Olympic swimmer and Canada Reads contender Maggie Mac Neil shares 5 books that held her attention
Mac Neil will champion Watch Out for Her on Canada Reads 2025
Olympic swimmer Maggie Mac Neil didn't have a lot of time for reading during training. But now that she's retired, she's fallen back in love with it, specifically with books that are hard to put down.
She's championing the thriller Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey on Canada Reads 2025 — and is excited to bring a book to the table that's gripping and keeps you interested.
Canada Reads 2025 will take place from March 17-20.
Ahead of the debates, Mac Neil opened up about the books she loved as a kid — and the ones that captivated her as an adult.
The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling
When Maggie Mac Neil was growing up, her dad used to read to her before bed. Some of her most prominent memories from those times include listening to the Harry Potter series, all curled up.
In the Harry Potter series, 11-year-old Harry finds out he's a wizard and is invited to attend Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. As he learns about the wizarding world, he finds out that he's actually quite famous for stopping sinister forces as a baby. With a target on his back, he and his friends find themselves in danger's path — and they must reluctantly save the wizarding world again and again.
Over the course of their reading sessions, Mac Neil and her dad got so into the Harry Potter universe that they even ventured out to get the last volume at a midnight release.
"We actually went to the bookstore and waited in line for the last book to come out together," she said. "I was like 8 or 9, but it was super late for me as a kid and it was just something fun that we did together."
The Dear Canada series by various authors
The first books Mac Neil remembers reading on her own were the Dear Canada series, a collection of fictional diaries each following a young girl's experiences during a significant time during Canadian history.
"I got obsessed because I love history," said Mac Neil. "This was a great way to familiarize yourself, as a kid, with what's happened in history and make it relatable."
This was a great way to familiarize yourself, as a kid, with what's happened in history and make it relatable.- Maggie Mac Neil
"I probably have like 12 of them on my bookshelf at home. My favourite was the polio one (To Stand on My Own) and the influenza one (If I Die Before I Wake), which is ironic because that's what we lived through the last couple of years."
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
Freida McFadden's The Housemaid was one of the novels that Mac Neil first dove into after retiring from swimming.
In The Housemaid, a housekeeper finds herself wondering what it would be like to step into the life of the mistress of the house, Nina. One day, she can't resist trying on one of Nina's dresses and gets caught. By the time she realizes her attic bedroom only locks from the outside, it's too late — but they don't know what she's capable of.
"I started it at 9 or 10 p.m. at night — because it's really nice that I don't have to get up early for swimming anymore — and I could not put it down until I finished it," said Mac Neil. "So I'd be going to bed at like 3 or 4 a.m."
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid
When aging Hollywood movie icon Evelyn Hugo is finally ready to tell her life story, she enlists unknown magazine reporter Monique Grant. Monique is confused but determined to use this chance to make waves in the journalism world. As Monique learns about Evelyn's life — from her journey to Los Angeles in the 1950s and her choice to leave the spotlight in the 80s — she begins to feel more connected to the actress. But the more Evelyn reveals, it becomes clear that Monique was chosen for this task for a sombre reason.
Mac Neil connected with Evelyn's character because of her unfiltered nature.
I thought that was a really refreshing read.- Maggie Mac Neil
"She kind of says whatever's on her mind. And honestly, you don't really do that in society just because some things you think aren't necessarily like the nicest things. She was funny and blunt about it in a way. And to an extent, I'm very blunt myself. So I thought that was a really refreshing read."
Over the Boards by Hayley Wickenheiser
Since retiring, Mac Neil has also been drawn to autobiographical books about athletes, specifically those that talk about the transition period after retiring from professional sports.
Hockey player Hayley Wickenheiser's memoir, Over the Boards, looks at her incredible career and shares the lessons that helped her win four Olympic gold medals, break down barriers in women's sports and build a new career in medicine.
Mac Neil first came across the book after hearing Wickenheiser speak at an event and saw a lot of parallels between their journeys, as Mac Neil is hoping to pursue a career in law.
"Hearing her transition from her hockey career into her medical career was like what I was doing at the time," said Mac Neil. "So it was cool hearing someone at that level use the same techniques and things that applied to her life as a hockey player in the hospital."
What Is A Girl Worth? by Rachael Denhollander
In What Is A Girl Worth?, Rachael Denhollander, former gymnast, current attorney, tells her story as the first survivor to expose USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar's sexual abuses and the last to give a victim impact statement.
Mac Neil found What Is A Girl Worth? eyeopening and inspiring for the type of work she might want to do as a sports lawyer.
"It put everything that I want to do in my life together, to see it through someone else's eyes and kind of experience it that way," said Mac Neil.
Maggie Mac Neil's comments have been edited for length and clarity.
