“I Read Canadian” 2022
For this year’s “I Read Canadian” Day (that’s today), I decided to list books by Canadian authors I’ve read in the past year. And — to adopt a phrase used by the cheesiest of stories online — you won’t believe what I discovered!
More than half of the 100 books I read were Canadian!
Here are some favourites:
Canadian Fiction
Butter Honey Pig Bread – Francesca Ekwuyasi
This Is How We Love – Lisa Moore
Daughters of the Deer – Danielle Daniel
The Lightkeeper’s Daughters – Jean E. Pendziwol
Scarborough – Catherine Hernandez
The Strangers – Katherena Vermette
A Town Called Solace – Mary Lawson
A Quality of Light – Richard Wagamese
Speak, Silence – Kim Echlin
This Little Light – Lori Lansens
Animal Person – Alexander MacLeod
Em – Kim Thúy
Five Little Indians – Michelle Good
Moon of the Crusted Snow – Rice Waubgeshig
Canadian Non-Fiction
Pluck – Donna Morrissey
Unreconciled – Jesse Wente
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act – Bob Joseph
Run Towards the Danger – Sarah Polley
“Indian” in the Cabinet – Jody Wilson-Raybould
Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle – Lloyd Alter
Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic – Michael McCreary
Permanent Astonishment – Tomson Highway
And A Dog Called Fig – Helen Humphreys
Hot, Wet, & Shaking – Kaleigh Trace
How to Lose Everything – Christa Couture
Canadian Poetry
Hard Light – Michael Crummey
Inventing the Hawk – Lorna Crozier
The Bridge That Carries the Road – Lynn Davies
Domain – Barbara Nickel
The New Canon: An Anthology of Canadian Poetry – Carmine Starnino (ed)
If you’re a fan of stats, you might be interested in knowing that of the 30 titles listed …
- 9 were by Indigenous authors.
- 9 were memoirs.
- 9 were audio books.
- 18 were by authors I hadn’t read previously.
- 20 were by women.
Did you notice a lack of children’s books on my list? I’m more dependent on my memory in that area, but here is one truly unforgettable recommendation in that category:
Canadian Picture Book
Rodney Was A Tortoise – Nan Forler, ill. Yong Ling Kang
One of the best ways to celebrate “the richness, diversity, and breadth of Canadian literature” is by setting aside at least fifteen minutes to “read Canadian.” Happy reading!
What book(s) will you be picking up this “I Read Canadian” Day?
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Kathy Stinson is the author of the classic Red Is Best and the award-winning The Man with the Violin. Her wide range of titles includes picture books, non-fiction, young adult fiction, historical fiction, horror, biography, series books, and short stories. She has met with her readers in every province and territory of Canada, in the United States, Britain, Liberia, and Korea. She lives in a small town in Ontario.
I’ve only read two of these, but I’ll soon be starting “We Spread” by Iain Reid.
I just looked up We Spread. I’d like to read that one too!