Murder Must Advertise

NY: HarperTorch, 1995, c1933

Since I just shared the two volumes of the Lord Peter Wimsey series that I didn't much like, I think it is only fair that I now share one my favourites of them all. 

In Murder Must Advertise, Lord Peter goes undercover at an ad agency, under the nom de plume of Death Bredon. (These are his actual middle names -- considering his notoriety and the ease of looking up his name in Debretts, I think this alias is just a little weak...but it's fun).

One of the employees has fallen down the central stairwell and killed himself; the owners are suspicious and want someone on the inside to check into things and be sure everything is kosher. Of course, it's not. 

I loved this book, a long study of the daily grind of an advertising agency. Now, I don't know how closely this hews to this particular kind of business, but the details of office life and personalities, and the hierarchies and cliques that form and operate in an office, are spot on. Sayers has an eye for the absurd which is used very well here. Even seeing the staid Lord Peter get into character and end up doing cartwheels down the hall at one point doesn't seem unlikely! 

The mystery in this one was also enjoyable; hard to decipher but seeming quite plausible when it was all revealed. The people involved behaved in a believable way, hiding their allegiances and/or guilt quite naturally. And there are many characters here, a building full of eccentrics. I really enjoyed them all. 

The women in the office are also entertaining, and the interactions around cakes and tea and who is going to buy them today were so Barbara Pymish. Actually that may be one reason I liked this one so much, there is a sense of arch, interpersonal wit à la Barbara Pym anticipated in this workplace, which is even called - wait for it -  Pym's Publicity.

The women are also very intelligent; it's one of them who quite quickly cottons on to who Death Bredon is in actuality, despite a very funny scene where three of his new coworkers see Lord Peter in his Lord status outside of work, and he has to perform an elaborate sleight of hand to keep his alibi going. Really over the top and a little ridiculous, but so fun, and it brings in his old friend Detective Charles Parker, who we don't see enough of as the series progresses. Really the only weakness in this one for me is the dearth of Bunter. Since most of the story takes place during working hours, we don't see as much of Bunter here. 

And since Lord Peter hasn't really held down a day job like this one before, it was also amusing to see him falling into the rhythms of it easily. When the police finally call him to tell him vital information about the case, he's actually annoyed because he is in thrall to his first (and as it happens, last) genius marketing campaign. 

There are a few forays into other places, in the subplot that includes drug dens and Bright Young Things, and Lord Peter in yet another disguise. But I liked work hours best!

It's a really solid novel with a mystery tossed in, and there is a dark undercurrent tied into the whole concept of advertising -- the push to consume to be happy, the idea that you always have to strive for things to make you better than you are -- it's all there. And the consequences too. 

As workplace mysteries go, this one is a hit for me. I laughed and was thoroughly entertained, and was a bit chilled by the conclusion too. Lord Peter in a slightly different setting, but still in London, worked better than Lord Peter on vacation.

Peter Wimsey: Two outside London

I'm skipping out of order with my reviews of the Peter Wimsey series today -- I'm skipping over Book 4, a volume of short stories, and book six is the first Harriet book, which I'll be sharing later with the rest of her tales.

So today I'm going to talk a bit about two in the series that I wasn't as impressed with.

New English Library 1979, c1931

First off is Book 7, Five Red Herrings. This is a classic 'sleuth on vacation' book. Lord Peter and Bunter are up in Scotland on a fishing holiday. They are staying in a small village overrun with artists, including many who love to paint en plein air.

One of the artists is found murdered at the bottom of a hill. Who could have done this? There are five suspects, all to be found in this enclosed village. The premise and the cast of characters are good; the plot and the interminable rushing about and studying train schedules for alibis is.... not good. Who cares when one train gets in and another leaves? Or if they were on time on a particular day, and whether someone had a ticket or not? This alibi business all depends on a stolid bureaucracy. This book was tedious, overdone, and, well, boring!

At least I found it so. I prefer Lord Peter in his natural surroundings of London, or perhaps Oxford at a stretch. The mystery in Five Red Herrings revolves around timetables and artistic details, none of which a reader can guess at. And it goes on for far too long. Near the end, Peter gets the local detective and judge and they re-enact the murder to see how it might have been done. This just goes over the whole business again, in a lengthy and quite silly way.

So, probably my least favourite of all the books (barring perhaps some of the short stories). I won't be rereading this one. If this vacation was meant to be a rest cure for Lord Peter, it didn't deliver; neither was it an entertainment for this reader.

London: Gollancz, c1934.

And now for book 11, The Nine Tailors. This is a favourite of some readers of the series. I've seen it noted that many critics say it's the best of the whole lot.

But I disagree. While not as tedious as Five Red Herrings, this one goes into great detail about English bell ringing, otherwise known as campanology. Yawn! While it did speed the reading along, since I skimmed over most of the interminable discussions of bell ringing details, it did mean there was no chance I could comprehend the clues to the mystery until they were later spelled out directly. Understanding bell ringing notation would have clued in a reader earlier, but no thanks. I found this element far too finicky and snobby, really.

The good parts of this book lie in some of the descriptions; Peter and Bunter are driving in the Fens and get stuck in a winter storm, thus finding themselves in the midst of an unexpected mystery. The evocation of landscape and of the actual experience of hearing the bells was wonderfully done, visually and sensorily. But again, I always prefer Peter in London - his involvement in this village's life and mysteries felt a little too convenient for the author's purpose to be wholly engaging.

There were good bits of this, if you read it for the setting and the characterizations of the vicar, various inhabitants of the village, and the upper class family outside of town. The interactions between many of these were finely drawn and the most interesting part of the story, to me. The mystery itself was not likely, and a bit overdone, to my tastes. But each to their own. My own favourite of the series is not one that others might like at all. But more on that one later...

Grace: A Memoir

Grace: A Memoir / Grace Coddington
New York: Random House, c2012.
416 p.

I picked up this book at the library as I've always been interested in fashion and especially Vogue. If you've seen The September Issue, then you'll have met Grace Coddington, model turned fashion editor turned long-time staple at American Vogue.

Don't be misled by the size of this book -- although it's 416 p., that's 400+ pages of wide margins, lovely little sketches done by Grace, and pretty easy reading.

I wanted to love this book. And I did love the first half. The story of her childhood could be a book in its own right. It was dreamy and lovely and extremely intriguing. Then she heads off to London at 18 to become a fashion model. She succeeds, despite a disfiguring car crash early on, bad relationships, and more. Most of the second half of the book is about her movement in the fashion world -- names, companies, photographers, various boyfriends/husbands, working for different bosses and then Anna Wintour. The route her career took is a bit unusual, and the minutiae of daily life in this high fashion world is very different to  anything familiar to me. I was interested in all this; if you're not into the everyday of fashion magazines, it might grow a bit wearing for you as a reader. 

One thing that caught me right away was the entertaining chapter headings, in the style of 19th century writers, ie: Chapter One: in which a young girl leaves home etc etc. I don't have the book with me so it's not exactly that but has the same phrasing -- and each one is pretty much a summary of the chapter so you could easily skim through it just with chapter headings.

I thought that the addition of her quirky, individual sketches was a great idea, as she says herself that she is a visual person, not a word person (and says that she's only read 2 books as an adult - can't relate!) . But this is also the downfall of the book -- the lack of facility with words and storytelling structure. There are ellipses in her story; things happen but we're not sure why or what she learned from them; weight is given to slight stories and more serious and devastating events are mentioned in passing. There's a sense that she is quite private and didn't want to tell-all in this memoir. So why a memoir at all? The most emotional truth and sense of narrative is definitely in the beginning, before she leaves home. 

Unfortunately, she doesn't take this opportunity to reflect much on Fashion as a business, or the demands made on women in this profession. She seems to take it all at face value for the most part, and not question much about the expectations of this world around physical appearance or work loads. 

So, while I enjoyed it overall, I'm also glad that I got it from the library, and was able to enjoy the parts that were engaging and skim over the parts that were not (a chapter on her cats and her cat psychic??). I still enjoy Vogue and following fashion, but I don't think we can expect great literature from this venue.

this review first appeared at Following the Thread

Madwoman Upstairs

The Madwoman Upstairs / Catherine Lowell
New York: Touchstone, 2016.
368 p.

This was a random book I found on my library's bookshelves while I was pulling books for another purpose entirely the other day. I looked at it and thought, how did I miss this? The Brontes, academia and literary scavenger hunts, and quirky romantic storytelling? It's for me! 

So I brought it home and read it in a day. It was entertaining, funny, and a good escapist read. On reflection I can think of a bunch of problems with it -- the narrator is a bit of a pill, the scavenger hunt isn't really a hunt, and the romance has major issues in it, mainly that it's a teacher/student one. 

But I enjoyed reading it. It was fun, often predictable plot-wise, but a quick, clever, engaging read that has me wanting to reread Jane Eyre and try out some of Anne Bronte's usually overlooked novels. The part of this book I enjoyed most was the discussion of the Brontes, and the floating of some theories about their family and their writing, and the strong opposition from the main character to the idea that their belongings will illuminate anything about them. (funnily enough, the book that Goodreads recommended to me alongside this title was an academic look at exactly that topic!) 

As to the story itself: Samantha Whipple is apparently the last remaining descendant of the Bronte family. Somehow she gets into Oxford, and is put into a creepy tower room. Her tutor is a shockingly young and good looking man who is also completely sarcastic and overbearing in a British, curmudgeonly way. Of course you know that he's going to be the romantic lead right away -- why else would they be so rude to one another immediately (definitely a trope that needs to be retired). 

He's also connected to Samantha in ways that she doesn't figure out until the end, although the reader will have figured it out long before. There are complications in Samantha's past; her mother left her family when Sam was young, and she was then raised by her complicated, drunken writer of a father. Homeschooled too, which adds to her social awkwardness. Though I didn't really buy her character, it felt constructed rather than organic. 

In any case, she has to figure out the apparent Bronte legacy that she's been left, and figure out her life in general. I really loved the Oxford and Bronte bits, liked the backstory, and wanted to like the romance. Alas, the fact that he was her tutor ruined it for me in this contemporary setting. The reflection of Jane and Rochester was clear but the setup doesn't carry over to the modern world, at least not for me. 

Still, I had a lot of fun reading this, and am now interested in looking up some Bronte scholarship to see what she made up and what she pulled from current theory. It was entertaining and amusing, which was just what I needed from it. 

12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge: the Final & Complete Roundup!

It's the end of the 12th Challenge! This year we have read a huge variety of books.

Here is a quick statistical roundup for all the numbers geeks :)



Together we read a total of 432 different authors. Within all of these authors, we have a total of 572 different titles. There aren't very many repeat reviews for those titles either!

The author who had the highest number of reviews overall, at 16, was Louise Penny. She was tied with LM Montgomery with the most titles read, which was 10 for each. 

The first author to have had more than one title reviewed was Jeff Lemire.

The first title to be reviewed more than once was Vi by Kim Thuy.

The title that had the most individual reviews was An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim, with 6.

And looking at the alphabet, we have authors that represent every letter of the alphabet, except for X...which is always a tough one to find :)

So our total review count for the 12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge is 624 reviews

And the complete number of reviews shared in the twelve years of Canadian Book Challenge reading is 8,922!

Now on to the reviews!



Ace, Cathy
-Corpse with the Silver Tongue (Teena)
-Corpse with the Golden Nose (Teena)
-Corpse with the Emerald Thumb (Teena)

Acheson, Alison
-A Little House in a Big Place (Irene)

Al Rabeeah, Abu Bakr & Winnie Yeung
-Homes (Irene)

Alexis, André
-Fifteen Dogs (Rob)

Alfano, Michelle
-The Unfinished Dollhouse (Teena)

Allen, Grant
-Miss Cayley's Adventures (Brian Busby)
-An Army Doctor's Romance (Brian Busby)

Aloian, Molly
-Cultural Traditions in Canada (Irene)
-Remembrance Day (Irene)

Anderson, Laurie Halse & Emily Carroll
-Speak (John Mutford)

Andra-Warner, Elle
-Robert Service (RIEDEL Fascination)

Andrasofszky, Kalman & Leonard Kirk
-Captain Canuck Aleph (John Mutford)

Anstey, Cindy
-Carols & Chaos (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Armstrong, Kelley
-Watcher in the Woods (Luanne)
-City of the Lost (Cath)

Atwood, Margaret
-Blind Assassin (Mary R.)
-The Handmaid's Tale (Reese)
-Penelopiad (Eric P)

Aubert, Rosemary
-Free Reign (TracyK)

Auger, Wendy Frood
-10 Drowsy Dinosaurs (RIEDEL Fascination)

Bach, Mette
-Cinders (Teena)
-Charming (Teena)
-You're You (Teena)

Bailey, Don & Bob Hilderley 
-Best Canadian Christmas Stories (Irene)

Bailey, Linda & Julia Sarda
-Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein (Jo)

Baker, Keith
-Lunenburg (Teena)

Bala, Sharon
-The Boat People (Red 5)

Barbeau, Melissa
-The Luminous Sea (Naomi)

Barbeau-Lavalette, Anaïs
-Suzanne (Melwyk, Irene)

Barclay, Linwood
-Bad Move (Mary R)

Barnes, Mike
-Be With (Irene)

Barr, Robert
-The Triumphs of Eugene Valmont (Brian Busby)

Bass, Karen
-Two Times a Traitor (Puss Reboots)

Bates, Larry
-Beat the Bank (Irene)

Bates, Ronald
-The Wandering World (Reese)

Battistone, Christa
-Simply Delicious, Deliciously Simple (Irene Roth)

Bellow, Saul
-Dangling Man (Reese)

Bender, Rebecca
-Giraffe and Bird Together Again (Shonna)

Benison, CC
-Death At Buckingham Palace (RIEDEL Fascination)
-Ten Lords A Leaping (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Berg, Ron (illus.)
-The Owl & the Pussycat (RIEDEL Fascination)

Bertin, Johanna
-Don Messer (Teena)

Bertin, Leonard
-Target 2067 (Brian Busby)

Betts, Amanda
-In Flanders Fields (Irene)

Bezmogis, David
-Immigrant City (Eric P)

Bhathena, Tanaz
-The Beauty of the Moment (PussReboots)

Bidini, Dave
-Midnight Light (John Mutford, Irene)

Bird, Kate
-Vancouver in the Seventies (Eric)

Birney, Earle
-Turvey (Leaves & Pages)

Bischoff, Theanna
-Left (Teena)
-Swallow (Teena)

Blais, Francois
-Document 1 (Reese)

Blais, Marie-Claire
-A Season in the Life of Emmanuel (Buried in Print)
-Mad Shadows (Buried in Print)
-The Manuscripts of Pauline Archange (Buried In Print)
-St. Lawrence Blues (Buried in Print)
-Nights in the Underground (Buried in Print)

Bonner, Margerie
-The Shapes that Creep (Brian Busby)

Boone, Ezekiel
-Zero Day (Darlene)
-The Mansion (Luanne)

Boothby, Ian & Nina Matsumoto
-Sparks! (John Mutford)

Bouchet, David
-Sun of a Distant Land (Eric)

Bourgeois, Paulette
-Franklin's Neighbourhood (RIEDEL Fascination)

Bow, James
-Canadian Structures & Sustainability (Irene)

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

Bowers, Vivian
-British Columbia (Irene)

Bowling, Tim
-The Tinsmith (Shonna)

Boyagoda, Randy
-Original Prin (Reese)

Bradley, Alan
-The Grave's A Fine & Private Place (Wendy/Kentworld)
-As Chimney Sweepers Come to Dust (Read Warbler)
-The Weed That Strings the Hangman's Bag (Red 5)
-The Golden Tresses of the Dead (Melwyk, PussReboots, Mary R)
-A Red Herring Without Mustard (Irene)

Brand, Dionne
-Theory (Irene)

Brenna, Beverley
-Sapphire the Great and the Meaning of Life (Shonna)

Bronskill, Jim & Dave McKie
-Your Right to Privacy (Irene)

Brown, Calef
-Hypnotize a Tiger (Mary R)

Brown, Ron
-Canada's World Wonders (Irene)

Buck, Wilfred
-Tipiskawi Kisik: Night Sky Star Stories (John Mutford)

Buell, John
-Playground (Leaves & Pages)

Buist, Ron
-Tales From Under the Rim (Teena)

Bunney, Gail
-Heart of a Horse (RIEDEL Fascination)

Burden, Arnold
-The Dramatic Life of a Country Doctor (Teena)

Burford-Mason, Aileen
-Eat Well, Age Better (Irene)

Burn, KC
-Tartan Candy (Darlene)

Burrows, Steve
-A Tiding of Magpies (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Busby, Brian
-The Dusty Bookcase (TracyK)

Calvert, Kathy
-Ya Ha Tinda (Irene)

Cameron, Susan
-These Four Walls (Irene)

Campbell, Kumari
-Prince Edward Island (Irene)

Campbell, Melodie
-The B-Team (Bill Selnes)

Carlucci, Paul
-High-Rise in Fort Fierce (Naomi)

Casey, Quentin
-The Sea Was in Their Blood (Irene)

Chapman, Brenda
-Turning Secrets (Teena)

Charleyboy, Lisa & Mary Beth Leatherdale
-Not Your Princess (Irene Roth)

Choyce, Lesley
-Peggy's Cove (Teena)

Chretien, Jean
-My Stories, My Times (Irene)

Christensen, Julia
-No Home in a Homeland (John Mutford)

Clark, Michael J.
-Clean Sweep (Shonna)

Clarkson, Adrienne
-A Lover More Condoling (Brian Busby)

Clewes, Rosemary
-The Woman Who Went to the Moon (John Mutford)

Cody, H.A.
-The Girl At Bullet Lake (Brian Busby)

Cohen, Leonard
-The Flame (Irene)

Collins, Carolyn Strom & Christina Wyss Eriksson
-The Anne of Green Gables Christmas Treasury (Red5)

Comer, Valerie
-Sown in Love (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Compton, Wade
-The Outer Harbour (Eric)

Conner, Jennifer
-The Empress of Ireland (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Cook, Eileen
-One Lie Too Many (PussReboots)
-You Owe Me a Murder (PussReboots)

Cooley, Brian
-Make-a-Saurus (PussReboots)

Cooper, Paige
-Zolitude (Nancy)

Coren, Michael
-Epiphany (Irene)

Côté, Véronique & Steve Gagnon
-I Never Talk About It (Melwyk)

Cotter, Charis
-Ghost Road (PussReboots)

Coulter, Myrl
-The Left Handed Dinner Party (Reese)

Coupland, Douglas
-Terry (Gord, Teena)
-Bit Rot (Gord)

Creasey, Eleanor
-On Remembrance Day (Irene)

Crewe, Lesley
-Relative Happiness (Teena)

Critch, Mark
-Son of a Critch (Teena, Irene)

Crozier, Lorna
-So Many Babies (Irene)
-Lots of Kisses (Irene)

Curtis, Andrea
-Eat this! (Irene)

Curtis, Sky
-Flush (Irene)

Curtis, Wayne
-Sleigh Tracks in New Snow (Lisa)

Cushing, E.L.
-Murder's No Picnic (Brian Busby)
-Maid At Arms (Brian Busby)

Czajkowski, Chris
-Cabin at Singing River (Leaves & Pages)

Davidson, Craig
-The Saturday Night Ghost Club (Luanne, Melwyk, Irene)
-Cataract City (Irene)
-Precious Cargo (Irene)

Dawn, Amber
-Sodom Road Exit (PussReboots)

Del Rizzo, Suzanne
-My Beautiful Birds (PussReboots)

Delany, Vicky
-White Sand Blues (Jo)
-Elementary, She Read (PussReboots)
-Body on Baker Street (PussReboots)
-Cat of the Baskervilles (PussReboots)
-A Scandal in Scarlet (PussReboots)

Demers, Charles
-Property Values (Rob)

Desjardins, Martine
-The Green Chamber (Melwyk)
-Maleficium (Naomi)

Denbok, Leah
-Nowhere to Call Home (Luanne)

Dewitt, Patrick
-Sisters Brothers (Irene, Rob)
-French Exit (Nancy, Mary R.)

Dickinson, Terence
-Exploring the Sky by Day (Irene)

Diespecker, Dick
-Rebound (Brian Busby)

Dimaline, Cherie
-The Marrow Thieves (Red 5, Swordsman, Naomi)

Dixon, Joan
-Extreme Canadian Weather (RIEDEL Fascination)

Donahue, Anne T.
-Nobody Cares (Irene)

Donoghue, Emma
-The Lotteries, More or Less (PussReboots)

Douglas, Ann
-Happy Parents, Happy Kids (Irene)

Downie, Gord & Jeff Lemire 
-Secret Path (Red 5)

Doyle, Alan
-Where I Belong (John Mutford)

Dumont, Dawn
-Glass Beads (Melwyk, Irene)

Dupont, Eric
-Songs for the Cold of Heart (Buried in Print)

Edugyan, Esi
-Washington Black (Nancy, Mary R)
-Half Blood Blues (Gord, Mary R)

Elliott, Zetta & Aaron Boyd
-Melena's Jubilee (Puss Reboots)
-Dragons in a Bag (Puss Reboots)

Epp, Darrell
-After Hours (Irene)

Fagan, Cary
-The Hollow Under the Tree (Puss Reboots)
-Mr. Zinger's Hat (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Faker, Sarah
-All Beauty is Now (Irene)

Farkas, Endre
-Never, Again (Reese)

Farmer, Bonnie & Marie Lafrance
-Oscar Lives Next Door (Puss Reboots)

Fear, Jan & Chris Masterman
-Flash from the past (Irene Roth)

Feehan, Mike & Mark Russell
-The Snagglepuss Chronicles (John Mutford)

Fenwick, Frances de Wolfe
-The Arch-Satirist (Brian Busby)

Ferguson, Jenny
-Border Markers (PussReboots)

Fernandes, Eugenie
-Kitten's Spring (Irene)

Fielding, Joy
-All the Wrong Places (Luanne)

Fishbane, Melanie 
-Maud (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Flanders, Cait
-Year of Less (Melwyk, Teena, Red5)

Foran, Jill
-Christmas (Irene Roth)

Forrest, John
-Home For Christmas (Red5)

Foster, Amy S.
-When Autumn Leaves (Mary R)

Fowles, Stacy May & Jen Sookfong Lee
-Whatever Gets You Through (Irene)

Fraser, Nancy Wickware
-Mysterious Brockville (RIEDEL Fascination)

Fraser, Tatiana & Caia Hagel
-Girl Positive (Irene)

French, Whitney
-Black Writers Matter (Irene)

Galat, Joan Marie & Georgia Graham
-Stories in the Sky (Irene Roth)

Garcia, Emilio Jose & Samantha Kristoferson
-Recipe for an Extraordinary Life (Irene)

Gardner, Whitney
-Chaotic Good (Melwyk)
-Fake Blood (John Mutford)

Gates, Eva
-Spook in the Stacks (Puss Reboots)

George, Kallie
-The Enchanted Egg (Puss Reboots)
-The Missing Magic (Puss Reboots)
-Heartwood Hotel (PussReboots)

Golliger, Gabriella
-Girl Unwrapped (Reese)

Graham, Genevieve
-Come From Away (Red 5, Naomi, Shonna, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Tides of Honour (Red 5)
-Promises to Keep (Red 5)
-Under the Same Sky (Red 5)
-Sound of the Heart (Red 5)
-At The Mountain's Edge (Luanne, Red 5)

Grainger, Gennifer
-From the Vault (Irene)

Grant, Shauntay & Eva Campbell
-Africville (John Mutford)

Gravel, Elise
-The Mushroom Fan Club (John Mutford)

Gray, John
-Billy Bishop Goes to War (Eric)

Greene, Elizabeth
-A Season Among Psychics (Melwyk)

Grover, Ione
-No Matter What Happens (Irene)
-Book of Blessence (Irene)

Grudova, Camilla
-The Doll's Alphabet (Eric P)

Hague, Tim
-Perseverance (Irene)

Halton, Carissa
-Little Yellow House (Irene)

Hamilton, Ian
-The Water Rat of Wanchai (TraceyK)

Hamilton, Jamie
-Quebec (Irene)

Hampton, Ian
-Jan in 35 Pieces (Irene)

Hancock, Lyn
-Yukon (Irene)

Hancock, Pat & Mark Thurman
-Creatures of the Night (RIEDEL Fascination)

Harding, Robyn
-Her Pretty Face (Luanne)

Harmer, Liz
-The Amateurs (Melwyk)

Harrison, A.S.A.
-The Silent Wife (Patricia)

Harwood, Clarissa
-Bear No Malice (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Impossible Saints (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Hay, Elizabeth
-Garbo Laughs (Irene)
-Alone in the Classroom (Irene)
-His Whole Life (Irene, Shonna)

Haynes, Michael
-The Great Trail (Irene)

Healey, Emma
-Stereoblind (Eric P)

Hébert, Anne
-Am I Disturbing You? (Melwyk)
-Torrent & Other Stories (Buried in Print)

Hebscher, Mark
-The Greatest Athlete (Irene)

Helmer, Marilyn & Laura Watson
-Three Barnyard Tales (RIEDEL Fascination)

Hémon, Louis
-Maria Chapdelaine (Buried in Print)

Heras, Theo & Alice Carter
-Our New Kittens (Shonna)

Hertrich, Edward
-Wasted Time (Irene)

Heti, Sheila
-Motherhood (Irene)

Hicks, Faith Erin
-The Divided Earth (PussReboots)
-Comics Will Break Your Heart (PussReboots)
-Avatar: the Last Airbender: Imbalance (PussReboots)

Hill, Gord
-The Antifa Comic Book (John Mutford)

Ho, Van & Marsha Forchuk Skrypuch
-Too Young to Escape (Shonna)

Hopkinson, Nalo
-The New Moon's Arms (Mary R.)

Horvath, Polly
-Very Rich (PussReboots)

Howarth, Jerry
-Hello Friends! (Teena, Gord)

Hudak, Heather
-Fall Fairs (Irene)
-Family Day (Irene)
-Remembrance Day (Irene)
-Pride Festivals (Irene)
-National Indigenous Peoples Day (Irene)
-Thanksgiving (Irene)
-Dene First Nations (Irene)

Hughes, Alison
-The Cold Little Voice (Irene)

Humphreys, C.C.
-Chasing the Wind (Gord)

Huston, Nancy
-Slow Emergencies (Melwyk)

Hutchins, Hazel & Gail Herbert
-Anna at the Art Museum (Jo)

Hutton, Jack & Linda Jackson-Hutton
-Lucy Maud Montgomery & Bala (Melwyk)

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

Itani, Frances
-Deafening (Red 5)

Janes, J. Robert
-Salamander (TracyK)

Janzen, Rhoda
-Mennonite Meets Mr. Right (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Jarratt, Melynda
-Captured Hearts: New Brunswick's War Brides (Teena)

Jenkins, Steve, Derek Walters & Caprice Crane 
-Happily Ever Esther (John Mutford, Teena)

Jessome, Phonse
-Disposable Souls (Teena)
-Murder at McDonalds (Teena)
-Somebody's Daughter (Teena)

Jewell, Sara
-Field Notes (Teena)

Johns, Chris
-A Taste of Prince Edward Island (Irene)

Johnson, Harold
-Corvus (Melwyk)
-Clifford (Irene)

Johnson, Tyrell
-Wolves of Winter (TracyK)

Jolly, B. Denham
-In The Black (Irene)

Joseph, Bob
-21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act (Shonna)

Kamal, Sheena
-It All Falls Down (Harvee)
-The Lost Ones (Harvee)

Kaufmann, Michael
-The Time Has Come (Irene)

Kearsley, Susannah
-Bellewether (Red 5, PussReboots)
-Mariana (Red 5)
-The Splendour Falls (Red 5)

Kelley, Thomas P.
-The Black Donnellys (Brian Busby)

Kennedy, Roberta (Kung Jaadee)
-Raven's Feast (Irene Roth)

Kerbel, Deborah & Suzanne Del Rizzo
-Before You Were Born (Shonna)

Kessler, Karl & Sunshine Chen
-Overtime (Irene)

Kimmel, Fran
-No Good Asking (Luanne)

King, Basil
-The Empty Sack (Brian Busby)
-The Thread of Flame (Brian Busby)
-The Dust Flower (Brian Busby)
-The Good Doctor (Brian Busby)

King, Thomas
-Coyote Tales (Jo)

Klassen, Jon & Mac Barnett
-Circle (PussReboots)

Klein, Michael
-Dissident Doctor (Irene)

Kooser, Ted & Jon Klassen
-A House Held Up By Trees (Puss Reboots)

Korman, Gordon
-Whatshisface (Pussreboots)
-Restart (Pussreboots)
-The Unteachables (PussReboots)

Kulling, Monica
-Dr. Jo (Jo)

Kyi, Tanya Lloyd
-Prince Pot (Irene)

Lafferty, Catherine
-Northern Wildflower (John Mutford)

Laforme, Chief R. Stacey
-Living in the Tall Grass (John Mutford)

Laidlaw, Rob
-Cat Champions (Teena)

Lalli, Sonya
-Matchmaker's List (Luanne, Teena)

Lambert, Ann
-The Birds That Stay (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Lapeña, Shari
-An Unwanted Guest (Luanne, Lisa)

LaPierre, Margo
-Washing Off the Raccoon Eyes (Shonna)

Laukkanen, Owen
-Deception Cove (Teena)

Laurence, Margaret
-The Stone Angel (PussReboots)

Lawlor, Allison
-Broken Pieces (Irene Roth)

Lawrence, Margaret
-Letters to Baruch (Shonna)

Leach, Sara
-Slug Days (Puss Reboots)

Legrow, Christine & Shirley A. Scott
-Saltwater Mittens (Irene)

Lemelin, Roger
-The Town Below (Buried in Print)
-The Plouffe Family (Buried in Print)

Lemire, Jeff & Dean Ormondston
-Black Hammer: Age of Doom (PussReboots)

Lemire, Jeff, Lewis LaRosa & Mico Suayan
-Bloodshot Salvation (John Mutford)

Lemire, Jeff
-Sherlock Frankenstein (Puss Reboots)
-Roughneck (John Mutford)

Lepp, Royden
-Rust: Soul in the Machine (Puss Reboots)

Leroux, Catherine
-Madame Victoria (Naomi)

Leung, Carrianne 
-That Time I Loved You (Naomi)

Léveillé-Trudel, Juliana
-Nirliit (Melwyk)

Lewis, Robert
-Power, Prime Ministers and the Press (Irene)

Lilley, Joanna
-The Birthday Books (John Mutford)

Lim, Thea
-An Ocean of Minutes (Mary R., Nancy, Melwyk, Irene, Gord, PussReboots)

Lin, Hartley
-Young Frances (Puss Reboots)

Little, Jean
-Different Dragons (RIEDEL Fascination)

Locke, Kevin
-Dawn Flight (Irene Roth)

Loney, Bretton
-The Last Hockey Player (Teena)

Lovett-Reid, Patricia
-Get Real (Irene)

Lye, Harriet Alida
-The Honey Farm (Naomi)

Macdonald, Frankie & Sarah Sawler
-Be Prepared! (Teena)

MacIntyre, Linden
-The Bishop's Man (Wendy/Kentworld)

Mackay, Claire
-Exit Barney McGee (Brian Busby)

Mackay, Isabel Ecclestone
-Blencarrow (Brian Busby)
-House of Windows (Melwyk)
-Up the Hill & Over (Melwyk)

MacKenzie, Lily Iona
-Divine Comedy (Harvee)

Maclear, Kyo
-Bloom (Irene Roth)

MacLeod, Elizabeth
-Meet Viola Desmond (Irene)

MacMillan, Gail
-Ghost of Winters Past (John Mutford)

Mah, Melanie
-The Sweetest One (Irene)

Maharaj, Rabindrinath
-Adjacentland (Eric)

Manguel, Alberto
-Packing My Library (Rob)
-Canadian Mystery Stories (Brian Busby)

Manzer, Jenny
-My Life as a Diamond (Puss Reboots)

Mapa, Lorina
-Duran Duran, Imelda Marcos, & Me (John Mutford)

Marais, Bianca
-Hum If You Don't Know the Words (Shonna)

Marquardt, Tina
-Stray (Luanne)

Marston, Alan
-Strange Desires (Brian Busby)

Marston, Missy
-Bad Ideas (Luanne)

Martel, Yann
-Life of Pi (Darlene)

Mason, Susan Anne
-Best of Intentions (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Mastai, Elan
-All Our Wrong Todays (Rob)

Matejova, Miriam
-Wherever I Find Myself (Darlene)

May, Peter
-Entry Island (TracyK)

Mayr, Suzette
-Monoceros (Puss Reboots)

McCoy, Sarah
-Marilla of Green Gables (FaithHopeCherryTea)

McDonald, Anne

-Miss Confederation: the Diary of Mercy Anne Coles  (Gord)

McFarlane, Amy AKA Franklin W. Dixon
-Phantom Freighter (Brian Busby)

McLellan, Stephanie Simpson
-The Christmas Wind (Irene Roth)

McKay, Ami
-Half Spent Was the Night (Luanne, Shonna)

McKenzie, Bob & Jim Lang
-Everyday Hockey Heroes (Teena)

McMillan, Rachel
-Love in Three Quarter Time (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Rose in Three Quarter Time (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Murder At The Flamingo (FaithHopeCherryTea)

McWatt, Tessa et. al.
-Luminous Ink (Gord)

Mechefske, Lindy
-Out of Old Ontario Kitchens (Irene)

Michels, Mardi
-In the French Kitchen with Kids (Irene)

Mihailidis, Alex & Jan Andrysek
-New Hands New Life (Irene)

Millar, Margaret
-Wives & Lovers (Nancy)
-The Listening Walls (Brian Busby)
-Experiment in Springtime (Brian Busby)
-The Iron Gates (TracyK)

Millar, Nancy
-Once Upon A Tomb:  Stories From Canadian Graveyards (RIEDEL Fascination)

Miller, K.D.
-Late Breaking (Eric, Naomi)
-All Saints (Naomi)

Milton, Steve
-Tessa and Scott (Irene)

Mlynowski, Sarah
-Weather or Not (Puss Reboots)

Mofina, Rick
-Missing Daughter (Teena)

Montgomery, L.M.
-Anne of the Island (Red 5, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Anne of Avonlea (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Christmas at Red Butte (Faith HopeCherrytea)
-Anne's House of Dreams (Red 5, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Emily of New Moon (Red 5, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Anne of Ingleside (Red 5)
-Way to Slumbertown (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Anne of Windy Poplars (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Emily's Quest (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Emily Climbs (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Moscovitch, Hannah
-Infinity (Nancy)

Mowat, Farley
-Dog Who Wouldn't Be (RIEDEL Fascination)

Moyles, Trina
-Women Who Dig (Irene)

Munro, Alice
-Lives of Girls and Women (Irene)

Murchison, Alex
-Into Blue (John Mutford)

Myers, Paul
-The Kids in the Hall: One Dumb Guy (Teena)

Naworynski, P.J. 
-Against All Odds (Lisa)

Neale, Jen
-Land Mammals & Sea Creatures (Shonna)

Nelson, Colleen
-Sadia (Irene)

Newmark, Amy & Janet Matthews
-Chicken Soup for the Soul: Christmas in Canada (Red5, Irene)

Nicholson, Cecily
-Wayside Sang (Irene Roth)

Nielsen, Susin
-No Fixed Address (PussReboots)

Oppel, Kenneth
-Half Brother (Darlene)
-Inkling (PussReboots)

Packard, Frank L.
-Doors of the Night (Brian Busby)

Page, Kathy
-Dear Evelyn (Naomi)

Paisley, Erinne
-Can Your Conversations Change the World? (Irene)

Parnell, Martin
-Secret Marathon (Irene)

Patterson, Kevin
-Consumption (Eric)

Paul, Julie
-The Pull of the Moon (Nancy)

Pearson, Patricia
-A Brief History of Anxiety: Yours and Mine (Irene)

Pellerin, Renee
-Conspiracy of Hope (Irene)

Pendziwol, Jean E.
-The Lightkeeper's Daughters (Red 5)

Penny, Louise
-Brutal Telling (RIEDEL Fascination, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-A Fatal Grace (John Mutford)
-A Trick of the Light (Lisa)
-The Beautiful Mystery (Lisa, Read Warbler)
-How the Light Gets In (Lisa)
-The Long Way Home (Lisa)
-Kingdom of the Blind (Shonna, Kay, Mary R, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Nature of the Beast (Lisa)
-A Rule Against Murder (TracyK, FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Bury Your Dead (RIEDEL Fascination)

Peterson, Jordan
-12 Rules for Life (Darlene)

Porter, Anna
-In Other Words (Irene)

Purewal, Nina & Kate Petriw
-Let That Shit Go (Irene)

Pyjama Press
-Think Kindness (Shonna)

Quimper, Charles 
-In Every Wave (Buried in Print)

Rankel, Ben
-Frank (John Mutford)

Redhill, Michael
-Bellevue Square (Irene)

Reichs, Kathy
-Deja Dead (Darlene)
-Swamp Bones (Lisa)
-Bones Are Forever (Mary R)

Reid, Iain
-Foe (Luanne, Pussreboots)

Reynolds, Graham & Wanda Robson
-Viola Desmond: Her Life & Times (Teena)

Rice, Waubgeshig
-Moon of the Crusted Snow (Naomi)

Richardson, Gillian
-Saskatchewan (Irene)

Ridge, Yolanda
-Inside Hudson Pickle (Puss Reboots)

Ridley, Hilda
-A Summary of Women's Suffrage in Canada (Shonna)

Ripley, Nathan
-Find You in the Dark (Darlene)
-Your Life is Mine (Luanne)

Ritchie, Scott
-Follow that Bee (Irene)

Roberts, Jillian
-What Makes Us Unique (Irene)
-Why Do Families Change? (Irene)
-On Our Street (Irene)
-On the Playground (Irene)
-On the News (Irene)
-On the Internet (Irene)

Robinson, Eden
-Trickster Drift (Melwyk, Irene)

Robinson, Peter
-The Hanging Valley (Reese, Mary R)
-Sleeping in the Ground (Irene)
-Careless Love (Luanne)

Robson, Jennifer
-The Gown (Melwyk, Teena, FaithHopeCherryTea)

Rocklin, Joanne & Lucy Knisley
-Love Penelope (Puss Reboots)

Rondina, Catherine
-Carey Price (Irene Roth)

Rose, Simon
-Does Canada Own the Arctic? (Irene)

Rotenberg, Robert
-Old City Hall (PussReboots)

Roy, Gabrielle 
-Enchanted Summer (Melwyk)
-Children of My Heart (Irene, Melwyk)
-Where Nests The Water Hen (Irene)
-The Road Past Altamont (Irene, Melwyk)
-Garden in the Wind (Melwyk)
-The Tin Flute (TracyK)
-La détresse & L'enchantement (Buried in Print)

Royal Canadian Geographical Society
-Indigenous Peoples Atlas of Canada (Irene)

Rumsey, Ellen & Debra Toutloff
-Bad Kitten (Irene)

Russwurm, Lani
-Vancouver Was Awesome (Eric)

Sadler, Judy
-Embroidery (Irene)

St John Mandel, Emily
-Station Eleven (TracyK)

Sarkadi, Laurie
-Voice in the Wild (John Mutford)

Sawler, Harvey
-Put Your Hand in My Hand (Teena)

Schott, Philipp
-The Accidental Veterinarian (Teena)

Schroeder, Karl
-The Million (Puss Reboots)

Scott, Genevieve
-Catch My Drift (Naomi)

Scrivener, Leslie
-Terry Fox: His Story (Teena)

Selecky, Sarah
-Radiant Shimmering Light (Melwyk)

Sharma, Robin
-The 5 am Club (Irene)
-Discover Your Destiny (Irene)

Shatner, William
-Leonard: My 50 Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man (Teena)

Shatner, William & David Fisher
-Live Long and...  (Teena)

Sherman, Kenneth
-Clusters (Eric P)

Shields, Carol
-Jane Austen (Reese, Red 5)

Singh, Jagmeet
-Love & Courage (Teena)

Sinnott, Susan
-Catching the Light (Naomi)

Siré, Cora
-Behold Things Beautiful (Reese)
-The Other Oscar (Reese)

Skotnicki, Sandy
-Beyond Soap (Irene)

Skrypuch, Marsha Forchuk
-Adrift at Sea (Irene)

Slocum, Joshua
-Sailing Alone Around the World (Rob)

Smith, Barbara
-Great Canadian Romances (RIEDEL Fascination)

Smith, Heather 
-Chicken Girl (PussReboots)

Smith, Kim (illus.)
-Back to the Future (Jo)
-ET the Extra Terrestrial (Jo)
-The X Files (Jo)

Smith, Russell
-How Insensitive (Eric)
-Noise (Eric)

Smitherman, George
-Unconventional Candour (Teena)

Smyth, Fiona
-Somnambulance (Puss Reboots)

Spiller, Trudy
-Trudy's Rock Story (Irene)

Spires, Ashley
-Gordon Bark to the Future (John Mutford)
-Fluffy Strikes Back (John Mutford)

Spruit, Jennifer
-A Handbook for Beautiful People (Irene)

St James, Simone
-The Other Side of Midnight (RIEDEL Fascination)

Stellings, Caroline
-Gypsy's Fortune (RIEDEL Fascination)

Stephen, Tom & Keith Elliot Greenberg
-Best Seat in the House: my life in the Jeff Healey Band (Teena)

Stevens, Chevy
-Still Missing (Puss Reboots)

Summers, Courtney
-Sadie (Luanne)

Sutherland, Kate
-All in Together Girls (Irene)

Symington, Sabrina
-First Year Out (John Mutford)

Szuminsky, Carol
-Penny Visits Oak Hammock Marsh (RIEDEL Fascination)

Tagaq, Tanya
-Split Tooth (John Mutford, Irene)

Talaga, Tanya
-Seven Fallen Feathers (Irene)

Tamaki, Jillian
-Boundless (John Mutford)

Tamaki, Mariko & Joelle Jones
-Supergirl Being Super (John Mutford)

Tansey, Claire
-Uncomplicated (Irene)

Taylor, Cora
-Out on the Prairie (Irene)

Thammavongsa, Souvankham 
-Small Arguments (Eric P)
-Found (Eric P)
-Light (Eric P)
-Cluster (Eric P)

Thompson, Alexa
-Nova Scotia (Irene)

Thornhill, Jan
-Triumphant Tale of the House Sparrow (Irene)
-Wild in the City (RIEDEL Fascination)

Thuy, Kim
-Man (Irene, Nancy)
-Vi (Irene, Buried in Print)
-Ru (Irene)

Toews, Miriam
-Women Talking (Naomi, Melwyk, Irene, Red 5)
-Irma Voth (Irene)
-A Complicated Kindness (Irene)

Townsin, Troy
-Night Before Christmas (Irene Roth)

Traikos, Michael
-The Next Ones (Irene)

Travis, Debbie
-Design your next chapter (Irene Roth)

Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada
-A Knock on the Door (Red 5)

Tucker, K.A.
-The Simple Wild (Teena)
-Be the Girl (Teena)

Ungar, Michael
-We Generation: Raising Socially Responsible Kids (Irene)

Vargas, Fred 
-Wash this Blood Clean From my Hand (Cath)

Vaughan-Johnston, Sally & Best of Bridge
-Slow Cooker cookbook (Gord)

Vermond, Kira
-Half-Truths & Brazen Lies (Irene)

Vermette, Katherena
-The Break (Red 5)

Verstraete, Larry
-Survivors! (RIEDEL Fascination)

Wagamese, Richard
-Starlight (Melwyk, Irene)

Weale, David
-Doors in the Air (RIEDEL Fascination)

Webstad, Phyllis
-Orange Shirt Story (Irene Roth)

Wees, Frances Shelley
-The Keys of my Prison (Nancy)
-This Necessary Murder (Brian Busby)

Wesley, Gloria Ann
-Chasing Freedom (Red 5)

Weymouth, Adam

-Kings of the Yukon (Irene)

Whishaw, Iona
-Death in a Darkening Mist (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-Killer in King's Cove (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-An Old Cold Grave (FaithHopeCherryTea)
-It Begins In Betrayal (FaithHopeCherryTea)

White, Susan 

-Ten Thousand Truths (Teena)

-The Memory Chair (Teena)

- Maple Sugar Pie (Teena)

Whittingham, Jane & Emma Pedersen

-Queenie Quail can't Keep Up (Shonna)

Whyte, Ewen

-Desire Lines: essays on poetry, art & culture (Reese)

Wiersema, Robert J.
-The World More Full of Weeping (Darlene)

Wilkshire, Nick
-Remember Tokyo (Teena)

Will, Elaine M.
-Look Straight Ahead (John Mutford)

Williams, Dave
-Destination Space (Irene)
-Defying Limits (Irene, Gord)

Williams, Stephen
-Invisible Darkness (Darlene)

Wilson, Budge

-Before Green Gables (Red 5)

Wilson, Kortney & Dave

-Live Happy (Irene)

Wilson, M.A.

-The Mystery of the Missing Mask (PussReboots)

-SOS at Night (PussReboots)

Wojna, Lisa
-Bathroom Book of Manitoba Trivia (FaithHopeCherryTea)

Wong, David H.T.
-Escape to Gold Mountain (John Mutford)

Wong, Teresa
-Dear Scarlet (John Mutford)

Wright, Eric
-Final Cut (RIEDEL Fascination)
-Smoke Detector (TracyK)

Wright, L.R.
-The Suspect (Reese)
-A Chill Rain in January (TracyK)

Yates, Sarah
-Manitoba (Irene)

Youers, Rio
-Halcyon (Luanne)

Young, Kendal
-The Ravine (Brian Busby)

Young, Pete
-The High Road (Irene)

Younge-Ullman, Danielle
-Everything Beautiful is not Ruined (Irene)

Zebian, Najwa
-Mind Platter (Irene)


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

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Here's where everyone ended up at the end of the 12th Annual Canadian Book Challenge

Rankin Inlet Inuksuk (Nunavut) 13+

Irene (210)
Melwyk (27)
John Mutford (29)

Pussreboots (54)

Teena in Toronto (49)

Brian Busby (26)

TracyK (13)

Faith Hope and Cherrytea (45)

RIEDEL Fascination (28)

Red 5 (31)

Luanne (18)

Eric P (17)

Buried in Print

Shonna (19)

Mary at Bibliographic Manifestations (13)

Yellowknife Mosquito (Northwest Territories) 12

Reese at Typings

Swordsman

Whitehorse Mammoths (Yukon) 11

Duncan Hockey Stick (British Columbia) 10

Darlene's Book Nook

Vegreville Pysanka (Alberta) 9

Lisa at Bibliographic Manifestations

Jo at Books to the Rescue

Moose Jaw Moose (Saskatchewan) 8

Gimli Viking (Manitoba) 7

Sudbury Nickel (Ontario) 6

Montreal Milk Bottle (Quebec) 5

Glover's Harbour Giant Squid (Newfoundland & Labrador) 4

Rob at Loose Logic

Cape Breton Fiddle (Nova Scotia) 3

Barb at Leaves & Pages

Cath at Read Warbler

Nackawic Axe (New Brunswick) 2

Naomi

O'Leary Potato (PEI) 1

Bill Selnes

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Congratulations to everyone who finished, or who just read along. Continue the great Canadian reading over at the 13th Annual Canadian Book Challenge page hosted by Canadian Bookworm! Maybe this year we'll hit 10,000 reviews...