Read a great Canadian book lately? Let us know!

• Fill out our online suggestion form.
• In person at the Medicine Hat Public Library,
• the Vera Bracken Library at the Medicine Hat College,
• and Coles the Book People in the Medicine Hat Mall.

We require that the book be:

• Canadian (author should be Canadian)
• Available in paperback format (by spring 2012)
• Substantial enough to generate discussion and debate
• Fiction and non-fiction titles are welcome

Deadline for suggestions is March 1, 2012. Check out our archives to see selections from past years.

Stay tuned for announcements about the event on our Facebook page or subscribe to the blog by rss feed or email.

The Scotiabank Giller Prize 2011 was awarded to Half-Blood Blues by Esi Edugyan. This novel was shortlisted for the Man Booker, the Rogers Writers Trust and the GG’s.

Berlin, 1939. A young, brilliant trumpet-player, Hieronymus, is arrested in a Paris cafe. The star musician was never heard from again. He was twenty years old. He was a German citizen. And he was black.

Fifty years later, Sidney Griffiths, the only witness that day, still refuses to speak of what he saw. When Chip Jones, his friend and fellow band member, comes to visit, recounting the discovery of a strange letter, Sid begins a slow journey towards redemption.

From the smoky bars of pre-war Berlin to the salons of Paris, Sid leads the reader through a fascinating, little-known world, and into the heart of his own guilty conscience.

Half-Blood Blues is an electric, heart-breaking story about music, race, love and loyalty, and the sacrifices we ask of ourselves, and demand of others, in the name of art.

The winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Fiction is The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. A finalist for the Giller, this title has already made it onto the OBOC 2012 suggestion list!

Patrick deWitt, a young writer whose “stop-you-in-your-tracks writing has snuck up on the world” (Los Angeles Times), brings us The Sisters Brothers, a darkly comic, outrageously inventive novel that offers readers a decidedly off-center view of the Wild, Wild West.  Set against the back-drop of the great California Gold Rush, this odd and wonderful tour de force at once honors and reshapes the traditional western while chronicling the picaresque misadventures of two hired guns, the fabled Sisters brothers. The most original western since the Coen Brothers re-interpreted True Grit—you’ve never met anyone quite like The Sisters Brothers.

In groups, stories telling ‘what happens next’ in the life of a character from the novel Come, Thou Tortoise were created in a ‘pass it on’ style activity.

When we last leave Winnifred the tortoise, she is living in a new glass palace and next door to her is a second castle housing Wedge the mouse.

Here [PDF] you can discover various continuations provided by OBOC attendees.

The committee would like to especially thank FUT in the Hat for their ability to quickly present this material as a fun conclusion to the day’s event!

Author Jessica Grant signing copies of Come, Thou Tortoise for fans.

On Friday evening, author Jessica Grant, read selections from her novel Come, Thou Tortoise, and thoughtfully answered the numerous questions posed by those in attendence. On Saturday, we had the opportunity to engage in additional discussions about the novel, attendees participated in a story-telling activity, and MHC instructor Stephanie Hancock presented a thought-provoking session on IQ and intelligence. She had the test subjects, err audience, answer tough IQ questions, and even showed off some Newfie sayings. We had three performances from FUT in the Hat, a great way to see the novel in a new light.

Some comments from event participants:

“Very much enjoyed the novel and Jessica was very articulate and charming.”

“Thanks to the committee for a delightfully risky selection. The author herself – her openness and honesty – was an added bonus.”

“Thank you for taking us out of the box.”

“I think (One Book One Community) is a great idea. To have a community
read a book, to be so enthusiastic about reading and sharing the
experience, it’s great,” said Grant.

Read the article in the online edition available here.

Friday, October 14, 2011 – 7:30pm – Medicine Hat College Theatre

An evening with Jessica Grant, author of Come, Thou Tortoise. Author talk followed by a wine & cheese reception and book signing. Book purchases available through Coles the Book People. Admission: Free

Saturday October 15, 2011 – 9:30am – 3:00pm – Medicine Hat College Crowfoot Room

A day of facilitated book discussions and fun activities. Jessica Grant will be in attendance. Admission: Free

• 9:30am – Coffee and refreshments
• 10:00am – Performance by FUT in the Hat. Book discussion facilitated by Deborah Forbes.
• Lunch: A catered lunch will be available. Tickets must be purchased in advance ($15) at Medicine Hat Public Library or Medicine Hat College Vera Bracken Library. Lunch will be served at noon in the Courtyard. A fun activity will take place during lunch, so don’t miss it!
• 1:00pm – Performance by FUT in the Hat. Presentation and book discussion by Stephanie Hancock.
• 2:30pm – Conclusion by FUT in the Hat.

More event info here. Find out more about the book here.

Did you know that the general public can sign up for a free community membership at the Medicine Hat College Libraries?

Tickets are available at Medicine Hat Public Library and Vera Bracken Library, Medicine Hat College.

Last year's OBOC author Joseph Boyden won the Giller Prize in 2008 -ctv.ca

Looking for some great CanLit reading? The Scotiabank Giller Prize released its shortlist Oct. 4:

• David Bezmozgis – The Free World
• Lynn Coady – The Antagonist
• Patrick deWitt – The Sisters Brothers
• Esi Edugyan – Half-Blood Blues (also shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize)
• Zsuzsi Gartner – Better Living Through Plastic Explosives
• Michael Ondaatje – The Cat’s Table

Read more about each book here. Start your reading and keep these books in mind for future OBOC events!

Tickets are $15/person and must be purchased in advance. Lunch is served at noon in the Medicine Hat College Courtyard.