SATURDAY May 21

0730 It's almost vacation time. But before packing your suitcase to see another part of Canada, open a book about the region you plan to visit. That's the premise for something new from CBC Books. It's the Cross Country Bookshelf. And you can play a role...by helping to select a list of the top 5 books that are "must reads" about any region in the country. Joining Mary Ito to nominate 10 books for and about Ontario were Daniel Klein in Thunder Bay (Daniel is the president of the Northwestern Ontario Writers Workshop and a writer of short fiction and the occasional poem himself), David Dollin in Ottawa (David has been a bookseller in Ottawa for over 40 years and currently runs his own literary special events business), and Joanne Saul in Toronto (co-owner of Type Books).
Listen (runs 15:48)
And visit the CBC Books website to play a role in choosing the volumes that will make up the Cross Country Bookshelf.

0800 Gardening season kicks into high gear with the Victoria Day long weekend. It's a good time to take stock of the latest gardening trends. That's what Mary did when gardening author Marjorie Harris dropped by. Marjorie is the author of numerous books, including How To Make A Garden---The Seven Essential Steps For The Canadian Gardener.
Listen (runs 12:03) to her conversation with Mary...and Marjorie begins with a warning to people who may be "overworking" the soil.
You can learn more about green thumb topics at Marjorie's website.

0830 Summer is almost here...and it you're looking for things to do, look no farther. No farther than a new website called Summer Fun Guide. It's a constantly updated collection of events and activities in Ontario. Mary met the mother who co-founded it. Her name is Elisa Palter.
Listen (runs 7:14) to their conversation.
Learn more about what's happening across Ontario by visiting the Summer Fun Guide website.