Another Book on the Shelf

By Another Book on the Shelf

So we started a book club but never talked about the books so we decided to start a podcast to talk about the books.

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147 - Spring Hangout 2024

Another Book on the ShelfMay 22, 2024

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01:05:14

147 - Spring Hangout 2024

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com. We’d love to hear from you! Sign up for our newsletter and add us to Pinterest!

May 22, 202401:05:14

146 - Starling House by Alix E Harrow

In Episode 146, Gen and Jette talk about their most recent book club pick—Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. We are so here for the spooky houses and gothic vibes!
Show Notes
Eleanor Starling was giving Mark Ryden and Margaret Keane vibes.
Starling House is a portal fantasy of sorts, as is Harrow's debut novel, The Ten Thousand Doors of January. She also wrote a short story called "A Witch’s Guide to Escape: A Practical Compendium of Portal Fantasies."
Our next book club pick is The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia MorenoGarcia. It's based on H.G. Wells' The Island of Doctor Moreau. So we're sticking with the gothic, spooky vibes. We loved Mexican Gothic and we're sure this one is going to be great! We'll be discussing it first thing in July.
We may also have to watch the 1996 film, The Island of Doctor Moreau, starring Val Kilmer, Marlon Brando, and Fairuza Balk, among others. It looks like a wild time.
Other Books Mentioned
Lost in the Neverwoods by Aiden Thomas
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno Garcia

May 08, 202401:10:43

145 - The Shadow Cabinet by Juno Dawson

In Episode 145, we're back with the sequel to Her Majesty's Royal Coven! This is probably the fastest we've ever read the second book in a series, but we simply couldn't wait. So much happened in this book. Can we have the next one already please?
Show Notes
Juno Dawson is absolutely killing us with these cliffhangers. Yes, another one. Always with that last sentence!
The next book in the series, Queen B, seems to be a prequel of sorts. It's a shorter novel that traces the origins of HMRC that began with Anne Boleyn.
The final instalment of the trilogy doesn't appear to have a release date yet, but looks like it might be called Human Rites. Unfortunately, we couldn't find very much information about it at all, so it looks like we'll be waiting awhile for it!
HMRC is currently in development to be turned into a TV series, from the producers of The Crown. You know we'll be watching whenever it drops.
Join us next time for a book club episode. We'll be discussing Starling House by Alix E. Harrow.
Other Books & Media Mentioned
The Sixth Sense
Twilight by Stephenie Meyers
Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins
The series that must not be named (you know the one)

Apr 24, 202401:25:32

144 - The Night Eaters (vol 1) by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda

In Episode 144, Gen and Jette read the first volume of Night Eaters, a horror graphic novel by Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda.
You know we're all about the creepy graphic novels, but this one had the added bonus of being very funny. Safe to say we loved it!
Show Notes
Marjorie Liu and Sana Takeda have worked in all corners of the comic/graphic novel world, including Marvel and their co-created series, Monstress, published by Image Comics. They've both won Hugo and Eisner awards, and Liu is the first ever woman (and woman of colour) to win an Eisner in the Best Writer category.
Shout out to Hoopla, as always. We love being able to read even more graphic novels through their library platform.
Somehow we stumbled across this graphic novel separately...maybe? Hard to say. We might just share a brain now.
Another shout out belongs to the Concord Bookshop, where Jette snagged her copy of Night Eaters from their amazing graphic novel section.
In our next episode, we'll be talking about the sequel to Her Majesty's Royal Coven, The Shadow Cabinet, because that cliff hanger means we need to discuss it ASAP!!
Other Books Mentioned
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera
Paper Houses & Pale Shadows by Dominique Fortier, translated by Rhonda Mullins
The Martian by Andy Weir
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Mystic River by Dennis Lehane

Apr 10, 202459:37

143 - Spring Hangout 2024

In Episode 143, Gen and Jette talk about everything they've been up to so far this year, including what books they've been reading and what they've been writing.
Show Notes
We may end up squeezing in an episode on The Shadow Cabinet as a follow up to Her Majesty's Royal Coven.
Word to the wise if you decide to work through The Artist's Way — buy a smaller notebook.
In our next episode we'll be talking about the graphic novel The Night Eaters by Marjorie Liu, illustrated by Sana Takeda.
Our current book club pick is Starling House by Alix E. Harrow, so make sure to read along with us before the episode drops on May 8.
Books Mentioned
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez
Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer
A Twist of the Knife by Anthony Horowitz
Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier, translated by Rhonda Mullins
Pale Shadows by Dominique Fortier, translated by Rhonda Mullins
Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Couplets by Maggie Milner
The Silent Woman by Minka Kent
Leslie F*cking Jones
Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo
Fall On Your Knees by Anne Marie MacDonald
Come Tumbling Down by Seanan Maguire
Hangsaman by Shirley Jackson
Confessions of the Fox by Jordy Rosenberg
Amateur by Thomas Page McBee
Freaks, Gleeks and Dawson's Creek by Thea Glassman
The Fran Lebowitz Reader

Mar 27, 202449:51

142 - Her Majesty's Royal Coven

In Episode 142, Gen and Jette discuss their latest book club selection, Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. Obviously we loved the witchy vibes and the stellar queer rep, but also the end of this book had us screaming. Yes, it ends on a cliffhanger!
Show Notes
We haven't done a book quite like this one before! Obviously we've done witchy books in the past, but not one that was so action-packed and full of such cool world building.
Spoilers abound! Especially by the end. We need to read the next book immediately and may have borrowed it on Libby while we were recording lol
If you loved the series about a certain boy wizard about which we no longer speak, but find that author loathsome, this book is exactly the grown-up, queer positive version you're looking for.
Our next book club selection is Gen's pick and we'll be reading Starling House by Alix E. Harrow. It has some gothic haunted house vibes that sound amazing.
Next episode is a hangout episode to catch you up on everything we've been reading, writing, etc. and there's a high chance we'll end up talking about the sequel to HRMC.
Other Books by Juno Dawson
HRMC #2: The Shadow Cabinet
This Book Is Gay
Mind Your Head
Margot & Me
The Gender Games
Clean
Meat Market

Mar 13, 202459:20

141 - Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

In Episode 141, it's time for another James Baldwin book!
If you've been around for a while, you'll know that James Baldwin is one of our favourite authors, so we've turned it into an annual tradition to read one of his works every February. This time we're reading Baldwin's non-fiction with his first essay collection, Notes of a Native Son.
As usual, we had an incredible time talking about this, and we just need more Baldwin in our lives.
Show Notes
Baldwin wrote the introduction to the 1984 edition while he was in Amherst, Massachusetts. The universe is telling us we need to go visit.
Another Country was our first Baldwin book, and it's still one of our favourites. You could start anywhere with his work, but this one remains high on the list and we're so glad it was the first one we read.
We loved getting to learn more about Baldwin's life in America and abroad in Europe.
Be sure to read Jette's blog post 5 Must-Read James Baldwin Books That Will Change Your Life.
Yes, we already dropped a Pale Shadows reference in this episode.
In our next episode we'll be talking about Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson.
Other Books by James Baldwin
Go Tell It on the Mountain
The Devil Finds Work
The Fire Next Time
Another Country (Episode 55)
If Beale Street Could Talk (Episode 61)
Giovanni's Room (Episode 113)

Feb 28, 202401:10:42

140 - Pale Shadows by Dominique Fortier

In Episode 140, Gen and Jette get to revisit one of their favourite books, Paper Houses, with the sequel, Pale Shadows. Dominique Fortier's follow-up to her reimagining of Emily Dickinson's life, traces the publication of Dickinson's poems after her death and the women who helped it happen.

Obviously we loved this. It's time to add every Emily Dickinson collection to our reading lists.

Show Notes

We learned a lot about the process of readying Emily's poems for publication, which included removing dashes and deciding on which word Emily intended for the poem. There are several different collections with slightly different versions of the poems. The one being published in Pale Shadows was edited and transcribed by Mabel. A later edition was done by her daughter, Millicent.

Shout out to Coach House Books for never steering us wrong. Paper Houses was the first book of theirs we ever read on the podcast.

If you haven't listened yet, check out Episode 26 on Paper Houses.

Emily Dickinson's Herbarium was also published and it has been digitized by Harvard Library for anyone to look through.

In our next episode we'll be reading James Baldwin's essay collection, Notes of a Native Son.

Other Books and Media Mentioned

Dickinson (HBO TV series)

The Letters of Emily Dickinson

Other Coach House Books Episodes

36: Disfigure by Amanda LeDuc

51: 2020 Fall Releases

62: Because the Sun by Sarah Burgoyne

74: And Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Jocelyne Saucier

88: Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu

117: Sing, Nightingale by Marie Hélène Poitras

Feb 14, 202453:01

139 - The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz

In Episode 139, Gen and Jette continue their #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt series with The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz. It's our first whodunnit style mystery, and we had a great time.
Show Notes
While we've definitely seen this book floating around Instagram (hence why we picked it), we've also seen a lot of others by Anthony Horowitz. Probably because he's written...to say a lot would be an understatement.
Fun fact: it's possible that Horowitz has committed more fictional murders than any other living author!
He's written instalments for both Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, having been selected by the Arthur Conan Doyle and Ian Fleming estates to continue the respective stories.
Did you catch our brief mention of our other podcast? To follow our rewatch of One Tree Hill (and The OC before that), check out Teenage Daydream Podcast.
Our next episode we've been anticipating since the books was announced — it's the follow-up to podcast favourite, Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier, which we talked about way back in Episode 26. This one is called Pale Shadows and we can't wait to be incoherent messes about it.
After Pale Shadows, join us for our annual James Baldwin read on February 28.

Other Books and Media Mentioned
Knives Out
Glass Onion
Columbo
The Last Thing He Told Me by Laura Dave
Riley Sager
Sue Grafton

Jan 31, 202401:02:60

138 - Flung Out Of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Temple

In Episode 138, Gen and Jette discuss the graphic novel Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer. It reimagines the life of author Patricia Highsmith and the inspiration for her classic lesbian novel The Price of Salt.
Show Notes
We've begun a bit of a tradition of reading a graphic novel as our second episode of the year, and we're loving it. It's especially fun to talk about the illustrations alongside the writing.
It was fascinating to learn more about Patricia Highsmith—both the good and the bad—and we'd love to learn more.
Did you catch the Paper Houses references? We're going to have many more coming when we read the follow up book, Pale Shadows, in early February.
Our next episode we'll be talking about The Twist of a Knife by Anthony Horowitz.
Don't forget to read along with our current book club pick, Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. We'll be talking about that one first thing in March.
Other Books & Media Mentioned
Carol (2016 film)
May December (2023 film)
Highsmith: Her Secret Life (2004 film)
Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith
The Price of Salt/Carol by Patricia Highsmith
The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

Jan 17, 202446:33

137 - The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez

It's our first episode of 2024, and as usual we're kicking it off with last year's final book club book. In episode 137, we're talking about The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez. It's a fantastically strange and creepy collection of short stories, so of course we loved it.
Show Notes
Neither of us knows enough about Argentinian history, so some of the sociopolitical context goes over our heads, but it's clear that the disappearances during Argentina's Dirty Wars have a significant influence on some of the stories.
Jette has never used a Ouija board. It seems to be one of those things that people are genuinely afraid to use. We don't need to accidentally conjure malevolent spirits! (Power to the teenage girls who are trying to though.)
Our next book club book is Jette's pick, and we're reading Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson. There's witches and gender stuff and the corruption of power. It sounds like it's going to be great. We'll be talking about that one in March.
We'll be back in two weeks with a graphic novel. It was TBD when we recorded, but we've since decided to read Flung Out of Space by Grace Ellis and Hannah Templer. It's a reimagining of real life author, Patricia Highsmith, and her inspiration for the classic lesbian novel, The Price of Salt.
Until next week, check out our latest blog post all about the thrillers you can cozy up with this winter and keep an eye out for Gen's round up of anticipated reads for 2024.
Other Books Mentioned
By Mariana Enriquez – Things We Lost in the Fire, Our Share of Night
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado

Jan 03, 202401:17:39

136 - 2023 Holiday Wrap

It's the end of the year, so it's time for our annual wrap-up episode! Join us as we chat about what we've been up to the last few months, how we did with our reading and writing goals this year, and what we have coming in the new year. We've got a few teasers in there to look out for!
Show Notes
Obviously one of our most hotly anticipated 2024 episodes is the sequel to Paper Houses. We'll be talking about Pale Shadows early next year.
We both read a lot of horror and queer lit this year.
Our first episode in January will be Gen's book club pick, The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enriquez. We're ready for some weird short stories, so grab your copy and read along over the holidays!
Books Mentioned
Little Weirds by Jenny Slate
Pluralities by Avi Silver
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins
Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
You're on an Airplane by Parker Posey
Leslie F*cking Jones by Leslie Jones
Defending Jacob by William Landay
Season of the Bruja by Sara Soler and Aaron Duran
Yoga For Witches by Sarah Robinson
Luna by Tamara Driessen
The Photographer's Playbook
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Eyes Guts Throat Bones by Moira Fowley
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Salt Slow by Julia Armfield
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee
Beneath the Sugar Sky by Seanan McGuire
In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

Dec 20, 202342:43

135 - Pluralities by Avi Silver

In Episode 135, it's time for our annual FUJK book selection.
Once upon a time, before a certain author who wrote a book about a certain boy wizard revealed herself to be a piece of trash, we had begun working out way through the series. Now we choose a queer trans author to read instead!
This year we're reading Pluralities by Avi Silver. We absolutely loved it! Prepare for some obsessed rambles. This was definitely a favourite!
Show Notes
We've read so many good books for this series! See below for the full list.
You may recognize Avi Silver from Episode 42 about The Shale Project. We read Silver's book Two Dark Moons and Sienna Tristen's The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming.
In our next episode we're wrapping up 2024 (HOW?!). Join us for a chat about our favourite books and episodes of the year, and some of our reading and writing goals for the new year.
Other FUJK Episodes
57: Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
83: A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee
109: Pet by Akwaeke Emezi ⁠
Other Books Mentioned
The Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler
A Shot in the Dark by Victoria Lee

Dec 06, 202301:00:26

134 - Mother, Nature by Jedidiah Jenkins

In Episode 134, it's the re-return of podcast fave Jedidiah Jenkins. We're talking about Jenkins' latest book Mother, Nature, about a road trip he takes with his mother and their relationship.
Show Notes
This is Jenkins' third book and our third episode about one his books (yes, we've done all of them). I think that officially makes him our most revisited author!
Are we going to have to do a cult book soon?
Jedidiah and his mom listen to some really interesting sounding podcasts on their trip, including ones about DB Cooper, the feral pigs tweet, and cult leader Sherry Shriner.
We've got an eye any future Jedidah Jenkins writing retreats.
Our next episode is our annual middle finger to JKR, and this time we're reading Pluralities by Avi Silver — another author we've read before! You might recognize them from our episode on The Shale Project.
Books, Authors and Episodes Mentioned
To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins (Episode 12)
Like Streams to the Ocean by Jedidiah Jenkins (Episode 65)
These Violent Delights (Episode 69) & Our Violent Ends (Episode 86) by Chloe Gong
The Rural Diaries (Episode 46) & Grimoire Girl (Episode 133) by Hilarie Burton Morgan
The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes (Episode 60) & Hayley Alrdrige is Still Here (Episode 114) by Elissa R. Sloan
Autopsy of a Boring Wife (Episode 20) & A Boring Wife Settles the Score (Episode 70) by Marie-Renée Lavoie
Paper Houses (Episode 26) by Domnique Fortier

Nov 22, 202301:00:44

133 - Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan

In Episode 133 Gen and Jette revisit one of their favourite authors, Hilarie Burton Morgan, and kick off Non Fiction November with Grimoire Girl. Burton's latest book combines personal stories with her tips and simple spells for creating your own personal grimoire.
Show Notes
We have allll the ideas and creative inspiration now. Like so many projects are brewing.
Some questions we got to consider while discussing this book include: What body of water do you most relate to? Which planet/celestial body is your favourite?
We need to visit Wethersfield Garden.
The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan is still our top episode ever. Will Grimoire Girl beat that?
If you're not quite ready to create your own oracle deck, check out The Tessera Oracle.
For some essay writing ideas check out Summer Brennan's Essay Camp on Substack.
Our next episode we'll be re-revisiting another podcast favourite, Jedidiah Jenkins. We'll be talking abouy his latest book Mother, Nature.
Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com. We’d love to hear from you! Sign up for our newsletter and add us to Pinterest!

Nov 08, 202301:16:01

132 - The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay

In Episode 132, Gen and Jette tackle a horror novel with The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay. It had a moment that shocked both of us and definitely gave us lots to talk about.
Show Notes
We're officially in our fifth season of the podcast!
Gen has a theory that the horror genre is like country music. Listen to the end of the episode to find out why.
The movie adaptation with M. Night Shyamalan is called Knock at the Cabin and has a few changes to the books that we talk about.
Spoilers abound in this episode, for both the book and the movie, even though neither of us has seen it.
Will we watch the movie? Undecided.
In keeping with the spooky theme, but on a completely different note, we'll be discussing Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan in our next episode.
Other Books and Media Mentioned
The Silence of the Lambs
Riley Sager
The Exorcist
Saw
Funny Games
Stephen King
Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado
Eyes Throat Guts Bones by Moïra Fowley
Other Books by Paul Tremblay
Survivor Song
A Head Full of Ghosts

Oct 25, 202301:00:09

131 - 5th Anniversary Hangout

Episode 131 is an anniversary hangout. We're celebrating 5 years of Another Book on the Shelf. 5 years of great books, great discussions, and amazing listeners! We can't wait to bring you another 5 more!

Show Notes

We're actually going places out in the world now and it's very exciting.

Check out Gen's cookie website Honeybee Cookie Co. and get your Christmas orders in!

Our next episode we're sticking with the creepy October theme and reading The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay just in time for Halloween.

Don't forget to read along with our current book club selection, Grimoire Girl by Hilarie Burton Morgan.

Books Mentioned

The All + Flesh by Brandi Bird

Gotham Academy, Volume 2: Calamity by Becky Cloonan, Brenden Fletcher, Karl Kerschl, and Mingjue Helen Chen

Bear by Marian Engel

Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Volume 1 by Jordie Bellaire and Dan Mora

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

You're On and Airplane by Parker Posey

What Draws Us Near (published by Little Ghosts Books)

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

Tombs by Junji Ito Still

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliott

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston

How Far the Light Reaches by Sabrina Imbler

Oct 11, 202346:50

130 - The Silence of the Lambs

In our latest instalment of Page to Screen, Gen and Jette talk about The Silence of the Lambs. We had a great time talking about the classic film and the novel by Thomas Harris to kick off spooky season. It's easy to see why Hannibal Lecter has captivated people! We're not saying we like him necessarily, but he's definitely fun to read about (and watch!)
Show Notes
The Silence of the Lambs film is one of only three to have won all five major awards at the Oscars: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Actor for Anthony Hopkins, and Best Actress for Jodie Foster.
The film is also the only horror film to have won Best Picture.
We're both ready to dive deep into the Hannibal Lecter canon, including all the books, films, and tv adaptations.
In our next episode we'll be celebrating our fifth (!!!) anniversary of the podcast!
Other Books & Screen Adaptations in the Hannibal Series
Red Dragon by Thomas Harris
Hannibal by Thomas Harris
Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris
Hannibal (2001 film)
Red Dragon (2002 film)
Hannibal Rising (2007 film)
Hannibal (2013-2015 tv show)

Clarice (2021 tv show)Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com. We’d love to hear from you! Sign up for our newsletter and add us to Pinterest!

Sep 27, 202301:07:32

129 - Bear by Marian Engel

In Episode 129, Gen and Jette dive into "the most controversial Canadian novel" ever written. A woman goes to work in Northern Ontario and begins a relationship with a bear. Spoiler in 2023, it wasn't that wild. Or was it?

Sep 13, 202301:00:26

128 - The All + Flesh by Brandi Bird

In Episode 128, Gen and Jette team up with one of their favourite local publishers, House of Anansi Press, to read The All + Flesh by Brandi Bird. It's the second book of poetry for the pod and we absolutely loved it.
Show Notes
House of Anansi's namesake comes from the spider god of West-African tradition, Kwaku Anansi, who created the world.
House of Anansi is located in Toronto. Be sure to check out their sister imprint, Groundwood Books, for children's and young adult lit.
If you're looking for the book version of the annual CBC Massey Lectures, it's House of Anansi you want!
The All + Flesh was published on August 8 and is available for purchase.
The other book of poetry we talked about on the pod is Because the Sun by Sarah Burgoyne, published by our other fave indie publisher, Coach House.
Our next episode is a book club episode! We'll be talking about Bear by Marian Engel (also published by House of Anansi). It's going to be an interesting one!
If you haven't already, take a look at the Narcisse snake pits in Manitoba, but be warned! It is very much a writing pit of snakes.
Other House of Anansi Episodes
20: House of Anansi Press 2019 Spring Books
39: House of Anansi New Releases
43: You Are Not What We Expected – Interview with Sidura Ludwig
70: A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renée Lavoie
97: A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm
Other Book Mentioned
I Am Still Too Much by Brandi Bird
The Rez Sisters by Thomson Highway
Paper House by Dominique Fortier

Aug 30, 202351:12

127 - Summer Hangout 2023

It's time for another hang out episode! In this episode, Gen and Jette talk about what they've been up to and what they've been reading (actually so much!). We may be ready for fall already, but we're making the most of summer while it's still here.
Show Notes
Check out our latest blog post, Top 7 Most Anticipated Books for Fall 2023
The new show on Netflix about the Sacklers and the opioid crisis is called Painkiller.
Our next episode we team up with House of Anansi Press to read a new poetry collection, The All + Flesh by Brandi Bird.
Books Mentioned
It's Lonely at the Centre of the Earth by Zoe Thorogood
The Impending Blindness of Billie Scott by Zoe Thorogood
Surfside Girls by Kim Dwinell
The Grownup by Gillian Flynn
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera
The Cryptid Club by Sarah Andersen
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
The Book of Phobias and Manias by Kate Summerscale
Always Never by Jordi Lafebre
Ripple Effects by Jordan Hart and Matthew Noe
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
How Far the Light Reaches: A Life in Ten Sea Creatures by Sabrina Imbler
The Beauty by Jason A. Hurley and Jeremy Haun
Welcome to Gotham Academy by Becky Cloonan (of The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys), Brendan Fletcher, and Karl Kerschel
Stillwater by Chip Zdarsky
Ghost Tree by Bobby Curnow
Life is Strange: Dust by Emma Vieceli
Tell Me Everything: A Memoir by Minka Kelly
House of Slaughter by James Tynion IV (Something is Killing the Children spin-off)
You're On An Airplane by Parker Posey
Mother, Nature by jedidiah Jenkins
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
Junior High by Tegan and Sara Quin\
The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
The Magicians by Lev Grossman
The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton
Steering the Craft by Ursula Le Guin
My Best Friend's Exorcism by Grady Hendrix
Sordidez by E.G. Condé
Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead
Syllabus by Lynda Barry
Romancing the Beat by Gwen Hayes
Moonheart by Charles de Lint
Seven Tears into the Sea by Terri Farley
Who Will Run the Frog Hospital by Lorrie Moore
Down Among the Sticks and Bones by Seanan McGuire
The Blue Salt Road by Joanne M. Harris
Sealskin by Su Bristow

Aug 16, 202358:05

126 - Sordidez by E.G. Condé

In Episode 126, Gen and Jette team up with indie publisher Stelliform Press. They generously sent us a copy of their recent release Sordidez by E.G. Condé, which follows different members of communities trying to survive in a world ravaged by war and climate catastrophe.

Show Notes
We first heard about Stelliform Press at last year's Word on the Street festival. They publish stories that centre climate change and environmental justice.
The book about Guatemala that Gen couldn't remember the name of is Bitter Fruit by Stephen Schlesinger. It details the CIA's operation to overthrow the country's democratically elected government in 1954.
Find more of E.G. Condé's work at www.egconde.com or follow him on social media — @CloudAnthro on Twitter and @boricuascribe on Instagram.
Our next episode is going to be our summer hangout! Join us for some iced tea and reading/writing updates.

Other Books Mentioned
The Impossible Resurrection of Grief by Octavia Cade (also published by Stelliform)

Aug 02, 202358:58

125 - Verity by Coleen Hoover

It's time for another round of #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt! Actually, it was mostly BookTok this time. We're finally diving into one of Colleen Hoover's books. Verity has been all over Instagram and TikTok, and when friend of the pod Kattie read it, we knew it was time. We had a lot to say about this one. Let us know where you fall on the CoHo books – love or hate? We want to know.

Show Notes

Are we going to read another CoHo book for the pod? Maybe.

In our next episode we're teaming up with a new indie book publisher that we discovered at Word on the Street—Stelliform Press. They publish mostly speculative climate fiction and we'll be talking about their new release, Sordidez by E.G. Condé.

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Jul 19, 202301:05:58

124 - The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa

In Episode 124, Gen and Jette talk about The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder. This was Jette's pick for our book club and we loved the dystopian vibes and talking all about memories.

Show Notes
Yōko Ogawa has won every Japanese literary award, including the Akutagawa Prize and Yomiuri Prize.
Playing It Cool is a 2014 film starring Chris Evans, Aubrey Plaza, Michelle Monaghan, Anthony Mackie, Topher Grace, and Luke Wilson. With such a stacked cast, you'd think Gen would've heard of it.
Our next book club pick is Bear by Marian Engel

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Jul 05, 202301:02:16

123 - Junior High by Tegan Quin, Sara Quin, and Tillie Walden

Gen and Jette up their CanCon for Pride this year with Junior High — a middle grade semi-autobiographical graphic novel from Canadian musical duo Tegan and Sara, with the illustrations of Tillie Walden.

Show Notes

Tegan and Sara's memoir High School was released in September 2019 and has since been turned into a TV series on Amazon Freevee. We've never heard of this show or Amazon Freevee, but we're definitely going to look it up.

There is going to be a sequel to Junior High! It's called Crush, but there's no word yet on a potential release date for it.

Tegan Sara's latest album is called Crybaby and came out in 2022.

If you've never listened to Tegan and Sara before, go do it now! Gen recommends starting with So Jealous.

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Jun 21, 202345:22

122 - Canadian Authors

In Episode 122, Gen and Jette keep up their CanCon with a discussion of Canadian authors.
Show Notes
If you're unfamiliar with CanCon, it's the stipulation that all Canadian media contain a certain percentage of content produced, written, etc. by Canadians.
It turns out we have a lot of episodes about books by Canadian authors (though not 35% as dictated by CanCon...we're working on it LOL). Find them all listed below.
Listen to the CBC Massey Lectures for free on the CBC Radio website
Alicia Elliot's new novel, And Then She Fell, is expected September 26.
Anne Michael's new novel, Held, is expected November 9.
Should we do an episode on Marian Engle's Bear?
We did our best to list everything we talked about below, but it's very likely that we left something out since we talked about a lot. (Buckle in, she's a long one)
Our next episode we'll be talking about Tegan and Sara's new graphic novel, Junior High (more CanCon!)
Books & Authors Mentioned
Robert Munsch
Fiona Staples (Saga)
Chip Zdarsky (Sex Criminals)
Mariko Tamaki (This One Summer)
Margaret Atwood
Leonard Cohen (Beautiful Losers)
Carol Shields (The Stone Diaries)
Margaret Laurence (The Stone Angel)
L.M. Montgomery (Anne of Green Gables)
Roberston Davies
Alice Munro
Mordecai Richler (The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Barney's Version, Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang)
Lawrence Hill (The Book of Negroes)
Yann Martel (Life of Pie)
Michael Ondaatje (The English Patient)
Miriam Toews (A Complicated Kindness, Women Talking, All My Puny Sorrows)
Esi Edugyan (Hald-Blood Blues, Washington Black)
Emily St. John Mandel (Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel, Sea of Tranqulity)
Courtney Summers (Sadie, The Project)
Silvia-Moreno Garcia (Mexican Gothic, Certain Dark Things, Velvet Was the Night, Silver Nitrate)
Madeleine Thein (Do Not Say We Have Nothing)
Anne Michaels (Fugitive Pieces)
Marian Engle (Bear)
Douglas Coupland (Generation X, Girlfriend in a Coma, Hey Nostradamus, All Families Are Psychotic, Terry, Microserfs)
Episodes with Canadian Authors & Books
10: Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey
20: House of Anansi Press 2019 Spring Books (Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Marie-Renée Lavoie & Dual Citizens by Alix Ohlin)
25: Sadie by Courtney Summers
26: Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier
36: Disfigured by Amanda Leduc
39: House of Anansi New Releases (Coming Up for Air by Sarah Leipciger &
Pallbearing Stories by Michael Melgaard)
42: The Shale Project (Two Dark Moons by Avi Silver & The Heretic's Guide to Homecoming by Sienna Tristen)
43: You Are Not What We Expected by Sidura Ludwig
50: From the Ashes by Jesse Thistle
51: Coach House Books 2021 Fall Releases (Imago Stage by Karoline Georges & Fauna by Christiane Vadnais)
59: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
62: Because the Sun by Sarah Burgoyne
70: A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renée Lavoie
74: And Miles To Go Before I Sleep by Jocelyne Saucier
82: Pegamoose Press
88: Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
92: Interview with Stephanie Cooke

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Jun 07, 202351:58

121 - Spring Hangout

In episode 121 Gen & Jette sit down for Another Cup of Tea and a spring hangout. We're talking all about what we've been reading lately and what we have planned for the coming months.
Show Notes
If you're in Toronto on May 27 & 28, be sure to stop by the Word On the Street festival.
Find out more about Gen's upcoming summer retreats.
Our next episode (for real this time) is all about Canadian authors.
Read along with our current book club pick, The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, which we'll be discussing first thing in July.
Books Mentioned
The Cannibals by Tingu
Vicious Creatures by Sarah Gordon
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
Sing Nightingale by Marie Hélène Poitras
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk
Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong
The Night Shift by Alex Finlay
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
The Girl and the Glim by India Swift
Junkwraith by Ellinor Richey
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
These Witches Don't Burn & This Coven Won't Break by Isabel Sterling
The Neverending Story by Michael Ende
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Maybe in Another Life by Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Losers by Andy Diggle and Jock
Surfside Girls by Kim Dwinell
The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz
Velvet Was the Night by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Small Mercies by Denis Lehane
Tombs by Junji Ito
The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton
When We Were Magic by Sarah Gailey
Moonheart by Charles de Lint
Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
The Magicians by Lev Grossman

May 24, 202340:10

120 - The Writing Life by Annie Dillard

In Episode 120, Gen and Jette dive into the latest book club pick and talk all things writing with The Writing Life by Annie Dillard. This one has been on Gen's list for a while and the consensus it that it should be required reading for any writer or artist.

Show Notes

You can sign up for Gen's writing and yoga retreat here: Fort Erie July 17-20 & The June Motel in PEC September 8-10

Our next episode is all about Canadian authors because we gotta get that CanCon. But sincerely Canada has some really incredible writers and we can't wait to talk about them.

And the next book club selection is The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder. Read along with us this May & June so you know what's going on when we talk about it on July 5!

Other books and authors mentioned

How to Write and Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee (listen to the episode)

Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier, translated by Rhonda Mullins (listen to the episode)

A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm (listen to the episode)

Henry David Thoreau

Jack London

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May 10, 202359:51

119 - Page to Screen - Fight Club

The first rule of Fight Club is: you do not talk about Fight Club.

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Apr 26, 202301:00:54

118 - Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Kawaguchi Toshikazu

In Episode 118, Gen and Jette continue their series #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt with Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. It takes place in a Tokyo cafe that allows people to time travel...though there are a few rules. We're always suckers for a time travel story and immediately fell in love with this one.
Show Notes
Before the Coffee Gets Cold actually began as a stage ply and was adapted into a novel in 2015.
There is also a film adaptation that came out in 2018, and in 2021 it was announced that the novel was being developed for television.
The cafe in the novel is called Funiculi Funicula after the song, which was apparently written to mark the opening of the first funicular railway on Mount Vesuvius. The more you know.
If you want more of us losing our minds over time travel particulars, check out one of our very early episodes (episode 9!) about Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman.
In our next episode we'll be continuing with another series, Page to Screen, and talking about Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk alongside the 1999 film.
Other Books Mentioned
Before the Coffee Gets Cold: Tales from the Cafe by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Before Your Memory Fades by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

Apr 12, 202301:04:42

117 - Coach House Books - Sing, Nightingale by Marie Hélène Poitras

In Episode 117, Gen and Jette discuss a new release from Coach House Books — Sing, Nightingale by Marie Hélène Poitras, translated by Rhonda Mullins. We always love the unique books from Coach House, and this one is no exception.
Show Notes
Obviously we talked about Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier (also translated by Rhonda Mullins).
The books we read from Coach House never fail to make us looks at writing in a fresh way and spark our creativity.
Shout out to Rhonda Mullins for her amazing translation of so many wonderful books!
In our next episode we'll be talking about Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Other Coach House Episodes
Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu
Because the Sun by Sarah Burgoyne
2020 Fall Releases (The Imago Stage by Karoline Georges, Fauna by Christiane Vadnais, The Pine Islands by Marion Poschmann)
Disfigured by Amanda Leduc
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier
And Miles to Go Before I Sleep by Jocelyne Saucier

Don’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com. We’d love to hear from you! Sign up for our newsletter and add us to Pinterest!

Mar 29, 202355:39

116 - Another Cup of Tea - Winter Hangout 2023

In episode 116, Gen and Jette sit down with a cup of tea for a casual chat about what they've been up to and what they have planned for the spring, and of course what they've been reading.

Show Notes
Gen is co-hosting two yoga and writing retreats in the summer — one in Fort Erie and one in Prince Edward County — find out more about them at Wild Wandering Creations.
Next time you're in Boston, make sure to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum — or at least read up about one of the most infamous unsolved art heists.
Jette stumbled across a new cafe last time she was in NYC. It's called The Lost Draft and it sounds amazing.
Check out Self Made Hero, a graphic novel company that publishes a lot of biography and non-fiction titles.
If you haven't already hopped on the astronomy nerd train with us, check out Episode 107 about How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Michael E. Brown
In our next episode we'll be talking about a new Coach House release — Sing, Nightingale by Marie Hélène Poitras, translated by Rhonda Mullins.
Our current book club pick is The Writing Life by Annie Dillard.

Books & Media Mentioned
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
Cinema Speculation by Quentin Tarantino
Minor Feelings by Cathy Park Hong
The Witches Don't Burn by Isabel Sterling
Spellbook of the Lost and Found by Moïra Fowley Doyle
Funny You Should Ask by Elissa Sussman
Steering the Craft by Ursual K. LeGuin
The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager
The Only One Left by Riley Sager (coming June 20)
Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
On Photography by Susan Sontag
At Work by Annie Leibovitz
Thoreau and Me by Cédric Taling
Basquiat by Julian Voloj & Søren Mosdal
The Neverending Stoy by Michael Ende

Mar 15, 202344:35

115 - Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion

In Episode 115, Gen and Jette talk about Jette's most recent book club pick — Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion. How have we gone 115 episodes before doing a Didion episode? I know, right. While Jette can't remember where the idea for this book as her pick even came from, she's glad she picked it. This collection of essays from the 1960s, mostly focusing on California, makes it clear why Didion is a classic.

Show Notes

If you're ever in LA, you must visit the Howard Hughes Headquarters
This is the SNL skit that Jette is still laughing at – The Californians

If you love Joan Didion be sure to check out the Netflix documentary The Centre Will Not Hold

Other Works by Joan Didion

The Year of Magical Thinking

Blue Nights

The White Album

South and West: From a Notebook

Mar 01, 202301:16:03

114 - Hayley Aldridge is Still Here by Elissa R. Sloan

In Episode 114, Gen and Jette read the latest novel from Elissa R. Sloan, Hayley Aldridge is Still Here. The novel follows the life of former child star Hayley Aldridge as she tells her story and works to get out from under a conservatorship that she's been in for a decade. Sound familiar? Sloan draws on the real life stars of the '90s and early '00s and slots Hayley's story seamlessly into that history.

If you loved the Sloan's last book, The Unraveling of Cassidy Holmes (which we talked about in Episode 60), you're going to love this one.

Show Notes

We really did treat our young celebrities very badly back in the day. A lot of what makes Hayley Aldridge so effective is knowing that everything that happened to her was also happening in real life.

Reading this made us think of so many young stars, such as Drew Barrymore, Britney Spears, Lindsay Lohan, Amanda Bynes, and Brad Renfro.

So, conservatorships should be banned, right? Why are they allowed?

Feb 15, 202301:01:10

113 - Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin

In Episode 113, Gen and Jette return to one of their all time favourite authors, James Baldwin. We're finally talking about Giovanni's Room, probably Baldwin's most well known novel. Get ready to be devastated and blown away by Baldwin's writing all over again. (No, we'll never get over it. Yes, we will continue to ramble our glowing praise.)

Show Notes:
Did anyone out there read any James Baldwin at the university level or do many of us have this appalling gap in our literary education?
As always, there were some lines in this novel that absolutely wrecked us. Which one is living in your brain rent free for the rest of time?
For more about Paris, listen to Episode 97 about A Waiter in Paris by Edward Chisholm.
For more James Baldwin, check out Episode 55 on Another Country and Episode 61 where we talk about If Beale Street Could Talk and the film adaptation.
In our next episode we'll be returning to another well loved author, Elissa R. Sloan, with her latest book Hayley Aldridge is Still Here. The episode is out February 15, the day after the book's release date.

Other Books by James Baldwin
Another Country
If Beale Street Could Talk
Go Tell It on the Mountain
Notes of a Native Son
The Fire Next Time
The Devil Finds Work

Feb 01, 202352:20

112 - Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips

In Episode 112, it's time for another instalment of our unofficial graphic novel book club — this time with Fatale by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips. We cover volumes 1 & 2 (with little sneak peeks at volumes 3–5) of this supernatural noir thriller from one of the most celebrated duos in graphic novels today.

Show Notes
Ed Brubaker has won a whopping 7 Eisner Awards for his work, which includes Batman, Catwoman, Winter Soldier, Criminal, Incognito, and Reckless among many others.
Sean Phillips' son also works in graphic novels and has actually done some of the colouring for Phillips' work.
We loved diving into all these different decades and getting a bit more of Lovecraft's Cthulhu mythology (even if we still can't pronounce it).
For more graphic novel goodness, check out our episodes on Shade, the Changing Girl, The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, Fun Home , and Something is Killing the Children. And listen to our interviews with Stephanie Cooke, and with husband and wife duo Brenda Hickey and Troy Little of Pegamoose Press.

In our next episode we'll be talking about Giovanni's Room by James Baldwin.

Other Books by Ed Brubaker & Sean Phillips
Reckless
Criminal
Incognito
Fatale
The Fade Out
Kill or Be Killed
My Heroes Have Always Been Junkies

Jan 21, 202347:30

111 - The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

In Episode 111, Gen and Jette talk about their most recent book club book, The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle. It's a retelling of H.P. Lovecraft's short story, "The Horror at Red Hook" that subverts the xenophobic message of the original tale.

Show Notes:
We fell down a Lovecraft rabbit hole that made us realize how little we know about him (and how many references we probably missed in the novel!)
As with so many books we read, we now want to get our hands on everything else Victor LaValle has written...and also up out Lovecraft knowledge so we're better prepared to catch those references
Turns out we've inadvertently made Lovecraft the theme for January. For more Lovecraftian vibes, stay tuned for our next episode on Ed Brubaker's graphic novel Fatale.
Read along with our current book club pick, Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

Other Books Mentioned
By Victor LaValle – Slapboxing with Jesus, The Ecstatic, Big Machine, The Devil in Silver, The Changeling, and Destroyer (graphic novel)
The Girls by Emma Cline
The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Lovecraft Country by Matt RuffDon’t forget to follow us on Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter or email us at hello@anotherbookontheshelf.com. We’d love to hear from you! Sign up for our newsletter and add us to Pinterest!

Jan 04, 202301:00:37

110 - 2022 Holiday Wrap Up

It's our last episode of 2022, so we're taking a look back at our reading and writing goals for the year, as well as looking ahead to 2023.

Show Notes:
We may have dropped the ball on 52 Weeks of Short Stories, but that doesn't mean we won't try something new in 2023. The Artist's Way, anyone?
Jette is so close to being done her graphic novel script!
Gen finally finished the first draft of her YA novel!
We can't wait for all the events next year, like Word on the Street, TCAF, and Toronto Festival of Authors.
Stelliform Press is a new to us publisher that we hope to work with in the new year!
Check out our holiday wrap-up blog post for more of our 2023 reading and writing goals.
Our first book club pick of 2023 is Slouching Towards Bethlehem by Joan Didion.

Books Mentioned:
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
The Devil Finds Work by James Baldwin
I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy
Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi
Pet by Akwaeke Emezi
The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV & Werther Dell'Edera
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction & David Aja
Sandford Meisner on Acting
How I Killed Pluto and Why it Had it Coming by Michael E. Brown
Persuasion by Jane Austen
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
Through the Woods by Emily Carrol
Shades of Fear edited by Allison O'Toole
By Chance or Providence by Becky Cloonan
Making A Scene by Constance Wu
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier
Thoreau and Me by Cedric Taling
The Book of Magic by Alice Hoffman
Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig

Dec 21, 202240:46

109 - Pet by Akwaeke Emezi

In Episode 109, Gen and Jette discuss Pet by Akwaeke Emezi. We absolutely loved this one and are now planning on reading everything Emezi has written, including Bitter, the prequel story to Pet.

Show Notes:
This episode is in keeping with our annual December tradition of replacing a discussion about a certain series featuring a certain boy wizard in favour of queer, and especially trans, stories. Check out last year's discussion of A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee, and our episode on Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas from the year before that.

The name of the poem by Dylan Thomas featuring the line "rage against the dying of the light" is called "Do not go gentle into that good night." Another poem that Gen loves is, "In my craft or sullen art." The radio play that she has yet to read is called Under Milk Wood.

Emezi's novel You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty, their first romance, is partially inspired by Florence + The Machine's song "Hunger." That might be enough for us to give romance a try.

Other Books by Akwaeke Emezi
Bitter
The Death Vivek Oji
Freshwater
You Made A Fool of Death with Your Beauty
Dear Senthuran: A Black Spirit Memoir

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Dec 07, 202257:39

108 - NaNoWriMo 2022

It's November, aka National Novel Writing Month, so in episode 108 Gen and Jette talk all things writing! We get into the projects we're currently working on, the ones that have fallen by the wayside (ahem, 52 weeks of short stories), and what we're doing to cultivate a writing routine. As always, we come away with some fresh inspiration and creative spark.

Show Notes
We were bright eyed and bushy tailed when he began our 52 Weeks of Short Stories challenge at the beginning of this year. 2023 is calling for some softer, gentler writing goals.
Both Gen and Jette have committed to working through The Artist's Way...one of these days.
If anyone remembers a show where they'd have a word of the day, please let us know what it is.
Listen to Episode 106: Something Is Killing the Children for more graphic novel goodness and more about the project Jette is working on.

Books Mentioned
The Writing of Fiction by Edith Wharton
The Writing Life by Annie Dillard
Consider This by Chuck Palahniuk
The Wave in the Mind by Ursula K. LeGuin
Steering the Craft by Ursula K. LeGuin
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier
How to Write An Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

Nov 23, 202201:03:49

107 - How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

In Episode 107, Gen and Jette discuss their latest book club book — How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown. This was Jette's pick and we had a great time nerding out about all things space. Should we become astronomers?

Show Notes
The trans-Neptunian objects discovered by Mike Brown and his team include Quaoar, Sedna, Haumea, Makemake, and Eris.
Is there actually a ninth planet out there?
If you haven't already looked at all the photos from the James Webb telescope what are you even doing?
You need to watch these cute kid song videos about Quaoar and Dwarf Planets

Other Books Mentioned

By Andy Weir: Artemis, The Martian, Project Hail Mary
Reality Is Not What It Seems by Carlo Rovelli
The End of Everything: (Astrophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack

Nov 09, 202257:41

106 - Something is Killing the Children

It's almost Halloween! Which means episode 106 is dedicated to all things spooky — specifically Something Is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV, Werther Dell'Edera, and Miquel Muerto. And we're welcoming guest and friend of the pod, Mike Storey, to talk all things horror and graphic novels.

Show Notes

Mike is well-versed in the horror genre and is also an artist. It was so much fun to have him on to talk about this book and hear his insights on the story, genre, and art.
Mike has a lot of really cool projects coming soon. We hope you enjoyed the snippet of his audio short at the end of the episode. Find the full project on the Horrormooners YouTube channel
Find his artwork in the game instruction manual for the upcoming Project EOS Rise. You can support it on Kickstarter soon!
You can also find Horrormooners on TikTok, Instagram, and Facebook.
Find the creators and letterer for Strike the Dead on Instagram.
Next episode we'll be talking about our latest book club pick, How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Mike Brown

Other Books Mentioned

Revival by Tim Seeley & Mike Norton
Harrow County by Cullen Bun & Tyler Crook
The Low Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado with DaNi
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV with Alvaro Martinez
Killadelphia by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander
The Woods by James Tynion IV & Michael Dialynus
Did You Hear What Eddie Gein Done? by Eric Powell & Harold Schechter
Crossed by Garth Ennis & Jason Burrows
The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young & Jorge Corona
The Autumnal by Daniel Krausand & Chris Shehan
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier

Oct 26, 202249:49

105 - 4th Anniversary Hangout

It's time for a fall hang out episode, which means it's also our podcast anniversary! We're celebrating 4 years of awesome books, reading discoveries, and so much more. In four years, we've recorded 105 episodes that have listeners in over 70 countries, and we're pretty proud of that! A huge thank you to all our listeners who've been with us over the years, and a welcome to all our new listeners!

Show Notes

Shout out to Coach House Books and House of Anansi Press, as always. We love reading and chatting about the books they send us.

Speaking of Coach House, two of their books have made the Scotiabank Giller Prize short list — Lesser Known Monsters of the 21st Century by Kim Fu, which we did and episode on, and The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr.

If you're in Toronto (or if you feel like visiting), Word on the Street and TCAF (Toronto Comic Arts Festival) are two book festivals that are worth checking out.

Two indie publishers we learned about at Word on the Street this year are Stelliform Press and Invisible Publishing and we hope to work with them in future episodes!

Do you feel guilty for reading graphic novels too quickly?

Books & Media Mentioned

*There were a lot, so apologies if we missed any!

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee
Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson
Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
The Summer Tree by Guy Gavriel Kay
The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron
We Were Dreamers by Simu Liu
The Low Low Woods by Carmen Maria Machado with DaNi
The Me You Love in the Dark by Skottie Young and Jorge Corona
The Autumnal by Daniel Krausand and Chris Shehan
Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Book 1: The Crucible by Robert Aguirre-Sacasa with Robert Hack
The Nice House on the Lake by James Tynion IV with Alvaro Martinez
Wytches by Scott Snyder and Jock
Swamp Thing The Twin Branches by Maggie Stiefvater
Blue in Green by Anand Rk and Ram V
Killadelphia by Rodney Barnes and Jason Shawn Alexander
Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
The End of Everything (Astophysically Speaking) by Katie Mack
Something is Killing the Children by James Tynion IV and Werther Dell'Edera
Destroyer by Victor Lavalle
Stillwater by Chip Zdarsky and Ramón K. Pérez
Making a Scene by Constance Wu
The Book of Accidents by Chuck Wendig
How I Killed Pluto and Why It Had It Coming by Michale E. Brown
Certain Dark Things by Silvia Moreno Garcia
Lilith by George MacDonald
The Changeling by Victor Lavalle
Perfume: Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
Greywaren by Maggie Stiefvater
Be Scared of Everything by Peter Counter
It Came From the Closet edited by Joe Vallese

Oct 12, 202201:00:01

104 - Books We Should Have Read By Now

Inspired by Jette's recent blog post, we dive into some of the books we should have read by now—whether it's because they touch on current issues or because they've been on our shelf for ages. Turns out we have a lot of these books, so we made a pact to read at least one book from our list before the end of this year. Listen to find out which ones we chose!

Books & Authors Mentioned
Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler
The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr.
James Baldwin – Giovanni's Room, Another Country, The Fire Next Time, The Devil Finds Work
21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act by Bob Joseph
Rib King by Ladee Hubbard
Flaubert's Parrot by Julian Barnes
Ghost World by Daniel Clowes
Dennis Lehane
Blood Meridien by Cormac McCarthy
The Stand by Stephen King
Dune by Frank Herbert
The Southern Reach Trilogy by Jeff Vandermeer
How to Write An Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee
Persuasion by Jane Austen
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
Gone Girl by Gillian Glynn

Sep 28, 202251:36

103 - How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee

In Episode 103, Gen and Jette dive into Gen's book club pick - How to Write an Autobiographical Novel by Alexander Chee. After seeing this book everywhere and reading so many rave reviews of Chee's work, we knew we had to read it. Obviously, we are now obsessed. An amazing read if you do anything creative. We're both now headed into Autumn feeling inspired and ready to write and create and more.

Show Notes:
So... can we go to the Iowa Writers' Workshop?
Highly recommend watching the documentary The Times of Harvey Milk
If you're a writer, you should read On Writing by Stephen King or Bird by Bird by Anne Lamont

There were definitely other things we talked about but we were bad at taking notes!

Sep 14, 202201:07:05

102 - Book to Screen - Little Women

In Episode 102, Gen and Jette head back to the 1800s with Little Women in another edition of our Page to Screen series. We talk about Louisa May Alcott’s 1868 novel and the 1994 and 2019 films.

Show Notes

Yes Jette is still obsessed with her trip to Concord MA and her visit to Orchard House

This was the first book that managed to stump us both but we swear we will finish reading it eventually LOL

There were definitely other things we talked about but we were bad at taking notes!

Aug 31, 202201:04:30

101 - Setting As Character

In episode 101, Gen and Jette talk about the settings that feel so alive they become an entire character in the novel — the haunted houses, the seaside towns, the cities that feel like living, breathing entities, we're here for all of it!

Show Notes
Make sure to check out Gen's blog post, which inspired this episode.
We, uh, talked about a lot of books. Find (most of) them listed below!
In our next episode we'll be talking about Little Women the novel, as well as two of the film adaptations from 1994 and 2019

Books & Media Mentioned
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
Annihilation by Jeff Vandermeer
Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane
Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton
The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Illuminae by Jay Kristoff & Amie Kaufmann
The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin
Another Country by James Baldwin
The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt
Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh
L.A. Confidential
The Shining by Stephen King
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Batman
Sin City by Frank Miller
Long Way to a Small Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
The Martian, Project Hail Mary, and Artemis by Andy Weir
Home Before Dark by Riley Sager
We Have Always Lived in the Castle by Shirley Jackson
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James
Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey
American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis
My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite
Slade House by David Mitchell
Rebecca by Daphne DuMaurier
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Jaws by Peter Benchley
The Dark Library by Cyrille Martinez
Travels with Charley by John Steinbeck
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Dune by Frank Herbert

Aug 17, 202247:01

100 - 100th Episode Hangout Celebration

It's our 100th episode! We're celebrating by talking about all our favourite moments from the podcast over the last few years, including our favourite episodes, interviews, and books.

The podcast has evolved a lot since we started and we've both expanded our reading — which was the entire point! Achievement unlocked. We're so excited to keep growing and evolving. A huge thank you to all of our listeners for sticking with us and helping make this community so amazing!

Show Notes:

The coffee shop that Jette visited in Concord is Haute Coffee.
Be sure to check out Coach House Books, one of our favourite indie Toronto publishers!
Have you listened to our top five most listened to episodes? Here they are in order:
1. The Rural Diaries by Hilarie Burton Morgan
2. The Institute by Stephen King
3. Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman
4. To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins
5. Another Country by James Baldwin

Visit Hay-on-Wye, Wales to visit all the bookstores.
Our next episode is all about setting as character. We'll be drawing a bit on our blog post, and exploring more books that fall in this category. Will we talk about Mexican Gothic again? Probably.
Keep an eye on our Instagram account so you can join our Little Women watch party! We'll be having two — one for the 1994 adaptation and one for the Greta Gerwig adaptation.

Books and Authors Mentioned
The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
Cemetery Boys by Aiden Thomas
Paper Houses by Dominique Fortier
Autopsy of a Boring Wife by Renee Marie Lavoie
Hawkeye by Matt Fraction & David Aja
Fun Home by Alison Bechdel
The Impossible Resurrection of Grief by Octavia Cade
Be Scared of Everything: Horror Essays by Peter Counter
Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn
Fairy Tale by Stephen King
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Paper Girls by Brian K. Vaughn & Cliff Chiang

Aug 03, 202258:27

099 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid

In Episode 98, Gen and Jette discuss The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid. This episode falls into our #BookstagramMadeMeDoIt series, which lets us jump on the train of a popular book to see what all the fuss is about and if it lives up to the hype.

Evelyn Hugo has been all over Instagram and TikTok and we can see why! Just like with Daisy Jones and the Six, Jenkins Reid crafts an impeccable fictional story that slides so neatly into real history that you'd think it actually happened. If you're looking for your next summer read, look no further!

Show Notes

We might just be Taylor Jenkins Reid super fans now. Time to work our way through her entire catalogue. And maybe reread Daisy Jones?

It was a lot of fun looking into the Taylor Jenkins Reid Universe, which loosely connects Daisy Jones, Evelyn Hugo, and Malibu Rising in the same fictional history. We suspect her latest book, Carrie Sotto is Back, also fits into this timeline. As far as we can tell, Evelyn's third husband, Mick Riva, is the common thread in all of them.

Daisy Jones and the Six has been adapted into a mini series and is set to release some time this year, though we don't have an exact date yet. All we can say is: Give it to us now! (We may or may not have a bonus episode once we've watched it.)

We're celebrating our 100th episode next! Let us know your favourite episodes and what you'd like to see more from us in the future.

Other Books & Media Mentioned

By Taylor Jenkins Reid – Daisy Jones and the Six, Malibu Rising, Carrie Sotto is Back
Stephen King
By Emily St. John Mandel – Station Eleven, The Glass Hotel, Sea of Tranquility

Jul 20, 202201:04:45

098 - Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

In Episode 98, Gen and Jette discuss their latest book club book, Home Before Dark by Riley Sager. It's our first time discussing a thriller and we had a grand spooky time. Sager's story within a story keeps you guessing right until the very end, making for a great #IcedCoffeeRead this summer.

Notes
The snake pit that Jette mentions in Manitoba is called the Narcisse Snake Dens. It's exactly what it sounds like! If you're not terrified of snakes, check out some of the videos on their website:
The Grange House that was the first home of the Art Gallery of Ontario is definitely haunted. The website doesn't mention that it's haunted, but as former employees, we can assure you that it is.
We had a bit of fun telling our own personal ghost stories. Now we want to know: do you believe in ghosts? Tell us all your ghostly encounters in the comments or DM us on Instagram!
Our next episode we'll be talking about one of Bookstagram/BookTok's favourite books, The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reed.

Other Books by Riley Sager
The Last Time I Lied
Final Girls
Lock Every Door
Survive the Night
The House Across the Lake

Other Books & Media Mentioned
The Sundown Motel by Simone St. James
The Book of Cold Cases by Simone St. James
The Paris Apartment by Lucy Foley
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Agatha Christie
The Walking Dead

Jul 06, 202259:50