CanadianContent discussion

Greetings everyone,

As June draws to a close, I hope everyone is enjoying some beautiful weather and soaking in some sunshine while reading.

Canada Day is upon us and a day to celebrate some great reads. What have. you been reading? What is next?

Edited to add: if you are participating in the Canadian BINGO 2020, how is it coming along at the halfway point?

Happy Friday!

I have completed 13 bingo squares so far, so I'm more or less on track.

This week I finished reading three books: Nobody: Casualties of America's War on the Vulnerable, from Ferguson to Flint and Beyond provides a good overview of multiple issues of racial and socioeconomic injustice in the U.S. The Shapeless Unease: A Year of Not Sleeping was a little too lyrical for me at times. I liked it when the author wrote more simply about how her sleeplessness made her feel or her interactions with health care practitioners during her long bout with insomnia. A Burning is a first novel set in India with three primary narrators. I felt like the balance was a little off with the narration and perhaps the novel could have benefited from one more edit. I also don't know enough about politics in India to feel that I understood the nuances of what was going on at times.

I'm currently reading The Best We Could Do, a graphic memoir describing a Vietnamese family's experiences before and during the war in Vietnam, as well as their experiences as refugees in the U.S. It's quite long but interesting, and the illustrations are really wonderful. I'm also reading The Memory Police, a dystopian novel that is up for this year's International Booker Prize.

Hi all! I finished a couple of books this week, The Library Book and Darling Rose Gold. Both were okay, neither was fantastic. With all the nice weather, I haven’t made much reading progress this week. I currently have Educated and My Cousin Rachel on the go.

I've been hearing rave reviews of Memory Police from some book-friends, Susan, but I can't say the description appeals. I'll be interested in hearing your reaction.

I'm having a good Canlit week this week with The Letter Opener by Toronto author Kyo Maclear and a revisit on audio to A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki which is set partly in BC's Gulf Islands and partly in Japan.

Wishing you all a good weekend.

Happy Weekend! June certainly has flown by. The weather here has been remarkably non-June-like. We've had plenty of dark skies but not much sunshine.

Since my last update a couple of weeks ago, I've finished:
The Life of Charles Dickens : Volume I - Forster is a dry writer. Luckily, about half this book is excerpts from letters written to Forster by Dickens and Dickens' writing is phenomenal, even his letters.
Tangles: A Story About Alzheimer's, My Mother, and Me - a lovely graphic novel chronicling a family's struggles when their wife/mom develops early onset alzheimers. Very touching and lovingly told.
Homeless Bird - an arranged marriage gone bad. The young lady must find her way in life after her young husband dies.

I'm currently reading:
David Copperfield and The Silk Train Murder: A John Granville & Emily Turner Historical Mystery (Canadian), which I hope to find a square for in BINGO.
I'm very behind in the BINGO game. If The Silk Train Murder can be used, that will make 5 squares filled.

I think I have 15 squares completed for bingo so I’m over halfway there. My progress with the Indigenous Reads challenge is not so good. I believe I only have two or three read for that one.

Happy Friday!'

This week I finished Ask Again, Yes for my book club and Wine Girl: The Obstacles, Humiliations, and Triumphs of America's Youngest Sommelier on audio. I liked but not totally loved them. Ask Again, Yes was a great book for book club though.
Currently reading The Guardians.
Have a great weekend everyone!

Hi everyone!

once again some eclectic reads are happening!

@Story - our book club had very mixed feelings about A Tale for the Time Being - I was on the side that really enjoyed that book. how is the narration?

@Petra - I am sorry to hear that you are missing the sunshine but grateful for the beautiful weather we are experiencing in Southern Ontario. You have had some serious tomes for they grey skies!

@AllisonHikes - great job on the BINGO!

I didn't manage much reading but did finish Klee Wyck for the Bingo Square relating to CBC's 100 True Stories that Make You Proud to be Canadian. She was certainly a woman before her time, tough as nails, brave and independent. The language describing Indigenous peoples does not fit today but the book makes one want to research the totem poles she describes and learn more.

Tonight, I started The Skin We're In: A Year of Black Resistance and Power which is set up with chapters reflecting events of each month of the year. I have read the first 2 which sure leave me thinking and I am really looking forward to learning, listening and discussing this book.

I am heading into a week of holidays so hoping to get back to more books this week!

@ Susan - I've visited Emily Carr's childhood home in Victoria, BC and her grave (also in Victoria).
The house is really sweet.
Her grave is well visited, with visitors leaving items behind. When I was there, I saw one of her books (wrapped in a plastic bag), a paintbrush, a couple of personal tokens and a few other items that slip my mind right now.
Both sites are worth a trip when you visit Victoria.

Thanks for sharing that Petra! I will add this to my bucket list.

Is it morbid that I have a booklet on that graveyard, telling of the highlights, what to look for, some history?
Best thing: there's a wonderful pub right across the street.
Susan, if you ever make it over here, we'll have to explore that pub together. LOL.

❀ Susan wrote: "@Story - our book club had very mixed feelings about A Tale for the Time Being - I was on the side that really enjoyed that book. how is..."

So glad to hear you really enjoyed it. This is my third read/listen and I think the book is brilliant. So multi-layered and so moving!

Ruth Ozeki narrates it and she does a good job creating different voices for all the characters.

Petra wrote: "@ Susan - I've visited Emily Carr's childhood home in Victoria, BC and her grave (also in Victoria).
The house is really sweet.
Her grave is well visited, with visitors leaving items behind. When..."

You're making me want to visit too, Petra.

Storyheart, we'll all get together and explore the sites and the pub. LOL A get-together would be a wonderful thing.

At the cabin today so Using my phone and can’t seem to find the book deals thread. Both Kobo and Audible have great sales on Canadian titles to celebrate Canada Day.


https://www.kobo.com/ca/en/p/canadada...


https://www.audible.ca/ep/canada-day-...

I'm in, Petra!

Thanks for the book deal links, Allison.

Hey all I have read 13 books for our Bingo so far.
The library here in Winnipeg just opened up this week, and it is only to pick up books you have put on reserve, so I will able to dig into those remaining squares for books I did not own.

I am just about to dig into Wildwood, I can hardly wait.

@Petra - I have travelled east but not west... yet. It would be awesome to meet up and check out the pub.

@Allison - thanks... will check those out although now that I am working from home, I have not been listening to any books.

@Heather - great job! I have had Wildwood on my TBR list for far too long... starting to feel guilty not getting to all the wonderful book gifts that I have received .

My reading has slowed down considerably lately. I did finish one book Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murikami for a digital/phone call book club. The book left me flat. I enjoyed his writing style but just couldn't seem to connect to the story.

Currently reading my eleventh bingo read. Women Talking by Miriam Toews. This is my third book by this author and she always gives me lots to think about.

I have four more books on my shelves for bingo reads which I hope to read by end of summer as working for school system I am off till September.

Children of the Black Sabbath by Anne Hebert.

I am almost 2/3 through "Home for Unwanted Girls" by Joanna Goodman. It is driven by horrific treatment of young girls in the orphanages of Quebec in the 1950's. That it is historically accurate makes it at the same time both a compelling and difficult read. I can see it as a great book for a book club because it demands not only awareness but discussion Unless cozy mysteries are as serious as you get, on the basis of what I have read I highly recommend it as a good read and if you are Canadian a must read.

@Bruce - I enjoyed that book and had not been aware of the history of the orphanages in Quebec. I was at an author event in Toronto and this author shared that she is planning on a sequel too!

The orphanage theme in Quebec reminds me of Heather O’Neil’s last novel. The orphanage scenes are horrific.