Audiobook Café

In every great story, there’s an outsider. The Other has been a defining theme in literature for centuries, shaping everything from Gothic horror to modern fantasy. Red Széll of My Life in Books explores the role of The Other in fiction, why it captivates us, and how it continues to evolve in storytelling today.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

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We meet Robin Whitten, founder and editor of AudioFile Magazine. She traces the magazine's inception in 1992, its dedication to reviewing and celebrating audiobooks, and the introduction of awards like the Golden Voices and Earphones Awards. Robin discusses the magazine's podcast, "Behind The Mic," and shares her perspective on the evolving audiobook industry, including the rise of AI narration.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Jacob is joined by UK-based YouTuber Alina (of According to Alina) to delve into the phenomenon of the BookTok  community on TikTok. What is typical content found on BookTok, and how does it contribute to the cyclical nature of creator engagement? We hear Alina’s concerns regarding anti-intellectualism within the community, and her opinions on the potential negative implications of endless romance trope discussions.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dictatorships, book bans, and doublespeak—just dystopian fiction, or a reflection of the world today? Danielle McLaughlin dives into Animal Farm and Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell, Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, and The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. These classic novels explore power, control, and free thought—ideas that still resonate in 2025. Are we living out the futures they imagined?

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Review 1: The Wager by David Grann is a meticulously researched narrative immersing readers in the harsh realities of 18th-century sailing, offering a vivid portrayal of maritime life. Aamer and Jacob sift through why it’s difficult connecting to characters in this book, and explain the emotional toll of its intense, male-dominated atmosphere.

Review 2: Set in the deep south, All-American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney follows Allie Abraham, a teenager grappling with her Muslim identity in a polarized American society. Aamer Khan recaps the opening scene of this book, which encapsulates anxiety, stereotypes, and fears in an incredibly poignant way.

Books discussed in this episode are:

The Wager by David Grann

Out on a Limb by Hannah Bonam-Young

All American Muslim Girl by Nadine Jolie Courtney

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Paul Hough is the writer of The Creepy School Bus viral YouTube series, and newly released Audiobook of the same name. He explains the thought process behind including non-stereotypical disabled characters in the creation of this eerie world, what it’s like to write the psyche of child characters, and shares excitement about the full cast approach of bringing this drama to life.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Red Széll reminds us exactly how books hold the power to provoke, challenge, and inspire. He tributes John Steinbeck’s remarkable literary influence in The Grapes of Wrath, explains how Of Mice and Men still resonates today, and credits the role of fiction in shaping our understanding of humanity.

Plus, Jacob Shymanski sifts through the noise and gives us the goods on this week’s AMI Audiobook Review Best Sellers Breakdown.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Karoline Bourdeau has never missed a year of the Canada Reads debates. She breaks down this year’s shortlisted top five books, focusing on the one that left her with the biggest impression, Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew. She shares how immigrant stories reflect her own journey, feeling like a lost teen soul navigating a new country, balancing the perspectives of other immigrants and their challenges with her own troubles. Plus, we get Theresa Power’s review of Colours in Her Hands by Alice Zorn, a novel painting a vivid portrait of a young artist finding her way in the world.

Books discussed in this episode are:
Watch Out for Her by Samantha M. Bailey
A Two-Spirit Journey by Ma-Nee Chacaby 
Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper 
Jennie's Boy by Wayne Johnston 
Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew
Homes: A Refugee Story by Abu Bakr al Rabeeah,
Reuniting with Strangers by Jennilee Austria-Bonifacio

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Fifty Shades of Grey and the Twilight saga—are they loved because they’re great, or just because they’re everywhere? Jacob Shymanski and Theresa Power break down the psychology of popular books, featuring responses from our book club community on what makes a book worth (or not worth) the mass buy-in.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Are you frustrated when authors can’t justify their own logic in the worlds they’ve built? Jacob and Ramya discuss some of the biggest logic gaps in popular books (Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire make the list). Some dialogue is too good to believe. Time travel is a beast to master and no reader is ever satisfied. And what happens when hard magic is flimsy? Here are hot takes on why internal consistency is key to a satisfying read.

Plus, is a ‘Slow Burn’ Book Worth Our Patience? Not always, and we tell you why.

And to wrap things up, Ramya reviews The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, a critically acclaimed Psychological Thriller with a major plot twist and many mind games.

Audiobook Café broadcasts on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two back-to-back podcast episodes every Friday at 5 p.m. ET.

Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe

We want your feedback!

Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up!

Our email address is: [email protected]

About AMI

AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.

Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+

Learn more at AMI.ca

Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:

• Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
• Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
• TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.