In Episode 19 Gen and Jette do another genre breakdown by asking, “What is YA?” We talk about the history of Young Adult literature, its recent rise in popularity, and which books are categorized as YA. It’s a genre that’s come a long way since we were teenagers and it …
In Episode 18 Gen and Jette discuss Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn, and its HBO limited series adaptation. This is one of those rare instances where the adaptation fully lives up to the source material. Flynn deftly peels back the layers of violence that affect her characters, while Jean-Marc Vallée …
In Episode 17 Gen and Jette talk about The Refrigerator Monologues by Catherynne M. Valente, their 2019 March/April book club selection. Valente takes on the trope of the “fridged” woman in superhero stories. The term was coined by author Gail Simone and was named after the Green Lantern comic in …
In Episode 16 Gen and Jette do a genre breakdown and ask: “What is fantasy?” If you’re a genre reader–and even if you’re not–you know that the lines between genres can get very, very blurry. So many authors play in the margins of genres. You’ll find yourself asking, “Is this …
In Episode 15 Gen and Jette ask each other: “What are you reading?” Another Cup of Tea is a break from our regular format to bring you a casual hangout episode as we chat over a cup of tea. Find out what we’ve been reading, what we’ve been writing, what …
In Episode 14 Gen and Jette conduct an interview with Claire Handscombe, author of Unscripted. This contemporary romance is Claire Handscombe’s first novel. The story follows protagonist Libby as she enacts a simple, but unlikely plan to win the heart of actor Thomas Cassidy. She writes a novel, names the …
In Episode 13 Gen and Jette discuss White Dancing Elephants by Chaya Bhuvaneswar. Her debut short story collection spotlights diverse women of colour. These women face sexual harassment and racial violence, and occasionally infict that violence on each other. In these sixteen stories, Bhuvaneswar explores feminist, queer, and immigrant experiences …
In Episode 12 Gen and Jette talk about To Shake the Sleeping Self by Jedidiah Jenkins. Our January/February book club selection takes us from Oregon to Patagonia as we travel with Jedidiah Jenkins on the trip of a lifetime. But it’s more than just a physical journey–it’s an emotional journey …
In Episode 11 Gen and Jette talk about why writers should keep a journal. As writers, we’re always looking for ways to up our writing game and establish better writing habits. Journalling is one of those habits we’re always trying to create. And always have a hard time maintaining. It’s …
In Episode 10 Gen and Jette discuss Heartbreaker by Claudia Dey, our 2018 November/December book club selection. We’re officially caught up on book club episodes! And this one was written by a local Toronto-based author. Dey’s quirky novel revolves around Billie Jean Fontaine. She stumbles into an isolated town and …
