CBC Radio's Canada Reads panel eliminated a second book on Thursday in the annual battle to choose a single volume of fiction that is recommended reading for all Canadians.

The loser was Nalo Hopkinson's Brown Girl in the Ring, the second book by a female writer to be eliminated after Mavis Gallant's From the 15th District, which was voted off on Wednesday.

Canada Reads panellists (from left) Steve MacLean, host Jian Ghomeshi, Lisa Moore, Dave Bidini, Jemini and Zaib Shaikh.
(CBC)

Both actor Zaib Shaikh and singer-songwriter Dave Bidini voted against Brown Girl, with Bidini describing it as "the lesser of great books" on the list.

"I'm really glad this book was up for discussion and that people are looking at it and looking at Nalo as a writer," said one-named poet and broadcaster Jemini, who had put forward Brown Girl in the Ring as a Canada Reads contender.

"I think Canada is ready for this book," she said. The novel, set in a dystopian future in Toronto, is about a single mother who attempts to save the city.

Host Jian Ghomeshi pointed out that any book chosen for Canada Reads gets extra attention and that the winner usually becomes a bestseller.

"It's called the Canada Reads effect," he said.

The remaining books in contention are King Leary by Paul Quarrington, Icefields by Thomas Wharton and Not Wanted on the Voyage by Timothy Findley.

Bidini said it's about time a funny book such as King Leary, the story of a fictional 1920s hockey hero, was a winner.

"One of the troubles with CanLit is that it's been encased in this tweedy austerity. Books that are humourous are given short shrift," he said.

But panellists were divided on whether King Leary was primarily a funny book, though all agreed it made them laugh.

"I think the sadness and melodrama overshadow the humour in many places. It creates a disconnect from the characters," astronaut Steve MacLean said.

The panel discussed the pitfalls of rewriting the Bible, a task Findley took on in Not Wanted on the Voyage, a retelling of the Noah's Ark story. 

"It's a monumental task, and the author is up to the task," said Bidini, but he called the strong message of Not Wanted "relentless."

Shaikh said Findley "celebrates the storytelling of the Bible" and at the same time "undercuts it."

There may be readers who are "disgruntled and upset" by this take on a familiar story, Jemini said, but she defended the book.

"I wanted to believe it because it's written so strongly and so imaginatively," she said.

MacLean defended his choice, Icefields, saying the majesty of the mountains described would appeal to all Canadians.

"It appeals to [Western Canadians] because of its feeling for nature and the mountains, but I think that applies to anyone," he said.

The Canada Reads panel will make its final decision on Friday.

Canada Reads can be heard at 11:30 a.m. and 7:30 p.m. (half an hour later in Newfoundland and Labrador) on CBC Radio One or downloaded on podcast.