The Second Canadian Book Challenge, eh?

The rules are up! John at The Book Mine Set has the rules up for The Second Canadian Book Challenge, eh? This time around, there are 13 different ways to select books for the challenge:

Last time the most popular method of completing the challenge was to pick a book from each province and territory (hence 13 books). That's fine, and it's the way I plan on completing it again, but it's not the only way. Here's a list of ways to theme your books:

1. From Sea To Sea To Sea- Books from each province and territory

2. The Prize Pack- Books that have won awards (Gillers, Governor General, Stephen Leacock, etc)

3. New Canadians- Many of our best authors weren't born here (Carol Shields, Michael Ondaatje, etc). Why not celebrate with 13 books they've added to the great Canadian library?

4. The Lesser Knowns- Want to introduce people to authors who haven't gotten the recognition they deserve? This approach would aim to pick 13 books published by small firms or even self-published.

5. Missed Books- Check out the list of books read for the 1st edition of this Challenge. Try to pick 13 books that no one read the first time around.

6. The Double Double- Pick 13 books that also fit the criteria for another book Challenge that you've signed up for.

7. The McClung- How about 13 Canadian books written by women?

8. The Individuals- Many of our authors have been quite prolific, having written 13 or more books. Want to devote the challenge entirely to Lucy Maud Montgomery? Margaret Atwood? Robert Munsch? It's 13 books by a single author.

9. The Provincial/Territorial- Host a sub-challenge if you like! 13 Albertan books, for example, would still fit the mandate for the 2nd Canadian Book Challenge.

10. The Genres- 13 poetry books? 13 picture books? Non-fiction? Sci-fi? If you can find 13 books and define a genre, you can do this approach.

11. Publishers Choice- Pick 13 books all by a single publisher.

12. Titles- 13 books with Canada (or some version of) in the title (ex. Eve Wiseman's Kanada, Will Ferguson's Why I Hate Canadians, or Douglas Coupland's Souvenir of Canada)

13. The Free Spirit- Just pick 13 Canadian books and have fun!

I have decided to got with The Individual. I'm picking Charles de Lint. This is kind of cool. I get to read 13 books by him in the coming year! I can catch up on the books I've missed, and reread some favourites! I'm really happy. So far, from my shelves I've picked:

1.Dreams Underfoot (reread)
2 The Riddle of the Wren (reread)
3. The Dreaming Place
4. Memory and Dream
5. Wolf Moon - DONE
6. Moonlight and Vines (reread)
7. Forests of the Heart

I owned most of his books before I moved to England, and while I happily gave them to a friend who was reading his books, I now find I am replacing all his books. Some are out of print now, and some have been reprinted, so what I am hoping to find are:

8. Yarrow (reread, one of my all-time favourites by him)
9. Moonheart (reread, again one of the best fantasies, period)
10. Jack of Kinrowan (might be a reread)
11. Waifs and Strays
12. Promises to Keep
13. Spirits in the Wires

I just read Widdershins earlier this year, a sequel to The Onion Girl, which I loved, so they are not on the list (read too recently to reread just yet). If I can find Mulengro, this is a must!

Some books by him that I haven't read are: Triskell Tales (op), Dingo, Little (Grrl) Lost, The Blue Girl, The Wild Wood, The Ivory and the Horn, plus all the ones I have read but need to buy so I have a complete collection (my ultimate aim!) - Spiritwalk, The Little Country, Svaha, Someplace To Be Flying, Greenmantle, Trader ..so many books to choose from! Depending what I can find in the next few months, some of the titles in my challenge list might change. So many good books to read! I'll let you know as I find them.

So I hope, if you haven't, you'll pop over to John's blog and join in on the fun. It is fun being, Canadian, eh!