Canada Reads


The 14th edition of CBC’s Canada Reads starts this Monday with the debates taking place March 16-19.  Hosted by Wab Kinew, this years focus is the one book to break barriers.  It is about the books that “can change perspectives, challenge stereotypes, and illuminate issues.

This years contenders are:

Ru by Kim Thuy, defended by Cameron Bailey
Intolerable by Kamal al-Solaylee, defended by Kristin Kreuk
The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King, defended by Craig Kielburger
When Everything Feels Like the Movies by Raziel Reid, defended by Elaine “Lainey” Lui
And the Birds Rained Down by Jocelyne Saucier, defended by Martha Wainwright

(click on the titles for my reviews of the books.)

What an amazing lineup of books.  LGBT issues, immigration, aging, First Nations, Canadian history and contemporary culture, all covered.  These novels were written in different languages and for different age groups, but they are all make up what Canada is about, the good and the bad.  

Previous winners of Canada Reads includes:

In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje (2002)
A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (2006)
The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill (2009)
The Orenda by Joseph Boyden (2014)

My choice for the one book that Canada should read this year?  The Inconvenient Indian. 

What is your choice this year? Have you read all of the books?

Comments

  1. AnonymousMarch 17, 2015 at 10:37 AM

    Oh man, I am horrible at keeping up with Canada Reads and other related CanLit events; the only reason I know it's on right now is because I'm following CBC Books on Twitter. This year's line-up looks pretty diverse, though the only title I'm familiar with is Ru. I really should get a move on checking these titles out!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. ShanMarch 18, 2015 at 9:27 AM

      It is very diverse this year and that is such a good thing, it really represents Canada, I think the breaking barriers theme was a good idea.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

"The Guestbook" by Holly Martin

Image
Welcome to Willow Cottage - throw open the shutters, let in the sea breeze and make yourself completely at home.  Oh, and please do leave a comment in the Guestbook! Annie Butterworth is the landlady of Willow Cottage, a beautiful cottage in the English countryside with a colourful array of guests.  Every guest is encouraged to write their thoughts in the guestbook and do they ever!  Love, loss, happiness, sadness, guilt, affairs, births, and surprises, it’s all in there.  Even Annie’s life gets caught up in the book. As a young widow, Annie herself is going through some changes.  And the appearance of her brother-in-law, celebrity crime writer Oliver Black isn’t helping.  As the guests of Willow Cottage go about their seaside vacations, Annie and Oliver must figure out how to move on in their lives, and most importantly, if they will do so together. The Guestbook by Holly Martin is a lovely, sweet, and unique book.  Written in the format of notes left in the guestbook,
Read more

"Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home" by Esi Edugyan

Image
“But where are you from, really?” This is a question that Canadians of all walks of life are often asked.  Part of our identity as Canadians is that we all come from somewhere else, and no matter how long ago, it is a defining part of who we are.   But for many people, this question is about more than where their family came to Canada from.  For many, it brings about a question of home and belonging.  These are the ideas that Esi Edugyan explored in her 2013 Henry Kreisel Memorial Lecture, Dreaming of Elsewhere: Observations on Home .  Born in Canada to parents from Ghana, Esi Edugyan has travelled to and lived in various countries, all the while searching for her identity and coming to understand the meaning of home. As an author, Edugyan also reflects on Canadian literature and the notion of the “Canadian story.”  Her wildly successful novel, Half-Blood Blues , was set outside of Canada, and something she often heard was that it was not a typical Canadian novel.  But a
Read more

Literary Giveaway Blog Hop

Image
I am so excited to be participating in the Literary Giveaway Blog Hop, hosted by Judith at Leeswammes' Blog . There are over 50 participants hosting giveaways on their blog between October 15 and October 19. Be sure to hop around and check out all the awesome giveaways! My Giveaway Award season is underway in the Canadian literary world and to celebrate I would like to send someone some fabulous Canadian literature. One lucky winner will be able to choose which book they would like me to send them. Here are the choices (click on title to find out more about the book): A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews (bought at library sale) Life of Pi by Yann Martel The Last River Child by Lori Ann Bloomfield The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields Through Black Spruce by Joseph Boyden (bought at library sale) Two of the books were bought at a library sale as mentioned. They are still in good condition but are obviously well-loved and do still have the library stickers on them. The other t
Read more