Canada Reads 2023

The 2023 contenders for Canada Reads 2023 are:

Jeopardy! super-champ Mattea Roach champions Ducks by Kate Beaton
Actor Keegan Connor Tracy champions Greenwood by Michael Christie
Bhangra dancer Gurdeep Pandher champions Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah
TikTok creator Tasnim Geedi champions Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Actor Michael Greyeyes champions Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

The debates will take place March 27-30, 2023.

My heart will be cheering for Mattea Roach as I am a huge Jeopardy! fan. And, I enjoyed Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands very much. I'm planning to read the other four before the debates as I always do.

I finished Mexican Gothic and while I enjoyed it, I'm at a loss as to why it was chosen for Canada Reads. Seems like an odd choice. I'm curious to see how the debates go - I'd be surprised if this one stays past round one.

I've now read three and am well into Greenwood so I should be in good shape next month. Just waiting for Ducks to come in at the library. My fave so far is Hotline but I can see that changing.

>3 Yells: I also just finished Mexican Gothic and I feel the same way as you. For horror (which I freely admit is not a fave for me) it was well-written but I just don't see how it relates to Canada nor do I think it is a book that will shift perspectives. I think horror afficionados will like it a lot but it's not going to convert people to liking horror.

Greenwood is still my choice but I know Ducks will be addressing some of the same issues so it could come down to one of them being tossed and the other going on to the final.

I am starting to read the five finalists now. I've recently read Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands and am now re-reading Station Eleven

Thee is another Canada Reads 2023 thread, (quite active) over here.....
https://www.librarything.com/topic/347666#n8085493

Next up: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

I enjoyed Station Eleven so much more than when I first read it!

I agree with everyone who is wondering why Mexican Gothic is on the short list. Barely Canadian...the author lives here. And how is this supposed to change my perspective?

Next up: Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah

I'm completing my Canada Reads books with Greenwood by Michael Christie

I feel like I’ve already had this conversation, but I guess it was some other group.

I loved Mexican Gothic but can’t figure out why it’s here. Predicting it will be knocked out first.

I enjoyed Hotline. It has that earnestness that Canada Reads loves.

I’m making yet another attempt to read Station Eleven. I struggle with this book but tonight I’ve made it the farthest yet—page 46

Greenwood - don’t know much about this

Ducks - I went to buy this but it’s only in hardcover and physically too large. I predict this to win. At some point I will either borrow a copy or the paperback will be too big, rather than huge

I've completed all the books.

Didn't like Mexican Gothic. Can't figure out why it's there either >10 Nickelini:. Hoping the debate will shed some light on that mystery. Agree it will probably be first to go.

Hotline was okay...but maybe glossed over the immigrant experience a bit too much.

Liked Station Eleven more than when I first read it. Maybe COVID changed my perspective.

Loved Greenwood but not sure it changed my perspectives.

Loved Ducks: Two Years in the Oil Sands and I love Jeopardy!. With super-champ Mattea Roach defending this book, it's the one I'm cheering for. It my view, it and Station Eleven best fit the changing perspective theme.

Hey, everyone. I just noticed that the debates will be at 10:00....they used to be at 11:00. So I just want to make sure no one else is surprised and misses the debate on Monday.

Here are all the ways to check out the debate:

ONLINE: CBC Books will livestream the debates at 10:05 a.m. ET on CBCBooks.ca, YouTube, Facebook and CBC Gem. If you'd rather listen to the debates online, they will air live on CBC Listen.
ON RADIO: Canada Reads will air on CBC Radio at 10:05 a.m. in the Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones. It will air at 11:05 a.m. in the Maritimes, 1:05 p.m. in Labrador and at 1:35 p.m. in Newfoundland.
ON TV: CBC TV will broadcast Canada Reads at 1 p.m. in the Eastern, Central, Mountain and Pacific time zones. It will air at 2 p.m. in the Atlantic time zone and at 2:30 p.m in the Newfoundland time zone.
PODCAST: The episode will be posted each day after the live airing. You can download the episodes on the podcast app of your choice.

>12 LynnB: thanks! I’ll be home sick tomorrow so I hadn’t decided yet how I’ll listen

I predict Hotline will be the next to go....

anyone else care to venture a prediction?

I was wrong about Greenwood but I’m thinking Station Eleven goes next.

Minutes before the debate. I think Mattea and Michael will vote against each other's books. Wondering if Hotline could sneak up the middle for a win?

I'd read Hotline simply because Gurdeep simply because of the joy he has when speaking about the book

>16 LynnB: I was also starting to think Hotline was going to creep into the winner's circle. Up until today, no one has really talked much about it. Sad to see it go today, especially the way it got voted out.

>17 beninck: Gurdeep is having the greatest time, isn't he? What a delight to see him champion his book. If I hadn't read it before, I certainly would have picked it up now.

I was really shocked that Ducks got votes today as they all seemed to have great things to say about it. Right from the start, I was certain that Ducks would win, but now I don't really know how tomorrow will play out. I am loving the debates this year!

Another side note, did Ali go shopping in Keegan's closet? :)

Based on voting to date, Gurdeep and Tasnim have both cast votes against Ducks and Keegan has cast a vote against Station 11. I do think, however, that this is the kind of panel that will listen carefully and that past votes may not be indicative. So, I'm not making a prediction.

I'd be happy either way.

I can't believe I didn't stop in for this discussion! There was a discussion in one of the other Canadian groups, and I followed along there.

I'm happy with the winner. I have not read it, but it is the one I'm most excited to read!

I had read both "Station Eleven" and "Mexican Gothic" already. I now also plan to read "Hotline", but am unlikely to pick up "Greenwood".

I'd have been happy with either of the finalists. But I'm glad Mattea Roach won because I'm a huge Jeopardy! fan.

I really enjoyed the debate this year and am very happy with winner. They were very cordial and friendly with each other and all had good things to say about the other books, even when they weren't a free agent with nothing to lose. That was rather refreshing.

I do think that Ducks embodied the theme better than the others. I've always known the Oil Sands weren't great for the environment, but never really thought about the social environment within the camps. It certainly shifted my perspective. Hopefully this brings a little more awareness about the importance of proper mental health solutions and protections for women.

>23 Yells: Since I am deep in the heart of Texas right now I couldn't watch or listen to the debates (well, I suppose I could have if I had been willing to spend time in less remote locations but that's not why I go camping). I'm glad to hear that they went well although I was disappointed that Greenwood lost out so early. I'm still waiting for the hold at my library to come through and I placed it well before it was chosen as a Canada Reads finalist. So I can't really say if it embodies the theme the best but I'm sure it will be a book that gets lots of attention. I'm hoping to also read Hotline but it's actually lower down my holds list than Ducks so I guess it will be some time before I read either of them.