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Since writing his first book at the age of twelve, it's hard to imagine a more prolific writer than Gordon Korman. In nearly five decades of writing for kids and young adults, he's published 107 books, and sold around 35 million copies. He's beloved by readers spanning multiple generations and has become one of the most recognizable names in the middle grade genre. He stops by the studio to discuss how writing for young people has changed over his 50 years in the industry, what makes a character and story memorable and which books have helped shape his life and career.  Books discussed on this week's show include: Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing by Judy Blume The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Catch-22 by Joseph Heller A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Who is the wimpy kid behind Jeff Kinney’s iconic series? Inside the Toronto Sceptres’ team book club Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

At the age of 27, Sam Demma just published his third book. His latest is called Return on Goodwill: Do good. Expect nothing. Watch life surprise you. He talks about how a trip to Value Village changed his perspective on everyday interactions, and shares the book that helped get him there. Sam is a bestselling author, an international speaker and someone who's been spreading his message of kindness and respect since he was a teenager. Plus, Talia Kliot joins the show after watching and reading Ali Hazelwood’s breakout rom-com The Love Hypothesis. She’ll share her thoughts and talk about the film's familiar backdrop.  Books discussed on this week's show include: Return on Goodwill by Sam Demma How to Win Friends and Influence People by Dale Carnegie The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Has hustle culture been lying to you? The hidden connection between basketball and book nerds Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

When writer and creative Arizona O'Neill read the satirical novel Fruit Fly by Josh Silver, it got her thinking about the publishing industry and the popularity of gay romance written by women. It's about a straight female author with a bad case of writer’s block who decides to write a novel about a young gay man battling addiction. Arizona makes her case for why it might be time to resume the conversation on who has the right to tell what stories. Plus, author Grant Ginder talks about his real-life heroes and his love for good produce while answering The Next Chapter’s version of The Proust Questionnaire.  Books discussed on this week's show include: Fruit Fly by Josh Silver So Old, So Young by Grant Ginder Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Dealing with family drama? These novels prove it could always be worse How to avoid getting locked in an echo chamber Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

What are the best books published this month? Questions and titles like this led to writer and teacher Thea Lim’s article “Abolish the Top Ten List,” for the Walrus magazine. She noticed how rankings and lists dominate how we speak about books, narrowing the number of titles that reach the surface. Is this a healthy way to interact with art? She joins the show to talk about it. Plus, author Don Gillmor talks about his venture into crime thriller writing with Cherry Beach and recommends a read-alike.  Books discussed on this week's show include: Small Mercies by Dennis Lehane Cherry Beach by Don Gillmor Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Are literary prizes a scam? Why Ann Patchett thinks the secret to success might be lowering people's expectations Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

With four Netflix specials and a late-night show to her name, Taylor Tomlinson has comedy figured out. But something she had never done before, was write a book. The comedian just released an essay collection called Actually, Nevermind, all about how people are allowed to change their minds. In the book, she lets us into her brain, discussing everything from love to religion, personal stories and mental health. She takes us back to a time when she thought she was destined to be a writer, and when Junie B. Jones taught her to be funny. A lifelong reader, she joins The Next Chapter to talk about her favourite books and what it meant to write her own. Books discussed on this week's show include: The Junie B. Jones series by Barbara Park Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel Bossypants by Tina Fey Liked this conversation? Keep listening: The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling What books drew Brendan Fraser to storytelling? Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Chelsea Vowel is a lawyer, teacher and writer. 10 years ago, she published her influential book Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada. Chelsea joins the show to talk about the newly released 10th anniversary edition, which continues the groundbreaking conversation. Plus, novelist and playwright Anosh Irani talks about the process of adapting Rohinton Mistry’s novel A Fine Balance for the stage at Crow's Theatre in Toronto. Books discussed on this week's show include: Indigenous Writes: A Guide to First Nations, Metis and Inuit issues in Canada by Chelsea Vowel A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry  Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Why books serve a vital role in Truth and Reconciliation What does it mean to be a Bad Indian? Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

For our team of producers at CBC Books, fall reading starts in spring when publisher catalogues and look-aheads arrive at the office. Ailey Yamamoto, Ashly July and Lisa Mathews have been reading fall books for months, and join the show to recommend the title they think should make the top of your reading list. Plus, Polaris Prize nominated musician Charlotte Cornfield talks about her musical journey and what she’s been reading.  Books discussed on this week's show include: We Are Underlings by Doretta Lau Opioids and Organs by Arizona O'Neill The Wild Beneath by Kelly Anderson These Songs I Know by Heart by Erin Brubacher Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Fall book recs? Take it from us What might surprise you about Margaret Atwood’s new memoir Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

After cleaning up at the Canadian Screen Awards in May, North of North returns for season two with nine awards under its belt including Best Comedy Series. In this episode, co-stars Anna Lambe and Maika Harper join the show to talk about the series, the stories it tells and the role books and reading play in their busy lives. Plus, author Ashley Audrain opens up about her novel The Push being named by the New York Times as one of the top 50 thriller novels of the 21st century.  Books discussed on this week's show include: A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James The First Peoples by Maika Harper Thou Shalt Do No Murder by Kenn Harper The Jakarta Method by Vincent Bevins A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn The Death of Us by Abigail Dean Liked this conversation? Keep listening: How Amanda Brugel manifested her role in The Handmaid’s Tale The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

The Odyssey, both the movie and Homer’s epic poem, was at the top of the pop culture zeitgeist this summer. The sudden resurgence leads to the question: What is it about the Greeks, their myths and their philosophies that sticks with us? To dive into this topic, we sit down with writer, actor and classic enthusiast Kudakwashe Rutendo to discuss the staying power of these stories, and share her less than warm review of The Odyssey. Plus, Montreal-based musician Edwin Raphael talks about his music and why he wants to read more this year. Books discussed on this week's show include: The Odyssey by Homer The Odyssey by Emily Wilson Son of Nobody by Yann Martel The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Are book bans actually effective in a digital age? The youngest Canada Reads contestant is now a Disney star: Here’s what she’s reading now Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

You may know Kia Nurse from the WNBA, Team Canada or her basketball coverage on TSN. She also scored the first points recorded in Toronto Tempo history. Today she joins the show to talk about the team’s book club, and what they’ve been reading as of late. And later, CBC Books producer Bridget Raymundo talks about the hit graphic novel series Hearstopper, and why it holds such a special place in her heart.  Books discussed on this week's show include: It Should Have Been You by Andrea Mara Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides Heartstopper by Alice Oseman  Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Inside the Toronto Sceptres’ team book club Get to know CBC’s Winter Olympics host Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Celebrity book clubs have shown their staying power. From Reese Witherspoon to Dua Lipa, everyone’s curious about what actors and artists are reading. When Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha shared that she’s in a book club with five of her actor friends the last time she was on the show, we knew we had to see what this club was all about. Nadine and her colleagues Clark Backo and Jess Salgueiro join the show to peel back the curtain on this star-studded book club, share what they’ve been reading and how their love of books brought them all together. Books discussed on this week's show include: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman The Witch by Marie Ndiaye Half His Age by Jeannette McCurdy  Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Heated Rivalry’s Nadine Bhabha’s It Girl book club How Amanda Brugel manifested her role in The Handmaid’s Tale Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Will Ferguson began his career as a travel writer. Since then he's written more than a dozen books and won some of the biggest literary prizes a Canadian writer can win. Along the way, he never gave up travel writing, and still uses it to inform his fiction. His books stretch across genres, allowing his work to follow wherever his interests take him, always with an underpinning thread of humour. Growing up in a small town in Northern Alberta, books were his first ticket to seeing the outside world. He'll break down which books have influenced his life and career the most in a segment of My Life in Books. Books discussed on this week's show include: Meanwhile, Back in Nokomis by Will Ferguson Red Sky at Morning by Richard Bradford The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler The Quiet American by Graham Greene Satellite Love by Genki Ferguson Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Terry Fallis proves you have to live before you can write The books that made Andrew Phung fall in love with storytelling Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

For most of her writing life Patricia Finn wrote and polished other people’s stories. But this spring she stepped out of the shadows with the publication of her debut novel. It’s called The Golden Boy and it follows a television executive who, after losing his job, inherits the grandchildren of his deceased friend. Patricia joins the show to tell us about The Golden Boy and recommend a companion read. Plus, author Uzma Jalaluddin shares what Gen Z slang she's picked up from her kids while answering The Next Chapter's version of the Proust Questionnaire. Books discussed on this week's show include: No Great Mischief by Alistair MacLeod The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai Moonlight Murder by Uzma Jalaluddin Liked this conversation? Keep listening: The author behind Lucky reveals how she helped cast Anya Taylor-Joy The book that inspired Carley Fortune's writing career Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

In April, two Canada Reads nominated authors took the stage in Whitehorse to discuss their books in front of a packed live audience. The evening featured a conversation between Loghan Paylor, author of The Cure for Drowning, and Billy-Ray Belcourt, the author of A Minor Chorus. Both novels explore what it means to find a sense of home, and how that quest can impact who we become. The event was called Homecoming, and with the help of CBC host Leonard Linklater, the authors sat down to discuss the themes of home, identity and belonging in their characters' lives, and in their own. Books discussed on this week's show include: The Cure for Drowning by Loghan Paylor A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt Liked this conversation? Keep listening: How iconic musician Tegan Quin plans to tackle Canada Reads Why Elle-Maija Tailfeathers says A Minor Chorus is the story Canada needs to hear right now Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks

Ten years ago, more than 11 million Canadians tuned in to CBC for the live airing of The Tragically Hip’s final concert of their Man Machine Poem tour in Kingston, Ontario. Since then, this performance has held a special place in the minds of many Canadians and more. Michael Barclay is a writer and long time fan of the band. He wanted to make sure that the iconic Canadian band’s history was being documented, so he wrote a book. It’s called The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip. It guides readers through the history of the band, their music and offers a window into the music scene at that time. He talks about the band's legacy and what made the Hip Canada's band. Books discussed on this week's show include: The Never Ending Present: The Story of Gord Downie and the Tragically Hip by Michael Barclay Rough Description by Don Pyle Liked this conversation? Keep listening: Canadian fiddle legend Natalie MacMaster shares her life in books What is the greatest Canadian novel of all time? Check us out on Instagram @cbcbooks and TikTok @cbcbooks