21 Canadian books we're excited to read in August
A new month brings a new set of reads.
Here are some of the new Canadian book releases for August 2025, perfect to dive into before the summer winds down.
Fiction | Children and Young Adult | Poetry
FICTION
What She Left Behind by Brianne Sommerville
In What She Left Behind, Charlotte Boyd finds a diary hidden in her parents' small-town summer home. The diary belonged to Lark Peters, a troubled teen believed to have died by suicide there years earlier. But when Charlotte investigates, she begins to suspect that it was murder — and the killer could still be close by.
What She Left Behind is available August 12.
Brianne Sommerville is a Toronto-based thriller author. She studied English literature and theater, before pursuing a career in public relations and marketing. Her debut novel was If I Lose Her.
Jenny Cooper Has a Secret by Joy Fielding
To escape tensions at home, 76-year-old Linda Davidson visits her friend at Legacy Place, a memory-care facility for the elderly. But in Jenny Cooper Has a Secret, what begins as a routine visit takes a chilling turn when Linda meets Jenny Cooper — a dementia patient who confesses to killing people. When another resident dies of apparent natural causes, Linda can't help but suspect something more sinister.
Jenny Cooper Has a Secret is available August 26.
Joy Fielding is the bestselling author of more than two dozen psychological thrillers. Her previous works include The Housekeeper, Cul-de-sac, All the Wrong Places, The Bad Daughter, She's Not There and Someone Is Watching. She divides her time between Toronto and Palm Beach, Fla.
Black Cherokee by Antonio Michael Downing
Of course we couldn't resist including Black Cherokee by Antonio Michael Downing, who currently hosts CBC Radio's The Next Chapter. Ophelia Blue Rivers is raised by Grandma Blue, a descendant of the Black Cherokee Freedmen. When she's taken away to live with Auntie Oba, Ophelia begins a journey to find home and identity in a 1990s South Carolina Cherokee community that rejects her mixed-race heritage.
Black Cherokee is available August 19.
Downing is a Trinidadian Canadian musician, activist and writer. His previous works include the memoir Saga Boy and the children's book Stars in My Crown. Black Cherokee is Downing's debut novel.
Saving Face by Mansi Shah
In Saving Face, Ami Shah appears to have it all. She's the daughter of Indian aristocrats in Singapore, and she's built a successful American skincare empire that'll be acquired by a Fortune 500 company. But when she's nominated for an entrepreneurial award and asked to share her origin story, Ami is forced to confront a long-buried secret — she's not the real Ami Shah.
Saving Face is available August 12.
Mansi Shah writes novels that explore generational differences within the Indian diaspora, often centering on Gujarati characters. Her previous books include The Direction of the Wind, The Taste of Ginger and A Good Indian Girl. Born in Toronto and raised in the midwestern U.S., she now lives in Los Angeles.
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us by Yiming Ma
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is set in a distant future ruled by the Qin Empire, where every citizen is implanted with a Mindbank — a device that records and transmits memories between minds. When the narrator's mother dies suddenly, he inherits her forbidden memories and sets out to release them before they're erased forever — even if it costs him his life.
These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is available August 12.
Yiming Ma is a Shanghai-born writer who divides his time between Toronto and Seattle. His stories and essays have appeared in The New York Times, The Guardian, Literary Hub and Hazlitt. Before turning to writing, he spent a decade working in tech and finance. He holds an MBA from Stanford University and an MFA from Warren Wilson College. These Memories Do Not Belong to Us is his debut novel.
Ship of Dreams by Donna Jones Alward
Aboard the Titanic, two women carry heavy secrets in Ship of Dreams. Hannah Martin hopes the voyage will mend the fractures in her marriage, while Louisa Phillips is fleeing her family's pressure to enter a loveless union. As they both navigate the emotional storms of their personal lives, the unthinkable happens: Titanic strikes the iceberg and plunges them into a fight for survival in more ways than one.
Ship of Dreams is available August 26.
Donna Jones Alward is a Nova Scotia-based writer. Her first book was When The World Fell Silent.
Three Parties by Ziyad Saadi
In Three Parties, a queer Palestinian refugee named Firas Dareer meticulously plans to come out during his elaborate 23rd birthday dinner, and brings together his family, friends, co-workers and neighbours to do so. But a flurry of people and situations threaten to derail his plans — including a cantankerous grandfather and a boss who insists Firas come into work.
Three Parties is available August 26.
Ziyad Saadi is a Palestinian Canadian writer and filmmaker based in Vancouver. His work has appeared in Indiewire, Thyme Travellers, The Independent and The Gay & Lesbian Review. He holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from Concordia University.
We Were Not Kings by Robert Chevotière
We Were Not Kings follows Salomon Destin, a man who leaves his home in Guadeloupe after high school to begin a new life in France. In the new country, he experiences first love and a welcome escape from his family's chaos. But when tragedy strikes back home, Salomon goes back to the island, and finds that his old wounds remain unhealed. Years later, as his own marriage begins to fall apart, he is forced to confront what has held him back.
We Were Not Kings is available August 26.
Robert de la Chevotière was born in Dominica and has lived in Guadeloupe and Bermuda. He now resides in Halifax, where he has been a teacher for almost 20 years.
Every Summer After: Deluxe Edition by Carley Fortune
Set over six years and one emotionally charged weekend, Every Summer After follows Percy and Sam, two childhood friends whose close bond was shattered by a fateful moment that forced them apart — and the complicated love story that unfolds when they're reunited years later at a funeral.
The deluxe edition features a new introduction by the author and an exclusive bonus chapter.
Every Summer After: Deluxe Edition is available August 5.
Carley Fortune is a Toronto-based writer and journalist who has worked as an editor for Refinery29, The Globe and Mail, Chatelaine and Toronto Life. Other titles by Fortune include This Summer Will Be Different, One Golden Summer and Meet Me at the Lake, which was a contender for Canada Reads 2024, championed by Mirian Njoh.
CHILDREN AND YOUNG ADULT
At the Rescue Cat Café by Anna Humphrey, illustrated by Kari Rust
At the Rescue Cat Café, an eclectic mix of cats with colourful personalities — from the handsome Henry to the mysterious Ming — await their forever homes, reminding us of the beautiful, heartwarming bond that can be formed between humans and animals.
At the Rescue Cat Café is available August 12.
Anna Humphrey is an author based in Kitchener, Ont. Her previous works includes the Bee & Flea series, the Clara Humble series, the Megabat series and the graphic novel Fluffle Bunnies: Buns Gone Bad.
Kari Rust is a Vancouver-based author and illustrator. She wrote and illustrated The House at the End of the Road and Tricky, which was nominated for the OLA Blue Spruce Award. She has also illustrated a number of other children's books, including the Weird Sisters Detective Agency chapter book series.
Maggie Lou Meets Her Match by Arnolda Dufour Bowes, illustrated by Karlene Harvey
In Maggie Lou Meets Her Match, Maggie meets her new cousin, Rosie. They're the same age, both have curly hair, and a rivalry quickly flares, especially when Maggie discovers that Rosie can ride horses, something she's always longed to do. But as the two girls grow closer, new adventures unfold — including training together for the Otipîm'sowak Race, a Métis voyageur relay that lets them carry on a cherished family tradition.
Maggie Lou Meets Her Match is available August 5.
Arnolda Dufour Bowes is a Métis writer, playwright, screenwriter and artist with ties to Sakitawak and the George Gordon First Nation. Her previous work, 20.12 m: A Short Story Collection of a Life Lived as a Road Allowance Métis, won both the Danuta Gleed Literary Award and the High Plains Book Award. She currently lives in Dalmeny, Sask.
Karlene Harvey is a Tšilhqot'in and Syilx illustrator and writer. Her previous works of illustration include Maggie Lou, Firefox by Arnolda Dufour Bowes, Drum From the Heart by Ren Louie, Every Child Matters by Phyllis Webstad and Kaiah's Garden by Melanie Florence. She lives on the unceded and ancestral territories of the Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh peoples.
King of the Dump by Tim Wynne-Jones, illustrated by Scot Ritchie
In King of the Dump, Teddy helps his dad sort recyclables and operate machinery at the rural waste management centre. Along the way, he learns valuable lessons about recycling — and about letting go of the things we no longer need.
King of the Dump is available August 5.
Tim Wynne-Jones is a writer based in Perth, Ont., and the author of more than 35 books, including War at the Snow White Motel and The Starlight Claim. He is a two-time winner of the Governor General's Award, as well as a two-time recipient of both the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award and the Arthur Ellis Award. Wynne-Jones is also an Officer of the Order of Canada.
Scot Ritchie is a Vancouver-based author and illustrator with more than 70 books to his name, including Tug, P'ésk'a and the First Salmon Ceremony and Federica and Owen at the Park. He has worked with the National Film Board of Canada and has exhibited his work at the National Gallery of Canada.
How to Save a Library by Colleen Nelson
In How to Save a Library, Casey feels like he's finally found his place living with a dad who's always on the move. Settling into The Gates, he makes friends and grows to love his new home. But when the local library — where his dad works — is at risk, Casey must face uncertainty once again. He joins the Kids Community Action Network to help save the library and learns to navigate a complicated friendship with Addison, a frenemy.
How to Save a Library is available August 12.
Colleen Nelson is the author of more than 20 books for young readers. She has lived in New York City and Japan, and currently resides in Winnipeg.
Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown by Evelyn Sue Wong, illustrated by Sarah Ang
Set during the Great Depression in Vancouver's Chinatown, Reach for the Sky tells the true story of brothers Robert Shun Wong and Tommy, who built a single-seat Pietenpol Sky Scout airplane. Despite financial hardship and racial discrimination, they made their dream of flying come true.
Reach for the Sky: How Two Brothers Built an Airplane in Chinatown is available August 21.
Evelyn Sue Wong is a children's book author with a passion for inspiring change through her stories. The daughter of Robert Shun Wong, she grew up in Toronto and earned her pilot's license at 19. She currently lives in Singapore.
Sarah Ang is a children's book author and illustrator from Singapore with a strong interest in depicting landscapes, nature and history.
Howler Reef by Nancy Deas, illustrated by Mike Deas
In the small village of Sueño Bay on Howler Reef — known for its legendary Moon Creatures and mysterious crystals — Kay draws her friends Sleeves, Jenna, and Ollie into the search for a shipwrecked radio host. But when she strikes out on her own to find DJ Azul, Kay must confront her fears and learn to choose what's right over simply following her instincts.
Howler Reef is available August 19.
Nancy Deas is an author and creator of children's books. She is based in British Columbia.
Mike Deas is a Canadian author and illustrator of graphic novels, most recently Tank and Fizz, The Sueño Bay Adventures and Dalen and Gole. He is the illustrator of the Graphic Guide Adventure series.
Scorched Earth by Danielle L. Jensen
In the epic finale to the Dark Shores fantasy series, Scorched Earth reunites readers with beloved characters — Lydia and Killian, Teriana and Marcus — as they face new trials in a world on the edge of ruin. When evil sweeps across Reath, they come to realize that only the deepest sacrifices can turn the tide in the battle to free every nation.
Scorched Earth is available on August 5.
Danielle L. Jensen is a Calgary-based author. Other titles by Jensen include A Fate Inked in Blood, A Curse Carved in Bone, and the Bridge Kingdom, Dark Shores and Malediction series.
POETRY
Our Hearts Are a Burial Ground by Lesley Belleau
Our Hearts Are a Burial Ground is a poetry collection that sheds light on the everyday struggles and triumphs of Indigenous women. Through powerful verse, it explores identity, cultural heritage and the impact of systemic challenges.
Our Hearts Are a Burial Ground is available August 15.
Lesley Belleau is an Anishinaabe writer and poet from Garden River First Nation. Her poetry collection Indianland won the 2018 Pat Lowther Award. She lives in Peterborough, Ont.
Fifty-Five Ways to Survive by Laurier Tiernan
After 12 years of battling depression and suicidal thoughts, Laurier Tiernan shares Fifty-Five Ways to Survive — a powerful collection of illustrated poetry tracing their journey from deep despair to self-awareness and spiritual connection. Through words and artwork, the collection explores resilience and the quiet strength it takes to keep going.
Fifty-Five Ways to Survive is available August 15.
Laurier Tiernan is a queer poet, artist and musician. Their handwritten poems were featured in Living While Marginalized, an exhibition of LGBTQ+ and BIPOC artists hosted by the Penticton Art Gallery in British Columbia. They currently host Tiernan depuis Tokyo on CKRP, a French-language radio station in Alberta. Tiernan divides their time between Tokyo and Edmonton.
Each Stitch to Build a Heart by Mackenzie Angeconeb
Each Stitch to Build a Heart is a poetry collection that explores how we are shaped by the connections we make — whether they've transformed, faded or remained vibrant over time. The collection invites readers to consider their own relationships and the intricate ways these bonds help define who we are.
Each Stitch to Build a Heart is available August 15.
Mackenzie Angeconeb is an Indigenous author from Lac Seul First Nation in Ontario. She is the author of the novel The Fragments That Remain. In addition to her writing, she works as a registered early childhood educator and currently lives in Sioux Lookout, Ont.
Tamil Terrains edited by Nedra Rodrigo and Geetha Sukumaran
Tamil Terrains is a collection of poems that challenges traditional ideas about time, place, work, love, purity and gender. It explores how a 2,000-year-old language travels with its people through colonial and postcolonial upheavals, war and migrations.
Tamil Terrains is available August 11.
Nedra Rodrigo is a translator, writer, scholar and literary curator. She has translated five novels written by Devakanthan, and her translation of Mohamed Rashmy Ahamed's poetry collection Songs in a Time of Confinement received the 2024 PEN Translates Award.
Geetha Sukumaran is a Tamil poet, translator and humanities scholar, originally from India and now based in Toronto. She has translated the works of Sylvia Plath into Tamil and the poetry of Ahilan into English.
white spaces where we learn to breathe by Murgatroyd Monaghan
white spaces where we learn to breathe is a poetry collection that uses its text, spacing and punctuation to vividly capture the experiences of BIPOC living in spaces designed for white people. It explores what it feels like to exist in places not made for you, and imagines how those spaces can be made safer and more welcoming.
white spaces where we learn to breathe is available on August 16.
Murgatroyd Monaghan is an autistic mother, poet, writer and healthcare worker of mixed heritage. Her writing has been published in Chapter House Review, PRISM and the Humber Literary Review. Her work was a finalist for the Room Poetry Contest and the Joy Kogawa Award for Fiction. She made the 2023 CBC Nonfiction Prize longlist for her story Island Girl. A former asylum-seeker, Monaghan was raised in Ontario.
