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Book Picks Just For You

Visit your local library branch and speak to our staff about your reading interests.  They can make a quick recommendation in a few minutes, or get back to you in a few days with some titles they think you may enjoy.  Alternatively, click on the "Book Picks" link below to complete our form about what you are looking for.  Our staff will review your interests and email you a list of three titles we think you will enjoy.  You can also choose to have holds placed on what we recommend and we will let you know when they are ready for pick up at you local library branch.

Book Picks 

The CBC's annual battle of the books, Canada Reads, is a great source for new books and titles you may have missed the first time around.

2025 Finalists

Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew

Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston

A Two-spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby

Watch Out for Her by Samantha Bailey

The debates happen March 17-20

2024 Winner

The Future by Catherine Leroux, translated by Susan Ouriou 

The Giller Prize was founded in 1994 by Jack Rabinovitch in honour of his late wife, literary journalist Doris Giller, who passed away from cancer the year before. The award recognized excellence in Canadian fiction.

2024 Winner

Held by Anne Michaels

2023 Winner

Study for Obedience by Sarah Bernstein

The Governor General's Literary Awards are given annually to the best English-language and the best French-language book in the seven categories.

2024 English Language Winners

Fiction

Empty Spaces by Jordan Abel

Non-Fiction

Wînipêk: Visions of Canada From An Indigenous Centre by Nigaan Sinclair

2023 English Language Winners

Fiction

Chrysalis by Anuja Varghese

Non-Fiction
Unearthing by Kyo MacLear

The Amazon.ca First Novel Award, formerly the Books in Canada First Novel Award, is a Canadian literary award, co-presented by Amazon.ca and The Walrus to the best first novel in English published the previous year by a citizen or resident of Canada. It has been awarded since 1976.

2024 Winner

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

2023 Winner

The Island of Forgetting by Jasmine Sealy

The Atwood Gibson Writers' Trust Fiction Prize recognizes writers of exceptional talent for the best novel or short story collection of the year.

2024 Winner

Batshit Seven by Sheung-King

2003 Winner

In the Upper Country by Kai Thomas

Formerly the Arthur Ellis Awards. The Awards are for crime writing and are not restricted to mystery writing. Crime-writing encompasses far more than the traditional whodunit. The crime genre includes crime, detective, espionage, mystery, suspense, and thriller writing, as well as fictional or factual accounts of criminal doings and crime-themed literary works. The Arthur Ellis Awards honour the best in Canadian crime writing.

2024 Winners

2023 Winners

The Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction is given annually for excellence in the category of literary nonfiction, which includes essays, history, biography, memoir, commentary, and criticism. The winning book demonstrates a distinctive voice, as well as a persuasive and compelling command of tone, narrative, style, and technique. The prize has been sponsored by The Hon. Hilary M. Weston since 2011 and is funded by the Weston Family Foundation.

2024 Winner

There is no Blue by Martha Baillie

2023 Winner

Ordinary Notes by Christina Sharpe

The Indigenous Voices Awards were established in 2017 to support and nurture the work of Indigenous writers in lands claimed by Canada. The prizes are awarded annually.

2024 Winner

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott

2023 Winner

Half-Bads in White Regalia by Cody Caetano

The Board of Directors of the Stephen Leacock Associates works to preserve the literary legacy of Stephen Leacock, oversee the Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour award and encourage the growth of Canadian humour writing.

2024 Winner

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

2023 Winner

Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston

Speaker's Award

A program of the Legislative Assembly of Ontario, the Speaker's Book Award recognizes a nonfiction books by Ontario authors. The winning book will be featured in the Legislative Assembly gift shop and the Legislative library and awarded a monetary prize.

2024 Winner

1934: The Chatham Coloured All-Stars' Barrier-Breaking Year by Heidi Jacobs

Toronto Book Awards

Established by Toronto City Council in 1974, the Toronto Book Awards honour authors of books of literary or artistic merit that are evocative of Toronto. The annual awards offer $15,000 in prize money: finalists receive $1,000 and the winning author is awarded $10,000.

2024 Winner

I'm So Glad We Had This Time Together: A Memoir by Maurice Vellekoop (coming soon)

2023 Winner

Moving the Museum by Wanda Nanibush

 Trillium Book Award

The Ontario government established the Trillium Book Award in 1987 to recognize excellence, support marketing and foster increased public awareness of the quality and diversity of Ontario writers and writing.

2024 Winner

The Clarion by Nina Dunic

2023 Winner

The Book of Grief and Hamburgers by Stuart Ross

The Booker Prizes are the leading literary awards in the English speaking world, rewarding the finest in fiction, highlighting great books to readers. International Booker Prize is awarded annually for a single book, translated into English and published in the UK.

2024 Booker Prize Winner

Orbital by Samantha Harvey

2024 International Booker Prize Winner

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck

2023 Booker Prize Winner

Prophet Song by Paul Lynch

2023 International Booker Prize Winner

Time Shelter by Georgi Gospodinov

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction is a major new English-language literary award to celebrate creativity and excellence in fiction by women and non-binary writers in the United States and Canada.

2024 Winner

Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan 

2023 Winner

When We Were Sisters by Fatimah Asghar

Cundhill History Prize

The Cundill History Prize recognizes and rewards the best history writing in English. A prize of US$75,000 is awarded annually to the book that embodies historical scholarship, originality, literary quality and broad appeal. Administered by McGill University  and awarded by a distinguished jury, the Cundill History Prize honours the abiding passion for history of its founder, F. Peter Cundill.

2024 Winner

Native Nations by Kathleen DuVal

2023 Winner

Red Memory by Tania Branigan

Dublin Literary Award

The Dublin Literary Award is presented annually for a novel written in English or translated into English. The Award promotes excellence in world literature and is solely sponsored by Dublin City Council, and administered by Dublin City Libraries. Nominations are submitted by libraries in major cities throughout the world. 

2024 Winner

Solenoid by Mircea Cartarescu

2023 Winner

Marzahn, Mon Amour by Katja Oskamp

Pulitzer Prize

The Pulitzer Prize for Fiction is awarded annually to an American author.

2024 Winner

Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips

2023 Winner

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

Trust by Hernan Diaz

The inspiration for the Women's Prize for Fiction and Non-Fiction was the Booker Prize of 1991 when none of the six shortlisted books was by a woman, despite some 60% of novels published that year being by female authors. The first prize was awarded in 1996. 2020 marks the 25 year of the award.

2024 Fiction Winner

Brotherless Night by V. V. Ganeshananthan

2024 Non-Fiction Winner

Doppelganger by Naomi Klein

2023 Winner

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

2022 Winner

Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki

NextReads Newsletters

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