Readers are still in love with romance. The genre has become the engine behind the publishing industry, and Heated Rivalry shifted things into a new gear. If you, like millions of other readers, are wondering what romance to dive into next, The Next Chapter has you covered. Daphne Santos-Vieira and Alicia Cox-Thompson recommend their new favorite titles. Plus, musician Kaeley Jade recommends an iconic Indigenous story, and talks about how reading sparks her songwriting. 

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Evening the Score by Lexi Lafleur Brown

The Book Tour by Emily Ohanjanians

Bedside Manner by C.G. Macington

Phoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose it Brooke Averick

Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

If there ever was a bookstore that lived up to its name, it’s Joie de Livres in Montréal. From its shelves of romance and fantasy, to its cocktails, coffee and nacho selection, it’s a store dedicated to the joy of reading and of life. Program director Mathieu Lauzon-Dicso talks about what to expect when you walk through its doors. Plus, writer and translator Jinwoo Park recommends two book picks for Asian Heritage Month.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk

Restaurant Kid by Rachel Phan

Celestina’s House by Clarissa Trinidad Gonzalez

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Before he ever joined the cast of Dragons’ Den, David Chilton wrote the incredibly successful financial book The Wealthy Barber. His advice shaped the way millions of people used and invested their money. 37 years later, he's back with an updated version of his classic book, with the future of the younger generation in mind. He joins the show to discuss how books came into his life, and how they inspired him to write his own. Plus, Ewan Currie from The Sheepdogs talks about a favourite recent read.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

The Only Investment Guide You’ll Ever Need by Andrew Tobias

Scientific Advertising by Claude Hopkins

Ogilvy on Advertising by David Ogilvy

Looneyspoons by Janet and Greta Podleski

White River Crossing by Ian McGuire

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Nadine Bhabha wears many hats. Poet, comedy writer, actor and avid reader. She’s been in hit shows like Heated Rivalry and Letterkenny, worked as writer on This Hour Has 22 Minutes and was recently selected as a juror for the CBC Poetry Prize. Nadine joins the show to talk about her life as a working actor, and where books fit into it. Plus, remembering the late Canadian author Alan Bradley who answered The Next Chapter’s Proust Questionnaire in 2024.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Other People's Comfort Keeps Me Up At Night by Morgan Parker

Famesick by Lena Dunham

Good Material by Dolly Alderton

Numb Were the Beadsman's Fingers - A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan Bradley

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Andrew Phung is a comedian, writer and an actor. He’s probably best known for the five years he played Kimchee on Kim’s Convenience, and from there he starred in Run the Burbs, which he co-created. Over his career he’s won five Canadian Screen Awards, and this year he will host the award show. He'll discuss his journey through comedy, fatherhood and books, specifically books that have helped shape his life and career.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Star Trek: The Next Generation - Descent by Diane Carey

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Sunshine Nails by Mai Nguyen

Migrant Rain Falls in Reverse by Vinh Nguyen

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Wayne Johnston is a master storyteller. He’s been writing books for forty years, with the history, politics and people of Newfoundland figuring large in his works. His new novel is The Novice of Holloway Hall. He joins the show to talk about the books that have shaped him and his career. Plus, acclaimed English author Jeanette Winterson answers the Proust Questionnaire. 

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Salome by Oscar Wilde

Collected Poems of Emily Dickinson

As You Like It by William Shakespeare

One Aladdin Two Lamps by Jeanette Winterson

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Gen Z has found a new favourite way to improve their outfit while simultaneously looking more intellectual. Add a book. Books have become one of the hottest trends in the fashion world, serving as accessories, objects and status signifiers. Fashion houses have signed on in a big way, creating everything from book bags to readable charms. CBC Books' very own “lit girl” and eagle eyed trend spotter Bridget Raymundo joins the show to talk about what happens when fashion cozies up to the book world. Plus, Toronto musician Meagan De Lima recommends a book to reignite your childlike creativity. 

Books discussed on this week's show include:

The Creative Act by Rick Rubin

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Iona Whishaw dreamed of being a writer since she was a child. It may have taken longer than she had expected, but by her mid sixties she had fulfilled that childhood dream. Inspired by the true stories of her family's connection to secret intelligence services such as MI6, she’s written a fan favourite mystery series set in B.C. just after the Second World War. Plus, book content creator Ainara Alleyne drops by to talk about her journey as a youth reading advocate, and talk about the upcoming Forest of Reading Festival. 

Books discussed on this week's show include:

A False and Fatal Claim: A Lane Winslow Mystery by Iona Whishaw

The Chambermaid’s Key by Genevieve Graham

I, Medusa by Ayana Gray

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Elsie Silver has become one of the most popular romance writers in the world. She's best known for her small town, slow burn romance novels, which exploded onto bestseller lists and sent production companies scrambling to be the first to adapt her work. Elsie’s new book, Fever Dream, is the first in a new series set in and around the fictional town of Emerald Lake, B.C. This week she talks about what sparked the flame of her rapidly rising career, and which books and series influenced her along the way.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton

Dancer by Shelley Peterson

The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins

The Fever series by Karen Marie Moning

 Fever Dream by Elsie Silver

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

When Jennifer Chevalier isn’t digging up the latest political scoop on The House on CBC Radio, she’s unearthing untold stories of women in history. She has always been particularly interested in the women labeled as witches throughout history. In her debut novel, she writes about the women who came to New France from Normandy to be brides, with a hint of witchcraft. Plus, CBC Books associate producer Ailey Yamamoto talks about the intersection between video games and high art.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

The Winter Witch by Jennifer Chevalier

Of Floating Isles: On Growing Pains and Video Games by Kawika Guillermo

Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks