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What Is Stephen Harper Reading?
What Is Stephen Harper Reading?: Yann Martel's Recommended Reading for a Prime Minister and Book Lovers of All Stripes | Yann Martel
5 posts | 2 read | 2 to read
I know youre very busy, Mr. Harper. Were all busy. But every person has a space next to where they sleep, whether a patch of pavement or a fine bedside table. In that space, at night, a book can glow. And in those moments of docile wakefulness, when we begin to let go of the day, then is the perfect time to pick up a book and be someone else, somewhere else, for a few minutes, a few pages, before we fall asleep. From the author of Life of Pi comes a literary correspondence recommendations to Canadas Prime Minister of great short books that will inspire and delight book lovers and book club readers across our nation. Every two weeks since April 16th, 2007, Yann Martel has mailed Stephen Harper a book along with a letter. These insightful, provocative letters detailing what he hopes the Prime Minister may take from the books by such writers as Jane Austen, Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Stephen Galloway are collected here together. The one-sided correspondence (Mr. Harpers office has only replied once) becomes a meditation on reading and writing and the necessity to allow ourselves to expand stillness in our lives, even if were not head of government. From the Trade Paperback edition.
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Lindy
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We compiled the 67 Best Canadian Books of the 21st Century… with help from readers like you! Check out my conversation with Jolene as we go through the list:

https://youtu.be/Z2dkguNlyFs

merelybookish This is great!! 3mo
LeahBergen Wonderful! I‘ll definitely give this a watch! ❤️ 3mo
tournevis *puts it on the watch list* 3mo
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Lindy @merelybookish thanks! 3mo
Lindy @LeahBergen Let me know what you think afterwards, okay? 3mo
Lindy @tournevis Jolene and I will make additional videos diving into the many excellent nominations that didn‘t make our top 67. I will be making one especially about the 19 French-language titles that were mentioned. 3mo
tournevis @Lindy Marvelous! Link it here too here! 3mo
tournevis @Lindy That was so great! Thank you for doing this! 3mo
LiteraryHoarderPenny Awesome project!! Thanks for taking it on! 3mo
Lindy @tournevis Thanks for watching (and for contributing). I will tag you when I make the video about the French titles. 3mo
tournevis @Lindy yes please! 3mo
33 likes12 comments
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Lindy
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Do you read books by Canadian authors? Help us come up with a Best Canadian Books of the 21st century! I am linking Jolene‘s video about our joint project:

https://youtu.be/CUL6zHKBfZE?si=Wlusqr2CWNCqVfqK

You have until August 11 and you can access the voting form here:

https://forms.gle/UuemWkZdpo2n9641A

squirrelbrain Oh, looking forward to seeing the results of this! 3mo
Lindy @squirrelbrain Me too! So far, we don‘t have a lot of overlap in titles. Early days…. 3mo
tournevis Ooh! That's a good idea 3mo
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tournevis That was so fun! Had to cut out a few books that I know I read in the early 2000-oughts but that were published in like 1998 or 1999. Pretty sure that I'll be the only one citing a few of these too. 3mo
Lindy @tournevis Thanks Isabelle! 3mo
tournevis @Lindy 🖖 3mo
LiteraryHoarderPenny Thanks for letting me participate!! It was fun. It was hard! I‘m anxiously awaiting the full list! 3mo
Lindy @LiteraryHoarderPenny So far, the front runner is a book that made both of the NYT top 100 lists (the original list plus the readers choice) 3mo
31 likes8 comments
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Spiderfelt
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This is the spirit in which Yann Martel began sending a book and letter every week to the Canadian prime minister, a person who professed to dislike reading. It seems like a great concept for beginning a bookclub: essential reading for those who govern a modern democracy. Who's in? #canlit

Spiderfelt Photo taken of swag bag for sale at Book-It Repertory Theater in Seattle. 8y
LeahBergen I loved reading his letters online during the time he was writing them and sending the books! 8y
6 likes2 comments
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shereensamimi
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Pickpick

This book has been great for reading recommendations - my TBR list has added a few great sounding reads! I also enjoy the beginning of the novel, which gives the readers "Harper's" responses. Overall, this book is both easy and enjoyable.

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strikingthirteen
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Pickpick

I admit to skimming a bit but I have to applaud Mr. Martel for his dedication in trying to educate, or at least broaden the horizons of, our ex PM Stephen Harper. Why? "Because your dreams may become my nightmares."