Colleen’s Pick
Welcome to Sunny Town by Théodora Armstrong (Freehand Books)
Théodora Armstrong’s debut novel, Welcome to Sunny Town, follows a young artist who moves overseas with little-to-no preparation to teach ESL and reinvent herself. Instead of finding immediate clarity, Maggie must navigate murky relationships, unfamiliar customs, and the intense closeness of an expat community. She leaves home in search of direction, only to discover that changing isn’t quite so simple.
As we begin the slow seasonal shift into spring, I can’t think of a better time to read about
characters yearning for growth, connection, and a fresh start!
Publishing May
Preorder Welcome to Sunny Town here or at your favourite independent bookstore.
Mandy’s Pick
Super Castle Fun Park by Daniel Zomparelli (Arsenal Pulp Press)
“The dead want to speak to you. But are you ready to hear their words?”
Moving between online worlds and earthly grief, and blending wry humour with the uncanny, this genre-bending novel by poet and fiction writer Daniel Zomparelli feels perfectly attuned to the strange loneliness of modern life. I can’t wait to read this genre-defying ghost-lit story about isolation, technology, and the need for connection.
Publishing April
Pre-order Super Castle Fun Park here or at your favourite independent bookstore.
Lauren’s Pick
Nightberries by Elina Penner, translated by Bradley Schmidt (CMU Press)
In this novel-in-translation, Nelli, the quiet, youngest daughter of a chaotic German Mennonite family, is hiding something in the chest freezer. Or is it someone? Told through multiple perspectives and infused with Plautdietsch (also the author’s mother tongue), I can’t wait to read this darkly funny, horror-adjacent psychological novel this spring.
Published March 2026
Order Nightberries here or at your favourite independent bookstore.
Tan’s Pick
Bad Advice by Susan Carpenter (Now or Never)
One of the titles I’ve added to my TBR for the Spring is the debut novel, Bad Advice, a gripping psychological thriller by Calgary’s Susan Carpenter. Moving between Toronto and Georgian Bay, it promises spiralling tension, ghosts from the past, and a desperate attempt at redemption. I’ve spent a lot of time near this part of Georgian Bay, and I can’t wait to see it depicted on the page.
Publishing April
Pre-order Bad Advice here or at your favourite independent bookstore.
Barb’s Pick
Saudade by Thomas Trofimuk (NeWest Press)
I am keen to get my hands on Saudade. The word saudade implies a yearning for a happiness that has passed, or perhaps never even existed. The book description is of Bruce and his wife, Pilar, having a meal while she tells him a story—when suddenly she disappears. What follows is Bruce’s journey across continents to find her. Is Pilar real? I’ll have to read it to find out!
Saudade is the sixth novel from award-winning writer Thomas Trofimuk. It is a sweeping literary thriller, moving across Europe and North America, from France to Italy, to Palm Springs, and Lake Louise, showing a world on the cusp of a global pandemic. It is a love story, a story of stories, of loss, and of discovery.
Publishing April
Pre-order Saudade here or at your favourite independent bookstore.
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What are you reading this spring? Let us know on social media by tagging us @alllitupcanada.
