different This Time, right?

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 World After Rain by Canisia Lubrin A composite image featuring a black and white photo of a Black woman with braids beside an illustrated blue book cover featuring falling rain drops and an umbrella. The World After Rain is a poetry collection by Canisia Lubrin. (Rachel Eliza Griffiths, Soft Skull Press)

The latest from Griffin Poetry Prize winner Canisia Lubrin, The World After Rain is a long-form poem dedicated to her mother that is a meditation on time, love, loss and grief. With reflections on past and present, these meticulously crafted poems intimately explore the paradoxes of contemporary life.

When you can read it: Oct. 14

Lubrin is a writer, editor and teacher. Her debut poetry collection Voodoo Hypothesis was longlisted for the Gerald Lambert Award, the Pat Lowther Award and was a finalist for the Raymond Souster Award.

Her poetry collection The Dyzgraphxst won the 2021 OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature. It also won the 2021 Griffin Poetry Prize and was a finalist for the 2020 Governor General’s Literary Prize for poetry.

Her debut short story collection Code Noir won the 2024 Danuta Gleed Literary Award and was also shortlisted for the 2024 Atwood Gibson Fiction prize, the Trillium Book Award and won the 2025 Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.

NMLCT by Paul Vermeersch A composite image featuring a portrait of a man with glasses beside a white book cover featuring a bust of a rabbit holding a virtual reality helmet NMLCT is a poetry collection by Paul Vermeersch. (Adam Wilson, ECW Press)

Paul Vermeersch pulls from fairy tales and fables, virtual reality, artificial intelligence and monstrous myths. Vermeersch’s eighth collection of poetry, NMLCT, grapples with the distinction between what’s real and what isn’t and seeks to examine how we view reality in the age of algorithms and a “post-truth” society littered with misinformation and computer generated images.

Vermeersch is a poet, artist and editor from Toronto. He currently teaches at Sheridan College. Vermeersch holds an MFA in creative writing from the University of Guelph for which he received the Governor General’s Gold Medal. His other poetry collections include The Reinvention of the Human Hand, Self-Defence for the Brave and Happy and Shared Universe.

Oxford Soju Club by Jinwoo Park An Asian man smiles at the camera. A cartoon book cover of three empty soju glasses. Oxford Soju Club is a novel by Jinwoo Park. (Dundurn Press)

In Oxford Soju Club, North Korean spymaster Doha Kim is killed without explanation. His protegé 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.

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 CBC Books fall reading list: 39 books to check out this season

Tags: