O Canada Reads

For July, in honour of Canada Day, we’re going national with recommendations for three books from Canadian authors who span the country from West to East, with a stop in TO. While I can’t recommend early Margaret Atwood enough, or late Margaret Atwood, come to that, and don’t get me started on Alice Munro or Margaret Laurence, these recommendations fall more under the umbrella of summer/beach/lite reads. The best part is that if you like the first book, each author has a sequel or another book waiting for you. Whatever your summer plans, I hope they include some great books and lots of reading time!

p.s. I wanted to call this edition Canada Reads, for obvious reasons, but I didn’t, also for obvious reasons.

Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby
Warning: this cozy mystery may inspire you to take up meditation, retreat to the Gulf Islands, or both. Helen, a practicing Buddhist and recently minted butler is pulled back to her past at the Yatra Institute (a thinly disguised Hollyhock on Cortes Island) to settle the affairs of Edna, her former employer, and run a retreat to decide which of Edna’s relatives will inherit the institute. Helen soon realizes there’s something suspicious about Edna’s death and takes up the mantle of amateur sleuth (in addition to excellent butler).  The cast of characters in this cozy mystery is fun and memorable, and you’ll end up wanting Helen to run your life - I know I did. 

In the second book in the series, A Meditation on Murder, Helen, the sleuthing Buddhist butler, is back. Set in Vancouver and West Van, it gently skewers influencers and Instagrammers who prioritize their exterior life and possessions over their interior life and connection.

And if you’re celebrating Independence Day rather than Canada Day, look to Dial A for Aunties by Jesse Q. Sutano for a similarly cozy, amateur sleuthing feel with a great cast of characters. 

The Maid by Nita Prose
Molly, the delightful protagonist of The Maid, doesn’t quite fit in or understand the nuances of everyday life, especially after her grandmother, who helped her navigate the world, dies. Even those who find it easier to make sense of the day-to-day world can find it hard to parse what’s being said – and not being said – at times, so it’s easy to identify with Molly. She’s the ultimate hotel maid; she excels at her job and feels secure in it and her place in her small world until she stumbles upon a dead body at the hotel and becomes a murder suspect. With her sense of security and belonging threatened, the only way to protect herself is to step outside her comfort zone, solve the crime, and bring balance back to her life. She triumphs with the help of a cast of allies she never realized she had and emerges with a richer, larger life and the connection to others she’s been missing since her gran’s death. 

In Toronto-based Nita Prose’s sequel, The Mystery Guest, there’s another murder to solve, and Molly is once again cast into the role of amateur sleuth. Only this time, the police see her as an asset, not a liability. Prose weaves lots of Molly’s backstory into the plot, which is very satisfying. There’s also a holiday novella featuring Molly that I’ve earmarked to read next winter.

If you’re celebrating the 4th of July instead of Canada Day, Where’d You Go Bernadette by Maria Semple also features delightful characters that stay with you long after you’ve finished the book.

This Summer Will Be Different by Carly Fortune
I’m veering away from mysteries here to a satisfying, steamy summer romance. I feel like I’m late to the Carly Fortune party. I only just started reading her, and I started with her most recent book rather than with her first, but as they’re not a series it’s possible to jump in anywhere in her oeuvre without feeling like you’ve missed something. Fortune’s books feel like Canada’s answer to Elin Hildebrand. After Anne of Green Gables, which you tell was partly an inspiration for Fortune, This Summer Will Be Different may be the next great driver of PEI tourism. There are conflicted late 20-somethings, fresh-shucked oysters, amazing beaches, and lots of steamy romance - everything you need for a summer beach read.

Funnily enough, Fortune’s second book, Meet Me at the Lake, was shortlisted for Canada Reads, and I’ve got it next on my summer reading list. That being said, a friend who’s read more than one of Fortune's books - inspired by the steamy sex scenes - said they all feel the same. Let me know if you agree!

My 4th of July alternate reco is pretty much anything by Emily Henry - and, of course, Elin Hildebrand. 

Extras

A random selection of my favourite Canadian things aligned with the locations in the books above:

BC: I am sure Helen would approve of Harlow’s gorgeous skincare and makeup. All of Harlow’s products have less than 12 ingredients and are vegan, Leaping Bunny cruelty-free certified, and gluten-free. Plus, if you’re in Vancouver, proprietress Chrystal is a makeup whiz who can help you update your look with products that are better for your skin and for the environment.

ON: House of Jude offers gorgeous Turkish towels and my favourite Turkish cotton bedding. Their products are ethically made and hand-dyed in Turkey. Their physical store is in TO, but they also have a handy online store and great sales! I think these sheets would even pass Molly’s standards for quality and softness. 

PEI: Lucy, the protagonist of This Summer Will be Different, mentions Cows Creamery in the book and may have partaken of their delicious Moo Crisps during her visits to PEI. These snacks are crunchy, cheesy, and protein-packed. And they’re also available in lots of specialty stores so you don’t have to send away to PEI to get your hands on some. 

Now for a little light housekeeping—I promised these would be short and sweet, but they seem to be getting longer and longer. So, if you don’t mind taking this Goldilocks poll (it really is short) to let me know how you are finding these, it will help me inform future editions.

And don’t forget you can find ATK Reads on Instagram as well, and feel free to pass this along to anyone you think would enjoy it!