Top Shelf Ep. 1: Canadian Books You Need to Read

September 6, 2013 · Tagged CBC, Margaret Atwood, canlit, Best books, Best Canadian books, Alistair MacLeod, Canadian literature, Top Shelf, Kathleen Winter

Top Shelf is a new compilation series on 49th Shelf that puts the spotlight on great lists created by our editors, guest authors, and members as well as on some of our favourite blog posts. Today's picks collectively represent some of the best books and authors ever published in Canada (we think).

One of the most rewarding things we do at 49th Shelf is make themed lists—as well as commission them from authors and highlight the best of those compiled by members.

Too often, though, we find that incredible lists—and blog posts—get buried in the web’s relentless tendency to favour the new over the old. So starting today, we are launching a new bimonthly series (erm, that’s twice a month in this case) called Top Shelf that will shine a spotlight on great 49th Shelf lists and posts … newer and older. Each Top Shelf post will include three to five awesome lists and/or blog posts.

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Backlist, Baby: This is the perfect pick to roll out Top Shelf because it immediately reveals the danger of getting fixated on new releases. It’s a list of Canadian books published prior to 2013 that the 49th Shelf community created, and it includes such stunners as Bronwen Wallace’s People You’d Trust Your Life To, Isabel Huggan’s Belonging, and Alistair MacLeod’s The Lost Salt Gift of Blood (which to our recollection, has never once been left off a serious “best of” list).

Heavyweight Titles, by Kerry Ryan: Let’s face it, most of us, most of the time, pick up a book to be transported and overwhelmed. (If there’s some ugly crying, so be it. Actually, even better.) Poet Kerry Ryan compares books to boxing in her preface to this list, and says of her “heavyweight” selections: “They have all, in one way or another, knocked me out."

Books From CBC’s Writers to Watch List: Every year the CBC creates a list of the writers they think are Canada's most promising. On their list for 2013 are Cassie Stocks, Rebecca Silver Slayter, Kenneth Bonert, Sara Peters, Spencer Gordon, Saleema Nawaz, John Vigna, Ayelet Tsabari, Yasuko Thanh, and Jowita Bydlowska.

Couldn't Put It Down: This past summer, we asked a bunch of Canadian publishing insiders for the books they couldn't put down. The resulting list had everyone talking (and buying books!).

Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud, by Kathleen Winter: We'll end our first Top Shelf on a fun and uplifting note: Kathleen Winter’s list of books that had her giggling in public.

Stay tuned for more Top Shelf, and please feel free to share them far and wide!