The Next Chapter

Michelle Morgan talks about championing Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper in the March debates; music journalist Del Cowie recommends his favourite music reads; why Toronto musician Nicky Lawrence talks loves Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis; and exploring books set in Montreal on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed on this week's show include: Emma and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis My Black Country by Alice Randall Rise Up and Sing by Andrea Warner Hip Hop Is History by Questlove and Ben Greenman The Reeds by Arjun Basu Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman by Éloïse Marseille The Favourite Game by Leonard Cohen

The neuroscientist-turned-pastry chef meets the bestselling author Jamie Chai Yun Liew for the first time; CBC Books senior producer Ryan B. Patrick and columnist Alicia Cox Thomson discuss rising Black Canadian writers; Joshua Whitehead recommends three books that centre queerness; and Dylan Sinclair shares his favourite book on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed on this week's show include: Coexistence: Stories by Billy Ray Belcourt Blackouts by Justin Torres What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew The Pages of the Sea by Anne Hawk Subterrane by Valérie Bah Perfect Little Angels by Vincent Anioke Scientific Marvel by Chimwemwe Undi

Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil and bestselling thriller author Samantha M. Bailey meet for the first time on air; Antonio Michael Downing and friends Christine Estima and JJ Lee gather for a book club meeting to chat about James by Percival Everett; How reading about the Saskatoon freezing deaths inspired Wiidaaseh’s songwriting; and The Girl on the Train author Paula Hawkins answers the Proust Questionnaire on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Bestselling thriller author Linwood Barclay is set to champion Wayne Johnston’s Jennie’s Boy in Canada Reads 2025; Influencer and former Canada Reads contender Mirian Njoh recommends memoirs by Black authors; and leaving ketchup chips and Canada’s Wonderland behind in the graphic memoir Uprooted on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed on this week's show include: Becoming by Michelle Obama Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur Shame On Me by Tessa McWatt Jennie’s Boy by Wayne Johnston Uprooted by Ruth Chan

Author and psychotherapist Farzana Doctor shares the books that helped shape her as a person and as a writer; Danzy Senna opens up about her novel and GMA Book Club pick Colored Television; Nashlyn Lloyd on taking inspiration from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin; how not to be a bad husband with Ravi Singh; and the one book Jean Mills loves to re-read on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed on this week's show include: Aurat Durbar: Writings by Women of South Asian Origin edited by Fauzia Rafique God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity among the Daudi Bohras by Jonah Blank The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline Infinite Audition by Charlie Petch The Creative Act by Rick Ruben The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie Three by DA Mishani See Now Then by Jamaica Kinkaid

The Vancouver author and radio host’s memoir May It Have a Happy Ending discusses her journey of love, grief and radio; the CBC Books senior producer recommends hopeful books to inspire us in the New Year; musician Julian Taylor talks about his favourite parenting book; a sneak peek at what authors are coming to Bookends with Mattea Roach this winter; and why patience was key for Amanda Peters in writing her first novel on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed in this episode include: Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham The Capital of Dreams by Heather O'Neill Unearthing by Kyo Maclear Acme Novelty Datebook Volume Three by Chris Ware I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman Hum by Helen Phillips

The international bestselling author returns to the Walsh family in her latest novel My Favorite Mistake; Bridget Raymundo shares what books the internet was loving this year; the book that defines “genre-bending” to Matthew R. Morris, a Juno Award-winning jazz singer who loves to birdwatch; and remembering celebrated Canadian thriller author Andrew Pyper on this episode of The Next Chapter. Books discussed in this episode include: Collide by Bal Khabra I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

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.