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CBC Canada Reads

Canada Keeps Reading: Follow-up Reads to your 2025 Favourites

If you’ve been keeping up with the 2025 CBC Canada Reads debates this week and wondering what you should read next, we’ve paired the five battling books with some excellent followups from independent Canadian publishers. (Note: this is spoiler-free for today’s Canada Reads winner, if you haven’t had the chance to listen, yet!)

A photo of writer Joni Murphy. She is a light skin-toned woman with dark curly hair, wearing a blue-buttoned top open at the collar, and standing in front of a leafy hedge.

Author interview

Writer’s Block: Joni Murphy

The cover of elseship by Tree Abraham

Read an excerpt

Excerpted – elseship: an unrequited affair

More from our editors

Freshly Published!

Browse what’s new on the ALU shelves this week.

Spring Staff Picks

What are ALU staffers reading as the days get longer (and the snow melts, fingers crossed)? Browse our picks for the season below:

The cover of Ransacking Troy by Erin Shields

Ransacking Troy

By (author): Erin Shields

After nearly a decade of the Trojan War, the women of Greece are growing restless. Led by the indomitable Penelope and t….
The cover of The Road Between Us by Bindu Suresh

The Road Between Us

By (author): Bindu Suresh

As binge-worthy as a miniseries, this lover’s knot of a novel delves into the entangled lives of its ensemble cast Estel….
The cover of I Want to Die in My Boots by Natalie Appleton

I Want to Die in My Boots

By (author): Natalie Appleton

A debut novel by an exciting new voice in Canadian literature, I Want to Die in My Boots weaves fact and fiction to tell….
The cover of A Story Can Be Told About Pain by Lisa Martin

A Story Can Be Told About Pain

When an accident upends their lives, fourteen-year-old Shiloh and her mother Ruth must leave their idyllic home to make ….
The cover of Palace Trash by Roger Fodjo

Palace Trash

By (author): Roger Fodjo

Cyprian Ghezo, crown prince of Dahomey (now Benin), is a student at Sorbonne University. Passionate about history and ar….
The cover of Ransacking Troy by Erin Shields

Ransacking Troy

By (author): Erin Shields

After nearly a decade of the Trojan War, the women of Greece are growing restless. Led by the indomitable Penelope and t….
The cover of The Road Between Us by Bindu Suresh

The Road Between Us

By (author): Bindu Suresh

As binge-worthy as a miniseries, this lover’s knot of a novel delves into the entangled lives of its ensemble cast Estel….
The cover of I Want to Die in My Boots by Natalie Appleton

I Want to Die in My Boots

By (author): Natalie Appleton

A debut novel by an exciting new voice in Canadian literature, I Want to Die in My Boots weaves fact and fiction to tell….
The cover of A Story Can Be Told About Pain by Lisa Martin

A Story Can Be Told About Pain

When an accident upends their lives, fourteen-year-old Shiloh and her mother Ruth must leave their idyllic home to make ….
The cover of Palace Trash by Roger Fodjo

Palace Trash

By (author): Roger Fodjo

Cyprian Ghezo, crown prince of Dahomey (now Benin), is a student at Sorbonne University. Passionate about history and ar….
The cover of Ransacking Troy by Erin Shields

Ransacking Troy

By (author): Erin Shields

After nearly a decade of the Trojan War, the women of Greece are growing restless. Led by the indomitable Penelope and t….
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Popular Categories

Literary Fiction
short stories
mystery / thriller
poetry
memoir / biography
canadian plays

Indigenous Litspace

Discover fiction, nonfiction, poetry, drama, and kids’ books by Indigenous authors and #ReadIndigenous.

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Poetry Litspace

We don’t tell you what the poets are doing, we show you with a dedicated home for poetry recordings, interviews, excerpts, and more.

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Kids Litspace

The ALU Kids Litspace is a home for the finest in kids lit, for young, middle-grade, and teen readers (and all of those who are young-at-heart).

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Congratulations to the CBC Canada Reads longlisted books!

We hope to root for these books from independent Canadian literary publishers in 2025’s Battle of the Books.

What I Know About You

By (author): Éric Chacour

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

CBC BOOKS CANADIAN FICTION BOOKS TO READ IN FALL 2024  SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 GILLER PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE 20….

All Our Ordinary Stories

By (author): Teresa Wong

Longlisted for Canada Reads 2025 From the author of Dear Scarlet comes a graphic memoir about the obstacles one daughter….

Dandelion

By (author): Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Longlisted for Canada Reads Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award winner: an Asian woman traces her mother’s past journ….

What I Know About You

By (author): Éric Chacour

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

CBC BOOKS CANADIAN FICTION BOOKS TO READ IN FALL 2024  SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 GILLER PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE 20….

All Our Ordinary Stories

By (author): Teresa Wong

Longlisted for Canada Reads 2025 From the author of Dear Scarlet comes a graphic memoir about the obstacles one daughter….

Dandelion

By (author): Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Longlisted for Canada Reads Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award winner: an Asian woman traces her mother’s past journ….

What I Know About You

By (author): Éric Chacour

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

CBC BOOKS CANADIAN FICTION BOOKS TO READ IN FALL 2024  SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2024 GILLER PRIZE FINALIST FOR THE 20….

All Our Ordinary Stories

By (author): Teresa Wong

Longlisted for Canada Reads 2025 From the author of Dear Scarlet comes a graphic memoir about the obstacles one daughter….

Dandelion

By (author): Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Longlisted for Canada Reads Jim Wong-Chu Emerging Writers Award winner: an Asian woman traces her mother’s past journ….
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Globe Spring Picks

The Globe and Mail highlighted these books from independent Canadian publishers as must-reads for the
season ahead.

Skin

By (author): Catherine Bush

Now, for the first time, a blistering book of short fiction from one of Canada’s most loved novelists. In Skin, Ca….

Encampment

By (author): Maggie Helwig

An activist priest provides sanctuary for an encampment of unhoused people in her churchyardWe think, maybe, that homele….

I Remember Lights

By (author): Ben Ladouceur

The first novel from award-winning poet Ben Ladouceur, I Remember Lights depicts a time when the world promised everythi….

Ripper

By (author): Mark Bourrie

As Canada heads towards a pivotal election, bestselling author Mark Bourrie charts the rise of Opposition leader Pierre ….
The cover of I Want to Die in My Boots by Natalie Appleton

I Want to Die in My Boots

By (author): Natalie Appleton

A debut novel by an exciting new voice in Canadian literature, I Want to Die in My Boots weaves fact and fiction to tell….

Horsefly

By (author): Mireille Gagné

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

A chilling tale about what happens when we mess with nature.In 1942, a young entomologist, Thomas, is sent o….

Old Romantics

By (author): Maggie Armstrong

Shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award • Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year….

Skin

By (author): Catherine Bush

Now, for the first time, a blistering book of short fiction from one of Canada’s most loved novelists. In Skin, Ca….

Encampment

By (author): Maggie Helwig

An activist priest provides sanctuary for an encampment of unhoused people in her churchyardWe think, maybe, that homele….

I Remember Lights

By (author): Ben Ladouceur

The first novel from award-winning poet Ben Ladouceur, I Remember Lights depicts a time when the world promised everythi….

Ripper

By (author): Mark Bourrie

As Canada heads towards a pivotal election, bestselling author Mark Bourrie charts the rise of Opposition leader Pierre ….
The cover of I Want to Die in My Boots by Natalie Appleton

I Want to Die in My Boots

By (author): Natalie Appleton

A debut novel by an exciting new voice in Canadian literature, I Want to Die in My Boots weaves fact and fiction to tell….

Horsefly

By (author): Mireille Gagné

Translated by: Pablo Strauss

A chilling tale about what happens when we mess with nature.In 1942, a young entomologist, Thomas, is sent o….

Old Romantics

By (author): Maggie Armstrong

Shortlisted for the Kate O’Brien Award • Shortlisted for the Irish Book Awards Sunday Independent Newcomer of the Year….

Skin

By (author): Catherine Bush

Now, for the first time, a blistering book of short fiction from one of Canada’s most loved novelists. In Skin, Ca….
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Congratulations to the books on the
Dublin Literary Award longlist!

As chosen by librarians all over the world, these books from independent Canadian literary presses are literally world famous!

ebooks for everyone

In 2022 All Lit Up launched the ebooks for everyone collection: 600+ books that were converted to fully-accessible epub formats for readers with print disabilities. Browse some handpicks from our collection below.

VIEW ALL accessible EBOOKS