25 books worthy of a place at the top of your to-read pile, including titles by Margaret Atwood and Cher

So much to read, so little time. 
To make things easier this season, here are 25 books — novels, short story collections, memoirs and more — you may want to put at the top of your pile for the crisp months ahead.
“Creation Lake” by Rachel Kushner
The acclaimed author of “The Flamethrowers” spins a noirish tale of a seductive American secret agent sent to France to infiltrate a group of radicals. (Scribner, Sept. 3)
“Here One Moment” by Liane Moriarty
From the bestselling author of “Big Little Lies” comes this high-concept novel about people on a domestic flight who learn when and how they’ll die, which raises the questions: “If you were told you only had a certain amount of time left to live, would you do things differently? Would you try to dodge your destiny?” (Doubleday Canada, Sept. 10)
“The Pages of the Sea” by Anne Hawk
In this debut novel, after her mother leaves to find work in England, a young girl searches for belonging on a Caribbean island. (Biblioasis, Sept. 17)
“Proof” by Beverley McLachlin
In the latest legal thriller from the Supreme Court of Canada’s first female chief justice, a criminal defence attorney takes the case of a mother accused of kidnapping her own child. (Simon & Schuster, Sept. 17)
“The Lightning Bottles” by Marissa Stapley
The bestselling Toronto author of “Lucky” is back with a novel about a distressed former grunge musician who seeks out her ex and discovers the price of fame. (Simon & Schuster, Sept. 24)
“Keep” by Jenny Haysom 
Home stagers become involved with an eccentric poet diagnosed with dementia as they help sell her house when she needs to enter a care facility. (House of Anansi, Oct. 1)
“Paper Boat: New and Selected Poems 1961-2023” by Margaret Atwood
Arguably Canada’s greatest living writer collects six decades of work in one volume, in pieces featuring animals, mythological beings and everyday people — exploring life, death, desires and fears. (McClelland & Stewart, Oct. 8)
“Shock Induction” by Chuck Palahniuk
The author of “Fight Club” returns with another dark satire about the inhuman condition, this time exploring disappearing high schoolers, sleazy billionaires and the choices we make to get through life. (Simon & Schuster, Oct. 8)
“Dogs and Monsters: Stories” by Mark Haddon
The latest from the author of “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” is a collection of stories inspired by dystopian ideas and Greek myths. (Bond Street, Oct. 15)
“The City and Its Uncertain Walls” by Haruki Murakami
The new novel from the bestselling author of “Norwegian Wood” is billed as a “love story, a quest, an ode to books and to the libraries that house them, and a parable for these strange post-pandemic times.” (Bond Street, Nov. 19)
“The Grey Wolf” by Louise Penny
In the 19th book of the bestselling Inspector Gamache series, the detective and his team attempt to solve a murder that has them trekking across Quebec. (Minotaur, Oct. 29)
“Dancing with Diana” by Anne Allan
In 1981, Toronto-based Glaswegian dancer and instructor Allan was tapped to teach the Princess of Wales how to dance — in secret. She eventually became Diana’s trusted confidant and mentor. This is their story. (Sutherland House, Sept. 10)
“The Good Allies” by Tim Cook
The acclaimed war historian tells the story of the fraught alliance between Canada and the U.S. as they fought against fascism during the Second World War. (Allen Lane, Sept. 17)
“Who We Are” by Murray Sinclair
The chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, also the second Indigenous judge in the nation’s history, offers a reflective memoir that explores Indigenous identity, human rights and justice. (McClelland & Stewart, Sept. 24)
“May It Have a Happy Ending” by Minelle Mahtani
Just as she’s starting a radio hosting gig in Vancouver, a new mom learns that her own Iranian mother has tongue cancer. Mahtani probes questions of personal history and superstition in her new memoir. (Doubleday Canada, Oct. 1)
“Sonny Boy: A Memoir” by Al Pacino
The Oscar-winning actor reflects on his South Bronx childhood, his explosive ’70s breakthrough and his storied Hollywood career. (Penguin, Oct. 15)
“Brothers” by Alex Van Halen
In what will undoubtedly be one of the year’s biggest music reads, the Van Halen drummer gets personal about his late brother Eddie in an intimate memoir that spans from their childhood in the Netherlands to their working-class upbringing in Southern California to their rock stardom in the ’70s, ’80s and beyond. (Harper, Oct. 22)
“Roman Year” by André Aciman
The author of “Call Me by Your Name” returns with a memoir of his teenage years in Rome after his family was forced out of Egypt. (Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Oct. 22)
“No Credit River” by Zoe Whittall
This memoir-as-prose-poem by the novelist and TV writer (“Schitt’s Creek,” “Baroness Von Sketch Show”) explores six years defined by the trauma of a lost pregnancy, lost love and lost time. (Book*hug, Oct. 29)
“Reconciling History: A Story of Canada” by Jody Wilson-Raybould and Roshan Danesh
From Wilson-Raybould, the bestselling author of “‘Indian’ in the Cabinet,” and Indigenous rights lawyer Danesh comes the history of the relationship between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in Canada, told through oral testimony of seldom-heard voices as well as art and photography. (McClelland & Stewart, Oct. 29)
“Letters” by Oliver Sacks
The life and times of the late neurologist and bestselling author (“Awakenings,” “The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat”) are detailed in 750 pages of correspondence with family, friends and colleagues, revealing his lust for life, work, art and science. (Knopf Canada, Nov. 5)
“Didion & Babitz” by Lili Anolik
Through archival correspondence and interviews, the author of “Hollywood’s Eve” examines the complicated friendship between California literary heavyweights Joan Didion and Eve Babitz. (Scribner, Nov. 12)
“Heartbreak Is the National Anthem” by Rob Sheffield
Just in time for the pop superstar’s Toronto takeover, the acclaimed author of “Love Is a Mix Tape” and “Dreaming the Beatles” takes an in-depth look at the life, art and cultural impact of Taylor Swift. (Dey Street, Nov. 12)
“The Memoir, Part One” by Cher
In the first instalment of her two-part autobiography, the superstar singer and actor traces her often chaotic life from her dyslexic childhood to her complicated relationship with Sonny Bono. (Dey Street, Nov. 19) 
“Memories of Distant Mountains” by Orhan Pamuk
The Nobel Prize-winning author showcases his graphic artistry with his full-colour, illustrated notebooks of thoughts and sketches from his travels to such locales as Goa, Los Angeles, New York, Mumbai and Venice. (Knopf Canada, Nov. 26)