The goal is to read and review 13 or more Canadian books in a one year span: Canada Day, July 1st, 2020, to Canada Day eve, June 30th, 2021. Reviews posted online are required. That is the hard part for me, but I will manage.
What constitutes a Canadian book?
Canadian books can include any genre or form (picture books, poetry, novels, non-fiction, plays, anthologies, graphic novels, cookbooks, etc), can be written by Canadian authors (by birth or immigration) or about Canadians.
See the FAQ sheet for more information. The sign up post is HERE.
My reading plan:
I have already read one book by Louise Penny, A Trick of the Light, set in the province of Quebec.
My last post featured seven books by Canadian authors, and I plan to read all of those books. That post is HERE.
Other than those books, I plan to stick with books I already own. Authors that fit that description are:
Brenda Chapman
Rachel Cusk
Vicky Delany
Jeff Lemire (graphic novels)
J. Robert Janes
Maureen Jennings
Dietrich Kalteis
Margaret Millar
Sam Wiebe
Eric Wright
L.R. Wright
12 comments:
Definitely easier to stick with books you already own but have you tried Iona Whishaw? I finished the fourth book in that series last night (I have a paper due Sunday so need to start reading my research instead). I could probably read the needed number of Canadian titles as I've done 6 already this year but I am not sure I could do all the reviews.
I had some unread L.R. Wright books for a while but think I had to find them a new home before a move (it's sort of like discarding extra weight to keep your boat or balloon afloat).
Constance, I will give Whishaw's series a try. I looked into the series and it sounds good. I don't know how soon I can get a copy and I have a big backlog of unread books, but I will see what I can do.
It is sad you had to give away the L.R. Wright books but if they went to a good home, that is good, too.
Good luck with this one. I've tried it a couple of times but not done all that well. I'm sure you'll do better but I can see that reviewing all of them would be quite a task. My favourite book about Canada is Lost Lands, Forgotten Places by Alexandra Pratt, and features one of the less well known parts of the country, Labrador. I had no idea before I read the book that it was 'so' wild and inhospitable.
Oh, you have some talented Canadian authors on your list! Of the ones you've listed here, I'm especially hoping you'll like Delany, Millar, Wiebe, and L.R. Wright. Very different sorts of books, but all excellent, in my opinion.
Cath, I have high hopes this year because I have been planning for months to join and start reading Canadian novels. Of course, there is the problem that I am behind on reviews for European books and historical fiction for other challenges.
I remember your comments on Alexandra Platt's book in your bookshelf traveling post on books about rivers, and I am planning on getting a copy. It will be an opportunity to learn more about Labrador.
Margot, I certainly hope I get to all those authors you named. The only author new to me in that bunch is Wiebe, and I have two of his books.
Living so close to Canada, I see books by Canadian authors all the time. I had forgotten L.R> Wright though. I think Robertson Davies would be good to read though if you have time at the end. His books combine a lot of elements. Fifth Business is my favorite.
Patti, I am pretty sure that my son has a copy of one of the trilogies that Robertson Davies wrote. I will ask him about that.
Tracy, I'm tempted to sign up, but I'm not great at following through on challenges. I have done a self-styled Canadian reading challenge before. There's plenty of authors I'd like to read... Margaret Millar, Giles Blunt, Desmond Ryan, Michael Van Rooy, Mike Knowles and John McFetridge so I wouldn't be short of books!
Col, I have noticed you reading more Canadian authors more recently than I have (Sam Wiebe, Dietrich Kalteis, for example), so you are doing well in that area without a challenge.
TracyK: I am glad to say I am familiar with 7 of the 11 authors listed.
At the same time I feel I should know them all though I recognize we are a large country with over 37 million people.
Bill, I would be happy if I read a books by all of the authors listed in the next year, but that probably isn't realistic. But I will definitely be reading more Canadian authors.
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