The Next Chapter

Antonio Michael Downing and CBC Books producers Ryan B. Patrick and Talia Kliot talk about some of the most memorable books to come out this year, Bee Quammie and Lucy Mann recommend children’s books your kids are sure to love, and mystery author Alan Bradley talks about learning to say no on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Certified foodies Aparita Bhandari and Lindsay Cameron Wilson recommend their favourite cookbooks for the holidays; why JJ Lee believes this time of year is perfect for spooky stories; musician Ashley Ghostkeeper on what she learned from her great-uncle’s book; and curl up by the fire with these cozy reads on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Mystery writers Angel Misri and Sam Wiebe recommend some heart-pumping holiday reads; Amy Stuart shares what it was like collaborating with a hockey legend on Home and Away; T. Thomason can’t get enough of sci-fi books; Richard Van Camp talks about Star Wars toys and gratitude; and Leslie Jamison on evolving while re-reading Good Morning, Midnight on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Charlotte Gill reckons with ethnicity, belonging and the complexities of life within a multicultural household; Alicia Cox Thomson recommends three reads that recall the work of Montgomery; Sixties Scoop folk singer Raven Reid on hopefulness and Johnny Cash; and Jordan Abel’s trippy, genre-bending subversion of The Last of the Mohicans on this episode of The Next Chapter.

The ultra-prolific author invites readers into her interior world in The Positions of Spoons; Anne Hawk discusses code switching and the cost of migration in her debut novel; Atwood Gibson Fiction Prize winner Sheung-King talks about his sophomore novel; and Corinna Chong on the undeniable charm of Who Will Run the Frog Hospital?

Caroline Adderson’s latest short story collection follows a cast of characters searching for much needed happiness; an exploration of gender, forgiveness and bucking convention in Michelle Winter's latest novel; roots musician Kaia Kater on the message behind They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us; why Sarah Leavitt loves to re-read The Best We Could Do; and Teresa Wong remembers the book she got for her eighth birthday on this episode of The Next Chapter.

The B.C. novelist talks about the lack of historical representation that led them to write The Cure for Drowning; Sarah Chapelle takes a closer look at the mega popstar’s fashion history; actor Jean Brassard on narrating Louise Penny’s new novel; the first Canadian in space answers the Proust Questionnaire; and musician Jennarie talks about overcoming songwriter's block on this episode of The Next Chapter.

The award-winning horror novelist discusses his latest chilling title The Queen; Hanif Abdurraqib uses his love for basketball as a way to address the deeper questions on his mind; musician Lindsay Ell shares how she’s living her most honest life; and Catherine Hernandez talks about her obsession with quality chocolates on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Vancouver-based author Robyn Harding imagines her worst nightmare come to life in her latest novel; rising musician Mia Kelly on how Big Magic has changed her creative process; taking control of your life with Mirian Njoh; and Robert J. Wiersema recommends heart-pounding Halloween reads on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Director Jackie Maxwell and actor Maev Beaty talk about their love for Elizabeth Strout and bringing her work to the stage; Vancouver musician Bob Sumner talks about People of the Deer; actor and former Canada Reads panellist Kudakwashe Rutendo on novels with writers as central characters; and Andrea Currie reflects on Finding Otipemisiwak on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Shelley Wood’s latest novel imagines a character who ages one year for every four; Beverley McLachlin talks about transitioning from the courtroom to the writer's chair with her latest novel Proof; Toronto artist Phoenix Pagliacci talks about The Power of Now; and Shilpi Somaya Gowda reflects on culture and the American dream on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Two music loving misfits join forces to create a rock romance in The Lightning Bottles; Bridget Raymundo shares some of her favourite book-to-movie adaptations that premiered at this year's Toronto International Film Festival; Myriam Lacroix talks about the first book she remembers reading; and dealing with isolation and the past in The Observer on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Bestselling author Tasha Spillett talks about the latest instalment in her graphic novel series Surviving the City; an ode to motherly love and Indigenous identity in the memoir Mamaskatch; the science of forest baths and Innu teachings with Melissa Mollen Dupuis; Juno Award-winning musician Elisapie; and Cherie Dimaline on reimagining The Secret Garden on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Debut horror author Marcus Kliewer on the breakout success of his novel We Used to Live Here, rising singer-songwriter Tia Wood talks about what makes Five Little Indians a classic, sparing no cost for the perfect party in The Wedding, and three historical fiction reads that help tell untold stories of the past on this episode of The Next Chapter.

The final installment of the Highway 59 mystery series titled Guide Me Home takes readers to Texas during the Donald Trump presidency, Rapper DijahSB reflects on their own politics and The Black Panther Party, mystery recommendations for readers looking to expand their taste, and Karma Brown explores women empowerment on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Transforming a classic folktale into a queer love story in A Sweet Sting of Salt, Polaris Prize winning musician Jeremy Dutcher on preserving Indigenous languages, the complicated sexual dynamics of the 1990s in The Damages, and Christine Estima recommends novels with untrustworthy protagonists on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Ontario poet and author Gary Barwin discusses his new nonfiction Imagining Imagining, exploring a young queer relationship through multiple endings in How It Works Out, Canadian American author Vauhini Vara on her short story collection This Is Salvaged on this episode of The Next Chapter: The Summer Edition with Christa Couture.

Bestselling author Lesley Crewe reflect on how the slow pace of Cape Breton Island inspired her latest novel, Talia Kliot shares captivating historical fiction recommendations, catching up on CBC Books’ most anticipated fiction novel of Spring 2024 on this episode of the summer edition of The Next Chapter with Christa Couture.

Toronto author Christine Estima celebrates the immigrant experience, Rajinderpal S. Pal on what inspired his book However Far Away, columnist Max Arambulo recommends books about personal growth — plus more on this episode of The Next Chapter: The Summer Edition with Christa Couture.

Erum Shazia Hasan speaks with Ali Hassan about the inherent complexities of doing good, Award-winning musician Royal Wood reveals the book that helps him channel his creativity; unplugging and reconnecting with reality in Gamerville; and Don Gillmor explores midlife malaise on this episode of The Next Chapter: The Summer Edition with Christa Couture.