Canada Reads 2025 Longlist Reaction | Shortlist Hopefuls

[@ethelnickerson1340]

I look forward to Canada Reads every year and also your thoughts on who will be chosen . After watching your video I immediately request the ones I hope for from my library ! I wish us both good luck!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Thanks for watching. Definitely wishing us good luck. 😊💙

[@juliaboles7138]

This is the first time your blog has come up on my feed. I am thrilled to see Canadian content and you now have a new subscriber! I just listened to an interview with Scott Alexander Howard on CBC. Like yourself, the premise really intrigued me and I immediately put my Christmas gift card to Indigo towards. It’s definitely on my TBR this year. All the best.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Welcome! I love hearing about people discovering new Canadian writers. I will be starting The Other Valley in the next day or so. 😊💙

[@donnaleehanson]

Excellent summary of them all. Thanks so much

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Thanks. Hope it was helpful! 😊💙

[@donnaleehanson]

@@BookwormAdventureGirl Not sure if more books on my TBR is helpful or not.🤣

[@SiobhanWaldock]

Great video! This is my third Canada Reads. I also wish they announced the long list in December again. I don’t have much time to read and I had my winter vacation to tackle some books last year. So far I’ve read “All Our Ordinary Stories” and loved it. I hope it makes the short list because there is so much in that book! I also agree with “Pull of the Stars” and “What I Know About You” being on the short list. Haven’t decided my other two yet!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Wonderful. Happy you are following along this year. Fingers crossed for the three you’ve chosen. 😊💙

[@canadareadsamericanstyle]

Great video!! I love hearing you go over each book & providing so much detail. We agree on only one prediction this year! As I said on the latest podcast, I’m probably going downs in flames this year. 😂 Thanks for the shoutout & we’re so excited to have you joining us again this year! On to the short list. 🥳

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

It’s always a toss up on what makes it which I really like. I’ve totally flopped in some of the past years. Looking forward to seeing what makes the shortlist and joining you in your podcast to talk Canada Reads. 😊💙

[@SarahAsYouWish]

I always enjoy following this contest via your channel and end up reading several titles from the list. I’ll be looking forward to finding out who the judges are this year.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

@@SarahAsYouWish Me too. The defenders make a huge difference in the debates I think. Glad you are following again. 😊💙

[@LouiseReader]

What an extraordinary concept! I've heard the term Canada Reads before, but never known anything about the process. Books from any era, just saw a book from 1928 won early on. Books can be on the longlist a second time to have another go at it... and then all decided by a series of debates! Do the public vote? Or is it decided by the defenders?

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

It is fantastic! It is decided by the defenders. Before Covid they used to have a live audience. 😊💙

[@cathybarker7125]

Great love your Canadian and love Canda reads

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Three cheers for Canada Reads. 🙌🏻🇨🇦📚

[@SusiFord-w7f]

Great video!! I’ve read Jennie’s Boy and really enjoyed the book. However I would be surprised if it made it to the shortlist with all these strong contenders. Looking forward to reading Dandelion and Pull of the stars - hopefully before the shortlist is announced. Looking forward to your thoughts on the shortlist announcement.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I’ve heard good things about Jennie’s Boy and I really want to read a few books by the author. I’m looking forward to reading so many of these. Can’t wait for the shortlist. 😊💙

[@karenwetherald6086]

Never mind Christmas, Canada Reads is the most wonderful time of the year !!! I keep changing my mind... today I'm most interested in reading Dandelion, Etta & Otto & Russell & James also Girl Runner. I can't wait for the short list and who the defenders will be

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

It is such a great time of year. Changing your mind is a sign of a good list, I think. 😁💙

[@regenia8738]

Excellent summaries and overall presentation. I am not Canadian, but I found this so interesting. Thank you!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I’m so happy you found it interesting. I'm not sure where you are from, but Canada Reads does have fans from a few other countries. US mainly but also the UK and others. Sometimes it's hard to get access to the books in other countries. That's the only drawback. 😊💙

[@regenia8738]

@BookwormAdventureGirl I am from the U.S. I live in Eastern North Carolina. I hesitated to say because I am enbarrased and feel badly about how Canada is currently being treated and talked about by some in our country. We grew up and lived in Western New York, previous to moving here. We would go to Niagara-on- the-Lake for plays and to relax. We would also go to Toronto for various weekends. If we were going to Michigan, we would go through Canada. Years ago, we chose Quebec City for our honeymoon. I worked with a woman who lived in Canada. Those were the days when Americans and Canadians could cross the border, either way, by simply answering questions. So, this animosity and condescension towards your country is distressing to us

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

@ Lots of my BookTuber friends are from the US. Happy to have you here. You might enjoy listening to Canada Reads American Style which is Rebecca (from the US) and Tara (from Canada). They are both fans of Canada Reads and sometimes interview the authors/defenders. Canadians are tough. We’re all good. 😊

[@regenia8738]

@BookwormAdventureGirl Thank you for being so generous. Canadians ARE strong. The battle of York showed us that in 1812-1813. Sadly, I don't think many of our leaders know history; or if they do, they choose not to learn from it. I am 75, and my husband is 76. We don't understand any of this and are finding it very unsettling. Again, you are very kind. I will check out those other channels, but not in place of yours. I really like how you present the information you share!

[@colleencavanaugh-rq7tw]

I have read Pull of the Stars and Dandelion and am currently reading Jenny’s Boy. All very good books. Would be happy with any of them making short list. 😊

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

🤞🏻 I think it’s going to be a great shortlist regardless what is chosen. 😊💙

[@joanfisher590]

Dandelion is a great book! The Other Valley sounds interesting. If you want to expand your graphic novel tolerance I would recommend Ducks, which did win before. It's an excellent but grueling book

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Looking forward to reading Dandelion and The Other Valley. I always try to read the shortlist so I have read Ducks. 😊💙

[@TaraPatey]

Great summary, Jolene! We have a couple of overlapping predictions. Like you, I think this is a great year and honestly, I would be happy with any of these books making the SL. Those that weren’t already on my TBR from the LL have been added.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Same. Canada Reads books tend to have great books. Sometimes there are gems on the longlist that don’t make the shortlist and I don’t want to leave them behind. 😊💙

[@tracydk]

I love Canada reads and through watching that and wanting more I found yourself. I’ve had trouble sometimes getting my hands on the books though here in Scotland 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁳󠁣󠁴󠁿 having to get them shipped from Canada 🇨🇦 but very excited to be watching along 😊

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

So glad you love it. True, sometimes it is difficult to access the books outside of Canada. Happy you will be following along with the debates. 😊💙

[@debm9322]

I cannot believe it is already that time of the year!! Thanks for doing this.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Love Canada Reads. Thanks for watching. 😊💙

[@debm9322]

@BookwormAdventureGirl forgot to add that Pull of the Stars is an all-time favourite book for me. Fingers crossed it is shortlisted!

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

@@debm9322 Me too!!!!!!

[@lindysmagpiereads]

I hope Etta and Otto and Russell and James will win. Love that book so much! I have read over half of this list already. Two that I look forward to reading are When the Pine Needles Fall and Teresa Wong’s book.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

I have a feeling I will really enjoy Etta and Otto…. So many good books. 😊💙

[@JennieJohnston]

I’m rooting for The Pull of the Stars to make the short list! Emma Donoghue is such a great writer, and I loved that one too. I’ll be reading the winner (or another from the short list) this year as part of a reading project so very curious to see the debates. I’m currently listening to last year’s winner The Future by Catherine Leroux.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Emma Donoghue rocks. I need to read more from her. Your reading project sounds cool. I was not a huge fan of The Future but others love it. Hope you’re enjoying it. 😊💙

[@justineetzkorn9594]

We ended up having pretty similar shortlist predictions. It's a really solid group this year, so I don't have any "oh no, not that one!" reactions this time around. Do you know when they pick the defenders? I do wonder if Where The Pine Needles Fall isn't too recent, as it just came out a few months ago, but I'm going to read it anyway. I've read Two-Spirit Journey (which was great, and I'm going to reread it ahead of this), Pull of the Stars (wasn't wild about, but generally liked), and Dandelion (which was very good, and I'm happy will likely be on the list).

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Agreed. There are none that I wouldn’t read. Looking forward to seeing what actually makes it and seeing if any of my hopefuls will make it. We find out about the defenders when they announce the shortlist. CBC sometimes have people ready a year or two in advance. Logistics for it can be a little tricky and it changes sometimes. Once they have the longlist the defenders are already in place. 😊💙

[@booksatthebottomofthestair8446]

Looks like a good list this year. Nice summary and predictions.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

Thanks Laureen. I think people are pretty happy with the list overall. 😊💙

[@marie-joseedrolet9655]

🇨🇦💙😊

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

😊💙🙌🏻🇨🇦📚

[@CarolAttrux]

None of these interest me at all.

[@BookwormAdventureGirl]

That’s too bad. What books would be on your dream longlist? 😊💙