The highly-anticipated CBC Canada Reads 2016 shortlist (hotlist!) is being released today, by host Wab Kinew and the guests, on CBC's q on radio and internet across the country. According to the CBC, "Canada Reads 2016 is all about 'starting over.' The show will feature books about transformation and second chances, stories of migrants, immigrants and others who are choosing - or forced - to make major changes in their lives." The debates will take place from March 21 to 24 - tune in and follow the conversations!
The Hero’s Walk, by Anita Rau Badami (defended by Vinay Virmani)
Sripathi Rao, the protagonist of Anita Rau Badami's second novel, is an ordinary, middle-aged man whose career and family have failed to meet his expectations. But when his daughter and her husband are suddenly killed in a car crash, his world and his priorities turn upside down. Set in a small town in the Bay of Bengal during a time of cultural change, The Hero's Walk is a lyrical, affecting story about the complexity of family ties. The Hero's Walk won the 2001 Commonwealth Writers' Prize for Best Book, Caribbean and Canada.
The Illegal, by Lawrence Hill (in PDF or MP3 audio) (defended by Clara Hughes)
The Illegal is about Keita Ali, a runner desperate to flee his homeland, Zantoroland. He agrees to run the Boston marathon in the hopes that the winnings that come from placing will help him start a new life. But when he fails to place, he decides to go on the run - and goes into hiding in a place known as Freedom State, where his presence is illegal and he must keep moving in order to survive.
Birdie, by Tracey Lindberg (defended by Bruce Poon Tip)
Bernice Meetoos, a Cree woman, leaves her home in northern Alberta to gain a better understanding of the messages on the television show The Frugal Gourmet and to, possibly, meet Jesse from The Beachcombers. Her adventure doesn't quite turn out like she hopes. A darkly comic novel about finding out who you are and where you're from.
Bone and Bread, by Saleema Nawaz (defended by Farah Mohamed)
In Saleema Nawaz's dazzling debut, two sisters are raised by their traditional Sikh uncle, who takes them in after the death of their parents. They come of age in a clash of cultures, values and traditions and face intense personal struggles (anorexia for one, a teenage pregnancy for the other). When one sister dies unexpectedly at the age of 32, the other is left to discover the truth about her family, her sister's death and even herself.
Minister Without Portfolio, by Michael Winter (defended by Adam "Edge" Copeland)
The story of Henry Hayward is a story of a man trying to put his life back together. Henry goes to Afghanistan as a civilian contractor working with the military, and witnesses the death of his best friend in a suicide bombing. A compelling portrait of someone who is a casualty of war in a psychological sense, Minister Without Portfolio was called "essential reading" by the National Post.
In case you missed the longlisted titles, you can find them in accessible formats here. Big, special thanks to CBC Canada Reads for helping us get these books out on the day they're announced across Canada!
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Happy reading!