The Canadian Book Challenge was started in 2007 by John Mutford at the Book Mine Set blog (no longer available?). Now the challenge is hosted by Shonna at Canadian Bookworm. Between 2012, when I started blogging, and 2022, I participated in five Canadian Reading Challenges; now I am back for my sixth attempt.
The goal is to read and review 13 or more Canadian books in a one year span: from Canada Day, July 1st, 2024, to Canada Day eve, June 30th, 2025. Reviews posted online are required. (That is the hard part for me.)
What constitutes a Canadian book?
For this challenge, Canadian books are books written by Canadian authors (by birth or immigration) or about Canadians. The books can include any genre or form (picture books, poetry, novels, non-fiction, plays, anthologies, graphic novels, cookbooks, etc).
See the signup post for more information.
What will I read?
I am currently reading a book for this challenge, A Cast of Falcons by Steve Burrows. Steve Burrows is a Canadian author but the books are set in the UK.
Other books I plan to read are:
- Kelley Armstrong – The Poisoner's Ring: A Rip Through Time Novel
- Anthony Bidulka – Flight of Aquavit
- Gail Bowen – Verdict in Blood
- Louise Penny – A Great Reckoning
- Alexandra Pratt – Lost Lands, Forgotten Stories
- Robin Spano – Dead Politician Society
- Michael van Rooy – An Ordinary Decent Criminal
- L. R. Wright – Fall From Grace
- Iona Whishaw – Death In A Darkening Mist
Other Canadian authors I have on my shelves (or on the Kindle) are:
- Vicky Delany
- J. Robert Janes
- Maureen Jennings
- Dietrich Kalteis
- Thomas King
- Emily St. John Mandel
- Margaret Millar
- Anna Porter
- Sam Wiebe
- Eric Wright
22 comments:
Good luck on the challenge. I did this one for a number of years with John but lost track of it after he passed it on to another caretaker. Not sure why John changed his focus and blogging habits and I miss him because he was always interesting. Lived way up in Yellowknife as i recall.
Good luck Tracy and so many great Canadian authors out there. This year I read Anne of Green Gables and I was very impressed by L M Montgomery's writing. And of course the great Louise Penny!
Sam, That is nice to know, I haven't run into many bloggers who have done the challenge. I learned of it from Bill Selnes at Mysteries and More in Saskatchewan. I looked up John Mutford when I saw his blog was gone, and I saw several articles on the internet about his job as a manager at the library in Yellowknife. He was interesting and he liked short stories too, if I remember correctly.
What Canadian authors did you like when you did the challenge? I started out with lots of mystery authors but I have branched out. I have discovered some Canadian classics I enjoyed, and am trying other genres too.
Thanks, Kathy. I have always done medium well with this challenge, although in recent years I haven't been able to keep up with the reviews. One year, maybe back in 2012, I did actually read and review 13 Canadian books.
I am glad you mentioned L M Montgomery. Anne of Green Gables has come up in several places and I think I should at least try it. Louise Penny is also a favorite for me, and I would like to read at least one of her books every two-three months until I catch up.
Some good choices here!
I would do this if it were just 5-6 books but I have been in the middle of Fall from Grace since February and that seems a bad omen.
If you want to substitute a Susanna Kearsley, my favorite is The Winter Sea but it might be too romantic for you. You might prefer The Rose Garden.
Constance, I know what you mean about the large number of books to commit to. I have so many Canadian books and I want to read more of them, so I hope I can stick with the challenge.
I am glad you mentioned Susanna Kearsley. I will put a list of her books on my book sale list and see what I can find. And if I have no luck, I will check online.
Lost Lands, Forgotten Stories is a superb book about Labrador. I hope you manage to get to it. And I've just bought the first book in that birding series, A Siege of Bitterns. Good luck with the challenge, Tracy!
How are your eyes now?
My favorite Canadian authors are Robertson Davies, Margaret Laurence, Margaret Atwood, Brian Moore, Mordecai Richler, and with hesitation now, Alice Munro. Your list is not too familiar to me. I need to get reading.
Cath, I have had Lost Lands, Forgotten Stories on my shelf for 4 years now. It is time to read it. Reading nonfiction doesn't come easy to me, however.
My eyes seem to be fine. It has taken me a while to figure out the best strength of reading glasses to use for both reading and computer work, and I am still adjusting to no need for glasses for distance vision and then switching to reading glasses for closer work. From what I have read, it can take 6 - 12 weeks for eyes to fully heal after surgery. I have an appointment Monday with the ophthalmologist for a post op.
Patti, the only author on your list that I haven't read at all is Mordecai Richler; I will have to look into what he has written. I plan to find another book in Margaret Laurence's Manawka Series. I read and enjoyed part of Robertson Davies' Fifth Business but the copy I was reading had very tiny print and I wasn't able to finish it. I have it on Kindle and I plan to read it someday. I have read two books by Brian Moore that I liked a lot and have several more on my Kindle.
Your comment makes me realize how many other Canadian authors I need to read more of, which is one of the reasons I decided to do the challenge.
I think you're going to really enjoy this challenge, Tracy. You've chosen some excellent books, too. I'm very glad to see Anthony Bidulka's work on your list; I think he's very, very talented. And of course, Louise Penny, too. And I see some authors whose work I haven't read yet, so I'll be interested in what you think of them, too.
I agree, Margot, I will enjoy reading books for this challenge. Anthony Bidulka's book is another one I have had on the shelf for far too long. And I need to read some of his more recent books.
I looked around a bit and came up with a few of the Canadian authors I remember enjoying when I was doing the challenge for a few years. I still read some of them today:
Vincent Lam (The Headmaster's Wager...Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures)
Steven Galloway (The Cellist of Sarajevo)
Jim Lynch (Border Songs)
W.P. Kinsella (Shoeless Joe...The Essential W.P. Kinsella)
Mary Lawson (A Town Called Solace, and others)
Kevin Patterson (Consumption)
Barbara Frankin (Blood Ties)
And I usually read something by Margaret Atwood, Louise Penny, or Alice Munro
Hope this gives you a few leads.
Good luck with the challenge! I've enjoyed all the Louise Penny and Emily St. John Mandel books I've read.
Sam, Thanks for taking the time to come up with this list. You have mentioned several authors that I am not familiar with, and I will look into them. I have heard of W.P. Kinsella but have not read anything by him. I am sure I can find something to try. I bought at least one book by Mary Lawson at the last book sale and she is definitely an author I want to read.
I have only read The Handmaid's Tale (long ago) by Atwood and I really should read more by her.
I know you are still suffering from Beryl's effects but I hope things are getting better.
Kelly, I did not like Louise Penny's books at first but I persevered and her series is one of my favorites. They are not light reads, though. I have enjoyed the two books by Mandel that I have read so far.
Hi Tracy,
What I like most about this challenge is that the reader has a year to read 13 books. A great concept! I'll look forward to your reviews.
How is your summer weather treating you?
I haven't heard, but I hope you will not have lots of wildfires this summer.
Judith, I enjoy reading Canadian books anyway, but I wanted extra motivation to get through more of them.
Our weather here is cool (along the coast), but we do have a fire in the interior part of Santa Barbara County, the Lake Fire. It is not anywhere close to threatening our area at this time (about 30 miles away), but you never know. The air quality is bad of course.
Have fun with this challenge! It looks like you've got a lot of good books on your list to read. I'm hoping to start that Kelley Armstrong series next month. :D
Lark, I do plan to have fun. I have finished the birding mystery, A Cast of Falcons, and an planning on starting reading Lost Lands, Forgotten Stories tonight. That one is nonfiction, I may read a fiction book at the same time.
Nice challenge. You probably know more Canadian authors than I do -- and I live here, lol. Emily Mandel is good as well as Mary Lawson (A Town Called Solace). Maybe my favorite Canadian author these days might be Michael Crummey but I've only read two of his.
I have read a good number of Canadian authors, and I have a huge list of them to look into. I plan to try some new-to-me Canadian authors this year. Michael Crummey is on my list and I think it is because you mentioned him in one of your preview posts. And now I have added to my book sale list, I sometimes luck into finding some books by Canadian authors there. Only two more months to the book sale.
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