The year isn’t over yet, but we’re already crowning some of our favourite reads – and it wasn’t easy. Between new releases and old favourites, narrowing it down to a handful of page-turners was a challenge… but we did it.
Whether you’re curling up by the fire, sneaking in a few chapters between errands, or hunting for the perfect holiday gift, these are the books that kept us hooked, and could serve as the break you need this season.
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
Genre: Romance / Coming-of-age
Goodreads Score: 3.9 / 5
Where do I even begin? This stunning novel reminded me that our moms – your mom, my mom – were full humans long before we entered their lives, with their own stories, experiences, joys, and heartbreaks. It also brought back the strange and unexpected goodness that came out of Covid: the return to home, the slowing down, the chance to listen and reconnect in ways that felt brand new.
Do all adult children eventually find themselves back under one roof again? This novel captures that experience in all its honesty – the beauty, the tension, the laughter, and the pain. An absolute must-read for any daughter or mother, and anyone in between.
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance
Goodreads Score: 4.3 / 5
As someone who isn’t a space fanatic, I hesitated with this one – but as a Taylor Jenkins Reid stan, I should’ve known that wouldn’t matter. And wow, was I right. This novel takes you on an epic journey through love, pain, joy, and the struggle of breaking barriers. It feels monumental in every way. I cried for all sorts of reasons, and I absolutely didn’t want it to end… yet I couldn’t read fast enough to see how it all played out.
Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Goodreads Score: 4.4 / 5
Half a book written from the POV of an octopus might sound odd, that was definitely my first thought when picking it up. But what I expected to be corny or childlike turned out to be a beautifully slow, tender story that dropped me right into the heart of a small beach town. I was invested from the very beginning, and that feeling never left. A truly lovely story about the power of friendship in the places you’d least expect to find it.
The Women by Kristin Hannah
Genre: Historical Fiction
Goodreads Score: 4.6 / 5
Kristin Hannah’s The Women is a powerful reminder of the stories history tends to overlook. Set during the Vietnam War, the novel follows Frankie McGrath, a young woman who volunteers as an Army nurse and finds her life permanently altered by both the trauma of war and the silence that followed it back home.
Hannah excels at emotional storytelling, pairing vivid battlefield scenes with an unflinching look at friendship, loss, and resilience. What makes The Women especially compelling is its focus on the female experience of war, not just overseas, but in the struggle to be seen and believed afterward.
This is not a light read, but it’s an absorbing and deeply human one. The Women lingers long after the final page, serving as both a tribute and a reckoning, and it’s easy to see why it resonated so strongly with readers this year.
Finding Flora by Elinor Florence
Genre: Historical Fiction / Romance
Goodreads Score: 4.3 / 5
There’s nothing I love more than a bit of historical fiction, so when I came across a book set in the farmlands of Alberta – where much of my family is from – I knew it was a perfect fit. The story follows Flora, who takes us on a whirlwind journey into homesteading, but with a fascinating twist: her community is entirely made up of women settlers.
The determination, grit, and sense of community that unfolds throughout the pages kept me hooked from start to finish, and the feminist energy was downright inspiring. Florence’s writing is effortless and immersive – she instantly transports you to the early 1900s, making every scene vivid and unforgettable.
Grey Dog by Elliott Gish
Genre: Literary Horror
Goodreads Score: 3.8 / 5
I have three words to describe this book: spooky, feminist rage. Presented as the diary of protagonist Ada Byrd, who is living in a (fictional) Canadian village in the early 1900s, Grey Dog immediately pulls you into its eerie, suspenseful world. I devoured it in no time – partly because I couldn’t put it down, and partly because I never knew what would happen next.
Some of the anxiety-inducing, spooky moments had me pausing to catch my breath, which only made the anticipation build even more. Ada and the other characters are incredibly well-developed, and the author’s descriptions of the scenery, the animals, the subtle noises and experiences are so vivid they gave me goosebumps more than once.
Grey Dog is a masterful mix of suspense, atmosphere, and compelling storytelling, perfect for anyone who loves a book that keeps you guessing and fully immersed until the very last page.
