CanadianContent discussion

Greetings readers!!!

It has been a quiet week on CanadianContent. I think a few of us had hunkered down and read last weekend, staying safe from the freezing rain and ice pellets (at least those of us in Southern Ontario). What did you get finished this week?

What is next? Anyone else going to see the movie Indian Horse? How is the monthly read coming?

Enjoy the day and I look forward to all the great book suggestions at the end of the day!

Good morning everyone! You're quite right @Susan, it's been a slow week for this group. I'm not participating in the monthly read this time. I'm slowly making my through Beartown right now. I have to be honest, it hasn't really captured my attention.

I struggled with my audiobook this week too, which was Jane Austen's Emma. It has to be the worst of her novels I've encountered. I am now listening to Olive Kitteridge and it's just what the doctor ordered after a difficult reading week.

My husband and I also watched Alias Grace over the last couple of weeks. I liked it very much, but he found it confusing, not having read the book.

I'm still struggling with a bit of a reading slump, Round 1 of the NHL playoffs is taking a bit of my attention as well, and I'm in the middle of trying to figure out jobs after an potential offer of an extension where I am (provided there's no one on the priority list capable of working as a Communications Officer), and an anticipated job offer early next week. My brain is whirling a million miles a minute.

But, I have started The Woefield Poultry Collection and it's so much fun! Prudence and Seth are my favourites so far, but I look forward to getting back to the book to see what happens next.

I am also nearing the end of The Curse of the Pharaohs. I LOVE the Amelia Peabody character Elizabeth Peters created. I often wonder if this is the life she herself wanted to live while she was working towards her PhD in Egyptology. Whatever the case may be, she has created a fun cast of characters I enjoy.

I DID finish Murder at the Vicarage last night and I enjoyed it a lot. It's strange (to me) that I've never read it before, considering my affinity for Miss Marple. But it was a pleasure to discover a few of her books and short stories that I haven't gotten around to yet. More happy anticipation.

My library eBook copy of The Paying Guests expired, but I got a notification this morning that it's ready to be checked out again. I lost momentum on this book during the slump, so I'm hoping to pick it back up again.

Where my personal reading is concerned, I am again choosing to be an optimist, so I have committed to reading A Complicated Kindness this week for the Canada Reads past winners challenge, and Alone Against the North: An Expedition into the Unknown for the BINGO square about nature. Fingers crossed!

Hope everyone has a good dry, safe and happy reading weekend.

Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺ wrote: "Good morning everyone! You're quite right @Susan, it's been a slow week for this group. I'm not participating in the monthly read this time. I'm slowly making my through Beartown ri..."

I haven't gotten around to reading Emma yet. What is it about the book you don't like? Do you think the audio is hampering your enjoyment, or is it just the story?

Allison, Olive Kitteridge is so good - I'm glad it's helping you to rebound.

I keep forgetting about Alias Grace - I need to watch that. My husband and I are watching season 1 of The Handmaid's Tale - this is a rare example of a book that we've both read several times, so there has been a lot of us saying "that didn't happen in the book!" I had to just give in to it being different about midway through the season and now I'm enjoying not knowing where it's going.

Spring is finally on the horizon after the ice storm! I spent last weekend indoors reading, of all things, The Vegetarian - NOT a cozy winter's read lol. I found it very interesting though.

Next I finally was able to get my hands on a copy of Song of Batoche - thought it was well-researched and engaging. Couldn't put it down in the home stretch.

I finished Never Mind last weekend - there was an extremely disturbing plot point I did not know about! I'm a bit nervous about the rest of this series, but St. Aubyn's writing is so good. I also finally finished Hellhound on His Trail: The Stalking of Martin Luther King, Jr. and the International Hunt for His Assassin. It was very good but I was glad to be done with it, simply because of the subject matter. I also read The Music Shop, which was a pleasant novel but didn't wow me like some of Joyce's other novels.

Now I'm all-in on bingo reading with Black Berry, Sweet Juice: On Being Black and White in Canada (100 True Stories), Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter on audio (non-paper format), and The Italian Teacher (published in 2018).

@Susan - that makes my day!!!! I did not realize Indian Horse was going to be a movie. Cannot wait to see it as that book is one of my all-time favourites. :)

This week I finished a few short ones...Exit West and Vi. My book club meeting is tonight to discuss Exit West.... not sure it will be much of a meeting given that every member who is on goodreads has rated it 2 stars. I knew that most people weren't enjoying it so I tried really hard when I read it, to see the merit in it. At times, there were some beautiful passages however the whole "door thing" really wasn't for me. I could have gotten over that bit if it had ended differently.... oh well.

Vi was really enjoyable. Kim Thuy's books, to me, are so subtly beautiful. Short, punchy but artful all the same. I enjoyed Vi more than Mãn but slightly less than Ru. I will continue to read whatever she releases.

On a whim, I just started The Joy Luck Club. I have never seen the film and don't really know much about the story. I think I decided to read it because on my bucket list is learning how to play Mah Jong 'the real way' when I get older. Seems like a fun way to spend time with friends.

I finished Brother by David Chariandry which was a quick but heartbreaking read and am working on Outstanding in the field. It's the biography of one of Canada's first female infantry. Story is interesting, writing only okay.

Happy Friday! We had quite an ice storm last weekend, so not much reading on Monday and Tuesday, while trying to clear all the ice off our driveway.
This week I finally finished Tigana, a book on my TBR for a while, and I really wanted to read something from Guy Gavriel Kay. Ummmm, so fantasy is not my genre, and I had a hard time following the different kingdoms and characters, and it is not a small book, and I have to say, I didn't enjoy it much at the end. Will I try another book by this author, it's a maybe.
Currently I started 2 books, Best Friends Forever, and my in-person book club read Pachinko.
Have a great weekend. It will be a glorious one compared to last week in the GTA, yay!

Happy Friday all!

Indian Horse -- so exciting that it's out! My book club is planning a trip this weekend (hoping I can make it too).

This week I finished off Son of a Trickster (LOVED it, highly recommend) and am just about done The Heart Goes Last.

I've decided for the rest of April & May to really tackle my unread shelves (inspired by May's TBR theme). I froze all my library holds so I won't get distracted!

Up next:
In the Skin of a Lion
A Thousand Splendid Suns

Enjoy your week!

This week I read An American Marriage which is Oprah’s book club’s latest pick for the book riot read harder challenge. I ended up really liking it and it’s one of my favourite reads for this year so far. I also listened to The Guest Room on audio.
I finally have my hands on Precious Cargo: My Year of Driving the Kids on School Bus 3077 which I started last night and am hoping to finish this weekend.
Also making my way through The Plant Paradox: The Hidden Dangers in "Healthy" Foods That Cause Disease and Weight Gain which my doctor recommended I read since I suffer from a gluten allergy and I’m finding it a really interesting and informative read. For audio I started The Wedding Date - another book for the book riot read harder challenge.
If I finish these I’ll probably start By Gaslight for the May TBR read. If my hold for Woefield Poultry Collective comes up before then, that’s what I’ll be reading next.
@Susan G I also downloaded Flat Broke with Two Goats: A Memoir of Appalachia to listen to but I’m taking a break from it because like you, I was getting annoyed at the author especially her whinny tone about the situation she finds herself in.
Happy weekend everyone and happy reading!

@Allison: I had a hard time with Beartown at first. So much hockey. It does get better once more is introduced into the story.

@Natasha: I love Amelia Peabody as well. She's a great character.

@Shannon: I won a copy of Vi in a Giveaway and want to read it next week. So glad to hear it is enjoyable.

I finally finished 2 of the 3 books I've been reading these past few weeks:
The Girl on the Train - I listened to this while jogging and found that it was a perfect book for this task. It was interesting, twisted and paced just right for trotting along the streets.

East of Eden - I listened to this on my commutes. It was a wonderful family saga, focusing on the internal struggle we all face between good & evil and how we need both good and bad within ourselves in order to live in this world and to become the best person we can be.

I've now started listening to The Good People by Hannah Kent this morning and will finish the very good Children of God over the weekend.

I had time this week to tackle some of the book I'm working through, The Complete Sherlock Holmes. It's a monster! Over 2000 pages, between the two volumes, and I'm about halfway through the second volume. Loving it though - it's Sherlock Holmes, what's not to love? (Especially now that I can envision Benedict Cumberbatch in the leading role...) Ahem. Anyway. Enjoying it. Hope to get through more in the upcoming week. Happy Friday, everyone!

@Natasha, there are two very annoying characters in Emma with dialogue that just goes on and on and on. If I had been reading instead of listening, I likely would have skipped over much of their prattle. Think Mrs. Bennett only much worse!

@Shannon, I felt much the same about Exit West. The doors were just weird and totally unnecessary!

@Petra, I read East of Eden a few months ago and was constantly struck by the beautiful passages throughout. I quite liked The Good People as well. Enjoy!

@Natasha - fingers crossed on the job front!!

@Shannon - my copy of Vi just arrived from Chapters yesterday so I am looking forward to reading as I loved Ru!! she is coming to the FOLD festival which is very exciting! @Petra so lucky that you won a copy!

@Sonia - the comments on the Great Big Library Read and also on Goodreads are pretty negative about this book but having grown up with goats I could relate to that part (or at least some of it, relating to their personalities).

@Christine - that sounds like a big reading challenge!!

As for me, I have had a busy week. I was lucky to meet David Chariandy for One Book One London. He gave a fantastic presentation and his students must be so lucky to be in his class. The library put together an amazing event. Last night the Burlington library hosted Karin Slaughter and Burke Alafair. While thrillers are not always my genre of choice, these authors were so much fun and it was another great evening.

Needless to say, I have not had too much time to read. I did finish Shrewed: A Wry and Closely Observed Look at the Lives of Women and Girls which was a great collection of essays on her experiences and feminism. I am also 2/3 through The Immortalists. I really liked the cover and am finding it an easy read about a family of 4 kids who had asked a fortune teller when they would die and the story tells the ramifications of this knowledge for years to come.

What's next? I received a review copy of Sister of Mine and hope to read it before the Grimsby Author series on Monday. I also want to get to Vi and need to get moving on my in person book club choice which is The Clay Girl. One of our members has arranged that we will meet the author for dinner so I am excited about that!! Boy I wish that book reviews were my day job... it has been keeping me busy!

Susan, I can’t believe how much reading, reviewing, and author events you manage to get done, let alone administering this group. My hat is off to you.

Thanks Elinor! I have been a bit too busy lately but @Kim has a goal to see 50 authors this year since she has turned 50. We are having a lot of fun and seeing some great authors.

Hi Everyone!

A bit late. I haven't read any Canadian content this past week. I did read Lake Silence by Anne Bishop which is a spin off of the first five books in The Others series. Anne is one of my favourite authors of the Urban Fantasy genre and this book did not disappoint.

I also read School for Psychics by K.C. Archer - also a fantasy. This is the first book by KC archer which is a pseudonym for an unknown author. I really enjoyed the book - 4 star for me.

After two really good escapist fantasy books I am having a hard time getting back to me scheduled reading list. I have only three days left for my library copy of Precious Cargo: My Year of Driving the Kids on School Bus 3077 so I better get to it!

Hey everyone, first I have to say Go Jets go! I am not a huge hockey fan, but the excitement in Winnipeg right now is so infectious.

I got some great book bargains at our Semi annual Children's Hospital Book Market: Not Wanted On The Voyage , Larry's Party, A Boy of Good Breeding, The Wreckage, Surfacing, and Bear for $14. They were all on my TBR pile, so I have lots of good choices for May's read.

What I am reding right now, is still slogging through Middlemarch, I am at 38% on my Kindle, I also picked up Hunger: A Memoir of (My) Body and I am flying through it.

Lots of different books being read and commented on.

I find the different take on books that readers have to be very interesting. I mention this because I happen to be a fan of Exit West and gave it 4 stars. My take on the doors is different than what has been mentioned. I thought they were a symbol and a great time-saving technique. I thought by using "doors" for whatever reason and method refugees fled prevented the book from being 500 pages plus and felt it totally freed up Hamid to concentrate on the immigrant experience upon arrival in a new country rather than needing to explain how, why and where each person was fleeing from and to. Right now there are so many refugees fleeing from and to all over the world that I thought the door symbol was a good choice. I felt the book was deserving of the many book award nominations it received, including the Man Booker. Here's a link to my review for those interested. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Totally empathize with those in a reading slump. Been there, done that. Starting to slump myself so hopefully have lined up some great inspirational books.

This week I finished the The Strength of Women: Âhkamêyimowak. It is a number of 3-4 page essays by about 15 Aboriginal Women from Saskatchewan, of various ages and in various walks of life - all committed to making a difference in their communities and each a leader in her own right. It's a short book but very powerful and inspirational.

Looking forward to reading more inspirational books in the upcoming week and hope everyone else does as well. Would love to hear any recommendations from other members.

@Heather(Gibby) - great finds! We have a Women's Symphony fundraiser coming up next week that I am looking forward to... not that I need more books but it is a great fundraiser.

@MJ- I just looked at my 2018 and have to say that I don't really have too many books that I would count as inspirational. I did enjoy some non-fiction including The Power of Moments: Why Certain Experiences Have Extraordinary Impact and Big Potential: How Transforming the Pursuit of Success Raises Our Achievement, Happiness, and Well-Being but i have read a lot of heavy books this year also.

My apologies to everyone for having posted in the wrong thread. I will try not to let it happen again.
Darren

@Heather(Gibby) you might be interested in this article as you read through MiddleMarch: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201...

@Mj, I too enjoyed Exit West and thought the doors were an excellent metaphor for what it would feel like to give up everything you know and step into the unknown.

@ Heather(Gibby), I hope you enjoy Not Wanted On The Voyage. It's one of my all time favs.

@ Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods, good to hear I'm not the only one who doesn't like Emma. I loved all of her other books and am always puzzled when people say Emma was her best. (I did enjoy the movie Clueless though!)

This week, I finished I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O'Farrell who is quickly becoming one of my favourite authors. And I read a lovely, meditative novel set in Mexico, Consider This, Señora which made me want to sell everything and move there.

re:Exit West - yes, I agree the doors could have been a great metaphor for the journey. For me, when they 'skipped town' and were living in their own room in a manor it just got too strange. I think if the door thing happened only one time I could have bought in. In any event, always fun to chat about books and hear the differing opinions.

I often have a hard time with magic realism, but the doors worked for me. They seemed...efficient, rather than magical, which I guess is more my thing!

❀ Susan wrote: "@Heather(Gibby) you might be interested in this article as you read through MiddleMarch: https://www.theguardian.com/books/201......"

Thanks Susan, I read some of it, but I didn't want to get into spoilers, so will check it out when I am done (someday)

@ Emmkay - what a succinct way to put it!! You're right the doors were efficient and not particularly magical. It seems that looking for the magic is what turned people off.

@ Shannon - you're right, it's great to share different viewpoints abut books. Diverse opinions open all our eyes.

@ ❀ Susan - thanks for your uplifting book suggestions. Right now am collecting titles for books to finish and books that I've had on my radar for ages....for the May challenge.

@ Heather - wow looks like you hit the lottery with your recent book purchses. Great books....matched with a great cause. How can one lose?

@ Storyheart - interesting that we were on the same wave length re Exit West i.e. Symbol/Metaphor. Am interested in reading what Heather thinks about Not Wanted On The Voyage -you metioned it was one of your faves. Am pretty new and rare to reading fantasies. Didn't realize Timothy Findley wrote in this genre until reading your comment

Does anyone ever order from novel editions? It's a book box subscription... I just ordered some past boxes and am feeling excited to receive them and/or gift them. :)

Never heard of it Shannon, but it looks like they do not have subscriptions any more, only past boxes are available,