The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing
- Episodes
- 94
- Released
- several times a week
- Latest episode
- Nov 9, 2026
About the podcast
Looking for your next great read? The Next Chapter’s got you covered! Book lovers join host Antonio Michael Downing to dive deep into great books. Big feelings, hot takes, enlightening conversations — you’ve never been in a book club like this before. It’s Canada’s book club, and everyone’s invited. So pull up a chair and join the conversation. New episodes every Saturday and Monday.
Episodes 94
Romance writer Joss Richard on defeating the sophomore slump
Joss Richard's debut novel It's Different This Time was a breakout hit. It was championed on Canada Reads and was a national bestseller. She joins the show to talk about writing her follow up Let's Kiss and …
Show notes
Joss Richard's debut novel It's Different This Time was a breakout hit. It was championed on Canada Reads and was a national bestseller. She joins the show to talk about writing her follow up Let's Kiss and Tell, what it was like writing for an audience for the first time and why romance matters. Plus, writer and critic Jason Guriel joins the show to discuss why "read widely" isn't always good advice for young writers and readers.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Let’s Kiss and Tell by Joss Richard
Beach Read by Emily Henry
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How Canada Reads is unleashing Morgann Book’s inner competitor
The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Mary Walsh embraces her inner 'aging crumpet'
From This Hour has 22 Minutes to the new hit Netflix series Below, Mary Walsh has been keeping audiences entertained for decades. The actor and comedian has written characters and sketches throughout her …
Show notes
From This Hour has 22 Minutes to the new hit Netflix series Below, Mary Walsh has been keeping audiences entertained for decades. The actor and comedian has written characters and sketches throughout her career, but her personal life takes centre stage for the first time in her debut memoir Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet. She talks about her unorthodox upbringing in Newfoundland, her expansive career in comedy and the power of humour to help us through even our darkest moments. Plus, musician Laura Roy explains why books are never far out of reach during recording sessions.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Pookie in Search of a Home by Ivy L. Wallace
Martha Quest series by Doris Lessing
The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov
The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison
Brassy Bit of Aging Crumpet by Mary Walsh
Your Illustrated Guide To Becoming One With The Universe by Yumi Sakugawa
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Why Mark Critch is willing to fight for Canada
Taking a tour of Newfoundland with Alan Doyle
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
How the new Lord of the Flies series stacks up against the original novel
CBC Books Producer Bridget Raymundo never read Lord of the Flies growing up. So when it was announced a new series adaptation would be arriving on CBC Gem, she thought it was the perfect time to pick up the …
Show notes
CBC Books Producer Bridget Raymundo never read Lord of the Flies growing up. So when it was announced a new series adaptation would be arriving on CBC Gem, she thought it was the perfect time to pick up the timeless novel. Bridget talks about what it was like entering that universe for the first time and what she took away from it. Plus, Trevor Carter shares his go-to Stephen King recommendation to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the film Stand By Me.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Different Seasons by Stephen King
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Travelling to the birthplace of Interview with the Vampire
Reflecting on a year of fear with Stephen King
The gender swapped Great Gatsby set in early 2000s Brooklyn
Author Xochitl Gonzalez grew up in a Brooklyn that looks much different than it does today. However, she's immortalized her home town as she remembers it in her latest novel Last Night in Brooklyn. She …
Show notes
Author Xochitl Gonzalez grew up in a Brooklyn that looks much different than it does today. However, she's immortalized her home town as she remembers it in her latest novel Last Night in Brooklyn. She remembers it as something like the version of America that F. Scott Fitzgerald writes about in his iconic book. The air filled with optimism, the streets filled with artists, A-list celebrities and locals alike, blissfully unaware of the impending financial collapse of 2008. She’ll talk about her new book and how Brooklyn has changed over the years. Plus, Montreal musician Magi Merlin recommends the Eckhart Tolle book that impacted her life.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Last Night in Brooklyn by Xochitl Gonzalez
A New Earth by Eckhart Tolle
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Why Ann Patchett thinks the secret to success might be lowering people's expectations
Spilling secrets and small-town adultery in The Shampoo Effect
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
This Law and Order star shares her favourite crime books
Actor Kathleen Munroe is in her fourth season starring as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman in Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Not only is she a committed reader, but she's also a member of a …
Show notes
Actor Kathleen Munroe is in her fourth season starring as Detective Sergeant Frankie Bateman in Law and Order Toronto: Criminal Intent. Not only is she a committed reader, but she's also a member of a star-studded book club featuring Nadine Bhabha, Clark Backo and more. She joins the show to talk about some of her favourite crime related reads. Plus, CBC producer and kids' book expert Lucy Mann will recommend her family's latest middle grade series obsession.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
In Cold Blood by Truman Capote
Jane: A Murder by Maggie Nelson
Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Witches of Brooklyn by Sophie Escabasse
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What happens when 6 Canadian actors start a book club
The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Can science fiction save us from an A.I. apocalypse?
Robert J. Sawyer has been called “the Dean of Canadian science fiction.” He's written 25 novels, countless columns, book reviews and keynote speeches. When he was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, he was …
Show notes
Robert J. Sawyer has been called “the Dean of Canadian science fiction.” He's written 25 novels, countless columns, book reviews and keynote speeches. When he was diagnosed with cancer six years ago, he was told not to go public, fearing it would hurt his chances of having future books published. Despite a terminal diagnosis, he has persevered and published several novels since. His new book is a collection of articles, reviews and speeches reflecting on decades of writing science fiction and what we can learn from the genre about entering an uncertain future. Plus, hear where writer and professor Michelle Porter finds true happiness while answering The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Sawyer on Science Fiction by Robert J Sawyer
A Glacier’s Guide to Dying by Michelle Porter
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Why fantasy novels offer much more than escapism
Celina ‘Spooky Boo’ Myers on writing the next great vampire novel
How Anne Carson helped bring this Toronto band's album to life
In his decades of making music, writing and running a newspaper, Dave Bidini has interpreted and celebrated the things that make this country unique. Last year, that meant teaming up with Nobel laureate Anne …
Show notes
In his decades of making music, writing and running a newspaper, Dave Bidini has interpreted and celebrated the things that make this country unique. Last year, that meant teaming up with Nobel laureate Anne Carson and other notable Canadian writers on his band's album The Great Lakes Suites. Plus, CBC Books producer Daphné Santos-Vieira talks about her love for Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery and why she re-reads it every year.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Jane of Lantern Hill by Lucy Maud Montgomery
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Why Anne of Green Gables is a superstar in Japan
Bigger than The Game: Remembering Canadian hero Ken Dryden
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Why Gordon Korman never runs out of ideas
Since writing his first book at the age of twelve, it's hard to imagine a more prolific writer than Gordon Korman. In nearly five decades of writing for kids and young adults, he's published 107 books, and sold …
Show notes
Since writing his first book at the age of twelve, it's hard to imagine a more prolific writer than Gordon Korman. In nearly five decades of writing for kids and young adults, he's published 107 books, and sold around 35 million copies. He's beloved by readers spanning multiple generations and has become one of the most recognizable names in the middle grade genre. He stops by the studio to discuss how writing for young people has changed over his 50 years in the industry, what makes a character and story memorable and which books have helped shape his life and career.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume
The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut
Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole
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Who is the wimpy kid behind Jeff Kinney’s iconic series?
Inside the Toronto Sceptres’ team book club
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Why you should do good and expect nothing back
At the age of 27, Sam Demma just published his third book. His latest is called Return on Goodwill: Do good. Expect nothing. Watch life surprise you. He talks about how a trip to Value Village changed his …
Show notes
At the age of 27, Sam Demma just published his third book. His latest is called Return on Goodwill: Do good. Expect nothing. Watch life surprise you. He talks about how a trip to Value Village changed his perspective on everyday interactions, and shares the book that helped get him there. Sam is a bestselling author, an international speaker and someone who's been spreading his message of kindness and respect since he was a teenager. Plus, Talia Kliot joins the show after watching and reading Ali Hazelwood’s breakout rom-com The Love Hypothesis. She’ll share her thoughts and talk about the film's familiar backdrop.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Return on Goodwill by Sam Demma
How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie
The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood
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Has hustle culture been lying to you?
The hidden connection between basketball and book nerds
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Can straight authors write books with gay protagonists?
When writer and creative Arizona O'Neill read the satirical novel Fruit Fly by Josh Silver, it got her thinking about the publishing industry and the popularity of gay romance written by women. It's about a …
Show notes
When writer and creative Arizona O'Neill read the satirical novel Fruit Fly by Josh Silver, it got her thinking about the publishing industry and the popularity of gay romance written by women. It's about a straight female author with a bad case of writer’s block who decides to write a novel about a young gay man battling addiction. Arizona makes her case for why it might be time to resume the conversation on who has the right to tell what stories. Plus, author Grant Ginder talks about his real-life heroes and his love for good produce while answering The Next Chapter’s version of The Proust Questionnaire.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Fruit Fly by Josh Silver
So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder
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Dealing with family drama? These novels prove it could always be worse
How to avoid getting locked in an echo chamber
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Comparison kills: why ranking books can get problematic
What are the best books published this month? Questions and titles like this led to writer and teacher Thea Lim’s article “Abolish the Top Ten List,” for the Walrus magazine. She noticed how rankings and lists …
Show notes
What are the best books published this month? Questions and titles like this led to writer and teacher Thea Lim’s article “Abolish the Top Ten List,” for the Walrus magazine. She noticed how rankings and lists dominate how we speak about books, narrowing the number of titles that reach the surface. Is this a healthy way to interact with art? She joins the show to talk about it. Plus, author Don Gillmor talks about his venture into crime thriller writing with Cherry Beach and recommends a read-alike.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane
Cherry Beach by Don Gillmor
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Why Ann Patchett thinks the secret to success might be lowering people's expectations
How Junie B. Jones inspired Taylor Tomlinson’s comedy career
With four Netflix specials and a late-night show to her name, Taylor Tomlinson has comedy figured out. But something she had never done before, was write a book. The comedian just released an essay collection …
Show notes
With four Netflix specials and a late-night show to her name, Taylor Tomlinson has comedy figured out. But something she had never done before, was write a book. The comedian just released an essay collection called Actually, Nevermind, all about how people are allowed to change their minds. In the book, she lets us into her brain, discussing everything from love to religion, personal stories and mental health. She takes us back to a time when she thought she was destined to be a writer, and when Junie B. Jones taught her to be funny. A lifelong reader, she joins The Next Chapter to talk about her favourite books and what it meant to write her own.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park
Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Bossypants by Tina Fey
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The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling
What books drew Brendan Fraser to storytelling?
10 years since publishing Indigenous Writes, what’s changed?
Chelsea Vowel is a lawyer, teacher and writer. 10 years ago, she published her influential book Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada. Chelsea joins the show to talk …
Show notes
Chelsea Vowel is a lawyer, teacher and writer. 10 years ago, she published her influential book Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada. Chelsea joins the show to talk about the newly released 10th anniversary edition, which continues the groundbreaking conversation. Plus, novelist and playwright Anosh Irani talks about the process of adapting Rohinton Mistry’s novel A Fine Balance for the stage at Crow's Theatre in Toronto.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel
A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
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Why books serve a vital role in Truth and Reconciliation
What does it mean to be a Bad Indian?
Here’s what’s on our fall TBR list
For our team of producers at CBC Books, fall reading starts in spring when publisher catalogues and look-aheads arrive at the office. Ailey Yamamoto, Ashly July and Lisa Mathews have been reading fall books for …
Show notes
For our team of producers at CBC Books, fall reading starts in spring when publisher catalogues and look-aheads arrive at the office. Ailey Yamamoto, Ashly July and Lisa Mathews have been reading fall books for months, and join the show to recommend the title they think should make the top of your reading list. Plus, Polaris Prize nominated musician Charlotte Cornfield talks about her musical journey and what she’s been reading.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
We Are Underlings by Doretta Lau
Opioids and Organs by Arizona O'Neill
The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson
These Songs I Know by Heart by Erin Brubacher
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Fall book recs? Take it from us
What might surprise you about Margaret Atwood’s new memoir
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
What the stars of North of North are reading
After cleaning up at the Canadian Screen Awards in May, North of North returns for season two with nine awards under its belt including Best Comedy Series. In this episode, co-stars Anna Lambe and Maika Harper …
Show notes
After cleaning up at the Canadian Screen Awards in May, North of North returns for season two with nine awards under its belt including Best Comedy Series. In this episode, co-stars Anna Lambe and Maika Harper join the show to talk about the series, the stories it tells and the role books and reading play in their busy lives. Plus, author Ashley Audrain opens up about her novel The Push being named by the New York Times as one of the top 50 thriller novels of the 21st century.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
The First Peoples by Maika Harper
Thou Shalt Do No Murder by Kenn Harper
The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins
A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Death of Us by Abigail Dean
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How Amanda Brugel manifested her role in The Handmaid’s Tale
The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Why we keep coming back to The Odyssey, 3000 years later
The Odyssey, both the movie and Homer’s epic poem, was at the top of the pop culture zeitgeist this summer. The sudden resurgence leads to the question: What is it about the Greeks, their myths and their …
Show notes
The Odyssey, both the movie and Homer’s epic poem, was at the top of the pop culture zeitgeist this summer. The sudden resurgence leads to the question: What is it about the Greeks, their myths and their philosophies that sticks with us? To dive into this topic, we sit down with writer, actor and classic enthusiast Kudakwashe Rutendo to discuss the staying power of these stories, and share her less than warm review of The Odyssey. Plus, Montreal-based musician Edwin Raphael talks about his music and why he wants to read more this year.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Odyssey by Homer
The Odyssey by Emily Wilson
Son of Nobody by Yann Martel
The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh
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Are book bans actually effective in a digital age?
The youngest Canada Reads contestant is now a Disney star: Here’s what she’s reading now
Kia Nurse shares what the Toronto Tempo is reading
You may know Kia Nurse from the WNBA, Team Canada or her basketball coverage on TSN. She also scored the first points recorded in Toronto Tempo history. Today she joins the show to talk about the team’s book …
Show notes
You may know Kia Nurse from the WNBA, Team Canada or her basketball coverage on TSN. She also scored the first points recorded in Toronto Tempo history. Today she joins the show to talk about the team’s book club, and what they’ve been reading as of late. And later, CBC Books producer Bridget Raymundo talks about the hit graphic novel series Hearstopper, and why it holds such a special place in her heart.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara
Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Heartstopper by Alice Oseman
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Inside the Toronto Sceptres’ team book club
Get to know CBC’s Winter Olympics host
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
What happens when 6 Canadian actors start a book club
Celebrity book clubs have shown their staying power. From Reese Witherspoon to Dua Lipa, everyone’s curious about what actors and artists are reading. When Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha shared that she’s in a …
Show notes
Celebrity book clubs have shown their staying power. From Reese Witherspoon to Dua Lipa, everyone’s curious about what actors and artists are reading. When Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha shared that she’s in a book club with five of her actor friends the last time she was on the show, we knew we had to see what this club was all about. Nadine and her colleagues Clark Backo and Jess Salgueiro join the show to peel back the curtain on this star-studded book club, share what they’ve been reading and how their love of books brought them all together.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman
The Witch by Marie Ndiaye
Half His Age by Jeannette McCurdy
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Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha’s It Girl book club
How Amanda Brugel manifested her role in The Handmaid’s Tale
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
These books introduced Will Ferguson to the world... and changed his life
Will Ferguson began his career as a travel writer. Since then he's written more than a dozen books and won some of the biggest literary prizes a Canadian writer can win. Along the way, he never gave up travel …
Show notes
Will Ferguson began his career as a travel writer. Since then he's written more than a dozen books and won some of the biggest literary prizes a Canadian writer can win. Along the way, he never gave up travel writing, and still uses it to inform his fiction. His books stretch across genres, allowing his work to follow wherever his interests take him, always with an underpinning thread of humour. Growing up in a small town in Northern Alberta, books were his first ticket to seeing the outside world. He'll break down which books have influenced his life and career the most in a segment of My Life in Books.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Meanwhile, Back in Nokomis by Will Ferguson
Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford
The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson
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Terry Fallis proves you have to live before you can write
The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
What it’s like entering the spotlight after a career of ghostwriting
For most of her writing life Patricia Finn wrote and polished other people’s stories. But this spring she stepped out of the shadows with the publication of her debut novel. It’s called The Golden Boy and it …
Show notes
For most of her writing life Patricia Finn wrote and polished other people’s stories. But this spring she stepped out of the shadows with the publication of her debut novel. It’s called The Golden Boy and it follows a television executive who, after losing his job, inherits the grandchildren of his deceased friend. Patricia joins the show to tell us about The Golden Boy and recommend a companion read. Plus, author Uzma Jalaluddin shares what Gen Z slang she's picked up from her kids while answering The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod
The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai
Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin
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The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast Anya Taylor-Joy
The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
How far must we go to find our way home?
In April, two Canada Reads nominated authors took the stage in Whitehorse to discuss their books in front of a packed live audience. The evening featured a conversation between Loghan Paylor, author of The Cure …
Show notes
In April, two Canada Reads nominated authors took the stage in Whitehorse to discuss their books in front of a packed live audience. The evening featured a conversation between Loghan Paylor, author of The Cure for Drowning, and Billy-Ray Belcourt, the author of A Minor Chorus. Both novels explore what it means to find a sense of home, and how that quest can impact who we become. The event was called Homecoming, and with the help of CBC host Leonard Linklater, the authors sat down to discuss the themes of home, identity and belonging in their characters' lives, and in their own.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor
A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt
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How iconic musician Tegan Quin plans to tackle Canada Reads
Why Elle-Maija Tailfeathers says A Minor Chorus is the story Canada needs to hear right now
What made The Tragically Hip Canada’s band?
Ten years ago, more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC for the live airing of The Tragically Hip’s final concert of their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, this performance has held …
Show notes
Ten years ago, more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC for the live airing of The Tragically Hip’s final concert of their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, this performance has held a special place in the minds of many Canadians and more. Michael Barclay is a writer and long time fan of the band. He wanted to make sure that the iconic Canadian band’s history was being documented, so he wrote a book. It’s called The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. It guides readers through the history of the band, their music and offers a window into the music scene at that time. He talks about the band's legacy and what made the Hip Canada's band.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip by Michael Barclay
Rough Description by Don Pyle
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Canadian fiddle legend Natalie MacMaster shares her life in books
What is the greatest Canadian novel of all time?
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
How to avoid getting locked in an echo chamber
Some books change your mind. Others simply reinforce what you already know. The Next Chapter's columnist Nathan Maharaj joins the show to talk about two books that challenged his assumptions and altered his …
Show notes
Some books change your mind. Others simply reinforce what you already know. The Next Chapter's columnist Nathan Maharaj joins the show to talk about two books that challenged his assumptions and altered his perspective. Nathan is a lifelong bookseller and the director of content marketing at Rakuten Kobo. He'll discuss why challenging your beliefs is important and how it can lead to a broader worldview. Plus, Toronto artist Mah Moud stops by to talk about a mysterious book from his parents bookshelf, and how the impact of a good novel can last for generations.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez
How Great Things Happen by George Newman
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Can reading be the first step to making real change?
What is the greatest Canadian novel of all time?
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast Anya Taylor-Joy
A few years ago Marissa Stapley heard a radio story about an unclaimed winning lottery ticket, which planted the seed for her novel, Lucky. Since then, the book has become a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and …
Show notes
A few years ago Marissa Stapley heard a radio story about an unclaimed winning lottery ticket, which planted the seed for her novel, Lucky. Since then, the book has become a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick and was recently adapted into a star-studded Apple TV series starring Anya Taylor-Joy and Drew Starkey. Lucky is the novel that changed Marissa Stapley’s life, and today she joins the show to talk about it, her time in Hollywood and where she plans to take her beloved character next. Marissa will also share a few titles she’s reading this Summer. Plus, Nick Frosst, lead singer from the Toronto band Good Kid stops by to recommend a book that has changed his perspective on human pre-history.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Lucky by Marissa Stapley
Definitely Thriving by Kerry Clare
Strangers in the Villa by Robyn Harding
The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow
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The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career
Why does Nita Prose call herself an accidental writer?
Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Why storytellers come alive when food is on the table
Is there one meal that reminds you of home? A dish that brings back childhood memories? For CBC Books producer Talia Kliot, it’s a shortbread, sour cream and walnut cake that makes an appearance at her family’s …
Show notes
Is there one meal that reminds you of home? A dish that brings back childhood memories? For CBC Books producer Talia Kliot, it’s a shortbread, sour cream and walnut cake that makes an appearance at her family’s special milestones. Talia is obsessed with the way that food helps us tell stories and even made a radio documentary about it, where she speaks to writers, an academic and a video game designer. She joined Antonio Michael Downing on The Next Chapter to share what made her hungry for these stories in the first place … and why food is the best way to connect.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Restaurant Kid by Rachel Phan
How to Share an Egg by Bonny Reichert
Poutine by Justin Giovannetti Lamothe
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The books that fire up chef Michael Smith
Is food the closest thing to teleportation?
What is the hardest part of translating a beloved novel?
Set in late-20th-century Cairo, Éric Chacour's novel What I know About You is a heartbreaking story of an impossible love and a family fractured by secrets and expectations. It was selected for One eRead …
Show notes
Set in late-20th-century Cairo, Éric Chacour's novel What I know About You is a heartbreaking story of an impossible love and a family fractured by secrets and expectations. It was selected for One eRead Canada’s live digital book club, which brings libraries and readers together. Originally written in French, the book's translator, Pablo Strauss joins the discussion to share what it was like recreating the world in English for a conversation hosted by the Mississauga Library.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
What I Know About You by Éric Chacour
Why Ernest Hemingway had a problem with Toronto
Did you know that Ernest Hemingway wrote for the Toronto Star? The iconic cigar-smoking, bull-fighting American writer spent two separate stints living in Canada. It was partly while living and working in …
Show notes
Did you know that Ernest Hemingway wrote for the Toronto Star? The iconic cigar-smoking, bull-fighting American writer spent two separate stints living in Canada. It was partly while living and working in Toronto that he developed his stripped-down, sparse writing style. Author and Hemingway expert Terry Fallis reflects on the writer's larger than life reputation and his time spent in Toronto ahead of the upcoming International Hemingway Society Conference. Plus, CBC producer Christine Pagulayan talks about the latest trend to hit the world of romance.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
The Sun Also Rises by Ernest Hemingway
The Stand-In by Lily Chu
The Marionette by Terry Fallis
How an accidental police officer stumbled into a career as a mystery author
Clare Mackintosh joined the police force by accident. But taking what she learned over a 12 year career and using it to become a bestselling mystery and crime writer, was no accident. Nine novels later, she's …
Show notes
Clare Mackintosh joined the police force by accident. But taking what she learned over a 12 year career and using it to become a bestselling mystery and crime writer, was no accident. Nine novels later, she's sold millions of copies and has never looked back. Her latest is a genre-fusing novel titled, It’s Not What You Think. Clare was recently a guest speaker at the yearly MOTIVE crime and mystery festival in Toronto, and dropped by to talk about the books that have shaped her life and career.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Little Face by Sophie Hannah
Before You Go to Sleep by S. J. Watson
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh
Spilling secrets and small-town adultery in The Shampoo Effect
For years Jenny Jackson worked as an editor for some of the biggest authors in the publishing game. Eventually, she took what she had learned as an editor and applied it to writing a book of her own.The result …
Show notes
For years Jenny Jackson worked as an editor for some of the biggest authors in the publishing game. Eventually, she took what she had learned as an editor and applied it to writing a book of her own.
The result was a bestselling novel, and a new career as an author. Her new novel, The Shampoo Effect, took inspiration from a sexy, sixties novel about small-town adultery. It’s the story of a young woman who finds her way deep into a close circle of friends, and then writes all about them in a revealing New Yorker story. Plus, we revisit the late writer Gail Bowen’s Proust Questionnaire from 2015.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Couples by John Updike
The Shampoo Method by Jenny Jackson
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Kid approved books they will actually want to read this Summer
Wondering how you’re going to keep your kids reading now that school’s out? Our children’s book panel is here to help. We’ve asked writer, broadcaster and Mom, Bee Quammie, and CBC Books producer and mother of …
Show notes
Wondering how you’re going to keep your kids reading now that school’s out? Our children’s book panel is here to help. We’ve asked writer, broadcaster and Mom, Bee Quammie, and CBC Books producer and mother of two, Lucy Mann to recommend their recent favourite all Canadian kids books. Plus, author of Life of Pi, Yann Martel shares what matters most to him while answering The Next Chapter’s version of the Proust Questionnaire.
Books discussed on this week's show include:
Ruthie by Esmé Shapiro
The Healer and the Phoenix by Linda Trinh, illustrated by Quynh Anh Nguyen
Inbetweens by Faith Erin Hicks
Ellis on Guard by Sal Sawler, Nandita Ratan (Illustrator)
Shy Cat and the Stuff-the-Bus Challenge by Dian Day (Author), Amanda White (Illustrator)
The Cursed Queen's Daughter by Elly Blake
Son of Nobody by Yann Martel
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