CBC’s annual Canada Reads battle of the books has narrowed the choices to two non-fiction titles after three days of debate.

Something Fierce, Carmen Aguirre’s memoir about growing up within South American revolutionary movements in the 1970s and 1980s, and The Game, Ken Dryden’s insider look at the 1979 season with the Montreal Canadiens, are the remaining books.

On Wednesday, three panellists — Anne-France Goldwater, Alan Thicke and Shad — voted against On a Cold Road, Dave Bidini’s story about touring Canada with his band, the Rheostatics.

Montreal family lawyer Goldwater left Something Fierce in the debate despite speaking out against its author and its political message on Monday.

“Carmen Aguirre is a bloody terrorist. How we let her into Canada, I don’t understand,” Goldwater said during the earlier debate.

On Wednesday, rapper Shad — who is defending Something Fierce — said it was the most timely title of the five non-fiction books in competition because it challenges Canadians to get involved politically. It’s also unique because it profiles a revolutionary movement that failed, he said.

“It’s not a Hollywood ending. It’s a very real book about the pain that’s involved in the struggle for change,” he said.

Thicke said he believes The Game is the best choice because of its understated humour and depiction of the characters involved in Canada’s national sport.

“The notion of [Canadian] values is important. Revolutionary activity is not necessarily a [Canadian] value, we do it on the ice,” he said.

The winner in Canada Reads: True Stories will be chosen Thursday.

Canadians can follow the debate:

• Watch live video-streaming of the debates, with an accompanying live chat, at 10 a.m. ET on CBC Books.
• Listen to the CBC Radio One broadcast at 11 a.m. (11:30 a.m. NT), repeating at 8 p.m. (8:30 p.m. NT) and on Sirius 159 at 11 a.m. (repeating at 4 p.m.)
• Watch the one-hour Canada Reads television specials at 7:00 p.m. on CBC’s Documentary channel (repeating at midnight).