SAVE THE DATE FOR A BUSY FALL!

After a busy summer of award announcements, festivals, launches, and events, we're laying out our roadmap for the Fall! From national publications to staff picks, here's everything you need to know about the releases to watch for this Fall, and when we'll be celebrating (that's right, another seasonal launch is on the horizon!). Read on for the latest from Breakwater Books! 

In this issue:

-New Releases & Upcoming Events (what's out now and where to catch us!)
-Big News (exciting updates!)
-Breakwater Buzz (reviews, interviews, and more!)
-Have You Heard? (the latest on Breakwater in our community!)
-Coming Soon (our next Spring releases about to hit shelves!)
-Featured Titles (find your next great read!)
-Photo Album (catch up on the latest happenings!)
-Keep Connected (follow us on social media!)

NEW RELEASES & UPCOMING EVENTS

From the award-winning author of Some Good and Some Good: Sweet Treats, Some Good: Healthy Comforts redefines the idea of “comfort foods” to bring recipes that are both good for the soul and nutritious and healthy for the body.  

Some Good: Healthy Comforts is a gluten-free and dairy-free cookbook that is sure to bring you comfort and bliss. Written by Newfoundland-born, award-winning cookbook author and nutritional consultant Jessica O’Leary, this cookbook is the third in her Some Good series. With 80+ recipes, the book offers a great variety of comforting dishes, from warming soups to satisfying mains and delightful desserts. Staying true to Jessica’s brand of “nutritious food with amazing flavour,” these recipes all deliver a delicious experience with a healthy twist.

Some Good: Healthy Comforts is available for pre-order now on our website! And, while you wait, check out Jessica's previous books: Some Good and Some Good: Sweet Treats!

SAVE THE DATE

-August 29th and 30th: Catch Diedre J. Halbot, author of Little Spoons, signing copies of her novel at Indigo stores in St. John's! At 10:00AM on the 29th, she'll be at Chapters on Kenmount Road and Coles Avalon Mall at 2:00PM. On the 30th, she'll be at Coles in the Village Mall at 1PM!
-September 12th and September 26th: We're kicking off a returning series in partnership with Theatre Hill Bar & Café, STORIES & SONGS! On September 12th at 2PM, treat yourself to the music of Lady Lupin, and readings from Maggie Burton (Chores, A Temporary Grace). More details to come about September 26th!
-September 12th and 13th: Head up to Chapters on Kenmount Road for a Local Authors Showcase, featuring a line up of local writers all day long! Full list of authors to be announced.
-September 16th, November 4th, and December 2nd: Stay tuned for more details on the Breakwater Reading Series in partnership with The Rooms! We're bringing local authors together in conversation on a variety of topics throughout the Fall!
-September 20th: It's everyone's favourite event, the St. John's Farmer's Market Book Market! Shop a selection of local publishers, writers, and booksellers all in one spot.
-October 28th: Save the date for Breakwater's Fall Launch — more details below!

BIG NEWS

Fall Launch on the Horizon!

Breakwater Books will be holding the second of our two annual seasonal launches on October 28th! All of our Fall season authors will be gathered to read from their works, and give you an exciting preview of what our final releases of 2026 have to offer!

Featuring authors E.G. Hynes, Trudy J. Morgan-Cole, Eleanor Dawson, Kevin Major, and Tina Chaulk, plus special guests and appearances to be announced later. 

The event will be held at the Spirit of Newfoundland space, 208 Gower Street, St. John's. Mark the date in your calendar, and we'll see you there!

BREAKWATER BUZZ

Want to know more about our books, our authors, and what we're up to? We have new features and new content to dig deeper into the story behind your favourite recent reads:

-49th Shelf has released their list of most anticipated Fiction titles for Fall 2026, and four of our new and upcoming titles have made the cut! Check out their full list of Canadian titles to watch for, including new fiction from Bridget Canning (Taking Down Names) Tina Chaulk (The Incident and Everything After), Trudy Morgan-Cole (Beyond the Brightening Sea), and Kevin Major (Seven for Scilly Cove).
-Also from 49th Shelf, Mom, Dad, and the Newfoundland Renaissance by E.G. Hynes has made their list of most-anticipated nonfiction titles of Fall 2026! See all their recommendations here.
-Continuing to make most-anticipated lists, Seven for Scilly Cove by Kevin Major is also a CBC Books pick for exciting releases in Fall! Check out the list here!
-And another must-read list for Fall, Beyond the Brightening Sea by Trudy Morgan-Cole has been named an upcoming release to watch from Quill & Quire.
-Diedre J. Halbot, author of Little Spoons, has released her recommended reading list with 49th Shelf for exploring complicated female relationships in fiction. Give it a read!

HAVE YOU HEARD?

On the road! 

Have you seen Breakwater's new metrobus ad? If so, send us a photo! And remember to visit our new storefront at 263 Duckworth Street, which offers the largest selection of local NL books under one roof!

July Bestsellers!

Curious which books are most popular in our storefront? Well, we have the data from July to see what our customers have been loving lately!

The Saltbox Olive, which recently won a gold medal IPPY award, comes in at number 10. Both Volume 1 and Volume 2 of Lost in Newfoundland have made the list at number 7 and number 9 respectively. Little Spoons is sitting at number 8 (catch Diedre signing at Indigo stores around St. John's August 29th and 30th!).

The definitive classic Newfoundland historical fiction, Random Passage, made the number 6 spot. False Bodies, a novel about a sea monster off the coast of Newfoundland (sound familiar?) is at number 5. Bridget Canning's brand new novel, Taking Down Names, takes number 4.

And in the top three we have the first book in Kevin Major's bestselling murder mystery series, the newly released Field Guide to Newfoundland and Labrador, and finally Here by Heidi Wicks, which secures our number one spot for sales in July!

COMING SOON!

Fall is sneaking up on us! Take a peek at what we're looking forward to in September!

Mom, Dad, and the Newfoundland Renaissance is our first fall release; it tells the story of the cultural movement in Newfoundland during the 1960s and 1970s, through interviews, personal histories, and detailed research. Written by E.G. Hynes, the daughter of legendary Canadian artist Ron Hynes and actress Jane Dingle, this book offers unique and exclusive insights into how Newfoundland and Labrador's iconic cultural identity came to be. 

Beyond the Brightening Sea is the eighth historical fiction novel written by Trudy J. Morgan-Cole, published by Breakwater Books. In this newest novel, we return to early Newfoundland history as English settlers continue life in the colonies while England's king is executed. The book follows four women struggling to build lives in seventeenth-century Newfoundland, seeking success in their new lives, even at the expense of one another's freedom. 

Both of these titles are available for pre-order on our website!

FEATURED TITLES

Staff Picks for Summer!

Want to add some local books to your reading list, but unsure where to start? Our staff have recommended their favourite titles to pack in your beach bag or bring to a weekend at the cabin:

If you like historical fiction that opens a door to the Newfoundlanders of days past, try out Random Passage (recommended by Dawn), The Art of Getting Lost and Found (Rebecca Roberts's pick!), or The Saltbox Olive (from Olivia!).

If you're looking for a more serious read to contemplate in the heat, take a look at Vigil (Mahalia's choice) or The Raw Light of Morning (recommended by Rebecca Rose). 

For nonfiction, you can try Oliver's pick with A Life Spent Listening. 

And if you're looking for a varied cast of entertaining characters, why not try Dirty Birds (Emma Cole's pick), Here (Emma Walters's choice) or A Temporary Grace (recommended by Katherine)? 

PHOTO ALBUM

Breakwater Books had three titles win medals in this year's IPPY awards! Here's Karl Wells, winner of a bronze medal in Non-Fiction Canada-East, with his IPPY medal for Openly Karl! 

Earlier in August, we celebrated the launch of Taking Down Names by Bridget Canning! We were treated to an evening at The Ship full of readings, conversation, music, and community! Thanks to everyone who came out to mark the release of this amazing book.

If you've been strolling down Duckworth Street this summer, you may have caught our books soaking up some sun outside! As we continue to welcome tourists in September, we'll take advantage of nice days to set up our sidewalk sale. Drop by to see us!

It's great to see our books and authors out and about in the summer time! Herman Perry, author of The Great North American Paddling Odyssey has been sharing the tales of his adventures at various signings. And our friends at Johnny Ruth have a lovely display featuring Breakwater books at their Water Street location!