Some people have been disappointed with the Canada Reads 2010 list. Reasons include the authors/publishers/books being too well-known already. There are two new grassroots challenges called Canada Reads Independently and Canada Also Reads which aim to shed light on the lesser known titles/authors/publishers. How very Canadian of us! Personally, I haven’t read any of the books but I did know of Generation X and The Jade Peony already. I’m enjoying reading the Canada Reads list but also want to spread the word about these Canadian works too.

CANADA READS INDEPENDENTLY

When I first heard about Canada Reads Independently 2010, I thought it was a list of books from independent presses. Wrong. It turns out that Kerry Clare of Pickle Me This launched Canada Reads 2010: Independently for a different reason. Kerry says, “I’m not going to knock [Canada Reads] because I love the spirit behind the whole thing… but it just wasn’t the reading list for me. What I wanted was what I found from (most of) the 2009 lineup– book recommendations out of nowhere, books I’d never pick up otherwise, that challenge my sensibilities, and that I might just fall in love with.”

In an interview with Julie Wilson (aka BookMadam) at CBC Book Club, Kerry said, “I’m going to be reading the five books over the next two months, posting reviews as I go, and rating the books against one another. I’ll be inviting other readers to comment on my reactions to the books, perhaps have some guest posts and coverage of other readers’ reviews, and then I’ll choose my own favourite of the bunch, and we’ll have a vote to come up with a readers’ choice champion as well. And I’m hoping my “celebrity panelists” will be able to weigh in from time to time in their book’s defence, which should be fun.”

The books:

• Moody Food by Ray Robertson
  (championed by Steven W. Beattie of the Quill & Quire)
• How Happy to Be by Katrina Onstad
  (championed by author Rona Maynard)
• Wild Geese by Martha Ostenso
  (championed by Melanie Owen of Roughing it in the Books)
• Hair Hat by Carrie Snyder
  (championed by illustrator Patricia Storms)
• Century by Ray Smith
  (championed by publisher/bookseller/editor Dan Wells of Biblioasis)

CANADA ALSO READS

The National Post’s book blog The Afterword has released a selection of titles called Canada Also Reads 2010. When the Canada Reads list was released, they agreed with “many of the 140-character-or-less comments that appeared in the moments after this year’s crop was unveiled: these are great books, but haven’t they already been read?” And so Canada Also Reads was born. They are “a fan of what Canada Reads has done to promote CanLit, we figured this would be a great opportunity to help shine a light on some of the books sitting in the shadows. What books should Canada also read, we asked? We were immediately inundated with hundreds and hundreds of submissions from readers across the country.”

The books:

• My White Planet by Mark Anthony Jarman
  (defended by writer and critic Steven Beattie)
• The Day The Falls Stood Still by Cathy Marie Buchanan
  (defended by author Tish Cohen)
• Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
  (defended by singer/songwriter Andy Maize)
• The Last Shot by Leon Rooke
  (defended by poet Jacob McArthur Mooney)
• Yellowknife by Steve Zipp
  (defended by blogger John Mutford)
• You And The Pirates by Jocelyne Allen
  (defended by author Lisa Pasold)
• Come Thou Tortoise by Jessica Grant
  (defended by author Neil Smith)
• Fear of Fighting by Stacey May Fowles, pictures by Marlena Zuber
  (defended by author Zoe Whittall)

Last year when I posted about Canada’s Freedom to Read Week, I was trying to read The Handmaiden’s Tale by Margaret Atwood and/or Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov as part of the challenge. Unfortunately, I haven’t read either book as I got distracted by my huge TBR Pile. However, this year, I’ve got more exciting news: my friend Diane has begun a challenge on BookCrossing to Release Challenged Books as part of Freedom to Read Week 2010. The challenge to release banned/challenged books, or books by persecuted/jailed authors (especially Canadian) during the month of February.

Freedom to Read Week is from February 21-27, 2010 and lots of Canadian libraries celebrate with special events and challenges. Make sure to check out the Calendar of Events on the Freedom to Read website to see if your local library is planning anything. If they aren’t, why not ask if they will!?

Can’t think of any banned or challenged books or authors? You’ll be surprised by some of the names on these lists.

• Freedom to Read Week has a list of Challenged Books & Magazines
• Wikipedia list of books banned by governments around the world
• Amnesty International USA has updates on Banned Books each year
• PEN Canada helps to protect and aide persecuted writers

Please release your Canadian banned or challenged books and authors via BookCrossing and help spread the freedom to read.

The W2 Real Vancouver Writers’ & Culture Series is happening every Wednesday in February at the W2 Culture + Media House. W2 is located across from the refurbished Woodwards Building in Downtown Vancouver. The four weekly events will showcase local Vancouver writers, publishers and creative literary artists, giving guests a chance to rub shoulders with local talent.

“These evenings are designed to show the city and the world real and diverse Vancouver culture and real creative individuals in the literary and publishing communities at a time when the eyes of the world are on our city.

Each night will showcase local writers doing short readings their work and/or interacting with a moderator, taking questions from the audience and will include book sales, signings, a multi-media component, music, cash bar, raffles and give-aways.

Every night will consist of writers that will give the in-house audience a glimpse of the variety of cultures, ethnicities, forms and skills of writers living and working in Vancouver.

It will showcase the writers, their books, their publishers and other support structures within the local community and the larger culture and publishing communities.“

Organized jointly by Books on the Radio and Geist Magazine, the talent line-ups each week are phenominal. Make sure to follow @W2Woodwards on Twitter for all the latest updates.

http://realvancouverwriters.com/

Yes, I’m talking about the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, which begin with Opening Ceremonies on Friday, February 12th. I have to admit, the city has been preparing for the Games for nearly 6 years, and even in the beginning I wasn’t particularly excited. The idea of (logistically) trying to host “the world” is overwhelming. The cynic in me thinks that the money could have been better spent elsewhere. Vancouver has been voted the West Coast’s “most liveable city” yet some things (like our transit system) isn’t nearly up to snuff.

I am amazed at how much as been spent on advertising within our own city. It’s certainly something you don’t see during the Olympics on TV: the entire saturation of the city in Olympic promotions. Every single advertising space, billboard, transit shelter, etc. is taken up by VANOC or an official sponsor promoting the Games. Although a lot of things have also been installed to aid tourists. For example, we finally have Information boards posted in major areas. This was something that I was really impressed with in England, I could get into a station and just follow the signs to different sights around the city. [Note: for the cynics still out there, there is The Olympic Resistance]

Cynicism aside, there are a few things I’m looking forward to. I will sit at home, watching the Olympics on TV and be able to point and go “I know where that is!” There is also the Cultural Olympiad. Despite the buckets of money that the BC Government has cut to Arts budgets, part of the Olympic bid for Vancouver was our “unique cultural events”. The Cultural Olympiad and many other events occuring around the city (both paid and free) include music, art, dance, ceremonies, installations, etc. That is the kind of thing I’m looking forward to.

There is far too much going on to have a complete handle, but here are a few links if you’re interested (and for me to keep things straight):

• Cultural Olympiad (official) – full of free and paid multidiciplinary events
• Miss604 – Vancouver’s “it-girl” blogger. Check in daily, she even has an Olympic Blog feed.
• Olympic Torch Relay (ongoing)
• BC Living – sign up for daily emails during the Games about coping with things to do in the city.
• Vancouver Pavillion & Cultural Houses – visit Miss604’s post about all the locations.
• Official Celebration Sites – including LiveCity Vancouver, Whistler Live!, Richmond O Zone, and more.
• Made In Vancouver – I heart VanArt celebrates local art and creativity.
• CanaMADE – a market celebrating art and craft from Canada.
• CityCaucus lists tons of free events occuring in the city (some repeats)
• Vectorial Elevation – a light display from dusk till dawn over English Bay

As many of you know, I love making buttons for various projects and blogging initiatives. I just thought I’d share some of the recent projects I’ve helped out with and give them a little boost!

Serena of Savvy Verse & Wit and Anna of Diary of an Eccentric are going into their second year of the War Through the Generations Reading Challenges. The theme for 2009 was WWII and the theme for 2010 is Vietnam. Be sure to check out their War Through the Generations blog.

Ruth is hosting the Hot Tea Month blog-a-thon again this January. I especially enjoyed these buttons because the first one is of her teacups and the second one is a teacup I gifted to her!

In April, Jen of Jen’s Book Thoughts will be hosting a theme week: Detectives Around the World. Stay tuned to her blog for more details!

Just a quick post from a quiet house here in Manchester… we’ll be ringing in the New Year in just over 30 minutes. It’s hard to do a reflective post when put on the spot (even if it’s my own fault). I can’t even begin to think what 2009 held…. I guess that’s what the blog is for!

Here’s hoping 2010 is fantastic for everyone. I plan to begin the year with some travelling and then I go home to a newly renovated kitchen, so that bodes well for me. The only thing I’m concerned about is the Vancouver Olympics. Other than that, I’m hopeful that 2010 will be a great year.

Best wishes for everyone else in the New Year!

The booklist for Canada Reads 2010 has been announced. You may recall last year I mentioned Canada Reads when I posted my review of The Book Of Negroes by Lawrence Hill. It was a fantastic book and won Canada Reads 2009. This year, a few of us knitters have decided to try and read all the contenders before the Canada Reads debate begins on March 8, 2010. Now, without further ado, here are the books:

• Good to a Fault by Marina Endicott (defended by Simi Sara)
• Nikolski by Nicholas Dickner (defended by Michel Vézina)
• Generation X by Douglas Coupland (defended by Roland Pemberton aka Cadence Weapon)
• The Jade Peony by Wayson Choy (defended by Samantha Nutt)
• Fall On Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald (defended by Perdita Felicien)

The way Canada Reads works is five panelists join a host for a week of debates about the books they’ve chosen to “champion”. The panelists are each supposed to defend their choice, to answer the question: Why should this book be a book that all Canadians should read? Every day during Canada Reads week (March 8-12, 2010) a book is voted out on air by the panelists, until just one remains. In short, Canada Reads is a battle of the books.

The great thing about Canada Reads is that it isn’t an invisible jury or group of judges behind closed doors. Also, the books don’t have to be published within any specific time frame (as is the case with most book prizes). Don’t get me wrong, I love book prizes that highlight authors and their works, especially local (British Columbian) and Canadian authors! With Canada Reads, the author must be Canadian; that’s pretty much the only criteria.

Curious to hear about this years’ books and their champions? Visit the Canada Reads website to see a video of the panelists talking with host Jian Ghomeshi.

Wednesday marked the beginning of the 36th Annual Circle Craft Christmas Market. This is a fantastic event with over 265 artisans from coast to coast. With hundreds of different talents, these artisans range from glass blowers, to chefs, to fashion designers, to jewellery makers, and onwards. I get so inspired browsing through the market and seeing all the different exhibitors.

I have a hard time picking a favourite part, but I think that what sets Circle Craft apart is their show features — there are glass blowing demonstrations, an entertainment stage with musical and dance acts, and new for 2009, wood turning demonstrations.

Today I went to the market and watched both wood turning and glass blowing demonstrations. Tomorrow I’m getting the chance to participate in the glass blowing workshops — Ballz of Fire!! — where we get to make a Christmas glass ball. I’m very excited! My dad is joining me at the market tomorrow morning, and then in the evening I’m meeting up with the knitters to go back to the market.

Today is Remembrance Day — In 1918 World War I was formally ended with the Germans signing the Armistice. This signing occurred at the 11th hour, on the 11th day of the 11th month. Remembrance Day (also called Armistice Day, Veteran’s Day, Armed Forces Day) now remembers all our armed forces who have served their countries during wartime. Some of these brave people died for their countries and in Canada, we wear a poppy on our lapel to recognize those people. Why do we wear a poppy? Not only do poppies grow wild in Flanders Field — full of battlefields, spoiled earth, and burials for soldiers — but the poppies are also written about in one of the most famous WWI poems, In Flanders Fields.

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

— John McRae

The inaugural BookCamp Vancouver was organized by Monique Trottier of Boxcar Marketing, Nick Bouton of Protagonize.com, Sean Cranbury of Books on the Radio, John Maxwell of SFU’s publishing program, and Morgan Cowie from BookNet Canada.

BookCamp Vancouver was an incredible experience! It took place on Friday October 16, 2009 and there was so much to absorb! I wasn’t able to make it to every event that I wanted to because there were four events going on at a time. The great thing about BookCamp is it was organized as an “unconference”; instead of having a speaker or a lecture, the person was more of a moderator or host.

Grab a cup of something warm and get comfy, this post is a long one!

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