As summer unfolds its warm embrace, there’s no better companion than a captivating book. Whether you’re lounging by the beach, nestled in a hammock, or enjoying a quiet afternoon on your porch, the season’s best reads offer the perfect escape. This year’s selection features a mix of heart-pounding thrillers, poignant history, enchanting gothic fiction, and insightful historical fiction. Dive into stories that transport you to times of long ago, challenge your perspective, and ignite your imagination. Get ready to turn the pages and lose yourself in the magic of summer’s best books.

When the World Fell Silent – Donna Jones Alward

The tragedy of the harbour explosion in Halifax during World War 1 is the centerpiece of this new novel by Alward. It follows two the story of two women. The first, Nora Crowell, a woman looking for more than the usual life as a wife and mother. She joins the army instead, becoming a lieutenant in the Canadian Army Nursing Corps. While it might be said about anyone who joins the military, Crowell’s life is about to change in a completely unexpected way. The other woman is Charlotte Campbell, a woman forced to live with her in-laws after her husband dies in the trenches.  Her only joy is her child Aileen. When the explosion occurs in the habour, the women’s lives intersect as they cling together to survive.

The Third Wife of Faraday House – B.R. Myers

B.R. Myer’s latest novel mixes a mystery with romance in a fantastic ode to Gothic fiction. It tells the story of two brides who joins forces to discover the secrets of an island manor that is slowly falling apart. Taking place in 1816, it tells the story of Emeline Fitzpatrick, a single young woman who is left with only one suitor after a scandal. The only problem is the suitor isn’t the widower everyone thinks he is. His second wife is still very much alive, even though she is seriously ill. In order to move ahead with her own destiny, Emeline needs to discover the secrets of the house she is set to live in.

A Good Indian Girl – Mansi Shah

Jyoti has always followed the wishes of her family, including marrying the man they picked out for her. She even obliges when her husband asks her to quit her dream job so she can focus on starting a family. Unfortunately having a child doesn’t seem to be in her cards, and eventually her husband leaves her for a younger woman. An an unemployed divorcee she’s a disgrace to her family, so she runs away from New York to visit her best friend in Italy. There destiny plays it hand and she becomes a viral sensation thanks to her cooking vlogs. These vlogs give her the opportunity to her buy her ex-husband’s restaurant, which leads to a possible rekindling of their relationship. The only question is, does what she want for herself match what others want for her?

The Berlin Apartment – Bryn Turnbull

Uli Neumann and Lise Bauer are in love, and when he proposes to her she quickly accepts. Unfortunately for them, two days later they are separated when the construction of the Berlin Wall suddenly begins and they are trapped on opposite sides.  Berlin is split in half, and there seems to be little hope at the duo reunited. Uli has a plan however, and with the help of friends he attempts to get Lise and her unborn child out of East Germany so that they can live their lives together once more.

The Knowing – Tanya Talaga

From award-winning author Tanya Talaga, comes a a new exploration into the story of the Indigenous People who helped shaped the history of Canada. See Canada through the eyes of the people who were in the country first, from shocking disappearances, to the residential school system, “Indian Hospitals” and asylums, created to destroy who the First Nations, Métis and Inuit people are. It’s a shameful past that oppressed Indigenous People every step of the way, while making them stronger as they regained the voice that was taken from them.