Canada has produced many fantastic writers and lots of amazing books. For Canada Day, I’m sharing a few of my personal favourite books written by Canadian writers.

Lemon by Cordelia Strube

This coming-of-age tale follows Lemon, a teenaged girl who doesn’t fit in at home or at school. Unapologetic and witty, Lemon is a character you can’t help but root for.

Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O’Neill

This novel tells the story of a 13-year-old girl growing up on the streets of Montreal. Still a child, she must deal with her father’s drug habit and learn how to survive.

One Bird’s Choice by Iain Reid

This memoir, about Reid moving back in with his parents in his 20s, is both humourous and touching–a very entertaining read.

Life After God by Douglas Coupland

Published in the 1990s, this book of short stories gives glimpses into various Gen-X lives and is filled with lines and passages I’ve returned to over the years.

Natural Order by Brian Francis

This novel, about a woman in her 80s reflecting on her life and the mistakes she has made, is beautiful and heartbreaking. You’ll want to keep a box of tissues nearby.

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

This novel is about an Ojibway man and his story of being forced into a residential school, his gift for playing hockey, and the racism that follows him throughout his life. The book deals with difficult subject matter that is important to read.

The Best Kind of People by Zoe Whittall

In this novel, Whittall does an excellent job of giving the perspectives of the family members of someone accused of a crime.

That Summer in Paris by Morley Callaghan

Callaghan’s memoir about his friendship with Ernest Hemingway and F. Scott Fitzgerald begins in Toronto before moving to Paris. I picked this up for the story about writers in Paris, but I found it’s actually a very moving account of friendship and how even those friendships that only last a short time can affect us for our lifetimes.

The Last of the Crazy People by Timothy Findley

This haunting novel tells the story of a boy whose family is disintegrating around him and the horrific conclusion he comes to about what must be done about it.

The Evening Chorus by Helen Humphreys

This beautiful novel takes place in the Second World War, and alternates the perspectives between an English officer in a German POW camp, his wife back in England and his sister.