20 works of Canadian fiction we're excited to read

Here are 20 Canadian novels and short story collections were excited to read this fall.

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The Only Caf by Linden MacIntyre

What it's about:The Only Cafis the story of a father and son, Pierre and Cyril Cormier. Pierre is a high-powered lawyer in Toronto who is haunted by his past in war-torn Lebanon. Cyril is a young journalist struggling to unpack his distant father's many secrets.

Why we chose it:Linden MacIntyre'sstorytelling prowess has been proven time and time again with his novelsThe Long StretchandThe Bishop's Man, the latter ofwhich won the Scotiabank Giller Prize.

When you can read it:Aug.8, 2017

• Why journalist Linden MacIntyre channeled the violence he saw in Lebanon into his fiction

A Stranger in the House by Shari Lapena

What it's about:Tom returns home to find his wife Karen missing;her purse, phone and ID left in the house. He soon learns that she's been in a bad car wreck in a dangerous part of town and the police are convinced she was up to no good.

Why we chose it:Lapena's previous thriller, The Couple Next Door, was a runaway hit becominga bestseller in Canada and internationally. Lapena was one of CBC Books' writers to watch in 2012.

When you can read it: Aug.15, 2017

• Shari Lapena on why uncensored thoughts make for good fiction

Someone You Love Is Gone by Gurjinder Basran

What it's about:The death of her mother causes Simran to reflect on her past and relationships to all those closest to her. Through a series of flashbacks, the reader learns about the heartbreaking secrets carried by both Simran and her mother, who came of age in 1960s India.

Why we chose it:Atale about the tragic twists that can upend your life, and a story about immigration and growing up between cultures that is quintessentially Canadian. Basran's first novel, Everything Was Good-bye,won the Ethel Wilson Fiction Award in 2011.

When you can read it:Aug.29, 2017

Strangers with the Same Dream by Alison Pick

What it's about:This timely novel takes us back to 1921 Palestine, when a band of young Jewish pioneers, many escaping violence in their homelands, set out to realize a utopian dream.

Why we chose it:Poet and novelist Alison Pickexplores her go-to themes of identity, secrets and vulnerability in much of her work. Her novel Far to Go was longlistedfor the Man Booker Prize and her memoir Between Gods was a finalist for theB.C. National Award for Non-Fiction.

When you can read it:Aug.29, 2017

• Alison Pick on saying yes to writing and no to everything else

Six Degrees of Freedomby Nicolas Dickner, translated by Lazer Lederhendler

What it's about:In this English translation of apopular book, Nicolas Dickner delivers a compelling drama about three characters with lives that intersect and intertwine.

Why we chose it:Six Degrees of Freedomwon the Governor General's Literary Award in its original French. The translation of Dickner's debut novel, Nikolski, won Canada Reads in 2010.

When you can read it:Aug.29, 2017

• Lazer Lederhendler on why novels are still necessary

Chocolate Cherry Chai by Taslim Burkowicz

What it's about:Maya Mubeen is desperate to escape the traditional Indian life her mother has laid out for her.She decides to embarkon a whirlwind trip around the world, an adventure that comes to a screeching halt in Tokyo when Maya and her boyfriend break-up.At a loss, Maya turns to an ancient chai-making ritual, which leads her to learn about the remarkable women who came before her, stretching back four generations.

Why we chose it:A multi-generational journey that sounds to be both emotional and adventurous? We're in!

When you can read it:Sept. 1, 2017

Dr. Bethune's Children by Xue Yiwei, translated by Darryl Sterk

What it's about:Banned in China, Dr. Bethune's Children is a novel about Montreal surgeon Norman Bethune, who participated in the Cultural Revolution.

Why we chose it:Xue Yiwei is an award-winning writer in China, who now lives in Montreal. In April, Yiweireceived the Blue Metropolis Literary Diversity Prize for a First Publication forShenzheners, which was his first novel to be translated into English.

When you can read it:Sep. 2, 2017

• Xue Yiwei on why writing is innately political

Demi-Gods by Eliza Robertson

What it's about:Set in the 1950sover the long, nostalgic days of summer,Demi-Godsisnarrated by a striking young womanwho describes a series of brief, highly charged encounters with her stepbrother.

Why we chose it:ElizaRobertson'swriting has already been recognized around the globewithawards like theMan Booker Scholarship, Curtis Brown Prize andCommonwealth Short Story Prize. Her first book, the short story collectionWallflowers, was nominated for the East Anglia Book Award and the Danuta Gleed Short Story Prize.

When you can read it:Sept. 5, 2017

First Snow, Last Light by Wayne Johnston

What it's about:Set in the1930s, a young teenager returnshome from school one day to find his parents gone without a trace. This sets off an epic tale of family secrets, lies and retribution.

Why we chose it:Wayne Johnston, a Scotiabank Giller Prizenominee and author of the bestsellingThe Colony of Unrequited Dreams returns once more to tell a suspenseful story set inNewfoundland and Labrador.

When you can read it:Sept. 5, 2017

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That's My Baby by Frances Itani

What it's about: Frances Itani'sThat's My Babypicks up where her Scotiabank Giller Prize-shortlisted novel Tellleaves off:a child named Hanora, adopted by a young Deseronto couple atthe end of the Great War, grows up to adulthood but has no details of her birth history. As World War II approaches, Hanora is determined to find out the truth about her identity.

Why we chose it:Frances Itani, a member of the Order of Canada,wonaCommonwealth Prizefor Best Book for novel Deafeningandwas shortlisted for the 2014 Scotiabank Giller Prize with her bestselling novelTell.

When you can read it:Sept. 5, 2017

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In the Cage by Kevin Hardcastle

What it's about:After a career-ending injury, a mixed martial artist attempts to escape poverty bymoonlighting as muscle for a mid-level gangster he has known since childhood.

Why we chose it:Kevin Hardcastle's debut short story collection Debriswon thetheTrillium Book Awardin 2016and theReLit Awardfor short fiction in 2017. The emerging fiction writer is one of CBC Books' writers to pay attention to in 2017.

When you can read it:Sept. 12, 2017

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Lost in September by Kathleen Winter

What it's about:Lost inSeptember is a complex and layered story of a modern dayex-soldier from Montreal who bears a striking resemblance to General James Wolfe, "Conqueror of Canada"and "Hero of Quebec,"who died on the Plains of Abraham in 1759. The compelling plottwists and turns as the concept of "what and who is real" is upended.

Why we chose it: Kathleen Winter's 2011 novelAnnabelwas shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize, the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize and the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction. It was also a contender for Canada Reads in 2014.

When you can read it:Sept. 12, 2017

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Tarry this Night by Kristyn Dunnion

What it's about: This dystopian tale follows a young woman named Ruth, who lives in an underground cult led by a deluded man named Father Ernst. As she grows up, Ruth becomes increasingly terrified she will be chosen as Ernst's next wife. Meanwhile, the cult is running out of food, but leaving the bunkermeans facing thecivil war that has broken out above ground in the U.S.

Why we chose it: With afuture-forward,complex plotweaved together by an exciting Canadian voice, the novel promises to be an exhilarating read. KristynDunnion was a Lambda Literary Award finalist in 2012 for her novelThe Dirt Chronicles.

When you can read it: Sept. 15, 2017

Deer Life by Ron Sexsmith

What it's about:DerynHedlight never believed in witches, until he came afoul of a particularly nasty one.Deer Life tells the story of a reluctant hero and his mother's unconditional love.

Why we chose it: Iconic Canadian musician Ron Sexsmithmakes his literary debut withthis grim fairy tale, which sounds like it will be ahilarious, imaginative adventure.

When you can read it:Sept. 16, 2017

Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill

What it's about:Jean Mason has a doppelganger. At least, that's what people tell her. Apparently it hangs out in Toronto's Kensington Market, and Jean needs to get to the bottom of it all.

Why we chose it:American-born Canadian poet, playwright and novelist Michael Redhillreceived much acclaim for his past novels, Consolation and Martin Slone, with the latter being a finalist for the 2001 Giller Prize.

When you can read it:Sept. 19, 2017

Brother by David Chariandy

What it's about:Brothertakes us inside the lives of Michael and Francis. They are the sons of Trinidadian immigrants, their father has disappeared and their mother works double, sometimes triple shifts so her boys might fulfill the elusive promise of their adopted home.

Why we chose it:David Chariandy's second novel, a follow-up to the well-received 2006 book Soucouyant, exploresgrowing up as an second generation Canadian in 1990s Toronto.

When you can read it:Sept. 20, 2017

A Reckoning by Linda Spalding

What it's about:A Reckoningopens in the spring of 1855, when a family is involved in a shameful secret that will require a tragic decision.

Why we chose it:Kansas-native Linda Spalding lives in Toronto and has crafted a reputation for rich historical literature. Her previous novel, The Purchase, won the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction in 2012.

When you can read it:Sept. 26, 2017

• Linda Spalding on why publishers should operate like farmers' markets

Red, Yellow, Green by Alejandro Saravia, translated byMara Jos Gimnez

What it's about:In Montreal,young man named Alfredo is haunted by the horrific acts he committed at the behest of the Bolivian Army. He ends up falling in love with a Kurdish freedom-fighter, intent on making Kurdistan an independent nation.

Why we chose it:Saraviais an accomplished journalist and poet, whose poetry collections include the oft-studiedLettres de Nootka. Originally published in Spanish in 2003, Red, Yellow, Greenis his first and only novel.

When you can read it:Sept. 26, 2017

The Bloodprint by Ausma Zehanat Khan

What it's about:Crime novelist AusmaZehanat Khan's first fantasy novel,The Bloodprint,takes place in a world where a patriarchal power known as the Talisman, wielded by a man called the One-eyed Preacher, is slowly taking over the planet. It is up to the Companions of Hira, a group of warrior women, to stop the darkness from spreading.

Why we chose it:The book sounds like a mash-up of Lord of the Rings-esquevillains and heroes from Wonder Woman's Themysciraisland sign us up!

When you can read it:Oct. 3, 2017

• Ausma Zehanat Khan on bearing witness in her fiction

The Shoe on the Roof by Will Ferguson

What it's about:The Scotiabank Giller Prize-winning novelist of 419 returns with a story of a psychological experiment gone wrong.

Why we chose itBest known for his offbeat takes on Canadian history and culture, Will Ferguson's craft only seems to evolve with each successive literary outing. We're excited to see what he does with his first fiction follow-up to winning the Giller Prize.

When you can read it:Oct.17, 2017

• WhyWill Ferguson remains one syllable short of greatness