Keep It Fictional

Get to know Allison from their favourite books, and of course, from their answers to some existential questions. Books mentioned on this episode: The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, Letter Perfect by David Sacks, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead by Tom Stoppard, and The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman.

Things are about to get weird on Keep It Fictional. This week, we bring you sentient sourdough, sentient car, sentient train, sentient robot moose, sentient gingerbread people, and more! Books mentioned on this episode: A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking by T. Kingfisher, Christine by Stephen King, and The Terraformers by Annalee Newitz.

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Here at Keep It Fictional we want to take the opportunity to express our thanks for all the opportunities to read books written by authors of Asian descent. Thank you for your great contribution to literature. Books mentioned on this episode: A Magic Steeped in Poison by Judy I. Lin, I Went To See My Father by Shin Kyung-sook, translated by Anton Hur, The Dwellers by Eliza Victoria, and People Change by Vivek Shraya.

We finish off talking about our anticipated reads of May to August 2023, and bid farewell to Mark, one of our dear book friends. Thank you, Mark, for all your thought-provoking book recommendations in the past year. We will try to carry the torch by raising awareness of lesser known, translated works from around the world.

Books mentioned on this episode: Vampires of El Norte by Isabel Cañas, Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs, The Politics and Poetics of Everyday Life by Kristin Ross, Oh God, The Sun Goes by David Connor, Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa, translated by Eric Ozawa, The Maniac by Benjamín Labatut, Kappa by Ryūnosuke Akutagawa, translated by Lisa Hoffman-Kuroda and Allison Markin Powell, The Forest Brims Over by Maru Ayase, translated by Haydn Trowell, Honeybees and Distant Thunder by Riku Onda, translated by Philip Gabriel, and Mild Vertigo by Mieko Kanai, translated by Polly Barton.

Your TBR is about to get longer! This and next week, we will tell you about 25 very on-brand upcoming releases we are looking forward to reading. Books mentioned on this episode: The Stronghold by Dino Buzzati and translated by Lawrence Venuti, The Book that Wouldn't Burn by Mark Lawrence, The Saint of Bright Doors by Vajra Chandrasekera, Lady Tan's Circle of Women by Lisa See, Crooked Manifesto by Colson Whitehead, Learned by Heart by Emma Donoghue, Shigidi and the Brass Head of Obalufon by Wole Talabi, Goodbye, Eri by Tatsuki Fujimoto, Much Ado About Nada by Uzma Jalaluddin, The Poisoner's Ring by Kelley Armstrong, The Water Outlaws by SL Huang, 24 Hours with Gaspar by Sabda Armandio and translated by Lara Norgaard, Shark Heart by Emily Habeck, Immortal Longings by Chloe Gong, and Whale by Cheon Myeong-kwan and translated by Chi-Young Kim.

Today's episode is all about giving a shoutout to those books that were nominated for an award, didn't win, but should have, in our opinion. Get ready for epic road trips, missing bodies, alternative realities, and true crime podcasts. Books mentioned on this episode: Less is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer, The Trees by Percival Everett, The Tatami Galaxy by Tomihiko Morimi, translated by Emily Balistrieri, and I Hope You're Listening by Tom Ryan.

The tables have turned! This week, instead of recommending books we have read and loved, we had to read books someone else has recommended to us. These books include a melancholic read with not much happening, a thrift shop with eccentric customers, a queen who doesn't want to die, and a detective taking witness statements from ghosts. Are the Keep It Fictional librarians good at taking recommendations? Let's find out. Books mentioned on this show: At Dusk by Hwang Sok-yong, translated by Sora Kim-Russell, The Nakano Thrift Shop by Hiromi Kawakami, translated by Allison Markin Powell, The Snow Queen by Joan D. Vinge, and Midnight Riot (or Rivers of London in the U.K.) by Ben Aaronovitch.

We discovered that one of our book friends loves a good betrayal, thankfully only in books and not in real life. Join us this week as we try to figure out who will be the traitor among our books. Books mentioned this week: The Traitor Baru Cormorant by Seth Dickinson, Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn, The Woman Upstairs by Claire Messud, and Rogues: True Stories of Grifters, Killers, Rebels and Crooks by Patrick Radden Keefe.

Get ready to feel all the emotions with our poetry and novel-in-verse recommendations. Books mentioned in this episode: Deep Wheel Orcadia by Harry Josephine Giles, A Really Good Brown Girl by Marilyn Dumont, The Tradition by Jericho Brown, and Cluster by Souvankham Thammavongsa.

What should be a pleasant episode about spring and plants and fungi turns out to be stuff of nightmare for one of our book friends. Books mentioned on this episode: Entangled Life by Merlin Sheldrake, A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari, This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron, The Orchid Thief by Susan Orlean, and A Mountain to the North, a Lake to the South, Paths to the West, a River to the East by László Krasznahorkai.

Find out what our Keep It Fictional librarians think of this year's CBC Canada Reads' contenders: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Greenwood by Michael Christie, Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah, and Ducks by Kate Beaton. The debate will take place from March 27 to 30. Let's see if we have guessed the right winner.

What kind of superpowers would you want? How about the ones our characters have in the books we read for this week's episode? Shapeshifting, immortality, ability to fly, superstrength, and...Math? Books mentioned on this episode: Wildseed by Octavia E. Butler, Faith by Julie Murphy, Her Majesty's Royal Coven by Juno Dawson, Zero Sum Game by S.L. Huang, and Dreadnaught by April Daniels.

March is National Small Press Month. We want to give a shout out to all the amazing small publishers out there that make our book world so much richer and more interesting! Thank you. We encourage you to pick up a book from a small press this month, and every month of the year. Books mentioned in this episode: The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste (Algonquin), Dislocations by Sylvia Molloy (Charco Press), Just Jen: Thriving Through Multiple Sclerosis by Jen Powley (Fernwood), and Barn 8 by Deb Olin Unferth (Graywolf Press). 

We say goodbye and good luck to Gabriel, one of our book friends who has been with the Port Moody Public Library for the last year. Thank you for all the book (and video game) recommendations, Gabriel. Books mentioned on this episode: Bioshock: Rapture by John Shirley, Aristotle and Dante Dive into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Vicious by V.E. Schwab, Minecraft: The Dragon by Nicky Drayden, and Crying in H Mart by Michelle Zauner.

This week (February 19 - 25, 2023) is Freedom to Read Week in Canada. Our Keep It Fictional librarians are here to talk about banned books that people don't want you to get your hands on. Show your support and commitment to freedom to read by picking up and reading a banned book.

Books mentioned on this episode: More Happy Than Not by Adam Silvera, All Boys Aren't Blue by George M. Johnson, All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely, and Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe.

Our librarians recommend fantastic reads by Black authors for every month of the year. Books mentioned on this episode: Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions by Omolola Ijeoma Ogunyemi, The Sleeping Car Porter by Suzette Mayr, We Cast a Shadow by Maurice Carlos Ruffin, What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam J. A. Chancy, and Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia.

Get ready for some earworms! In today's Keep It Fictional Book Chat, Corene, Fiona, Mark, and Virginia talk about books that have the same titles as songs. Also on the episode, a revelation that blew Corene's mind. 20th Century Boys by Naoki Urasawa, You Sexy Thing by Cat Rambo, Girl in a Coma by Douglas Coupland, and She Drives Me Crazy by Kelly Quindlen.

This episode provides some incentives for our librarians to pick up a book by an author they have always meant to read. And with Sadie back, a topic that hurts Corene's brain resurfaces: buying series. Books mentioned on this episode: The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway, Ravelstein by Saul Bellow, Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany, and Defy the Night by Brigid Kemmerer.

Are you a fan of books with multiple perspectives? Corene, Fiona, Mark, and Virginia have recommendations for you in today's Keep It Fictional Book Chat. Romance, Frankenstein retelling, swimming pools, and reality shows are on the menu today. Books mentioned on this episode: The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka, Unwieldy Creatures by Addie Tsai, What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez, and Love From Mecca to Medina by S K Ali.

The Keep It Fictional librarians challenge themselves to read a loooong book. Are you a fan of a doorstopper? What is the longest book you've read? 

Books mentioned on this episode: Books mentioned on this episode: Les Miserables by Victor Hugo (different translations available), Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez and translated by Megan McDowell, Lady Joker by Kaoru Takamura and translated by Allison Markin Powell and Marie Iida, and A Perfect Spy by John le Carré.

In case your To-Be-Read (TBR) list is not long enough already, we have more books to suggest to you. Fiona, Gabriel, and Mark talk about the books coming out from January to April that they are looking forward to reading. Memoirs, mysteries, haunted houses, shogi, guerilla gardening group, and more. Let us know what books you are excited to read!

Books mentioned on this episode: Stravaging "Strange" by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, translated by Joanne Turnbull, Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo, Miss Major Speaks by Toshio Meronek and Miss Major, Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy, The Wounded Age and Eastern Tales by Ferit Edgü and  translated by Aron Aji, Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton, March Comes In Like a Lion by Chica Umino, Central Places by Delia Cai, After Sappho by Selby Wynn Schwartz, River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer, How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix, Camp Zero by Michelle Min Sterling, Sink by Joseph Earl Thomas, Wolfish by Erica Berry, and The Villa by Rachel Hawkins.

Happy New Year, book lovers! 2023 is here, and Corene and Virginia are putting together their lists of upcoming books to read. This season's lineup includes murder, more murder, mysterious suitcase, French elf, anxious robot vacuum, dark academia, and chicken soup. Books mentioned on this episode: 

We continue counting down to our top five favourite books of 2022. Books mentioned on this episode: Internet for the People by Ben Tarnoff, Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi, translated by David Boyd and Lucy North, How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz, How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis, Blue Period (Series) by Tsubasa Yamaguchi, Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk, The Spear Cuts Through Water by Simon Jimenez, Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler, Scattered All Over the Earth by Yoko Tawada and translated by Margaret Mitsutani, Idol Burning by Rin Usami and translated by Asa Yoneda, Thrust by Lidia Yuknavitch, Violeta by Isabel Allende and translated by Frances Riddle.

Thank you so much for spending the last year with us, book lovers. Keep It Fictional will see you in 2023. Have a great holiday and a happy new year!

We count down to our top five favourite books of 2022 and thank all the authors who have given us wonderful stories all year long. Books mentioned on this episode: Sari, Not Sari by Sonya Singh, Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield, Squire by Nadia Shammas and Sara Alfageeh, What World is This? by Judith Butler, Haven by Emma Donoghue, Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo, Death on Gokumon Island by Seishi Yokomizo, and The Employees by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin Aitken. 

Stay tuned for Part Two of our countdown next week.

As Fiona said, we often read for comfort, but for this episode, we all have to step out of our comfort zone to read a genre we usually don't read. What would be outside your wheelhouse that you'd like to give it a try?

Books mentioned on this episode: 77 Fragments of a Familiar Ruin: Poems by Thomas King, The Lady Killer by Masako Togawa, God's Country by Percival Everett, and Waking the Witch: Reflections on Women, Magic, and Power by Pam Grossman.

Our assignment for this episode is to read a book by an author with a first name that appears on the list of most popular baby names of the year we were born. We ended up with a Daniel, a David, a Jennifer, and a Juan. What books may be on your list? 

Books mentioned on this episode: Ishmael by Daniel Quinn, At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop and translated by Anna Moschovakis, The Genius of Birds by Jennifer Ackerman, and Horizontal Vertigo: A City Called Mexico by Juan Villoro and translated by Alfred MacAdam.

Is there such a thing as a perfect crime? The locked room mystery books we read for today's episodes tried to create one, but could you crack the case before the book ends? Books mentioned on this episode: Reprieve by James Han Mattson, One of Us is Lying by Karen M. McManus, Lavender House by Lev A.C. Rosen, Malice by Keigo Higashino, translated by Alexander O. Smith with Elye Alexander, and The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley.

To cheer on everyone participating in NaNoWriMo this November, we decided to dedicate an episode to books about writers and the art of writing. Books mentioned in this episode: Commonwealth by Ann Patchett, Greenland by David Santos Donaldson, Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut, A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway, and The Prisoner by Hwang Sok-yong (translated by Anton Hur and Sora Kim-Russell).

November 2 is I Read Canadian Day. Pick up a book by a Canadian author and celebrate the rich diversity of literature in this country. We recommend: Len & Cub by Dusty Green and Meredith Batt, We Measure the Earth with Our Bodies by Tsering Yangzom Lama, Mocassin Square Gardens by Richard Van Camp, The Forest of Stolen Girls by June Hur, and Women Talking by Miriam Toews.

It's almost Halloween and we thought we would talk about some of our recent reads that involve different kinds of monsters and creatures, in addition to our strong feelings towards Twilight, and... Sweden? Books mentioned in this episode: Kitaro by Shigeru Mizuki, Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist, The Lady from the Black Lagoon by Mallory O'Meara, and Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo.

Keep It Fictional Goes Non-Fiction today. 

If there is a topic you're interested in, chances are, there is a book about it. At least that's what we've found as we explore niche subjects we are passionate about (and concluded that we are all nerds). Books mentioned on this episode: Paperbacks from Hell by Grady Hendrix, Atlas of the European Novel: 1800-1900 by Franco Moretti, Catherine the Great by Robert K. Massie, and A is for Arsenic: The Poisons of Agatha Christie by Kathryn Harkup.

In today's episode, we offer you five different contests you can compete in. Which one would you choose, and who will reign supreme? Books mentioned in this episode: The Mary Shelley Club by Goldy Moldavsky, Blazewrath Games by Amparo Ortiz, Hide by Kiersten White, House of Dragons by Jessica Cluess, and The Henna Wars by Adiba Jaigirdar.

Let these books transport you to the Victorian Times. You will also learn some delightful Victorian slang terms. Books mentioned on this episode: The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry, Moriarty the Patriot written by Ryosuke Takeuchi and art by Hikaru Miyoshi, The Gentleman by Forrest Leo, and A Spy in the House by Y.S. Lee.

September is National Translation Month. We want to take this opportunity to thank all the translators who make literature from around the world accessible to us. We are so grateful for all the work you do! 🙏 

Books mentioned on this episode: Diary of a Void by Emi Yagi and translated by David Boyd and Lucy North, All the Lovers in the Night by Mieko Kawakami and translated by Sam Bett and David Boyd, Life Ceremony:Stories by Sayaka Murata and translated by Ginny Tapley Takemori, and Journey by Moonlight by Antel Szerb and translated by Len Rix.

Our Keep It Fictional librarians celebrate this special month by highlighting some of our favourite books by authors from Latin American and South American countries, and writers of the diaspora. We also have some strong feelings about taking "tacky" touristy photos. Books mentioned on the episode: Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro, The Daughter of Doctor Moreau by Silvia Moreno-Garcia, Gordo by Jaime Cortez, Reputations by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and Violeta by Isabel Allende.

Set sail for adventure and treasure with the books Fiona, Mark, and Virginia brought to our Keep It Fictional episode today. Books mentioned: The House of Rust by Khadija Abdalla Bajaber, Mr. Midshipman Hornblower by C. S. Forester, and The Vinland Sagas.

It's Back to School week and the Keep It Fictional Librarians found themselves quenching their thirst for knowledge with some dark academia books, wondering what they are willing to do to get free tuition. Books mentioned on this episode: The Department of Rare Books and Special Collections by Eva Jurczyk, Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, Babel by R.F. Kuang, The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake, and Catherine House by Elisabeth Thomas.

It's our 100th episode! We celebrated this milestone by reading a "secret santa" book, which prompted us to contemplate questions like "have you ever considered your future as a pickle?", or "am I perhaps an octopus?"  Books mentioned on this episode: Your Guide to Not Getting Murdered in a Quaint English Village by Maureen Johnson and Jay Cooper, The Emissary by Yoko Tawada, The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater, Nobody Cries at Bingo by Dawn Dumont.

New Fall book releases, we are ready for ya! See what Corene, Fiona, Gabriel, Mark, and Virginia are looking forward to reading. Parallel universe, old man with a bag, worms, murder, existential crisis, and more. Books mentioned on this episode: Kilometre 101 by Maxim Osipov, Leech by Hiron Ennes, Self-Portrait with Nothing by Aimee Pokwatka, The Sunbearer Trial by Aiden Thomas, I Want to Die But I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Sehee, A Scatter of Light by Malinda Lo, The Mountain in the Sea by Ray Nayler, Thistlefoot by GennaRose Nethercott, Novelist as a Vocation by Haruki Murakami, Jackal by Erin E. Adams, OUr Shadows Have Claws by Amp, aro Ortiz and Yamile Saied Mendez, A Minor Chorus by Billy-Ray Belcourt, Even Though I Knew the End by C.L. Polk, Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell, and Station Eternity by Mur Lafferty.

Join us next week for part two.

Suit up and get ready to dive into the immersive, melodramatic, character-driven world of space opera! Books mentioned on this episode: A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers, Winter's Orbit by Everina Maxwell, Unconquerable Sun by Kate Elliott, Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee, and An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon.

Creatures made of paper coming alive. A magical mathematical formula that takes away emotions. A toilet baby?!? These are just some of the fantastic stories we read this week from our short story collections. Are you a fan of short stories?

Books mentioned on this episode: The Paper Menagerie by Ken Liu, What It Means When a Man Falls from the Sky by Lesley Nneka Arimah, and Cursed Bunny by Bora Chung, translated by Anton Hur. 

Go bananas! Get ready for some strange, bizarre, and surreal tales. Books mentioned on this episode: My Volcano by John Elizabeth Stinzi, The Regional Office is Under Attack! by Manuel Gonzales, Modelland by Tyra Banks, The Complete Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino, and House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski.

Take some real historical figures and throw them into a fictional world. What would you get? These five amazing books: A Clash of Steel by CB Lee, Stoker's Wilde by Melissa Prusi and Steven Hopstaken, The Twilight World by Werner Herzog, See What I Have Done by Sarah Schmidt, and Sudden Death by Álvaro Enrigue.

It's absolutely delightful when finding one book leads you to another book, and another book, and another book. In this Keep It Fictional episode, we talked about the rabbit holes we have been in and a book we discovered while we were there. Books mentioned in this episode: The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, The Story of My Teeth by Valeria Luiselli (translated by Christina MacSweeney), My Friend Anna: The True Story of a Fake Heiress by Rachel DeLoache Williams, and The World of Lore: Monstrous Creatures by Aaron Mahnke.

Summer is here and Gabriel has asked all their book friends to go exploring in this episode of Keep It Fictional. Books mentioned in this episode: The Hike by Drew Magary, Atlas Obscura by by Dylan Thuras, Ella Morton, and Joshua Foer, The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury, Delicious in Dungeon by Ryoko Kui, and Eighty Days by A.C. Esguerra.

Even if you are not a huge sports fan, we hope you will enjoy these sports fiction and non-fiction. Books mentioned in this episode: Real by Takehiko Inoue, Take Your Eye Off the Puck: How to Watch Hockey by Knowing Where to Look by Greg Wyshynski, and Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler.

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day in Canada. Read a book by an indigenous author along with our Keep It Fictional librarians. They recommend: The Björkan Sagas by Harold R. Johnson, Medicine River by Thomas King, The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich, Borders by Thomas King, and Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger.

Celebrate Pride Month with the Keep It Fictional Librarians from the Port Moody Public Library! Books mentioned on this episode: Gender Failure by Ivan Coyote and Rae Spoon, Dead Collections by Isaac Fellman, The Siren Queen by Nghi Vo, and Our Wives Under the Sea by Julia Armfield.

As part of our mini-series where we read books on a topic that we tend to associate with one of our book friends, this week, we dive into one of Corene's interests: cults. Books mentioned in this episode: Cult X by Fuminori Nakamura, The Maidens by Alex Michaelides, The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and Peoples Temple by Jeff Guinn, and Salvation Day by Kali Wallace.

In the upcoming episodes, we will be reading books on a topic that we tend to associate with one of our book friends. First up, Fiona and books about nuns (and other clergy). Books mentioned in this episode: One Corpse Too Many by Ellis Peters, Agatha of Little Neon by Claire Luchette, Sisters of the Vast Black by Lina Rather, and The Rebel Nun by Marj Charlier.

Buckets of spiders. Talking animals. Folk songs about bad people. Corene, Fiona, Gabriel, Mark, and Virginia recommends a Southern Gothic. Books mentioned on this episode: The Cutting Season by Attica Locke, Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock, A Lush and Seething Hell by John Hornor Jacobs, and Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin.

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Join us in celebrating the many wonderful voices. Also, there is a point to short stories, and Gabriel draws the line at centipede gaming chairs. Books mentioned in this episode: In the Country: Stories by Mia Alvar, Darius the Great is Not Okay by Adib Khorram, and Kundo Wakes Up by Saad Z. Hossain.

We have another new book friend! Welcome Mark to the Keep It Fictional family. Let us introduce you to Mark by telling you about one of his favourite books..with very strong feelings. Books mentioned on this episode: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas, Autobiography of a Corpse by Sigizmund Krzhizhanovsky, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, and On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong.

An episode Fiona has been waiting for: Family Sagas. Do we have some creative interpretations of the theme? You betcha! Books mentioned in this episode: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell, Empire of Pain by Patrick Radden Keefe, The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova, and Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. (And kudos to Gabriel for trying to explain the gazillion narratives in Cloud Atlas!)

p.s. We apologize that this episode sounds a bit different from the others. We lost our original recording so we had to re-record separately. It's not as fun when we don't get to sit with the rest of the KIF book family. 

To celebrate Sadie and Liz, our two book friends who have recently become parents, the four of us decided to tackle a book about parenthood. We feel like we may have failed this assignment a little bit...Books mentioned in this episode: I Love You But I've Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins, Nightwing Vol. 1: Better Than Batman by Tim Seeley and Javier Fernandez, With Teeth by Kristen Arnett, and The Book of Unknown Americans by Cristina Henríquez. 

And the award goes to... In today's episode, we celebrate the fantastic books that have won literary awards. Books mentioned: The Sweetness of Water by Nathan Harris, They Called Us Enemy by George Takei, Justin Eisinger, and Steven Scott, Throne of the Crescent Moon by Saladin Ahmed, and Every Heart a Doorway by Seanan McGuire.

Judge the book by its cover or judge the book by its title? We're doing the latter today by talking about books that we picked up because they have got an amazing titles. You will also get a lesson on the right way to say the name "Thrawn". Books mentioned in this episode: Mrs Death Misses Death by Salena Godden, The Sweetness At the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, Star Wars: Thrawn by Timothy Zahn, and The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki.

CBC's Canada Reads is an annual literary event Port Moody Public Library staff and patrons look forward to every year. In this episode, Corene, Fiona, Gabriel, and Virginia each champions one of the 2022 contenders to be the "one book to connect us"...all (a very LOTR sounding theme?) Books mentioned in this episode:  Five Little Indians by Michelle Good, Life In the City of Dirty Water by Clayton Thomas-Müller, What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad, and Washington Black by Esi Edugyan. (There are only four of us so we weren't able to talk about Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez.)

This week definitely feels like we're living in one of the apocalyptic or post-apocalyptic books we shared in this episode. This is Liz's last episode with us before she goes on her temporary leave. What will the world of Keep It Fictional be like after this? Tune in next week to find out. Books mentioned in this episode: Severance by Ling Ma, Familiar Things by Hwang Sok-yong, Brown Girl in the Ring by Nalo Hopkinson, Into the Forest by Jean Hegland, and Dread Nation by Justina Ireland.

Whether you have worked in a cubicle or not, we think you'll enjoy these books set in an office (or sometimes, a nightmare office). Books mentioned on this episode: The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger, Attachments by Rainbow Rowell, The Beautiful Bureaucrat by Helen Phillips, Horrorstör by Grady Hendrix, and There's No Such Thing as an Easy Job by Kikuko Tsumura, translated by Polly Barton.

Here at Keep It Fictional, we always aim to amplify different marginalized voices, no matter what time of the year it is. During this Black History Month, we want to dedicate an episode to celebrate stories by black authors. We urge you to pick up a book by a black author too. Here are the books we share on this episode: Frying Plaintain by Zalika Reid-Benta, Ain't Burned All the Bright by Jason Reynolds and illustrated by Jason Griffin, Ace of Spades by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé, and Willie: The Game-Changing Story of the NHL's First Black Player by Willie O'Ree and Michael McKinley.

We welcome Gabriel, a new book friend to our Keep It Fictional podcast, by reading a book on their top ten list. Books mentioned on this episode: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, The Secret History by Donna Tartt, The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Tsubasa by CLAMP.

How many times have you looked at your phone today? In today's episode, we share books that explore the impact of technology. Books mentioned in this episode: Tell the Machine Goodnight by Katie Williams, Feed by M.T. Anderson, Siri, Who Am I? by Sam Tschida, Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi, and Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now by Jaron Lanier.

Take a chance...on a debut novel and a new author. Corene, Liz, and Virginia share some fantastic debuts in today's episode. Books mentioned: The Boy with a Bird in His Chest by Emme Lund, The Korean Vegan Cookbook by Joanne Lee Molinaro, and Rainbow Milk by Paul Mendez.

It's Liz's and Virginia's turn to tell you about the books coming out in the first four months of 2022 that they are looking forward to reading. Things may get a bit dark here as you may expect from those two. Books mentioned in this episode: Notes on an Execution by Danya Kukafka, Glory by NoViolet Bulawayo, Yinka, Where Is Your Huzband? by Lizzie Damilola Blackburn, How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu, The Bone Orchard by Sara A. Mueller, Engines of Empire by R.S. Ford, Our Lady of Mysterious Ailments by T.L. Huchu, A Tiny Upward Shove by Melissa Chadburn, Woman Eating by Claire Kohda, and And Then I Woke Up by Malcolm Devlin. 

How do you do a vibe check to see if you will likely enjoy a book or not? Read the blurbs by other authors on the book. In today's episode, Corene, Liz, and Virginia talk about books we read because they were blurbed or recommended by authors we like and respect. Books mentioned: Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, Version Control by Dexter Palmer, and Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia.

Happy New Year, listeners! To a brand new year of reading! What kinds of books do you like to read during winter? In today's book chat, we talk about some wintery reads for us. Very timely, since it's pretty snowy over the holidays in Vancouver, BC. Books mentioned in this episode: Melmoth by Sarah Perry, Winter Garden by Kristin Hannah, and The Second Bell by Gabriela Houston. 

Last week, Corene, Fiona, Liz, and Virginia talked about their number three to five favourite books of 2021. This week, we revealed our top two picks of the year, with a shocking turn of events.

Thank you once again to all our listeners for supporting our podcast. We'll be taking a holiday break for the rest of the year. See you in 2022! Happy Reading!

We're counting down to our top five picks of books published in 2021. What books captured our hearts and made a difference in our lives this year? Find out in this special two-part series.

Be sure to tune in next week for part two.

We give a sneak preview to our upcoming Social Justice Book Club Sets at the Port Moody Public Library by talking about some of the titles available. Books mentioned in this episode: Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam, 21 Things You May Not Know about the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph, and Biased: Uncovering the Hidden Prejudice That Shapes What We See, Think, and Do by Jennifer L. Eberhardt. (Plus, a bonus round of shout-out picks: From the Ashes: My Story of Being Métis, Homeless, and Finding My Way by Jesse Thistle, Minor Feelings: An Asian American Reckoning by Cathy Park Hong, and Wishes by Muon Thi Van and Victo Ngai).

In this episode, we challenge ourselves to go read the book that has been on our To-Be-Read (TBR) list for the longest. Do you keep a TBR? How often do you add or purge books from it? Books mentioned in this episode: Waiting by Ha Jin, Furies of Calderon by Jim Butcher, Disappearing Moon Cafe by Sky Lee, and Porcupines and China Dolls by Robert Arthur Alexie.

Non-fiction fans, this episode is for you! Today, we bring you some wild true stories (or creative interpretations of the theme). Books mentioned in this episode: The Storm Is Upon Us: How QAnon Became a Movement, Cult, and Conspiracy Theory of Everything by Mike Rothschild, The Organ Thieves: The Shocking Story of the First Heart Transplant in the Segregated South by Chip Jones, Run, Hide, Repeat: A Memoir of a Fugitive Childhood by Pauline Dakin, and Black Heroes of the Wild West: Featuring Stagecoach Mary, Bass Reeves, and Bob Lemmons by James Otis Smith and Kadir Nelson. 

So, part of our job is to suggest books to library patrons, but do we take recommendations ourselves? In this episode, we had to read a book one of our book friends talked about on the show. Which book did Corene, Fiona, and Virginia pick? Well well well, the choices may surprise you. Let's just say, eclipses! Books mentioned in this show: Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith, Call Down the Hawk by Maggie Stiefvater, and Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu.

It's the perfect time of the year to warm and cozy up with a cozy mystery with a good punny title (unless you're Virginia). Books mentioned in this episode: Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown, Reservation for Murder by June Wright, By Book or By Crook by Eva Gates, and Beyond a Reasonable Stout by Ellie Alexander. 

Today's word of the day is "Halloweeny". Please use it in a book. Books mentioned in this episode: The Twisted Ones by T. Kingfisher, Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff, Ophie's Ghosts by Justina Ireland, When the Reckoning Comes by LaTanya McQueen, and Ghost Forest by Pik-Shuen Fung.

For this episode, Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia have to read a book with a colour in the title. Did everyone pick a title that corresponds to their favourite colour? Books mentioned in this episode: The Secret Lives of Colour by Kassia St Clair, Red Fox Road by Frances Greenslade, Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman, Black Water Sister by Zen Cho, and Devil in a Blue Dress by Walter Mosley.

We have another episode of retellings for you. This time, we have chosen books that are inspired by non-Western mythology and stories. Books mentioned in this episode: A Spark of White Fire by Sangu Mandanna, The Magic Fish by Trung Le Nguyen, Love in Colour: Mythical Tales from Around the World, Retold by Bolu Babalola, Strange Beasts of China by Yan Ge, and The Gilded Ones by Namina Forna.

Get a short primer on the wonderful world of manga and check out some of our favourites. Books mentioned in this episode: Boys Run the Riot by Keito Gaku, A Man and His Cat by Umi Sakurai, The Way of the Househusband by Kousuke Oono, Spy x Family by Tatsuya Endo, and BL Metamorphosis by Kaori Tsurutani.

We all love a good surprise and these books definitely pleasantly surprised us. What books Corene, Fiona, Sadie, and Virginia ended up liking a lot more than we think we would? Books mentioned in this episode: The Bromance Book Club by Lyssa Kay Adams, Almond by Sohn Won-Pyung, Storm and Fury by Jennifer L. Armentrout, and Everyone in This Room Will Someday Be Dead by Emily Austin.

No matter what your feelings are about the monarchy, these five books, featuring all kinds of royal families, do deserve a crown. Books mentioned in this episode: Acacia by David Anthony Durham, Four Dead Queens by Astrid Scholte, The Windsor Knot by S.J. Bennett, The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundaresan, and The Uncommon Reader by Alan Bennett.

We continue our preview show of books we are excited to read this Fall, and we talk about our reading goals for the rest of the year. Books mentioned in this episode: Nice Girl by Catherine Dang, Aristotle and Dante Dive Into the Waters of the World by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, Win Me Something by Kyle Lucia Wu, The Corpse Queen by Heather Herrman, Chronicles from the Land of the Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka, The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling, Hunting by Stars by Cherie Dimaline, Our Violent Ends by Chloe Gong, Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn, and Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao.

These are the books that are going to be part of our reading life this Fall. What titles are you looking forward to reading? Books mentioned in this episode: The Village of Eight Graves by Seishi Yokomizo, A Clash of Steel: A Treasure Island Remix by C. B. Lee, Ski Weekend by Rektok Ross, The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker, Light from Uncommon Stars by Ryka Aoki, A Marvellous Light by Freya Marske, Fan Fiction: A Mem-Noir: Inspired by True Events by Brent Spiner, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, The Vanished Days by Susanna Kearsley, This Thing Between Us by Gus Moreno, How to Marry Keanu Reeves in 90 Days by K. M. Jackson, Act Cool by Tobly McSmith, Trashlands by Alison Stine, The Lighthouse Witches by C.J. Cooke, and Destroyer of Light by Jennifer Marie Brissett.

Be sure to tune in next week for Part Two of our Most Anticipated Reads of Fall 2021.

For our 50th episode, we each share a book we feel is our quintessential read. 

Thank you so much for supporting this podcast! To celebrate this milestone, we are doing a prize draw for all the listeners of this podcast. Tell us about your favourite Keep It Fictional episode or moment, or a book you've read because of this podcast. Email askthelibrary@portmoody.ca by September 7, 2021 and we'll enter your name into a prize draw.

Books mentioned in this episode (can you guess who picked which book?): This Is How You Lose the Time War by Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, Book Love by Debbie Tung, Build Your House Around My Body by Violet Kupersmith, and Poison Study by Maria V. Snyder.

Join Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia for an episode about all kinds of romance and love stories, with a mini TED talk by Corene. Books mentioned in this episode: Girl Gone Viral by Alisha Rai, One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston, A Cuban Girl's Guide to Tea and Tomorrow by Laura Taylor Namey, Stay Gold by Tobly McSmith, and Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami.

Explore collections of short stories with Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia. Books mentioned in this episode: Moonshot: The Indigenous Comics Collection edited by Hope Nicholson, Lonely Planet Better than Fiction 2: True adventures from 30 great fiction writers edited by Don George, Hex Life: Wicked New Tales of Witchery edited by Christopher Golden and Rachel Autumn Deering, Unspeakable Acts: True Tales of Crime, Murder, Deceit, and Obsession edited by Sarah Weinman, and Vampires Never Get Old: Tales with Fresh Bite edited by Zoraida Cordova and Natalie C. Parker.

It's a Fiona-pa-looza. It's Fiona-ganza. It's a Fiona-gala. It's Fiona-fest. Find out what books we have each suggested to Fiona, and whether they enjoyed them or not. Books mentioned in this episode: The 99% Invisible City: A Field Guide to the Hidden World of Everyday Design by Kurt Kohlstedt and Roman Mars, A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki, Blanca & Roja by Anna-Marie McLemore, and The Merry Spinster: Tales of Everyday Horror by Daniel M. Lavery.

Summer is the time we often think about traveling. Maybe these five books will give you some ideas as you envision what your future vacation may look like. Books mentioned in this episode: Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea by Guy Delisle, Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell, Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, No Exit by Taylor Adams, and Love from A to Z by S.K. Ali.

Looking for books that defy traditions of what a novel should be? Try these out! Books mentioned in this episode: The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan, Romeo and/or Juliet: A Chooseable-Path Adventure by Ryan North, Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra and tr. by Megan McDowell, The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo, and The Secret Path by Gord Downie and Jeff Lemire.

We celebrate and amplify Indigenous voices in this episode in the hope that reading the works of Indigenous authors will help strengthen the path to reconciliation, and that by acknowledging painful truths, empathy can flourish and pave the way for healing. Books mentioned: Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse, Heart Berries by Terese Marie Mailhot, Ancestor Approved: Intertribal Stories for Kids by Cynthia Leitich Smith, Love After the End: An Anthology of Two-Spirit and Indigiqueer Speculative Fiction edited by Joshua Whitehead, and Powwow Summer by Nahanni Shingoose.

In this episode, we are going to spotlight one of our book friends and suggest books to them. First up: Miss Corene. Which of our suggestions did she enjoy reading the most? Books mentioned in this episode: The Graybar Hotel by Curtis Dawkins, The Chai Factor by Farah Heron, Kingdom of Exiles by Maxym M. Martineau, We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry, and She Rides Shotgun by Jordan Harper. 

First of a special series of episodes we're doing this summer. Be sure to tune in for the rest.

Asian Heritage Month may be coming to a close, but let's keep uplifting #AAPI stories all year round. Books mentioned in this episode: Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy Ribay, Spork by Kyo Maclear, Aunty Lee's Delights by Ovidia Yu, Cyclopedia Exotica by Aminder Dhaliwal, and Banned Book Club by Kim Hyun Sook and Ryan Estrada.

There are just so many great books by authors of Asian descent that we are back to suggest more titles for adults. Books mentioned in this episode: Markswoman by Rati Mehrotra, How to Pronounce Knife: Stories by Souvankham Thammavongsa, Phoenix Extravagant by Yoon Ha Lee, Hana Khan Carries On by Uzma Jalaluddin, and Dear Girls: Intimate Tales, Untold Secrets, & Advice for Living Your Best Life by Ali Wong.

This week, we highlight kids' and teen book by authors of Asian descent. Books mentioned in this episode: The Comeback by E.L. Shen, Midsummer's Mayhem by Rajani LaRocca, City of Secrets by Victoria Ying, Thao by Thao Lam, and The Bone Witch by Rin Chupeco.

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada. We will be highlighting titles by authors of Asian descent this month. Books mentioned in this episode: She Who Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan, Dragon Springs Road by Janie Chang, Women of the Silk of Gail Tsukiyama, and Paper Shadows by Wayson Choy.  

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia continue to gush about books they are looking forward to reading this summer. Be sure to check out Part One. Books mentioned in this episode: The Thousand Crimes of Ming Tsu by Tom Lin, Dead Dead Girls by Nekesa Afia, The Very Nice Box by Eve Gleichman and Laura Blackett, The Hidden Palace by Helene Wecker, The Chosen and the Beautiful by Nghi Vo, My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Grapham Jones, Library of the Dead by T.L. Huchu, Afterparties by Anthony Veasna So, If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy, and Velvet was the Night by Silvia Moreno-Garcia. 

Here are some books coming out in May-August 2021 we're excited to read. What books caught your eye? Books mentioned in this episode: The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, Pumpkin by Julie Murphy, Ranbow Milk by Paul Mendez, The Missing Sister by Lucinda Riley, The Blacktongue Thief by Christopher Buehlman, The Decagon House Murders by Yukito Ayatsuji, The Secret to Superhuman Strength by Alison Bechdel, The Woman in the Purple Skirt by Natsuko Imamura, Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis, The Witch King by H.E. Edgmon, Somebody's Daughter by Ashley C. Ford, Turtle in Paradise by Jennifer L. Holm, A Boring Wife Settles the Score by Marie-Renee Lavoie, The Box in the Woods by Maureen Johnson, and Sorrowland by Rivers Solomon.

 ‌ We're‌ ‌all‌ ‌animal‌ ‌lovers‌ ‌on‌ ‌this‌ ‌show,‌ ‌but‌ ‌none‌ ‌of‌ ‌us‌ ‌read‌ ‌a‌ ‌lot‌ ‌of‌ ‌books‌ ‌about‌ ‌animals.‌ ‌The‌ ‌stories‌ ‌are‌ ‌often‌ ‌more‌ ‌on‌ ‌the‌ ‌sad‌ ‌side,‌ ‌and‌ ‌we‌ ‌tend‌ ‌to‌ ‌avoid‌ ‌them,‌ ‌so‌ ‌please‌ ‌enjoy‌ ‌these‌ ‌animal‌ ‌and‌ ‌animal-adjacent‌ ‌books‌ ‌we‌ ‌have‌ ‌chosen‌ ‌for‌ ‌you.‌ ‌Books‌ ‌mentioned‌ ‌in‌ ‌this‌ ‌episode:‌ ‌Hollow‌ ‌Kingdom‌ ‌by‌ ‌Kira‌ ‌Jane‌ ‌Buxton,‌ ‌Never‌ ‌Cry‌ ‌Wolf‌ ‌by‌ ‌Farley‌ ‌Mowat,‌ ‌The‌ ‌Woefield‌ ‌Poultry‌ ‌Collective‌ ‌by‌ ‌Susan‌ ‌Juby,‌ ‌Cemetery‌ ‌Boys‌ ‌by‌ ‌Aiden‌ ‌Thomas,‌ ‌and‌ ‌The‌ ‌Constant‌ ‌Rabbit‌ ‌by‌ ‌Jasper‌ ‌Fforde.‌‌

So many bodies. Who do you call when you need a mystery solved? Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia have some suggestions for amateur sleuths and private investigators for you. Books mentioned in this episode: Every Secret Thing by Emma Cole, The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman, The Right Sort of Man by Allison Montclair, This Body is Not Big Enough for Both of Us by Edgar Cantero, and The Case of Windy Lake by Michael Hutchinson.

There's definitely more that happens in these small towns than you might think. Books mentioned in this episode: The Bright Lands by John Fram, The Weight of Blood by Laura McHugh, Man Tiger by Eka Kurniawan, When Life Gives You Mangos by Kereen Getten, and A Killer in King's Cove by Iona Whishaw.

We're totally judging a book by its cover in this episode, but don't let these bad covers (according to us) fool you. These are great books, we promise! Books mentioned: Crosshairs by Catherine Hernandez, Good Talk by Mira Jacob, Exit Strategy by Kelley Armstrong, To be Taught, If Fortunate by Becky Chambers, and The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie. R. King.

Do we know what "magical realism" is? Are the books we picked for this episode really "magical realism"? Can Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia survive all the existential crises created by four rounds of "Would you rather..."? Find out in this episode. Books mentioned: Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi, Garden Spells by Sarah Addison Allen, Sharks in the Time of Saviours by Kawai Strong Washburn, The Bedlam Stacks by Natasha Pulley, and Split Tooth by Tanya Tagaq.

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia talk about fiction and non-fiction that help us build empathy and learn more about the immigrant and refugee experience. Books mentioned in this episode: Everything Sad is Untrue by Daniel Nayeri, American Street by Ibi Zoboi, Displacement by Kiku Hughes, We Have Always Been Here by Samra Habib, and The Undocumented Americans by Karla Cornejo Villavicencio.

Join us for another book chat, where we share our historical fiction picks, and our strong feelings about prequels and sequels. Books mentioned in this episode: Burial Rites by Hannah Kent,  A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles, The Birth House by Ami McKay, The Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley, and Conjure Women by Afia Atakora.

Are you a fan of movie and TV adaptations of books? Find out who is and who isn't on our panel. Regardless of our strong feelings, we did each read a book that is going to be adapted in 2021. Books mentioned in this episode: Set My Heart to Five by Simon Stephenson, Passing by Nella Larsen, Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann, Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo, and The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

February 17, 2021 is the first ever "I Read Canadian Day". The Keep It Fictional team celebrate it by sharing some of our recent favourite CanLit. We also play a round of "Are they Canadians?". See how many you can get right. Books mentioned in this episode: Hand Drawn Vancouver: Sketches of the City's Neighbourhoods, Buildings, and People by Emma FitzGerald, The Centaur's Wife by Amanda Leduc, Natalie Tan's Book of Luck and Fortune by Roselle Lim, and Home Body by Rupi Kaur.

It's Corene's favourite topic! In this book chat, we talk about a variety of True Crime books for readers with different comfort levels. Books discussed in this episode: Tricky Vic by Greg Pizzoli, The Library Book by Susan Orlean, Murder by Milkshake by Eve Lazarus, The Wicked Boy by Kate Summerscale, and The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich.

We are talking music today: biographies of musicians, novels about made-up bands, and thoughts on live concerts. Books mentioned in this episode: Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, Redbone: The True Story of a Native American Rock Band by Christian Staebler and Sonia Paoloni, illustrated by Thibault Balahy, White Tears by Hari Kunzru, The Game of Love and Death by Martha Brockenbrough, and The Subtweet by Vivek Shraya.

Our first episode for the shortest month of the year is fittingly about novellas. Even though we are talking about this short form of writing, we sure have a long debate about it. Books mentioned in this episode: The Order of the Pure Moon Reflected in Water by Zen Cho, The Black God's Drums by P. Djèlí Clark, The Black Tides of Heaven by Neon Yang, The Tiny Wife by Andrew Kaufman, and Upright Women Wanted by Sarah Gailey.

A brand new year means brand new books! We highlight some upcoming book releases that we are excited to read. Books mentioned in this episode: The Lost Apothecary by Sarah Penner, The Conductors by Nicole Glover, Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas, Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo, The Helm of Midnight by Marina Lostetter, In the Garden of Spite by Camilla Bruce, Don't Call it a Cult by Sarah Berman, Delicates by Brenna Thummler, Bridge of Souls by Victoria Schwab, Persephone Station by Stina Leicht, My Brilliant Life by Ae-Ran Kim, Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo, Kate in Waiting by Becky Albertalli, Cursed Luck by Kelley Armstrong, and The Lost Village by Camilla Sten. 

Join us next week for Part 2.  

Happy New Year, everyone! Today, Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie and Virginia talk about a Self Help book that they're reading to start their new year. 

Books mentioned in this episode: 

Happy Reading!

'Tis the season for cozy, heartwarming reads, served occasionally with a side of murder. Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia discussed books, favourite holiday food and drinks, and of course, argued about which is the best A Christmas Carol adaptation. Books mentioned in this episode: Hark! The Herald Angels Scream, an anthology edited by Christopher Golden, Happy Narwhalidays by Ben Clanton, Murder at the Mayfair Hotel by CJ Archer, Gingerbread by Helen Oyeyemi, and Christmas at the Vinyl Cafe by Stuart McLean.

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia talk about our favourite reimagined fairy tales, myths, classics...and Muppet's adaptations. Books mentioned in this episode: The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle, Rodham by Curtis Sittenfeld, Cinder by Marissa Meyer, Pride by Ibi Zoboi, and Legendborn by Tracy Deonn.

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia suggest graphic novels, mystery, science fiction, and fantasy books by black authors. Books mentioned in this episode: March by John Lewis and Andrew Aydin, Hollywood Homicide by Kellye Garrett, The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden, A Blade So Black by L.L. McKinney, and Check, Please by Ngozi Ukazu.

It's impossible to choose just one graphic novel to talk about, but we did it, just for you. We hope our suggestions showcase the variety of stories that are being told in this format. Books mentioned in this episode: Blankets, Nimona, The Best We Could Do, Yotsuba&!, and When Stars are Scattered.

Warning: This episode may induce hunger. Books mentioned: Bloom, From the Desk of Zoe Washington, A Cook's Tour, and the Sin du Jour series.

Do you judge a book by its cover? How do you feel about the colour blue? Corene, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia ponder these questions, and suggests great books with blue covers. Books mentioned in this episode: The Alice Network by Kate Quinn, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk, A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee, and Finna by Nino Cipri.

Thank you to all the wonderful translators out there that made these amazing books accessible to more readers! Books mentioned in this episode: The Memory Police, Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions, The Library of Shadows, My Brother's Husband, and An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good.

We recommend great reads by LGBTQ+ authors. and find out Fiona's favourite book of all time. There may also be talk of cats. Books mentioned in this episode: Dark and Deepest Red, Jonny Appleseed, On a Sunbeam, and The House in the Cerulean Sea.

The last week of October seems like the perfect time for a spooky read. Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia talk about their favourite horror novels and Halloween candies in this episode. Books mentioned are: Spirit Hunters, The Turn of the Key, Mexican Gothic, Thornhill, and A Head Full of Ghosts. Happy Reading!

Looking for a good binge read? Port Moody librarians talk about some of their favourite book series. Books mentioned in this episode: Call Down the Hawk (Dreamer trilogy), Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass series), The Bear and the Nightingale (Winternight trilogy), The Keeper of Lost Causes (Department Q series), and The Strange Case of the Alchemist's Daughter (The Extraordinary Adventures of the Athena Club series).

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia suggest books by Indigenous authors. Books mentioned in this episode: Starlight, An Indigenous Peoples’ History of the United States for Young People, A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, Moon of the Crusted Snow, and Marrow Thieves.

Staff from the Port Moody Public Library talk about the books they are most looking forward to reading this Fall. We can't wait! Books mentioned in this episode: Charming as a Verb, Punching the Air, Ring Shout, The Trouble with Peace, Leave the World Behind, A Stitch in Time, Barren Grounds, Twins, The Bone Shard Daughter, Earthlings, Hollowpox, Swamp Thing, Fighting Words, Set My Heart to Five, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, Murder on Cold Street, The Witches, A Deadly Education, Master of Poisons, Eat a Peach, I Want to Be Where the Normal People Are, We Keep the Dead Close, Hench, Legendborn, The Midnight Library. 

Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia reminisce about school supplies and talk books that are set in schools. Books mentioned in this episode: Ninth House, Murder is Bad Manners, Super Mutant Magic Academy, Assassination Classroom, and Confessions.

Meet Corene, Fiona, Liz, Sadie, and Virginia, the hosts of a new podcast from the Port Moody Public Library.