Canada Reads 2018

The long list is out:

Saints and Misfits by S.K. Ali
The Boat People by Sharon Bala
Suzanne by Anaïs Barbeau-Lavalette, translated by Rhonda Mullins
Brother by David Chariandy
Tomboy Survival Guide by Ivan Coyote
Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
American War by Omar El Akkad
Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez
The Measure of a Man by JJ Lee
Out Standing in the Field by Sandra Perron
The Clothesline Swing by Ahmad Danny Ramadan
Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto
Dance, Gladys, Dance by Cassie Stocks
Seven Fallen Feathers by Tanya Talaga

Ali Hassan returns for his second year as host. The panellists and the final five books will be announced Jan. 30, 2018. The debates will take place March 26-29, 2018, and will be broadcast on CBC Radio One, CBC and online at CBCbooks.ca.

For more info on the long-listed books, go to: http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/the-canada-reads-2018-longlist-is-here-1.447...

The only one I've read is Dance, Gladys, Dance which is set in Winnipeg, my home town. It's quite funny, or maybe quirky is a better description. I would love to see it get on the short list but Manitobans haven't made it onto the Canada Reads list for quite a few years now.

I want to read Brother because it was mentioned in so many best of 2017 lists and I think Seven Fallen Feathers was on quite a few as well. The rest are unknown quantities but I'm sure we'll hear more in the coming weeks.

I was so happy to see The Measure of a Man on the list. I never would have expected enjoying a story about working as an apprentice to a bespoke tailor, but found this memoir both interesting and touching.

JJ Lee is such a character, too! I have run into him around town at various literary events, and he is so fun. He loves talking to everyone, and is genuinely interested in stories. I would love to hear more of him on CBC

Just heard the announcement of the short list so I thought I would come here and share. I have not read any of these.
American War Omar El Akkad
The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
The Boat People by Sharon Bala
Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson
Forgiveness Mark Sakamoto

Yay, for this thread. I have put 3 of the 5 titles on hold at the library but there are far too many holds for far too few copies in the system. I will probably end up purchasing them if I plan to read them before the games begin!

The three I have chosen to read include 2 of yours (Precious Cargo, Forgiveness), and also The Boat People

>8 frahealee: - Exactly.

>4 gypsysmom: I've not read (nor had I heard of) any of these. They all sound really good, but I will wait until I watch/listen to the competition to decide which ones to add to my tbr.

I've read Forgiveness and American War from the shortlist, and I think both are terrific choices for Canada Reads. I'm disappointed Tomboy Survival Guide didn't make it onto the shortlist. I highly recommend it!

Forgiveness and The Boat People were on my wish list. I'll read all 5 finalists in advance of the debates....I have more fun arguing with the radio/computer screen that way!

>12 LynnB: LOL!

I just finished listening to American War and it was fantastic. Timely and scary yet fantastic.

I'm going to start with The Marrow Thieves as soon as I stop browsing through LT!

I finished Forgiveness yesterday and a lively discussion ensued on my own thread about my review of it.

I will be starting Precious Cargo today.

(touchstones don't seem to be working this morning)

Loving all the ideas and discussion here! Have put some on reserve at the library...... but it will be a loooooong wait.

Ok, day one is a wrap. Did anyone here watch or listen to it? First book voted off is The Boat People. I have only read 2 of the 5 books - Forgiveness by Mark Sakamoto, which I sincerely hope wins it all, and Precious Cargo by Craig Davidson.

Every year, there seems to be one person on the panel who is really annoying. This year, for me, it's Jully Black. I kept yelling at the tv for her to shut up and stop interrupting everyone. That said, the discussions and debates today were good. Looking forward to tomorrow.

*pictures Shelley yelling at the TV*

I’m rooting for Forgiveness, too, just from the way you described it.

>19 SqueakyChu: - LOL! I liked the woman defending The Boat People; she herself is an immigrant and I thought she did a very good job at defending the book. One of the questions each had to answer was, why should your book win Canada Reads. She said that this book puts a human face on immigration and humanizes it. But it just didn't resonate with everyone. Of the 3 I did not read, I think that would have been my best and I think I will still try to read it at some point. The other 2 sound much too dark and grim for my taste and I doubt I will read them at all. All the defenders are well-spoken and did a good job today, but Jully Black was just a bit too loud and pushy...Good thing they haven't invited me to moderate! ;-)

I don't know if this link will work for people outside Canada but here is a link to the daily summaries:

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads

Thanks for the reminder. Bad day at work (a co-worker passed away on Friday), so wasn't even thinking about this.

>21 LibraryCin: - So sorry for your loss.

>22 jessibud2: Thank you. It's been a long day. I should probably try to get to sleep early tonight.

As for Canada Reads, I wait to see what I want to add after the debates, but so far, I might end up adding them all! I was disappointed that "The Boat People" is gone already!

>24 LibraryCin: - My guess is that the one that will be voted off today will be either Precious Cargo, which I did read and love or American War, which to me just sounds too grim (but I haven't read this one). But we shall see. I won't be available to listen on radio this morning but I will watch on tv this afternoon

>25 jessibud2: I thought those two would be the first ones to go. I was rather shocked that The Boat People went first - it seemed to fit the theme the most. I guess I will go with Forgiveness now.

Craig Davidson's Precious Cargo was voted off today.

I've read The Boat People and thought it was very enlightening , though the writing left a little to be desired. I was sorry to see it voted of the first day. I gave it 4 stars. I've also read Forgiveness, so I guess I'll root for that one now. I agree, American War is not my sort of book nor do I think the Marrow Thieves would be.

>26 Yells: Exactly!

I think it is a good sign that Forgiveness has not had a single vote against it so far in the first 2 days. I am really hoping it wins. And to be honest, though it may not be so *PC* to say this, it just feels wrong that a book with *America* in its title (American War), would win CANADA Reads. ;-p

>29 jessibud2:

it just feels wrong that a book with *America* in its title (American War), would win CANADA Reads

Heh! Those pushy Americans... ;)

>30 SqueakyChu: - I knew you'd understand, lol! ;-)

Don't want to give away anything yet, for those who want to watch or listen to it later, but I will just say that my fave, so far, Forgiveness is still in there and tomorrow - the final day - will either win or lose because there are only 2 books left. I just know in my gut that it will win..... ;-)

I think you are correct. I honestly thought that it would come down to Forgiveness and The Boat People in the end. I got it partially correct :)

I agree that Forgiveness: A Gift from my Grandparents will probably win now. I just love Canada Reads! I wish they'd do it twice a year.

>34 LynnB: Or maybe have more books and debaters. Or even space it out a bit more. I get all excited about the debates and then it's over in a few days.

I pounced on American War when I saw it at our independent library on our little B.C. island. P just read it and I will too (eventually) and P. thought it was a very interesting take on the divisions in America, was thought provoking and well written. Yes, it has the "America" in the title but this Canadian author is a well traveled journalist in some dicey areas of the world and does his research (Civil War) and understands the shakiness of the world powers, which as Canadians were are greatly vulnerable. So I haven't had trouble with this part of it at all. I remember people's concerns that John Vailllant's brilliant novel was set in Mexico." Not a problem for me!

Great to follow people's reactions and opinions here!

>36 mdoris: - Hi Mary. Glad to see you jump in here! I am very much a wimp when it comes to my reading. I don't like to read anything at night that might enter subconsciously or otherwise into my dreams. There is enough of that just watching the news (which I don't do at night either, btw). Which is not to say I read only fluff, not at all. But from all I've heard about American War and The Marrow Thieves, they just are not to my taste. And variety is what makes the world go round, isn't it? :-)

Can't wait till tomorrow!

Mary, you are better person than me. When I read that American War is " speculative fiction" and " dystopian" I just think no! I'll keep P's thoughts in mind and maybe one day I'll read it.

American War is excellent but very dark. I love dystopian stuff so it was right up my alley, but if you don't like that kind of thing, it might be a little too dire for people. It's certainly not a happy book but it is rather interesting to see how circumstance changes a person.

I haven't read The Marrow Thieves yet but I am on hold for it.

>37 jessibud2: Hi Shelley, I 100% get what you are saying. For sure there are some very disturbing reads out there and we want to be informed by not crazy scared enough that it would disturb sleep/dreams. I am not much of a dystopian reader either but there has been enough in the recent political world to be troubling our thoughts and create concerns for the future and interesting to see where someone takes that.

>29 jessibud2: it just feels wrong that a book with *America* in its title (American War), would win CANADA Reads. ;-p

When they were first introducing the books, the same thought went through my head!

But I still want to read it. :-) I like dystopia.

>40 mdoris:, >41 LibraryCin: - I am not a fan of dystopia and rarely even read mysteries or thrillers. I know I am probably in a minority but that's ok; there is plenty of reading material out there for me! :-)

That said, I will go out on a limb here and just say that I honestly think Forgiveness will win tomorrow. So far, it has not had even one single vote against it, and for that alone, it seems inevitable. But it was also really well-written. Of the 2 remaining books, I think Tahmoh is the better defender, as a speaker, but I think Sakamoto's book will prevail. Of course, I (like so many others) also thought trump would ever win, so I guess we will just have to wait and see... ;-p

Picking up on frahealee's last point, which I agree with, I'd like to add that I think it's wonderful to see so many young people in the Canada Reads audience. I know day 3 included school groups, but there were several young people there on day 2 as well...and more men than in the past, too. Canada Reads seems to be doing a good job in promoting literacy and Canadian books.

>43 frahealee: - I retired 2 years ago from teaching. I taught at a school for physically and developmentally disabled kids here in Toronto. I also loved Craig Davidson's book and in fact, I lent it to a friend (who used to teach with me) and as soon as she returns it, I plan to gift it to one of our school drivers, who I am friendly with. He and I used to talk books all the time and he, like most of the drivers we had, was a terrific guy and so great with the students. I know he will love it. Yes, it is *lighter* than the other 4 books but, as you said, humour can be a powerful tool to understanding and getting at issues that can be uncomfortable, and I think Davidson was very perceptive and sensitive in this book. I was also sorry to see it go so soon.

>44 LynnB: - Yesterday, near the end of the hour, moderator Ali Hassan mentioned a shout out to other groups who were listening and following Canada Reads: high school classes, library groups, across the country. I agree and think it's great to involve a younger audience, too. And although I won't read The Marrow Thieves, I think it's a great idea to include a YA book among the 5 finalists. Also, I was really impressed to hear Greg Johnson mention yesterday that he has purchased copies of a few of the books for some schools near him (I think that is what he said).

>45 jessibud2: Yes Greg Johnson said that he purchased 25 copies of the book for distribution- a great idea!

What I love about the choices this year is that each one seems to resonate with different people for different reasons. Some people have children with special needs, some have relatives who lived through displacement of some sort, some live on reserves and some are volunteering to help refugees (or are refugees). All these books are so important for many, many reasons and it's nice to see these topics highlighted in some a public way.

>46 torontoc: I loved that he did that with 2 of the books. It's too bad that there wasn't a budget somewhere that could put these books in all schools across the country.

WHEW! That was hot and heavy today! Forgiveness is the 2018 winner of Canada Reads, and I even guessed correctly on how each one would vote. But I still think Jully Black is a piece of work. What the heck was she going on and on about Jeanne Beker *attacking* her???

Wow! Day 4 was so exciting. Around about 40 minutes in, I became convinced that American War would win because of Tahmoh's excellent defense of it.

I was surprised that Mozhdah voted against it as she seemed to be leaning towards in earlier on. I thought, at first, that Jully would vote against it as well, but as the debate went on, it became clearer that she was warming up to it.

>48 jessibud2: Hurray! This American plans on reading Forgiveness (even if it is because I and my older son are fascinated with Japanese culture. My son took his third pleasure trip to Japan just a few months ago.

>49 LynnB: - I knew Mozhdah would vote against American War because she stated several times that she prefers real stories (non-fiction) over fiction. And she really had a hard time finding something that she liked about it, in that last question. I also had a very strong feeling, especially after today's debates that Jully would vote against Forgiveness because she really seemed to have it in for Jeanne. The deciding vote was going to be Greg and I honestly wasn't sure but am so happy that he voted the way he did. Lots of tension and excitement.

>51 frahealee: - I agree. I had never heard of Tahmoh before and was quite impressed with his passion and ability to convince. I also won't read the book, because it is not my thing, but he sure was convincing. And I agree about Jully. She just got on my nerves, from the get-go. And did she really need to sing, yesterday? Sheesh

Jully got on my last nerve today. I understand that she is a passionate person but man, dial it down. This is supposed to be a good-natured debate about books but she seemed to think it was her own personal platform for championing her various political views. I think I sprained my eye from rolling it so much.

Tahmoh was a great debater and so the vote was closer than I thought it would be. But I am glad that Jeanne's book won. It really did fit the theme better than American War. I have never been a fan of hers but she really got me at the end with the emotion she felt. That made me tear up as well. Excellent debate!

>54 Yells: - I think I sprained my eye from rolling it so much. LOL!! Well said! And I agree about Jeanne. I also was never a fan but also teared up at the end. I felt drained by the end of it all! Lots of emotion all around

>56 frahealee: - Thanks, Francine, for your input. I also feel exhausted. I only started following the debates a few years ago, myself and this may be the first year that I've read any of the books before the debate (I only read 2 of the 5 this time). But I agree wholeheartedly that the theme was an excellent one and that each book, in its own way, addressed it. Forgiveness is the one that spoke to me most eloquently, though, on so many levels. There was a very good discussion about it on my own LT thread (https://www.librarything.com/topic/286032) starting at post #128, if you want a peek.

Someone made a point yesterday, I think it was, that I had mentioned in my review of the book, that I don't remember ever learning about any of this in school; not the internment of the Japanese, not about residential schools. Maybe that would be a good starting point: changing school curriculum to reflect our true history.

>50 SqueakyChu: - Thanks, Madeline, for joining in. You are probably the only American to do so! Yay you! :-) If you can't find a copy down there, I can ask Madeleine to return it to me after she is finished and I can send it to you. Unless you want to come visit again and get it in person! :-) If you want to actually see and hear some of the actual debates, here is a link, though I have no idea how long it will remain active:

http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads

If anyone knows how to share e-books (kindle), I will happily share Forgiveness or The Boat People.

I listened to the debates as podcasts (while I worked - don't tell my boss) and last year's are still there so I think they keep the links for a bit. I have been listening to them for a few years and never really piped in so I am new to this thread. I love the banter with everyone and love, love, love the fact that we are sharing great Canadian books with people. Thanks everyone!

>57 jessibud2: I don’t have time now, but I’ll come back to this link another time. Thanks!

I thought you might be interested in this morning's edition of the CBC radio show *q*. Host Tom Power has Mark Sakamoto and Jeanne Beker as his guests, discussing the book, among other things. It's a great interview:

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/q/canada-reads-2018-mark-sakamoto-and-jeanne-beker-on-fo...

Well, I ended up adding all 5 books to my tbr. Sigh... I thought I might with this batch, based on descriptions, and I did.