Episode 60: We Descend to the Level of the Sentence and We Come Back Up for Air by Trudy Morgan-Coleद्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Poet, novelist, and avid reader George Murray drops by to talk about what he's been reading, which gets us into discussing genre boundaries, literary fiction, sci-fi, fantasy, artificial intelligence, what it means to be human, and why we shouldn't (yet) fear the rise of the robots. For the full list of books we discussed, check out the show notes …

It's time for murder and mayhem as librarian Julia Mayo and I discuss two bookswapped mysteries - Murder Your Employer by Rupert Holmes, and The Paying Guests by Sarah Waters (which is, arguably, not a mystery at all). We end up talking about those two novels and many, many others in this crime-filled episode.…

Journalist and broadcaster John Gushue joined me in my new recording location at Bad Times Club Studio to discuss what we've been reading lately, particularly the memoirs that have fascinated us. That led us into a deep dive into a book that I read on John's recommendation and we both had a lot of thoughts about: Sarah Polley's collection of person…

In the first podcast episode of 2024, we have a Black History Month special where I visit with Xavier Michael Campbell and Heather Barrett and talk about their book Black Harbour. Our conversation ranges from the record of enslaved people in Newfoundland history, to peppermint knobs, salt fish, and men named Junior, as well as to the idea that "the…

For my last podcast episode of 2023, I sat down with my frequent co-host and even more frequent daughter, Emma Cole, and two of her friends, Emma Pappas and Myles Bradley, to discuss the book they'd just read for their friend-group book club, Terry Pratchett's Monstrous Regiment.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Martha Muzychka and I enjoyed a thorough discussion of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels by Dorothy L. Sayers, wrapping up my three-episode celebration of the 100th anniversary of Whose Body, the first Lord Peter novel.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Continuing my summer series celebration 100 years of Lord Peter Wimsey, I bookswapped Murder Must Advertise with Kate Atkinson's Shrines of Gaiety -- two novels set amongst a drug- and crime-ridden London underworld -- in conversation with writers, visual artist, and cousin, Jennifer Morgan.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Back from an unplanned hiatus, I dive into a summer mini-series where I get my reading partners to read some of the Lord Peter Wimsey novels, my favourite book series of all time, by Dorothy L. Sayers. This month, Emma and I swapped the first of the Lord Peter books, Whose Body, with the Truly Devious mystery series by Maureen Johnson. Tune in to f…

In this month's Bookswap, Lori Savory and I discuss two recent novels that are both, in their way, "pandemic novels," though only one is explicitly set during the Covid19 era. Both deal with isolation, finding your path in life, breaking up with the perfect or imperfect boyfriend ... and somehow, the whole discussion ends with us talking about our …

Christine Hennebury - writer, storyteller, founder of Association for the Arts in Mount Pearl, and all-round powerhouse -- swaps fantasy novels with me. In discussion "The City of Brass" by SA Chakraborty and "A Wizard's Guide to Defensive Baking" by T Kingfisher, we touch on the topics of powerful young women, hot but jerkish mentors, and the abil…

In another mother-daughter bookswap, Emma and I discuss Kate Beaton's graphic novel Ducks, and Mariko and Jillian Tamaki's YA graphic novel This One Summer. We touch on coming-of-age stories, the power of the everyday, both external and internalized misogyny, and a whole lot more!द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Three fellow avid readers join me for this year-end special, each to discuss one book that both they and I read and loved this year. It's December 28 as I post this and I'm still not ready to commit to a Top Ten of 2022, but these three are definitely in at least my Top 25 of the 125 books I read this year.…

Once again, Emma Cole joins me for a deep dive into two novels: one that each of us has recommended for the other to read. In this case, though the books are very different, the titles are easily confused: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid, and the Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab. Join us for a conversation abou…

In our fifth BOOKSWAP!, Emma reads Jennifer Weiner's "The Summer Place," I read Emily Austin's "Everyone In This Room Will Someday Be Dead," and we talk about what a "beach read" is, or should be.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

My guest this month was L'nu playwright and artist Leahdawn Helena. We had a wonderful conversation about books, which led naturally into talking about her brilliant upcoming play, Stolen Sisters. Follow this link to find out everything you need to know about the play, which runs from August 16-28 in St. John's and will later tour to the West Coast…

Cultural power couple Ainsley and Andrew Hawthorn joined me for a wide-ranging discussion that touched on beloved and problematic children's books, issues of consent in the Twilight series, why audiobooks, e-books, and graphic novels are all perfectly valid books ... and a lot of talk about Jack the Ripper that was not really about Jack the Ripper,…

My conversation with authors Michelle Butler Hallett and JoAnne Soper- Cook ranged widely over a lot of topics and included much classic literature, although we did make a conscious choice not to talk about Ernest Hemingway. We also discussed earning our "Lying" badge, and the way vividly written historical fiction can bring you into a time and pla…

My first non-family, full-episode, in-person guests since March 2020 are E.B. Reid and Mark Hunter. By total coincidence, this is Episode #42 and we are talking about the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy A LOT ... among other books! Please go to trudymorgancole.com and click on the "Shelf Esteem" link to read this episode's show notes because there…

For our fourth Bookswap!, and first podcast of 2022, Emma and I read and discuss Throw Down Your Shadows, by Deborah Hemming, and Big Summer, by Jennifer Weiner. Our conversation jumps lightly from discussions of genre to demands that a minor character get his own spin-off. To see show notes for this and all other episodes, go to http://www.trudymo…

For the final episode of 2021, we stay in-house with me and Emma talking about squidburgers, Robert Ludlum's thriller "The Omicron Variant," the apocalyptic loss of punctuation, and, of course, books we've read and thought about this year. The show notes, with the full list of books we discussed, can be found at https://shelfesteem2017.wordpress.co…

For this episode, I read a recent favourite book of Emma's, Yolk by Mary H. K. Choi, and Emma read a book that was a favourite of mine when I was around her age, Emma Who Saved My Life by Wilton Barnhardt (which I did not name her after). We discussed nostalgia, the dream of making it in the Big City, the trope of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl, whethe…

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 …

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"!द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

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.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

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 boo…

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 ha…

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 a…

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 Russ…

द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

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…

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 thin…

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 cho…

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 da…

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 r…

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…

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 boo…

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.comद्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

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.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Michelle Butler Hallett and I take a deep dive into the recent movie adaptation of Madeleine L'Engle's A Wrinkle in Time. Along with obsessively analyzing every aspect of the book and movie we talk about the process of adaptation itself, as well as about Madeleine L'Engle, Ava DuVernay, Star Wars, and what SHOULD have happened to Charles Wallace.…

Book reviewer Jean Graham and publisher Amanda Will joined me in the studio to talk books. We covered a lot of local books and invoked The Sacred Name of Michael Crummey several times - as well as the names of f Kathleen Winter, Joel Thomas Hynes, and others. We also diverged into Stephen King and other horror novels, TV and movie adaptations of bo…

It's Valentine's Day, romance is in the air, and romance novelists are in the studio! Victoria Barbour and Melanie Martin stopped by and we chatted about romance novels (theirs and the ones they like to read), historical fiction, and obsessive googling while watching The Crown. They also talk about how romance is more than just the sterotypes of ri…

Award-winning writers Terry Doyle and Susie Taylor joined me in the studio to talk about some of our favourite books of 2017 as well as our all-time favourites, what we're looking forward to reading next, and why at least two of us do not want to read a story where anything bad happens to a dog. Some of us, however, consider bats fair game and do n…

Local writer and actor Paul Rowe, and his partner Mona Rossiter, sometime local politician, political organizer, and activist, dropped by the studio to talk about the books they have read and loved. Turned out a lot of them -- more than I would have expected -- were by writers named Richard. Check out the full list of books we discussed at http://s…

Local authors Jamie Fitzpatrick ("The End of Music") and Kerri Cull ("Rock Paper Sex") dropped in to talk about what we're reading lately, how we choose books, whether you can trust the books you love, and why I have such weird issues about monkeys.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

Librarians Cindy Foote, Renee Farrell, and Krista Hart joined me to talk about books they're reading and books they've loved, as well as giving us a glimpse into the secret lives of librarians.द्वारा Trudy Morgan-Cole

I guess a spooky episode about horror books might be appropriate to release at the end of October, but I can't do that because I DON'T READ SCARY BOOKS. Instead, you'll get me talking about what I've been reading lately, then a lively and funny discussion between me and my daughter Emma about young adult novels, diversity and representation in YA f…