The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

No matter where you are, a meal can make you feel at home. Suresh Doss, host of CBC’s culinary show Locals Welcome, shares the cookbooks he keeps in his kitchen, which have helped fuel his lifelong passion. Plus, writer and journalist Phillip Dwight Morgan talks about his mission to read a new poem to his baby daughter everyday.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Handmade: Stories of Strength Shared Through Recipes from the Women of Sri Lanka  by Nesa and Roberts Liezer

Salt Fat Acid Heat” by Samin Nosrat

The Joy of Cooking” by Irma Rombauer

Donabe: Classic and Modern Japanese Clay Pot Cooking by Naoko Takei Moore and Kyle Connaughton

Wild Geese by Mary Oliver

Last month, Green Gables newcomer Antonio Michael Downing attended the inaugural Cavendish Literary Festival in Prince Edward Island. Along the way he met expert Kate Scarth, the chair of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of P.E.I. After bonding over the classic Canadian tale, they decided to continue their conversation about the legacy of LM Montgomery and Anne Shirley on this week's episode.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Anne of Green Gables by LM Montgomery

A self-driving mini-van collides with an oncoming car and a couple is killed. Behind the wheel is a seventeen-year-old with his family on board. That’s the opening premise of the novel Culpability by Bruce Holsinger, which was an Oprah bookclub pick last summer. Nathan Maharaj, Vass Bednar and Antonio Michael Downing convene to discuss who is responsible. Plus, author Wally Lamb answers the Proust Questionnaire.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Culpability by Bruce Holsinger

The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

Canadian television personality and influencer Jillian Harris describes herself as the “quintessential busy bee”. Since first appearing on The Bachelor she's created her own brand focused on fashion, family and design. She talks about co-writing her children’s book Just Another Perfect Day with her husband Justin Pasutto. Plus, CBC Books' Trevor Carter talks Blue Jays and recommends The Franchise by Keegan Matheson.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Just Another Perfect Day by Jillian Harris and Justin Pasutto, Illustrated by Morgan Goble

The Franchise: The Toronto Blue Jays: A Curated History of the Jays by Keegan Matheson

Antonio Michael Downing teaches our expert panel how to “maco," the Trini term for minding other people's business. Talia Kliot, Kudakwashe Rutendo and Nathan Maharaj convene to recommend their favourite Canadian memoirs. Plus, Winnipeg-based musician and emerging star Leith Ross talks about growing up as an avid reader and recommends a book that had a massive impact on their latest record.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

How to Share an Egg by Bonnie Reichert

All the Little Monsters by David A Robertson

Soft as Bones by Chyana Marie Sage

Elseship: An Unrequited Affair by Tree Abraham

How to Survive a Bear Attack by Claire Cameron

It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished: A Memoir of My Body by Kate Gies

The Dispossessed by Ursula K. Le Guin

For many years Linden Macintyre hosted the iconic investigative program The Fifth Estate. During his time there he wrote The Bishop’s Man, which went on to win the Giller prize. Through his books and journalism, he has captivated Canadian audiences for decades. His most recent book is An Accidental Villain: A Soldier’s Tale of War, Deceit and Exile. He joins the show to talk about the books that have shaped and influenced him into the storyteller he is today.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Ulysses by James Joyce

That They May Face the Rising Sun by John McGahern

 Ill Fares the Land by Tony Judt

The Great War and Modern Memory by Paul Fussell

An Accidental Villain: A Soldier’s Tale of War, Deceit and Exile by Linden MacIntyre

Both Horror and Hallowe’en are having a moment. To celebrate the arrival of “spooky season” our columnist JJ Lee shares a couple of horror adjacent novels that will let you in on the fun, without the sleepless nights. Plus, author Matthew R. Morris joins the show to recommend books that celebrate the lost art of conversation and language.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Colin Gets Promoted and Dooms the World by Mark Waddell

Leave Our Bones Where They Lay by Aviaq Johnston

What I Mean to Say by Ian Williams

Linguaphile by Julie Sedivy

Malala Yousafzai came of age in the public eye. The brutal attack she endured from the Taliban, her advocacy for girls' education and the Nobel Prize she received has kept her in the spotlight since she was a young girl. Her new memoir Finding My Way reveals the messy business of growing up, navigating university life in a new country and fitting in as an international icon. Plus, CBC Books Producer Ashly July gives us his staff pick.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Finding My Way by Malala Yousefzai

The Other Valley by Scott Alexander Howard

Family gatherings have a way of bringing out the dysfunction in all of us. Our columnist and writer Alicia Cox Thomson recommends two wild family dramas to read this fall. Also, CBC Books producer Daphné Santos-Vieira talks about feeling the love at the Toronto Public Library event BookCrush and recommends a romance novel to an apprehensive Antonio Michael Downing.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Favourite Daughter by Morgan Dick

Madwoman by Chelsea Bieker

Revolve by Bal Khabra

Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuinston

Before he was a fixture in the Canadian literary community, Terry Fallis worked as an engineer and in politics before writing his first book at the age of 45. He just launched his new novel, The Marionette and joins the show for an installment of My Life in Books to break down some of the most influential books in his life. Plus, Saskatoon-based musician Katie Tupper talks about her biggest inspirations, songwriting and recommends a book about maximizing creativity. 

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Pilot Jack Knight by A.M. Anderson and R.E. Johnson

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles

Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch