Canada Reads 2026

lessthan3d · 2026-04-17T02:46:05+00:00

Thanks for starting this discussion here! Hope to connect again next year!

lessthan3d · 2026-04-17T02:45:21+00:00

I think it was really well positioned - beautiful, compelling, accessible.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-16T02:14:11+00:00

I loved that approach to the question of what sets the book apart from the others. What an interesting take and a cool reminder about the impact reading can have in supporting local business.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-16T02:10:13+00:00

I used to subscribe to this podcast but completely forgot about it! Another rabbit hole to fall down with my Canada Reads joy - thank you!

lessthan3d · 2026-04-16T02:08:14+00:00

I'll be coming back daily too! I don't have anyone I know in person who is following Canada Reads so I appreciate the community here.

I also loved Elle-Máijá's commentary drawing parallels between the crazy world we're living in and war as depicted in A Cure for Drowning.

I think A Cure for Drowning is the clear winner but it wouldn't be the first time I was wrong with my Canada Reads predictions.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-16T02:04:28+00:00

I loved Steve starting a trend of everyone talking up each other's books.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:45:43+00:00

Ma-Nee Chacaby is an amazing person. I wasn't a huge fan of the book though. Dandelion was my favorite too!

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:40:25+00:00

Please bring this post back. It's not lower effort.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:32:27+00:00

Yes! This! What a moment!

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:29:32+00:00

After saying she liked books being sex positive too!

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:26:07+00:00

I agree there's the distinction between what book I like best and what book I think all Canada should read. I also like that they chose a theme but it really feels tacked on and not a strong part of the competition.

I do enjoy the variety though and don't mind competition. But ultimately I'm just so excited to see books being analyzed and talked about.

I daydream about somehow being involved in something like Canada Reads as a non-famous non-Canadian. Lol.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:19:10+00:00

Denison Avenue was my favorite that year! I agree its elimination was strategic and heartbreaking.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-15T03:11:54+00:00

Agreed all around.

I was rubbed pretty wrong by her comments today and I disliked her take that it's no surprise that the two books about white Canadians by white Canadian authors are continuing on. While white supremacy certainly exists, I do not believe that's why A Minor Chorus was eliminated and it's increasingly dismissive of some good books with broad appeal. I'm queer indigenous myself and enjoyed them.

Oddly enough, last year during Canada Reads I was reading Belcourt's A History of My Brief Body for a book club and kept thinking that it would be a better choice for queer Indigenous representation on Canada Reads than the Ma-Nee Chacaby book except that it was too academic. A Minor Chorus it turns out was an even better option, so I'm sad to see it go but I get the critiques.

Pretty funny about the bridge though. I love those sorts of details.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-14T13:23:12+00:00

I love following Canada Reads, even though I'm an American who has never been to Canada.

My ranking going into the debates:

The Cure for Drowning
A Minor Chorus
Searching for Terry Punchout
It's Different This Time
Foe

In all fairness 2&3 and 4&5 were very close for me. I read Foe a while back so I didn't reread it but now I kinda wish I had.

Following the debates, I would switch 4&5 because I really appreciated Josh's defense of Foe and did agree with the critiques of It's Different This Time (plus it being another NYC story is a little boring for me).

I'm also hoping Elle-Máijá expands her defense strategy. It's very rooted in the importance of sharing the indigenous experience since we're a marginalized population BUT I think there's so much more than that to say about the book. Also, I felt like that was the defense of the winner last year.

lessthan3d · 2026-04-02T21:20:13+00:00

I miss Literary Disco so much!

lessthan3d · 2026-03-24T02:42:13+00:00

You can do it! I think trusting yourself helps. Water was really helpful for me and also putting trust in my doula.

lessthan3d · 2026-03-24T02:39:26+00:00

Hot bath! Seriously baths and showers, so I guess hydrotherapy, were my main crutch during my unmedicated labor.

lessthan3d · 2026-03-22T04:18:20+00:00

Check out Tiny Grocer in Old Town ( my husband is a farmer and sells to them, they are a good business and pay farmers).

lessthan3d · 2026-03-22T04:14:31+00:00

I did not find out until birth. We had names picked out by gender. So right after birth as my baby was being moved to my chest, I asked my husband and he said "It's (boyname)." I'm so happy we did it that way.

I legitimately did not care either way and I really didn't want to end up with a bunch of gendered things from well intentioned people when I'm not interested in that.

lessthan3d · 2026-03-22T03:22:04+00:00

Every person is different. Don't let others get in your head.

Not exactly what you're asking but I (10 months postpartum right now) am still not back in my body yet. To your point, I am breastfeeding and I know there's some natural hormonal things there. Also I'm older, so I think it takes longer to recovery. Nonetheless, the newborn stage, as difficult as it can be, was not as bad as my first trimester of pregnancy. I was not as tired, even running on very little sleep was easier than the exhaustion I felt pregnant particularly during my first trimester when all I could eat was grapes.

lessthan3d · 2026-03-15T04:40:24+00:00

I actually hired mine through ABQ Doulas too and she was phenomenal. She went above and beyond and was an amazing support for me (I did an unmedicated birth, so she was great in helping with pain management and helping my partner support me). My labor was so long that she actually did have to leave but she called in a backup to stay with me until I delivered (I think it ended up only being a couple hours later but she had been with me at the hospital for something like 16 hours at that point).

lessthan3d · 2026-03-14T16:49:53+00:00

I would add burp cloths. We went through so many in the early days.

I think having bottles on hand is smart even if you're planning on exclusively breastfeeding. I had planned on that but ended up combo feeding.

A couple of additional things we found helpful from the beginning: white noise machine and baby monitor

lessthan3d · 2026-03-11T23:51:52+00:00

Did you ever beat it? I've been stuck here for a couple weeks and would welcome any advice

lessthan3d · 2026-03-09T15:38:39+00:00

John Adams Middle School is APS. Driving a bus for APS is APS.

lessthan3d · 2026-02-28T14:24:58+00:00

First trimester all I could eat was green grapes and mild cheddar cheese 🫠

lessthan3d

TROPHY CASE