What Canadian Literature are you reading in 2016

I am reading Man by Kim Thuy

I just finished one in a crime series set in northern Ontario, an area my daughter has just moved to. By the Time You Read This by Giles Blunt

I'm going to start my ER book, What We Hide by Canadian author Marthe Jocelyn

I'm reading John Vaillant's first novel, Jaguar's Children, having really loved his nonfiction writing.

Our family on-line book club picked Swamp Angel by Ethel Wilson from the Canada Reads longlist. I've just started it and although my 'critical' edition is somewhat annoying*, I'm quite enjoying the book so far.

* the footnotes are all about the difference in punctuation between the manuscript and the published version. I've stopped glancing down to see that Wilson had a comma there, or not. And then the book has actual typos in words! I'm pretty sure she sat down by the 'window' on the bus, not the 'widow.'

>5 raidergirl3:, What is a family on-line book club? I am very curious to know! I loved Swamp Angel and I read it this past year. It is interesting to do some research about the author as I believe she didn't start writing until she was in her 50's. She was the wife of a physician in Vancouver. I was disappointed when the book didn't "make" the short list. i found it riveting. >4 LynnB: I found Jaguar's Children riveting too!

We made a Facebook closed group for cousins (my generation) plus some aunts and uncles, in 3 different provinces. This is our second book. We vote on a book from the Cabada Reads long list; last year we read What We All Long For. We have lots of readers in our family!
My cousin who suggested the group posts questions or comments, and everyone adds their thoughts. It's pretty low key, and fun.
Our pre reading question for Swamp Angel was 'If you were to relocate, what geographical region would you chose, and what would you do?'

>7 raidergirl3:, Thanks for the explanation Elizabeth. That sounds like a great idea especially for a family of dedicated readers.

>7 raidergirl3: Thanks for the thread visit. I see we have many of the same books read.

>7 raidergirl3: Wow, that sounds like a great idea. Good for you.

>4 LynnB: Hi Lynn Just read your review of Jaguar's Children}. What a great review! I thought the book was amazing too.

Reading Book Of Sands: A novel of the Arab uprising by Karim Alrawi.

Not brilliant writing, but a good synopsis of the political philosophy of Canada's new prime minster (his memoir written before the federal election): Common Ground by Justin Trudeau.

Picked up The Frozen Thames by Helen Humphreys from the library today. What a beautiful book! The pages, and art are lovely. I'm enchanted by the first few stories - little snippets and stories through history when the river froze.

14. I too, loved The Frozen Thames.

I'm a big fan of Linden McIntyre's novels and this one was no exception: Why Men Lie.

I'm trying to read through the entire Giller list of last year. I've read seven so far (I read the entire short list in time for the event)and so I have five left. I've decided to start Close to Hugh by Marina Endicott. I'm a little nervous about this read as it is quite long (over four hundred pages-I don't have tons of free time to read these days) and I've heard it can be a bit of a challenge. But I'm going to give it a go.
In case anyone is interested-there is also an excellent Canadian lit group on Goodreads called CBC
books. They do a monthly canadian book read which is great plus lots of other great things. The
moderators are excellent.

>17 alans: - I haven't read Close to Hugh but I did read Good to a Fault and Little Shadows and both were fairly quick, easy reads. The first one I liked, the second one was okay.

Good luck on your quest! I try to read most of the Giller noms but last year got away from me.

I'm lucky that there is quite a bit of overlap between the Giller and the Governor General's literary awards this year, as I have read many of both lists. I thought the winner of the GG-Daddy Lenin was a terrible choice. It's not a very strong collection of short fiction at all.

>14 raidergirl3: I too loved The Frozen Thames and if you have not read Coventry you really should

>17 alans: I read Fifteen Dogs, If I Fall I Die from last years Giller Long/ short / Winner list. . I have A Beauty and Outline waiting to be read. Close to Hugh looks interesting. One of these days. Best of luck.

I'm not sure if I'll read Fifteen Dogs; I gave it to my step-daughter for Christmas and will see what she thinks.

Meanwhile, I'm starting my ER book The Measure of Darkness by Quebec author Liam Durcan.

I loved Fifteen Dogs and then gave it to my husband to read - he loved it as well. It's quite a unique and interesting book!

>20 gypsysmom: I loved Coventry - it was the first Humphreys I read. I wasn't as enamoured of The Reinvention of Love however.

I am definitely going to read Fifteen Dogs this year!

Finished and reviewed Book Of Sands: A novel of the Arab uprising by Karim Alrawi. Really excellent I thought. He was born in Egypt and immigrated to Canada. Worth the read.

I'm reading a Finnish book about couples in La guerre d'hiver by Philip Teir. I also finished The Happiness Industry by sociologist William Davies who posits that too much measuring and not enough philosophy is what is driving mental illness and malaise.

I'm excited to start His Whole Life by Elizabeth Hay . I have really liked her other books!

Started listening to A Mountain Story by Lori Lansen. I've loved all her books.

I'm reading Bone and Bread by Saleema Nawaz for Canada Reads.

I'm reading The Illegal by Lawrence Hill for Canada Reads.

I'm reading Birdie by Tracey Lindberg for Canada Reads.

I'm reading The Hero's Walk by Anita Rau Badami for Canada Reads.

I'm re-reading Minister Without Portfolio by Michael Winter for Canada Reads.

Awesome, LynnB - all the Canada Reads. What's your pick?

I'm reading The Hero's Walk and quite liking it. I think hearing Badami read from the book and talk about it last week at the library has predisposed me to like it!

A Jest of God by Margaret Lawrence. I've read four books by Anita Rau Badami and I can recommend them all! Enjoy!

i'm on a roll with Helen Humphreys and hope to finish The Lost Garden tonight. I'm really enjoying her books.

For Canada Reads, I'd pick Birdie, but I have to say I liked them all this year.

Reading The Dog Who Wouldn't Be by Farley Mowat for the Canadian author Challenge in the 75's group.

Listening to Never Cry Wolf by Farley Mowat.

I'm on my last Canada Reads book The Hero's Walk and hope to finish it tomorrow in time for Monday's broadcast. I liked all the books this year, which must be why it's the first year I've read all five of them before the broadcasts start.

Just finished The Inconvenient Indian by Thomas King

I'm reading A Good Baby by Leon Rooke

>42 LynnB: Many many years ago I read Leon Rooke books and really liked them. I will look this one up!
I remember reading Shakespeare's Dog by him and loving it!

I am reading The River by Helen Humphreys.

Shakespeare's Dog! That's a great book. I'll have to remember to steal my father's copy next time I visit the folks....

Re-reading Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese for a book club.

I'm reading Our Daily Bread by Lauren B. Davis.

I haven't read any CanLit in a while so I'm pleased to be back with The High Mountains of Portugal by Yann Martel.

>47 Cecilturtle:, oh I 've heard good things about that one!

I'm currently reading a book of short stories by W. P. Kinsella called Red Wolf, Red Wolf. So far the stories are all set in the USA although there is one mention of Banff but Kinsella is certainly Canadian so I guess it counts as Canlit.

ETA: I have finished this book now and indeed a couple of stories are set in Canada including my favourite "Mother Tucker's Yellow Duck".

Now I am in the midst of two Canadian books. The Road is How is nonfiction by Saskatchewan naturalist Trevor Herriot about his three day walk from Regina to the Qu'Appelle valley. In it he muses about nature and climate change but also about male and female dynamics and religion and spirituality and many other matters. I realized I didn't want to rush through this book but I had Adult Onset to read for my book club meeting next week so I left Herriot after the first day of his trip experiencing a tremendous rain storm. Adult Onset is well-written but Anne-Marie MacDonald is so intense and sometimes I can't bear to read any more.

Today I hope to make more progress in The Rebel Angels, the first book in Robertson Davies' Cornish Trilogy.

I'm reading Wrecked Upon This Shore by Kate Story -- good name for an author!

I just finished La Petite Fille qui aimait trop les allumettes by Gaétan Soucy: really harsh! I didn't expect something this starck and gruesome... very well written but not for the faint of heart

I read that, too, Cecilturtle and had the same thought. I also read another of his which was equally gruesome: The Immaculate Conception.

I read The Illegal, Lawrence Hill's book that won Canada Reads this year. It was good but not as good as The Book of Negroes; mind you, that is a pretty high bar to reach. Both my book clubs are reading it in June so it will be interesting to see what others think of it.

I am reading Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel.

raidergirl3, I loved that one....it remains my favourite book by her.

Just finished reading a book which I picked up to get ready for my Canada Days release challenge on BookCrossing as the theme this year is French-Canadian literature. The Oxford Book of French-Canadian Short Stories is over 30 years old so it doesn't capture the more contemporary crop of French-Canadian writers but for an overview of writers who wrote in French as their first language it is excellent.

Just finished reading The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka. It was was okay, but disappointing after his first book, Clara , which I really loved. It's piece of historical fiction that takes place in 1930's Canada, in Quebec.

I'm hoping I can still include Lori Lansens as a Canadian author, though she now lives in California. I've never read her before but really loved The Mountain Story.

>61 ted74ca: All of Lansens' other books The Girls, The Wife's Tale and Rush Home Road are all set in Ontario and are wonderful. I think she's very Canadian, and she's one of my favourite authors.

>61 ted74ca: I agree with raidergirl3 that Lori Lansens qualifies as a Canadian.

I am now reading The Bishop's Man which is one of the books that CBC put on their list 100 Books that Make You Proud to be Canadian. It is fantastic. Linden MacIntyre gets inside the head of a priest who has been the bishop's hatchet man to get rid of all the priests who have been caught in sexual misconduct. When I say get rid of what I mean is that they are moved off to other parishes or institutions and the victims are abandoned. Disturbing but oh so well written.

Man, by Kim Thuy

The Hesitation Cut, a stand-alone thriller by the writer of the John Cardinal mystery series Giles Blunt. Dark and depressing but a good read.

I'm reading Banana Boys by Terry Woo.

I'm reading Tout ce qu'on ne te dira pas, Mongo by Dany Laferrière about the immigrant experience in Canada and Québec in particular.

Just re-read All My Friends Are Superheroes by Andrew Kaufman. What an imagination that man has!

Am also reading Twenty-one Cardinals by Jocelyne Saucier.

>67 Cecilturtle: Coincidentally I am reading The Return by Dany Laferriere right now. It is about his return to Haiti after his father's death in exile in New York. Dany has been away for 33 years and his father was away for longer than that. It is a mixture of poetry and prose and I am loving it. Original title is L'enigme du retour

#69 I got to hear him speak a few weeks ago and just loved his dynamism and passion. The speech was around francophonie and diversity, so he's uniquely positioned to give a great speech! And hilarious too... I became a real groupie ;-)

Just finished off We're All In This Together, by Amy Jones: the chaotic trials of an extended family whose matriarch is in the hospital in a coma, having become a viral video star after going over Thunder Bay's Kakabeka Falls in a barrel.

Rush Home Road by Lori Lansens. Really liked this book and I still can't believe I'd not read anything by Lori Lansens before this month.

>72 ted74ca: I love Lori Lansens! Rush Home Road is wonderful! The Wife's Tale and ThecGirls are also great. It's so great to find a new author.

@73 raidergirl3. You're right, it is great. I've just recommended her books for my daughter's book club reading list.

I finished You Went Away by Timothy Findley. It was good, short, set in ww2 Ontario. Quiet story.

Listening to Rilla of Ingleside by LM Montgomery. I've read it many times but this is my first audio. I've been listening to the Anne series this past year.

>70 Cecilturtle: That sounds excellent. I had no knowledge of him until I read this book. I think I could become a groupie too. Wonder if he ever travels out to the prairies?

I just finished one book set in my home town of Winnipeg. Blue Vengeance: A Norwood Flats Mystery is set in 1964 so there is a fair bit of nostalgia for the way things were. For instance, the main character has a dog that accompanies him almost everywhere but never has to be on a leash and no-one complains. Quite an interesting if different mystery.

Now I am reading The Afterlife of Stars which has to do with the diaspora caused by the crushing of the Hungarian revolution. It was chosen by Amnesty Canada's book club and I thought it sounded interesting. I'm just at the beginning but I think I will like it.

Unbeknownst to me my next book is also set in my hometown. Quantum Night is sf set in the not too distant future of 2020 with flashbacks to 2001 so it is really interesting to me since I have lived in Winnipeg since 1971. Robert Sawyer is a favourite author of mine and I was thrilled to see he was awarded the Order of Canada in the most recent round. If you like sf then you will love this novel and, I think, you don't have to be a big sf fan to enjoy it because it is as much a psychological thriller as sf.

My library ordered an e-copy of a standalone short story by Alistair MacLeod: Remembrance. Having read only his novel and not his short stories yet, I still recognized this as a very MacLeod story. Worth reading if you can find a copy.

I've discovered a new Canadian author, Jennifer Manuel and am reading The Heaviness of Things that Float.

Reading another book that is set, partially, in Manitoba. After Light is a story about four generations of a family. Grandmother Deidre grew up in Ireland, moved as a young woman to New York City with her infant son, Frank. Deidre had secrets in her past which she hid from her husband and her son. Frank wanted to be an artist but had to help support his mother and cousins when his step-father died in an industrial accident. Then World War II was declared and Frank went off to fight with the Canadian army. We know Frank ended up in Winnipeg, blinded in the war but I don't know how he got there. All will be revealed later. It's quite fascinating.

Finished another novel by one of my favourite authors: The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens

I read a debut novel . Kay's Lucky Coin Variety by Ann Y. K. Choi I put a short review of the book on the main page and there are a couple of professionally written reviews on the main page as well.

Finishing up The Englishman's Boy

Dead Ground In Between by Maureen Jennings-the latest in the WWII era mysteries series featuring Detective Inspector Tom Tyler. I really enjoy her novels.

I am currently reading Gabrielle Roy's autobiography Enchantment and Sorrow which only covers the part of her life up until she came back to Canada from overseas. It is quite fascinating because she was very poor growing up. The poverty plus the discrimination faced by Franco-Manitobains at that time enriched her writing I believe.

Neuromancer -- not what most people think of when they think CanLit.

The Piano Maker by Kurt Palka. Thought this was beautifully written; really liked it.

I've just started Close to Hugh by Marina Endicott

>87 Nickelini: I think Neuromancer is more WorldLit or maybe FutureLit.

>90 gypsysmom: I agree, however, I take note of where an author is from and he's been living in Vancouver since the 70s (and Canada since the late 60s), so I'm ticking him off on my Canadian authors list. It would work for the Giller prize, so it'll work for me.

Finished Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleline Thien. It is short listed for the Booker Prize and Long listed for the Giller Prize. Brief review on the main page Recommended, but a dense, complex read.

If I Fall, If I Die by Michael Christie

I just finished the graphic novel Susceptible by Genevieve Castree. Castree died this summer of pancreatic cancer and a blog I follow reviewed her book. It is Castree's memoir essentially of her first 18 years of life. Her mother was immature and alternately ignored her daughter or smothered her with love. Genevieve had many mental health issues (not suprisingly)but managed to come out of the time as an amazing artist and person.

I'm reading Swing Low by Miriam Toews.

I'm reading Scattered Bones by Maggie Siggins

Loved this one! The Girls by Lori Lansens

It's October. I'm reading October by Richard Wright.

I just finished reading Do Not Say We Have Nothing by Madeleine Thien which is on the shortlists for the Man Booker prize, the Scotiabank Giller prize and the Governor General's prize for literature. It is the story of two families in China who live through the Communist Revolution, then the Cultural Revolution and then the Tianamen Uprising. Really well written and opened my eyes to the modern history of China. I'll be disappointed if it doesn't win at least one of those prizes.

I'm reading 13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl by Mona Awad.

I finished reading and created brief reviews for The Wonder by Emma Donoghue as well as The Parcel by Anosh Irani. I preferred The Wonder to Room. The Parcel is a real eye opener and very gritty. Both are up for Can Lit awards for this year.

>99 gypsysmom: Agreed, I also will be disappointed if Do Not Say We Have Nothing does not win at least one of the prizes. I enjoyed it too. The Parcel will really open up anyone's eye to the sex trade in Mumbai, as well as I suppose Canada and anywhere. Really a gritty read. I think The Parcel is worthy of one of the Can Lit prizes it is up for.

Read and reviewed Wenjack by Joseph Boyden. A must read at only 99 pages.

A reread of a novel I first enjoyed in 2012, and I think I liked it even better the second time around: Clara by Kurt Palka

I'm reading The Chrome Suite by Sandra Birdsell.

>103 ted74ca: I really loved Patient Number 7 aka Clara by Kurt Palka back in 2012 and I wish more people would read the book. It's excellent!

>105 vancouverdeb:. I agree! I just suggested it to my daughter for her online book club.

The Illegal by Lawrence Hill-just finished. A tad disappointed, maybe too much hype involved.

Finished The Break by Katherena Vermette. It was up for a couple of awards this year - or maybe just the Roger Prize ? I forget. Anyway, what a fabulous look into life for First Nation living the North End of Winnipeg. Gritty but really a compelling story. 5 star read for me. I did not expect to love it as much as I did.

>101 vancouverdeb: Well, I guess we got our wish. Do Not Say We Have Nothing has won both the GG and the Giller. Too bad it couldn't have gotten the trifecta with the Booker too.

>108 vancouverdeb: I agree with you about The Break being a great story but I downgraded it from 5 stars to 4 1/2 because of numerous spelling and grammar errors. Nevertheless it should be widely read and maybe the publisher will correct the errors if there are more printings.

I'm reading His Whole Life by Elizabeth Hay

I'm reading No New Land by M.G. Vassanji.

This morning I finished The Box Garden by Carol Shields, which was very good. Now I'm pulling an old one out of my tbr -- something by Sarah Ellis from my old ChildLit study days. She is (or was) a librarian from North Vancouver and a very talented writer.

A few more pages to go in Hag-Seed and it is faboulous.

I'm reading The Son of a Certain Woman by Wayne Johnston

>110 LynnB: Lynn just thumbed your review of His Whole Life Elizabeth Hay. I really liked it too.

I'm reading Wenjack by Joseph Boyden.

I just finished Donna Morrissey's latest book The Fortunate Brother which is a sequel to her book Sylvanus Now. If you have read Sylvanus Now then you should read this book. If you haven't read Sylvanus Now it is not really necessary to read it before reading this one but it does give you some background.

>116 LynnB: I want to get my hands on this.

I just finished Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains by Yasuko Thanh. It was set in Vietnam while the French were still in power there. I was quite eager to read it because I have been curious about Vietnam's colonial period for a long time. However, the author (who is Canadian but is of Vietnamese ancestry) infused the book with ghosts and spirits and that obscured the real facts of the book. I guess it would be called magical realism and I just am not a fan of that type of book.

Just finished The Conjoined by Jen Sookfong Lee. It's set in Vancouver 1940s - 2016 and I recommend it.

The Wonder by Emma Donoghue was "wonderful". It is historical fiction set in Ireland which I think Donoghue does very well. At the same time it reminded me a lot of Room although it won't get the same kind of recognition that book did. A young Catholic girl has supposedly not taken any food for four months. Two nurses, one a Catholic nun and the other an English nurse trained by Miss Nightingale, have been hired to keep watch on the girl for two weeks. Lib, the English nurse, knows there must be some fraud involved but she finds herself caring about the girl. As she gets more debilitated Lib has to solve the mystery as to how she survived before the nurses came on the scene and, more importantly, how she can save the girl from starving herself to death.

Finished Hag-Seed, by Margaret Atwood. I hadn't intended to read any of the Shakespeare retellings, but the use of a theatre setting made this one irresistible.

I'm reading The Break by Katherena Vermette.

Finished Kit's Law by Donna Morrissey. What a fabulous read. I purchase several other of her books at a 2nd hand shop. Great story about 3 women in outport Newfoundland in the 1950's. Three woman - Nan, her mentally disabled adult daughter " crazy Josie" and Josie's 12- 14 year old daughter, who narrates most of the story. After Nan's death , some of the townspeople want to send Josie to an asylum and Kit to an orphanage. Full of fabulous characters, the firebrand , starched Reverend Ropson, kindly Dr Hodgins and Shine, a psychopathic drunk. Donna Morrisey sure can spin a enthralling and meaningful story.

I've just started Through Black Spruce - I know, I must be the last person who hasn't yet read it. Seems like a good read so far.

I'm reading Sleep by Nino Ricci

I'm ending the year with The Bad Mother by Marguerite Andersen.