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Canada Reads - Top 10 Prairie Picks

Thursday, Oct 25, 2012 at 2:43pm

Canada Reads, CBC's annual battle of the books, has taken on a new dimension for 2013. This year, for the first time, the country has been divided into five regions, with a different top 10 list for each part of Canada. Manitoba has been included in the Prairies and North region.

Founded in 2001, and currently hosted by Jian Ghomeshi, Canada Reads asks five Canadian personalities to select one book they believe Canadians should read. The panelists defend their chosen titles in a series of debates, and the books are eliminated one by one until a winner is declared. The debates air on CBC Radio One, CBC TV and are livestreamed online through CBC Books.

The top 10 nominees for the Prairies and North region are:
The Age of Hope by David Bergen
Cool Water by Diane Warren
The Diviners by Margaret Laurence
The Englishman's Boy by Guy Vanderhaeghe
Fall from Grace by Wayne Arthurson
The Garneau Block by Todd Babiak
Late Nights on Air by Elizabeth Hay
Stolen by Annette Lapointe
The Trade by Fred Stenson
Who Has Seen the Wind by W.O. Mitchell

Categories: Awards, buzz, Saskatoon, Winnipeg

Cover Revealed for Robert J. Sawyer's Red Planet Blues

Thursday, Oct 18, 2012 at 3:08pm

I couldn't be more excited to read Robert J. Sawyer's twenty second novel, Red Planet Blues. A hard boiled P.I. tale set on Mars? This book's March release can't come too soon!

Here's a little more about Red Planet Blues: Alex Lomax is the one and only private eye working the mean streets of New Klondike, the Martian frontier town that sprang up forty years ago after Simon Weingarten and Denny O'Reilly discovered fossils on the Red Planet. Back on Earth, where anything can be synthesized, the remains of alien life are the most valuable of all collectibles, so shiploads of desperate treasure hunters stampeded to Mars in the Great Martian Fossil Rush.

Trying to make an honest buck in a dishonest world, Lomax tracks down killers and kidnappers among the failed prospectors, corrupt cops, and a growing population of transfers--lucky stiffs who, after striking paleontological gold, upload their minds into immortal android bodies. But when he uncovers clues to solving the decades-old murders of Weingarten and O'Reilly, along with a journal that may lead to their legendary mother lode of Martian fossils, God only knows what he'll dig up...

Categories: buzz, SciFi & Fantasy, Mystery & Crime, Saskatoon, Winnipeg

Not for a Sack of Gold

Thursday, Aug 23, 2012 at 4:56pm

In his delightful autobiography, Next, celebrated actor Gordon Pinsent revisits stellar highlights of his 60-year career and the high and low points along the way, including his work with fellow artists Judi Dench, Shirley Douglas, Olympia Dukakis, Norman Jewison, Christopher Plummer, Sarah Polley, Kevin Spacey, Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie, among others. Throughout Pinsent offers his advice to young actors, writers, and directors on how to succeed in film and theatre. Engaging, entertaining, and light-hearted, Pinsent recounts a fascinating life spent in show business that he would not trade for a sack of gold.

Don't forget to join us on Friday, October 19th for An Afternoon with Gordon Pinsent.

Categories: buzz, Winnipeg, Event News

Coming to McNally Robinson - NaNoWriMo 2012 Kicks Off

Friday, Oct 12, 2012 at 5:22pm

Have you ever thought about writing a book? Ever wondered what it's like to sit down in front of a blank page and and build a universe using nothing but imagination and a keyboard? Is there a story in your head, just waiting to be shared? If you've ever wanted to try your hand at being an author, for any reason at all, then National Novel Writing Month is for you.

Founded in 1999 by Chris Baty, NaNoWriMo is a month-long event that challenges participants to write a 50,000 word novel between November 1st and November 30th. There are no judges at the finish line, only an automated word counter. There is no prize, unless you count bragging rights. Some people participate because they dream of being published, while some are just looking for a challenge. Everyone writes for their own reasons, and there is no wrong answer.

The community has grown by leaps and bounds since its inception. In its first year, NaNoWriMo had 21 participants. By 2010, more than 200,000 people were signed up, with a total 2,872,682,109 words written by November 30th. NaNoWriMo has gone from a challenge between friends to a global phenomenon, and our great province is on the front line.

Manitoba has a vibrant community of writers; professional, casual, and everything in between. No surprise, then, that the local chapter of NaNoWriMo has been growing steadily. This year, there are over 1,000 participants calling Manitoba home. More and more of our neighbours are asking themselves, "can I write a novel?" More and more of them are deciding that yes, they absolutely can.

On Saturday, October 20th at 7:00pm, McNally Robinson Booksellers will host the official Manitoban kickoff event for the 2012 season. We invite you to join us, and learn more about NaNoWriMo from dedicated writers who have seen it all, done it all, and come back for more year after year.

For more information, or to register for NaNoWriMo, click on any of the links above to check out the official website.

Categories: buzz, Winnipeg, Event News

On the Same Page: Manitowapow

Thursday, Sep 27, 2012 at 5:44pm

The readers have spoken. Manitowapow: Aboriginal Writings from the Land of Water, edited by Niigaanwewidam James Sinclair and Warren Cariou has been selected for On the Same Page 2012-13.

On the Same Page is a project of The Winnipeg Foundation and the Winnipeg Public Library, encouraging all Manitobans to read, and talk about, the same book at the same time. The program includes book giveaways, author appearances and special events inspired by the feature book.

Categories: buzz, Winnipeg
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