The Canadian Reading Challenge
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I enjoyed Modern Mrs. Darcy’s 2015 Reading Challenge so much that I’ve been eagerly watching her blog to see what her topics will be for next year. She posted her 2016 Reading Challenge today, but I couldn’t get excited about the categories.
When I set out to find another challenge that would be more up my alley, I realized I could create my own, so I now present The Canadian Reading Challenge!
The challenge is to read a book that takes place in or was written by an author from each of the 13 Provinces and Territories within a year, which works out to one every four weeks. I think this will be a fun and easy way for readers of all ages to learn more about this wonderful country of ours.
It’s not specific to this calendar year, as I believe it’s something one could repeat many times.
I haven’t committed to any specific titles yet, but here are a few Canadian books that are currently on my radar:
- Harry and Walter by Kathy Stinson (Ontario)
- The Paper Garden: An Artist Begins Her Life’s Work at 72 by Molly Peacock (Ontario)
- A Foreign Field by Gillian Chan (Ontario)
- Summer Gone by David Macfarlane (Ontario)
- All Saints by K.D. Miller (Ontario)
- Brown Dwarf by K.D. Miller (Ontario)
- As Long as the Rivers Flow by James Bartleman (Ontario)
- Raisin Wine: A Boyhood in a Different Muskoka by James Bartleman (Ontario)
- Out of Darkness: The Jeff Healey Story by Cindy Watson (Ontario)
- Adult Onset by Ann-Marie MacDonald (Ontario)
I can’t believe they’re all from my home province; clearly I need to expand my horizons!
Can you help me?
Please recommend your favourite Canadian books or authors in the comments, and make sure you indicate which Province or Territory they represent. Thanks!
Would you like to join me?
Leave a comment with a link to your blog, Goodreads profile, Pinterest board, or wherever you plan to keep track of your progress online, and I’ll create a page with links to anyone who participates (subject to approval – I won’t link to smut, spam, scam or any other four-letter s-word).
Image by DigitalMagus / Depositphotos
Janet Barclay
I eliminate stress for my clients by hosting, monitoring, and maintaining their WordPress sites so they don’t have to worry about security, downtime or performance issues. When I’m away from my desk, I enjoy reading, photography, cooking, watching movies, drinking tea, and spending time with my family.
Janet, I’ve got to tell you about a reading challenge that a young woman named Amy Mathers set for herself in 2014, and met. Anyone joining you in your challenge to read 13 Canadian books in a year will be inspired to know that in one year, Amy read 365 Canadian young adult novels, starting with books set in Newfoundland or by a Newfoundland author, and moving her way across the country. She reviewed every one, too. You and your readers might find some titles to get you started here: http://amysmarathonofbooks.ca
If you’d like to start your challenge with a Newfoundland adult writer, Latitudes of Melt would be a great start, or pretty much anything else by Joan Clark.
One book I’m looking forward to reading in 2016 is After Swissair by Nova Scotia writer, Budge Wilson, as soon as it’s released.
If re-readings are allowed in your challenge, I might re-read Cool Water by Saskatchewan writer, Dianne Warren. If not, Guy Vanderhaeghe (another Saskatchewan writer) has a collection of short stories that just won a GG award, called Daddy Lenin.
You and your readers are sure to make some interesting discoveries with your challenge that focuses on books by Canadian authors. There are some excellent ones out there and soon there will be more — like Harry and Walter. Thanks for the plug. 🙂
Thanks for the link to Amy’s Marathon of Books! You mentioned it to me before, but I couldn’t remember her name. I won’t want to read YA novels exclusively, but will enjoy including some in the mix and her site will be a great resource for me and anyone else who decides to join me in this challenge.
It sounds like you’re going to, and I hope you will! There are no rules other than “to read a book that takes place in or was written by an author from each of the 13 Provinces and Territories within a year” so if you’d like to re-read something you’ve enjoyed previously, I say “why not?”!
I suggest “Dependent” by Brenda Corey Dunne. Brenda is a military spouse originally from New Brunswick but currently lives in British Columbia. The book is about the life of a military spouse so it takes place in several different locations.
Theoretically you could count the book in any of the provinces. The book was excellent and I read it in about 6 hours – I couldn’t put it down. Thank goodness my kids are old enough to look after themselves!
Thank you for the suggestion, Jacki. It sounds like it will be an emotional but eye-opening novel.
[…] Since Mazo de la Roche was born and spent most of her life in Ontario, Ronald Hambleton lived in Toronto for many years, and the fictional Jalna was also located in Ontario, that’s one more province covered for my Canadian Reading Challenge! […]