Shelf Esteem

In the second episode of our "BookSwap!" summer series, Trudy gets Emma to read "Ayesha at Last" by Uzma Jalaluddin, a wonderful modern day twist on Pride and Prejudice set in a Muslim community in Toronto. Emma gets Trudy to read The Natural Daughter, a 1799 novel by Mary Robinson, which is ... a buck-wild ride from start to finish. Plus, we talk about Jane Austen an awful lot for a podcast where we don't even read one of her books. Find the blog post with links to almost everything we talked about in this episode here: https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com/2021/06/06/episode-38-bookswap-2-one-of-these-books-is-bonkers/

For the first episode in our summer series, Emma and I discussed "Normal People" by Sally Rooney, and "My Year of Rest and Relaxation," by Otessa Moshfegh. Find out which book I said I "kinda hated with the burning passion of a thousand suns"!

This month's episode, after another unplanned, COVID-inspired hiatus, is a roundup of my reading recommendations and those of three writers: Michelle Butler Hallett, Sharon King Campbell, and Bridget Canning -- plus a look ahead at my future plans for Podcasting In The Time of Covid.

For the first podcast in a long time, and a Christmas special, I gathered a collection of avid readers and talked with each of them about their favourite books to read at this time of year. From children's picture books that are "sweet, but not twee," to chilling ghost stories, to literary classics ... we discuss them all. For a list of all the books discussed in this episode you can go to http://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com

This episode starts with me rambling about how there's been no new podcast since the end of April because ... well, Covid-19, plus I've discovered I don't really enjoy recording podcasts on Zoom, so I'm rambling a bit about the future of the podcast for the foreseeable future. Then I call in my in-house book expert, my daughter Emma Cole, and we had a lively conversation about what we've been reading and how, even when we can't remember anything else about books, we're still pretty good with shapes and colours. Find the list of books we discussed here: https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com/2020/08/17/episode-34-we-are-with-emma-cole/

I got three good friends together via Zoom and we talked about what we're reading during quarantine/lockdown/pandemic, how we feel about dystopian literature at this stage, and whether people will inevitably behalf like a-holes in the apocalypse. Also, we learn a new word. Check out http://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com for show notes where I list all the books we talked about.

Well, maybe it's just me who's afraid to cough. But the cough I edited out, and this whole very strange current moment in the midst of a global pandemic, definitely did come up during this episode. Do you read about plagues during a plague, or do you read to escape the current reality? My guests were two brilliant writers: Leslie Vryenhoek and Russell Wangersky. You can find links to their books, plus all the books we talked about, in the show notes at: https://wp.me/p8n9NX-fR

I had a great conversation with writer/researcher Michelle Porter, and community outreach worker/roller-derby-ist Jane Bannister. We touched on poetry, writing by indigenous writers, science fiction, and why we should not wait till we are old ladies to wear purple. (You'll need to forgive the audio quality on this one: due to a microphone error on my part there's some background noise and echo that's distracting, though my fabulous sound technician Chris Cole did a great job of cleaning it up as much as possible to make it listen-able). As always, you can find the show notes with links to all the books we talked about at: https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com/2020/02/24/episode-31-we-should-start-wearing-purple-now/

Avid readers Olivia Robinson and Elizabeth Hicks join me in studio for the first podcast of 2020. As usual, we talk about what we're currently reading and the books that have shaped us in the past -- as well as giving a little glimpse into some literary pilgrimages we've taken in the past. To see the full list of books we discussed in this episode, go to http://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com

For 2019's year-end episode I invited my in-house expert on young-adult fiction, Emma Cole, so we could both sit down and talk about books we'd read and liked -- or at least had opinions about -- this year. Also about things like: how we define "young adult" literature and whether you're supposed to outgrow it, sympathetic stab wounds, what you read when you're majoring in English, and how one of Emma's best books of 2019 was written in (checks notes) 1891.

In a conversation that ranged from snails to insects to whale blubber -- yet was, somehow, all about books -- I visited with avid readers Melissa Barbeau and Lara Maynard. Be sure to check out Melissa's beautiful and critically-acclaimed novel, The Luminous Sea. To see a complete list of all the books we talked about, go tohttps://wp.me/p8n9NX-eH

My first crossover episode! Jenny Wright and Amanda Bittner, hosts of the podcast "The Academic and the Activist," come to MY podcast to talk about what they're reading now, the books that shaped their feminist sensibilities, and how Nice White Ladies are, unfortunately, gonna kill everyone (and how reading widely can help us NWLs, you know, not do that).

Librarians Leigha Chiasson-Locke and Emily Blackmore talk about their favourite kids' books, fantasy, literary fiction and so much more. Plus, we discuss the "death of books" (spoiler: they're still alive!) and why libraries are so much more than just big rooms full of books. Also, shushing. Check out the shownotes with links to books and other things we discussed at: https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com/2019/06/21/episode-26-we-have-never-shushed-anyone/

I started talking about books with journalist Andrew Sampson when I ran across his book-focused newsletter on Twitter. That led to me inviting Andrew and his friend Nicole Boggan, who works in arts administration, onto the podcast to talk about nonfiction vs fiction, the value of being able to say "Same!" when you read a book, and the perils of choosing a novel your whole book club might hate. As always you can read a complete list of all the books we discussed at: https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com/2019/04/30/episode-25-we-wish-to-clarify-that-it-is-a-merman-not-a-dolphin/

We may all be English teachers and a little obsessed with the fact that "a lot" is not one word -- but we also all love books. Dave Walsh and Alison Edwards are, unlike me, on the frontlines of educating junior-high and high-school students, so they have their fingers on the pulse of YA fiction (and some non-fiction), what kids are reading these days, what kids used to read, and what they think about what kids should be reading (which is, spoiler, pretty much what kids want to read!) Click the Shelf Esteem link at www.trudymorgancole.com to find the show notes listing all the books we talked about.

Local journalists Angela Antle and Stephanie Tobin joined me in the studio for a chat about what we're currently reading, the books that have shaped us, TV and movie adaptations of favourite books, whether anyone can put pressure on Margaret Atwood, and why you shouldn't read dystopian fiction during an extended power blackout. And, of course, we reject the concept of the "guity pleasure." As always, go to trudymorgancole.com and click the "Shelf Esteem" link for a list of all the books we talked about.

On February 28, books by Sharon Bala, Lisa Moore, Jamie Fitzpatrick, and me, Trudy Morgan-Cole, are competing for the NL Reads book award. I got the nominated writers together to talk about books that have inspired us, which led to us talking about all kinds of writing-related things. Check out the show notes at http://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com for links to NL Reads and to all the books we talked about.

Writers Elisabeth de Mariaffi and Maggie Burton joined me to talk about what we're reading, characters we identify with, what we read when we just want to unwind with something formulaic, and the occasional need to hex someone in these trying times. As always, if you go to http://shelfesteem.wordpress.com you'll see the show notes listing every book we talked about.

Local writers, activists, and members of the Order of Canada, Bernice Morgan ad Helen Porter, joined me for a wide-ranging talk about books and writing, punctuated by crackers and cheese. Find the show notes including our book list at http://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.com

Two bright lights of the Newfoundland theatre world, Jenn Deon and Sharon King-Campbell, join me to talk about everything from hot fantasy angels, to historical romance, to books you think everyone should read. And if the episode title makes no sense to you, you're probably too old. Just like us.