Litsy

so-so

The token genre pick on this year‘s #CanadaReads shortlist. I‘ll bet it gets voted off first or second.

TheKidUpstairs I keep forgetting that the debates start on Monday. I'm hoping they are more engaging than the selections. It was a pretty underwhelming year, IMO, I liked a couple but didn't really love any of them. I was kind of excited to see a thriller pick, but did not like this book at all. 2w

BookishTrish Prediction = confirmed 6d

Blueberry I'm really enjoying the debates this year. Everyone is pleasant and respectful to each other and knowledgeable about all the books. They all give convincing arguments in favor of their books. 5d

35 likes4 comments

BookishTrish

Jennie's Boy: A Misfit Childhood on an Island of Eccentrics | Wayne Johnston

so-so

Not nearly as wonderful as Johnston‘s fiction. This was a bit of a slog honestly, and I don‘t have high hopes for it on #CanadaReads. I think it‘ll be voted off first or second.

Blueberry This is the only one of the shortlist that I have been unable to get. 2w

BookishTrish Prediction = confirmed 6d

32 likes2 comments

BookishTrish

A Two-Spirit Journey: The Autobiography of a Lesbian Ojibwa-Cree Elder | Ma-Nee Chacaby

pick

Holy moly did Ma-Nee live through some terrible terrible shit. Her empathy, compassion, and generosity shine through. I found the tough parts really tough to listen to and so it‘s my third pick for #CanadaReads winner this year.

38 likes

BookishTrish

Dandelion | Jamie Chai Yun Liew

so-so

Im not one to read about estranged mothers so personally this was not a read I enjoyed. I‘d say this is my second choice for #CanadaReads winner for the year. It was pretty straightforward but I think it‘ll resonate with a lot of Canadians. Many of us deeply understand the feeling of not being fully one culture or another.

42 likes

BookishTrish

Etta and Otto and Russell and James | Emma Hooper

pick

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.

Blueberry I agree 😄 !! 2w

38 likes1 comment

melissajayne

The Book of Negroes: A Novel (Movie Tie-in Edition) (Movie Tie-in Editions) | Lawrence Hill

pick

4.5⭐️ I really enjoyed this book (liked it so much that I spoke for 15 minutes on the book on my YouTube channel [mjreadings on YouTube if you‘re interested]). The only thing that didn‘t make it a 5⭐️ was that it was slow paced in the beginning. I read it about 10+ years ago for another #bookclub and reading it again now blew me away once again. #2025 #historicalfiction #fiction #africanamerican

melissajayne #canadareads #africanamericanloyalists #slavenarratives 2w

melissajayne The book is published in the United States under the title Someone Knows My Name. 2w

28 likes2 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

No surprise that Indian Horse was the best book I read in February and that it topped West with Giraffes. The rest of the books I read in February were just ok and while West with Giraffes is good - Indian Horse is in a class of it's own.

Note: Not my template - off Pinterest.

#ReadingBracket #ReadingBracket2025 #BookBracket2025 #BookBracket

43 likes

CarolynM

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

#BookReport for February

My favourite this month was Indian Horse.

melissajayne Indian Horse is such a sad, but beautiful story. 3w

66 likes1 comment

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

This post contains spoilers

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Saul is such a strong character. I don't think many would make it through what he goes through at such a young age and then all through childhood. To have such focus on a sport while he is being abused and his culture and way of life have been completely ripped away from him shows a strong will to survive.

Thoughts on Saul?

Pictured is a Birch Bark Canoe - one of the main forms of transportation for the Ojibwe.

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 3w

Ruthiella My heart broke for him. I did like, however how the book opens with him already on a healing journey because reading the rest and not knowing if he‘d make it through would have been tough. 3w

Jess861 @Ruthiella I agree. I also like how Wagamese subtly hinted at the abuse but didn't confirm it until closer to the end. It really made you think again at the end of the book about everything he'd been through. 3w

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Jess861 Birch was critical to the Ojibwe lifestyle. It is interesting to read about if you are interested. Another interesting fact is that Birch Bark Canoes were a great transportation form for the inland waterways. It is thought that the Europeans would not have been able to discover and explore much of the land without this type of transportation. The boats they had weren't made for inland waterways. 3w

Tamra The revelation was startling, even though there were hints, but they were easily dismissed. 😔 Speaks to the survival strategy of victims and craft of Wagamese‘ writing! (edited) 3w

Kitta @Ruthiella agreed, I liked having the certainty that he would pull through. I missed or dismissed quite of few of the hints that abuse was occurring tbh. I even thought partway through the novel that it was strange other kids were being abused but not Saul 😆 3w

DogMomIrene Saul was so real. Agree that the opening pages help me cope with the set up that this character will survive. I had the same thought “strange he‘s not abused” and dismissed it. Makes me think that may be Wagamese‘s point in hinting at abuse. I think people, me included, tend to not see abuse and dismiss the hints, even when we shouldn‘t. I want a sequel, even just a short story, to know that Saul‘s okay. 3w

Jess861 @DogMomIrene Sadly, Wagamese passed away in 2017 so we will never get a sequel. 3w

kwmg40 Saul was a great character. I love how Wagamese makes us care so much about characters who are usually marginalized or disdained by society. I loved his novel Ragged Company about four homeless people. 3w

12 likes9 comments

Jess861

Indian Horse | Richard Wagamese

This post contains spoilers

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Another major part of the book is hockey. Saul manages to find an escape through hockey although it only masks the suffering he is going through. It isn't until much later in life that he digs deep into that past so that he can truly heal.

Thoughts on the hockey portion of the book? Did you know this book was originally only supposed to be about hockey?

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder @KathyWheeler @Ruthiella @CarolynM @LapReader @kwmg40 @Readergrrl @JenlovesJT47 @Tamra @PurpleyPumpkin @Kitta @DogMomIrene @Blueberry @BiblioLitten #OhCanada 3w

Ruthiella I have to say, as beautiful as the writing was, it lost me with hockey ! 😂 I‘m not a sports person at all. 3w

Jess861 I enjoyed the hockey portion of the book as I find Wagamese can write about anything and it's still magical. I think a bit less hockey would have been ok with me though.

The fact that Saul finds an escape through hockey and then manages to bottle away his abuses for years is quite something. Sad that he didn't realize he was using hockey for something else as he did seem to love the sport. 3w

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Jess861 @Ruthiella I agree, a bit less hockey would have been ok with me! 3w

Tamra I was surprised at the hockey middle section. I‘d didn‘t mind too much because it was well written and personable. Had it not moved on to post hockey life, I would have been disappointed. 3w

Jess861 @Tamra I agree, the book wouldn't have been as complete if it had ended with hockey. I really felt like we went on the journey of Saul's life in this book. 3w

CarolynM I loved the hockey part of the book, but I wondered how much it would alienate people who weren‘t familiar with the sport. I can imagine some readers outside Canada just switching off from it, which would be a shame as I think the way it makes Saul feel, in both positive and negative ways, is really important to his journey. It‘s a reminder that, although similar in some ways, our countries each have cultures of their own. 3w

Kitta I am not a sports person except for gymnastics and I actually loved the hockey part of this, I am Canadian though and familiar with the rules and gameplay which must have helped. I think the intricate detail spent on discussing the hockey was a way for Saul‘s mind to switch off from the abuse and purposely forget about it or ignore it as much as possible. He had to dive into a passion to distract himself. 3w

lauraisntwilder I loved the hockey parts. My son played hockey for years. We're originally from TN and follow the Nashville Predators. This book made me think about former-Pred Jordin Tootoo, the first Inuk player in the NHL, and how he also played for the Blackhawks. (Imagine wearing that jersey.) I also remember watching a game on TV where Boston fans were yelling the n-word at PK Subban. There are still people who think of it as a white man's game. 3w

Jess861 @CarolynM Agree - I can see how the hockey portion could turn off a reader who isn't into hockey or sports because there are so many chapters that are just hockey. But it was critical to the book so hopefully most aren't turned off by it. 3w

Jess861 @lauraisntwilder I remember Jordin Tootoo as well and got to see him play a time or two in Canada. Even though he was a 'fighter' he was quite skilled at the game. 3w

lauraisntwilder @Jess861 In Nashville, fans loved Tootoo. They would bring train whistles to the games, a play on Tootoo rhyming with "choo choo" that I sincerely hope didn't bug him, and they'd blow them whenever he was on the ice. It was a special cheer, just for him. And they continued to do it after he was traded, but came back to play on opposing teams. 3w

DogMomIrene I‘m not a sports person, but I loved the hockey section because it was serving as his escape. I wondered if Fr. Hockey Coach had been abusing him, but thought “why would he let him go?” But when Saul refused to fight, then blew his chance at a pro-career, I knew. That was the most heart-breaking part for me. This beautiful skater who played the game with skill & grace who should have had every hockey success had that ripped from him bc of abuse. 3w

kwmg40 I loved the hockey part. I grew up in Montreal, and my father, a Chinese immigrant, completely embraced the hockey culture (as a spectator if not a player). I grew up watching Hockey Night in Canada every week. In Quebec, it was really a sport for everybody, rich or poor. 3w

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