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Your Raspberry Press Summer Reading List

A pile of books sitting in a meadow of daisies with a book opened on top, to celebrate summer reading.

Sun‑warmed afternoons, light that lingers past nine, and the permission to swap doom‑scrolling for page‑turning. This summer reading list might just be the best summer savvy invention since sunscreen. If you’re looking to stock your beach bag or your balcony lounger with books that break the mold, we’ve got you covered. Below you’ll find five fresh titles from a variety of voices published by Raspberry Press, plus a kid‑friendly mini‑list to keep young readers buzzing. Whether you crave lyrical self‑reflection, high‑stakes adventure, or a backwoods ballad in rhyming verse, this line‑up delivers. Let’s dive in.


#1. Beautifully Imperfect Genre: Poetry

Some books invite you to sprint; this one invites you to breathe. Beautifully Imperfect is the perfect companion for the season of sunsets and soft introspection. The collection traces a deeply personal arc—wrestling with self‑doubt in “I Want to Live,” then unfurling hope in “Birds in Spring.” Its emotional range means you can dip in anywhere: use one poem as a morning meditation, another as a late‑night salve. Nature imagery threads through the pages like shafts of July light. The poems remind us that rebirth is cyclical, and self‑acceptance is a practice, not a destination. If summer is a time for your yearly reset, consider this slim volume your pocket‑sized therapist and cheerleader in one.


# 2. Truths & Contradictions Genre: Non-Fiction/Self Discovery

In Truths & Contradictions, Pamela Thompson takes us to Afghanistan, then hands us a mirror inviting us to look inward. Part travelogue and part leadership manual, her memoir illuminates a culture too often reduced to headlines and offers concrete tools for navigating our own uncertainties here at home. Thompson’s voice is equal parts field guide and friend. She unpacks resilience in war‑torn Kabul, then shows how those same principles translate to career pivots or personal reinventions. It’s hard to read her reflections on courage without drafting a few next steps for your own passion project. If you yourself identify as a woman at a crossroads, Thompson’s roadmap is both a compass and a rallying cry—substantial enough to satisfy the mind, and human enough to stir the heart.


#3. The Key to Enniskillen Genre: Speculative Fiction


Ready for escapism with a cerebral twist? Imagine learning your inheritance is a set of secret wormholes—and the century‑old order guarding them would rather you stayed ignorant. That’s the hook of The Key to Enniskillen, a genre‑blender that rolls you between hidden portals and shadowy billion‑dollar conspiracies. The plot rockets you from one global locale to the next without ever relinquishing its grounding question: What happens when you inherit power you never asked for? Under the fireworks of action lies a thoughtful examination of identity, legacy, and moral choice. The Key to Enniskillen has been likened to The Da Vinci Code’s puzzles or Dark Matter’s mind‑bending stakes—so if those stories tickle your fancy then cue this one up for a muggy Saturday when you don’t plan to move.


#4. Dark Watershed: The Breaking of America Genre: Historical Fiction

When water becomes the new oil, ally countries call for borders to get blurry fast. In this latest instalment of the Smithyman Saga, Canada finds itself centre‑stage in a continental power struggle. Dark Watershed weds pulse‑pounding action to an eerily plausible what‑if scenario rooted in a climate‑change‑driven scarcity. Expect shifting alliances, hard questions about sovereignty, and the uneasy realization that the future this story imagines might be closer than, or at least a little more realistic than, we’d like. For historical-fiction and political‑thriller lovers alike who appreciate substance with their suspense—as well as for Canadians eager to see their own map at the heart of the drama—this novel bites as hard as lake water in May, and keeps you turning pages long past the last of the burning campfire’s embers.


#5. The High‑Baller’s Ballad Genre: Canadiana

Not every summer story involves beaches. Some unfold in bug‑bitten northern forests where tree planters chase quotas, camaraderie, and the next campfire legend. Told in rollicking rhyme with whimsical illustrations, The High‑Baller’s Ballad celebrates the grit and glory of bush life—the blistered hands, the slap‑dash cabin chores, and the camp pranks that become lore. Its playful cadence makes it ideal for read‑aloud sessions (especially if you can muster your best bush‑camp baritone), yet the underlying nostalgia for hard work and wild places hits grown‑up readers right in the wanderlust. If you’ve ever dreamed of quitting the 9‑to‑5 for the sweet scent of pine sap, wanted to bring back the nostalgia of Canadiana film shorts such as The Log Drivers Waltz, or The Hockey Sweater, or wondered what it is like to be out in the Canadian bush—this book is your ticket to a classic Canadian adventure and summer escape.


Our Kids Summer Reading List

We never want the kids to be left behind, so welcome to our Kid’s Summer Reading List with two mini‑adventures for little bookworms. Summer reading isn’t just for the big kids. Here are two picture‑perfect picks to spark imagination and keep literacy skills buzzing.


#1. Billy Bumble’s Besties Age 0-7

An alphabet adventure on each page pairs playful alliteration with an animal friend, making ABCs feel like a backyard safari. Better yet, delightful learning fun facts are tucked at the end of the book and transform story time into a mini nature lesson, which is great for curious minds. Billy Bumble’s Besties is read‑aloud gold with bright art and bouncy rhymes. Every reading session can become a sing‑song performance fit for patio picnics or bedtime wind‑downs.


#2. The Magic of the Dark Age 0-10

The Magic of the Dark brings to light the idea of facing fears gently. When protagonist Jacki meets a curious raccoon on her overnight campout, she embarks on a magical journey into the night into a mixture of wonder with science. Alongside Jacki, young readers explore the wonders and secrets of the dark, learning amazing facts about nocturnal creatures that help them see the night not as something to fear, but as a world full of beauty and fascination.The Magic of the Dark is bedtime (or campfire) ready as it’s calming enough to settle nerves, but also adventurous enough to keep eyelids wide, it’s tailor‑made for story‑telling by flashlight.



Packing Your Bag (and Mind) for the Season

That’s the Raspberry Press Summer Reading List—seven wildly different books united by one thing—authors found their way to us here at Raspberry Press. They’re indie in spirit but stand together in their vision to have their stories shared. These stories land squarely in the hearts of readers who crave something a bit different.


So, choose your own reading adventure. Will you spend a dusky July evening untangling inherited wormholes, or a sun‑splashed morning breathing with a poet who reminds you you’re “beautifully imperfect”? Will you test geopolitical fault lines from a Canadian vantage, or plant metaphorical trees in the north through rhyming verse? As always, don’t forget the kids—we know we won’t—hand them a flashlight and let them discover that the dark is less scary than it seems, especially when a friendly bee is involved or a brave camper leads the way.


Wherever your summer unfolds—on a campsite, commuter train, hammock, or hardwood balcony—may these pages keep you company and spark the kind of conversations that linger longer than twilight. Drop a comment and tag us with your favourite pull quote from the summer reading list or snap a pic of that glorious mid‑chapter iced‑tea moment. After all, stories grow brighter when shared.

Happy reading, and remember: the best journeys start with turning the first page.


Pssstt.... If you don't know where to find the titles listed in this blog, go to our publications page!


 
 
 

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