Canada Reads Inspired

Rebecca and Tara are thrilled to present their first author interview for 2022!  Barbara Black's debut book, Music from a Strange Planet: Stories, is a compelling collection of 24 stories with over 70 unforgettable characters.  Rebecca and Tara thank Caitlin Press for the gifted e-book for review.  

Also, Tara references the following interview Barbara gave to Mandy Eve Barnett, which includes a picture of the "teeny-tiny Moleskin writing journal".  https://mandyevebarnett.com/2021/05/20/author-interview-barbara-black/

Rebecca and Tara predict their winners for the 2022 CBC's Canada Reads competition!  Because all five titles are so strong, they both cheated and picked two titles out of the shortlist options below:

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good (defender Christian Allaire)

Life in the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller (defender Suzanne Simard)

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez (defender Malia Baker)

Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (defender Mark Tewksbury)

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad (defender Tareq Hadhad)

Rebecca also announces an exciting author interview coming up in late February!!

Rebecca and Tara share their shortlist predictions from CBC's Canada Reads longlist.

Tara's picks:

Driven by Marcello Di Cintio

Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac

What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad 

Rebecca's picks:

Five Little Indians by Michelle Good

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

All the Quiet Places by Brian Thomas Isaac

Life in the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller

We Two Alone by Jack Wang

Rebecca also mentions 2019 Canada Reads contender Brother by David Chariandy.

Rebecca and Tara were so excited to chat about A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson that they forgot to provide a synopsis of the novel.  Their discussion does contain some spoilers.  

From Goodreads: the brilliant and emotionally radiant new novel from Mary Lawson, her first in nearly a decade--opens on a family in crisis: rebellious teenager Rose has been missing for weeks with no word, and Rose's younger sister, the feisty and fierce Clara, keeps a daily vigil at the living-room window, hoping for her sibling's return.Enter thirtyish Liam Kane, newly divorced, newly unemployed, newly arrived in this small northern town, where he promptly moves into the house next door--watched suspiciously by astonished and dismayed Clara, whose elderly friend, Mrs. Orchard, owns that home. Around the time of Rose's disappearance, Mrs. Orchard was sent for a short stay in hospital, and Clara promised to keep an eye on the house and its remaining occupant, Mrs. Orchard's cat, Moses. As the novel unfolds, so does the mystery of what has transpired between Mrs. Orchard and the newly arrived stranger.

Rebecca is excited to welcome Tara as co-host as the New Year kicks off!  They start with introductions, discuss their best reads of 2021, and finish with their reading goals for 2022.  

Rebecca also begins the New Year as editor of the podcast--be kind, she's a newbie! lol

Tara's titles:

A Town Called Solace by Mary Lawson

Astra by Cedar Bowers

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Rebecca's titles:

The Reason You Walk by Wab Kinew

The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson

Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden

Shauna and Rebecca successfully completed the Read Native 21 Challenge!  They both found great value in discovering new authors (to them), reading quality literature, and learning more about Native American and Indigenous Peoples and their history, culture, and triumphs.

On another note, Shauna announces that she is stepping away from the podcast to explore new opportunities and challenges.  Rebecca and Tara from Ontario will continue to discuss books and interview authors while at the same time, fingers crossed, figure out how the tech side of this venture works.  Stay tuned for their first podcast in January 2022!

Shauna and Rebecca have the distinct privilege and honor to interview an iconic Canadian comedian and television celebrity, Mark Critch.  While he may be best known for his work on the comedy series This Hour Has 22 Minutes, he is also the author of two best selling memoirs: Son of a Critch and An Embarrassment of Critch's.  He will also be starring in a new CBC comedy series beginning in January 2022 based on his first book.  Rebecca did her best not to laugh out loud during the interview! 

 

(We are Mark's FIRST US podcast--flag planted!)

Shauna, Rebecca, and Tara share the books they've read to date for their Read Native 21 Challenge.

Shauna: Read Native 21 Challenge Sheet-Complete List

Tara: Five Little Indians by Michelle Good; The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones; My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones; I place you into the fire by poet Rebecca Thomas.

Rebecca:  I Can Make This Promise by Christine Day; Taaqtumi: an Anthology of Arctic Horror Stories; Indians on Vacation by Thomas King; Murder on the Red Cliff Rez by Mardi Oakley; The Seed Keeper by Diane Wilson; Trickster: Native American Tales; Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger; Winter Counts by David Heska Wanbli Weiden.

Voice-over by Content Creator and Comedian Cameron Geller --TikTok & Instagram: @cameron.geller 

Music from Zapsplat.com

Shauna and Rebecca are excited to chat with David Heska Wanbli Weiden about his award-winning book, Winter Counts.  While Rebecca asks a lot of questions about the historical facts she didn't know about Native American history, she wants to be clear that Winter Counts is a layered thriller with a flawed but moral main hero, Virgil Wounded Horse.  This is a compelling read about justice, love, and resilience.

David shared the following recommended books and TV series:

The Heartbeat of Wounded Knee by David Treuer (non-fiction)The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham JonesThe Removed by Brandon HobsonCrooked Hallelujah by Kelli Jo FordCrazy Horse's Girlfriend by Erika T. WurthFirekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley 

Reservation Dogs

Rutherford Falls

https://davidweiden.com/

“This 19th-Century Law Helps Shape Criminal Justice in Indian Country.”  New York Times.  July 19, 2020.  Reprinted in Salt Lake Tribune, July 20, 2020.

 

Voice-over by Content Creator and Comedian Cameron Geller --TikTok & Instagram: @cameron.geller 

 

Music from Zapsplat.com

Shauna and Rebecca are excited to have Tara back as a guest reviewer and equally happy that she has agreed to participate in future podcasts! 

The books by Native American and Indigenous authors discussed include:

Shauna: Strangers (the first book in The Reckoner Series) by David Alexander Robertson 

Tara: Sugar Falls by David Alexander Robertson; 77 Fragments of a Familiar Ruin by Thomas King; Five Little Indians by Michelle Good; Braiding Sweet Grass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Rebecca: Raven Makes the Aleutians: Adapted from a Traditional Native Story, illustrated by Janine Gibbons; There There by Tommy Orange; Elatsoe by Darcie LIttle Badger

CBC Books: "21 books for kids and young adults to read for National Indigenous History Month"

Follow #CRASReadNAtive21 for recommendations! 

 

Voice-over by Content Creator and Comedian Cameron Geller --TikTok & Instagram: @cameron.geller 

 

Music from Zapsplat.com