It seems the book world has been a bit stressed out lately- with the Kindle sweeping the nation off its feet, a few awards happening with unpredictable results, Margaret Atwood singing us speculative fiction hymns and Alice Monroe popping out of retirement. I mean, had I a fan I would be fanning myself. Exciting stuff!

But the problem is the Giller and the other standard Can Lit awards have become somewhat predictable. Pleasingly academic, we all nod along at the choices of the demure-looking jury, buy the winning book for our bookish friend, and then forgot about it. While the Giller winners are always amazing books, they somehow are never quite on the pulse of Canadian culture, a little closer to the elbow than the wrist.

So just in time for the Xmas shopping frenzy comes Canada Reads, a program created in 2001 by CBC to remind us that were supposed to enjoy reading, and not just wait for someone to buy us whoever wins the Booker and/or Giller this year. And to be honest, at first it had a bit of a Can Lit 101 feel to it- like if you haven’t had enough books structured around nature metaphors, HERE’S SOME MORE!

But I was too quick to judge what the Globe and Mail coined hyperbolically “The Great Canadian Book Brawl.”  For it seems this year Canada Reads has grown up.

I mean, look at this line up- we have a brazen youngster choosing Coupland’s Generation X, when we’re, like, so past that and onto Generation Twitter or something. I’m feeling something close to nostalgia for this book, can a younger generation relate to all that yuppie angst?

Good to a Fault was also a surprise, being discussed at length last year when nominated for a Giller. It had lots of book club appeal but the critics didn’t like it.  My mother, however, is still talking about it. Time for an establishment vs. real people throw down?

And I have to say, Fall on Your Knees is one of my favourite books ever and is NOT for the weak of heart. If you’re planning to buy a Canada Reads book for your relatives, go with the Endicott. But I think it bears mentioning, CBC, that everyone in Canada who is going to read this has already read it.  This is not exactly a hidden gem. But I will probably read it again, so touché CBC, touché.

The Jade Peony might be my first pick to go searching for- Wayson Choy is an enigmatic character and the book has done its time in the industry.  He’s had several popular books out but remains largely unknown- has his day come?

And Nikolski- well I don’t know anything about this one, which probably means it will win.  But look at the author’s photo! He’s adorable!

If none of that has sold you, check out this jury line up. If I were in the habit of making a wish list of people I want for best friends, which I’m totally not, they would all be on it. The ugly truth is if you compare this jury to the Giller trio we might have a better idea of why Canada Reads is becoming the hippest Can Lit book award in the nature-metaphor ghetto.

Oh man, sorry for the sporadic posting folks. It’s been a long month. I promise a real post is in the works!

For now, in case you haven’t heard, The Booker Long List:

• The Children’s Book by A.S. Byatt
• Summertime by J.M. Coetzee
• The Quickening Maze by Adam Foulds
• How to Paint a Dead Man by Sarah Hall
• The Wilderness by Samantha Harvey
• Me Cheeta by James Lever
• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
• The Glass Room by Simon Mawer
• Not Untrue & Not Unkind by Ed O’Loughlin
• Heliopolis by James Scudamore
• Brooklyn by Colm Toibin
• Love and Summer by William Trevor
• The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters

Who’s up for a rousing game of “find the Canadian?” No, it’s not Margaret Atwood. The book doesn’t even have the word “wilderness” in the title! Trickier than you thought, eh?

Reading The Little Stranger was like the highlight of my year, so that’s who I’m rooting for.

Which book’s got your vote?

Last month CBC took some time out to remind us that there are Canadian poets and make us feel guilty for not reading any of them. Oh CBC, I kid. It’s actually a good article and with the wealth of poets out there in Canadiana territory picking a top 10 must have been thankless task.

Readers will (perhaps) be relieved that they are no longer required to read George Bowering wax poetic about the eroticism of baseball or Al Purdy make metaphors about wood. Thankfully the list goes outside of the “Introduction to Canadian Poetry” canon and includes several women and non-white poets. Somehow I keep forgetting Dionne Brand is Canadian. I must remember to brag about this more when I leave the country.

Something else that caught my eye was despite claims to have “dropped several past masters in favor of some younger authors making their mark in this millennium”  I wouldn’t call these top 10 poets youngsters. Let’s just say none of them are twittering. Where are the Zoe Whittals? The Stuart Rosses? All those other hip poets that hang out in Toronto I keep trying to “accidentally” run into?

I think as a literary culture we tend to associate “Canadian Literature” with past generations, and it works to our deteriment by making it seem like there have only been 20 or so poets to have ever grown in Canada. And let me tell you, WE ARE LEGION. Seriously, I bet 10% of the people you know under 30 are poets. It’s like being left-handed, except that Stephen Harper takes your money away.

So… Read poetry! Go! Now!

Here’s the list to get you started:

Don McKay
Ken Babstock
Mary Dalton
Dionne Brand
Don Domanski
David McGimpsey
Skydancer Louise Bernice Halfe
Jeramy Dodds
Erin Mouré
Sheri-D Wilson

There were tears, laughter, and lots of distracted rubbernecking from the audience. Awkward shuffling around the stage and hugging from the presenters. And oh god, the montages. Why? Who produced this? Scenic shots of Cochrane with elevator music in the background?! Longshots of Boyden pretending to fish? Endicott fishing for Elizabeth Hay comparisons in her local bookstore? And are we supposed to believe Mary Swan writes her novels out by hand, like Virginia Woolf? Just no, never again Giller planning committee.

I liked hearing the judges saying things that weren’t just copied off the back of the book. And hey, this Samantha Nutt person seems pretty cool and she totally looks like Buffy, right? Right?

Ok, I’m procrastinating, I actually haven’t read Through Black Spruce, though I keep meaning to. So the only thing I can say, really, is:

Joseph, call me. You need to share your hair care secrets.

Ooh, hours to go before the Giller Gala gets underway! Who knows what wacky hijinks and surprises await! Surely fellow Canadians all over the country are browsing the CTV website in anticipation of the usually somewhat relaible CTV online broadcast- I checked in to read over comments on the latest Giller article:

What scintillating commentary! I hadn’t thought about the dangers of political correctness taking over a jury made of three middle-aged white intellectuals. What’s next, a black person on the jury? Crazy Liberals. There isn’t even a book about lawyers on this shortlist- anarchy I tell you!

And by the way, Good to a Fault is going to sneak up and catch unawares an entire nation who hasn’t read it yet but keeps meaning to. You heard it here first.