Your Very Canadian Spring 2025 Reading List

We didn’t intend to feature entirely Canadian authors in this round-up, but there was such an overwhelming number of excellent new releases from homegrown talent that we simply had no choice. If reading more CanLit is one of your 2025 resolutions, these 10 page-turners are a great place to start.

Our Favourite Spring 2025 Books

No Fault: A Memoir of Romance and Divorce by Haley Mlotek

The writer’s divorce is the jumping-off point for this memoir-slash-cultural exploration of relationships and how they end. A genuinely curious (and generous) investigation into what went wrong in Mlotek’s marriage follows, interspersed with insight from books, films and research on breakups. (Out now)

Sucker Punch by Scaachi Koul

Is 2025 the year of the divorce memoir? Sure, Sucker Punch is about more than the dissolution of Koul’s marriage to an older man, but her dissection of said dissolution—with the incisiveness and dark humour that is her signature—is its driving force. “He kept Lolita. I kept Heartburn,” she writes. “See? Another lousy metaphor.” (Out now)

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Eighteen-year-old Pen moves to Edinburgh for university and reconnects with a school friend of her father’s. As she becomes entangled with the friend’s family, she falls in love and uncovers a secret her parents had been keeping for years. This cinematic coming-of-age story nails the agony and ecstasy of young adulthood. (Out now)

The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley

In Kearsley’s 13th novel, strapping Scotsman Andrew Logan—who harbours a secret, supernatural gift—is ordered by King James to retrieve the man suspected of killing the king’s son. Logan’s travel companions? An elderly scribe and his fiery daughter, who is decidedly not a fan of Logan. A sweeping tale—and enemies-to-lovers romance—ensues. (Out now)

Fallosophy by Ardra Shephard

Shephard was living her best twentysomething life in the early aughts when the eye pain she first attributes to too much red wine turns out to be multiple sclerosis. In this candid and darkly comedic memoir, she chronicles the peaks and valleys of the past two decades, from getting engaged in Paris and creating her own TV show to learning to insert a catheter and slowly losing her mobility. (Out now)

Story of Your Mother by Chantal Braganza

Growing up in 1980s Mississauga, a city of immigrants, Chantal Braganza’s Mexican-Indian identity seemed straightforward. But after moving to Toronto and having two kids of her own, Braganza (Chatelaine’s deputy food editor) begins examining the myriad stories that make up a life with a more introspective lens. The end result is this lyrical book of essays. (April 8)

How to Share an Egg by Bonny Reichert

Reichert’s dad Saul nearly starved in Auschwitz-Birkenau. He eventually made his way to Canada, where he started a family, built a restaurant empire and fully embraced a bright new chapter where food was abundant (but never wasted). This beautiful and often heartbreaking memoir explores the role that sustenance plays in Saul’s life—and his daughter’s too. (Out now)

Julie Chan is Dead by Liann Zhang

After the death of their parents, a set of identical twins are separated. Chloe becomes an influencer; Julie works at a grocery store—and follows Chloe’s glamourous life online. Then Chloe dies mysteriously, Julie assumes her identity and all hell breaks loose. Written by a former content creator, this delicious and outrageous exploration of influencer culture has both Yellowface and Yellowjackets vibes. (April 29)

Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick

Mickey is a teacher. Arlo is a psychologist. They’re half sisters, but they’ve never met—until their alcoholic father dies and leaves his vast estate solely to Mickey. There’s just one hitch: she must complete seven therapy sessions with Arlo to receive it. As the pair—both initially unaware of their relationship—stumble through the sessions, their wildly different perspectives of their father are exposed. (April 29)

Everything Is Fine Here by Iryn Tushabe

Aine loves her older sister more than anyone else in the world. When Mbabazi reveals that her roommate Achen is actually her lover—a relationship that’s illegal in Uganda, where they live—Aine is surprised but supportive. As this tender novel unfolds, Aine is forced to choose between her mother and her sister while grieving a sudden death. (April 22)

Five Other New-ish Books We Can’t Wait To Read

Show Don’t Tell by Curtis Sittenfeld

This impeccable short story collection includes an update on Lee Fiora, the heroine of Sittenfeld’s Prep.

We Would Never by Tova Mirvis

Tom Perrotta says “you won’t want to put down” this family drama. Sold!

Three Days in June by Anne Tyler

A woman navigates her daughter’s wedding while being passed over for a promotion and contending with her ex (and his cat).

Dream Count by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

The acclaimed writer’s first novel in a decade focuses on four women and their various loves and losses.

The Harder I Fight The More I Love You by Neko Case

A memoir by the much loved singer-songwriter? Music to our ears.