CanadianContent discussion

a place to discuss Secret Sender for the coming year.

Hi Friends!

Here is my annual message about getting involved in the 4x/year Secret Sender book exchange. 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.

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.

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! It's been a real source of joy for many people over the years. Hope you'll join us! Please indicate by Dec 15 in this thread if you'd like to be involved for 2021. Pairings will be sent by the first week of Jan. (Allison, want to help again this year??)

Count me in for 2021 - full year.

Rainey in BDA.

I'm game @Allison and I can help you out too. Such fun!

Great! You're both in!

Count me in.

Great, Petra!

Count me in for the full year!

Yippee! 5 so far and lots of time to go.

Please count me in for the full year.

You're in Kathleen!

Most definitely for the year! Thanks for organizing this as always!

Add me in as well please! Thank you so much for organizing.

Great Wanda & Susan! You're in!

I'd like to participate in December for the Secret Santa exchange. I'll watch for another thread, if there is one.

Hi Elinor! Do you mean Dec 2020?

Allison wrote: "Hi Elinor! Do you mean Dec 2020?"

Yes, is it too late for this year?

Sorry Elinor - missed this! You’re in for Dec 2020 as long we can find you a buddy. :)

Hi Secret Senders! I'm off next week, so plan to find some time to do the pairings for 2021. Therefore, if you'd like to be involved next year, please make sure you indicate that here on this thread. And feel free to mention this in other threads too! :)

I'm in for another year! It was fun.

Great Gail! You’re in! 👍🏽

@Allison, I'm laughing right now as you were able to use a thumbs up emoji and I can never get them to work on Goodreads! Magic touch you have there :)

I think it only works if you’re using your phone, Wanda! At least that’s the only way I’ve figured it out!

It was fun!! I look forward to participating again next year. Thanks Allison! 🇨🇦📚

Hi folks - I'm doing 2021 pairings today! Last call to get into the mix for that. Also, if you've changed your address, or are new, please make sure I have your new address. If you were in last year and haven't moved, I've got you on file!

Hi all! I believe that everyone should now have their recipient name for Secret Sender 2021, communicated by either me or Allison Hikes the Bookwoods.

If you haven’t received yours, please let me know ASAP and we will sort it out!

Thank you both!!! Exciting to begin a fresh, new year of secret sender!!

Love it! Can’t wait to start creeping my recipient’s Goodreads shelves!

@Rainey - you can use this thread... so exciting to see the fun beginning in 2021!! I have pinned it to the top.

And it begins! With the first one showing up in Bermuda! That’s fun.

And I have another one coming apparently. Just received a notice from my US forwarding company :-)

Hello Secret Sender group! I am excited to share that I received a gift of two books this week from my Secret Sender, Hag-Seed andThe Jane Austen Society! My only wish now was that I had more time to read all of these wonderful books that we share with one another! Much gratitude to my sender for making my week brighter, perfect choices for me!

Wanda, what a wonderful surprise.
I really enjoyed Hag-Seed and hope you do, too. The Jane Austin Society sounds interesting, too. Nice choices by your Secret Sender.

A lovely surprise, Wanda. I loved Hag-Seed. Hope that you do, too. The Jane Austen Society is one that I want to read this year for BINGO.

Cool choices, Wanda!

Wow, what a nice surprise Wanda! I’ve just put Hagseed on my TBR list. Enjoy those 🙂

@Sarah - So Secret Sender from 2020 - apparently a book you sent me in September 2020 last year made it to my US forwarding address - which they then lost in their warehouse.

As no packages at that time were coming to Bermuda from the US via the US post office - as US flights to the island were limited- the only way to get stuff in was through Couriers or US Forwarders - which is the address I use - apparently they were processing over 7,000 items a week - insane.

I got an email today asking for an invoice - I made one up - for it to clear BDA customs.

So a belated thank you - apparently the book is: Afterimage - looking forward to receiving it some time next week.

Courier flights are delayed due to the Hurricane we had yesterday - as its not Hurricane season they call them Tropical Storms - but it was a CAT 1.

Rainey! Oh my goodness. I can’t believe you may actually be getting it. It’s amazing it got found and figured out where to go. I hope you enjoy it and so sorry it took so long. What a journey that book has taken. So many postal delays!! **My mother sent me a bday gift back in March 2020 (needed to travel 3 hrs from Toronto to kingston) and I received it in a smashed and mangled box 5 months later. Lol. I figure it got buried at the bottom of a pile of parcels in a delivery truck only to surfaced once they mostly got through the never ending deliveries.

Rainey. Wow! What a surprise! Better late than never. Enjoy your new book.

Rainey, that is a pleasant surprise. That will be a special book. It was determined to find its way to you. LOL.
The system sounds complicated in these times of Covid. I'm glad that mail & packages are making it through.

@Rainey, enjoy this new book that was clearly meant for you given it's persistent travels to get there. Stay safe with the tropical storms.

Wanda wrote: "@Rainey, enjoy this new book that was clearly meant for you given it's persistent travels to get there. Stay safe with the tropical storms."

Thank you. It's so cold we had hail this morning. 🥶

I received a parcel from an unknown sender yesterday...many thanks secret sender! The Tale of Tiger Lily by Jill Featherstone. I look forward to reading it.

Fun, Sarah! Never heard of it... look forward to hearing about it!

That's a great surprise, Sarah. I haven't heard of that title either. Looking forward to your thoughts on it.

Lovely Sarah. After you read the book, please share your thoughts about it.

I received a surprise in the mail today. Thank you Secret Sender for The Water Beetles by Canadian author Michael Kaan. I have been wanting to read this book and look forward to starting it after Canada Reads. (Actually I'd love to start reading it tonight, but I will wait.)

@Sarah- I am glad for a "new to me" female Indigenous author to follow in Canada. Added to my lists!
@Kathleen- Maybe you could start to read the book today! Secret Sender can trigger off our spontaneity!! Too many books, not enough time...

Enjoy your new books ladies!

I’ve read Water Beetles. It’s extremely well written. Canada Reads is next week (!) so won’t be too long before you’re into it Kathleen!

Well imagine my delight coming in from running some errands to find a bag from my Secret Sender on the front step! My Secret Sender of this year has once again found The Novel Idea, a wonderful independent bookstore in downtown Kingston! How wonderful!

Thank you, Secret Sender, for arranging for local delivery of Worry, one that I have been eyeing up since it made last year's CR long list!

I get such a warm and fuzzy feeling when the folks at Novel Idea can be bothered to deliver to my house. Do you think we could get people here to post if there is a local independent bookstore in their area willing to deliver? I know it won't work for everyone - some people live in the country, etc - but if it WOULD work out, or if someone would be willing to stop into a local indie and pick up an order in their name, it would be really nice to know that!

I guess if that interests you, please feel free to add that info here. My Secret Sender of this year (and last!) has found mine! Thanks again!

@Allison- Oscar the owner of The Novel Idea has top notch service and I'm so glad to have been able to connect with your local Indie store. Alas, the closest indie store to me is 2 hours away, but I'll put a shout out to McNally Robinson Books in Winnipeg. I also would promote Perfect Books in Ottawa as an Indie store I typically frequent once a year.