etc.

The fact that three Canadian writers have made the shortlist for the Booker Prize this year has me celebrating for a couple of reasons. 1) I’m a huge fan of Canadian Literature and any sort of collective nod makes me rejoice, not so much because I crave the validating force that such a nod can have, but also because getting on the shortlist means people will start reading and buying their books (not that Shields and Mistry need any help); and 2) recently, I’ve been thinking that reading all the titles on the shortlist of a major literary award before the award is announced would be a neat thing to do. So the happy announcement of the Booker shortlist was all I needed to spur me into action, and I have thus taken it upon myself to read all six shortlisted works before October 22nd (the day the award is announced). Ambitious? Perhaps. But 6 books in 12 days is achievable, what with the two long weekends I am working with.

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