Novel-tease: September 2016

Monday, September 26, 2016

Best CanLit 2016: Giller Prize short list

From HuffPost:

Vancouver-born Madeleine Thien could walk away with two of the biggest awards in fiction this fall as she joins a female-dominated list of finalists for the 2016 Scotiabank Giller Prize.

The Montreal-based author was named to the short list for the $100,000 prize on Monday for "Do Not Say We Have Nothing'' (Knopf Canada), which is set in China before, during and after the 1989 Tiananmen Square protests. The novel is also in the running for the prestigious Man Booker Prize, which will be awarded Oct. 25.

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Thien is one of six finalists for this year's Giller — five of whom are women.

Acclaimed Irish-born, London, Ont.-based author Emma Donoghue was recognized for her mysterious novel "The Wonder'' (HarperCollins). She made the long list four years ago for "The Sealed Letter.''

The Giller honour continues a steady stream of recognition in 2016 for Donoghue, who nabbed an adapted screenplay Oscar nomination earlier this year for her celebrated novel "Room.''

"(For) Canadian writers, I don't think anything gives us quite as much of a glow as getting on any Giller list. It's got such a great reputation, this prize,'' Donoghue said in a recent phone interview.

Montreal-born author Mona Awad was recognized for her debut "13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl'' (Penguin Random House Canada), which already received the $40,000 Amazon.ca First Novel Award in May.

Montreal's Catherine Leroux was honoured for "The Party Wall,'' translated by Lazer Lederhendler (Biblioasis International Translation Series), and Toronto-based Zoe Whittall made the cut for "The Best Kind of People'' (House of Anansi Press).

Hamilton-based Gary Barwin is the lone male author on this year's short list for his novel "Yiddish for Pirates'' (Random House Canada).

The jury, chaired by Lawrence Hill, read 161 books submitted by 69 publisher imprints. The short list of six titles was selected from a long list of 12 works announced earlier this month.

(snip)

Joining Hill and Heer on this year's jury are fellow Canadian writer Kathleen Winter, British author Samantha Harvey and Scottish writer Alan Warner.

A series of special readings will be held in celebration of this year's authors in Halifax on Oct. 14, Vancouver on Oct. 17 and Toronto on Nov. 6.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize awards $100,000 annually to the author of the best Canadian novel or short story collection published in English, and $10,000 to each of the finalists.

(snip)

"The Debaters'' host Steve Patterson will host this years's Scotiabank Giller Prize gala, which will air on CBC-TV and be livestreamed at CBCBooks.ca on Nov. 7 at 9 p.m. ET.

full article: http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2016/09/26/giller-prize-short-list-2016_n_12201306.html

audio clips of the books and authors: http://www.cbc.ca/books/2016/09/emma-donoghue-madeleine-thien-make-scotiabank-giller-prize-shortlist.html

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NOTE:

We read nominee Emma Donohue's book Room

Mona Awad's "13 Ways of Looking at a Fat Girl" was one of the books we considered for this year.

Monday, September 12, 2016

October Book: The Little Paris Bookshop, Discussion Questions

Discussion Questions:
1.      “Memories are like wolves. You can’t lock them away and hope they leave you alone.” The Little Paris Bookshop begins when Monsieur Perdu opens the room he’s kept sealed off for two decades. What are your first impressions of Perdu, and do you think he’s justified in shutting out the past?

2.      “Perdu reflected that it was a common misconception that booksellers looked after books. They looked after people.” Monsieur Perdu helps countless people find books that heal them. In your life, have you ever felt that a book restored you to yourself? If there was a Literary Apothecary where you lived, would you visit?

3.      In Chapter 3, Perdu refuses to sell a copy of Max Jordan’s Night to a customer, because he feels it would upset her. How would you react if this happened to you? Is there such thing as a dangerous book?

4.      On their journey South, Perdu forges a powerful friendship with both Max and Cuneo. What do the three characters teach each other?

5.      The death of the deer is an emotionally charged scene that serves to ignite something within Perdu. What do you think it represented for the three men?

6.      We come to know Manon through Perdu’s account of her, and her travel diary. What did you think of her as a character? Do you believe it is possible to love more than one person at once, as she does?

7.      In Chapter 32, Samy says there are three kinds of love: sexual love, logical love, and a love that “comes from your chest or your solar plexus, or somewhere in between.” What do you think she means by this, and do you agree?

8.      The time to mourn, or “hurting time,” becomes important for nearly every character in The Little Paris Bookshop. Do you believe a period of grieving is necessary when a loved one is lost? Does it depend on the circumstances in which they left your life?

9.      Perdu finally arrives in Bonnieux, where he asks Manon’s husband Luc for forgiveness. Does Luc provide Perdu with the sense of closure he lacks? Does Perdu offer anything to Luc?

10. The text that is perhaps most vital to Perdu’s emotional journey is Sanary’s Southern Lights. Were you surprised to discover the author’s true identity? Why or why not?

11. The novel includes pages from Manon’s journal, letters between Perdu and Catherine, recipes, and a reading list. Did these artifacts make your reading experience a richer one?

12. Love and friendship, the power of stories to heal—of these, what do you think this novel is most about?

Source: http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/books/241309/the-little-paris-bookshop-by-nina-george/reading-guide