Dukes Up

This year's Canada Reads competition is under way, and it should be a good debate. Each of the panelists has won a previous year's challenge, so the strategies are complex and the arguments quick. Here's a run down:

- Stephen Page (Barenaked Ladies) : Natasha and Other Stories by David Bezmozgis
- Donna Morrissey (author from out east) : The Song of Kahunsha by Anosh Irani
- John K. Sampson (The Weakerthans) : Lullabies for Little Criminals by Heather O'Neill
- Denise Bombardier (French author) : Children of My Heart (Ces enfants de ma vie) by Gabrielle Roy
- Jim Cuddy (Blue Rodeo) : Stanley Park by Timothy Taylor

I haven't read any of these books (I've got to remember next year to check which books are selected, before the actual debate)! But the discussions are interesting nonetheless, and there are now five new books (well, actually only three) on my "to read" list. So far, I'm not too interested in The Song of Kahunsha or Children of my Heart. I bet they're good though. And you can bet one of these will be my next book club pick, when it's my turn to pick again!

Don't forget to listen to Canada Reads everyday this week on the CBC at 11:30am and 7:30pm. If you miss it, you can always read the transcripts or download the discussion here:

http://www.cbc.ca/canadareads/debate/index.html

Austin Clarke Makes Me Laugh

For many reasons, but most recently, because of this:

http://www.quillandquire.com/blog/index.php/2007/02/19/austin-clarke-meets-malcolm-x/

My favourite is where they say, "Clarke apparently interviewed Malcolm X again, years later and shortly before his assassination, but forgot to turn on the tape recorder." LOLOLOL

The Order of Canada

The Order of Canada was given last night. Two of the authors we have read on Book Club received The Order:
Frances Itani (Deafening, January 2006)
Barbara Gowdy (The Romantic, March 2004)
Congratulations to these two beloved authors!

It's Settled

We're meeting at Maria's next Monday (the 19th), at 6:30pm.

We're eating pizza.

We're watching The Big Sleep with Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall.