My Top 🇨🇦 Canadian YA Reads!

Since it’s Canada’s 150th birthday this month, I thought it would a great time to share some of my Canadian book recommendations! Next up, my top Canadian young adult reads! As the years go by, I’m noticing that there are more and more YA books coming out of Canada and as I discover new authors, I get so excited to see what they will come up with next!

Here are my top picks, in no particular order:

I remember getting this book from the library and thinking, “Oh good! Another Kelley Armstrong!” and then time stopped until I finished this book. Kelley just has this way with writing that sucks you right in and holds you there until you’re done reading. This book is just so intense and fast-paced that I loved it when I finished. My heart was pounding by the end and I was so glad I picked it up!

This was such a fun book and I loved that it took place in Canada. I adore any book that takes me places I want to see in this beautiful country, or places that I’ve been to. Plus it’s all about social media, which I’m kind of addicted to. Janet Gurtler writes such relatable young adult fiction and I always look forward to a new title by her. Plus, she’s from Alberta!

The author of this book doesn’t classify herself as Canadian, I don’t think. So far as I know, she was born in Canada, but now lives in Florida, BUT this book is so Canadian. When I think of books that take place in Canada, this book always comes to mind as the book that I love to read. It takes place in Banff, Alberta, and I’ve been there and could picture in my mind where the characters were and where they were going. It was so much fun to read just in that aspect!

This is a book I just read this year and I loved it! I’ve always been a fan of Lisa Genova’s books, since they deal with those medical issues that you don’t hear a lot about, and this book was exactly like that. I was fascinated the whole time I was reading and it certainly gave me a lot to think about. I actually had this book for almost 3 years before I even realized it was Canadian!

This is a book that everyone loves. It’s just so Canadian and just so awesome. I’ve been thinking about this book a lot lately since I’ve been watching the CBC adaptation of the book and I recall listening to the audiobook for the first time and just falling in love with Anne. She’s just so down to earth, but still a dreamer and I love her so much! This is a must read if you want to read Canadian!

What are some of your favourite Canadian YA titles? 

2017 🇨🇦 Canadian Book Release Spotlight: So Much Love by Rebecca Rosenblum

This month I will be featuring new releases from Canadian authors! From indie authors to well-known authors, I want to share with you the books I’m most excited for this year — I hope you’ll add some of them to your own wishlist and TBR! 

So Much Love by Rebecca Rosenblum

McClelland & Stewart | May 14, 2017

When a young woman named Catherine Reindeer vanishes without a trace from her small town, those who know her are left to cope with her absence. Moving back and forth from her outer circle of acquaintances to her closest intimates, Rebecca Rosenblum’s first novel reveals how the lives of those left behind can be overturned in the wake of an unexplained disappearance. But at the heart of the novel is Catherine’s own surprising story of resilience and recovery.

When a final devastating loss after months of captivity forces her to make a bold decision, she is unprepared for everything that follows her dramatic escape. Woven throughout are stories about a local female poet who was murdered decades earlier, a woman whose life and work become a lifeline for Catherine during her darkest hours—and who may ultimately hold the key to Catherine’s quest to find solace in the aftermath of unimaginable tragedy.

So Much Love is a haunting novel of longing and loss, the necessity of bearing witness, and how the stories we tell have the power to shape our lives.

This book sounds absolutely beautiful! It sounds haunting and thrilling – maybe a mix of contemporary and suspense? At any rate, I’m very excited to try out this debut novel from Rebecca Rosenblum! And I love that cover – it’s very eye-catching!

What Canadian book are you waiting for? 

2017 🇨🇦 Canadian Book Release Spotlight: Just Jen by Jen Powley

This month I will be featuring new releases from Canadian authors! From indie authors to well-known authors, I want to share with you the books I’m most excited for this year — I hope you’ll add some of them to your own wishlist and TBR! 

Just Jen: Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis by Jen Powley

Roseway Publishing | May 1, 2017

Jen Powley was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis at fifteen. By thirty-five, she had lost the use of her arms and legs.

Just Jen is a powerful memoir that tells the story of Powley’s life at the time of her diagnosis, and the infinite, irrevocable ways it has changed since. Powley’s writing pulls no punches. She is lively, bold and unapologetic, answering questions people are often afraid to ask about living with a progressive disease. And yet, these snapshots from Powley’s life are not tinged with anger or despair. Just Jen is a powerful, uplifting and unforgettable work by an author who has laid her life — and her body — bare in order to survive.

This is the only non-fiction book I have on my Canada release spotlight and I think it’s one that I’m most forward to reading. A family member of mine had multiple sclerosis and it’s such a scary disease – Jen Powley’s book looks so interesting to read and I’m very intrigued to get another person’s viewpoint on the disease.

What Canadian book are you waiting for?