There’s only seven days left to vote, if you haven’t yet: http://saltyink.com/atlantic-canada-reads-competition/
I polled a variety of people this week to see who they voted for.
Steven Beattie, Review Editor for the Quill & Quire, and the man behind That Shakespearean Rag:
Blackstrap Hawco was my favourite Canadian novel of 2008. It’s epic in scope and in ambition: the fractured narrative, the multiple points of view, the scenes that get recapitulated and refashioned such that the truth of the narrative remains elusive. It’s a long book that never wears out its welcome, and its aggressive, punchy style is a welcome respite from the kind of recondite lyricism that characterizes much CanLit these days. It’s a bruiser, which in my mind is a compliment. Oh, and it’s also very funny.
Book Blog guru Julie Wilson, of Book Madam and Seen Reading fame (among other fun stuff).
I’m voting for February by Lisa Moore. I’ve had a soft spot for Lisa for years, and got to work on behalf of February while I was at House of Anansi. Alliances aside, as a reader I’ve been vocal that I thought this book was horribly overlooked when first published. It’s the book that got away. Quiet and fierce, it sneaks up on you like tragedy. It’s a short read that sticks for a long time. I don’t doubt that February is the kind of book that readers will reference over their lifetimes.
Diane Faulkner, Marketing Manager for Nimbus Publishing.
I voted for Annabel and Blackstrap Hawco. I haven’t read any of the books yet, but after reading through the essays, I am looking forward to cracking open these two.
Samuel Thomas Martin, brand new author of a solid collection of shorts, This Ramshackle Tabernacle.
I’m at a bit of a disadvantage on the list, as I have only read half (looking forward to Annabel though, but I haven’t got to it yet). My vote is for Lisa Moore’s February.
Random email from a Salty Ink reader:
I think you should be able to vote for all six books. I think they all deserve to win. A diverse list and hard to choose from. Well introduced and sincerely defended. people can vote for whatever they want, but I’m reading all six this summer.
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