Ibis3’s Comments (group member since Sep 06, 2010)

Ibis3’s comments from the CanLit Challenge group.

As you might notice, I've switched things around a bit. I was supposed to read Crackpot this summer, but didn't get a chance (I only managed the first few pages). I meant to read Vimy simultaneously and didn't get around to that one either. And I'm still reading Canadian Poetry through WWI. So what I've decided to do is to continue with Poetry and pick up Vimy this week (just in time for Remembrance Day, coincidentally), and move Crackpot into December (officially set for December 3rd, but I'm not sure exactly when I'll get there). A Mixture of Frailties is also scheduled for December, but for me that's an audiobook, so I should be able to catch up with all my planned CanLit books for 2011.

The books for the new year will start out with the very short Over Prairie Trails followed by The Tin Flute/Bonheur d'occasion. Spring and summer of 2012 will be taken up with the first two volumes of the Emily trilogy by L. M. Montgomery and Pierre Berton's account in two books of the War of 1812 (just in time for the 200th anniversary), with Wild Geese thrown in the mix somewhere for good measure.

I thought I'd start this thread so I can give you guys updates and answer any questions about the progress of the Challenge.

Opening discussion for Lullabies.

I just wanted to let you know that I've moved this book off of the Currently Reading shelf to make room for the November Book of the Month and Vimy which I should be starting in the next ten days or so.

I'm now reading the section on Isabella Crawford.

Thea wrote: "I wonder if Canadian short stories authors count? I really love Alice Munro. I'm reading Runaway right now...A collection I picked up for my mother in law when she was in the hospital and she recen..."

They definitely do. We have some of the best short story writers who've ever put pen to paper.

Rachelle wrote: "I'm reading The Handmaid's Tale right now for the first time. Atwood at her best, for sure, even if it's depressing so far."

Depressing but brilliant. It's been a few years since I last read it. Probably soon be time to re-read. (Oh, but then again, I haven't read all of her works a first time yet...)

Lola wrote: "Ibis3, as a fan of Lewis Caroll, how about Curiouser and Curiouser?"

It doesn't quite fit my intentions, but thanks for the suggestion.

I still have Machar and Mair to read, so I'll come back to you on those, but I just thought I'd come and share my thoughts on

Sangster - I can see why he was popular. Some nice landscape/wilderness poetry. Not quite as pantheistic as the English Romantics, but I guess he's a bit late for that, eh?

McLachlan - I thought the calling out of the Church's hypocrisy rather modern in sentiment (also called to mind something of Such Is My Beloved of a later era)

Leprohon - Disappointing. I liked her novels, but I'm so not into the submissive, dutiful wife thing. Blech.

Heavysege - Would have liked to read more since this was the poet/author that Solomon Bridgetower was studying in Leaven of Malice if I'm not completely misremembering it (was it Solly or another character?? I'm sure I'd remember for certain if I'd seen it on the page rather than listened to it...).

Phillips - Sad that we still don't have pay equity almost 140 years later. Surprised that even then people (and a man yet) were calling for it though.

Anon's "A Popular Creed" - Made me think of the Occupy Protests: "So get ye wealthy, no matter how,/'No questions' asked of the rich I trow,/Steal by night and steal by day,/(Doing it in a legal way)"

Hi Thea. Welcome to the group. Feel free to tell us about your work in the appropriate thread (General Fiction or General Non-fiction).

I'm taking nominations for the Book of the Month for December. The nomination period will end and the poll will go up on the 22nd of October.

Eligible are

1)Any book that already has a discussion thread in the group forum (aside from previous Books of the Month).

OR

2) Any fiction or non-fiction book written by a Canadian, set in Canada, or about Canada that is not on the Challenge list.

[For now, the list can be viewed here if you're not sure: http://www.readerofthestack.com/cl_title
I do plan on putting up a sticky post with the list, but it's going to take a while since I want it to be all hotlinked to the GR catalogue.]

The finalists for the 75th anniversary Governor General's Literary Awards have been announced. This thread is for discussion of the finalists (and eventually the winners).

This thread is open to talk about Canada Reads itself, books for the list, eventually the selected titles and the 2012 broadcast.

This year, the theme is non-fiction books. http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/

I'm trying to think of a new name for a GR shelf I have. Right now it's called "fluff" and is basically for everything that I'm reading that isn't a classic or a book from the canon or for some type of obligation or necessity. I don't want to call it "for pleasure" because I also read classics for pleasure. I don't want to call it "non-canonical" or something like that--I want to define it in a positive rather than a negative fashion. I don't like the word "fluff" because the books aren't necessarily what one might consider light reading. Can anyone help me with a suggestion or two?

Maybe you or Friederike would be interested in starting a Wayne Johnston thread in General Fiction folder so this convo doesn't get lost as new people join up?

(And I don't really want to dissuade you from talking, seeing as you're making the group so lively :) but perhaps we could all convene in the Puck & Paddle to have a cuppa & chat about Ottawa? :))

Please feel free to start threads in this folder for Invasion without Tears or Farley Mowat

I'm right with you. Just read the first Sangster poem yesterday. Yay!

I do find it fascinating to look at the early poetry as themes at the beginning of the CanLit conversation which we later see echoed in more familiar and more recent works (e.g. The Miner's Tale & No Great Mischief). It's also interesting to match up the poems with themes in books of around the same period (The Rising Village with The Backwoods of Canada or
The Man from Glengarry).

I see that we've ended in a tie. How would you like to handle that? Read both books, one in November, the other in December? Have a run-off vote? Any other suggestions?

Janice wrote: "I'm curious. What do people consider to be a Canadian book? Is it author or setting? I have a bookshelf called Canadian Connection to capture either scenario. "

For the general discussion categories on this group, I consider any book

* by a Canadian author
* set in Canada
OR * about Canada

to qualify as sufficiently Canadian. That kind of mirrors my own criteria for most purposes.

Jen has nominated

The Little Shadows by Marina Endicott, a book from the Giller long list.

The Sisters Brothers and Half Blood Blues are also on the Booker shortlist.