Cross Country Checkup's Summer Reading List
June 14, 2009




Kim Echlin's Suggestions 
Author of 'Elephant Winter' and 'The Disappeared' and former CBC Arts Producer. 

Beijing Coma, by Ma Jian and Flora Drew (Vintage Canada, 2009) 
"It's the story of the Tiananmen Square massacre, told from the point of view of a student protester who is in a coma as a result of being shot on June 4. The entire story unfolds in his head while he's lying in his bed -- wonderful because the writer was so able to bring the particular of a character to the big historical event" 

The Kindly Ones, by Jonathan Littell (McClelland &, 2009) 
"The Story of an SS man in the Second World War. Controversial because it contains a lot of graphic sexuality. Fascinating look at that war from the perpetrator's point of view, which is still fairly rare". 

Iliad, abridged compact discs, by Homer and Robert Fagles translation read by Derek Jacobi (Penguin Audio USA, 2006) 
"Great listening. It really worked for me when it was read, in a way I couldn't make it work for myself. Was able to hold the characters better when it was read." 






Stefan Dollinger's Suggestions 
Editor Dictionary of Canadianisms 

Sam Slick, by Thomas Chandler Haliburton (McClelland & Stewart, 1941) 
"One of the first satirical accounts in North American literature about a Yankee, an American, in Nova Scotia. Funny book that is linguistically very interesting." 
Fire and Ice: The United States, Canada and the Myth of Converging Values, by Michael Adams (Penguin Canada, 2004) 
"Very good background reading for people who believe that Canada is going down the drain and be joined to the U.S." 

Language Variation as Social Practice: The Linguistic Construction of Identity in Belten High, by Penelope Eckert (Wiley-Blackwel, 2000) 
"A sociolinguistic classic. A textbook that is wonderful to read. About how language use varies with social variables." 




Robert Alter's Suggestions 
Professor of Hebrew and Comparative Literature at the University of California at Berkeley and author of many books and articles. 

Life Class, by Pat Barker (Penguin, 2008) 
"Set just before the First World War. The author has a very mature and nuanced approach to adult life and of the complications of an adult life." 

Where Have All the Soldiers Gone? - The Transformation of Modern Europe, by James Sheehan (Mariner Books, 2008) 
"A history of Europe from the break of the First World War to the present. It covers familiar ground but it does so in an intelligent synthesis. It is about how people conceived the nation state." 

Mimesis: The Representation of Reality in Western Literature, by Erich Auerbach and Willard R. Trask (Princeton University Press, 2003) 
"A book of literary criticism that begins with Homer and the Bible to the early Middle Ages with obscure and famous texts to Virginia Woolf. This book ages well." 




Cross Country Checkup Callers' Suggestions 

A Journey of Days, by Guy Thatcher (General Store Publishing House, 2008) 
"Marvelously engaging and informative. Really inspirational. Talks about living your dream and living in the now." 

The Ancestor's Tale: A Pilgrimage to the Dawn of Evolution, by Richard Dawkins and Yan Wong (Mariner Books, 2005) 
"The single-most interesting book read in the past year. He has us travel back through time where we meet more and more of our ancestors." 

Future Of Nature: Writing on Human Ecology From Orion Magazine, compiled by Barry Lopez (Milkweed Editions, 2007) 
"My optimism went sky high." 

Gabriel Garcia Marquez: A Life, new biography by Gerald Martin. (Penguin Canada, 2009) 
"It's magnificent. The biographer has been on the trail for 20 years." 

Rudyard Kipling's Tales of Horror and Fantasy (Pegasus Books, 2008) 
"Fascinating stuff. So different than what we expect of fantasy and horror these days. Brilliant work." 

Quietus, by Vivian Schilling (Penguin, 2003) 
"Keeps throwing twists and turns. It's annoying. So annoying I emailed the author." 

Diary of a Wimpy Kid, by Jeff Kinney (Harry N. Abrams, 2007) 
Suggested by an 11 year old.
"Very funny. Part of a series. The type of thing people would like to read." 

Ortona, by Mark Zuehlke (D & M) 
"About the Second World War battle of Ortona in Italy. Good read for people who like historical novels." 

The Shack, by William Paul Young (Windblown Media, 2008) 
"Very easy read. A different interpretation of the Holy Trinity. An interesting perspective on God." 

Three Cups of Tea, by Greg Mortenson (Penguin, 2007) 
"A true story. An American in Pakistan who builds schools for girls. Timely. Very moving." 

Trust Rules: How to Tell the Good Guys and Bad Guys at Work and in Life, by Norm Blake and Linda K. Stroh (Praeger Publishers, 2007) 
"Should be required study material for all grades. Comes with a 'toolkit.' It is powerful." 

Sima's Undergarments for Women, by Ilana Stanger-Ross (Overlook Press, 2009) 
"It's a beautiful novel that will immerse you in the fascinating world of a basement bra shop in Brooklyn. A fun and poignant read, perfect for the beach, backyard, or cottage." 

Underground, by June Hutton (Cormorant Books, 2009) 
"A wonderful story about a young man trying to find himself. Really poetic. Beautifully written." 

Water for Elephants, by Sara Gruen (Harper Perennial Canada, 2007) 
"Couldn't put it down. About a young man who couldn't afford to continue to study to be a veterinarian so he joins the circus. There's a twist at the end. Just a great story." 

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, by Stieg Larsson (Viking Canada, 2008) 
"A mystery of sorts. What makes it captivating are the really interesting characters. A real page turner." 

The Virgin Suicides, by Jeffrey Eugenides (Grand Central Publishing, 1994) 
"A book about boys understanding girls; about people understanding each other; about trying to understand life. The prose is very light and whimsical." 

The Factory Voice, by Jeanette Lynes (Coteau Books, 2009) 
"There's a lot of character development in this book. The characters are very rich. The lives of the characters are very ordinary but the way they handle things that are thrown at them is extraordinary. The characters are really endearing." 

Wanderings: Chaim Potok's History of the Jews, by Chaim Potok (Hutchinson, 1979) 
"A fantastic books. Parallels the Bible. Many Christian denominations would do well to read this book. The author has in depth knowledge of the history. The writing style is beautiful." 

McCarthy's Bar: A Journey of Discovery in Ireland, by Pete McCarthy (St. Martin's Press) 
"One of the best and funniest books read in a long time. It is essentially a travelogue of an English chap through Ireland. He is looking for his roots. Laughing out loud and learning a lot about Ireland ."

Percy Jackson and the Olympians, Book One: The Lightening Thief, by Rick Riordan (Miramax, 2006) 
Suggested from a 13 year old.
"There is lots of action and great characters. The Greek myths are incorporated well and aren't too complicated." 

Fishing for Bacon, by Michael Davie (NeWest Press, 2009) 
"It's a great character study set in the Canadian Rockies. Think Holden Caufield, but much funnier, and fishier."

Reluctant Genius, by Charlotte Gray (Phyllis Bruce Books, 2007) 
"This book read like fiction. Loaded with archival information. Illuminated the power of the written word." 

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, by Jean-Dominique Bauby (U.K General Books, 2004) 
"The author suffered a stroke that left him completely lucid but almost entirely paralyzed. Dictated book with left eyelid. Not a long book. There is wit and humour and lyricism. Very moving book." 

Tales from the Perilous Realm, by J.R.R. Tolkien (Harper Collins Canada, 2003) 
Suggested by an 11 year old.
"A collection of five different stories about different worlds. Absolutely wonderful. The worlds seem so real. The third story contains a collection of about 20 poems." 

Rex Murphy's recommendation in response: Tennyson's Legends of King Arthur: Idylls of the Kings by Tennyson and Gustave Dore (Chartwell Books, 2009)

Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder, by Richard Louv (Algonquin Books, 2006) 
"About how we have separated children so dramatically from the outdoors with very little opportunity for unstructured play. We can't get our next generation to care about our own backyard and our own environment if they don't know it." 

Shantaram , by Gregory David Roberts (Griffin, 2005) 
"A great read for travelling. The most poetic, well-written novel. A fictional memoir - a man who escapes from prison in Australia and who hides in the slums of Mumbai. Writing is delightful. About love for self and others." 


The suggestions from e-mail and Twitter read on-air by Rex are included in the above list.  To see more e-mail suggestions go to Checkup's website ( 'Past Shows' page and click on the 'Mail' link)

Cross Country Checkup
P.O. Box 500
Station A
Toronto, ON
M5W 1E6

Website: http://www.cbc.ca/checkup