Welcome back, Canadian readers!

Well, by now I’m sure you have all tuned into the second round of Canada Reads 2008. (And if some of you missed it, no worries—you can get up to speed by listening online, or by downloading today’s show as a podcast.) I know I promised to offer up the behind-the-scenes dish at Canada Reads, so I’ll hop to it…

When I arrived at the studio today, a decadent fruit platter was laid out for the panelists, along with a seemingly endless supply of coffee, for which this bookworm was eternally grateful. As I grabbed some melon chunks and scurried into the corner, I did manage to overhear some very interesting conversations. Jemeni and Steve MacLean were deep in discussion over Icefields, while a few paces away, Lisa Moore and Zaib Shaikh were also firmly entrenched in a tête-à-tête. Lisa was explaining the finer points of Mavis Gallant’s story The Moslem Wife to Zaib, who had admitted to being a bit offended by the story during yesterday’s debates.

So, it looks like our five panelists have bonded, and I think this contributed to the tone of today’s broadcast, which felt a bit looser, as the celebrity guests grew more comfortable with each other and a little bolder in their roles as passionate book defenders. As the talk turned to brown girls and blind cats, the fearless five hunkered down for some heady discussions about characters, social relevancy and whether or not a book’s “Canadian-ness” will factor into their decision-making come voting time.