Honest mom influencer Libby Ward never intended to blow up. She was mostly posting for herself, and whoever else needed to hear her message. But that might have been the exact recipe that led to her going viral. She talks about her new book, and other reads that encourage others to find their voice. Plus, CBC Books Senior Producer Ryan B. Patrick recommends this week’s staff pick.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Motherhood: On Losing My Mind and Finding Myself by Libby Ward

Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

Untamed by Glennon Doyle

Everything Happens for a Reason: And Other Lies I've Loved by Kate Bowler

Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara

Natalie MacMaster first picked up the fiddle at nine years old. It was a family tradition for her growing up in Cape Breton, and over the course of her international career she’s brought Cape Breton fiddle music to the world. Two fiddling dynasties merged when she married Donnell Leahy and now the two of them, along with their seven children regularly perform. She stops by the studio for an installment of my life in books.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Beautiful Scars by Tom Wilson

The Music Lesson by Victor Wooten

The Possibility Mom by Lisa Canning

A Prayer For Owen Meany by John Irving

I Have a Love Story by Natalie MacMaster

One thing that Heather O’Neill’s ex-boyfriends had in common was Anna Karenina, the famous novel by Leo Tolstoy. To get to the bottom of this mysterious connection, she decided to re-read the classic novel to see how Anna’s story of a doomed love affair reads the second time around. Plus, the Juno-nominated musician Adrian Sutherland talks about writing his first book and how he fell in love with music.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

The Work of Our hands by Adrian Sutherland

Mark Critch is very funny. You've likely seen him do what he does best on 22 Minutes or his sitcom Son of a Critch. In addition to spreading laughs across the country, he is also a very proud Canadian. He brings his finely tuned sense of satire to his new book called Sorry, Not Sorry: An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting For. He talks about the inspirations behind his latest work, and the books that have influenced who he is today. Plus, Canadian hit-making author Carley Fortune answers the Proust Questionnaire.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

My Autobiography by Charlie Chaplin

Naked by David Sedaris

Soldier Priest in the Killing Fields of Europe by Gary Browne and Darin Mcgrath

The Missing Piece by Shel Silverstein

Sorry, Not Sorry: An Unapologetic Look at What Makes Canada Worth Fighting for by Mark Critch

One Golden Summer by Carley Fortune

The Giller Prize is one of Canada's biggest literary awards. Before this year's winner was announced, all five finalists joined Antonio Michael Downing on stage at an event at Isabel Bader Theatre in Toronto to read from their shortlisted works and share the inspiration behind them. Featuring Mona Awad, Eddy Boudel Tan, Emma Donoghue, Emma Knight and Souvankham Thammavongsa.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

We Love You, Bunny by Mona Awad

The Tiger and the Cosmonaut by Eddy Boudel Tan

The Paris Express by Emma Donoghue

The Life Cycle of the Common Octopus by Emma Knight

Pick a Colour by Souvankham Thammavongsa

When director Jacob Tierney (Letterkenney) first DM’d Rachel Reid, she couldn’t believe that someone was interested in adapting her book. Since then, the series has become one of the most popular Canadian titles on Crave, and has been renewed for a second season. She pulls back the curtain on what it was like seeing her characters brought to life on screen, and even recommends other books to check out for when you’ve run out of episodes. Plus, the mystery panel continues the tradition of recommending some favourite titles for the holiday season.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Heated Rivalry by Rachel Reid

Crash Test by Amy James

Hockey Bois by A. L. Heard

A Place of Secrets by Shane Peacock

Tokyo Express by Seicho Matsumoto

Listen by Sacha Bronwasser

Carved in Blood: A Hana Westerman Thriller by Michael Bennet

6:40 to Montreal by Eva Jursyk

The Hitchhikers by Chevy Stevens

When Jesse Wente was a kid, he was given a stuffed penguin as a gift. He decided to name his penguin Danger Eagle, the stunt performing stuffy. Decades later, Danger Eagle has taken center stage in Jesse's first ever children's book. Since wrapping up his term as chair of the Canada Council for the Arts and with a bestselling memoir under his belt, he joins the show to share the stories that have influenced his own life the most. Plus, musician Girl Ultra recommends A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

Watership Down by Richard Adams

The Monster At the End of This Book by Jon Stone

Steering the Craft by Ursula K. Le Guin

Indian School Days by Basil H. Johnston

Danger Eagle by Jesse Wente

A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

Before Raymond Ablack became a fan-favorite, playing Joe on Netflix’s Ginny and Georgia, he was a kid who enjoyed acting, reading and Christmas. He joins The Next Chapter to share some of his childhood memories, and what it’s like to play Sam Wilner in the Audibles Originals story, Mistletoe Murders. Plus, Madelaine Drohan on her book about Benjamin Franklin, the surprises and similarities in the history of Canada-US relations and two companion reads.

Books discussed on this week's show include:

He Did Not Conquer: Benjamin Franklin’s Failure to Annex Canada by Madelaine Drohan

Trading Fate: How a Little-known Company Stopped British Columbia from Becoming an American State by Graeme Menzies

Elbows Up: Canadian Voices of Resilience and Resistance edited by Elamin Abdelmahmoud