November 2023 Reading Stats and Booktube Uploads

Still settling in to our new home in Victoria -- we moved six weeks ago. I read lots of picture books and books by Indigenous authors this month.

Favourite books in November (in alphabetical order):

The Adversary by Michael Crummey

And Then She Fell by Alicia Elliott; audiobook read by Jenna Clause and Cherri Maracle

Bea Wolf by Zach Weinersmith and Boulet

Denison Avenue by Christina Wong and Daniel Innes

Do You Remember by Sydney Smith

The English Understand Wool by Helen DeWitt

Farm & Folk Quilt Alchemy: A High-Country Guide to Natural Dyeing and Making Heirloom Quilts from Scratch by Sara Larson Buscaglia

Genderqueer by Maia Kobabe

Like Smoke, Like Light by Yukimi Ogawa

Misbelief: What Makes Rational People Believe Irrational Things by Dan Ariely; audiobook read by Simon Jones

My Brilliant Friend: The Graphic Novel; from the novel by Elena Ferrante; adapted by Chiara Lagani and Mara Cerri; translated by Ann Goldstein

The Mysteries by Bill Watterson and John Kascht

Pink Mountain Nights by Jen Ferguson; audiobook read by Julie Lumsden, Aaliya Warbus, Kimberly Woods & Shaun Taylor-Corbett

Sunshine: How One Camp Taught Me About Life, Death and Hope: A Graphic Novel by Jarrett Krosoczka

Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets by Kyo Maclear; audiobook read by the author

Upstream: Selected Essays by Mary Oliver; audiobook read by Hala Alyan, Joy Sullivan & Kate Bear

Did Not Finish: Chain-Gang All-Stars. My emotions have been close the the surface this month and this story about imprisoned queer women fighting each other to the death for the entertainment of others was just too visceral, especially in audiobook format.

Reading event participation: 

Nonfiction November - 13 books

Ernaux-vember - 1 book

Indigenous Heritage Month - 7 books

Read Across Canada Challenge - 

        The Adversary by Michael Crummey for Newfoundland (October)

        Nothing yet for Yukon (November) but I plan to read Care Of by Ivan Coyote

Booktube Uploads:

Which Is the Best Canadian Picture Book?

Friday Reads November 3

Friday Reads November 10

Recent Reads November 18

I Overcame Flagging Motivation & Filmed Another Video

July 2023 Reading Stats and Booktube Uploads

My favourite books in July were all nonfiction:

Fire Weather: The Making of a Beast by John Vaillant; audiobook read by Alan Carlson

Truth Telling: Seven Conversations About Indigenous Life in Canada by Michelle Good; audiobook read by Megan Tooley

Ultra-Processed People: The Food We Eat that Isn't Food and Why We Can't Stop by Chris van Tulleken; audiobook read by the author

Rehearsals for Living by Robyn Maynard and Leanne Betasamosake Simpson

The High Desert by James Spooner

Strong Female Character by Fern Brady; audiobook read by the author

La grosse laide / My Body in Pieces par / by Marie-Noelle Hebert (translation by Shelley Tanaka)

DNF's:

Booktube Uploads in July:

Friday Reads July 7

A Wildfire Smoky Friday Reads on July 14

Lindy and Shawn Discuss With or Without Angels by Douglas Bruton

Friday Reads July 21

Friday Reads July 28

March 2023 Reading Stats and Booktube Uploads

 

Best Books of March:

Alberta Alone by Cora Sandel; translated by Elizabeth Rokkan

The Lost Century by Larissa Lai

Thank You, Mr Nixon: Stories by Gish Jen

I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai; audiobook read by Julia Whelan and JD Jackson

The Fabric of Civilization: How Textiles Made the World by Virginia Postrel; audiobook read by Caroline Cole

Antigone Rising: the Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales

Hijab Butch Blues by Lamya H; audiobook read by Ashraf Shirazi

Ma and Me: A Memoir by Putsata Reang

Free: A Child and a Country at the End of History by Lea Ypi; audiobook read by Rachel Babbage and the author

The Power of the Powerless by Vaclav Havel, translated by Paul Wilson

This Strange Visible Air: Essays on Aging and the Writing Life by Sharon Butala

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Booktube Uploads in March:

Friday Reads March 3

Friday Reads March 10

Recent Reads March 14

Friday Reads March 17

Friday Reads March 24

Victoria Travel Vlog

Books I Did Not Finish:

August 2022 Reading Stats and Booktube Links

I decided to read as many Giller-eligible titles as I could in August and I'm pleased with how that turned out: 11 out of the 30 books that I finished this month fall into that category. As far as predictions go, however, I am throwing my hands in the air. I recognize that many of the books this year that are stand-outs for me are not every reader's cup of tea. So, instead of trying to predict what the judges will choose for the Giller longlist next week, I will soon put together my personal favourites. Watch for it!

Highlights from August reads, starting with two Giller possibilities:

Ezra's Ghosts by Darcy Tamayose

Remnants by Celine Huyghebaert, translation by Aleshia Jensen

These next two are on the Booker longlist:

The Colony by Audrey Magee, audiobook read by Stephen Hogan

The Trees by Percival Everett

I only read three nonfiction books in August. This is the one I've been telling everyone about:

The Joy of Sweat: The Strange Science of Perspiration by Sarah Everts, audiobook read by Sophie Amoss

Kae Tempest's long poem is a reread and also a re-listen (I did both):

Let Them Eat Chaos by Kae Tempest

I checked a digital edition of this graphic novel out from the library and read it three times:

A Gift for a Ghost by Borja Gonzalez, translation by Lee Douglas

And lastly, a wonderful Indigenous picture book about a two-spirit child:

47,000 Beads by Koja Adeyoha, Angel Adeyoha and Holly McGillis

Did Not Finish: Siren Queen by Nghi Vo

Booktube video links:

Friday Reads August 5

Friday Reads August 12

Folk Music and Fiction Pairings

Faking It Booktube Tag

Friday Reads August 19

I chat about a cookbook: One Pot, Pan, Planet by Anna Jones

Friday Reads August 26

February 2022 Reading Stats and Booktube Video Links

Best of February:

Overall Best Book: Unspeakable: The Tulsa Race Massacre by Carole Boston Weatherford and Floyd Cooper (Picture Book)

Best Poetry: The Gospel of Breaking by Jillian Christmas (Canadian; LGBTQ)

Best Literary Fiction: Burntcoat by Sarah Hall

Best Graphic Novel Series: Descender Vol 1: Tin Stars by Jeff Lemire and Dustin Nguyen (Canadian)

Best Essays: 12 Bytes: How We Got Here. Where We Might Go Next by Jeanette Winterson (LGBTQ)

Best Indigenous Fiction: Home Waltz by GA Grisenthwaite (Canadian)

Best Indigenous Graphic Novel: Borders by Thomas King and Natasha Donovan (Canadian)

Best Indigenous YA: The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley, audiobook read by Isabella Star LaBlanc

Best LGBTQ Memoir: Lost and Found by Kathryn Schulz, audiobook read by the author

Best Fiction Audiobook: The Final Revival of Opal and Nev by Dawnie Walton, read by a full cast

Best Nonfiction Audiobook: Orwell's Roses by Rebecca Solnit, read by the author

Best Canadian Nonfiction: Border and Rule: Global Migration, Capitalism and the Rise of Racist Nationalism by Harsha Walia, audiobook read by Cindy Kay 

Best Graphic Nonfiction: The Black Panther Party by David F Walker and Marcus Kwame Anderson

Best Canadian Graphic Novel: Fictional Father by Joe Ollman 

Best Disability Own Voices: The Words In My Hands by Asphyxia (Deaf; LGBTQ)

Best Call to Action: What White People Can Do Next: From Allyship to Coalition by Emma Dabiri, audiobook read by the author

Best Reread: Exit Wounds by Rutu Modan, translation by Noah Stollman (graphic novel)

Best Picture Books (3-way tie): The Rock from the Sky by Jon Klassen (Canadian); The Big Bath House by Kyo Maclear and Gracey Zhang (Canadian); Watercress by Andrea Wang and Jason Chin

Best LGBTQ PictureBook (French language): Anatole qui ne sechait jamais par Stephane Boulay et Agathe Bray-Bourret

My booktube videos this month:

Friday Reads February 4

Umbrella Academy Apocalypse Suite review

Ros and Lindy talk about graphic novels

Friday Reads February 11 

Birth Year Book Tag

Friday Reads February 18

Talking about the cookbook Baking with Dorie

AfriCanLit

Friday Reads February 25

January 2022 Reading Stats

I didn't manage a round-up post in January (mostly due to ongoing vision and other concussion-related problems), but here are my stats for future me to look back upon.

Best Books:

Overall Best Book: People Change by Vivek Shraya (LGBTQ; Canadian)

Best Poetry: Iron Goddess of Mercy by Larissa Lai (LGBTQ; Canadian)

Best Full Cast Audiobook: How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue, read by Prentice Onayemi, Janina Edwards, Dion Graham, JD Jackson, Allyson Johnson, and Lisa Renee Pitts 

Best Audiobook Fiction: Intimacies by Katie Kitamura, read by Traci Kato-Kiriyama

Best Nonfiction: The Edge of the Sea by Rachel Carson, audiobook read by Kaiulani Lee (LGBTQ)

Best Youth Nonfiction: The Girl Who Drew Butterflies: How Maria Merian's Art Changed Science by Joyce Sidman

I started a Booktube channel at the very end of December, 2021. Here are my Friday Reads videos from each of the four weeks of January, in which I talk about all of the books that I read each week:

January 7

January 14

January 21

January 28