Podcast
The Next Chapter with Antonio Michael Downing
Hosted by CBC · EN
Looking for your next great read? The Next Chapter’s got you covered! Book lovers join host Antonio Michael Downing to dive deep into great books. Big feelings, hot takes, enlightening conversations — you’ve never been in a book club like this before. It’s Canada’s book club, and everyone’s invited. So pull up a chair and join the conversation. New episodes every Saturday and Monday.
34episodes
Episodes
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Get ready for the World Cup with these essential soccer books
3d ago00:27:43Tap to summarizeAs Canada prepares for its upcoming World Cup games, writer, musician and sports enthusiast Dave Bidini joins the show to help get you in the soccer spirit. He’ll recommend two classic football books that capture why we call it the beautiful game. Plus, author Genevieve Graham talks about getting lost in the work while answering The Next Chapter’s version of the Proust Questionnaire. Books discussed on this week's show include:Soccer in Sun and Shadow by Eduardo GaleanoDynamo: Triumph and Tragedy in Nazi-Occupied Kiev by Andy DouganThe Chambermaid's Key by Genevieve GrahamCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →After Heated Rivalry, what’s next for romance readers?
5d ago00:25:42Tap to summarizeReaders 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 BrownThe Book Tour by Emily OhanjaniansBedside Manner by C.G. MacingtonPhoebe Berman’s Gonna Lose it Brooke AverickBraiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall KimmererCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →The Montréal bookstore doing it like no other: Meet Joie de Livres
1w ago00:27:42Tap to summarizeIf 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. PolkRestaurant Kid by Rachel PhanCelestina’s House by Clarissa Trinidad GonzalezCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →The books that made David Chilton The Wealthy Barber
2w ago00:24:35Tap to summarizeBefore 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 TobiasScientific Advertising by Claude HopkinsOgilvy on Advertising by David OgilvyLooneyspoons by Janet and Greta PodleskiWhite River Crossing by Ian McGuireCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha’s It Girl book club
2w ago00:27:42Tap to summarizeNadine 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 ParkerFamesick by Lena DunhamGood Material by Dolly AldertonNumb Were the Beadsman's Fingers - A Flavia de Luce Novel by Alan BradleyCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling
3w ago00:26:43Tap to summarizeAndrew 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 CareyThe Outsiders by S.E. HintonSunshine Nails by Mai NguyenMigrant Rain Falls in Reverse by Vinh NguyenCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →How being a 'sickly child' made Wayne Johnston a better writer
3w ago00:27:41Tap to summarizeWayne 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 CervantesSalome by Oscar WildeCollected Poems of Emily DickinsonAs You Like It by William ShakespeareOne Aladdin Two Lamps by Jeanette WintersonCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →How reading became the hottest fashion trend of 2026
4w ago00:25:06Tap to summarizeGen 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 RubinCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →Her uncles for worked for MI6, now she writes spy novels
May 1100:27:42Tap to summarizeIona 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 WhishawThe Chambermaid’s Key by Genevieve GrahamI, Medusa by Ayana GrayCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
Transcribe →How Elise Silver became one of the biggest names in romance
May 900:26:36Tap to summarizeElsie 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. HintonDancer by Shelley PetersonThe Hunger Games series by Suzanne CollinsThe Fever series by Karen Marie Moning Fever Dream by Elsie SilverCheck us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks
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