I have just discovered this group and although I try to include as much Canadian Literature as I can in my readings, I realize that this year I have been woefully "stuck" in Ontario and Quebec. I probably won't make it cross-Canada this year, but maybe some of my readings can inspire others!

Québec

The Origin of Species by Nino Ricci.

Set in Montreal, it investigates the life of Alex, lost Canadian soul who roams the world to find his purpose. This book gives a great cross section of Montreal's racial and linguistic diversity.

Joshua Then and Now by Mordecai Richler.

Very similar to Ricci's book in its themes (although this one is the precursor), it gives a good overview of Montreal and its history from a Jewish perspective.

Le Vieux Chagrin by Jacques Poulin.

We move to Northern Quebec in this very romantic, subtle tale of a lone man looking for love. It will make you fall in love with the St-Laurent River.

Sous les vents de Neptune by Fred Vargas

She's my all-time favourite French mystery writer. In this book, she takes her characters for a mission in Canada, in the beautiful region of Hull-Gatineau. I loved how even Lake Pink is mentioned!

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 4:06pm.

Ontario

The Killing Circle by Andrew Pyper.

A grisly thriller set in Toronto. I got chills as I recognized the streets and neighborhoods - could I be the next to meet the boogieman? A fun read that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

The Edible Woman by Margaret Atwood

Although Toronto isn't expressly mentioned, it's easy to recognize. As an interviewer, Marian walks through neighbourhoods that seem very familiar. A great look at social expectations in the last years of the 1960's.

Message edited by its author, Sep 20, 2009, 4:08pm.

The Edible Woman is, to this day, my favourite Atwood.

Welcome to the group, Cecilturtle!

Okay, I'm still in the same provinces but this is worth a mention.
The Last Witness by British writer John Matthews is in great part set in Montreal. He has a great grasp of the geography (although the French names suffer a bit), but it's sooo cute to see him writing about Anglophiles and Francophiles all the time. Apparently Francophone and Anglophones are not words that made it past the British spell check!

After much traveling from Africa, the Southern United States and New York, I am finally in

Nova Scotia

with The Book of Negroes. What a great way to learn about history.

Who knew I would stay in Nova Scotia? I have just finished Extreme Vinyl Cafe in which Dave often goes back to his hometown of Big Narrows on Cape Breton.

Life would be a lot emptier without Dave, I must say!

I'm embarrassed to say that I've lived in Canada for all of my 42 years and I've not yet experienced the Vinyl Cafe. I've got it on my wishlist now.

I've never read any Vinyl Cafe either, but I certainly have experienced it on the radio -- Saturday mornings on CBC2. It's hilarious! You really have to give it a listen--the musical guests are often fabulous too.

We have at least three VC books, and listen to it on Saturday mornings on the way to swimming. You can podcast it off the CBC website, too.

Well worth picking up a copy, especially for the times you can only fit in short bursts of reading. Often you can find nice hardcovers at local library used book sales. The best part is, if you've listened to Stuart McLean on CBC, you can truly hear him reading the stories to you as you read them.

I noticed the touchstone isn't loading an obvious author choice - here's a link to his page. http://www.librarything.com/author/mclea...

If you only read one thing by Stuart McLean, it should be Dave Cooks the Turkey.

Message edited by its author, Nov 7, 2009, 12:07pm.

I'm actually listening to the Vinyl Cafe as I type this, and I just wanted to add that he also gets serious . . . so if you turn it on expecting constant hilarity, you'll be somewhat confused. His show is a real mixture.

Hey mathgirl40 - you're not the only one - and I'm a year older that you :)
Let's check out Vinyl Cafe together!

I'm going to have to try the podcast...

OK, I've definitely got to try Vinyl Cafe, after all these recommendations. I'm doing the 1010 challenge too, so I'll add it to my "Recommendations" list! Dave Cooks the Turkey sounds like it'll be perfect reading for the Christmas holidays.

I'm so excited you're all going to give VC a try.

RWG,if you like the podcasts, let me know. I can easily put my hands on some of the books for you.