Read Across Canada: A 2013 Challenge discussion

Where in Canada have you been?

British Columbia and Alberta.

Nona wrote: "British Columbia and Alberta."

Which two books did you read, Nona?

none yet. just traveled there.

Ahh! I think the idea is to report the books you've read by setting or author's location. An example would be, "I was in British Columbia, learning about Emily Carr in The Forest Lover." But, not to worry, it's not very clear. This group is set up very similarily to another group, "Around the World in 52 Books" which has you reporting where you are and where you've been by the books you are reading.

Did you enjoy your trip to BC & Alberta? Did you visit them on the same trip, or separately?

Yes, that's the idea Janice. We have a thread for books we're currently reading.

I've just left Nunavut in Arctic Canada with a collection of short stories by Farely Mowat. It was a hard but wonderful trip. Next stop is Quebec with either The Tin Flute or The Hockey Sweater and Other Stories - whichever comes first from Amazon!

I have fired up the old jalopy and have left Ontario for destinations unknown. I finished reading Any Known Blood: A Novel.

Just traveled the Yukon in the company of Robert Service.

I'm still up in the NW territory. A real treat to turn the page in the third chapter and discover a major character has the same name as my father, Donald Moody!The Tenderness of Wolves

Just wandered Lake Huron and other parts of Ontario in Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro. My review is here... Alice Munro has lived in Ontario almost her entire life, and she was born in 1931, so her perspective spans decades. Almost centuries!

I've finished a book of very short stories (contes) by Roch Carrier titled The Hockey Sweater and Other Stories. The Hockey Sweater and Other Stories. It was very wry, funny and sad. I've also finished The Tin Flute - a Canadian classic and on the 1001 Books To Read Before You Die list. I'll write my review soon. A friend has lent me A Discovery of Strangers about the Franklin expedition in the NWT so I will be taking a step backwards in my itinerary and then leaping forward with two stories set in Newfoundland & Labrador.

Here is my review of Gabrielle Roy's The Tin Flute. Hard to read at times (personal reasons) but wonderfully evocative of pre-WWII in Montreal. I'll be visiting Montreal in late April - can't wait to wander about the streets!

I finished The Imposter Bride for my sojourn in Quebec.

Margaret, The Imposter Bride sounds really good. :)

Thanks for you comment Sandy! I've just finished another book - February by Lisa Moore. I'll be adding my review very soon. The weather is almost too hot to work on the computer ...

Here is my review of February. http://independentbookreview.wordpres...

What a way to visit Nunavut! The Terror by Dan Simmons at 769 pages was well worth the read.
And also just finished Lost in the Barrensby Farley Mowat for the Northwest Territories. Although both books are stories of survival, they couldn't be more different.

I finished Adrift - set in Newfoundland. It was meh. I will be posting a review soon.

Margaret wrote: "What a way to visit Nunavut! The Terror by Dan Simmons at 769 pages was well worth the read.
And also just finished Lost in the Barrensby Farley Mowat for the Northwest Territories. Although both ..."

I also have The Terror on my list for Nunavut.

FinishedWhoop-Up Trail for Alberta. Interesting piece of history.

You're doing so well on this challenge, Margaret. I've been a slow poke and it's time to get moving.

Janice wrote: "You're doing so well on this challenge, Margaret. I've been a slow poke and it's time to get moving."
I've been a slowpoke, too, but that's mostly because I just started the bookstore, and haven't had much time to read.

Been in Quebec with Still Life. Really enjoyed it. Nice description of rural life, some history and architecture. Also liked the characterization although at the beginning there did seem to be an awful lot of characters to get to know!

Well, it has been awhile since I finished Adrift - and here is my review. I'm now reading Anne of Green Gables and loving it! I think AGG is a little advanced for primary school aged kids - maybe start age 11-12.

I finished Anne of Green Gables today - what a gorgeous story! I can't believe I didn't read this as a child. Review to follow soon.

And here it is! I finished 'A Discovery of Strangers' a few days ago and will write my review soon. Meanwhile, I am about to read Anne of Avonlea.

Settlers of the Marsh by Frederick Philip Grove covers my read for Manitoba. A pleasant surprise. See my review of same.

Here is my review of A Discovery of Strangers for the NWT before Nunavut became a separate territory. Almost finished Anne of Avonlea and will start Anne of the Island soon and will probably finish it while in Canada! My husband and I are flying out of Melbourne this Saturday.

Have fun on your vacation, Yrinsyde.

Melissa wrote: "Have fun on your vacation, Yrinsyde."I'm looking forward to it Melissa! I might even see some snow - I haven't yet. :)

Glass Boys by Nicole Lundrigan is a wonderful novel set in Newfoundland by a Newfoundland author. Well worth the trip!

I am beginning my challenge in British Columbia with , April Fool, by William Deverell. I have finished this one.and here is my review. http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... I will look forward to reading the next book at a later time. Now, I am moving on to Ontario, to read .http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I raced dog sled teams, crossed raging rivers, and trudged through mountains of snow in the Yukon with A Daughter of the Snows.

Was A Daughter of the Snows any good, Janice? I read another Jack London book years ago for school, but as I recall, I wasn't overly fond of it.
*Edit* Never mind, I saw your comment in your list about being disappointed in it.

Here are my reviews for Anne of Avonlea and Anne of the Island - I loved reading them. ... and I did see some snow in Ottawa - the leftovers dumped by the river. :)

Melissa wrote: "Was A Daughter of the Snows any good, Janice? I read another Jack London book years ago for school, but as I recall, I wasn't overly fond of it.
*Edit* Never mind, I saw yout comment in your list a..."

LOL! No, it wasn't a favorite of mine. :)

I have finished for Ontario, and am in Nova Scotia for .it is now 24+ hours later and I have competed for Nova Scotia. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/... Most of the novel takes place in or relates to Cape Breton. I enjoyed it.
I am movingon to P.E.I. to read the first Anne of Green Gables book, that I have not read since I was a child. A long time ago
Additionally, here is my review for The Glass Coffin : http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

Hi all! I finished Kiss the Joy as it Flies and I have to say that I wasn't a fan. I'm now reading The Sea Captain's Wife and I am really enjoying it! Both these are for New Brunswick.

Just completed for New Brunswick. This is the first in the series of Rhys Madoc mysteries. He is a R.C.M.P. detective. I quite enjoyed this book, and will definitely read Charlotte Macleod's next instalment in the series. Here is my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Now I am on my way to P.E.I. to read Ann of Green Gables, which I haven't read since I was little-a long time ago!

I've just finished reading The Sea Captain's Wife for NB and I loved it. It is hard to find novels set in Canada in Australia (apart from AGG) and I have to buy them from Amazon. This is one I am keeping! I found The Island - short stories about Nova Scotia at my local library and that is the next one I am reading. Then it is off to the US, then back to Canada.

I was just visiting my neighboring province, Saskatchewan, in A Geography of Blood: Unearthing Memory from a Prairie Landscape. I have been to Cypress Hills. I remember camping there one summer, running around topless (young enough to do so) and there being an eclipse. We travelled through the area a few other times as well, so I was able to picture it while reading the book.

I just finished Anne of Green Gables. Anne of Green Gables, to compete my visit to Prince Edward Island. Here is my short review:

I just finished Anne of Green Gables, by Lucy Maud Montgomery. I hadn't read it for about fifty years, so my perspective is drastically different. I remember laughing at all the scrapes Anne got herself into, and thinking Marilla was kind of mean. What I didn't recognize nor appreciate was the droll humour, usually found in Marilla's conversations with Anne. Additionally, adding the perspective of being a parent and grandparent radically increased my appreciation for the depth of feelings that Anne, Marilla, Matthew developed for each other. This was a joy to read, as part of my Cross Canada Challnge and visit to P.E.I.. . I will definitely find time to read the rest, and continue to enjoy the different perspective that reading them again, so many years letter, provides.

I just left P.E.I. and have moved on to Quebec to read by Louise Penny.

I finished reading Alistair MacLeod's collection of short stories called Island - mostly set in Cape Breton Nova Scotia. I was wowed. I am now leaving Canada and continuing my travels in the US. I will go down the East coast and back up again to Canada - combining 2 book challenges in one. See you later!

I didn't stray far from home for my last read, Mrs. Mike. It was primarily set in Grouard, Alberta which is a pleasant 2 hour drive from where I live.

I was a little surprised because I was under the impression that the book was set in the Northwest Territories. After Mike & Kathy married, he was stationed in Hudson Hope which is in BC. Then, they moved to Grouard, Alberta. I will need to shift my books around and call Alberta done.

I have finished visiting Manitoba with A Jest of God. I'm not sure which province I will visit next.

Finished Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and the Road to Recovery This is a fascinating true account of the huge munitions explosion in 1917.

Margaret wrote: "Finished Shattered City: The Halifax Explosion and the Road to Recovery This is a fascinating true account of the huge munitions explosion in 1917."

We went through the exhibition on it when we were in Halifax. It was very interesting. The Birth House is fiction with a section where the main character helps out as a nurse during the aftermath of the explosion.

Anne of Avonleawas my selection for PEI. I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as I thought I would. See my review here:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...