CBC’s CANADA READS 2025 concluded today with a live elimination vote, and A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby, with Mary Louisa Plummer, has been voted Canada’s must-read book for 2025. Over four days of lively debate, moderated by nine-time host Ali Hassan, five celebrity panellists championed their chosen Canadian books that speak to the theme, ‘One Book to Change the Narrative.’ Each day of the competition, one book was eliminated by the panellists until Chacaby’s acclaimed book was crowned the winner, in a broadcast that was available on CBC Radio, CBC TV, CBC Listen, CBC Gem, CBCBooks.ca, and YouTube.
The winning book’s champion is Shayla Stonechild, a Mètis and Nehiyaw Iskwew (Plains Cree Woman) from Muscowpetung First Nations. She is a successful podcaster and wellness advocate.
In her memoir, A Two-Spirit Journey, Ma-Nee Chacaby, an Ojibwa-Cree lesbian who grew up in a remote northern Ontario community, tells the story of how she overcame experiences with abuse and alcohol addiction to become a counsellor and lead Thunder Bay’s first gay pride parade.
“‘A Two-Spirit Journey’ winning Canada Reads is an unexpected and beautiful gift. Mary and I want to thank everyone who joined us on this journey and made it possible, especially our friends and loved ones, and the wonderful staff of the University of Manitoba Press and Canada Reads. We really appreciate all of the readers and the other writers that also joined us on this journey. Most of all we are grateful to Shayla Stonechild for choosing the book and championing it so well! We hope the book will inspire other people to tell their stories, especially First Nations elders who have so much to share. I encourage everybody to just enjoy your life today and remember to love yourself.”
The CANADA READS 2025 debates took place from March 17–20, 2025. This season, and for the past nine seasons, every CANADA READS finalist has appeared on the Canadian bestseller lists following the announcement of the shortlist, and many titles have spent months on these lists.
The books voted off this week in order of elimination are:
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Watch Out for Her (Simon & Shuster) by Samantha M. Bailey, championed by Olympic gold medallist, Maggie Mac Neil.
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Jennie’s Boy (Knopf Canada) by Wayne Johnston, championed by bestselling thriller writer, Linwood Barclay.
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Etta and Otto and Russell and James (Penguin Canada) by Emma Hooper, championed by actor, filmmaker and star of CBC’s hit series Heartland, Michelle Morgan.
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Dandelion (Arsenal Pulp Press) by Jamie Chai Yun Liew, championed by pastry chef and neuroscientist, Saïd M’Dahoma.
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WINNER: A Two-Spirit Journey (University of Manitoba Press) by Ma-Nee Chacaby, with Mary Louisa Plummer, championed by podcaster and wellness advocate, Shayla Stonechild.
Catch up on the week’s debates on the free CBC Gem streaming service and CBC Listen.
CANADA READS finds new ways each year to raise awareness for a range of Canadian books and authors, and has influenced the way Canadians talk about and consume books.
For more information, please visit CBCbooks.ca.
