August Recommendations – Read Alberta’s Summer Reading Challenge
Let the games begin!
Our summer reading challenge is back, and we have sooooo many good books to recommend. Every week this summer, we’ll be sharing book lists for each bingo prompt to keep you inspired and motivated. You can see June’s recommendations here. and July’s recommendations here.
Ask your local independent bookseller for more recommendations or browse titles in the Read Alberta eBook collection.
Learn more about Read Alberta’s Summer Reading Challenge and download your bingo card here.
Alberta Published Biographies
Want to dive into the life of a stranger? We suggest you read:
A biography of someone with a niche career.
Harley Parker: The McLuhan of the Museum Gary Genosko
Published: May 15, 2025 by University of Alberta Press
Gary Genosko 
Published: May 15, 2025 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772127935
A biography that reads like a work of fiction.
Florence Kinrade: Lizzie Borden of the North Frank Jones
Published: May 31, 2019 by Durvile Publications
Frank Jones
Published: May 31, 2019 by Durvile Publications
ISBN: 9781988824352
A biography of a local legend.
Fifty Percent of Mountaineering is Uphill: The Life of Canadian Mountain Rescue Pioneer Willi Pfisterer Susanna Pfisterer
Published: May 15, 2016 by NeWest Press
Susanna Pfisterer
Published: May 15, 2016 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781926455600
A biography that will inspire you with the perspective of a strong woman.
Victoria Callihoo: An Amazing Life Cora Taylor
Published: May 01, 2009 by Eschia Books
Cora Taylor
Published: May 01, 2009 by Eschia Books
ISBN: 9780981094243
Alberta Books Over 300 Pages
Sometimes you just want a big, beefy book to sink your teeth into. Here are four Alberta books that you can spend a whole long weekend with.
Page count: 504
The Boom: Oil, Popular Culture, and Politics in Alberta, 1912-1924 Paul Chastko
Published: Dec 10, 2025 by University of Calgary Press
Paul Chastko
Published: Dec 10, 2025 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773856674
Page count: 312
Blue Hours Alison Acheson
Published: May 01, 2025 by Freehand Books
Alison Acheson
Published: May 01, 2025 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781990601897
Page count: 342
Sinner's Banquet Randy Nikkel Schroeder
Published: May 01, 2026 by NeWest Press
Randy Nikkel Schroeder
Published: May 01, 2026 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774391365
Page count: 320
Against the Odds: The Indigenous Rights Cases of Thomas R. Berger Drew Ann Wake
Published: Sep 01, 2024 by Durvile Publications
Drew Ann Wake , Thomas R. Berger , Michael Jackson
Published: Sep 01, 2024 by Durvile Publications
ISBN: 9781990735486
Alberta Books to Read in One Day
Some books are just too good to put down. Here are four Alberta books so good, we think you can read them in one day.
Read a book of poetry that will have you enraptured until the end.
Boxing in the Bone Orchard Published: May 23, 2025 by Frontenac House Ltd.
Bruce McRae
Published: May 23, 2025 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466926
Read a book with beautiful and mysterious prose that will cast a spell upon you.
The Ghost of You Published: Mar 31, 2023 by Laberinto Press
Margarita Saona
Published: Mar 31, 2023 by Laberinto Press
ISBN: 9781777085926
Read a fantasy adventure with a main character to root for.
The Ghost of Avalon
Casey P StJohn
Published: June 2026 by Mythic Roads Press
ISBN: 9781738125487
Read a riveting exploration of language, loyalty, and the lethal power of secrets.
The Tongue Trade
Michael J. Martineck
Published: July 6, 2024 by EDGE Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing
ISBN: 9781770532403
Alberta Books by BIPOC Authors
Wether you’re seeking authentic representation or wanting to diversify your reading horizons, these BIPOC authors deserve a spot on your TBR list.
Chief Stacey Laforme, an esteemed Indigenous leader and storyteller, breathes life into every poem and story.
Beneath the Surface: Poems & Their Stories Chief R. Stacey Laforme
Published: Oct 01, 2025 by Durvile & UpRoute
Chief R. Stacey Laforme
Published: Oct 01, 2025 by Durvile & UpRoute
ISBN: 9781990735875
Featured as part of University of Alberta Press’ Women’s Voices from Gaza Series, Um Baseem Al Kafarneh presents an intimate and poignant portrayal of life in Palestine.
I Can Do Anything Published: May 05, 2026 by University of Alberta Press
Um Baseem Al Kafarneh
Published: May 05, 2026 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772128574
Jide Salawu grew up in Shao, Nigeria, but currently lives in Edmonton. His poetry offers an enduring insight into the many facets of migrants’ experiences.
Contraband Bodies Jide Salawu
Published: Oct 01, 2025 by NeWest Press
Jide Salawu
Published: Oct 01, 2025 by NeWest Press
ISBN: 9781774391266
From the Okanese First Nation, Dawn Dumont is known for writing stories that are infused with razor-sharp wit, warmth, and impeccable comedic timing.
The Prairie Chicken Dance Tour Dawn Dumont
Published: Sep 27, 2021 by Freehand Books
Dawn Dumont
Published: Sep 27, 2021 by Freehand Books
ISBN: 9781988298870
Joshua Whitehead is an Oji-Cree/nehiyaw, Two-Spirit/Indigiqueer member of Peguis First Nation (Treaty 1) and an award winning author.
Indigiqueerness: A Conversation about Storytelling Joshua Whitehead
Published: Apr 25, 2023 by Athabasca University Press
Joshua Whitehead
Published: Apr 25, 2023 by Athabasca University Press
ISBN: 9781771993913
Wakefield Brewster is a black man raised in Canada by parents from Barbados. His book of poetry is an anthem of hope and pride, with messages of connection and overcoming.
WAKEWord Wakefield Brewster
Published: Apr 15, 2024 by Frontenac House Ltd.
Wakefield Brewster
Published: Apr 15, 2024 by Frontenac House Ltd.
ISBN: 9781989466728
Alberta Audiobooks
Here at Read Alberta we strongly believe that audiobooks count as reading. There is an audiobook for even your most niche searches.
An audiobook to kick-off Summerween.
Canadian Ghost Stories: Volume I Barbara Smith
Published: Mar 13, 2001 by Lone Pine Publishing
Barbara Smith
Published: Mar 13, 2001 by Lone Pine Publishing
ISBN: 9781551053028
An audiobook with a one-word title.
Furr
Axel Howerton
Published: Aug, 2025 by Tyche Books.
ISBN: 9781989407189
An audiobook that is a historical fiction set in Canada.
Belle Canadienne: Quebec
Juliet Waldron and Jay Lang
Published: December, 2024 by BWL Publishing Inc.
ISBN: 978-0228632788
An audiobook that is a work of prairie magical realism.
A Kid Called Chatter Chris Kelly
Published: Apr 15, 2022 by University of Calgary Press
Chris Kelly
Published: Apr 15, 2022 by University of Calgary Press
ISBN: 9781773852645
An audiobook by a Canadian author.
Rubble Children: Seven and a Half Stories Aaron Kreuter
Published: Aug 22, 2024 by University of Alberta Press
Aaron Kreuter
Published: Aug 22, 2024 by University of Alberta Press
ISBN: 9781772127812
An audiobook that helps you set boundaries to sustain yourself and your counselling practice.
The Boundaried Therapist: Sustaining Yourself in the Counselling Profession Nicole Perry
Published: Jul 15, 2024 by Brush Education
Nicole Perry
Published: Jul 15, 2024 by Brush Education
ISBN: 9781550599480