2010
Hello, readers. Welcome to another week of Canada Reads 2010, and the first week of the New Year! I love a fresh start and...
The phrase "triple threat" could have been invented for Ann-Marie MacDonald. First an actor, then a playwright, finally a novelist. But the lines of this...
It's a new year and the Canada Reads debates are just around the corner...have you read this year's selections yet? Didn't get a set for...
Hello again, fellow readers. We're barely into the New Year — not to mention the new decade — and I'm ashamed to admit that...
Hello, fellow readers. Happy Monday. I hope you managed to grab at least an hour or two in the company of one of our...
Howdy readers! Last week, we polled you about New Year's resolutions — which apparently many of you don't like making (40 per cent). The usual...
In The Jade Peony, the little girl known as Only Sister, Jook-Liang, struggles to tell me of her bond with the elderly crippled gentleman...
Hello, fellow readers. I trust you had a good reading week, and that you're full of thoughts, feelings and ideas about the book in...
Hello, readers. This week at Canada Reads we're highlighting Douglas Coupland and his novel Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture. I'm more than...
I sat down to begin writing Generation X — and it feels like 20 years ago, too — no tempus fugit for me. The book...
Hello, readers. We're nearly halfway into our reading and so it seems like the perfect time to set our books down for a moment to...
Hello, readers. I've been immersed in Marina Endicott'sGood to a Fault for the past several days. (I got to talk to Marina, and her Canada...
It was so easy for me to love Good to a Fault. I sat down by myself, the family was away, on a Saturday...
Greetings, fellow bookworms! It's your friendly neighbourhood geek girl, Kimberly@CBC (also @AliasGrace), here to moderate the discussion around Nikolski. This is a book that really...
Welcome to the discussion blog for Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture by Douglas Coupland. My name is Andrea@CBC and I'm the moderator...
Hi, welcome to the discussion about Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees. I'm Barb@CBC, your moderator, and I hope you'll have lots to say...
Hi, I'm Rosie@CBC and this is the spot to discuss Marina Endicott's novel Good to a Fault. This book is one of the two...
Welcome to the discussion thread all about Wayson Choy`s The Jade Peony! I'm your moderator, Angela@CBC, and I'm pretty excited about this book. I...
Hello, readers. It sure feels great to have a stack of good books by your side at this time of year, doesn't it? Canada...
Hello again, fellow readers. I'm sure everyone is familiar with the saying "never judge a book by its cover." I feel even more certain that...
I first met Nikolski when it first came out, in French. Was it in 2005? Perhaps, yes. I remember the publisher's rep (Patricia, already...
Hello, fellow readers. As you may have noticed, the Canada Reads reader discussion blogs are up and running on the site. These reader-driven vehicles...
Hello, fellow readers. I've got a lot on my mind today. My overstuffed brain has everything to do with the fact that I am...
The Winter Olympics begin in the beautiful city of Vancouver this Friday, and Canada Reads author Douglas Coupland has been asked by the Olympic...
[SPOILER ALERT]: @trudymorgancole on Twitter has posed the question: "Was it brilliant or just frustrating that the characters never discover links between them?" Personally,...
When I was approached about Canada Reads, I was a bit nervous at first. Not because it wouldn't be amazing to be a part of...
The experience of reading Fall on Your Knees for the first time really brought home for me the importance of the element of surprise. It's...
Hello, readers. I'm sitting pretty over here — got a big, smug smile on my face. It took me a bit longer than I thought...
Reading fiction has always been an addiction of mine. I blame my mother. When I was a child, she made a special event out of...
The cast of characters in Good To A Fault are a handful, to say the least. They have vibrant and distinct personalities that provoke...
One of the things I loved about FOYK was Ann-Marie's depiction of the relationship between the Piper sisters. I think she really captures the...
Hello again, readers. I can't believe how quickly time is passing. It seems like only yesterday that I was cracking the spine on Good to...
August C. Bourré really hates Generation X. Earlier this month, he wrote a blog explaining why he disliked it so much. Though he criticizes...
We're just two short weeks away from the Canada Reads 2010 debates! Things are starting to heat up around here. The Canada Reads team is...
In a couple of weeks, I will be attending a ransom-note reading party. It's simple: you come dressed as your favourite kidnapper/murderer, read your ransom...
Over at the Nikolski: Six degrees of separation discussion, sdring had an interesting idea I'd like to start a new thread with and that...
It's fair to say that Canada Reads 2010 has both inspired and provoked debate. It has even spurred a few other sites to put...
When I first met my husband almost 13 years ago, he cunningly appealed to my ego and asked me to compile a list of...
Welcome to the discussion thread all about Wayson Choy`s The Jade Peony! I'm your moderator, Angela@CBC.Let's talk a bit about characters this week: who is...
A good novel is a tiny planet unto itself. For the days or weeks it takes to turn the pages, you become immersed in that...
One of the major plot points in Marina Endicott's Good to a Fault deals with cancer. Just like in real life, it unfortunately touches...
Hello, readers. The ticking of the clock is deafening. After months of speculation, we're now entering the final, most important leg of our literary journey....
We're ramping up for the Canada Reads 2010 debates next week with lots of great value-added content. All next week, check out our live chats...
Hello, readers. It's finally here. In just a few short hours, Jian and our five esteemed panelists are going to kick off the Canada Reads...
The first shots have been fired in the Canada Reads 2010 debates! Our five panelists were quick on the draw and didn't waste much time...
At 3 p.m. ET, join CBC Book Club host Hannah Sung and special guest Canada Reads host Jian Ghomeshi as they discuss the...
In Day One of Canada Reads, FOYK was criticized by Roland Pemberton for being too dark. In Monday's live chat, Natalie, who defended FOYK...
What a morning. Day Two of Canada Reads 2010 was a real treat. Perched on my stool in the control room, I was privy...
In yesterday's chat with Hannah and Jian, participants overwhelmingly thought that Michel Vézina had the best argument after the first day of debates....
Hello, readers and debate followers. Day three of Canada Reads 2010 debates has come and gone and — spoiler alert! — so has one of...
Goodbye Generation X! It's always a bit sad to see the first book voted off. It's usually at this point that the panelists remember...
The heavyweight book of Canada Reads 2010, Ann-Marie MacDonald's Fall on Your Knees, was the second book voted off. It seems like its defender...
Hello, readers. Spoilers ahead. So if you haven't heard or seen today's show, please do so. On this, the fourth day of Canada Reads, the...
Congratulations to Nicolas Dickner and Michel Vézina! Nikolski is the winner of Canada Reads 2010. After Good to a Fault was voted off early...
Hello, readers. What a week it was. Just seven days ago, I was anxiously anticipating the outcome of Canada Reads 2010. I surveyed the field...
Hello, readers. OK. This time I really mean it. If you haven't seen or heard today's show, then you must do so here. I don't...
The period for Canada Reads "The Essential Top 40 Novels of the Decade" is now closed. Stay tuned to this space for other great Canada...
We're looking for regular readers to submit recommendations to us to create the list of the Top 40 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade. If...
They grow up so fast these days. It seems like only yesterday (OK, a couple of years ago) that CBC folk started talking about doing...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
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Wednesday, September 15, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
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Wednesday, September 29, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
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Thursday, September 30, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
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Can you believe Canada Reads has been around for 10 entire years? Ten years ago, I was an awkward high school student who captained my...
As you may know by now (and if you don't, you can catch up by reading yesterday's post), Canada Reads is looking for the essential...
Wow! We've been blown away by the submissions everyone has sent in. Canada is filled with passionate and informed readers and we want to share...
Another day, another set of fabulous reader recommendations. What do you think? As always, share your thoughts with us on Facebook, Twitter or in...
We can't think about the essential novels of the decade without thinking about the best-selling novels of the decade. Sales certainly aren't the only indicator...
Last year I had a dream in which I was describing the five Canada Reads books to someone who hadn't read them, and doing...
Another day, another round-up of reader recommendations! Remember, each recommendation is worth one point to the book of your choice! Haven't sent in a recommendation...
It's a holiday weekend, but never fear! Reader recommendations aren't going anywhere. That's how dedicated I am to the Canada Reads cause! Below are 15...
Happy holiday weekend, everyone! Just because it's a Sunday doesn't mean we'll stop with the daily reader recommendations! Here we go, another fabulous 15 for...
Is everyone stuffed with turkey (or, as in my case, tofurkey) yet? What about reader recommendations? You better not be, because we've got loads...
Ah, "essential." We here at Canada Reads HQ think a variety of factors should be considered when deciding whether or not a novel is an...
Thanks to everyone who sent in a reader recommendation last week. The response was fantastic and we received more than 1,000 responses! With week one...
Let's get right to it, shall we? Here's today's round-up of recommendations sent in by you! Cathy Ashley recommends: A Complicated Kindness by Miriam Toews...
In our continued quest to find the essential Canadian novel of the last 10 years, we sallied forth and quizzed several authors at a recent...
Things are heating up in the race to the top 40! Several authors aren't taking any chances and have started campaigns of their own: Corey...
I have a huge crush on libraries. I always have. When I was in school, I spent loads of time at the various university...
We're entering the home stretch for the Canada Reads open nominations. There are only 10 days left to get your recommendation in. Do so using...
At Canada Reads HQ, we've been busy taking in your nominations and looking across the country for recommendations from authors, publishers, and other industry professionals....
You're not here to read my ramblings, you're here for the reader recommendations. Behold below! Alexis Everitt recommends: Moody Food by Ray Robertson Voted one...
October 16 is Independents' Day, a day where book lovers come together and celebrate their favourite independent book store. We wanted to celebrate by getting...
Is there a better way to spend a Sunday morning with a cup of coffee in hand reading some Canada Reads recommendations? I think not!...
Another week, another 40-book library to give away! Congratulations to Michael Dawson! He'll receive 40 books courtesy of six great publishers: Cormorant Books, Fitzhenry...
Earlier this month, we looked at the bestseller lists from the past five years.Sure, being a bestseller doesn't necessarily make a book an "essential"...
Is it on your bookshelf? Standing by on your bedside table? Canada Reads continues its search for the essential Canadian novel of the last 10...
Can you believe there are only seven days left until we reveal the Top 40 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade? if you haven't had...
Have you been noticing any trends in the daily round-ups? Any surprises? Share your top 40 predictions in the comments below! And don't forget to...
To be or not to be, that is the question. Well, not for Canada Reads. We're too busy for existential angst. We're searching for the...
Earlier this month, we featured fantastic videos by four librarians from the Edmonton Public Library pitching their Canada Reads picks. We loved them so much...
Another day, another daily round-up! Check out today's fab 20 below! Lisa Dalrymple recommends: Amphibian by Carla Gunn Both Carla Gunn and her narrator,...
What does Canada Reads have in common with Sherlock Holmes? We're taking on the role of super-sleuth, deciphering the clues you send us to find...
We've already looked at the Scotiabank Giller Prize nominees of the decade, now it's time to turn to the awards that are, arguably, the...
We asked a number of publishers from across the country to weigh in with their choices for our Top 40 essential Canadian novels of...
TGIF! It's been a busy week here at Canada Reads HQ, but an exciting one. Don't forget: the deadline for the top 40 has been...
Canada Reads is still looking for that fabulous read you can't put down! The one you're dying to finish but don't want to end. We...
Happy Saturday! Let's get right to the reader recommendations, shall we? William Dechman recommends: Blackstrap Hawco by Kenneth J. Harvey An epic work. A wonderful...
There's only one week until Halloween. Do you have your costume picked out yet? Maybe one of the reader recommendations below can provide you with...
Today is it. Get your recommendation in by midnight tonight to have your say! Our online form, Facebook, Twitter and the comments section below are...
Most of the fiction from Quebec that I've read in the past nine years has been connected to Canada Reads, whether I was being introduced...
We sent out a call for nominations and, wow (!!), did Canada respond! Over the course of our three-week public campaign for the Top 40...
Yesterday, we gushed about your overwhelming response to the call for nominations for the Top 40 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade. And we're going...
Brian Francis is the Canada Reads 2011 resident blogger. His thoughts on Canada Reads will appear every Wednesday until the Canada Reads debates. Say hello...
Jian Ghomeshi will be making an exciting announcement today — he'll introduce the Top 40 list of essential novels of the past decade as chosen...
Canada has spoken! We asked you for your nominations for the Top 40 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade and did you ever answer. Canadians...
Looking to vote on the Canada Reads Top 40? You can do that if you click here! Over the next few days, we're going to...
Looking to vote on the Canada Reads Top 40? You can do that if you click here! Our Top 40 is all over the map...
For a number of years, I worked in the marketing department of a magazine. One of the magazine's most popular issues (with readers and advertisers...
Looking to vote on the Canada Reads Top 40? You can do that if you click here! Canadian literature and historical fiction often go hand...
Looking to vote on the Canada Reads Top 40? You can do that if you click here! Today, we're going to look at the Top...
Looking to vote on the Canada Reads Top 40? You can do that if you click here! Well, here we are. We've come to the...
This is your last chance to have your say, Canada! The voting for the Canada Reads Top 10 Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade closes...
The Canada Reads Top 10 vote inspired some silly and serious online chatter. We had tons of fun following the conversations and creativity online and...
Our Top 40 is now a Top 10. We asked you to vote for the books you most wanted to see on Canada Reads —...
Fiction writers, for the most part, spend the better part of their working lives in controlled environments. By that I mean their primary job is...
We've got a few days before the panelists make their picks and we reveal who they are and what they chose! (November 24 on Q,...
In 1984 William Gibson published his groundbreaking first novel, Neuromancer, and revolutionalized the world of science fiction. Widely considered "the archetypal cyberpunk work," it brought...
"The cockiest, brashest, funniest, toughest, most life-affirming, elegant, scruffy, no-holds-barred writer to emerge from Montreal since Mordecai Richler" (as described by the Globe and Mail)...
The Best Laid Plans>>By Terry FallisDefended by Ali VelshiThe peccadilloes of Parliament Hill's political animals are the subject of The Best Laid Plans, Terry...
When Terry Fallis, a communications strategist, set out to become a published author, he shopped his manuscript to plenty of publishing houses — but they...
Image by Caitlinator. Licensed via Creative Commons "I didn't get it." "Did you get that?" "I totally got that." "What was I supposed to...
I think it's safe to say that The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill has been the biggest Canadian book of the decade: winner of...
Essex County (the book) introduces people to Essex County (the place) across three generations and explores how the place and its people, and the relationship...
We've been getting to know the authors of the Top 10 by posting their responses to the Canada Reads Questionnaire. Sadly, Carol Shields, author...
The book: The peccadilloes of Parliament Hill's political animals are the subject of The Best Laid Plans, Terry Fallis's hilarious first novel, which won...
Ami McKay is now an author synonymous with Atlantic Canadian fiction, but this former music teacher grew up in Indiana and spent many years in...
The book: The miracle of birth and the struggle to live a good life; the miracle of a good life and the struggle to...
The book: Angie Abdou's remarkable debut novel The Bone Cage takes readers deep into the gruelling, often solitary world of amateur athletics. Neither a...
Life of Pi brings to life the unforgettable journey of Pi, a 16-year-old boy whose family is taking their zoo from India to Canada. Disaster...
Top 10 author Joseph Boyden is travelling and wasn't able to answer the Canada Reads Questionnaire in time, so instead we're presenting a clip...
First there were 40. Then 10. Soon it will be down to the final five. On Wednesday, November 24, we'll reveal the five books chosen...
The book: Jeff Lemire's Essex County (Top Shelf Productions) is composed of three interconnected graphic novels: Tales from the Farm, Ghost Stories and The Country...
The book: Most people want to be happy. But how many have what it takes to be good? Can self-realization and morality share the same...
Ali Velshi defends: The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis The book: The peccadilloes of Parliament Hill's political animals are the subject of The...
Thursday, November 25, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
The Canada Reads 2011 panelists -- Debbie Travis, Lorne Cardinal, Ali Velshi, Georges Laraque and Sara Quin -- announce their book selections and prepare to...
(With the announcement of this week's Canada Reads finalists, I thought I'd use this week's space to write a letter to the five authors....
Friday, November 26, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
Jian Ghomeshi hosted a Canada Reads live launch event at the CBC Studios in Toronto, Ontario on November 24, 2010. Watch the panelists reveal their books...
Wow, what a whirlwind it's been. The secret is out and now the world knows who the panelists are and what books they chose to...
Here at the Canada Reads office, we get into the competitive aspect of the debates. Really get into it. Bets are made, hands are shaken,...
Saturday, November 27, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
Listen to the five Canada Reads authors read moving passages from their novels!...
Monday, November 29, 2010 | Categories: Canada Reads 2011, Canada Reads Essex County, Canada Reads The Best Laid Plans, Canada Reads The Birth House, Canada Reads The Bone Cage, Canada Reads Unless, Discussions, Essex County Discussion, The Best Laid Plans Discussion, The Birth House Discussion, The Bone Cage Discussion, Unless Discussion |
There was a lot of conversation surrounding this year's Canada Reads campaign, both on and off our website. We love when people get into...
Monday, November 29, 2010 | Categories: AudioVideo |
The Canada Reads 2011 authors share their writing inspiration and advice for their panelists....
Everyone says that being named a Canada Reads books affects sales. National recognition, instant acclaim, skyrocketing sales, Canada Reads is up there with the Scotiabank...
Jen Sookfong Lee was my book's defender on Canada Reads 2009. She was smart, articulate, funny and passionate. In short, my dream defender. I wanted...
Listen: In the clip below, author Angie Abdou reads from Chapter 9 of The Bone Cage. In this scene, aspiring Olympic wrestler Digger Stapleton...
Last week, we meet those from the Canada Reads team tough enough to stand up for their favourite contenders. This week, we asked them to...
Listen: In the clip below, author Terry Fallis reads from Chapter 2 of The Best Laid Plans. In this scene, former political speechwriter Daniel...
If there is a Cinderella story in this year's Canada Reads line-up, it would have to be Terry Fallis. His book, The Best Laid Plans,...
"How much of your book is true?" This is a question that most writers will face at some point in their careers. I think it...
Listen: In the clip below, author Ami McKay reads from Chapter 26 of The Birth House. On December 6, 1917, Halifax was devastated by an explosion (you...
The Birth House is set in rural Nova Scotia nearly a hundred years ago, but this remarkable story didn't find its way onto the page until an...
Saturday, December 11, 2010 | Categories: Canada Reads 2011, Canada Reads Discussion, Canada Reads Essex County, Canada Reads The Best Laid Plans, Canada Reads The Birth House, Canada Reads The Bone Cage, Canada Reads Unless, Discussions, Essex County Discussion, The Best Laid Plans Discussion, The Birth House Discussion, The Bone Cage Discussion, Unless Discussion |
The theme of this year's Canada Reads campaign was finding the "Essential Canadian Novels of the Decade." Given the theme, the final five were very surprising....
We've got plenty of prize packs to give away and we're ready to do just that, starting right now! Every week, we'll pose a question....
Listen: In the clip below, author Jeff Lemire reads from a bonus story from Essex County. The Essex County Boxing Club explores the history of one of...
Jeff Lemire's Essex County consists of three interconnected graphic novels (a Canada Reads first!) — Tales from the Farm, Ghost Stories and The Country Nurse....
The other night, I decided to get in a little Christmas shopping and headed to my local Chapters. The store was packed with a line-up...
Listen: In the clip below, Carol Shields' daughter Anne Giardini reads from Chapter 5 of Unless. In this scene Reta recalls the history of...
Canada was Carol Shields' adopted country, but she rose to become one of our most beloved literary figures. Shields was born in Oak Park, Illinois....
Whenever the Canada Reads debates roll around, the topic of which book is the "most Canadian" always comes up. And why not? Canada Reads is...
Last week we asked you to name your dream book and panelist combo and we got some great responses! Don Cherry, Stephen Harper and Sarah...
We asked our Canada Reads authors to share what they'll be giving their friends and family this holiday season. Here's hoping it will inspire a...
We asked our Canada Reads authors to share what they'll be giving their friends and family this holiday season. Here's hoping it will inspire a...
Since I haven't read any of this year's Canada Reads titles before, I've been questioning what I would have assumed about each book if I...
We asked our Canada Reads authors to share what they'll be giving their friends and family this holiday season. Here's hoping it will inspire a...
We asked our Canada Reads authors to share what they'll be giving their friends and family this holiday season. Here's hoping it will inspire a...
Sunday, December 26, 2010 | Categories: Canada Reads 2011, Canada Reads Discussion, Canada Reads Essex County, Canada Reads The Best Laid Plans, Canada Reads The Birth House, Canada Reads The Bone Cage, Canada Reads Unless, Discussions, Essex County Discussion, The Best Laid Plans Discussion, The Birth House Discussion, The Bone Cage Discussion, Unless Discussion |
Last week we asked you to tell us which Canada Reads book was most "Canadian." It's a topic that comes up time and time again in...
We'll be rolling out lots of exciting Canada Reads material in the weeks to come. But this holiday week, as the end of the year...
Lots of great Canada Reads material is still to come in the New Year. But this holiday week, we're taking a look back at some...
This holiday week, kick back and relive the highlights of our live launch, which took place on November 24. Jian Ghomeshi hosted the event,...
This is the time of year when it's customary to review the highlights of the past 12 months and trot out "best of" and "worst of"...
With the holidays upon us and a New Year on the horizon, this week at Canada Reads has been dedicated to revisiting video highlights of our...
