CanadianContent discussion

Greetings! Here is a new thread to start the discussion for the 2020 Secret Sender exchange. Thank you to Allison who has led this fun exchange (with some help from Natasha and Allison Hikes the Bookwoods) since our inception!

please count me in for 2020 x4

Count me in for 2020 as well.

Great! Thanks for setting up this thread, Susan!

Yes, if you'd like to be involved in the 4x/year Secret Sender book exchange, please "sign up" here. I have a many-years-long spreadsheet to try to keep people from giving and receiving to/from the same person, but I must say, every year that gets a little tougher! So please realize that there's a risk you might get paired up with someone you've already been paired with if you've been doing this for years -- although I'll do my best to avoid this!

Also, please let me know if you don't want to have an international address, as shipping costs can be a little higher. We do have a couple of friends outside Canada.

For newly interested folks, it's pretty simple. Over the course of one year, you will send someone from this group 4 books, the last of which should arrive sometime around Christmas. We all generally try to keep our identities secret and have a little guessing/outing game between Christmas and New Year's. Other than that, it is pretty straightforward!

If you'd like to just be involved once per year, we invite others to join us for the December send (more like a Secret Santa) so you're welcome to join then.

Looking forward to another year of it!

I'm not very active in reading canlit these days but I love the secret sender challenge and want to participate again!

Great, all!

I’ll be doing lists first week of Jan probably, so you have a couple of weeks to “sign up”.

Allison please sign me up with a Canadian address for the 4x/year exchange. Thank you.

Please sign me up x4!! I love this exchange!

me too!!

Please do count me in on Secret Sender 2020! I am trying to figure out how many years we have been doing this...? It started in the "old" group I think lol.

My spreadsheet goes back five years! It could be that the first year came from the "old" group, but I've done four years of organizing, I think. 2020 will be my 5th. It's a really awesome group to do it, isn't it? With the exception of the hilarious mix-up with Alan one year, we've never had a single problem with sending and receiving. So fantastic.

You know I'm in and happy to help if you need it @Allison!

Thank you, Allison! I'll send you half the list in early Jan. I'll try to connect people on that list who haven't had each other before. I assume you're in too!?

Oh yes

I would love to join!

Hi folks — I’ll do lists tomorrow. Please have your name on this thread if you want in for the 2020 Secret Sender!

Gah! I haven't done the list!! So sorry, folks! I'll get to asap!

Here is the complete list of participants I have (10 of us):

Allison (me)
Allison hikes the bookwoods
Gail
Kathleen
Petra
Rainey
Sarah
Shvaugn
Susan
Wanda

I don't think there are any total newbies on here, so I will have your address. If it's changed, please let me know.

As last year, it would be helpful if people listed what shelves they'd love for their secret sender to take a peek at.

The following shelves are how I keep track of books I want:
* 1-2020-releases is where I keep track of upcoming 2020 books I'm interested in.
* 1-anticipated is for books I'm excited to read. Either they're upcoming releases (though I try to keep those on the shelf above) or I think they sound awesome.
* 1-want-to-own is where I list books I really want to own, either I read and loved them, or they are highly anticipated.

My favourite genres are fantasy and science fiction, though I do love a good historical fiction and poetry.

Hi Secret Sender

I keep track of books I want:

Entered Giveaways
Wish List - want to buy

My favourite genres are Sci Fi, Erotica, Romance (M/F or M/M), Women Writers of Diversity, Non Fiction, Memoirs, General

For my secret sender, I have the following shelves for eBooks and audiobooks that I own, but have not yet read:

- eBook unread
- audiobook unread

I also have a shelf for books that I already own called "la bibliothèque chez moi" and a shelf called "wish list" for books I really want to get my hands on!

Hi Secret Sender!

I have a couple of shelves for books I'd like to read and are not found at the library:

Wish List
Wish List (Canadian)

These 2 lists are kept up to date.

I also have a huge "Want to Read" list. Unfortunately, you can't see (I think) which of these I own already. I do have "book I own" and "book I own (ebook)" shelves for cross reference.

That all said, I am a very eclectic reader (just check my "read" shelf. LOL) and would be interested in any book you think I would enjoy. I am not a fan of romance, though.

Thank you in advance for all the happy reading hours.

Great idea all! What fun, sneaking on other's book lists.

Hello Secret Sender,

On my profile you will find books that I Want to Read and don't own yet under "need to get my hands on" shelf. You'll get an idea of what piques my interest. I haven't read much horror or romance but am interested.

Much thanks in advance for your thoughtful choices.

Sarah

Dear Secret Sender,

I am not a buyer of books. I get almost everything I read from the library. I think there is only one book on my "want to read" list that I actually own. Take a look at my TBR and the books that I have already read to get an idea of what I like. I have many interests, and read a lot of genres. I am open to anything you think I would like. My favorite genre is historical fiction, but I also read a lot of contemporary fiction. A bit of romance is ok. The only things I really don't care for are poetry, horror and science fiction.

I am looking forward to seeing what you choose for me!

Hi there to my Secret Sender for 2020! So excited to start a new year of books!

I read a wide variety of almost any genre and like to be challenged to read outside my comfort zone. Minus cheezy fluff and Harlequin romance.

I recently compiled a shelf called "books-i-own" that has all the paper copies of books I have on my overflowing bookshelves. I also have a "Canadian-tbr" shelf that has books I am hoping to read someday. Happy browsing!

I think I am the first spoiled recipient of Secret Sender books for 2020!!! I received two packages today. The first package I opened contained 750 Best Muffin Recipes: Everything from Breakfast Classics to Gluten-Free, Vegan & Coffeehouse Favorites. My husband can't wait for me to start experimenting with that one! The second contained One for the Blackbird, One for the Crow and The Life and Times of Persimmon Wilson, both of which I have had on my to-read list, and I am very excited about reading. Thank you so much Secret Sender!!!

@Gail- Sounds like a wonderful gift to start the weekend! Enjoy the books and the muffins!

Gail, what wonderful surprises!
Those sound like 2 very interesting books. A muffin book can never be wrong. I can't image 750 variations. LOL! That will be a lot of tasty experimenting. Have fun.

@Gail - sounds like you have a great way to spend your weekend!

@Gail - Wow! That is a lot of muffins! The books sound interesting.

750!?!? Hahahah! That’s a different muffin every day for more than two years!!!

Thank you, Secret Sender! I just got the biggest surprise. A knock on the door and a woman hand delivering a book to me, from my Secret Sender! She had come from a local bookstore just to deliver my book to me. It was so nicely packaged in a paper bag with handles...the kind that one doesn't often see anymore and feels so good in the hands. It included a nice handwritten card acknowledging my Secret Sender as the Gifter (anonymously, of course).
This woman went to some trouble to come here to deliver the book in person. She was so delighted, too, to be dropping off this surprise.

I received a copy of Worry: A Novel, which sounds wonderfully interesting.

Thank you again, Secret Sender. This was a most interesting and wonderfully surprising way to receive my first book this year. What a wonderful surprise!

@Petra- That is service with secrecy and a smile!! Awesome gift! Enjoy!

Awesome!! Hand delivery! What a great story, Petra!

@Petra - What a lovely surprise Petra! Enjoy reading Worry. I have it on hold at the library.

@Petra - that is terrific how the bookstore delivered in person!! I have Worry on hold at the library like Kathleen. The author came to our local library in the fall but I can't buy every book.

Oh nice! Enjoy!

❀ Susan wrote: "@Petra - that is terrific how the bookstore delivered in person!! I have Worry on hold at the library like Kathleen. The author came to our local library in the fall but I can't buy every book."

Huh?? You can't buy every book?? I thought my husband was just kidding!

What a delightful surprise, Petra!

Allison, thanks for starting my day with a laugh!

Good morning! Yes, I'm still smiling from this wonderful, hand delivered approach. My Secret Sender is a creative one.

@petra how wonderful!! You’ve got quite a thoughtful secret sender. Enjoy.

Secret Sender thank you! You have treated me to an author I am unfamiliar with. The Glass Lake by Maeve Binchy. Much thanks!!

Oh nice @Sarah! I love hearing about the Secret Sender gifts trickling in to their recipients.

I haven’t read Maeve Binchy in years! Like, 20 years! Enjoy, Sarah!

Thank you again, Secret Sender. I finished reading Worry this week and ended up really liking it. I don't know if this book would have come to my attention if you hadn't gifted me with it and I'm glad I read it.

Sarah, what a fun surprise to come home to! I love coming here to see the packages arriving in our mailboxes. Enjoy the book.

It was my turn for secret sender excitement today!! i received a copy of Five Wives which was a Governor General's winner!! so excited to read this!

Thank you so much secret sender!

@Susan- I was just mentioning at my book club last night that I wanted to read Five Wives soon! Interesting that it is based on a true story as I understand it. Enjoy!!

That's a terrific surprise to come home to, Susan.

Wanda, I didn't realize that it was based on a true story. That's really interesting.

Secret Sender Thank you - I just received a paperback copy of Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club and also a copy of The Little Prisoner: How A Childhood Was Stolen And A Trust Betrayed

Now my Canada Reads 2020 book collection is complete. On to reading.

Sounds wonderful @Rainey! Enjoy!