Inheritance from Mother

Inheritance From Mother / Minae Mizumura; translated from the Japanese by Juliet Winters Carpenter.
New York: Other Press, c2016.
446 p.

I have been reading this book slowly over the past month after discovering it at my library. I suppose that's suitable, as it was first published as a serial novel in Japan. So reading it bit by bit is kind of the way it was originally created to be read. 

It's about two sisters, Mitsuki and Natsuki, who spend the first half of the book waiting for their imperious, narcissistic mother to die. The book fights against the stereotype of the devoted daughter caring for her aging saintly mother; Noriko is no saint, she is focused on her life and her desires, and has been for most of their lives. Mitsuki, in her 50's, working as a French instructor at a university, takes on most of the responsibilities for her mother's care. This is partly because she is close by, partly because she's childless, and partly due to childhood dynamics between the siblings. 

Not only is she dealing with her mother's final illness, trying to do everything she can to make her mother's last days beautiful and comforting (while feeling exhausted and resentful), she is also coping with her husband's third affair with a younger woman. This time it's serious, and Mitsuki has to try to come to a decision about how to handle it. 

Noriko dies at the end of Part One; Mitsuki then spends Part Two of the novel coming to terms with her past and her memories of her mother. She retreats to a small traditional hotel to think, and the second half of the book is full of other guests and their issues, illuminating aspects of contemporary Japanese life. The text veers off into chapters on other topics, including a disquisition on the place of serial novels in Japanese literary history, before coming back to Mitsuki and her decision to leave her husband and finally have a room of her own. 

How she manages to do that is quite lovely and hopeful. I loved the ending, and the new life that Mitsuki feels arising. The description of her new and much less expensive living space is also lovely, even though it is revealed that it is only 62 sq. feet. Yikes! 

Anyhow, despite my levity here, I thought this was a really fascinating read. While it is focusing in on issues important in modern Japan, it's also a great look at a family's history with characters that you will feel for. Both Mitsuki and Noriko evoke a sense of compassion in the reader, seeing where they are coming from and why. And the narrative pace, while slow, allows for easy reading in small doses, without losing the thread. 

***********************************

Readalikes:

This book reminded me of Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin in its examination of familial relationships and the enmeshment of mothers and daughters, though this one is set in Korea. 

It also recalled a more recent read, Moshi Moshi by Banana Yoshimoto, which explores the slow move toward life after the loss of a father and husband, made by a mother and daughter together. Moshi Moshi was also published as a serial novel in its first incarnation, and the daughter ends up travelling to France to study just as Mitsuki did in her youth.

The Literary Sewing Circle

Over at my other blog, Following the Thread, the newest round of The Literary Sewing Circle has begun! This is an online bookclub in which we read and discuss a book together, then make a project inspired by the book. 

While sewing is the main focus of this project, anyone who sews, knits, crochets, embroiders or otherwise makes some kind of textile craft is welcome to join in. As long as you can say where your inspiration came from in your reading, the sky is the limit!

Our current book is Cassie Stocks' Dance, Gladys, Dance. This book is on the longlist for Canada Reads right now, and has been featured right here on this blog before. 

If you want to join in, just comment on the Literary Sewing Circle blog post, and you can read and sew along at your own pace. And you can also count this title toward your Canadian Book Challenge, if you are participating in that reading challenge as well!

Hope you see some of you over there...

The Marrow Thieves

The Marrow Thieves / Cherie Dimaline  
Toronto: Dancing Cat Books, c2017.
234 p.

This is a YA novel that I've heard a lot about, so when it came into my library I snagged it.

It's an Indigenous dystopian novel; it's set sometime in the future, a time in which catastrophic climate events have altered the shape of the world. The population has been drastically reduced, and life is difficult. Most people have lost the ability to dream - not metaphorically, but real, night time dream - and the result is not great. People are unhappy, unable to  function well, and they really, really want to dream again.

Then it's discovered that a 'vaccine' of sorts can be created from the bone marrow of Indigenous people, where the ability to dream is encoded. The problem? The Indigenous person does not survive the process.

So in this world, Indigenous people are hiding, heading north to where they can find a safer space. Our main character, Frenchie, is alone after his parents and brother are all taken away by authorities. He starts walking north, and eventually stumbles on another small group who allow him to join them. Made up of a mix of Indigenous peoples from across the country, this circle becomes his new family.

They struggle to head far enough to find a permanent place to live, unthreatened by those who want their bone marrow. They encounter many dangers, some quite serious; they build relationships both familial and romantic; they share their 'coming to' stories about how they got to this point. I found these backstory excerpts really powerful and moving. Each of them is so different and has so much sorrow and strength in their stories.

The conclusion feels open-ended as well -- there is room for more story here. The group discovers a large settlement comprising a wide mix of Indigenous people rebelling and resisting the regime of hospital/prisons. One of these rebels is Frenchie's own father, lost long before. After a few years of wandering in the woods it's hard for them to readjust to a more regimented, larger living space, but it is the beginning of hope.

There were a few leaps of logic here -- how did the wider society organize their 'hospitals' and teams of agents tracking Indigenous people down when society was chaotic? What exactly did the bone marrow provide? But here is where the willing suspension of disbelief comes in; the story carries the reader forward despite these questions.

It's a really interesting take on the dystopian trend, incorporating many ideas and themes that are based in an Indigenous perspective, with white characters not present much at all. The characters are well drawn and the set up is different from other dystopian stories, so well worth exploring.

The Rule of Luck

The Rule of Luck / Catherine Cerveny
New York: Orbit, 2017, c2016.
391 p.

I saw this book on the new arrivals shelf at work and was intrigued. It looked like an unusual science fictiony read, set in 2950, by which time much of the Earth has been covered in water & there are settlements on Mars and Venus for people to try to get to. One of the important surviving cities is Nairobi; this is where we find our main character, Felicia Sevigny.

Felicia is a tarot reader, still a career in this future world. She works in a little shop with two others, but on this particular day is heading out for an appointment to try to get her fertility ban lifted -- when in walks a tall, dark & handsome stranger. Very handsome -- so much so that she's sure he's had every genetic mod possible.

This is the world they live in; technology is everywhere. Most people are linked into the net biologically, able to scan info immediately about everyone they meet. Felicia, however, comes from a family who is opposed to this kind of intrusive tech, so she's an anomaly, someone who can't be so easily traced. And that's one reason why this powerful stranger has tracked her down.

The stranger is Alexei Petriv, one of the leaders of a Russian crime syndicate who wants nothing more than to overthrow One Government and take its place. They have good reasons to get Felicia involved in their quest, and her instant attraction to Alexei makes this easier.

But this is where the book falls down for me. Perhaps it's just the timing, but having a secret syndicate of Russians trying to take over the world government seems a little awkward as a plot device right now.

And while I assumed from the design of this book and the cover blurb that I was going to be reading a futuristic thriller with a bit of romance, it is very much in the style of an urban fantasy/paranormal romance with a touch of thriller. The sex lasts for pages, is lavishly described and occurs with great frequency. Not that I don't like reading romances, but I prefer to pick them up on purpose, when I'm intending to do so.

There are some fun parts to this book; it starts out really strong with a good hook. But too much time wasted on the relationship between Alexei and Felicia for me -- the plot is forgotten while they explore one another. The intriguing bits -- the setting, the tarot element -- get a bit lost. I'll most likely still read the second book when I can get it, as I'd like to see what happens next once Felicia heads off world. If you are looking for a steamy romance with a futuristic setting, this is a good bet. On my 3 Chilis heat scale, this one reads a definite 2.5.

Savage Crows

Crows: Encounters With the Wise Guys of the Avian World / Candace Savage  
Vancouver: Greystone, c2005.
113 p.

I noticed this book when Raidergirl reviewed it for the Canadian Book Challenge -- my library had it on the shelves -- so I picked it up as a small lunchtime read. Over the last couple of weeks I've been reading small bits of it while on my lunch breaks; it's a perfect book for this purpose.

Made up of short chapters interspersed with myths and illustrations of corvids, this provides intriguing facts and stories about crow behaviour. From tool making to family ties to intentional deception, these birds are clever and so fascinating.

It's a short book but with lots of fun information, as well as a lengthy bibliography and further reading at the end. It reveals a lot about how crows can be considered intelligent right up there with apes and humans. 

I really love crows -- there is a family of them in my neighbourhood with a baby who seems to be hanging around for longer than we thought it should -- we've named this one Crokinole. It makes odd sounds and wants to be taken care of, even at a year old. Reading this book revealed that this is not quite usual for crows but also not unheard of. Often a fledgling will hang around home for a year or two. We'll keep our eyes on Crokinole this summer to see what happens! Armed with the new crow facts from this book I'll watch a little more carefully.

In any case, this was a great little book to get you started on crow facts -- it's small and brief but still informative and curiosity inducing. The author has other books on both birds and bees, so perhaps I'll be checking out some more nature writing this year as well. 

When The English Fall

When the English Fall / David Williams 
Chapel Hill, NC: Algonquin Books, c2017.
242 p.

This is a post-disaster novel with a difference; it is told from the point of view of an Amish family, who are already living without the modern conveniences that are propping up civilization -- and which lead to chaos when they fail.

Jacob narrates this story, in a series of diary entries. This structure allows for time to reflect and ponder, with room for philosophy and ideas to grow naturally. The author is a minister so there are also some theological discussions, but as the characters are Amish this also feels natural and believable.  

Jacob's daughter Sadie has been having seizures and seeing strange visions; this is Jacob and Hannah's biggest concern, until the day in which her visions of the English falling comes true. In a huge solar storm, the electrical grid around the world is knocked out. Planes fall from the sky; transportation fails, and so therefore does the food supply. Outside of this solid Amish community in Pennsylvania, denizens of the cities are getting desperate and hungry. Chaos begins to take hold, with people walking out of the cities trying to find a place to live and grow food. Armed gangs begin to roam, and danger grows.

But Jacob's community is not totally isolated. He has a relationship with a local man named Mike, who was the distributor of his handmade furniture, and who comes to Jacob for help once the troubles start. In this relationship with people outside of their faith community, the family's adherence to the principles of caring and empathy really shine. 

There are some terrible events in the story, but it never becomes graphic and horrible for the sake of it. And something else that is very different about this apocalyptic story which I really appreciated was the lack of misogyny. In this small community, people may have different roles, but Jacob repeatedly says how much he loves and respects his wife, and admires her for her character. The women talking together make many decisions for the community, and are treated as equal participants in their lives. This is quite refreshing in this genre. 

The writing is calm and thoughtful, and the story feels plausible because of the lack of hyperbole. There are a few loose ends and perhaps I'd have liked a little more detail. However, I read this very quickly but have been thinking about it ever since. Really interesting read. 

I picked this up from my library, but was inspired to do so through reading this essay written by the author, found via twitter, on finding out that his book was suggested as an alternative for Ray Bradbury's Fahrenheit 451 in a Florida school. It's a strong and moving essay about the value of reading to challenge us in our preconceptions. Well worth a look. 

Painted Girls

The Painted Girls / Cathy Marie Buchanan  
Toronto: HarperCollins, c2012.
357 p.

A book that has been on my to-read list for years, I finally picked this up over the holidays this year. What an engaging read! Set in Paris of the 1870s, it follows three sisters from "the gutter" as they themselves put it, who aim to better themselves through dancing for the Paris Opera. 

The middle sister, Marie, is the heart of the book. She is Marie van Goethem, the model for Degas' now infamous Little Dancer Aged 14. Buchanan has done her research on this family and includes some information about their future lives in an afterword, although there isn't much out there.  So there are a lot of real people populating this novel, from the three girls, to Degas himself, to some criminal elements who attach themselves to the eldest sister Antoinette. I"m usually not a fan of real people as fictional characters but somehow I felt it worked in this book. 

The perspective jumps between Marie and Antoinette, and so we see both Marie's progression in the ballet world and her work modelling with Degas, and Antoinette's life finding piecemeal work and being beguiled by Emile Abadie (who Marie immediately pins as a nogoodnik). The characters of their little sister Charlotte and their absinthe-addicted laundress mother are more nebulous, as they are not narrators, even if they do play important parts. As Marie grows and develops in the ballet, she also attracts an abonne -- a gentleman supporter who is just what you might imagine. Meanwhile Antoinette is getting further entangled with the emotionally abusive and secretive Emile. 

The story is suspenseful, moving, and heavily infused with sensory detail. From laundering to dancing, the physical experience of life colours the reading. The setting is also a strong element and adds to the appeal of this novel. The emotional relationship between Marie and Antoinette is the throughline of the story, and it pays off.

Buchanan was herself a ballet dancer for a while and it shows in the description of the rigorous training required from a young age. Her research and presentation of the lives of the young corps of dancers at the Paris Opera in the 1870s does not shy away from the physical and sexual exploitation of these girls, either. This is a novel which feels drenched in reality, with a conclusion that is unexpected if you know nothing about this real life family (which I didn't) but which is tied together very believably using the known historical facts. It feels as though this is the real story.

You can see a gallery of images of Degas' work, of the Paris Opera, and a reader's guide at the author's website if you wish to learn more.

The Time of Mute Swans

The Time of Mute Swans / Ece Temelkuran; translated from the Turkish by Kenneth Dakan.
New York: Arcade Publishing, c2017.
404 p.

This beautiful, heart-breaking book was illuminating, moving, and harrowing to read. Set in 1980, in Ankara, Turkey, it reveals the warring elements of Turkish society -- between democratic leanings or communism, and the harsh crackdowns of a dictatorial government; between rich and poor; between beauty and terror. It reveals the reality of life in Turkey in the 1971-1980 era with two coup d'etats and a bloody social history. 

But it does so by following two families, from the viewpoints of their children, Ayşe and Ali. These two children tell the story from their naive and nearly comprehending perspectives, and the story is stronger because of it. Their hope and optimism in the face of larger events, which the reader can parse in a way that the children can't, is compelling.

The children believe that they can affect circumstances, whether it's by Ayşe's conviction that they need to get butterflies inside parliament, or their growing need to rescue a swan from the city park from which swans have been disappearing to serve as adornment for the government's private properties, with their wings clipped so they can not fly away.

In this summer of 1980, mute swans have migrated from Siberia to the Black Sea for the first time in decades. This unusual occurrence and the resultant swan kidnapping stands as metaphor in the book, for the Turkish people's freedom. But it is also a powerful theme because of its internal logic, and the way that the children come to their plan naturally.

As the story progresses and the quirks of both children are shared, the reader becomes very attached to both of them. They are each complex characters with intense internal lives that the adults around them overlook.The innocence of their narrative places the horrors around them in higher relief. And yet the conclusion is uplifting, with both  a sense of possibility and of closure.

This book was both illuminating in an historical sense, and a wonderfully done narrative. Although it can be difficult to write from a child's perspective, I felt that Ece Temelkuran captured something in her depiction of these children, and these families, that was ephemeral and fleeting and as likely to evade being pinned down as Ayşe's butterflies. A beautiful, powerful read. Recommended.


For a more complete and detailed review of this book, check out this article at the Turkish Literature Blog, including music. 

The 11th Canadian Book Challenge - The Halfway Point!

Following in John's footsteps, I present here the traditional halfway roundup of titles read thus far for the 11th Canadian Book Challenge!

You've all done very well indeed, and given me a lot of titles to gather up -- lots of variety -- some interesting debut authors, fiction in translation, nonfiction, children's books, graphic novels, just to mention a few. And not many duplicated titles -- I'm actually quite amazed at how many different authors and titles have been read with hardly any doubled up!

The first author to have had more than one title reviewed was Sarah Mlynowski. The author with the highest number of different titles reviewed so far is Mordecai Richler. The title with the most reviews so far is Glass Houses by Louise Penny. Strangest author so far? Twitter account @stats_canada!

If you find any missing or incorrect links please let me know either in the comments or a quick email. Thanks!



@stats_canada
-150 Years of Stats Canada! (Red 5)

Abdou, Angie
-Between (Naomi)
-The Bone Cage (Naomi)
-The Canterbury Trail  (Naomi)

Abel, Jordan 
-Injun (John Mutford)

Agg, Jen
-I Hear She's A Real Bitch (Teena)

Aguirre, Carmen
-Mexican Hooker (Lara Maynard)

Alexis, André
-Fifteen Dogs (Pussreboots)

Allenby, Victoria
-Timo Goes Camping (Shonna)

Ali, S.K.
Saints & Misfits (Pussreboots)

Anderson, R.J.
-Knife (Heather)
-Rebel (Heather)
-Arrow (Heather)

Armstrong, Kelley
-Missing (Kristilyn)
-Bitten (John Mutford)

Asher, Damian
-Inside the Inferno (Swordsman)

Assiniwi, Bernard
-The Beothuk Saga (Buried in Print)

Atlee, Harold Benge
-Black Feather (Brian Busby)

Atwood, Margaret
-Angel Catbird (Lara Maynard)
-Moral Disorder (Eric P.)
-Stone Mattress (Lara Maynard)

Bailey, Linda
-Carson Crosses Canada (Pussreboots)

Baker, Carleigh
-Bad Endings (John Mutford)

Barber, Terry
-Laura Secord (Irene)

Barclay, Linwood
-Chase (Heather)
-The Twenty Three (Shonna)
-Parting Shot (Luanne, Teena)

Barr, Robert
-Revenge! (Brian Busby)

Bass, Karen
-Two Times a Traitor (Shonna)

Bennett, John & Susan Rowley
-Uqalurait: An Oral History of Nunavut (John Mutford)

Bergen, David
-The Retreat (Wendy)

Berkhout, Nina
-The Mosaic (Heather)

Best, Gillian
-The Last Wave (Shonna)

Boone, Ezekiel
-Skitter (Darlene, Luanne)

Bordeleau, Virginia Pésémapéo
-Winter Child (Shonna)

Bourgeois, Paulette
-Franklin in the Dark (RIEDEL Fascination)

Boutilier, Alicia & Tobi Bruce
-The Artist Herself (Buried in Print)

Bowen, Gail
-A Colder Kind of Death (RIEDEL Fascination)

Burnford, Sheila
-The Incredible Journey (RIEDEL Fascination)

Braithwaite, Max
-The Mystery of the Muffled Man (Brian Busby)

Brandt, Gerald
The Courier (Crystal)

Britt, Fanny
-Hunting Houses (Shonna)

Brooks, Martha
-Queen of Hearts (Darlene)

Brown, Karma
-In This Moment (Teena)

Bruneau, Carol
-A Bird on Every Tree (Naomi)

Butler, Paul
-The Widow's Fire (Naomi)

Cameron, Claire
-The Line Painter (Wendy)
-The Last Neanderthal (Crystal, Buried in Print)

Cameron, Janet E.
-Cinnamon Toast & The End of the World (Mary)

Capogna, Laurie & Barbara Pelletier, Drs.
-Eyefoods (Red 5)

de Castell, Sebastien
-Tyrant's Throne (Swordsman)

Caulfield, Timothy
-The Cure for Everything (Teena)

Champniss, Kim Clarke
-Skinheads, Fur Traders & DJs (Teena)

Chapman, Brenda
-Shallow End (Shonna)

Chariandy, David
Brother (Teena, Naomi, Luanne)

Choy, Wayson
Not Yet (Raidergirl)

Choyce, Lesley
-The Thin Place (Teena)
-The Unlikely Redemption of John Alexander MacNeil (Naomi)

Cole, Trevor
-The Whiskey King (Teena)

Comeau, Joey
-Malagash (Shonna)

Coupland, Douglas
Marshall McLuhan (Raidergirl)

Crate, Joan
-Black Apple (Red 5)

Curtis, Christopher Paul
-The Madman of Piney Woods (Sherrie)

Curtis, Sky
- Flush (Melwyk)

Cusk, Rachel
-Transit (Naomi)

Cutter, Nick
-The Troop (Darlene)

Davidson, Craig
-Cataract City (Wendy)

Davies, Robertson
-The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies (Mary)

Delisle, Guy
Burma Chronicles (Barbara)

Demchuk, David
-The Bone Mother (Melwyk)

Dent, John Charles
-The Gerrard Street Mystery (Brian Busby)

Dimaline, Cherie
-The Marrow Thieves (Buried in Print)

Donaldson, Chelsea
-Chris Hadfield (Sherrie)

Donoghue, Emma
-The Lotterys Plus One (Pussreboots)

Doyle, Alan
-A Newfoundlander in Canada (Teena)

Dunn, Philippa
-Mysterious Rescue (RIEDEL Fascination)

El Akkad, Omar
-American War (Crystal)

Engel, Howard 
-A Victim Must Be Found (RIEDEL Fascination)

Engel, Marian
-The Tattooed Woman (Eric P)

Enns, Karen
-Cloud Physics (Eric P)

Faber, Sarah
-All is Beauty Now (Naomi)

Fallis, Terry
-Best Laid Plans (Lisa)

Ferguson, Will
-419 (Red 5)

Ferrier, Ryan
-D4ve (Pussreboots)

Findley, Timothy
-You Went Away (Eric P.)

Fleming, May Agnes
-Edith Percival (Brian Busby)

Florence, Elinor
-Bird's Eye View (Lara Maynard)

Forsberg, Lois
-Prairie Ghosts (RIEDEL Fascination)

Fortier, Anne
-The Lost Sisterhood (Shonna)

Gallagher, John
-Big League Babble On (Teena)

Gallant, Mavis
-Montreal Stories (Lara Maynard)

George, Stephen R.
-Grandma's Little Darling (Brian Busby)

Graham, Genevieve
-Tides of Honour (Red 5)

Green, Shari
-Macy McMillan & the Rainbow Goddess (Pussreboots)

Griffin, Daniel
-Two Roads Home (Buried in Print)

Gunnery, Sylvia
-Road Signs That Say West (Shonna)

Hadfield, Chris
-An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth (Crystal)
-The Darkest Dark (Sherrie)

Halle, Karina
-After All (Marie)

Hardcastle, Kevin
-In the Cage (Naomi)

Harlick, R.J.
-Purple Palette for Murder (Shonna)

Hart-Green, Sharon
-Come Back For Me (Lara Maynard)

Heras, Theo & Renné Benoit
-Baby Cakes (Shonna)

Hill, Dan
-The Comeback (Brian Busby)

Hill, Lawrence
-The Illegal (Red 5)

Hilton, Kate
-Just Like Family (Shonna, Kristilyn)

Hornby, Lance
Toronto and the Maple Leafs (Teena)

Howe, Murray
Nine Lessons I Learned From My Father (Teena)

Humphries, Helen
-The Ghost Orchard (Irene, Shonna)

Hynes, Joel Thomas
We'll All Be Burnt in Our Beds Some Night (Naomi)

Igloliorte, Heather, ed.
-Sakkijajuk: Art & Craft from Nunatsiavut (Buried in Print)

Iskwé & Erin Leslie
Will I See (John Mutford)

Jennings, Maureen
-Under the Dragon's Tail (Pussreboots)

Johnston, E.K.
-Exit, Pursued By a Bear (Sherrie)
-That Inevitable Victorian Thing (Crystal)

Johnston, Lyla June & Joy de Vito
-Lifting Hearts Off the Ground (Red 5)

Kaan, Michael
-The Water Beetles (Buried in Print)

Kearsley, Susanna
-The Firebird (Red 5)

Khan, Ausma Zehanat
-The Unquiet Dead (Red 5)

Kidman Cox, Rosamund
-Wildlife Photographer of the Year: Portfolio 25 (Pussreboots)

King, Thomas
-The Back of the Turtle (Buried in Print)

Klassen, Jon
-Triangle (Pussreboots)

Kureluk, William
-A Northern Nativity (RIEDEL Fascination)

Leach, Norman S.
-Cavalry of the Air (Swordsman)

Leach, Sara
-Slug Days (Shonna)

Lee, Nancy
-Dead Girls (Eric P.)

Lemire, Jeff
-Descender: Tin Stars (John Mutford)
-Roughneck (Pussreboots)
-Black Hammer (Pussreboots)

Lethbridge, Ann
-More Than a Lover (Shonna)

Lloyd Kyi, Tanya
-Nova Scotia (RIEDEL Fascination)

Lorinc, John et al
-The Ward (Swordsman, Teena)

Lyttle, Alex
-From Ant to Eagle (Pussreboots)

Mackenzie, Lee
-Charming Predator (Teena)

Maclear, Kyo & Kenard Pak
-The Fog (Pussreboots)

Maharaj, Rabindranath
-Homer in Flight (Eric P)

Majumdar, Anita
-The Fish Eyes trilogy (Eric P.)

Mandel, Emily St John
-Station Eleven (Crystal)

Marais, Bianca
-Hum if you don't know the words (Naomi)

Marie, Annette
-The Red Winter trilogy (Crystal)

Marquis, Greg
-Truth & Honour (Teena, Swordsman)

Marshall, Debbie
-Firing Lines (Shonna)

Mastai, Elan
-All Our Wrong Todays (Pussreboots)

Matejova, Maria
Wherever I Find Myself (Irene)

Mayr, Suzette
-Dr. Edith Vane & the Hares of Crawley Hall (Melwyk)

McGrath, Robin
-Coasting Trade (Lara Maynard)

Mclayne, Alyson
-Highland Promise (Heather)

McMillan, Rachel
-The Bachelor Girl's Guide to Murder (Sherrie)
-The White Feather Murders (Sherrie)

McNamee, Graham
-Acceleration (Heather)

Melick, Angela
-We Are the Engineers (Pussreboots)

Merasty, Joseph Auguste with David Carpenter
The Education of Augie Merasty (Red 5)

Michaels, Sean
-Us Conductors (Pussreboots)

Michaud, Andrée A.
-Boundary (Naomi)

Mlynowski, Sarah
-Fairest of All (Heather)
-Ten Things We Did (Pussreboots)

Montgomery, L.M.
-After Many Years (Melwyk)
-Anne of Avonlea (Red 5)

Morgan, Lael
-Good Time Girls of the Alaska-Yukon Gold Rush (John Mutford)

Nemat, Marina
-Prisoner of Tehran (Irene)
-After Tehran (Irene)

Neuvel, Sylvain
-Waking Gods (Shonna)

Norrie, Helen
-He Saw Himself in All His Creatures (RIEDEL Fascination)

O'Loughlin, Ed
-Minds of Winter (Naomi)

O'Neill, Heather
-The Lonely Hearts Hotel (Lara Maynard)

Oppel, Kenneth
-Skybreaker (Pussreboots)
-Airborn (Raidergirl)
-The Boundless (Sherrie)

Ozeki, Ruth
-A Tale for the Time Being (Heather, Raidergirl)

Penny, Louise
-Glass Houses (Luanne, Shonna, Raidergirl)

Peterman, Michael
-Sisters in Two Worlds (Raidergirl)

Peterson, Zoey Leigh
-Next Year For Sure (Naomi, Crystal)

Plett, Casey
-A Safe Girl to Love (Pussreboots)

Poplak, Lorna
-Drop Dead (Teena)

Porter, Helen
-Below the Bridge (Lara Maynard)

Poulin, Jacques
-Volkswagen Blues (Pussreboots)

Preston, Brent
-The New Farm (Teena)

Pyper, Andrew
-The Only Child (Lisa)

Raughley, Sarah
-Fate of Flames (Shonna)

Redhill, Michael
-Bellevue Square (Luanne, Naomi)

Reichs, Kathy
-Devil Bones (Lisa)
-Cross Bones (Lisa)
-Grave Secrets (Lisa)

Reid, Iain
-I'm Thinking of Ending Things (Wendy, Pussreboots)

Richler, Mordecai
-Joshua Then & Now (Mary R)
-O Canada, O Quebec (Mary R)
-The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz (Eric P)
-The Street (Eric P.)

Robinson, Eden
-Son of a Trickster (Naomi)

Robinson, Peter
-Sleeping in the Ground (Luanne)

Rosenblum, Rebecca
-So Much Love (Naomi)

Rotenberg, Robert
-Heart of the City (Teena, Luanne)

Sadai, Jenn
-Cottage Cheese Thighs (Shonna)

Savage, Candace
-Crows (Raidergirl)

Schatzker, Mark
-The Dorito Effect (Raidergirl)

Seth
-Dominion (Eric P)
-Wimbledon Green (Eric P)
-GNBCC (Eric P)

Shields, Carol and Patrick Crowe
-Susanna Moodie: Roughing It In The Bush (Raidergirl)

Sibbeston, Nick
-You Will Wear a White Shirt (John Mutford)

Simpson, Anne
-An Orange from Portugal (Red 5)

Snyder, Scott & Jeff Lemire
-A.D. After Death (John Mutford)

Spence, Janis
-On the Beach in Spanish Room (Lara Maynard)

St John, Dennis
-Yellowknife (John Mutford)

Stevens, Chevy
-Those Girls (Sherrie)

Stratten, Scott
-Unmarketing (Teena)
-QR Codes Kill Kittens (Teena)
-The Book of Business Awesome/UnAwesome (Teena)

Szalay, David
-All That Man Is (Shonna)

Talkington, Bruce
Boo To You, Winnie the Pooh (RIEDEL Fascination)

Tamaki, Jillian
-Boundless (Pussreboots)

Thomas, Mike
-You Might Remember Me (Teena)

Timmer, Julie Lawson
-Mrs. Saint and the Defectives (Pussreboots)

Todd, Jack
Rose & Poe (Naomi)

Toews, Miriam
-The Flying Troutmans (Pussreboots)

Trotter, Kathleen
-Finding Your Fit (Teena)

Urquhart, Doug
-Eyes of the Husky (John Mutford)

Urquhart, Jane
-Night Stages (Lara Maynard)

Vermette, Katherena & Scott B. Henderson
-A Girl Called Echo (John Mutford)

Wagamese, Richard
-Embers (Red 5)
-Indian Horse (Red 5)

Wallin, Pamela
-The Comfort of Cats (RIEDEL Fascination)

Walsh, Mary
-Crying for the Moon (John Mutford, Teena)

Walter, Emmanuelle
-Stolen Sisters (Red 5)

Watson, Sheila B.
-Cadillac Couches (Pussreboots)

Watt, Alison
-Dazzle Patterns (Naomi)

Watt-Cloutier, Sheila
-The Right to Be Cold (Red 5)

Webb, Phyllis
-Peacock Blue (Eric P)

Wees, Frances Shelley
-Where is Jenny Now? (Brian Busby)

Whitehead, Ruth Holmes
-The Mi'kmaq (Lara Maynard)

Whittingham, Jane & Noel Tuazon
-Wild One (Shonna)

Wilkshire, Nick
-The Moscow Code (Teena)

Willis, Deborah
-The Dark and other love stories (Shonna)

Wilson, Ethel
-Hetty Dorval (Leaves & Pages)
-Swamp Angel (Leaves & Pages)

Winters, Michelle
-I Am a Truck (Naomi)

Wolfe, Margie
-150 Fascinating Facts about Canadian Women (Teena)

Wynne-Jones, Tim
-Blink & Caution (Sherrie)

11th Annual Canadian Book Challenge: January Roundup

What Canadian books did you read and review in January?

 

1.	Sarah (Adventure on Whalebone Island)	43.	Roth-Newfoundland	85.	Roth-Spider Web
2.	Roth- ILi Bai's Shadow	44.	Roth-Hard Light	86.	Roth-A Stitch in Time
3.	Roth-When my world was very small	45.	Roth-Vancouver	87.	Roth-Flying Troutman
4.	Roth-Big Blue	46.	Sherrie(Break and Enter)	88.	Roth-Shattered
5.	Roth-Wild One	47.	Melwyk (Painted Girls)	89.	Roth-Sweet Jesus
6.	Roth-Beowulf	48.	John Mutford	90.	Roth-Big Book of Canada
7.	Roth-Why 35 million not enough	49.	Roth-She dared	91.	Roth-Until it Fades
8.	Roth-Canadianty	50.	Roth-After Many Years	92.	Roth-Book of Letters
9.	roth-Galore	51.	Roth-Bucket list	93.	Roth-First Nations
10.	Roth-Trees	52.	Roth-Speaking Our Truth	94.	Roth-Surviving Canada
11.	Roth-Signs	53.	Roth-In other words	95.	Roth-Now you Know Canada
12.	Roth - March Forth	54.	Roth-Celebration of Canada	96.	Roth-O.C. Daniel
13.	Roth-Glorious and Free	55.	Roth-Montreal	97.	Roth-Dust to Dust
14.	Roth-Resilience	56.	Roth-Where Oliver Fits	98.	Roth-LM Montgomery
15.	Roth-Trees of Ontario	57.	Roth-You Hold Me Up	99.	Roth-Purple Swamp Hen
16.	Roth-Canada's Trees	58.	Roth-warts and all	100.	Roth-Lost Canoe
17.	Luanne (The Wolves of Winter)	59.	Roth-Who's Your City	101.	Roth-Wild Berries
18.	Teena ("Dogs and Underdogs" by Elizabeth Abbott)	60.	Roth-Been there	102.	Roth-Monoculture
19.	Heather - The Inevitable Victorian Thing	61.	Roth-Learning to Yearn	103.	Roth-House in the sky
20.	Heather - The Purchase	62.	Roth-Hairy Legs	104.	Roth-Flee, fly
21.	Heather - Arrow	63.	Roth-Warm for Winter	105.	Roth-Rural Resilience
22.	Heaher - Kat & Meg Conquer the World	64.	Roth-The Promise of Canada	106.	Roth-Prime Ministers
23.	RUFFLES, RUFFLES EVERYWHERE!	65.	Roth-Miss Confederation	107.	Roth-Good luck
24.	Barb @ Leaves & Pages (Tamarac)	66.	Roth-Stats Canada	108.	Roth-Canadian Year
25.	Sarah (Black Hammer Vol 2)	67.	Roth-At home	109.	Roth-Travels with My Family
26.	Swordsman (Chuvalo: A Fighters Life)	68.	Teena ("Tin Men" by Mike Knowles)	110.	Roth-On the Road Again
27.	Roth-Hidden Life	69.	Mysteries and More (wishful Seeing)	111.	Roth-The Room
28.	Roth-Hidden in Plain Sight	70.	Sarah (Welcome to the Real World)	112.	Roth-Close to Hugh
29.	Roth-Canada	71.	Melwyk (Crows)	113.	Roth-Cadillac
30.	Roth-Girl Runner	72.	Melwyk (Rule of Luck)	114.	Roth-Ending things
31.	Roth-Truth About Stories	73.	Teena ("Keep Her Safe" by K.A. Tucker)	115.	Roth-Little Shadows
32.	Roth-History's people	74.	Mysteries and More (More Tough Crimes)	116.	Kaley (Keep Her Safe)
33.	Roth-Universe Within	75.	Shonna (A Stranger in the House)	117.	Kaley (Hot Shot)
34.	Roth-Wayfinders	76.	Melwyk (Marrow Thieves)	118.	Brian Busby (The Invisible Worm)
35.	Roth-Ghost Orchard	77.	Teena ("Beautiful Scars" by Tom Wilson)	119.	Carolyn@RIEDEL Fascination (Lost Among The Living)
36.	Roth-After Tehran	78.	Sarah (War at Ellsmere)	120.	Carolyn @ RIEDEL Fascination (Walt Disney's Pluto)
37.	Roth-Prisoner of Tehran	79.	Brian Busby (The Heiress of Castle Cliffe)	121.	Carolyn @ RIEDEL Fascination (The Murder Stone)
38.	Roth-Wherever I find Myself	80.	John (Betty Boop)	122.	CM RIEDEL (The Secret Treasure Of Oak Island)
39.	Roth-Laura Secord	81.	Swordsman (Embers: One Ojibway's Meditations)	123.	Carolyn @ RIEDEL Fascination (The Tin Flute)
40.	Roth-White Cat	82.	Barb @ Leaves & Pages (No Great Mischief)	124.	Sarah (A Darkness Absolute)
41.	Roth-Tokyo Digs	83.	Roth-Squawkign Chicken	125.	Eric (Fresh Girls)
42.	Roth-Sidewalk Flowers	84.	Roth-Only Child

(Cannot add links: Registration/trial expired)

1. Click on the icon above
2. Add a link to your review. (Please link to your specific review, not an entire webpage.)
3. Add your name and in parentheses the title of the book, such as Melwyk (Anne of Green Gables)
4. In the comment section below, tell me your grand total so far. (ex. "This brings me up to 1/13")
5. In the comment section below, note whether you've read a book which meets the monthly challenge set via email for participants.