VivienneR's Canadian journey

I didn't intend to get so caught up in this challenge, but that's the way it happened. This is the complete list of all the books I've read since I started the challenge. Titles will be added as the books are completed.

I created a collection for Canadian challenge reading, although some have just made it to my tbr list or wishlist.

Alberta
The Bone cage by Angie Abdou
if I knew, don't you think I'd tell you? by Jann Arden
The Garneau block by Todd Babiak
Sins of the mother by Deborah Nicholson
Icefields by Thomas Wharton
Summit tales : early adventures in the Canadian Rockies by Graeme Pole
Edmonton : a history by James Grierson MacGregor

British Columbia
The House of all sorts by Emily Carr
Winter of secrets by Vicki Delany
Valley of the lost by Vicki Delany
Negative Image by Vicki Delany
Seaweed on ice by Stan Evans
Legends of Vancouver by E. Pauline Johnson
Red dog, red dog by Patrick Lane
The Dunsmuir Saga by Terry Reksten
Bachelor brothers' bedside companion by Bill Richardson
Edward S. Curtis : above the medicine line by Rodger Touchie
Never sleep with a suspect on Gabriola Island by George Szanto
Rattenbury by Terry Reksten
Where the locals hike in the West Kootenay : the premier trails in Southeast B.C., near Kaslo & Nelson by Kathy Copeland
Painting my life by Phyllis Serota
The suspect by L.R. Wright
Klee Wyck by Emily Carr

Labrador
Windflower by Gabrielle Roy
So Few on earth by Josie Penny

Manitoba
The Stone angel by Margaret Laurence
A boy of good breeding by Miriam Toews
Over Prairie Trails by Frederick Philip Grove

New Brunswick
Losing Eddie by Deborah Joy Corey
A dismal thing to do by Alisa Craig
Home : chronicle of a north country life by Beth Powning
A winter kill by Vicki Delany

Newfoundland
Donovan's station by Robin McGrath

Northwest Territories
House calls by dogsled : six years in an Arctic medical outpost by Keith Billington
The Nahanni portfolio by Pat Keough
Iceberg tea by Annelies Pool

Nova Scotia
Birds of a feather : tales of a wild bird haven by Linda Johns
Barometer rising by Hugh Maclennan

Nunavut
Frozen in time by Owen Beattie
On the proper use of stars by Dominique Fortier
The Inuksuk book by Mary Wallace
Inuit women artists : voices from Cape Dorset
Darkness at the stroke of noon by Dennis Richard Murphy

Ontario
By the time you read this by Giles Blunt
The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
The wife's tale by Lori Lansens
Old city hall by Robert Rotenberg
Deliver us from evil by Peter Turnbull
The Hemingway caper by Eric Wright
The Guilty Plea by Robert Rotenberg
A Sensitive case by Eric Wright

Prince Edward Island
Mud, sweat and tears by Bud Ings
A Prince Edward Island Christmas : nowadays and long ago by Deirdre Kessler
The Catch by Louisa McCormack
A Body surrounded by water by Eric Wright
Bannock, beans and black tea : memories of a Prince Edward Island childhood in the Great Depression by John Gallant

Quebec
Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
Enchanted summer by Gabrielle Roy
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
French Kiss : Stephen Harper's blind date with Quebec by Chantal Hebert
Dead Cold by Louise Penny
Mindfield by William Deverell
Mister Roger and Me by Marie-Renée Lavoie

Saskatchewan
Mamie's children : three generations of prairie women by Judy Schultz
The Bridge city anthology : stories from Saskatoon
A Colder kind of death by Gail Bowen
Why shoot the teacher by Max Braithwaite
Deadly appearances by Gail Bowen

Yukon
Gold digger by Vicki Delany
Frontier Spirit : women of the Klondike by Jennifer Duncan
The Tent Peg by Aritha Van Herk

Some of those sound neat, and I've added a few to my wishlist. You've read alot - congrats!
Michelle

I grew up in Edmonton and have happily added The Garneau Block to my wishlist. Thanks.

I've really enjoyed searching out books set in each province. I've learned so much by going out of my usual range. It was difficult to choose just one. This is where I am right now:

British Columbia
- Seaweed on Ice by Stanley Evans A mystery set in Victoria where I recently lived. I'll watch for more by this author.
- Bachelor Brothers Bedside Companion by Bill Richardson
Alberta
- If I knew, don't you think I'd tell you? by Jann Arden
- The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou - very well written novel by an author from the Kootenays in BC but with a University of Calgary setting.
- The Garneau Block by Todd Babiak set in Edmonton. Probably more entertaining in its original format of daily newspaper installments but still enjoyable.
Saskatchewan
- Mamie's children by Judy Schultz. I loved this family history by one of my favourite authors.
Manitoba
- The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence - another favourite author
Ontario
- The Hemingway Caper by Eric Wright. A mystery set in Toronto that provides enough reading ideas to last a while.
- The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens. My August ER win.
Quebec -
New Brunswick -
Prince Edward Island -
Nova Scotia
- Birds of a feather: tales of a wild bird haven by Linda Johns - Amusing, but it doesn't have a strong sense of location so I may choose another.
Newfoundland
Labrador
Yukon
Northwest Territories
Nunavut
- The Inuksuk Book by Mary Wallace I loved this excellent children's book that has beautiful illustrations as well as a guide to Inuktitut words.
- Inuit women artists: voices from Cape Dorset by Odette Leroux- just finishing this one. It's outstanding because each woman has described her life and inspirations.

edited to correct touchstones

RidgewayGirl, how did you like The Garneau Block?

I'm still waiting for a copy to turn up somewhere. I depend on the fickle winds of BookMooch for my books, which means I may get a copy in a week, or wait years.

A treat for another day. As I said above, it was probably more entertaining in daily newspaper episodes. I enjoyed the little imaginary visit to Strathcona. I didn't grow up in Edmonton but lived there for 20 years and regard it as my home town.

Inuit Women Artists looks very interesting. I'll have to look for that one.

This is my latest update. I didn't care much for Alisa Craig's book so I may try to find another. It was not complimentary to New Brunswick or descriptive of the place. I've just started my Quebec choice.

BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Seaweed on Ice by Stanley Evans
- Bachelor Brothers Bedside Companion by Bill Richardson
ALBERTA
- If I knew, don't you think I'd tell you? by Jann Arden
- The Bone Cage by Angie Abdou
- The Garneau Block by Todd Babiak
SASKATCHEWAN
- Mamie's children by Judy Schultz
MANITOBA
- The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence
ONTARIO
- The Hemingway Caper by Eric Wright
- The Wife's Tale by Lori Lansens
QUEBEC
- Last Night in Montreal by Emily St John Mandel
NEW BRUNSWICK
- A dismal thing to do by Alisa Craig
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
- The Catch by Louisa McCormack
NOVA SCOTIA
- Birds of a feather: tales of a wild bird haven by Linda Johns
- Barometer Rising by Hugh MacLennan
NEWFOUNDLAND
LABRADOR
YUKON
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
NUNAVUT
- The Inuksuk Book by Mary Wallace
- Inuit women artists: voices from Cape Dorset by Odette Leroux

What an interesting list. There are no reviews (or descriptions) for Seaweed on Ice. What is it about? Did you enjoy it? Mamie's Children sounds like one I'd really enjoy!

Vivienne - you are doing so well - good for you :)

The First Nations police officer in Seaweed on Ice is named Seaweed, a very likable character. This mystery takes place in winter in Victoria so there is a lot of rain and sleet. I enjoyed it mostly because the author mentions so many streets and buildings that are familiar to me that it was like a visit to that city where I lived recently. The dialog is fast and smart, reminiscent of Sam Spade. The native point of view is very interesting, knowledgeable and complimentary.

Mamie's Children is one of my favourites of this journey. Not just a family history but truly describes what life was like for pioneers. The author was able to tape many conversation and recollections of her relatives that the stories are reliable. Judy Schultz has a writing style that I find very pleasant to read.

I'm really enjoying this challenge. It seems I 'think' I read more Canadian content than is actually the case. Now I'm coming up with more titles than I can possibly read in the near future. And I just bought a ton of books at a recent book sale.

Many of your choices fall outside of the usual worthy, Giller prize winning books that get attention south of the border. You've added to my wishlist with your choices and I look forward to seeing what you'll be reading next. Seaweed on Ice looks interesting.

Wow, you're doing great on your journey, and you've given me some good ideas too.

Thanks, I've been trying to find books that are outside my usual reading list. The Stone Angel by Margaret Laurence was a re-read but it's one of those books that I enjoy re-reading. I loved the Nunavut choices even though one was actually a children's book. We don't often hear Inuit tell their life stories. "I was born in an igloo" immediately captured my attention in Inuit women artists: voices from Cape Dorset by Odette Leroux. Unfortunately I had to postpone Last Night in Montreal by Emily St John Mandel in the middle because I lent it to a friend. What I've read so far is fascinating, very well written and I'm looking forward to getting back into it.

It's been ages since I posted to this group. I got side-tracked by ARCs. I really enjoyed my latest British Columbia book Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany. It is set in the fictional town of Trafalgar, which is obviously Nelson, a mere 20 minute drive from where I live. She even mentions my town, which is really neat as it's a pretty small place. Here are the books I've read since my last post:

BRITISH COLUMBIA
- Legends of Vancouver by E. Pauline Johnson
- House of All Sorts by Emily Carr
- Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany
ALBERTA
- Icefields by Thomas Wharton
- Sins of the Mother by Kate Carpenter
SASKATCHEWAN
- The Bridge City Anthology: Stories from Saskatoon Susan Gingell, editor
ONTARIO
- Old City Hall by Robert Rotenberg
- By the time you read this by Giles Blunt
NEW BRUNSWICK
- Home: Chronicle of a North Country Life by Beth Powning
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
- Mud, sweat and tears by Bud Ings
NEWFOUNDLAND & LABRADOR
- Donovan's Station by Robin McGrath
YUKON
- Gold digger by Vicki Delany
NORTHWEST TERRITORIES
- Darkness at the Stroke of Noon by Dennis Richard Murphy
- Frozen in Time by Owen Beattie & John Geiger

I am glad to hear that you liked Maimie's Children as I have it in mount TBR and am considering it for one of my Sask books coming up :)

When I lived in Edmonton, Judy Schultz was the food editor for the Edmonton Journal. I never missed her column, which often read more like a travelogue (she later became travel editor). It was very interesting that she was able to write a book about her pioneering antecedents in such detail.

That is interesting :) Small world eh?

What did you think of Icefields and Old City Hall?

I loved Old City Hall. As well as being a great story it taught me a lot about how the legal system works. I felt Toronto was really brought alive. The hockey sideline was wonderful, especially as the story took place during the Stanley Cup playoffs. It's the type of book that I'll probably read again sometime. I'm currently on the last few pages of Icefields which I've also enjoyed. I thought it got off to a slow start, but that was probably just me - too many books at once. I've visited the area many times so it's very easy to visualize the story and the beginnings of tourism in Jasper. It has a lovely mystical quality. Have you read them or are they on your tbr pile?

I really enjoyed Icefields, which I thought was so beautifully written and, yeah, being familiar with the area made it more vivid.

I only recently managed to find a copy of Old City Hall and I hope to read it soon.

Icefields is so dreamlike and poetic. I finished it yesterday and it's been on my mind ever since. I'd like to read it again soon, to savour it more. It was beautifully written. I heard on the news today of a sad coincidence. William Holland, a hiker who went missing twenty-one years ago, was given up by a glacier in Jasper yesterday.

I have both Icefields and Old City Hall on mount TBR which is becoming perilously tall and threatening to bury me :P Oh the decisions :P

If I had to choose between Icefields and Old City Hall I'd read the latter first. It's interesting to see the way lawyers handle a crime. I will definitely read it again at some point. I also recommend Winter of Secrets by Vicki Delany especially if you are familiar with the Nelson area in southeastern B.C. - although that isn't a requirement.

Ooo that is going on my wishlist.. thank you Vivienne!

I received a gift of a book that fits British Columbia (or Alberta to some extent). Edward S. Curtis: Above the Medicine Line by Rodger Touchie. It is a summary of the photos and text created by Curtis in the early 1900s of the Native American tribes. This book covers the tribes of British Columbia and Alberta. It was sort of sad that his huge achievement was ignored by academics for a long time. President Roosevelt was his main supporter. I have written a review to describe it in a little more detail.

If Nunavut isn't covered already, I strongly recommend The Proper Use of Stars by Dominique Fortier. I received an ARC and just loved it. It is a fictional account of the Franklin Expedition and travels from the Arctic to Lady Franklin's life in London. I just posted my review. I can recommend this highly. Not sure if this translated edition is out yet, the French edition Du bon usage des étoiles was shortlisted for the Governor General's award.

edited to try and fix French touchstone, no luck.

>28 VivienneR: Great review! It sounds like an interesting book.

I'm having trouble keeping up with my reading record for this challenge so I created a collection titled "Canadian Challenge". It includes what I have read as well as the tbr heap and wishlist. It should be easier to find what I want to read next from the collection. I hope that will keep me on track a bit better. Right now I'm about to start Losing Eddie by Deborah Joy Corey set in New Brunswick.

I had not heard about this book.. I see Librarything does not have much information about it, and no reviews. I look forward to hearing more about it from you! :)

I didn't intend to get so caught up in this challenge, but that's the way it happened. This is my list of as of September 2012 of the books I've read since I started the challenge. The full updated list is in the first post.

I enjoyed this challenge very much, a big thank you to thornton37814, who started it all.

Alberta
The Bone cage by Angie Abdou
if I knew, don't you think I'd tell you? by Jann Arden
The Garneau block by Todd Babiak
Sins of the mother by Deborah Nicholson
Icefields by Thomas Wharton
Summit tales : early adventures in the Canadian Rockies by Graeme Pole
Edmonton : a history by James Grierson MacGregor

British Columbia
The House of all sorts by Emily Carr
Winter of secrets by Vicki Delany
Valley of the lost by Vicki Delany
Negative Image by Vicki Delany
Seaweed on ice by Stan Evans
Legends of Vancouver by E. Pauline Johnson
Red dog, red dog by Patrick Lane
The Dunsmuir Saga by Terry Reksten
Bachelor brothers' bedside companion by Bill Richardson
Edward S. Curtis : above the medicine line by Rodger Touchie
Never sleep with a suspect on Gabriola Island by George Szanto
Rattenbury by Terry Reksten
Where the locals hike in the West Kootenay : the premier trails in Southeast B.C., near Kaslo & Nelson by Kathy Copeland
Painting my life by Phyllis Serota
The suspect by L.R. Wright
Klee Wyck by Emily Carr

Labrador
Windflower by Gabrielle Roy
So Few on earth by Josie Penny

Manitoba
The Stone angel by Margaret Laurence
A boy of good breeding by Miriam Toews
Over Prairie Trails by Frederick Philip Grove

New Brunswick
Losing Eddie by Deborah Joy Corey
A dismal thing to do by Alisa Craig
Home : chronicle of a north country life by Beth Powning
A winter kill by Vicki Delany

Newfoundland
Donovan's station by Robin McGrath

Northwest Territories
House calls by dogsled : six years in an Arctic medical outpost by Keith Billington
The Nahanni portfolio by Pat Keough
Iceberg tea by Annelies Pool

Nova Scotia
Birds of a feather : tales of a wild bird haven by Linda Johns
Barometer rising by Hugh Maclennan

Nunavut
Frozen in time by Owen Beattie
On the proper use of stars by Dominique Fortier
The Inuksuk book by Mary Wallace
Inuit women artists : voices from Cape Dorset
Darkness at the stroke of noon by Dennis Richard Murphy

Ontario
By the time you read this by Giles Blunt
The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis
The wife's tale by Lori Lansens
Old city hall by Robert Rotenberg
Deliver us from evil by Peter Turnbull
The Hemingway caper by Eric Wright
The Guilty Plea by Robert Rotenberg
A Sensitive case by Eric Wright

Prince Edward Island
Mud, sweat and tears by Bud Ings
A Prince Edward Island Christmas : nowadays and long ago by Deirdre Kessler
The Catch by Louisa McCormack
A Body surrounded by water by Eric Wright
Bannock, beans and black tea : memories of a Prince Edward Island childhood in the Great Depression by John Gallant

Quebec
Last Night in Montreal by Emily St. John Mandel
Enchanted summer by Gabrielle Roy
Deadly Decisions by Kathy Reichs
French Kiss : Stephen Harper's blind date with Quebec by Chantal Hebert
Dead Cold by Louise Penny
Mindfield by William Deverell

Saskatchewan
Mamie's children : three generations of prairie women by Judy Schultz
The Bridge city anthology : stories from Saskatoon
A Colder kind of death by Gail Bowen
Why shoot the teacher by Max Braithwaite
Deadly appearances by Gail Bowen

Yukon
Gold digger by Vicki Delany
Frontier Spirit : women of the Klondike by Jennifer Duncan
The Tent Peg by Aritha Van Herk

Wow - you've read quite a few. I've got 3 more provinces to go. I should finish this year though. I've identified the books to complete it!

Vivienne - is this going to be an ongoing challenge for you, in that you'll keep adding to that great list (@32)? Or are you going to call it completed at some point? When you're all done, I'd love to see which were your favorite reads for each province.

For myself, I've got quite a ways to go. And worse yet, I'm way behind on maintenance of my catalog and threads, so I don't even know where I am at this point. I love to read the threads of you folks who are so organized!

Yes countrylife, it is an ongoing challenge. I'll try to concentrate on the provinces that are not well represented so far. It just seems that I never have enough time to properly read all the threads or post as often as I'd like to. However, I will continue to lurk in this group, especially to get more recommendations. I may post to the individual 'province' threads, and comment on my favourites - if I ever get the rest of my life organized to allow the time. Meantime, my Canadian tbr collection and wishlist is still growing.

Wow, that's a great list of books!

Great list!! I have found a few to add to my wishlist. I am glad that you are going to keep lurking here :)

I just placed an order for Iceberg Tea by Annelies Pool that sounds like fun. I hope it fits into this challenge because I'm not sure if it is specific to one province. Never mind, it looks like it will be a good read.

I would love to hear more about Iceberg Tea, that sounds as though it may be one for my wishlist! :)

Iceberg Tea is a collection of vignettes about the everyday events connected with living in a cabin outside Yellowknife. Annelies Pool writes a column in the Yellowknifer and other publications. Most of the work is taken from these articles and all are about life in the north. Nothing tremendously exciting, but a very pleasant read. It was the perfect book for reading in quiet moments during the Christmas holidays.

I had seen this one online somewhere, and the title caught my eye. Adding it to my wishlist. :)

I've added a few books to the list. My recent Canadian reading which has slowed somewhat because I'm currently reading my way through Europe in the Europe Endless Challenge.

The next task I hope to achieve is to add ratings.

You are doing very well on your Canadian reading. I've found that after I completed my Canadian Challenge, that I've kept on reading some Canadian books along the way. I've got several more wishlisted, and I hope that I'll continue to read some of the books from our neighbor to the north!

That's exactly what I did too. Not all of my Canadian reading is connected with a province but I keep searching for books on the provinces that are sparsely represented. The best thing about this challenge (the same goes for Europe Endless) is that I've learned so much. It's a huge country and I've never been to the north, or the maritimes, or Quebec and now I feel as if I have some kind of familiarity, however basic, with those areas.

Just finished a winner set in Quebec: Mister Roger and Me by Marie-Renée Lavoie

This is a wonderful book filled with a wide range of emotions. It was moving, touching, poignant, happy, sad, funny. All portraying the joy and difficulties of growing up. Eight year-old Héléne claims to be ten so that she can get a job delivering newspapers. Her hero is a cartoon character, Oscar, and her new best friend is the old guy next door who smokes, swears and drinks beer - and becomes her protector. The story is set in Quebec around the 1980s.

I wish my French was good enough to read this in the original language. I have a feeling it would get the full 5 stars. An excellent book that I can recommend highly.