Welcome to the Quarantine Edition of Write Reads! It’s very similar to our regular podcast but we do some talking about virus naming conventions, social distancing, self-isolating, and the like. But mainly we discuss this really excellent book about Chinese restaurants. WARNING: This podcast might make you crave Chinese food! Maybe have a snack before you listen. And, if you’re stuck at home and bored, go back and listen to our entire library of podcasts. That’ll keep you busy.

Other books discussed in this podcast:

• A Sportsman’s Notebook by Ivan Turgenev
• West With the Night by Beryl Markham
• Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
• The Inquirer by Jaclyn Dawn
• Giving Up the Ghost by Hilary Mantel
• The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel
• Being Chinese in Canada by William Ging Wee Dere

After careful deliberation and close consultation we have selected our nonfiction pick for March. Run out this instant and get a copy of Chop Suey Nation by Ann Hui, then join us to hear what we have to say about this culinary cross country chronicle.

Welcome to Tania’s birthday party! Woo hoooo! This podcast was recorded on the actual anniversary of Tania’s arrival on this plane of existence. It gets pretty wild. Have a listen and enjoy.

Other books discussed in this podcast:

• Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
• A Sportsman’s Notebook by Ivan Turgenev
• The Inquirer by Jaclyn Dawn
• Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham
• Radicalized by Corey Doctorow
• La Belle Sauvage by Philip Pullman
• We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib

Bookstores mentioned:

• Bookmark Halifax
• Glass Bookshop

Wackadoodle book contests mentioned:

• Canada Reads

We’re back! We know that you’re expecting a discussion of This Is How You Lose the Time War but you’re going to be sad. We read the book but we decided not to discuss it. We hope you will survive the disappointment. If you read the book and have lots to say about it, let us know and we’ll address your comments in our next podcast. We’ll also let you know what book we’ll be discussing for that podcast very, very soon.

To recognize the decade that has passed, the year that has passed, the year to come, and the Lunar New Year that will be happening this coming weekend, we are presenting our Top 10 Canadian Books of the 2010s and Kirt’s Top 5 of 2019. We hope that you’ll enjoy listening to our picks and that you will share your picks with us.

If you don’t want to listen to our blather, here are the lists:

Tania’s Top 10 Canadian Books of the 2010s

1. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
2. Every Blade of Grass by Thomas Wharton (Write Reads #54)
3. Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis (Write Reads #28)
4. River of Stars by Guy Gavriel Kay (Write Reads #52)
5. The Party Wall by by Catherine Leroux (Write Reads #42)
6. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki (After Canada Reads #1 and #2)
7. SuperMutant Magic Academy by Jillian Tamaki
8. The Nest by Kenneth Oppel (Write Reads #47)
9. The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
10. Plain Kate by Erin Bow

Kirt’s Top 10 Canadian Books of the 2010s

1. The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
2. Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis
3. Medicine Walk by Richard Wagamese
4. A Profession of Hope by Jenna Butler (Write Reads #38)
5. The Widow Tree by Nicole Lundrigan (Write Reads #14)
6. The Party Wall by Catherine Leroux
7. Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
8. Dr. Brinkley’s Tower by Robert Hough
9. All My Puny Sorrows by Miriam Toews (Write Reads #30)
10. A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki

Kirt’s Top 5 of 2019

1. French Exit by Patrick deWitt (Write Reads #58)
2. Madame Victoria by Catherine Leroux (Write Reads #63)
3. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice (Write Reads #60)
4. The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht
5. The Substitute by Nicole Lundrigan (Write Reads #57)

It’s Write Reading In Bed Month! We’re joined by one of our favourite guest hosts, Laura Frey (Reading-In-Bed), for her bi-annual visit. We had lots of good stuff to say about this critically acclaimed novel. Listen!

Today also marks the 7th anniversary of our little podcast. Happy anniversary to us!

Our Sci-Fi and Fantasy pick for next month is This is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone. We eagerly invite applications for guest hosts.

Other books mentioned in this podcast:

• Dream Sequence by Adam Foulds
• Reproduction by Ian Williams
• Days by Moonlight by Andre Alexis
• Small Game Hunting at the Local Coward Gun Club by Megan Gail Coles
• The Innocents by Michael Crummey
• The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline
• The Lions of Al-Rassan by Guy Gavriel Kay
• Quicksilver by Neal Stephenson
• Women Talking by Miriam Toews

Other book celebrities mentioned in this podcast:

Rick MacDonnell

Here’s Graphic Novel month! We hope you enjoy our discussion about this really compelling story. How would you hold up under those circumstances? Give us your thoughts.

Next month is Write Reading In Bed Month! Laura Frey will be joining us to talk about Twin Studies by Keith Maillard. Grab that book, read it, and listen to us talk. Very simple.

Other books discussed in this podcast:

• Days By Moonlight by Andre Alexis
• Miracle Workers by Simon Rich
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Leacock Award article mentioned:

CanLit’s Comedy Problem by PASHA MALLA

Here’s our chat with Nat! We had fun talking about this excellent Biblioasis publication for our Indie Publisher Month.  You should buy it, read it, and listen to the podcast. Then you should tell us what you thought about this gem of Canadian Literature and what you thought about all the stuff we say about it. You’ll never believe this podcast’s surprise (and very “meta” ending).

Our Graphic Novel Month pick is Hostage by Guy Delisle. Look at us keeping on track [pats own backs]. So far, it’s just Kirt and Tania talking about this one, but if anybody gets a hankering to do a casting of pods, give us a holler.

Other books discussed in this podcast:

• The Salt Path by Raynor Winn
• Spinster by Kate Bolick
• The Long-Winded Lady by Maeve Brennan
• Virginibus Puerisque by Robert Louis Stevenson
• The Stranger in the Woods by Michael Finkel
• Found Drowned by Laurie Glenn Norris
• Stolen Souls and Ratlines by Stuart Neville
• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
• Days By Moonlight by Andre Alexis

Other podcasts mentioned in this podcast:

• Our Opinions Are Correct

We are so delighted to have Naomi from Consumed by Ink joining us to discuss the 2019 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Boy Wonders by Cathal Kelly. We delve into lots of stuff in this one. We look forward to the emails and comments that will surely ensue. What’s your take on the Leacock Award? How do you feel about memoirs? Do you remember the television show called V? Are The Littlest Hobo and The Beachcombers not absolute classics of television history? Tell us.

We will be announcing our pick for Indie Month very soon (and maybe a guest host!). Keep your eyes open for that.

Other books discussed in this podcast:

• Black Writers Matter edited by Whitney French
• Bad Ideas and The Love Monster by Missy Marston
• The Case of the Missing Men and Use Your Imagination! by Kris Bertin
• Louisburg or Bust by R.C. Shaw
• Crow by Amy Spurway
• Found Drowned by  Laurie Glenn Norris
• Every Little Piece of Me by Amy Jones
• Watermark by Christy-Ann Conlin
• Even Weirder Than Before by Susie Taylor
• Bina, Malarky, and Martin John by Anikana Schofield
• Every Blade of Grass by Thomas Wharton
• Mirror In the Sky by Aditi Khorana
• Gilead by Marilynne Robinson
• Thousand Dollar Tan Line by Jennifer Graham
• Lake Success by Gary Shteyngart
• The Stranger In the Woods by Michael Finkel
• Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
• Hermit of Gully Lake by Joan Baxter
• Leonard by William Shatner
• Wonder Boys by Michael Chabon
• Republic of Dirt by Susan Juby
• King Leary by Paul Quarrington
• The Best Laid Plans by Terry Fallis

Article mentioned in the podcast:

“CanLit’s Comedy Problem” Literary Review of Canada by Pasha Malla (Kirt apologizes if he may have misgendered Mr. Malla)

Hey, Gang, it’s Write Reading In Bed month! Laura Frey from Reading In Bed has joined us once again for our discussion of Waubgeshig Rice’s Moon of the Crusted Snow. After getting over the initial awkwardness of long distance podcasting we fell right back in to the usual delightfulness when the three of us get together to talk books. If you don’t listen, you’ll be sad.

Many thanks to ECW Press for the reading copies.  You listeners should check out their catalogue. They’ve got some really nice looking titles on the way.

Going forward, we’re going to try to ease back in to our former reading schedule, so our next podcast is a non-fiction pick. We’re going to read Leonard: My Fifty-Year Friendship with a Remarkable Man by William Shatner. We’re aiming for end of May/early June for this one. Go grab a copy and join us (as listeners or as an actual guest host)!

Other books mentioned in this podcast:

• Starlight, Medicine Walk, and Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese
• The Little Friend by Donna Tartt
• The Murderer’s Ape by Jakob Wegelius
• Shrewed by Elizabeth Renzetti
• The Imposter Bride by Nancy Richler
• Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
• An Ocean of Minutes by Thea Lim

As we enter the final countdown to the Giller Awards, here is our discussion about one of the nominees. We hope you enjoy it in spite of some very minor technical problems in the podcast. We have a good laugh, you can be sure.

Other books mentioned in this podcast:

• The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht
• The Idiot by Elif Batuman
• Mythago Wood by Robert Holdstock
• Two Old Women by Velma Wallis