Audiobook Café

By Accessible Media Inc.Arts Books

Audiobook Café episodes

August 07, 2024 Reviewing "The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store" by James McBride with Sara Hillis
One of our Audiobook contributors Sara Hillis joins us for another Audiobook review. James McBride's The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store begins with the unsettling discovery of a skeleton in a well in a small town. This eerie opening to the Chicken Hill area of Pottstown, Pennsylvania, creates a sense of mystery as the narrative then shifts back nearly 50 years to delve into the town, its secrets, and its inhabitants. 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
31 min
August 06, 2024Reviewing "The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece" by Tom Hanks with Michael Feir
One of our avid audiobook readers, Michael Feir, joins us to review “The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece,” written and narrated by Tom Hanks. The book offers a blend of humour, insight, and a deep dive into filmmaking. A perfect summer read for historical and literary fiction lovers!
First, Nisreen Abdel-Majid, the producer of AMI Audiobook Review stops by to preview our feature guest of the episode Michael Feir.
Jacob and Michael speak about their favourite and least favourite aspects of Tom Hanks’s novel, and they share their enthusiasm for the audiobook’s full cast of voices!
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.
31 min
July 06, 2024 Reviewing Tom Lake by Ann Patchett with Karen McKay
The novel Tom Lake by critically acclaimed American author Ann Patchett is a mature and cerebral exploration of parent-children relationships, love and loss
And the endless pursuit of happiness, amongst many other heady themes ripe for differing interpretations. No matter how you choose to interpret it, this book will no doubt leave you thinking. Its narration by Emmy award-winning actress Meryl Streep is nothing short of excellence and it alone makes it well worth a listen.
Karen McKay, communications manager at CELA, is with Jacob and Ramya for an in-depth review. Below is the link to the book on good reads as well as CELA
Good reads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/63241104-tom-lake
Centre for Equitable Library Access: https://celalibrary.ca/node/24712663 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
53 min
June 29, 2024 How to be a Better Listener of Audiobooks with Aamer Khan
Better reading/audiobook listening comprehension leads to greater enjoyment of books. Do not neglect the quality of book consumption over quantity. These are the messages we want to impart to you in today's episode. Aamer Khan joins Jacob and Ramya to discuss how we can all improve our reading comprehension.
The book that sparked today's discussion:
How to Read a Book: The Classic Guide to Intelligent Reading, by Mortimer J. Adler
Aamer Khan's selections:
Past Tense (Jack Reacher, #23), by Lee Child
Extinction, by Douglas Preston
John Dies at the End, by David Wong 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
56 min
June 22, 2024 Reviewing Normal People by Sally Rooney and The Liveship Traders Series by Robin Hobb
This week, Jacob and Ramya each review a book they've been eager to share. Both titles come with enthusiastic and overwhelmingly positive recommendations. One, a contemporary romance and the other, an epic fantasy series. Ramya reviews the incredibly popular Normal People, by Sally Rooney while Jacob raves about The Liveship Traders series, by Robin Hobb.
Plus, in the second half, long-time AMI producer Matt Agnew gets his turn at the rapid-fire review. Below are his recommendations:
Children of Time, by Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Cycle of Arawn, by Edward W. Robertson
Dungeon Crawler Carl, by Matt Dinniman
The Lies of Locke Lamora, by Scott Lynch
Heaven's River, by Dennis E. Taylor 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
56 min
June 15, 2024 Fan-Fiction for Dummies with Cassandra Chaddock
This week, our co-worker in AMI's Marketing & Communications department, Cassandra Chaddock, schools us on fan-fiction basics. It's a strange world of boundless creativity with nothing holding writers back from creating the stories they and their readers want. Without the constraints of sales, editors and publishers, the fan-fiction community cranks out truly weird, wildly imaginative and often beautiful stories based on the IPs we all know and love. Behind their eccentricities, there's an undeniably endearing quality to fan-fiction stories.
From shipping wars to Wattpad, we take our time unravelling this often forgotten realm of the literature world.
Link to the book Jacob mentions:
The Fanfiction Reader by Francesca Coppa: https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/32072607
Link to Archive of Our Own: https://archiveofourown.org/ 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
56 min
June 08, 2024 Audiobook Pet Peeves + How Couples Can Listen Together
What’s your biggest audiobook pet peeve? That one, seemingly insignificant thing that for whatever reason, drives you crazy.
We posed this question to the book club and got *a lot* of answers. From strong beliefs narrators should never do accents to hating misdirection, the book club came through this month. Thank you all for your contributions.
If you want to leave us feedback, you can call us at 1 866 509-4545 or leave us an email at [email protected]
Plus, in the latter half of the episode, regular contributor Sara Hillis joins us along with her husband, Michael Fehr, to discuss how couples can enjoy audiobooks together. Couples always watch movies together. Why not cuddle up and share an audiobook? 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
50 min
June 01, 2024 This Summer Will Be Different by Carley Fortune - Review + RFR with Cora Coady
With the help of our friends at CELA, Karen McKay and Theresa Power, Ramya and Jacob are reviewing the latest book from best-selling Canadian author, Carley Fortune.
This Summer Will Be Different is a contemporary Canadian romance set in Prince Edward Island. With fantastic relationship writing, great prose and tons of delightful Canadiana, this title has charm but does it have substance? Listen to find out more.
Plus, Cora Coady is with us in the second half of the show for another edition of the Rapid-Fire Review.
This Summer Will Be Different on CELA: https://celalibrary.ca/node/25106074
This Summer Will Be Different on Audible: https://www.audible.ca/pd/This-Summer-Will-Be-Different-Audiobook/B0CGF7KDHD
This Summer Will Be Different on GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/197577126-this-summer-will-be-different
Cora Coady's RFR selections:
Moon of the Turning Leaves, by Waubgeshig Rice
Weapons of Math Destruction: How Big Data Increases Inequality and Threatens Democracy, by Cathy O'Neil
Warriors: Dawn of the Clans #1: The Sun Trail, by Erin Hunter
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology, edited by Shane Hawk and Theodore C. Van Alst Jr.
Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, by Heather Fawcett 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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
54 min
May 25, 2024 Reviewing Homes: A Refugee Story By Abu Bakr Al-Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung
Homes: A Refugee Story, by Abu Bakr Al-Rabeeah and Winnie Yeung, was recommended to us by our audiobook curator, Aamer Khan, as part of a previous episode where we discussed books that can make us shed a tear... or three. Ramya and I read it and we've reconvened with Aamer to record a proper in-depth review.
It's a great, accessibly written, true story about a tight-knit family as they try to find a place to call home. Originally from Iraq, they move to Syria, only to be caught up in the civil war. While they eventually make their way to Edmonton, the time they spend in Syria, anxiously toiling through the refugee process will mark them forever. This book does a lot to humanize the countless refugees around the world, who are too often reduced to simple statistics.
Here it is on Audible. Note that it's also available on CELA: https://www.audible.ca/pd/Homes-Audiobook/B07QHG7N5V
Plus, Jeff Ryman joins us in the second half for his turn at rapid-fire review. Here are Jeff's selections:
- Burke’s Law: A Life in Hockey, by Brian Burke
- Colin Kaepernick: Change the Game, by Colin Kaepernick
- Runnin' with the Devil: A Backstage Pass to the Wild Times, Loud Rock, and the Down and Dirty Truth Behind the Making of Van Halen, by Noel Monk
- I Am Ozzy, by Ozzy Osbourne
- The Dirt: Confessions of the World's Most Notorious Rock Band , by Mick Mars, Tommy Lee, Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Neil Strauss
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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
56 min
May 18, 2024 What is CELA? + Demystifying the Audie Awards
CELA , the Center for Equitable Library Access, is celebrating its 10th anniversary. For over a decade, they’ve been maintaining a massive physical and digital library of books in multiple accessible formats for Canadians with disabilities. We mention them on the show constantly because it’s our primary way of accessing all the audiobooks we discuss on this show.
Karen McKay and Theresa Power are long-time employees at CELA and have been regular contributors to this show since the beginning and they’re with us on this episode to demystify the service.
Plus, Sarah Hillis informs us on what exactly is up with the Audies, the prestigious audiobook awards. We also go through the 2024 winners that were announced back in March.
CELA’s website:
https://celalibrary.ca/
The full list of winners from the 2024 Audies can be found here:
https://www.google.com/search?q=list+of+2024+Audie+winners&rlz=1C1GCEA_enCA1105CA1105&oq=list+of+2024+Audie+winners+&gs_lcrp=EgZjaHJvbWUyBggAEEUYOTIHCAEQIRigATIHCAIQIRigATIHCAMQIRigAdIBCDc0MTJqMGo0qAIAsAIB&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8
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 https://pcm.adswizz.com
for information about our collection and use of personal data for
advertising.
53 min

About Audiobook Café

From the publisher's feed

Jacob Shymanski shares in-depth conversations with authors, narrators and industry experts! Tune in for the latest audiobook releases, curated recommendations and literary news.