Current Events

[Mj]

Thanks Diane. When checking out our library website as suggested, I also noticed APRIL is NATIONAL POETRY MONTH which I didn't know either.
Here's the link they provided to find out more.
http://poets.ca/

[Rainey]

The Pulitzer Prize winners were announced yesterday.

The Underground Railroad won for fiction and Evicted: Poverty and Profit in the American City, won for general non fiction.

http://www.pulitzer.org/prize-winners...

[Susan]

I missed the news about Evicted winning for nonfiction. That's great to hear!

[❀ Susan]

Thanks Rainey - i missed that announcement altogether!

[Mj]

Was channel changing and happened upon the Parliamentary challenge a few weeks ago only to discover that Malala Yousafzai was made an honorary citizen of Canada. I read her book I Am Malala a few years ago. It's well worth reading.

My discovery was during my busiest time of year...so am just getting around to posting.
Here's an article about her honorary citizenship in photos - the youngest person Canada has ever named an honorary citizen.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/malal...

Several years later, it's amazing what a wonderful speaker she is. She was funny, held Canada to account several times and challenged Canada to take a leadership role. Here's her talk in video and the full text of her speech.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/malal...

The other great book connection is that during her speech Malala announced that Farah Mohamed, a refugee who fled Uganda and came to Canada as a child, is the Malala Fund's new CEO. Farah was the defender of Bone & Bread in Canada Reads 2016. The Malala Foundation's primary goal is Education for Girls particularly in poor nations and many Muslim nations that deny girls an education but rather offer this opportunity to boys only.

Lot's of Canadian and Canadian Literature connections!!

[❀ Susan]

Interesting article by Joseph Boyden. http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/my...

[Louise]

❀ Susan wrote: "Interesting article by Joseph Boyden. http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/my..."

Thank you for posting this Susan. I have so much respect for Boyden. If I could sit down for coffee with any author, he is the one I would choose.

[❀ Susan]

That would be awesome to have coffee with him! I have a great picture of him with his trickster showing. He is doing rabbit ears behind my head.

[Louise]

❀ Susan wrote: "That would be awesome to have coffee with him! I have a great picture of him with his trickster showing. He is doing rabbit ears behind my head."

When I met him briefly a couple years ago, he immediately put me at ease. Just a really nice, down-to-earth friendly guy who not only stands up for what he believes in, but is also a staunch defender for what he believes in.

[Allison]

❀ Susan wrote: "Interesting article by Joseph Boyden. http://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/my..."

That is a great article, @Susan, thank you. He's right -- it's an outrageously complicated issue. I think he handled it extremely well there. Man, the guy can write...

[❀ Susan]

another interesting article: http://www.cbc.ca/books/j-k-rowling-i...

shows the top 10 highest paid authors. sadly no Canadians are on the list.

[❀ Susan]

From the globe and mail: https://beta.theglobeandmail.com/arts...

[Megan]

That highest paid list is the usual suspects of pop literacy. I'm sure Atwood must be climbing up the ranks especially with all the buzz around handmaids tale

[❀ Susan]

I would think so too! My son was happy to see Jeff Kinney on the list!

[Diane]

she might be climbing but I suspect it's only temporary. Most on that list have produced a *lot* of books over a lot of years and have proven staying power. It grinds me that E.L. James is on there, fan fiction gone viral and all that. I am actually pleased that J.K. Rowling is on the top. She's a real rags to riches story and her books appear to kids as well as adults. She's been instrumental in getting a lot of kids reading. So important.

[❀ Susan]

@Diane - I think E.L. James is laughing all the way to the bank!! I love J.K. Rowling's story too!! Her books are amazing and it is uplifting to know how much she was struggling and was able to weave amazing stories and change her life!

My son and I saw Jeff Kinney a couple of years ago. It was very interesting as he has a very formulaic approach in his writing and does a story each year... with the same # of pages, the same # of cartoons and picks the colour of his books with paint swatches. He loves these books!

[Mj]

Watched the 2017 Emmy Awards tonight and while I don't have all the details......the tv series The Handmaid's Tale was a big winner and Margaret Atwood was kudo'd numerous times.

In the final award that was televised - Best Dramatic Series - Margaret Atwood joined the cast on stage along with producers, director and everyone else. She looked resplendent in red (Canada's national colour) and once again was thanked for her contribution and applauded vigorously by the audience.

I was very happy to see an author receive so much gratitude for wonderful writing. Well deserved of course! Atwood has always been ahead of her time. She's a very special lady and author and obviously loved outside of Canada as much as she's loved in her home country.

[❀ Susan]

Thanks for the update! i have not been watching but it is wonderful to hear that The Handmaid's tale and Atwood have been rewarded. She is so versatile and creative!!

[Mj]

Agree ❀ Susan - Atwood is woman of many talents!!

[Barbara]

It is impossible not to admire all her accomplishments and she is always working on something.

[Megan]

Big congrats to Atwood!!

[❀ Susan]

Thanks to @Kim for sharing this article about Stephen King turning 70: https://bangordailynews.com/2017/09/2...

It is interesting to read about not only his success but the sense of community and giving.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

Rogers doubles financial award for Writers’ Trust Fiction prize

http://www.macleans.ca/culture/books/...

[❀ Susan]

Wow!! Great news!! Thanks @Allison

[❀ Susan]

What a nice tribute! http://www.cbc.ca/amp/1.4310803

[Emmkay]

That's lovely, Susan!

[Megan]

Eden Robinson just won the 2017 Writers' Trust of Canada Fellowship

http://www.cbc.ca/books/eden-robinson...

[Allison]

Oh great news! Thanks, Megan!

[Magdelanye]

yay for Eden. Hopefully this will assist her getting out the next two volumes soonest!

[❀ Susan]

So exciting for her... I loved hearing her laugh at the Between the Pages event. Her laughter is SO infectious!!!

[Allison]

Here's Carol Off interviewing Eden Robinson on As it Happens last night. I share it because we can all hear Robinson's laugh that @Susan keeps talking about!

http://www.cbc.ca/radio/popup/audio/l...

[Lisa]

Awesome news! @Allison - thanks for that link!

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

Remembrance Day book suggestions from CBC Books, which includes The Water Beetles.

http://www.cbc.ca/books/11-books-to-r...

[Allison]

Thanks for this, Allison. I saw Tim Cook speak at a session on Vimy at the Kingston Writer's Fest.

He looks like such a run-of-the-mill guy and then he started speaking and I was amazed! He's very articulate, extremely smart and informed, and held such a vast and open mind about every angle of Vimy and really of war in general.

If I were more inclined to read war non-fiction, I would definitely start with his book Vimy: The Battle and the Legend.

[Allison]

Not really an "event" unless you count shopping an event. But look what I found: bookish subscription boxes! I think @Allison has done one before... here is a choice of others.
https://www.cratejoy.com/category/boo...

[Louise]

I have recently signed up for Raven Reads which is a subscription box with an Indigenous theme.

https://ravenreads.org/

[Louise]

There needs to be a Canadian themed bookish box, and/or an award-winning book theme.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

I very much agree @Louise!

[Mj]

Good comments about the book boxes.

Just a thought - Am wondering if maybe the recent comments could be moved to the same major folder - Canadian Book News but under the sub-folder Book Deals rather than Current Events so they're all in one spot. The title of the sub-folder Book Deals could be amended to Book Purchases / Deals if people think that that would be more all encompassing.

[Megan]

@louise I just found out about raven reads yesterday . What an amazing project. Thank you for sharing!

[Louise]

Megan wrote: "@louise I just found out about raven reads yesterday . What an amazing project. Thank you for sharing!"

I was afraid that the book I would get I'd already have, or already read but what a pleasant surprise to find a book I didn't even know about, which looks absolutely fascinating! Even my sister when she saw it, wanted to read it.

[Allison]

Mj wrote: "Good comments about the book boxes.

Just a thought - Am wondering if maybe the recent comments could be moved to the same major folder - Canadian Book News but under the sub-folder Book Deals rat..."

Fine by me, @MJ. I'll add my comment there, and will remove from here if others want to as well.

[Mj]

@ Allison - whatever works. :) I just get a bit anal especially when I'm stressed. lol

[❀ Susan]

Thanks Allison - happy to have it in both places so that it catches many of us.

[Allison ༻hikes the bookwoods༺]

I've been following Raven Reads on Instagram @raven_reads

It looks very cool, but I have too many unread books in my life already!

[Megan]

I am following Ravens on Twitter, Instagram and FB. They're having a reading challenge worth $100. I better start hashtagging all my books from the reconciliation list.

[❀ Susan]

@Megan - i missed this post, that sounds like an interesting challenge!

[❀ Susan]

Lots of authors in this list - http://www.chatelaine.com/living/wome...

[Natasha]

They're shooting Alistair McLeod's "In the Fall" in the Orkneys in February!


http://www.cbc.ca/beta/news/canada/no...

[❀ Susan]

Congrats to Carol Off http://www.cbc.ca/news/entertainment/...

I won a giveaway of this and am looking forward to reading it... once I have finished the Canada Reads books!