Books

9 books you heard about on CBC Radio this week

These are some of the books discussed on national CBC Radio shows between Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 2018.

These are some of the books discussed on national CBC Radio shows between Oct. 27 to Nov. 2, 2018.

Mamaskatch by Darrel J. McLeod

A book cover of old photos in black and white and sepia. A man with grey hair wearing a beige suede vest with flowers.
Darrel McLeod is the author of Mamaskatch. (Douglas & McIntyre, Ilja Herb )

What it's about: For Darrel J. McLeod, his late mother Bertha Cardinal, was someone who instilled an unshakeable sense of self and identity. His memoir, Mamaskatch, looks at his upbringing in Smith, Alta., and being raised by his fierce Cree mother. In describing memories of moose stew and wild peppermint tea, surrounded by siblings and cousins, McLeod outlines his mother's experience of residential schools and how she taught him to be proud of his heritage. This book won the 2018 Governor General's Literary Award for non-fiction.

Heard on: The Next Chapter

Past Tense by Lee Child

Past Tense is the 23rd book in the Jack Reacher series by Lee Child. (Sigrid Estrada)

What it's about: Lee Child's Jack Reacher series has sold more than 100 million books around the world, and inspired two Hollywood blockbusters starring Tom Cruise. The novels follow Reacher — a six-foot-five, 250-pound, former U.S. army officer — as he travels alone around the United States, helping people and avenging wrongdoing, usually through acts of extreme violence. In his new novel, Past Tense — the 23rd in the series — Child explores Reacher's personal history, taking him on a quest into his father's past.

Heard on: Writers & Company

Trickster Drift by Eden Robinson

Eden Robinson's sequel to Son of a Trickster, Trickster Drift, was released Oct. 2, 2018. (Laughing Red Works, Knopf Canada)

What it's about: On the heels of her acclaimed Giller Prize-nominated novel Son of a Trickster, Haisla and Heiltsuk author Eden Robinson continues the story of protagonist Jared Martin in Trickster Drift. The novel follows Jared's journey as the Indigenous teen struggles to stay sober and find his place in the world. All the while, he's learning to deal with his own newfound and unwanted supernatural powers — as well as a seemingly endless parade of talking fireflies, flying heads, dolphin people, and sci-fi-obsessed ghosts.

Heard on: Day 6

Good and Mad by Rebecca Traister

In her new book, Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger, Rebecca Traister unpacks hidden herstories to graph the impact that angry women have had in shaping the country. (Simon and Schuster/Victoria Stevens)

What it's about: Rebecca Traister describes a history of women's anger in her nonfiction book Good and Mad. The book explores how how female fury has shaped political movements and the ways its been portrayed in the media in comparison to male anger. 

Heard on: The Sunday Edition

Buffy Sainte-Marie by Andrea Warner

Buffy Sainte-Marie and her official biographer Andrea Warner. (Greystone Books)

What it's about: For much of her life, Buffy Sainte-Marie had to fight for control of her music and her story. Before she built a name for herself through music and activism, she was bullied by record labels and censored by presidents. Now, in her only authorized biography by Andrea Warner, the Canadian folk icon gets the last word.

Heard on: q

Born Into It by Jay Baruchel

Born Into It is Jay Baruchel's first book. (HarperCollins Canada)

What it's about: Actor Jay Baruchel inherited his love for the Montreal Canadiens from his parents. His new book Born Into It goes deep into the highs and lows of being a diehard hockey fan, how your upbringing shapes you and what your obsessions say about you.

Heard on: q

Blowing the Bloody Doors Off by Michael Caine

Michael Caine's new book is called Blowing The Bloody Doors Off and it's out now. (Jeff Spicer)

What it's about: Oscar-winner Michael Caine was an entirely new breed of actor when he hit it big in the early 1960s. Now, in a new memoir called Blowing The Bloody Doors Off, Caine tells his story of six decades in film and shares some lessons he's learned over the years. 

Heard on: q

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts by Dr. Gabor Maté

In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts is a bestselling nonfiction book on addiction by Dr. Gabor Maté. (Michael Moster)

What it's about: Gabor Maté is a physician and author from Vancouver, B.C. Originally published in 2009, his book In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts takes a personal look at addiction in Canada, outlines the allure of drugs and the value of compassion.

Heard on: The Next Chapter

Starlight by Richard Wagamese

Richard Wagamese died in March 2017 at the age of 61. Starlight is his final novel. (McClelland & Stewart, Jane Dixon)

What it's about: Starlight is the final novel from acclaimed writer Richard Wagamese, who died in March 2017. Starlight centres on an abused woman on the run who finds refuge on a farm owned by an Indigenous man with wounds of his own.

Heard on: The Next Chapter