Book Reviews: Canadians Reads (list) by Leanne Dyck

Compiling this list wasn't difficult because I have many favourite books by Canadian authors; the real challenge was selecting my best book reviews. To make the cut, each review had a history of earning over 1,000 page views and went through a careful re-read.  Please click the links to read my reviews.

photo by ldyck

Fiction

Crow Winter by Karen McBride, published by HarperCollins Canada (fiction)

We Spread by Ian Reid, published by Simon & Schuster Canada (fiction)

The List of Last Chances by Christina Myers, published by Caitlin Press (fiction)

The Robber Bride by Margaret Atwood, published by Penguin Random House (fiction)

Historical Fiction

In the Belly of the Sphinx by Grant Buday, published by Touchwood Editions (historical fiction)

The Birth House by Ami McKay, published by Harper Perennial (historical fiction)

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, published by HarperCollins Canada (historical fiction)

The Spoon Stealer by Lesley Crewe, published by Vagrant Press (historical fiction)

Madame Zee by Pearl Luke, published by HarperCollins Canada (historical fiction)

Short Story Collections and a novel in stories

How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa, published by McClelland & Stewart (short story collection)

Something for Everyone by Lisa Moore, published by House of Anansi (short story collection)

Bluebeard's Egg by Margaret Atwood, published by McClelland & Stewart (short story collection)

That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung, published by Penguin Random House Canada (a novel in stories)

Children's and YA

The Barren Grounds by David A Robertson, published by Puffin Canada (children's)

Stones by William Bell, published by Seal Books, an imprint of Random House Canada (YA)

The Parkour Club by Pam Withers and Arooj Hayat, self-published (YA)

Non-fiction

All the Little Monsters by David A. Robertson, published by HarperCollins Canada (self-help)

From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle, published by Simon & Schuster Canada (memoir)

And...

Canadian Book Reviewers...

Picture Book, eh!

CanLit for Little Canadians

Canadian Bookworm

The British Columbia Review

The Ottawa Review of Books

Montreal Review of Books

I've Read This

Room

49th Shelf

CanReads

The Nelligan Reviews

The Fiddlehead

The Capilano Review

PRISM International

Geist

BC Bookworld

photo by ldyck

My fingers

on my keyboard

My head 

in the clouds

I relish

my days

photo by ldyck

The Teachings of Mutton: A Coast Salish Woolly Dog

Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa with Coast Salish Contributors

Published by Harbour Publishing

2025

Book blur: This book tells Mutton's story and explores what it can teach us about Coast Salish Woolly Dogs and their cultural significance.

I love it when authors visit Mayne Island, my remote home. I just returned from Liz Hammond-Kaarremaa's engaging and informative author talk.

photo by ldyck

On this blog, starting in July...

Canadian Literary Prizes: write and read

Update:  Each year I wait with eager anticipation for CBC TV to air the Scotiabank Giller gala. I love to listen to authors discuss writing. This year I heard...

'[W]hen I sit down to write I can do anything. It's incredibly empowering.' -Michelle Winter (I Am A Truck)

'[T]o be part of an imaginary world for a time is very enlivening.'

-Michael Redhill (Bellevue Square)

'I think you have to daydream a lot when you are a writer. I think that's one of the job descriptions.' 

-Ed O'Loughlin (Minds of Winter)

"a spark of inspiration" 

photo by LDyck

Write:

Sharpen that pencil, click that pen, punch those keys, there's still time to enter these short story contests...


Freefall:  Annual Prose & Poetry Contest
Deadline:  December 31, 2017

PRISM International:  Jacob Zilber Prize
Deadline:  January 15, 2018

The Mayne Island library

One of the places you might be able to get one of these books

photo by LDyck

Read:

Reading prize-winning novels and short story collections is an excellent way to study the writing craft.

Governor General's Literary Award

G.G.

winner...

We'll All Be Burnt In Our Beds Some Night 

by Joel Thomas Hynes (HarperCollins Publishers)

Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize

'For over 20 years the Rogers Writers' Trust Fiction Prize has recognized the best Canadian novel or short story collection.' --from the website

Winner...

Brother by David Chariandy
McClelland & Stewart
novel

'supremely moving and exquisitley crafted portrait of [Scarborough, Ontario]' -Mark Medley

Watch the video featuring the finalists. Here's the link

Scotiabank Giller Prize 

 Scotiabank Giller

'In a statement, the jury categorized 2017 as "a year of outliers, of books that were eccentric, challenging or thrilling strange, books that took us to amusing or disturbing places. In fact, you could say that the exceptional was one of 2017's trends. It gave the impression of a world in transition:  searching inward as much as outward, wary but engaged." ' -Sue Carter

Winner...

Bellevue Square by Michael Redhill
Doubleday Canada
novel

November 20
Winner announced at a gala--aired on CBC (the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation)



Next post:  Year 7:  Why keep writing?
A post that recaps the 7th year anniversary of this blog. Oh, yes, and tells you where I'm at as a writer.
Published on Sunday, October 8th (at approximately 5 PM)

In Support of Canadian Publishing (list) by Leanne Dyck

How readers and writers can keep Canada in books.

What can you do to keep that maple leaf waving?

Writers...

-set your stories in Canadian places
sea to sea to sea
We have 10 beautiful provinces and 3 amazing territories. The world wants to hear about them. Let's tell our stories.
Your Canada:  Geography


-use Canadian words like "skookum" and "toque"
-use Canadian terms like "keep your stick on the ice"
Canadianisms

-use Canadian spelling "tire" and "neighbourhood"
Canadian, British and American spelling

-what's it like to be disabled in Canada--a visual minority, an ethnic minority, a person of faith, gay, straight, an angry old white guy? Tell your story. Your fellow Canadians want to hear it.
Government of Canada
Country Guides:  Canada

-give your characters Canadian names
Canadian baby names that show off your national pride
Top 100 baby names in Canada for 2016

Readers...

-buy books written/published in Canada


-support Canadian authors by attending author readings and visiting author websites
The Writers' Union of Canada:  Member Directory

-review Canadian books

To read all my reviews, please click this link. It will take you to my book reviews page.