Canadian Flags are on display in two windows in Toronto, with books perched on the window sills.Fall is at our door and it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a blanket and a good book.
At CBC Books, we’ve got you covered with a list of the must-read Canadian nonfiction titles publishing this fall.
This roundup includes new memoirs, essay collections, biographies, sports books and more. You’ll find many of Canada’s biggest literary names, but you may also discover some exciting new voices making their debut in 2025.
If you’re interested in discovering more new nonfiction, the results for the 2025 CBC Nonfiction Prize will be announced in September. You’ll be able to read profiles of all the finalists as well as the five shortlisted texts.
How to Breathe Water by Sharon Butala
How to Breathe Water is a book by Sharon Butala. (Freehand Books, Chipperfield Photography)
In How to Breathe Water, Sharon Butala confronts her personal history on a road trip from Calgary to Winnipeg — a journey through a difficult childhood, long-buried traumas and complex yet meaningful relationships. Along the way, she visits places of Indigenous history and locations where her ancestors once struggled to build a life, weaving together memory and landscape as she reflects on how the places and moments we pass through shape who we become.
When you can read it: Sept. 1
Butala is a Saskatchewan-based author of more than 20 novels and nonfiction books, including The Perfection of the Morning, Where I Live Now, Zara’s Dead, Fever and Wild Rose. She is a three-time Governor General’s Literary Award nominee and received the Marian Engel Award in 1998. In 2002, she became an officer of the Order of Canada.
Kihiani: A Memoir of Healing by Susan Aglukark and Andrea Warner
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.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
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.
Queers at the Table edited by Alex D. Ketchum and Megan J. Elias
Queers at the Table is a book edited by Alex D. Ketchum, left, and Megan J. Elias, right. (alexketchum.ca, Arsenal Pulp Press, Boston University Metropolitan College)
Queers at the Table is an anthology of essays, comics and recipes that explores the many nourishing ways queerness shapes food production and restaurant culture. It celebrates how food empowers, transforms and brings together queer and trans communities.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Alex D. Ketchum is an assistant professor at McGill University specializing in Gender, Sexuality and Feminist studies. She is also the author of Ingredients for Revolution: A History of American Feminist Restaurants, Cafes, and Coffeehouses. Ketchum is based in Montreal.
Megan J. Elias is an associate professor and director of the Food Studies Program at Boston University. They are the author of five books on food history, including Food on the Page: Cookbooks and American Culture. They live in Brooklyn, New York.
Universal by Alex Neve
Canadian human rights lawyer Alex Neve will deliver the 2025 Massey Lectures, titled Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World. (Paul Thompson/House of Anansi Press)
In Universal, human rights activist and former Amnesty International Canada secretary general Alex Neve confronts the erosion of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights amid escalating global crises — from climate change to rising hate — and calls for a powerful renewal of our shared humanity. Based on his 2025 Massey Lectures, Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World, the book challenges us to reclaim the promise that human rights belong to everyone, everywhere.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Neve is a human rights lawyer and served as Secretary-General of Amnesty International Canada from 2000 to 2020. His book of Massey Lectures, titled Universal: Renewing Human Rights in a Fractured World, follows in the tradition of lecturers that includes Tanya Talaga, Margaret Atwood and Martin Luther King Jr. He lives in Ottawa.
21 Things™ by Bob Joseph
21 Things You Need to Know About Indigenous Self-Government is a book by Bob Joseph. (Page Two Books)
In 21 Things™, Bob Joseph exposes the deep, lasting repercussions of the Indian Act and explores the path Indigenous peoples can take to reclaim self-government, self-determination, and self-reliance — essential steps toward true and lasting reconciliation.
When you can read it: Sept. 2.
Joseph is a member of the Gwawaenuk Nation in B.C., and is an initiated member of the Hamatsa Society. He is the founder of Indigenous Corporate Training Inc. and is the author of several books about Indigenous history and relations, including Indigenous Relations and Working Effectively with Indigenous Peoples.
Of Floating Isles by Kawika Guillermo
Of Floating Isles is a collection of essays by Kawika Guillermo. (Arsenal Pulp Press)
Of Floating Isles is a collection of essays in which the author explores the roles that video games play in our lives. It’s those video games that shaped Kawika Guillermo as a queer mixed-race scholar, immigrant and father. The book reframes gamers as members of a community instead of isolated individuals. Guillermo expands on the thesis that video games have the ability to offer guidance in times of loss and hardship, but also the power to reveal the oppressive mechanisms of our real world.
When you can read it: Sept. 2
Kawika Guillermo is the pen name of B.C. author Chris Patterson. They are the author of Stamped: an anti-travel novel, Nimrods: a fake-punk self-hurt anti-memoir and Open World Empire: Race, Erotics, and the Global Rise of Video Games. They currently teach game studies at the University of British Columbia.
Worldly Girls by Tamara Jong
Worldly Girls is a memoir by Tamara Jong. (Book*hug Press, Deepa Rajagopalan)
In Worldly Girls, Tamara Jong reflects on growing up with an emotionally distant father and an alcoholic mother, and how she once believed the Jehovah’s Witness faith would protect her from pain — including infertility and mental health struggles. It was only after rejecting that belief system that she began her journey toward healing.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
Jong is a writer of Chinese and European ancestry, born in Montréal. Her work has appeared in Humber Literary Review, Room Magazine and The Fiddlehead, among others. A graduate of The Writer’s Studio at Simon Fraser University, she now lives in Guelph, Ont. Worldly Girls is her debut book.
Nowhere Girl by Carla Ciccone
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.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
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
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.
When you can read it: Sept. 9
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.
Bad Indians Book Club by Patty Krawec
Bad Indians Book Club is a book by Patty Krawec. ( Goose Lane Editions, Haley Bateman)
In Bad Indians Book Club, Patty Krawec draws on conversations with writers and readers who identify as “Bad Indians” — those who reject the dominant European settler narrative. Together, they reflect on how stories by and about marginalized voices can help us imagine new possibilities for identity and ways of being.
When you can read it: Sept. 16
Krawec, of Anishinaabe and Ukrainian descent, is a member of the Lac Seul First Nation in Treaty 3 territory. She is a former social worker and the founding director of the Nii’kinaaganaa Foundation. Her work, centred on how Anishinaabe belonging and thought can shape faith and social justice, has been featured in Sojourners, Rampant Magazine and Midnight Sun, among others. She is also the author of Becoming Kin: An Indigenous Call to Unforgetting the Past and Reimagining Our Future. She lives in Niagara Falls.
The Silence of Falling Snow by Kristjana Gunnars
The Silence of Falling Snow is a book by Kristjana Gunnars. (Coach House Books, thebcreview.ca)
When Kristjana Gunnars accompanied her husband to his home in Oslo to die, she began to lose her sense of self. In The Silence of Falling Snow, she weaves together that experience with reflections on Buddhism and art making, offering a poignant meditation on grief and the process of finding meaning in loss.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
Gunnars is an Icelandic-Canadian writer and painter. She has taught at the University of Alberta, the University of Trier in Germany, and the University of Iceland. Her works include The Scent of Light, Ruins of the Heart, and the chapbook 112th Street Notebook. Gunnars’ writing has appeared in anthologies and journals across Canada, the U.S., and Europe.
Walking with Beth by Merilyn Simonds
Walking with Beth is a book by Merilyn Simonds. (Random House Canada, Leah Feldon)
In Walking with Beth, Merilyn Simonds reflects on the wisdom she gained from her friend Beth Robinson — a vibrant woman who worked independently until the age of 99. The book shares rarely told stories of older women’s lives, and offers valuable insights on how to sustain a long and meaningful life.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
Simonds is a writer from Kingston, Ont., who has written 20 books, including the nonfiction titles The Convict Lover, Gutenberg’s Fingerprint and the novel Refuge. She is the founder and first artistic director of the Kingston WritersFest. Simonds was a juror for the 2023 CBC Nonfiction Prize.
Motherness by Julie M. Green
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.
When you can read it: Sept. 23
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.
Fan Mail by Jason Guriel
Fan Mail is a book by Jason Guriel. (Vehicule Press, Tracy Fuller/CBC)
From obsession to a celebration of passion, Jason Guriel explores why we become fans — drawing on his own experiences — and how fandom has shifted from the offline world to the digital age. He reveals that fandom is a vital part of artistic life, shaping us in profound ways — both for better and for worse.
When you can read it: Sept. 25
Guriel is a Toronto-based author. His other titles include On Browsing, Forgotten Work and The Full-Moon Whaling Chronicles.
Bloom by Nicole Breit and Claire Sicherman
Bloom is a book by Nicole Breit, left, and Claire Sicherman, right. (nicolebreit.com, Caitlin Press, Submitted by Claire Sicherman)
Over two and a half years, Nicole Breit and Claire Sicherman exchanged letters reflecting on their experiences growing up in the suburbs of late-1980s Vancouver. These letters form Bloom, a memoir that explores the awkwardness and confusion of adolescence through the lens of middle age, examining how societal expectations — shaped by patriarchy and misogyny — informed their identities.
When you can read it: Sept. 26
Breit is an author and memoir writing coach living in Gibsons, B.C. Her previous works include the chapbooks I Can Make Life and How to Grieve a Broken Heart. Her work has appeared in Brevity, carte blanche, Event and Room, among others.
Sicherman is an author, speaker and trauma-informed somatic writing coach. Her work has been featured in Pithead Chapel, Lost Balloon, Hippocampus and The Rumpus, among others. She is also the author of Imprint: A Memoir of Trauma in the Third Generation.
Soundtrack by Michael V. Smith
Soundtrack is a memoir by Michael V. Smith. (Book*hug Press, Lise Guyot)
In the poetic memoir Soundtrack, Michael V. Smith reflects on growing up gay under the shadow of AIDS, and uses songs and albums to capture the last three decades of the millennium. He explores social prejudices, court rulings, medical breakthroughs and personal moments of loss, joy, love and community — from first crushes to dancing at gay bars.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Smith is a writer, filmmaker and professor of creative writing at University of British Columbia’s Okanagan campus. His other books include his memoir My Body Is Yours, the poetry collection Queers Like Me and the novel Bad Ideas. He currently lives in Kelowna, B.C.
Post-Man by Alex Manley
Post-Man is a book by Alex Manley. (Arsenal Pulp Press, Blair Elliott)
In Post-Man, neurodivergent non-binary author Alex Manley shares their lifelong feelings of being apart, alone and othered. The memoir explores their experience of navigating masculinity, from growing up steeped in hockey culture, to working for a men’s website, to coming to terms with going bald as a non-binary person.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Manley is a non-binary writer, editor, translator, and poet based in Montreal. They are the author of We Are All Just Animals & Plants and The New Masculinity, and the translator of Made-Up by Daphné B. Manley was a reader for the 2024 CBC Nonfiction Prize.
Precarious by Marcello Di Cintio
Precarious is a book by Marcello Di Cintio. (Biblioasis, Submitted by Marcello Di Cintio)
Precarious examines the harsh realities faced by migrant workers in Canada, revealing the exploitation, abuse and dangerous conditions they endure under the Temporary Foreign Worker program. Marcello Di Cintio investigates the system’s deep flaws, and questions whether a system that relies on the vulnerability of its most marginalized can ever be made more just.
When you can read it: Sept. 30
Di Cintio is a writer based in Calgary. His previous works include Walls, Pay No Heed to the Rockets and Driven. Walls won the 2013 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, and Driven was named one of the best Canadian nonfiction books of 2021 by CBC Books, and was on the longlist for Canada Reads 2022. His work has also been featured in the International New York Times, Afar and Canadian Geographic, among others.
Habs Nation by Brendan Kelly
Habs Nation is a book by Brendan Kelly. (Baraka Books, François Couture)
Habs Nation: A People’s History of the Montreal Canadiens tells the history of the Montreal Canadiens while highlighting how the team is not just about hockey. The book explores the influence that the Habs have had on the province of Quebec, even bridging the linguistic divide in Montreal. Brendan Kelly talks with some of the Canadiens’ greats as well as journalists, politicians and even filmmakers about the special bond that fans have with the team.
When you can read it: Oct. 1
Kelly is a sports and culture journalist for the Gazette. He was one of the founders of the now defunct Montreal Mirror weekly newspaper. Kelly is also a columnist on CBC Radio and Radio-Canada. He is based in Montreal.
John Candy by Paul Myers
John Candy is a book by Paul Myers. (House of Anansi Press, Liza Algar)
John Candy offers an in-depth look at the life of the beloved Canadian comedian, tracing his journey from humble beginnings in Toronto to Hollywood stardom. For the first time since his tragic death, the full story of the man behind the laughs is told, featuring interviews with friends and colleagues like Tom Hanks and Catherine O’Hara. The book reveals how Candy navigated the highs and lows of fame with warmth, generosity and an unmistakable charm.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Paul Myers is a Canadian writer and musician who currently lives in Berkeley, Calif. Other titles by Myers include The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy and Barenaked Ladies: Public Stunts, Private Stories.
Vanished Beyond the Map by Adam Shoalts
Vanished Beyond the Map is a book by Adam Shoalts. (Allen Lane, Penguin Canada)
In Vanished Beyond the Map, Adam Shoalts retraces the footsteps of explorer Hubert Darrell, who mysteriously disappeared in November 1910 in the remote wilds of the Northwest Territories. Once considered the most capable and resilient explorer of his time, Darrell left behind a trail of letters, journals and hand-drawn maps. Using these clues, Shoalts sets out to uncover what really happened — and where Darrell may have gone.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Shoalts is an explorer and a fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographic Society, who holds a PhD from McMaster University in Hamilton, Ont. He is also the author of Beyond the Trees, Where the Falcon Flies, Alone Against the North and A History of Canada in Ten Maps.
Enshittification by Cory Doctorow 
Enshittification is a book by Cory Doctorow. (Macmillan Publishers, Tor)
In Enshittification, Cory Doctorow explains why he coined the term and uses it to diagnose the current state of our digital world — revealing how it’s steadily worsening and negatively impacting all of our lives.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Doctorow is a Toronto-born author, activist and journalist living in Burbank. His writing includes both nonfiction and fiction, and spans adult, YA and childhood audiences. His body of work has seen him inducted into the Canadian Science Fiction and Fantasy Hall of Fame and earned him the Sir Arthur Clarke Imagination in Service to Society Award for lifetime achievement.
LISTEN | Cory Doctorow on Bookends with Mattea Roach:
Bookends with Mattea RoachWe can still avoid a tech dystopia — here’s how
Shelter in Text by Myra Bloom and Kasia Van Schaik 
Shelter in Text is a book by Myra Bloom, left, and Kasia Van Schaik, right. (myrabloom.com, University of Alberta Press, McGill University)
Shelter in Text is a collection of academic essays and creative nonfiction that explores the relationship between shelter and narrative. It looks at issues of care, disability and housing inequality, and considers decolonial perspectives on land and space.
When you can read it: Oct. 7
Myra Bloom is an associate professor of English at York University’s Glendon campus. Her work has been featured in a number of academic journals and magazines.
Kasia Van Schaik is an assistant professor of English and creative writing and co-director of the creative writing program at the University of New Brunswick. Her other books include We Have Never Lived on Earth, which was nominated for the 2023 Giller Prize, the Concordia University First Book Prize and the ReLit Prize for short fiction. It was also named one of the best books of 2023 by the Miramichi Reader.
Elbows Up! edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud 
Elbows Up! is a book edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud. (McClelland & Stewart, CBC)
Elbows Up! is a collection of stories that respond to the shocking annexation threats made by a U.S. president determined to make Canada the 51st state, and the wave of Canadian national unity that swelled in response.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Elamin Abdelmahmoud is the host of CBC Radio’s Commotion, a former culture writer for BuzzFeed News and a regular contributor to The National’s At Issue panel. He previously hosted CBC’s pop culture show Pop Chat and was the founding co-host of the CBC politics podcast Party Lines. His writing has appeared in Rolling Stone and The Globe and Mail, among others.
LISTEN | Elamin Abdelmahmoud talks Canada Reads 2025:
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John Horgan: In His Own Words by John Horgan, with Rod Mickleburgh
John Horgan: In His Own Words is a book by John Horgan, left, with Rod Mickleburgh, right. (Wikimedia Commons, Harbour Publishing, The Globe and Mail)
John Horgan is a memoir written by the late premier of British Columbia, and traces his journey from a self-proclaimed wayward jock to a career in Canadian politics. Told with candour and humour, the book reflects on key moments from his time in office, including his government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic, efforts toward reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and his personal battle with cancer, which eventually ended his life.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
John Horgan was a Canadian politician and diplomat who served as the 36th premier of British Columbia. After retiring from politics in 2023, he was appointed Canada’s ambassador to Germany. He passed away in 2024 at the age of 65.
We Survived the Night by Julian Brave NoiseCat
We Survived the Night is a book by Julian Brave NoiseCat. (julianbravenoisecat.com, Random House of Canada)
In We Survived the Night, Julian Brave NoiseCat reflects on his upbringing as the son of a Sécwepemc father and a white Jewish-Irish mother. Though he became a competitive powwow dancer, he often felt like an outsider on his home reserve, having been raised mostly by his mother. In his 20s, NoiseCat’s pursuit of his father’s story became a path to uncovering and sharing the stories of other First Peoples across North America, challenging their erasure, invisibility and misrepresentation.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
NoiseCat is a writer, filmmaker and student of Salish art and history. He is a member of the Canim Lake Band Tsq’éscen in B.C. and a descendant of the Lil’Wat Nation of Mount Currie. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post and The New Yorker, among others. We Survived the Night is his debut book.
Future Boy by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry
Future Boy is a book by Michael J. Fox and Nelle Fortenberry. (Macmillan Publishers, Sean Brocklehurst CBC)
In Future Boy, actor Michael J. Fox reflects on the intense early years of his career, juggling his breakout role on the hit sitcom Family Ties during the day while filming Back to the Future at night. The memoir offers an inside look at what it was like to play two iconic roles simultaneously, featuring behind-the-scenes stories and interviews with cast and crew from both projects.
When you can read it: Oct. 14
Fox is an actor, author and philanthropist. Born in Edmonton, he rose to fame as Alex P. Keaton on the hit sitcom Family Ties and became a global star with his role as Marty McFly in Back to the Future. His previous books include Lucky Man, Always Looking Up, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, and No Time Like the Future. He has received an honorary Academy Award, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada. In 2000, he founded the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research.
Nelle Fortenberry has worked with Fox for more than three decades, beginning as president of his production company, Lottery Hill Entertainment. In 2024, she received both an Emmy Award and the National Board of Review Award as executive producer of the Apple TV+ documentary Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie.
Against the Grain by Terry O’Reilly
Against the Grain is a book by Terry O’Reilly. (HarperCollins, Submitted by Terry O’Reilly)
In Against the Grain, Terry O’Reilly shares the stories of individuals who challenged the status quo, defied convention and pushed for change — often at great personal cost. Some were celebrated for their efforts, while others had to fight every step of the way to make their mark.
When you can read it: Oct.14
O’Reilly has been the host of CBC Radio’s Under the Influence since 2005. He is also the author of The Age of Persuasion, This I Know, and My Best Mistake, which was a finalist for the National Business Book Award.
LISTEN | Terry O’Reilly on The Next Chapter:
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Cruising the Downtown edited by Kristopher Wells
Cruising the Downtown is a book edited by Kristopher Wells. (NeWest Press, MacEwan University)
Edmonton has a vibrant and thriving 2SLGBTQ+ community, and Cruising the Downtown shares its often unknown history. Building on the work of the Edmonton Queer History Project, the book celebrates the people, places and events that have shaped — and continue to shape — the city’s queer past and present.
When you can read it: Oct.15
Kristopher Wells is a Canadian educator, academic and senator representing Alberta. A lifelong advocate for 2SLGBTQI+ rights, he has been widely recognized for his contributions, receiving numerous awards including the Alberta Award for the Study of Canadian Human Rights and Multiculturalism, the Alberta Teachers’ Association’s Public Education Award and the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal, among others.
In The Field by Sadiqa de Meijer
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.
Just Call Me “Andi” by Andria Petrillo
Just Call Me “Andi” is a book by Andria Petrillo. (CBC, ECW Press)
In Just Call Me “Andi,” Andria Petrillo shares the challenges she faced as a trailblazer in sports broadcasting at a time when a woman offering opinions on sports was still a novelty. She reflects on the lessons learned and obstacles overcome on her path to making history — from being the first woman to win a Canadian Screen Award for Best Sports Host, to the first to join the Hockey Night in Canada in-studio broadcast team.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Petrillo is a Canadian sports broadcaster and the weekend host of CBC Sports. She lives in Toronto.
Hidden Flowers by Keiko Honda
Hidden Flowers is a book by Keiko Honda. (Heritage House, Anton Fernando)
Hidden Flowers is a memoir by Keiko Honda in which she reflects on the many facets of her identity as an aging Japanese-Canadian woman. With honesty and vulnerability, she navigates the emotional landscape of this new chapter in her life — becoming an empty nester, embracing her creativity as an artist and finding purpose as a community organizer.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Honda is a Vancouver-based scientist, writer, community organizer and painter. She holds a PhD in international community health from New York University and is the founder of the Vancouver Arts Colloquium Society. Honda teaches the aesthetics of co-creation in the Liberal Arts and 55+ Program at Simon Fraser University. Her previous book is Accidental Blooms.
Maple Syrup by Peter Kuitenbrouwer
Maple Syrup is a book by Peter Kuitenbrouwer. (Doubleday Canada, peterkuitenbrouwer.com)
Maple Syrup explores the rich history and cultural significance of one of Canada’s most cherished traditions. It delves into the Indigenous heritage of maple syrup, its enduring place in Canadian identity and the complex industry that supports its production today.
When you can read it: Oct. 21
Peter Kuitenbrouwer is a journalist, a forester and educator specializing in forest management. He serves as the editor of Our Forest, the magazine of Forests Ontario and has written for publications like Maclean’s, The Walrus, The Globe and Mail and Canadian Geographic, among others. He is also the author of the children’s book Our Song: The Story of O Canada.
Better This Year edited by JJ Lee
Better This Year is a short story collection edited by JJ Lee. (Tidewater Press)
Better This Year is a collection of true holiday mishap stories that are both laugh-out-loud funny and unexpectedly heartfelt. It is the final volume in the Better Next Year series, featuring reflections from Canadian writers who share their memories of surviving Christmases past. The previous book in the series was Better Next Year.
When you can read it: Oct. 28
JJ Lee is a Canadian writer best known for his book The Measure of a Man, which traces the author’s journey altering his father’s old suit as an act of remembrance. The Measure of a Man was shortlisted for the 2011 Governor General’s Literary Award for English non-fiction, the 2012 Charles Taylor Prize, and the 2012 Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction.
The Last Hart Beating by Nattie Neidhart
The Last Hart Beating is a memoir by Nattie Neidhart. (Simon & Schuster)
In The Last Hart Beating, WWE superstar Natalya “Nattie” Neidhart reflects on growing up in a legendary pro wrestling family, with her grandfather Stu Hart, father Jim Neidhart, and uncles Bret and Owen Hart. She also shares her journey to become the first and only woman in the family to enter the ring and carve out her own legacy at the highest level.
When you can read it: Oct. 28
Neidhart is a professional wrester originally from Calgary. She became a world champion when she won the WWE’s Smackdown women’s championship in 2017. She now lives in Tampa, FL.
LISTEN | Nattie Neidhart on Calgary Eyeopener:
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Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood
Book of Lives is a memoir by Margaret Atwood. (McClelland & Stuart, Luis Mora)
In Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, Margaret Atwood recounts her early life with her entomologist father and dietitian mother — who spent most of the year in the forest in Northern Quebec — her rise to literary stardom and the defining cultural and political moments that shape her writing. Through her stories, readers will notice the connections between art and real life and get insight into the mind of one of Canada’s most celebrated writers.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Atwood is a celebrated writer who has published fiction, nonfiction, poetry and comics. She began her writing career with poetry, publishing The Circle Game and winning the Governor General’s Literary Award for poetry in the late 1960s. She is also the author of numerous novels, including The Handmaid’s Tale, Alias Grace and The Blind Assassin.
Awards for her work include the Governor General’s Literary Award, the Giller Prize, the Writer in the World Prize,the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award and she’s a two-time Booker Prize winner. Atwood was also the recipient of the Griffin Poetry Prize’s 2025 Lifetime Recognition Award.
The Finest Hotel in Kabul by Lyse Doucet
The Finest Hotel in Kabul is a book by Lyse Doucet. (Penguin Canada, journalism.arizona.edu)
In The Finest Hotel in Kabul, BBC chief international correspondent Lyse Doucet tells the story of modern Afghanistan through the lens of the Inter-Continental Kabul — the country’s first luxury hotel, which opened in 1969 — and the lives of the people who have worked within its walls.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Doucet is a Canadian-born journalist and the BBC’s chief international correspondent and senior presenter. She played a key role in the channel’s coverage of the invasion of Afghanistan, the Arab Spring and the Syrian civil war. Doucet was admitted to the Order of Canada in 2019. She was nominated for a Peabody Award in 2021 for her work as a writer and reporter on the BBC podcast Afghanistan: Documenting A Crucial Year.
The Smiling Land by Alan Doyle
The Smiling Land is a book by Alan Doyle. (Brian Ricks, Doubleday Canada)
In The Smiling Land, Canadian musician Alan Doyle offers insider tips and offbeat travel advice on the best places to visit along Newfoundland’s windswept coastlines, from historic lighthouses to ancient Viking and Basque fishing settlements. He also shares the best spots to see dolphins and puffins in the wild, all delivered with his trademark humour.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Doyle is a Newfoundland-born musician and frontman of the Canadian folk rock band Great Big Sea. As an actor, he’s starred in Republic of Doyle and Robin Hood. He is also the author of A Newfoundlander in Canada, All Together Now and the memoir Where I Belong: Small Town to Great Big Sea. He lives in St. John’s.
The Science of Pets by Jay Ingram
(Simon & Schuster, Richard Siemens)
In The Science of Pets, the fascinating behaviours of the animals we call our own are explored, challenging common myths and misconceptions. The book delves into questions such as why baby animals are so irresistibly cute, what’s driving the rise of exotic pets like tigers and bears and whether highly intelligent creatures like octopi could make suitable companions.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Jay Ingram is the Victoria-based former host of CBC Radio’s Quirks & Quarks. He is the author of 20 books, which have been translated into 15 languages, including the five-volume The Science of Why series. Ingram won the Walter C. Alvarez Award from the American Medical Writers’ Association for excellence in health care communications in 2015 and is a Member of the Order of Canada.
Black Loyalists by Ruth Holmes Whitehead
Black Loyalists is a book by Ruth Homes Whitehead. (Nimbus Publishing)
Black Loyalists tells the powerful story of more than 3,000 formerly enslaved men and women who escaped bondage during the American Revolution by siding with the British. Over 2,700 of them eventually made their way to Nova Scotia. The book follows their remarkable journey from the newly formed United States to the shores of Nova Scotia, where they pursued freedom, dignity and a fresh start.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Ruth Holmes Whitehead is the Curator Emerita of the Nova Scotia Museum since 2003. She is the author of many books including Stories from the Six Worlds, The Old Man Told Us and Ancestral Images. In 2014, Whitehead was inducted into the Order of Nova Scotia. She lives in Halifax.
We Breed Lions by Rick Westhead
We Breed Lions is a book by Rich Westhead. (Penguin Random House Canada, Jason Wessel)
In We Breed Lions, TSN investigative reporter Rick Westhead unpacks the story he first broke about the sexual assault allegations against five players from Canada’s World Juniors team — now all in the NHL — stemming from an incident in June 2018. Though the players were acquitted in July 2025, Westhead’s investigation goes beyond the courtroom, exposing the toxic culture within hockey, amplifying the voices of survivors and holding the sport’s gatekeepers to account.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Westhead is TSN’s senior correspondent and a two-time winner of Canadian sports writer of the year awarded by Sport Media Canada. He has won six Canadian Screen Awards for his various original features. Prior to joining TSN, Westhead served as a foreign correspondent for the Toronto Star in countries like Afghanistan, China and Saudi Arabia.
Hide & Sikh: Letters from a Life in Brown Skin by Sunny Dhillon
Hide & Sikh: Letters from a Life in Brown Skin is a memoir by Sunny Dhillon. (Wolsak & Wynn Publishers, Submitted by Sunny Dhillon)
Hide & Sikh: Letters from a Life in Brown Skin is a memoir by former Globe and Mail journalist Sunny Dhillon, who made headlines after leaving the newspaper and publishing a viral essay about the challenges faced by journalists of colour. Told through a series of letters to his daughter, the book traces Dhillon’s experiences growing up in Canada. It offers reflections on identity, race, and resilience — so his daughter might grow up proud of who she is and where she comes from.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Originally from Vancouver, Dhillon is a writer and journalist now based in Ontario. He worked as a print reporter for 10 years, during which he highlighted the significant challenges that journalists of colour can face. He holds a master’s degree in journalism from the University of British Columbia and is now attending law school.
We the Raptors by Eric Smith and Andrew Bricker
We the Raptors is a book by Eric Smith, left, and Andrew Bricker, right. (Jack Victor/Rogers, Simon & Schuster, Wibke Schniedermann)
We the Raptors: 30 Players, 30 Stories, 30 Years explores how following the the NBA expansion, the Toronto basketball team had long been unheralded and ignored until they became one of the winningest teams in the league. Through interviews with 30 former and current players for the Raptors, the book offers a rare view of the NBA through the eyes of those who made it in the sport.
When you can read it: Nov. 4
Eric Smith has been covering the Raptors for Sportsnet for nearly 30 years. He is also the broadcast voice for the team on the radio. He appears regularly as an NBA analyst on television.
Andrew Bricker is an associate professor of English literature at Ghent University in Belgium. He is the author of Libel and Lampoon: Satire in the Courts, 1670-1792. We the Raptors is his first book about basketball.
Sorry, Not Sorry by Mark Critch
Sorry, Not Sorry is a book by Mark Critch. (Penguin Canada, Aaron McKenzie Fraser)
In Sorry, Not Sorry, comedian Mark Critch writes a series of sharp, humorous essays to explore a new wave of Canadian patriotism. With wit and satire, he tackles serious questions about national identity, unity and Canada’s future — including a playful love letter to the country written in the voice of U.S. president Donald Trump.
When you can read it: Nov. 25
Critch is a comedian, actor and writer from St. John’s. He is best known for his work on CBC sketch comedy show This Hour Has 22 Minutes. His memoir Son of a Critch was shortlisted for 2019 Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour and made into a CBC TV series.
The Work of Our Hands by Adrian Sutherland
The Work of Our Hands is a book by Adrian Sutherland. (Penguin Canada, Joey Senft)
In The Work of Our Hands, Juno-nominated Cree musician Adrian Sutherland from Attawapiskat, northern Ontario, reveals why he chooses to live in a community often seen by outsiders only through poverty and despair. Through his personal experiences, he offers a deeper, more intimate perspective that goes beyond what outsiders can see.
When you can read it: Dec. 30
Sutherland is a Juno-nominated musician from Attawapiskat, Ont. He is the founder and longtime frontman of the roots-rock band Midnight Shine. In recent years, Sutherland has started making music that leans into his Cree culture and language.