Steve Maich and Lianne George drop by to explain why the world really is about you; their trend-watching book The Ego Boom draws from their observations of marketing and advertising. Doug Coupland reflects on the appearance of his novel Generation X on this year's Canada Reads shortlist. Editor and memoirist Diana Athill recalls stories of a young Mordecai Richler. (Her collected memoirs have just been released: Life Class.) And Bonnie Burnard finally has a new novel out. She speaks with Shelagh about Suddenly.

Music featured on this show: Luke Doucet, "Love Cats" from Blood's Too Rich.

Posted by Tom Howell at 05:31 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Tune in over the holiday break to hear brand new episodes of The Next Chapter. On Monday December 21st (repeated Saturday 26th), Deirdre Kelly talks about her book Paris Times Eight; Shakura S'Aida and Donna Grantis perform "Love Me Like Santa Claus"; Shakura's favourite book is Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson. Ann-Marie Macdonald chats with Shelagh about having Fall On Your Knees nominated for Canada Reads. Literature student Paul Moore finds a deeper message in Roch Carrier's The Hockey Sweater. And producer Tom Howell reports on two revolutionary books: Can't Lit, edited by Richard Rosenbaum, and Prismatic Publics, edited by Kate Eichhorn.

On Monday December 28th (repeated Saturday Jan 2nd), Graydon Carter talks with Shelagh about his magazine's new book, Vanity Fair's Proust Questionnaire. The Mystery Book panel recommends new books (see separate entry). Wayson Choy talks about The Jade Peony, a Canada Reads nominee. And Antanas Sileika recommends The Sheik's Batmobile by Richard Poplak, and Terry Gould's Murder Without Borders.

December 21st show:

December 28th show:

Posted by Tom Howell at 10:14 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

Recommendations from the Mystery Book panel:

Margaret Cannon's picks:

Midnight Fugue, Reginald Hill
Snow Job by William Deverell
The Brutal Telling by Louise Penny
Hypothermia by Arnaldur Indridason

PK Rangachari's picks:

The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Steig Larsson
The Girl who Played with Fire by Steig Larsson

JD Singh's picks:

The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville
The Complaints by Ian Rankin
Dexter by Design by Jeff Lindsay

Posted by Tom Howell at 10:11 PM | Permalink | Comments (13)

Michele Landsberg picks:

• The Knife of Never Letting Go (2008) and its sequel The Ask and The Answer (2009), by Patrick Ness.
• The Serial Garden by Joan Aiken.
• Bella's Tree by Janet Russell.

Ken Setterington picks:

• Perfect Snow by Barbara Reid.
• Wanting Mor by Rukhsana Khan.
• Vanishing Girl by Shane Peacock.

Extra recommendations from Michele:

Picture books...

• Zoom stories (three titles, available as a set) by Tim Wynne-Jones and Eric Beddowes.


• A Birthday for Bear by Bonnie Becker, illus. Kady MacDonald Denton.


• The Seven Sneezes by Olga Cabral.


• Jan Brett's Snowy Treasury. [four gorgeously illustrated winter stories]

Middle readers...

• Against the Odds by Marjolijn Hof.


• Canada Counts, a Charles Pachter counting book.

12 plus...

• The Bride's Farewell by Meg Rosoff.


• Our Choice - How We Can Solve the Climate Crisis, young readers edition, by Al Gore.


• The Battle of the Sun by Jeanette Winterson.

Extra recommendations from Ken:

Picture books...

• When Stella Was Very, Very Small by Marie-Louise Gay.


• You're Mean, Lily Jean by Frieda Wishinsky, illus. Kady MacDonald Denton.


• Farley Follows His Nose by Lynn Johnston and Beth Cruikshank.

Non-Fiction...

• Hoaxed! Fakes & Mistakes in the World of Science by the editors of Yes Magazine.


• A Thousand Years of Pirates by William Gilkerson.

Novels...

• Thumb and the Bad Guys by Ken Roberts (for ages 7 to 9).


• Dunces Anonymous by Kate Jaimet (for ages 9+).


• Medina Hill by Trilby Kent (for ages 10+).

Posted by Tom Howell at 09:18 PM | Permalink | Comments (5)

Tom King, writer of The Dead Dog Cafe Comedy Hour, writer of Green Grass, Running Water among many other brilliantly creative books, and writer now of A Coyote Solstice Tale, speaks with Shelagh about Coyote, Christmas, consumerism, and the author's run for a federal seat in the last election. Also on the show, the Children's Book Panel recommends reads for kids in each age group (see separate post), Dennis Lee talks about a theatre production of his classic lament for Toronto, Civil Elegies. Finally, Canada Reads nominee Nicolas Dickner speaks with Shelagh about his book Nikolski.

This week's featured songwriter is Jully Black, with "Time of Your Life" from her new album, The Black Book.

Posted by Tom Howell at 08:44 PM | Permalink | Comments (1)

Pandemics and panics abound in the works of today's writers. Zoe Whittall's novel Holding Still As Long As Possible features an emergency worker as a main character, and explores themes of panic and anxiety among young people in Toronto.

Bonnie Henry also drops by to tell Shelagh about how not to catch diseases (her book is called Soap & Water & Common Sense). And CBC newsman Peter Mansbridge gets personal with our French Questioner, revealing his greatest extravagance (watches), personal heroes, and most important journey.

Comedian Al Rae talks seriously about using James Joyce as a therapy for the blues. And Shelagh begins her interviews with all five Canada Reads authors. This week, it's Marina Endicott.

Posted by Tom Howell at 10:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)