Host Jacob Shymanski and Red Széll explore the differences of genre fiction versus literary fiction. They also explain why genre fiction deserves greater recognition in the literary world. Books mentioned in this episode include: • “Pick a Colour” by Souvankham Thammavongsa • “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel • “Tom Lake” by Ann Patchett • “Piranesi” by Susanna Clarke • “Ulysses” by James Joyce • “The Odyssey” by Homer • “Death of the Author” by Nnedi Okorafor • “Seething Lane” by Jack Jewers • “The Secret Diaries of Samuel Pepys” Series by Jack Jewers • “I Hope This Finds You Well” by Natalie Sue • “Belgravia” by Julian Fellowes • “Julie Chan Is Dead” by Liann Zhang • “A Man Called Ove” by Fredrik Backman • “The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency” by Alexander McCall Smith • “The Thursday Murder Club” Series by Richard Osman • “The Farseer” Trilogy by Robin Hobb • “The Liveship Traders” Series by Robin Hobb This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Kenan Orhan’s “The Renovation” was longlisted the 2026 Booker Prize. The book follows a woman who discovers that her bathroom has been remodeled into a prison cell where she is an unlikely inmate. Host Jacob Shymanski catches up with Kenan to explore the book’s themes of exile, grief, memory, migration and the meaning of home. This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Host Jacob Shymanski and guest Red Széll ask the question: why do readers enjoy heartbreaking stories? They share their thoughts on how sad fiction helps build empathy and why the most powerful tragedies reflect the complexity of real life. Books mentioned in this episode include: Erich Maria Remarque’s “All Quiet on the Western Front” Amor Towles’ “A Gentleman in Moscow” Éric Chacour’s “What I Know About You” Erich Segal’s “Love Story” John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” John Steinbeck’s “Of Mice and Men”, “The Grapes of Wrath” and East of Eden” Patrick Ness and Siobhan Dowd’s “A Monster Calls” Chinua Achebe’s “Things Fall Apart” This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Makenna Goodman’s novel “Helen of Nowhere” was longlisted for the 2026 Booker Prize. The book follows a disgraced professor as he visits a country house with a realtor who tells him about its mysterious former owner, Helen. As he becomes increasingly fascinated by Helen's alternative way of life, the ordinary house viewing turns into something much stranger and more psychologically charged. Host Jacob Shymanski chats with Makenna about the novel’s themes and why the book is open to interpretation. Spoiler alert at the 25:12 mark. This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Disclaimer: This episode of Audiobook Cafe contains discussions surrounding suicide, self-harm and sexual violence. Listener discretion is advised. Bestselling Canadian author Vivek Shraya is back with a new book fresh off the press! “The Hystericals” is a chilling novel for the post-Me Too era. The story is set in an isolationist state where one woman’s death sparks a movement that could liberate women or destroy them all. Host Jacob Shymanski speaks with Vivek about her inspiration behind the book’s themes of misogyny, women’s rights and allyship. This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Bestselling author Veronica Roth’s upcoming book “The Sixth Faction” is a reimagining of her dystopian hit trilogy “Divergent.” The book provides an alternate universe that revisits a pivotal moment in the original story and asks what would happen if the character Tris made a different choice. Host Jacob Shymanski catches up with Veronica to discuss the new book and to learn why she wanted to revisit the series. The audiobook for “The Sixth Faction” comes out October 8 on Audible in Canada. The hard copy is out October 6! This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

Host Jacob Shymanski and guest Red Széll discuss what readers want most from books to make them more engaging, memorable and satisfying. Together they explore the importance of hyper-specificity, good dialogue, character relationship building and embracing the cliff hanger. Books mentioned in this episode include: “The Martian” by Andy Weir “The Lies of Locke Lamora” by Scott Lynch “Teifi Valley Coroner” Series by Alis Hawkins This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

“Getting Away with Murder” was an instant New York Times bestseller! The thriller novel follows a New York couple who kill a wealthy relative after making a bad investment that caused them to lose their inheritance. Host Jacob Shymanski chats with author Shari Lapena about her fascination over the “perfect murder” and why she decided to drift away from a traditional murder mystery concept. She also shares her perspective on what it’s like to be a Canadian author during political tensions in the U.S. This episode was produced by Andrika De Lanerolle.

How do you distinguish “highbrow” from “lowbrow” books? Does a highbrow book imply it’s better than other books? Host Jacob Shymanski and guest Red Szell explore the division between the two concepts and deconstruct its relevancy in modern day. Books mentioned in this episode include: • “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown • “Dungeon Crawler Carl” series by Matt Dinniman • “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee • “Moby-Dick” by Herman Melville • “Finnegans Wake” by James Joyce • “Infinite Jest” by David Foster Wallace • “Mrs. Dalloway” by Virginia Woolf • “Dracula” by Bram Stoker This episode was produced Andrika De Lanerolle

Earlier this month, Australian author Stefanie Koens released her debut novel in North America. “Daughters of the Wreckage,” is a gripping dual-timeline historical novel inspired by the true story of the Batavia shipwreck and the women who survived it. Host Jacob Shymanski catches up with Stefanie to discuss the historical significance of the Batavia shipwreck and to learn about her own personal fascination with the events. This episode was produced Andrika De Lanerolle.