National Read a Book Day falls on Sunday, Sept. 6 this year, making it the ultimate unofficial celebration to put down your phone, find somewhere quiet and spend a little time getting lost in a book. Luckily, some of Toronto’s best-known and up-and-coming authors have new books to discover this year! Whether you’re into swoony romances, thrillers or dystopian escapes, here are seven books by Toronto authors to add to your reading list (this weekend and beyond).
Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts by Margaret Atwood
It’d be hard to make a Toronto reading list without Margaret Atwood, and her latest book is very timely: Book of Lives just arrived in paperback on Sept. 1. The Toronto-based literary legend looks back on her unconventional childhood, her early writing years, her relationship with writer Graeme Gibson and the real-life experiences that eventually made their way into books including Cat’s Eye and The Handmaid’s Tale. The memoir was an international bestseller and is also longlisted for this year’s Toronto Book Awards.
Our Perfect Storm by Carley Fortune
For something a bit more swoon-worthy: Toronto author Carley Fortune returned this spring with Our Perfect Storm, which quickly became a No. 1 New York Times and national bestseller. The friends-to-lovers romance follows Frankie and George, best friends since childhood, whose relationship gets complicated just as Frankie is preparing to get married. When her fiancé abruptly ends things, Frankie and George wind up heading off together on what was supposed to be her honeymoon, forcing them to finally confront what they mean to each other. The Toronto-based author’s previous books include Every Summer After and Meet Me at the Lake.
Black Public Joy: No Permit or Permission Required by Jay Pitter
Black Public Joy was released in January and explores how Black people experience, reclaim and create joy in public spaces, looking at everything from parks and neighbourhoods to dining, dancing, cycling and gathering. Pitter combines research and city-building expertise with personal stories while asking bigger questions about who gets to feel safe, welcome and free in shared spaces. The book was also longlisted for the 2026 Toronto Book Awards!
The Maid’s Secret by Nita Prose
Who doesn’t like solving a mystery from their couch? The Maid’s Secret is the third full-length novel in Nita Prose’s popular Molly the Maid series, which began with the multimillion-copy bestseller The Maid. This time, Molly is drawn into another mystery involving a stolen family heirloom, while a diary belonging to her beloved Gran reveals a story from the past involving wealth, romance and long-buried secrets. Prose lives in Toronto, and a new paperback edition of the novel arrived earlier this year.
Wonderland Road by Carrianne Leung
Toronto-based author Carrianne Leung’s Wonderland Road imagines a world in which society is coming apart, but everyday life somehow keeps moving. The novel was released in April and follows three people whose lives intersect in one neighbourhood: Pauline, who returns after receiving a letter from her estranged sister; 12-year-old Jing, whose mother has disappeared; and Julian, a young man trying to imagine a future in a world that increasingly seems to have none. Despite its dystopian setting, the novel is all about community and finding ways to move forward. Leung is a two-time Toronto Book Award finalist and lives in the city!
The Fake Matchmaker by Sonya Singh
This rom-com mixes fake matchmaking with a bit of family drama and an enemies-to-friends-to-lovers storyline! It follows Manisha Patel, who has moved back in with her parents following a breakup and is facing some major questions about her future. Her solution? Create a fake matchmaking service in which she is the only client. Things get more complicated when Rohit Khanna, the handsome and irritating son of a family friend, enters the picture.
The Case Study by Nicole Lundrigan
Toronto-based novelist Nicole Lundrigan released this psychological thriller in May. The Case Study follows two women carrying secrets and past trauma whose lives begin moving dangerously close to one another. Think of it as a psychological game of push and pull, with obsession, buried pain and complicated motives driving the story. Lundrigan grew up in Newfoundland and now lives in Toronto. She’s also the author of A Man Downstairs, An Unthinkable Thing and Hideaway.