Paging all booklovers! On January 25th, at 8 p.m., CBC Radio and McNally Robinson Booksellers invite you to Prairie Ink Restaurant for an evening we're calling: 5 Writers, 5 Readers, 5 Minutes.

Canada Reads 2012 features five non-fiction titles this year, and in our regional warm-up to the national CBC Radio book brawl, five well-known Manitobans have been matched with the five titles. Up to Speed host Larry Updike will invite each reader to share their insights with the audience, each with a unique presentation lasting only five minutes. Well, maybe ten. No debating, no brawling, but plenty of insight, humour and stories.

Find out more about the evening and corresponding Big Ticket Contest that could see one lucky person walk away with the five nominated books and dinner for two at Prairie Ink Restaurant by visiting the CBC Manitoba SCENE website. You can also visit them on Facebook, Twitter and stay tuned to our own front page for a feature interview with all five of the evening's advocates!

Joanne Kelly's Shaw TV Book Club, a casual book club discussing Colm Toibin's Brooklyn, everyone welcome. Tuesday Feb 22, 7:00 pm.
Sharing Craft The Manitoba Crafts Museum and Library invites all crafters to drop in between 7:00-9:00 pm to share your craft challenges and joys with skilled crafters. Tuesday Feb 22, 7:00 pm.
David Dyment presenting Doing the Continental: A New Canadian-American Relationship, Tuesday Feb 22, 7:30 pm.
Doug Nelson, a special Knowledge Bureau Financial Literacy Presentation from the author of MASTER Your Retirement: How to fulfill your dreams with peace of mind. Wednesday Feb 23, 7:00 pm.
Heather Bishop launching my face is a map of my time here: The Art of Heather Bishop Wednesday Feb 23, 8:00 pm.
Diana McIntosh CD launch of Pinnacles.Thursday Feb 24 2011 7:00 pm. Andrew Frohlich Trio, Free music in Prairie Ink Restaurant + Bakery. Friday Feb 25, 8:00 pm.
Community Vibes Theatre present a staged reading and discussion of an excerpt from the new play Not an Interview. Saturday Feb 26, 2:00 pm.
Bob Watts Trio, Free music in Prairie Ink Restaurant + Bakery, Saturday Feb 26 2011 8:00 pm.
Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra 2011/12 Season Preview. Join Music Director Alexander Mickelthwate as he launches the WSO's 2011-2012 season. Sunday Feb 27, 2:00 pm.

I'm always reading different things and I love to juggle books - subjects and concepts - in order to see what comes up! That means my night table books tend travel from room to room in the house and with me to the offices and wherever I end up during the day.

That's my apology for the chaos of this list!

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I've been reading funny books, it seems, and books with a satiric edge. Oh, just looking for laughs to get me through the winter. And these are all Canadian writers!

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