14 books you heard about on CBC Radio this week
Here's a round-up of the best book and author interviews on CBC Radio from Oct. 25 to Nov. 1, 2019.
Reproduction by Ian Williams
Ian Williams is a poet, fiction writer and academic originally from Brampton, Ont. Reproduction is his first novel, and it's on the shortlist for the 2019 Scotiabank Giller Prize. Reproduction, a love story revolving around race, class and identity, follows the connected lives of Felicia, a teen from an island nation, and Edgar, the lazy heir of a wealthy German family.
Heard on: The Next Chapter
Good Morning, Monster by Catherine Gildiner
Catherine Gildiner is a American-born and Toronto-based memoirist, novelist and former psychologist. In her latest book Good Morning, Monster, she focuses on five patients who overcame their personal trauma, a process Gildiner defines as being heroic.
Heard on: The Next Chapter
Three Women by Lisa Taddeo
For Three Women, journalist Lisa Taddeo spent eight years travelling across the U.S., hearing the stories of ordinary women from a variety of backgrounds and learning about their complicated perspectives on desire. Three women are featured in this book: Lina, a suburban mom from Indiana who ends up having an affair after her husband refuses to kiss her on the mouth, Maggie, a 17-year-old high school student from North Dakota who describes having a physical relationship with her married teacher, and Sloane, a successful business owner whose husband enjoys watching her have sex with others.
Heard on: The Next Chapter
Chaos: A Fable by Rodrigo Rey Rosa
Rodrigo Rey Rosa is one of the most celebrated contemporary Latin American writers. He is known for vivid, haunting fiction that combines the surreal world of dreams with the real world of violence. His latest book, Chaos: A Fable, begins in Tangier, post 9/11. It's a provocative morality tale, probing questions of faith and anarchy.
Heard on: Writers & Company
Waking the Witch by Pam Grossman
Pam Grossman has identified as a witch since childhood, so for her it's always 'the season of the witch.' Grossman says that today more and more women are taking a serious look at witchcraft. In Waking the Witch, Grossman examines society's fascination with witchcraft from the Salem witch trials to modern-day pop culture icons like Sabrina the Teenage Witch and Harry Potter.
Heard on: Day 6
Scotty by Ken Dryden
Scotty Bowman is considered one of the greatest hockey minds to ever be part of the game. He's won more Stanley Cups and been around more of the game's greats than anyone else. In Scotty, Ken Dryden gets Bowman to share memories from his stellar career while also posing questions like, what teams would be in the top eight best teams of all time? And, if they played head-to-head in a playoff series, who would win?
Heard on: As It Happens
Scatterbrain by Henning Beck
In his book Scatterbrain: How the Mind's Mistakes Make Humans Creative, Innovative, and Successful, neuroscientist Henning Beck argues our brains — to be as efficient as possible — are constantly dumping and rearranging information.
Heard on: Spark
Underland by Robert Macfarlane
Having explored the most stunning landscapes that the world above ground has to offer, nature writer Robert Macfarlane's latest work delves into the visceral and haunting experience of the universe underneath us. Underland charts Macfarlane's travels underground, how he slipped, squeezed and pressed through portals into what he calls the 'Underland.'
Heard on: The Sunday Edition
Catch and Kill by Ronan Farrow
Lawyer and investigative journalist Ronan Farrow's reporting uncovered years of alleged sexual misconduct by powerful Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein. In his book Catch and Kill, Farrow tells the story of helping to ignite the #MeToo movement, the alleged network of industry higher-ups that tried to kill the story, and Farrow himself being investigated and intimidated to keep quiet.
Heard on: The Current
The Billionaire Murders by Kevin Donovan
When billionaire couple Barry and Honey Sherman were found dead in their Toronto home in Dec. 2017, police initially said it was a murder-suicide. Investigative journalist Kevin Donovan reported on the case for the Toronto Star, and says that initial conclusion was a mistake. In his new book The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Death of Barry and Honey Sherman, he also says the police missed valuable leads by not looking past the option of a murder-suicide.
Heard on: The Current
Imaginary Friend by Stephen Chbosky
In Stephen Chbosky's new horror novel Imaginary Friend, the writer asks the question: what's truly scary to a child? Imaginary Friend follows a single mother named Kate Reese who is fleeing an abusive relationship and trying to provide a better life for her son Christopher. Christopher goes missing for days and returns hearing a voice in his head with unclear motives. This is Chbosky's first book in 20 years after the release of his smash hit The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Heard on: q
Frankly in Love by David Yoon
David Yoon's debut book Frankly In Love is a YA novel about a 16-year-old boy named Frank Li who finds a crafty way of getting around his parents' strict rule that he only date Korean girls.
Heard on: q
The Cockroach by Ian McEwan
British novelist Ian McEwan's latest book The Cockroach, is a surreal, Brexit-inspired satirical novella that imagines a world where a cockroach becomes the British prime minister. The policies this roach-turned-politician introduces send the economy into a tailspin and upends the very definition of capitalism.
Heard on: As It Happens
When You Ask Me Where I'm Going by Jasmin Kaur
Vancouver-based Kaur is an illustrator, spoken word artist and author with a sizable Instagram following. Her debut collection, When You Ask Me Where I'm Going, is a mix of poetry, prose and artwork. The book aims to spark debate around themes of mental health, feminism, immigration and personal empowerment. It's a look at what it means to be alive and willing to fight for rights in the world.
Heard on: q