The Year of the Flood

The Year of the Flood (McClelland & Stewart) by Margaret Atwood
Margaret Atwood's post-apocalyptic tale wowed many readers, including Laura Rochon, who wrote:
"This should be read by all Canadians as a cautionary tale of what may happen if we continue to stretch environmental patience and if we continue to flirt with what is ethical with technology and science."
Accolades: A runaway bestseller, The Year of the Flood was shortlisted for the Scotiabank Giller Prize and the Trillium Book Award. It also garnered critical acclaim at home and abroad, including from Publishers Weekly, which praised it as "a gutsy and expansive novel, rich with ideas and conceits."

Another slogger!  I don't quite know who these people are who think that this is one of the top 40 books of the last decade, no offense Margaret!  Some of Margaret's books are my favourite!

Essex County

Essex County (Top Shelf Comics, 2007) by Jeff Lemire
One of two graphic novels to make the list, Essex County tells the tale of, well, Essex County in southwestern Ontario. This critically acclaimed collection scored legions of fans, including Jeffrey Wegener who wrote:
"Essex County is a beautifully and intimately written and drawn graphic novel trilogy that captures not only the feel of rural Canada, but its people. It is emotional, real, and heartbreaking."
Accolades: Jeff Lemire is a graphic novelist on the rise, recently being named one of Wizard magazine's 25 "rising stars" and taking home the Joe Shuster Award for Outstanding Canadian Comic Book Cartoonist, the Doug Wright Award for Best Emerging Talent and a 2008 Alex Award from the American Library Association.

Loved it!  Loved even more that it only took me a day to read!  Great timing, just before another Margaret Atwood book.