Welcome to Litsy!

Having read all of the #CanadaReads shortlist, this is my pick for the 2025 winner. I‘m unsure if it‘s passing similarities to last year‘s winner will hurt its chances (serious social topic + elements of fantasy / social justice). I listened and will have to reread soon - there‘s a lot to unpack with this one.

#WeeklyFavorites
@Read4Life

5 ⭐ #CanadaReads2025
My favorite for the win.

This was the last of my Canada Reads list for this year. It was possibly one of the strangest books I have read. Overall, this list was a bit disappointing. No 5 star reads. Still, an interesting group of books.

Canada Reads. Book 2. I can‘t decide if this is brilliant or absolutely awful. It was like reading five stories in one, all jumbled together. I often felt like I was lost in Etta‘s dementia filled mind. Was it a dream? A jumble of thoughts and memories? What was real? Or could it just as simple as a little magical realism? Maybe that was the point. But it was all kinds of confusing. I kinda can‘t wait for the debates.

Throwback to yesterday, when I ate more brown food while I read my penultimate book from the Canada Reads shortlist. I should finish it today. While I like it a lot, I‘m not sure if it‘ll cross the line into love territory. It all depends on how the ending comes together. Still, it should lead to some interesting discussions during the debates.

ETA: I found the ending deeply unsatisfying. Sadness.

My second book read for #CanadaReads, and I wanted to love this one so much more than I did. The narrative that fractured into an almost dream-like state SHOULD have been totally my jam, but I just felt disconnected and confused. I think there are about five different books here, and they don't quite come together in any cohesive way. I'm left wondering why? Why tell this story in this way? Why leave certain alleys unexplored?

May was another month of less than exciting books, so I pulled my 2nd favorite of December. Octogenarian Etta decides to walk from Saskatchewan to the Atlantic Ocean, leaving her husband Otto behind. He's been overseas for war and understands that she needs this experience. Their neighbor Russell is concerned, both by Etta's decision to leave and by Otto's indifference. Along the way, Etta picks up an unexpected companion in James.

The #20in4 Readathon his at a challenging time. I have a bit of a Friendsgiving later tonight and a birthday get together tomorrow with my brother & his family. I'm keeping my goals simple. Finish Red Rabbit (about 30 pages left) and see how far I can get with this one. This one covers Canada for #foodandlit and the #52books Palindrome on cover prompt.
@Andrew65 andrew65

I really didn't get anything out of this one.

Uninteresting and indistinguishable characters behaving in inexplicable ways. You know a novel isn't grabbing your attention when your favourite thing about it is the amount of blank space on the pages.

It wasn't badly written and there were some interesting ideas, but it was lacking the key ingredients of believable characters and clarity of purpose.

Not for me.

⭐⭐

Etta, a woman in her early 80s, rises early one morning on her farm in Canada‘s prairie province Saskatchewan, packs a few useful items in a bag, slings a rifle over her shoulder, and sets out on foot to see the ocean. When her husband, Otto, comes downstairs, some time later, he finds Etta‘s note – “I‘ve never seen the water, so I‘ve gone there” – and a pile of recipe cards so that he‘ll know how to feed himself while she is gone.

Beautiful.
Poignant.
Really wonderfully flowing but with such interwoven parts.
Gutted as I thought it was longer than it was so felt I finished it too soon!

Thoroughly enjoying this book.

Really interested in starting this one.
It's for book club on Sunday but only just got a copy! 🙂🙂☺

This little book was charming. Full of letters, love, memories, and a coyote, named James.

This book is so tender and sweet and whimsical I want to hug it. I made Willie hug it instead.

I got this book because I had an Uncle Otto and Ain‘t Etta... turned into a crazy adventure and love story. I liked it... I think?

I loved this sweet story of an 80+ Canadian woman who decides to walk across Canada to see the ocean. She left a note for her husband, and he decides to let her go, since she wanted to do it by herself. It‘s her story and his, and that of a good friend of theirs. It‘s beautiful and strange, and a book I‘ll share with friends.

(How do I indicate spoilers here!??)
One of the most clever sections of the book is a spot where Otto doesn‘t know what has happened to Etta. This is just the way I worry—in various story lines.

Pick! Odd story of an 80ish-year-old woman who goes walkabout in Canada, and the stories of those she leaves behind. Good use of magical realism, with an ending that was ambiguous enough to make me wonder what was real and what was magic.

This close up image from the cover shows how I felt when I finished this book.

I feel like a BIG OL‘ MEANY for Panning this book. There are some lovely elements to the characters and the story, but the ending (no spoilers) made this all seem hollow.

I finished this feeling very disappointed in a wasted opportunity.

This cover. 💛

“It took them longer, a week or so, to notice the hole in their language this new word had made. To grasp that there was no term for a parent without a child, a sister without a sister.”

Grief leaves a hole in our language. 💔

#Endpapers !

Christmas spirit with my Christmas spirit. And a good book.

#day21 #anditsaugust
I 💗💗💗 #seniorcitizens narrators ... Leo Gursky from 'The History of Love' being my absolute favorite....
Lillian and Etta are both on my TBR and I can't wait to read them both... I hear great things about both of these octogenarian ladies! 😊👍

Ugh. Couldn't wait to be done bc it was just too stream of consciousness. It didn't go anywhere. It felt like the author just picked a day, wrote, and did the same thing with no set end point.

I recently got into my creativity side and decided, every book I read from now on, I shall personally draw a picture pertaining to the book....
#ettaandottoandrussellandjames
#drawing #hobbies

What an amazing read! Fell in love with the elderly couple. A story of love, war and a creative imagination. 🇨🇦PROUD TO BE A CANADIAN 🇨🇦

A review of a book that I finished a couple of weeks ago on vacation but forgot to review... I loved this quiet, intense book. It was deeper than I expected and less sweet, more bittersweet. Easy to read, but still so much depth to it. I can see revisiting this one later in life.

This book is by a Canadian author but it is #redwhiteandblue! Happy #4thofJuly to all my American friends. #jubilantjuly

My reading for the month of June...a rather slow month but still a few good books. Also, it seems that I am just about exactly halfway through my challenge reads for this year... 50/101!

Had a bit of time to read in this lovely spot on an island off coast of Portland Maine while my kids built fairy houses. What a wonderful way to spend some vacation time. 😊🌻

Got a little reading in on the ferry ride home from Monhegan Island. Gorgeous day out on the ocean and exploring the island.

I'm a little surprised at how many books about elder persons I own, and most are quite humorous. I hope they feel they are. Wing well represented. #goldenyears #junetunz

Our interview with Heather O'Neill got us searching for more books from Canadian authors. The amazing LitCounsellor was kind enough to write a guest blog post with a list of her favorites. Give it a read and then be sure to follow her for even more great recommendations.
https://www.readingwomenpodcast.com/blog/2017/4/24/female-canadian-authors

#CanLit

This is the book that the city I live in has pledged to read #LondonOntario I thought we could use this as a jumping off place to meet up London Litsy peeps

This month's book club pick for tonight's meeting and I haven't read it. I started it on Friday but it didn't grab me and unfortunately I didn't get much farther this weekend. I'll see what I can squeeze in during the day!

Pup mug and a lovely new book to start what'll be a busy day 🐶📖

Happy #RedNoseDay . Wanna win this #mysterybooks #redcover. Share your #RedCover book and tag me :)
PS: Ninja nose is a bonus prize ☺️

Why??!! Why?? Did I finish the whole book? Don't do it! Drop it, do not turn another page. #dud #whydidntistop #nowimmad #whatthehell

Cabin reading

Wieder einige schöne Stellen im Buch gefunden! Das Zimtschneckenrezept muss ich definitiv mal ausprobieren 🤓

Sunday afternoon: tea, book, balcony.
#lifeisgood #readingissexy #booklove #books #bookworm

And next up on the reading agenda is...Etta, Otto, Russel and James.

I'm using my middle name, Etta, for Day 9 of #riotgrams #samename