Welcome to Litsy!

The description above, from the inside flap, pretty much sums up this bleak, violent and funny novel. The narrative voice is in a distinctly scrappy Newfoundland dialect. My heart went out to Johnny, a petty criminal on a cross-Canada mission. #CanadianAuthor
@shawnmooney and @LeahBergen : thanks for the buddy read!

There are many great examples of Newfoundland dialect and usage in this novel. My favourite is when the main character describes someone as the “toughest motherfucker ever tried on socks.”

Milkshake is about all I can handle these days. And no chewing going on in our John-John‘s immediate future, that‘s for sure. Thank Christ me teeth are bashed out cause all I gotta do is move my top lip outta the way and poke the straw in the gap where the teeth used to be. Life is good.
(Internet photo)

Cake for breakfast. Special treat after taking our turn to host the monthly literary salon last night. Leftovers are a bonus on top of gathering to share poetry among friends.

I‘m currently buddy reading this 2017 Governor General‘s Award winner with @shawnmooney , @Lindy , and three other readers I met at Shawn‘s wedding this summer.

Did I mention that he had us all seated at one table (“The Book Table”) for his reception? 😆 We chose this from the bargain section of a local bookstore when we all went bookstore hopping together the day after his wedding. 😍😍

He wants to know where Johnny is from & when Johnny tells him he roars laughing & thinks it‘s great & right away says how he heard a wicked Newfie joke & starts tellin it to Johnny. Johnny cuts him off though, wont let him tell the joke, but instead asks him if he heard the one about the fella who picked up a hitchhiker & got his face smashed in for tryna tell a Newfie joke.
Do you know that one? Stop me if youve heard it already.

Really didn‘t like it. ⭐️⭐️

Has anyone else read this one? I‘m having a really hard time getting into it.

A major Canadian fiction prize will be awarded today. Here is a short Booktube video describing the five contenders. Hope my favorite wins (not this one)! https://youtu.be/8dD9bcpRmZM

As those disgustingly ugly stickers show, this is the only novel that made both CanLit prize shortlists. Now that I've read the synopsis I think I'd probably hate it but am a wee bit curious. I'd love to be proved wrong! No ebook versions available to me in Japan so far. Anybody have any gossip about this one?