This morning, the 23rd edition of Canada Reads program launches. I’ve missed the voice of a career writer in the program in recent years and now, with Heather O’Neill’s inclusion (whose Lullaby for Little Criminals was a previous Canada Reads winner) as a champion, my affection for the program’s reinvigorated.
Even when I wasn’t hearing/watching each episode live, I’ve noted the nominees, reading 103 of the 116 books championed over the past couple of decades. (Nothing wrong with the 13 I’ve not read…maybe I’ll get there yet.) This year, I’d already read two of the shortlisted books, so I set about gathering the other three. (Before that, there was a longlist; my Canada Reads page records shortlists and longlists.)
As usual, there’s an element of readability to each volume because these are novels intended to appeal to a variety of readers. I set myself the challenge of describing each in seven lines in my journal, including a single quotation.
Carley Fortune’s Meet Me at the Lake straddles two timelines, ten years ago when Fern meets Will for the first time (also the last time she saw him) and the present-day when she returns to the family’s Muskoka resort to determine next steps following her mother’s death, the very place Will’d agreed to meet her nine years earlier. The Toronto scenes are even more vibrant than the lake country, and it’s the first time Canada Reads has featured a romance.
“It’s not everyday you decide to change your entire life,” one character says. (This isn’t at the end of the novel, it’s not a spoiler.)
Jessica Johns’ Bad Cree is a page-turner of another sort; it could be shelved with novels like Eden Robinson’s Trickster trilogy. When Mackenzie’s dream life trespasses on her waking life, when the crows position themselves between the worlds beckoning her closer, she returns home for the first time since her sister’s death. Some humour, some horror: a touching story of family and friends.
“‘More important than a ten-thousand-dollar dual dab? I don’t think so.’ She hangs up, and I wait for [Auntie Doreen] to call me back, because I know she will. There is concern in her voice. Even though we talk at least once a week, I know never to call on bingo nights.”
Catherine Leroux’s The Future (Trans. Susan Ouriou) is the longest and most intricately plotted and structured novel of the group, a story set in post-industrial Fort Détroit (in an imagined future wherein this area remained under French rule while governance was still a thing). Still, it’s character-driven and raises fascinating questions about how we cope (and don’t cope) in the face of rapid and extreme change, and is the only book to gesture dramatically to the future (not just with its title).
“Right, the rebellion. It started with strikes, demonstrations. But with change not happening fast enough, it ended in an actual uprising. Like when you get a pot boiling that’s already too full.”
I love a coming-of-age story and Téa Mutonji’s Shut Up You’re Pretty features a strong and individual voice. I read these stories when the collection was nominated for the Writers Trust Award. She captures the rapid change and inertia of becoming one’s self beautifully, with a young woman who’s moving through life and experiences too quickly and, simultaneously, feeling stuck.
“I decided to swing when it got dark enough that I could pretend I was fucking the night. I was giving it all I had, really trusting my body. I could hear Julie’s voice clearly. ‘You trying to pop your cherry on a swing, Mermie?’”
Christina Wong’s Denison Avenue is the story of Henry and Cho Sum Wong, who married and lived in Chinatown for decades, long enough for them and their neighbourhood to change substantially. Changes captured in words, but also in richly detailed pencil sketches by Daniel Innes.
“Yee ga heng gnoi day got henghow wa gee lan la,” Rita added. (It’s getting harder to hear our mother tongue [Toisin wa] these days.)
Irene sighed. “Geem gnoi day lor ngin ga jor lay hwuy. How figh morning gong,” (And us old folks dying. Soon there will be no one to talk to.)
“One Book to Carry Us Forward” is the theme this year. These themes sound important but they feel interchangeable. And the focus on One Book draws attention to the idea that it’s ultimately the winner which matters in this event, whereas I prefer to think of the program as an opportunity to introduce five books to readers.
Inevitably each year’s thematic phrase is wielded by a champion against the other books, as though there really is just one book capable of connecting with readers in this specific way, and it feels silly. What does a marketing slogan have to offer, alongside the power of storytelling. Why not call it “Five Books to Carry Us Forward”? Wouldn’t we all feel that much more supported by stories, with five books beneath our wings?
When the discussions open at 10am, there will be five books on the table, and I’ll enjoy that single moment of cooperative spirit. Often the host Ali Hassan demands that the champions speak to the value of the other champions’ books: that’s often my favourite part.
There are eleventy-billion links to follow from this CBC page, which offers everything from the event’s history to champions’ biographies to 2024 media coverage to accessibility details for each title. Enjoy!
So great to see Bad Cree here (alongside The Future, of course!) – I thought it was a really subtly effective horror novel.
Oh, I remember a comment that you left on Jacqui’s site, about your enjoying young protagonists confronting supernatural horror, so I can see where this would be your sweet spot!
I always find it interesting to follow the Canadian best-seller list after the CR shortlist comes out, and then again after the debates. It makes me happy to see them all doing so well!
Yass! I was excited to hear its champion say that Denison Avenue was at the top of that list for four weeks straight! As one of the people who bought it off a massive stack in a Canadian chain store, my $32.95 was in that statistic (a lot for a paperback, but the illustrations make it extra-worthwhile).
For quite a few years I’ve enjoyed tuning in to the Canada Reads debates but this year I missed them. Thank you for your summaries of the books and thoughts on CR.
There were a couple of years where the theme/production really discouraged me, so I ended up watching them in the summer, long after the hype had dwindled…it was still enjoyable!
Forgive me if my comment appears twice. I wrote something on my phone, hit send, and it seems to have disappeared!
I was just saying how cool it is that Canada does this. It makes you all seem well read at the very least! I agree, why not champion five books for Canada to read together?
Bad Cree is already on my TBR list, and Meet Me at the Lake and The Future appeal also. I’ll have to look up who “wins!”
Both comments came through, but the first was lodged in “the folder that shall not be named”. The emphasis really is on accessible storytelling, so more of an “everybody can read” vibe but I think it’s mostly readers who follow the show. I think you would really like Meet Me at the Lake for reasons that I won’t say as it would be more fun to discover them there. My personal favourite was eliminated early, but the book that I thought should win did win.
I think this “contest” is so cool. It speaks well of Canada that this seems to be a big deal! It makes you all look well read at the least! Bad Cree was already on my TBR list but The Future and Meet Me At the Lake also appeal.
I haven’t come across this before, but it sounds like a good initiative – especially given the way you’re viewing it.
They consider it the biggest national book event of the year and it’s hard to argue with that (in terms of scale and the impact on bookselling). You can watch the episodes afterwards on Youtube, but I’m not sure how intersting they would be without knowing even a couple of the books.
I really like the idea of championing others books too. Bad Cree appeals due to the Eden Robinson comparison, so long as the horror isn’t too much – I really can’t handle it!
I found a couple of the scenes in Robinson’s trilogy more harrowing than any of the scenes in Bad Cree, so it won’t likely trouble you.
I like this, “I set myself the challenge of describing each in seven lines in my journal, including a single quotation.” I have set myself a similar but even shorter challenge for my Books Read spreadsheet, which I found a challenge and have somehow stopped doing in recent years. I like the idea of choosing a quote too.
I agree about themes in general for these sorts of events, because they all just seem to be variations on a theme rather than something that captures the zeitgeist (which would be really hard to do anyhow). Just have an ongoing theme that your “event” can be recognised by I think. Plus, I agree with you about the “one book” thing too.
And, I think you mentioned before about the practice of having a champion speak to the value of the other champions’ books. I love that idea too. There should be more of this in the “real” world, that is, making people argue from the point of view of another person.
Ohhh, I had a column like that in my spreadsheet which I deleted in recent years because I just couldn’t manage it. In the early years of the program, there was no theme but somehow the thinking has evolved into a focus on digestibility that I can’t understand. I doubt that new readers flocked to the program because of the theme. Five Books, Five Champions: One “Canada Reads 2024” Winner. That would work for me.
This year’s event (half done now) has not forced that question so far, but the champions are all quick to speak to other books’ strengths, which I’ve enjoyed. Rather than write daily about the event, I’m making notes that will hopefully lead to some questions of interest. My personal favourite of the books has already been eliminated, in a tie-breaker (wherein the person who didn’t vote for either of the tied books must choose) but the book that I think should win is still in the running.
The Stella longlist (Australia – I know you know, but do your readers) came out this week, and even if it doesn’t win, and works of genius often don’t, Praiseworthy by Alexis Wright will be the ‘one book to carry us forward’.
But I agree it’s an unnecessary slogan, and unrealistic unless one work really does stand out.
(And well done on your 7 line synopses).
I was so pleased to see Praiseworthy on the Stella list. AND it’s the first time I’ve ever had one of the Stella books when the prize was announced (thanks to your efficient nagging lol). Somewhere I read in the prize reporting that it’s very funny: but, is it? I’ve been so overwhelmed with other reading of late that I’ve not dared to start it yet. But I really must! (/takesabow Summarising is hard for me! It feels like such a random act!)
You and Naomi have written about this initiative before and I always find it intriguing. I wonder if there’s something about the Canadian culture that lends itself to this sort of friendly competition. I can’t really imagine the same thing taking off in the US or UK at large; of course there are smaller successes like a town Big Read or a college One Book program. I’ve long wanted to read Bad Cree.
Hahaha, well it doesn’t mean that the competition actually IS friendly, only that people are smiling and being polite while they’re doing whatever it takes to win. Bad Cree isn’t one I’d think of for your reading taste in particular, but it’s hard to imagine anyone disliking it either (quite a pageturner, you don’t really have time to take any issue with it heh).
All of these sound worth championing to me.
And often the additional exposure translates into international editions for these titles too!