Welcome to Litsy!

I‘m pleased to see Heti‘s Pure Colour and Brian Thomas Isaac‘s All the Quiet Places on this list; they also made the Giller longlist and there isn‘t usually much overlap between the two awards. I‘m almost finished Finding Edward and really enjoying it. But the other two on this list are both books that I DNF‘d. 😕 #ShadowGiller2022

Booktube: Friday Reads September 30: National Day of Truth & Reconciliation; #Giller shortlist; #audiobooks #LGBTQ #IndigenousBooks #CanLit #ShadowGiller2022 #MiddleGradeFiction
https://youtu.be/hKOKSC_xcAQ

Well, I only predicted 2 out of 5 correctly. I‘m so pleased to see the Sleeping Car Porter made the shortlist. And I‘ve just started If an Egyptian: loving it so far.
#ShadowGiller2022

Does making art necessitate a deal with the devil? A former musician tries to navigate a new future for himself, without really knowing what it is he wants. Funny, dark and socially-aware, this novel is about the funding of cultural arts in our society and also the issue of affordable housing in cities like Toronto. I really enjoyed it. #shadowGiller2022 #CanLit

Aztecs! Pirates! Espionage! Science! (animal, vegetable or wormberry?) Colour from coal! Health scares! Global trade! I‘ve been reading a lot of fiction lately for my #ShadowGiller2022 project. I needed a change & it felt so good to sink into this well-researched microhistory of the red dye obtained from the cochineal insect. It‘s entirely fascinating.

A story within a story—tight, polished and propulsive. I really enjoyed the ride and the moral questions raised in this brief (179 pages) novel.
#CanLit #ShadowGiller2022

@shawnmooney and I chat about the 2022 Giller longlist #CanLit #IndigenousBooks #booktube #GillerPrize #ShadowGiller2022
https://youtu.be/rofLiTmumZo

I put on a judging robe and declared my own personal longlist for the Scotiabank Giller prize. I even decided which book will win! Video: My Picks for the Giller Longlist #CanLit #ShadowGiller2022
https://youtu.be/YaVN3sJ6LdQ

A young man disappears from his southern Ontario farm job (on his girlfriend‘s farm) for a few months & then shows up with the strangest excuse: he had turned into a hive of bees. The premise hooked me and the execution kept me turning the pages. This is one wild ride! #ShadowGiller2022 #CanLit

A pair of linked stories bookend the two novellas in middle of this beautiful collection. Grief & the acceptance of change are major themes. I was surprised, delighted & moved by all of it. Ghostfly is from the viewpoint of a woman who has been murdered. In The Ryukyuan, an old man is possibly becoming a bird. The final story is set in 2044, with tantalizing references to societal changes & new technologies. Loved it! #ShadowGiller2022 #CanLit