I put in a request for this book as soon as it made the Top 5 cut for the 2015 Canada Reads debate. It finally arrived, too late for the debates, but never too late for driving home its urgent message. By now, most of you have probably heard of this book, or have already … Continue reading When Everything Feels Like The Movies by Raziel Reid
Category: Canada Reads
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
Most of us think that history is the past. It's not. History is the stories we tell about the past. Those of you who have followed my blog for a while know that I don't read a lot of non-fiction. I can't help it- I just prefer fiction. So does Thomas King. Truth be … Continue reading The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America by Thomas King
And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier, translated by Rhonda Mullins
This book made my heart sing. I discovered it on the 2015 Canada Reads List , and devoured it. When it was over, I felt elated. And The Birds Rained Down is about 3 old men living in the woods. And, when I say old, I mean the youngest is 86 and the oldest is … Continue reading And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier, translated by Rhonda Mullins
Canada Reads Competition 2014
The Canada Reads 2014 competition, led by Jian Ghomeshi, took place this week. If you are interested, here is a quick sum-up. The theme this year was to find the one book that could change Canada as a nation. The Contenders: The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood, defended by Stephen Lewis Cockroach by … Continue reading Canada Reads Competition 2014
Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
Half-Blood Blues tells the story of a group of jazz musicians, called the Hot-time Swingers, and their time on the jazz scene in Berlin and Paris in the late 1930s. While in Paris, the young up-and-coming trumpet star, Hieronymus Falk, gets taken by the Nazis and is presumed dead. 50 years later, Sid relives the events that take … Continue reading Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan
Cockroach by Rawi Hage
At first, I wasn't so sure I liked this book, but by the time I had finished, I felt differently. I didn't love the story, but his writing drew me in and pulled me along. I was curious to know what was going to happen to this poor man in the end. Cockroach is the … Continue reading Cockroach by Rawi Hage
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden: Stunning
I learned so much from this book, that when it was finished, the first thing I thought was, "I want to know more". So I immediately went to the computer and started googling. What did I find? All kinds of information! Enough to make me wonder if I'm the only one who didn't know the full … Continue reading The Orenda by Joseph Boyden: Stunning
Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese
Richard Wagamese is a Canadian author who has been writing for many years. This is the first book of his that I have read. I had heard about it before (but I can't remember where), so when it showed up on this year's Canada Reads Top 40 list, I decided to finally read it. And … Continue reading Ragged Company by Richard Wagamese
Canada Reads Top 5 2014
I just finished listening to Jian Ghomeshi on Canada Reads as he introduced the 5 panelists with their chosen books. Here they are: Stephen Lewis defends The Year of the Flood by Margaret Atwood Wab Kinew defends The Orenda by Joseph Boyden Donovan Bailey defends Half Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan Samantha Bee defends Cockroach … Continue reading Canada Reads Top 5 2014
Annabel by Kathleen Winter
I have heard good things about this book since it came out, but haven't gotten around to reading it until now. It did not disappoint me. It is also on the Canada Reads Top 10 list for this year, and I think is a good contender for the Top 5. Kathleen Winter was born in England but … Continue reading Annabel by Kathleen Winter