The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

Author Brian Francis discusses three novels that highlight his love for paper, while living in a digital age; Prairie Edge author Conor Kerr explains why sometimes less is more, and recommends three of his favourite short story collections; Keegan Connor Tracy talks mothers with big family secrets; and Musician Dorothea Paas on the unwavering discipline of Sonny Rollins on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Trees In Canada by John Laird Farrar

The Notebook: A History of Thinking on Paper by Roland Allen

A Beginner's Guide to Quilling Paper Flowers by Motoko Maggie Nakatani

The Notebooks of Sonny Rollins by Sonny Rollins

The Nix by Nathan Hill

The Fifth Season by N. K. Jemisin

Lola on Fire by Rio Youers

Death by a Thousand Cuts by Shashi Bhat

Peacocks of Instagram by Deepa Rajagopalan

Last Woman by Carleigh Baker

The podcaster and wellness advocate chats with author Ma-Nee Chacaby about why A Two-Spirit Journey is the book all of Canada should read; BookTok superstar Bridget Raymundo discusses Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros and recommends three dragon-fuelled romantasy titles; and CBC books’ comic book expert Ashly July shares his recent genre reads on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Michelle Morgan talks about championing Etta and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper in the March debates; music journalist Del Cowie recommends his favourite music reads; why Toronto musician Nicky Lawrence talks loves Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis; and exploring books set in Montreal on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Emma and Otto and Russell and James by Emma Hooper

Agent Josephine by Damien Lewis

My Black Country by Alice Randall

Rise Up and Sing by Andrea Warner

Hip Hop Is History by Questlove and Ben Greenman

The Reeds by Arjun Basu

Naked: The Confessions of a Normal Woman by Éloïse Marseille

The Favourite Game by Leonard Cohen

The neuroscientist-turned-pastry chef meets the bestselling author Jamie Chai Yun Liew for the first time; CBC Books senior producer Ryan B. Patrick and columnist Alicia Cox Thomson discuss rising Black Canadian writers; Joshua Whitehead recommends three books that centre queerness; and Dylan Sinclair shares his favourite book on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Coexistence: Stories by Billy Ray Belcourt

Blackouts by Justin Torres

What I'd Rather Not Think About by Jente Posthuma, translated by Sarah Timmer Harvey

The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran

Dandelion by Jamie Chai Yun Liew

The Pages of the Sea by Anne Hawk

Subterrane by Valérie Bah

Perfect Little Angels by Vincent Anioke

Scientific Marvel by Chimwemwe Undi

Olympic champion Maggie Mac Neil and bestselling thriller author Samantha M. Bailey meet for the first time on air; Antonio Michael Downing and friends Christine Estima and JJ Lee gather for a book club meeting to chat about James by Percival Everett; How reading about the Saskatoon freezing deaths inspired Wiidaaseh’s songwriting; and The Girl on the Train author Paula Hawkins answers the Proust Questionnaire on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Bestselling thriller author Linwood Barclay is set to champion Wayne Johnston’s Jennie’s Boy in Canada Reads 2025; Influencer and former Canada Reads contender Mirian Njoh recommends memoirs by Black authors; and leaving ketchup chips and Canada’s Wonderland behind in the graphic memoir Uprooted on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Becoming by Michelle Obama

Monster: The Autobiography Of An L.A. Gang Member by Sanyika Shakur

Shame On Me by Tessa McWatt

Jennie’s Boy by Wayne Johnston

Uprooted by Ruth Chan

Author and psychotherapist Farzana Doctor shares the books that helped shape her as a person and as a writer; Danzy Senna opens up about her novel and GMA Book Club pick Colored Television; Nashlyn Lloyd on taking inspiration from The Creative Act by Rick Rubin; how not to be a bad husband with Ravi Singh; and the one book Jean Mills loves to re-read on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Aurat Durbar: Writings by Women of South Asian Origin edited by Fauzia Rafique

God Loves Hair by Vivek Shraya

Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity among the Daudi Bohras by Jonah Blank

The Marrow Thieves by Cherie Dimaline

Infinite Audition by Charlie Petch

The Creative Act by Rick Ruben

The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher

Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renee Lavoie

Three by DA Mishani

See Now Then by Jamaica Kinkaid

The Vancouver author and radio host’s memoir May It Have a Happy Ending discusses her journey of love, grief and radio; the CBC Books senior producer recommends hopeful books to inspire us in the New Year; musician Julian Taylor talks about his favourite parenting book; a sneak peek at what authors are coming to Bookends with Mattea Roach this winter; and why patience was key for Amanda Peters in writing her first novel on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed in this episode include:

Great Expectations by Vinson Cunningham

The Capital of Dreams by Heather O'Neill

Unearthing by Kyo Maclear

Acme Novelty Datebook Volume Three by Chris Ware

I Might Be in Trouble by Daniel Aleman

Hum by Helen Phillips

The international bestselling author returns to the Walsh family in her latest novel My Favorite Mistake; Bridget Raymundo shares what books the internet was loving this year; the book that defines “genre-bending” to Matthew R. Morris, a Juno Award-winning jazz singer who loves to birdwatch; and remembering celebrated Canadian thriller author Andrew Pyper on this episode of The Next Chapter.

Books discussed in this episode include:

Collide by Bal Khabra

I Was a Teenage Slasher by Stephen Graham Jones

A Sweet Sting of Salt by Rose Sutherland

Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon

The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan

Antonio Michael Downing and CBC Books producers Ryan B. Patrick and Talia Kliot talk about some of the most memorable books to come out this year, Bee Quammie and Lucy Mann recommend children’s books your kids are sure to love, and mystery author Alan Bradley talks about learning to say no on this episode of The Next Chapter.