Canada Reads - 2013

[PeterT]

Next week Canada Reads has it's 13th season on CBC Radio. For those not aware of it, it's brief history is

Canada Reads history

Launched in 2001, Canada Reads is CBC's annual battle of the books, where five Canadian personalities each select a book they want Canadians to read. They defend their chosen title in a series of debates, and the books are eliminated one by one until a winner is declared. The debates air on CBC Radio One, CBC-TV and are livestreamed online through CBC Books.

In 2007, Canada Reads hosted an All-Star season. The winners from the previous five seasons returned with new picks to battle to for their second Canada Reads crown.

In 2011, Canada Reads celebrated its 10th anniversary by introducing a public campaign and a theme. Canadians around the world were asked to recommend the book they thought was the "essential Canadian novel of the decade." The panelist chose their books from the 10 most popular titles.

This year it's a bit different in how the books were selected, but still the same format.

Canada Reads 2013

Canada Reads 2013 is returning to fiction, but with a twist. We've divided the country into five regions -- British Columbia and Yukon, Prairies and North, Ontario, Quebec and the Atlantic Provinces -- and asked Canadians to recommend the novel they want to represent the place they call home. The most popular books in each region made the Top 10 lists. These lists were put to a vote, with the most popular books from each region moving on to the Top 5.

The Top 5 lists were then given to the panelists, each chosen to represent the region they call home. The Canada Reads 2013 contenders are:

• From British Columbia and Yukon: Carol Huynh defending Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
• From Prairies and North: Ron MacLean defending The Age of Hope by David Bergen
• From Ontario: Charlotte Gray defending Away by Jane Urquhart
• From Quebec: Jay Baruchel defending Two Solitudes by Hugh MacLennan
• From Atlantic Provinces: Trent McClellan defending February by Lisa Moore

The web site for Canada Reads is http://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads/ and it can be followed on CBC Radio, TV and the Web.

So far I've read February, The Age of Hope and Indian Horse and have to say Indian Horse is my choice to win.

[HomeInMyShoes]

I remember being rather disappointed in most of the lists of books when I saw the preliminaries, but I should look more closely at the finalists.

[rkomar]

How great that Carol Huynh, an Olympic medalist in wrestling, is one of the celebrities championing literature.

[PeterT]

Canada Reads tends to have a nice eclectic set of champions.

A few others have been athletes;
2005 - Sherraine Schalm
2010 - Perdita Felicien
2011 - Georges Laraque (yes... a hockey player)

[PeterT]

Well in the first two days, The Age of Hope and Away have both been voted off the island.

In the public popularity polls, Indian Horse has been well out in front.

[PeterT]

And today we lost Indian Horse

[Synamon]

Originally Posted by PeterT

And today we lost Indian Horse

That won't make many people happy.

The only one from the list I'm interested in reading is Two Solitudes, I put it on my wishlist at the library.

[PeterT]

The final winner was February.

I'm almost finished Away and then, it's just Two Solitudes.

[Synamon]

If anyone is interested in reading Indian Horse, I noticed that it's the deal of the week at Google Play, priced at $3.99.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Reading a little more, February and Indian Horse both sound quite interesting.

But wow, February isn't even available for Kindle in Canada from the Canadian store.

[HomeInMyShoes]

Update, maybe I can get it.

[Shopaholic]

Wow! Toronto Public Library has 50 copies & 170 people on the waiting list. Mississauga Library has 4 copies & 18 on the waiting list.

[HomeInMyShoes]

^Yikes. Although that's only three point lending periods so a couple of months (assuming three-week loan period) and it is yours. That's not that long.

[caleb72]

Don't know anything about Canada Reads, but just checked out the winner - February. Sounds like it could be a great book. Have put it on my wish list.