The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing

The Giller Prize is one of Canada's biggest literary awards. Before this year's winner was announced, all five finalists joined Antonio Michael Downing on stage at an event at Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto to read from their shortlisted works and share the inspiration behind them. Featuring Mona Awad, Eddy Boudel Tan, Emma Donoghue, Emma Knight and Souvankham Thammavongsa.Books discussed on this week's show include:We Love You, Bunny by Mona AwadThe Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel TanThe Paris Express by Emma DonoghueThe Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma KnightPick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa

When director Jacob Tierney (Letterkenney) first DM’d Rachel Reid, she couldn’t believe that someone was interested in adapting her book. Since then, the series has become one of the most popular Canadian titles on Crave, and has been renewed for a second season. She pulls back the curtain on what it was like seeing her characters brought to life on screen, and even recommends other books to check out for when you’ve run out of episodes. Plus, the mystery panel continues the tradition of recommending some favourite titles for the holiday season. Books discussed on this week's show include:Heated Rivalry by Rachel ReidCrash Test by Amy JamesHockey Bois by A. L. HeardA Place of Secrets by Shane PeacockTokyo Express by Seicho MatsumotoListen by Sacha BronwasserCarved in Blood: A Hana Westerman Thriller by Michael Bennet6:40 to Montreal by Eva JursykThe Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

When Jesse Wente was a kid, he was given a stuffed penguin as a gift. He decided to name his penguin Danger Eagle, the stunt performing stuffy. Decades later, Danger Eagle has taken center stage in Jesse's first ever children's book. Since wrapping up his term as chair of the Canada Council for the Arts and with a bestselling memoir under his belt, he joins the show to share the stories that have influenced his own life the most. Plus, musician Girl Ultra recommends A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf.Books discussed on this week's show include:Watership Down by Richard AdamsThe Monster At the End of This Book by Jon StoneSteering the Craft by Ursula K. Le GuinIndian School Days by Basil H. JohnstonDanger Eagle by Jesse WenteA Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Before Raymond Ablack became a fan-favorite, playing Joe on Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia, he was a kid who enjoyed acting, reading and Christmas. He joins The Next Chapter to share some of his childhood memories, and what it’s like to play Sam Wilner in the Audibles Originals story, Mistletoe Murders. Plus, Madelaine Drohan on her book about Benjamin Franklin, the surprises and similarities in the history of Canada-US relations and two companion reads.Books discussed on this week's show include:He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin’s Failure to Annex Canada by Madelaine DrohanTrading Fate: How a Little-known Company Stopped British Columbia from Becoming an American State by Graeme Menzies Elbows Up: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud

From a chicken channeling its inner dinosaur, to raising dragon eggs in P.E.I., to a teen fauxmance, The Next Chapter’s children’s book panel is back with a new holiday reading list. Writer and broadcaster Bee Quammie and CBC books producer Lucy Mann share six books to engage readers from pre-school to high school.Books discussed on this week's show include:Lena the Chicken (But Really A Dinosaur!) by Linda Bailey, illustrated by K-Fai SteeleThe One About the Blackbird by Melanie Florence, illustrated by Matt JamesFresh Start by Gale Galligan Kindred Dragons by Sarah MensingaYou Started It by Jackie KhaliliehSongs for Ghosts by Clara Kumagai