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Great interview with Bill. Would love to be able to read his student anthologies! Meanwhile tho, once again, your video has convinced me to buy more books! (New year’s resolution already broken! 😂) Old Haunts currently enroute to me from Amazon!

I’m so happy for you that you have been on a roll with your reading. 🎉🎉🎉 Of course I have added to my TBR thanks to you. 😘 The conversation with Bill was great too.

❤️🤩

How wonderful that Bill’s student anthologies have had so much success and I loved his Mid-winter poem! What a fabulous reading time you are having, Old Haunts has gone straight on the TBR!

Hi Shawn. If I can't find a book in Canada I check to see if Blackwell's in the UK (an independent bookstore recently purchased by Waterstones) carries it, which they often do. And there is no need to pay high shipping costs either. I hope this sounds more like a tip than an advert.

For so much of my life I wasn’t really sure how much of my hyphenated identity was Canadian. And of course I struggle with settler colonialism. However, when I watch your videos and, in particular, your interview here with William Robertson, I realize how ‘at home’ I feel amongst Canadians. More books to add to the list. Especially Hospital.

i just found this video after reading this book which immediately became my favorite book of all time. i have zero interest in wresting, but i LOVE stories about obsession, and man, did this book hit the mark. what an incredible story. i just finished it moments ago and am just feeling a ton of different emotions and feel haunted by this story. i wish more people knew about this book!!

As always an interesting mystery guest. Those indigenous poetry books look very nice. I wish I had more time to read all the books you have mentioned and I have bought. I looked for Nina Berkhout’s book but it is not available at the moment here in Europe.

I've written answers to erinh7450's comment twice now, but they don't show up... 😒 I wonder if this does... I would have liked to give information about how to become a Storygraph librarian, but it seems this is not possible here...🤷‍♀ Maybe because I have to mention the way of communication involved to apply... I'll try to describe it without using the actual word: it is like writing a letter, but you know, the modern version where your letters and mailboxes are digital... let me know if you want to know more... but you can also just google it. I do recomment it, though. Storygraph is a huge work in progress, but they are turning out new features all the time and really care about what useres want and need. The librarians do also have a behind-the-scenes-place to discuss librarian stuff and hang out and it's a very nice community. (Posting this for the third time...)

@erinh7450 I've written answers to your comment twice now, but they don't show up... 😒 I wonder if this does... I would have liked to give information about how to become a Storygraph librarian, but it seems this is not possible here...🤷‍♀ Maybe because I have to mention the way of communication involved to apply... I'll try to describe it without using the actual word: it is like writing a letter, but you know, the modern version where your letters and mailboxes are digital... let me know if you want to know more... but you can also just google it. I do recomment it, though. Storygraph is a huge work in progress, but they are turning out new features all the time and really care about what useres want and need. The librarians do also have a server to discuss librarian stuff and hang out and it's a very nice community. (It seems to have vanished again... Posting this for the second time)

Did you read Who we are - very good

Hi Shawn, thank you for another great video. I always enjoy them. Hospital and The Old Haunts sound perfect for me. Both are available on Amazon, and happily I have Amazon gift cards from Christmas still left. As always, thank you for all your wonderful recommendations and other delightful content. Enjoyed your mystery guest as well. These Friday Reads videos are such a great way to begin the weekend. Thanks again, Shawn!

Great group of guests. I read A Minor Detail a couple of years ago and it had a great impact. I have Depht of Field on my ebook. Don’t know where I found it, you probably talked in another video about it. Might read it this year.😊

Waiting for a Party goes immediately on my wishlist! Sounds right up my alley!

I remember, in the early 90's,, just out of high school having to read this book in my first year Canadian Literature class at university. After I finished it, I felt like I lost my literary virginity:. (I was still hopelessly optimistic about losing the other kind.). This was my first introduction to magic realism, hagiography , and 1800's rural Canada. I found the narrative academic and warm at the same time. I love Dunstan's intellect and his vulnerability.. I think I've internalized a little of the character of Dunny through the years, looking for the magic in the ordinary and having a passing interest in obscure saints. I understand your opinions and don't wish to counter them. This is just my experience with a book that changed a young impressionable version of me for the better.

I enjoyed watching this. Your guest has such wonderful energy! Thank you for sharing.

I can see why you had to extend your interview time with Verna, I could listen to her for hours!

I loved Jimmy Carter.

Lots to ponder from your chat with Andrew. Starting off the year with lots of interesting reads as usual!

Fascinating interview. Thank you for introducing me to Vesna Main. Will definitely search-out her books and read some! Also remain very impressed by your ability to entice fascinating authors to your channel to chat with/for us!!

I ordered Vesna Main’s inmediately! Such an interesting person.

Jimmy Carter - East Timor!

interesting that he can get all these authors on here

I thought the same thing when I heard about the LA fire. It’s ? weird? /scary ? , when a book seems to foretell the future. I had my flu jab yesterday and I woke up at 3am not knowing if it was morning or evening. It’s been bitterly cold here ( though nothing like Canada) with snow and nights going down to minus 7.

This was a fascinating conversation. Now I have to read both of these novels. Prophet Song isn't for me right now. Thank you for sharing this.

Obsessed with Wales so will definitely be reading A Room Above A Shop. ❤❤❤❤. Sounds great

15:12 Hunchback sounds AMAZING!

I love that you consistently mention the name of the translator. My cousin is a professional translator English/Dutch/Swedish :). It’s an incredibly challenging profession!

I loved being in Ivy ‘s world and only having her perspective.

What an incredible story. I loved this interview. You’re a gifted interviewer Sean and I loved your insights about the novel. What a treat to hear from Wendy Burton about Ivy’s Tree and her other works. I hope we get to hear more from her! Will be spreading the word about Ivy’s Tree and your channel as well! ❤❤❤

This was such an interesting discussion about epigraphs and the role they play in writing. I enjoyed hearing each author talk about the epigraph they both chose. Thank you for this.

Love the shirt! And love your besties and worsties! Great categories. I am going to read Ivy’s Tree soon. 😊

Fascinating! I wrote my Master's thesis partly about Varlam Shalamov and one of my semester papers about Adolfo Bioy Casares. 🤓 I recommend both, but Shalamov is basically unbearable...

Love the new blouse! Now I feel like I have to try Orbital but I am afraid it won’t be for me. The Deluge ❤

Ranking the premise of yet to be released books - this is an excellent idea!!

I’m currently reading Ivy’s Tree and I’m in love with Ivy!! I enjoy spending time with her. I’ve finally gotten a copy of Invitation to the Waltz and plan to read soon.

i've been here since September 11, 2001.

Wonderful

Hooray for a new computer! 😀🎉

Anhhhh….i feel a trip to the used book store coming on!!!! Thanks for all of these wonderful ideas!

I really enjoyed your discussion. Thank you for introducing me to this novel, it sounds like a book for me. Great video.

My mom and I saw A Complete Unknown this week and we liked it too. About 20 years ago we saw him live. 😊

This is definitely a new blouse and wine occasion! That Birding cover really is beautiful. I love that you were able to collect some favorite sentences from novels throughout the year. LOL, Blackouts was in my top five this year. I did love My Friends and Fingersmith. Fun video!

Your mystery guests are always so interesting! Thanks for another great Whateverday Reads. 😊

Well that’s was a Sunday treat! Andrew’s book made me think, just when you thought you knew all the heinous things the Nazis did! Truly awful but I love Satie’s Gymnopédies! I also like the sound of, weirdly, Kolyma stories, I think it’s the heft of the thing 🤷‍♀️.

Very serious and intelligent mystery guest. I read Christ on a Bike about a month ago and thought it was interesting but not great. I also gave it 4 stars. In the end I don’t think I liked either of the sisters. I read Fingersmith years ago and enjoyed it at lot.

Fingersmith is on my audio TBR. You might also like Tipping The Velvet.

I always think I know your reading so well and then you do this list and I remember and revisit these books in totally new and different ways! Always an utter joy to watch!

Happy New Year to you too Shawn! And yes a fabulous new blouse worthy of the occasion. I listened to The Hearing Test on New Years Day, I went in thinking it was a memoir! Which I didn't really question itl near the end of the book when something was glossed over in a sentence. And yes that anal gland sentence stood out to me too- a friend and I have a long running joke about such things. I have quite a few books from this list on my TBR, mostly from your enthusiasm. Committed Minor Detail Birding especially, and I really must get to Ronan Hession this year. I see Leonard and Hungry Paul popping up on many best of list this year.

I placed Committed as my second top book overall in 2024. It was wonderful and I would also like to re read it with closer attention to the literary (and non literary) works referenced. I discovered this book through your discussion with Suzanne as your mystery guest. Another Shawn success! (I placed James as my number one).