Find out which book won Canada Reads 2026

Canada Reads 2026: daytime 4 - The coda

Canada Reads 2026: Day 3

Canada Reads 2026: Day 2

Canada Reads 2026: Day 1

A Canada Reads 2026 crash course

Canada Reads 2026 Trailer

It's Different This Time by Joss Richard | Canada Reads 2026 trailer

The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor | Canada Reads 2026 trailer

Searching for Terry Punchout by Tyler Hellard | Canada Reads 2026 trailer

Quin says she hopes The Cure for Drowning does more than blur genre boundaries.

The novel’s diverse cast spans time and identity, inviting readers to question assumptions and let go of bias, she added.

“My hope is that people could read this and transcend any bias or ignorance they might have around non-binary people or trans identities or even historical fiction and come out on the other end with a better understanding,” she said. 

“I don't expect you to necessarily understand me or walk a mile in my skin, but I hope that at the end of the day, you can still find compassion and love for me.”

Glynn discussed the power of depicting the difficult relationship between Adam and Terry in Searching for Terry Punchout.

“Their connection doesn’t need to be vibrant,” said Glynn. “Terry's communication style is not hugs and kisses, and neither is Adam’s, but they reconnect in their own way. And you only, at the end of the book, start to see the block of ice between them melt.”

Quin took aim at Glynn’s argument, asking: “I'm just stuck wondering why this limited portrayal of masculinity is the thing you think all Canadians should read.”

Glynn responded by saying that the people who fight in the book are not rewarded for their actions.

“Everyone who fights in this book is ugly … what I love about the exploration of masculinity even if it's sometimes subtle, is it tries to show an audience that kindness is the way.”

The Canada Reads 2026 contenders just heard some wholesome and heartfelt messages from their families and close friends, causing a couple of sweet tears to be shed.

We heard from Dela Cruz’s wife Amanda Phillips, Tailfeathers' friend katherena vermette, Book’s parents Jennifer and Ryan Book, Quin’s sister Sara and her wife Sofia Santos and Glynn’s parents Gary and Tina Glynn, his wife Sara-Louise and his children.

Quin said she struggled to connect with the protagonist of Searching for Terry Punchout, arguing that the character — Adam Macallister — shows little growth and makes the novel a challenging, rather than feel-good, read.

She compared the character to TV series Californication’s washed-up writer Hank Moody, who Quin said felt “way more charming.”

“[Adam] isn’t written in a way that he experiences any sort of growth,” Quin said. “I just felt like the book could offer more.”

In response, champion Glynn said the lack of a traditional redemption arc is intentional. Unlike stories where the protagonist is clearly the hero, he said, Searching for Terry Punchout aims to subvert expectations.

“I think [Adam] is trying not to be that person — trying, sometimes failing,” Glynn said. “By the end, it’s a bit open-ended, and hopefully he succeeds.”

“I think what I really connected with in Searching for Terry Punchout is it addresses the toxic masculinity, and a lot of the comedy for me was how ridiculous some of these things that ‘men do’ [are],” said Dela Cruz.

Quin says The Cure for Drowning deserves to win Canada Reads because of its power to transport readers beyond their own lived experience.

“Reading is a passport [that] can take you anywhere, even places you'll never go,” said Quin. 

“It can take you back in time into relationships and bodies and identities, unlike your own … it can introduce you to people you may never have met, people you may not understand, and it shows you that you are capable of loving them.”

Like he has all week, Glynn brought his signature sense of humour to his first defence of Searching for Terry Punchout today. 

“Before the competition began, a Canada Reads fan … wrote, ‘I think Steve Dangle will be a champion to watch out for. He's smarter and funnier than he looks,’” said Glynn.

“I'm not sure what that means, but I'm hoping to prove him right. Searching for Terry Punchout is my favourite book this year. It has heart and humility, it's drenched in East Coast humour and idiosyncrasies and I can name about 41.5 million Canadians who could use a laugh right now.”

It’s Different This Time was eliminated from Canada Reads 2026 yesterday, but champion Morgann Book says she’s grateful for the chance to be part of the show.

Despite romance being the world’s best-selling fiction genre, Book said it’s still often underestimated — along with the comfort and connection a great romance can offer.

“I really hope my journey opens the door for future champions to bring a romance book, to bring a thriller, to bring a story they truly love,” she said.

She closed by sharing her favourite line from the novel.

“Opportunities aren't going to be handed to you unless you ask for them. In other words, find what you love and go after it.”

When asked how he’s feeling going into the finals, Glynn — whose hands were hidden under the table — revealed he was wearing hockey gloves.

“I’m ready to drop the gloves,” he said.

The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor | Canada Reads 2026 trailer

Musician and writer Tegan Quin will champion The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor on Canada Reads. The debates take place April 13 to 16.

And, you can watch the animated trailer for The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor here.

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