My Life In Books with Red Szell

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. In 2008, award-winning food and travel writer Sylvie Bigar accepted an assignment to write about cassoulet, France’s ancestral bean and meat stew. Little did she know that this seemingly bland story would lead her to re-examine her privileged but dysfunctional childhood in Switzerland and force her to reckon with her identity and her own dramatic family history. Her resulting memoir, Cassoulet Confessions: Food, France, Family and The Stew that Saved My Soul, has garnered rave reviews around the world. And with three recipes for the famed French stew, it’s a feast for the body and the mind. Join Sylvie and Red as they discuss heritage, heartache and beans!

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by N.V. Peacock, who by her own admission has "a curiously dark mind" that is driven by a fascination with the "What if" question. In her latest thriller, The Brother, she asks, what if you found out you were adopted and that one of your blood brothers was a serial killer? What follows is a fast-paced game of cat and mouse, as her protagonist tries to establish which of her new-found siblings is a murderer. It’s full of twists and turns and references to the true crime cases that first inspired Nicky Peacock to pick up the pen. And with dual first-person narratives, it’s ideally suited for audio. Join Red and Nicky as they discuss the fascination of true crime, and the power of psychological profiling and forensic genealogy to solve cases.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode Red is joined by Christine Higdon, a Canadian author whose latest novel, "Gin, Turpentine, Pennyroyal, Rue," is a vivid portrayal of life in Vancouver during the early 1920s. It tells the story of four working-class sisters living in the wake of the First World War and the ensuing Spanish flu pandemic that robbed them of their only brother. It’s a man’s world of speakeasys and strict codes of conduct, bootleggers and back-room abortions, where having a child out of wedlock or being gay is considered a crime. As the sisters struggle to find justice, agency, and love in this often hostile world, Christine Higdon invites us to examine questions of choice and inclusion in our society 100 years later. Join Christine and Red as they discuss the power of historical fiction to cast light on contemporary issues, and the place of talking animals in literature!

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Mallory Tater, whose debut novel, The Birth Yard, has attracted both praise and comparisons with The Handmaid’s Tale. Like Margaret Atwood’s classic story, The Birth Yard is a dark and cautionary tale of patriarchal control and the abuse of women’s rights. But Mallory’s novel doesn’t take place in a dystopian future. Instead, it is set firmly in present-day Canada, in a commune cut off from the ordinary world, where women have no agency and serve as brood mares. Join Mallory and Red as they explore cults, misogyny and contemporary Canadian fiction.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Max Wallace, the Canadian journalist, filmmaker, human rights activist, and best-selling author. Max’s most recent work, After The Miracle: The Political Crusades of Helen Keller, offers a new perspective on an individual who remains an international icon nearly 150 years after her birth. But whereas previous biographers have concentrated on the sentimental story of Keller’s struggles as a deafblind and mute child, portraying her teacher, Annie Sullivan, as a miracle worker and so making Keller a secondary character in her own story, Max focuses on Keller’s achievements as an adult. Join Max and Red as they discuss Helen Keller’s lifelong commitment to racial justice, socialism, and disability rights, as well as her love of movies and dirty jokes!

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Leah Redmond Chang, a historian with a background in comparative literature and research. Her latest book, Young Queens, is a fascinating and highly insightful historical biography of three Renaissance women exercising power in a world dominated by men. It tells the dramatic and intertwined stories of Catherine de Medici (Queen of France from 1547 to 1559), Elisabeth de Valois (Queen of Spain from 1559 to 1568) and Mary Queen of Scots (Queen of Scotland from 1542 to 1567). Fusing new archival research with rich narrative prose, the book also asks profoundly modern questions about women, gender and power. Join Leah and Red as they explore what it meant to be a queen in Renaissance Europe’s real-life Game of Thrones.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Canadian writer Curtis LeBlanc, who until recently has been best known for his poetry, but with the publication of his debut novel, Sunsetter, he’s finding a far wider audience. Set over a single weekend when the carnival comes to a post-industrial Canadian prairie town, the book is a mesmerizing blend of crime thriller and literary fiction. Across its pages, Curtis unflinchingly peels back the layers to reveal a community in the clutches of small-town police corruption, designer drugs, and teen disillusionment. And yet, for all this, it’s a novel where hope refuses to lay down and die. Join Curtis and Red as they discuss the lure of the carnival, teenage angst, and the natural beauty of the prairies. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link:https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Selina Mills, a British journalist and disability activist. In her new book, Life Unseen, A Story of Blindness, Selina uses her own experience of losing her sight to explore the history of blindness. From the myths of Ancient Greece to the apps of Silicon Valley, her quest reveals the stories and achievements of people who are blind, as well as those of their sighted peers who sought to patronize, demonize and cure them. But as Selina sets out to show that blindness has always been an active force in Western society, she also questions why we, as people who are blind, have always been treated differently. Join Selina and Red as they uncover enduring notions that blindness is a state to be feared and pitied and hear how Selina set about narrating the audiobook version of Life Unseen herself.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by internationally best-selling crime writer Sam Blake. Beginning with her 2016 debut Little Bones, the Irish writer has published a slew of crime novels that have won her acclaim and fans around the world. After the success of Little Bones and its sequels, Sam moved from police procedurals to writing twisty psychological crime thrillers, the latest of which, The Mystery of Four, was published earlier this year. And in case anyone should accuse her of resting on her laurels, this summer also saw the publication of Sam’s first foray into Young Adult fiction, Something Terrible Happened Last Night. Both novels are absolute page-turners, with Sam’s trademark keen eye for character, detail, and country-house hotel settings making it seem as if Agatha Christie had just been resurrected clutching an iPad! Join Sam and Red as they discuss how modern technology can be both a help and a hindrance to crime writers and explore the timeless tropes that continue to thrill readers.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Canadian author Andrew F. Sullivan. Over the past decade, Andrew has built a reputation as an author of gritty tales for gritty times. His debut novel, Waste, was described by the Toronto Star as "Keystone Cops meet horror in Oshawa." His latest, The Marigold, is set in a post-climate catastrophe Toronto ravaged by extreme weather, unfettered development and a toxic mould that’s rising from the groundwater and becoming sentient. It’s not a tale for the faint-hearted, but in its often grotesquely funny portrayal of a shiny city being consumed by the very land it stands on, it poses serious questions about mankind’s corruption of nature through our relentless desire for growth. Join Andrew and Red as they explore Toronto’s sinkholes, and the pitfalls and possible ramifications of late-stage capitalism. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

For this episode, Red is joined by Irish author Sheila Armstrong whose writing has been described as, "elegiac and atmospheric, dark and disquieting." Her debut novel, Falling Animals, was inspired by a real-life mystery and like the sea off the coast of her native northwest Ireland, the tale it tells is alive with undercurrents. Each chapter focuses on a different character caught up in the wake of an unidentified man’s body appearing on a remote Irish beach. It’s a haunting tale which, like Sheila’s short stories, is rich with the landscape and thwarted dreams of a community living on the storm-tossed edge of the world. Join Sheila and Red as they explore the real-life mystery that inspired Falling Animals and how Sheila blurs the lines between the bizarre and the every day through her lyrical prose.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Irish actor and voice artist Aoife McMahon, who is one of the most in-demand audiobook narrators in the business. Her range is astonishing. She has appeared in leading roles for the Royal Shakespeare Company and in numerous celebrated television dramas on both sides of the Atlantic, including as Mary Bundle Kean in the Canadian TV mini-series Random Passage, for which she won the 2002 Gemini Award for Best Actress in a leading role. Aoife has narrated over 200 audiobooks, holds a degree in English, and is an avid reader and a nascent writer. Her recent accolades include numerous AudioFile Awards and a place in the Top 10 Audiobooks as listed in The Irish Times, The New York Times and Amazon's top picks. Join Aoife and Red as they explore some of the titles narrated by her that will be featured in this series of My Life in Books and discover the narrator’s side of the story. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. Ece Temelkuran is an award-winning author and journalist and one of Europe’s most highly respected political thinkers. Her 2019 book, How to Lose a Country: The Seven Steps from Democracy to Dictatorship, was hailed as an urgent call to action to combat a global rise in populism. Two years later, in a world blighted by COVID-19 and more divided than ever, she might have been excused for publishing a post-mortem. Instead, in Together: 10 Choices for a Better Now, she set out a manifesto for social and political change. "This is not about how we messed things up," she says, "This is about what kind of world we want to live in now, and the joy we can take in finding our dignity again." Join Ece and Red as they discuss the roles of faith, hope, and community in a world of deception, fear and inequality.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. Pamela Mulloy’s debut novel, The Deserters, was published in 2018, and explores the tangled relationship between a lonely wife on a New Brunswick farm and an American soldier who goes AWOL while on leave from Iraq. Whereas The Deserters examines the aftermath of war, specifically post-traumatic stress disorder, Pamela’s follow-up, As Little as Nothing, explores the effects of war’s approach. Set in the south of England in the 12 months leading up to the Second World War, the novel is a vivid portrait of a community still coming to terms with events of the past while also preparing for an uncertain future. Join Pamela and Red as they discuss trauma, resilience and the various ways we reinvent ourselves. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. By her own admission, Dr. Catherine Raven is more comfortable in nature than among people. The biologist, university lecturer and former U.S. National Park Ranger lives off the grid in the wilderness of Montana. Her prizewinning memoir, Fox and I: An Uncommon Friendship, tells the fascinating and moving story of her unexpected and transformative friendship with a wild fox. It is both a hymn to empathy and a reminder that we share more than our habitat with our fellow creatures. Join Catherine and Red as they probe the limits of the scientific method and discuss the role of storytelling and intuition in defining our place in the world. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. Sara Sheridan is a Scottish author who writes historical novels based on the real-life stories of late Georgian and early Victorian explorers. She has also penned a highly successful series of cozy crime noir mysteries set in 1950s Brighton; and, in 2016, she founded a perfume brand called Reek, whose signature scent, Damn Rebel Bitches, has been called "the first feminist fragrance." "History is a treasure chest of stories,” she says, and her latest novel, The Fair Botanists, is built around a gem of a tale. Set in Edinburgh in 1822, it reimagines the suspense ahead of King George IV’s inaugural visit against the extraordinary background of a parade of full-grown trees being transported through the city on horse-drawn carts, from the old Botanical Garden to their new home. Join Sara and Red as they discuss Enlightenment-era Edinburgh: a hotbed of new money, grinding poverty, shrewd women and botanical espionage My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this, the second of two special episodes focusing on the history of audiobooks, Red is joined by Professor Matthew Rubery. In his book, The Untold Story of The Talking Book, Prof. Rubery not only explores the origins of a form of publishing that grew from the needs of people who are blind, but also examines the relationship between the written and spoken word, and the part narrators play in that dynamic. Join Matthew and Red as they continue their journey through the technological innovations that have made audiobooks more accessible than ever, and the stigma that persists around whether listening to a book is really the same as reading one. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this, the first of two special episodes focusing on the history of audiobooks, Red is joined by Professor Matthew Rubery. In his book, The Untold Story of The Talking Book, Prof. Rubery not only explores the origins of a form of publishing that grew from the needs of blind people, but also examines the relationship between the written and spoken word, and the part narrators play in that dynamic. Join Matthew and Red as they start their journey at the genesis of spoken word recordings, and meet the extraordinary blind activists on both sides of the Atlantic who wouldn’t take no for an answer when it came to using technology to make books accessible to those who could not see to read. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. Caroline Graham has been dubbed, "Simply the best detective writer since Agatha Christie," and, like Poirot or Miss Marple, she has found a truly global audience through the TV adaptation of her novels. The first five episodes of Midsomer Murders were adapted from Caroline’s Chief Inspector Barnaby novels, and are laced with that same compelling blend of rural English whimsy and macabre malevolence. However, the constraints of adapting a novel into a screenplay did deprive us of Caroline’s flair for writing psychological pen portraits of her characters, and some of the darker aspects of her plots. But now, audiobook fans can enjoy the original stories in all their unabridged brilliance through new recordings of all seven Chief Inspector Barnaby mysteries, with Midsomer Murders actor John Hopkins narrating them. Join Caroline, her son David, and Red for a glimpse behind the scenes of the series that made Midsomer the murder capital of the English shires! My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. Jonathan Whitelaw is an author, journalist and broadcaster with a darkly comic sense of humour and a love of detective fiction. Having worked on the frontline of Scottish politics, he has now turned his skills to writing cozy crime. His HellCorp novels featured the Devil as a beleaguered manager and reluctant gumshoe, and Jonathan’s most recent series centres around a wily group of bingo-playing amateur sleuths from Penrith, in the English Lake District. Jonathan has recently moved to Ontario, so join him and Red as they get their eyes down for a full house of murder and mayhem! My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My-Life-Books/recent_episodes

Ellen Jovin is a self-confessed grammar nerd. So passionate is she that, in 2018, she decided to set up a table outside her New York home to answer questions about the correct use of grammar and other knotty linguistic problems that passers-by might have. It proved an instant success and soon she and her husband took the table, and a selection of reference books, on tour around the United States. In Rebel With A Clause, Ellen documents the most common grammar questions and complaints she encountered and gives examples and guidance for correct usage. If you find yourself wincing at a misplaced apostrophe or puzzling over when and where to use a semicolon, join Ellen and Red around the grammar table.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Val Wood, an award-winning author of romantic historical fiction, whose work is often compared to that of Catherine Cookson. In Val’s case, she has chosen her seaboard locale of Hull and the East Riding of Yorkshire in which to set her books. And her highly evocative sense of place and landscape, coupled with her historical accuracy has won her legions of fans around the world. The parallels with Catherine Cookson don’t end there: Val, too, is a passionate supporter of libraries, literacy, and sight loss charities. All of her 28 novels to date have been recorded as audiobooks, but her commitment to making print accessible to those of us who can’t see to read print goes back much further than that. Join Val and Red as they explore the history of the East Riding of Yorkshire, including its enduring sense of community and charity.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Szell for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by writer and journalist Ed Caesar. In his first book, "Two Hours," Ed explored the quest to run a sub-two-hour marathon, and the men determined to break that seemingly impossible barrier. His follow-up, "The Moth and The Mountain," tells the extraordinary story of Maurice Wilson, a First World War veteran who, in 1933, attempted to fly a Gipsy Moth biplane from England to the foothills of Mount Everest, and then climb the as yet unconquered mountain alone! Join Ed and Red as they explore the extremes of human endurance and the circumstances that drive some people there.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Széll for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Champion of the Classics, Natalie Haynes. Through her best-selling novels, her sell-out stand-up comedy performances, and eight series of her hit radio show, Natalie has brought the myths of Ancient Greece and Rome to legions of new fans. Her novels The Children of Jocasta and A Thousand Ships retold the Greek myths of Oedipus and Antigone, and the Trojan War respectively, reshaping the stories by placing women at their hearts. And her latest novel, Stone Blind, reveals a new side to the seemingly familiar myth of Perseus and The Gorgon, Medusa. Not only does it put male power under the spotlight but it explores how we create monsters out of our fear of the unknown. And best of all for fans of Natalie Haynes Stands Up for the Classics, she narrates the audiobook version of Stone Blind herself! Join Natalie and Red as they discuss petulant gods, sympathetic monsters and blind characters in Ancient Greek literature.

Join writer, broadcaster and blind adventurer Red Szell for the latest episode of AMI-audio’s My Life in Books. Each fortnight, Red invites you to join him in conversation with a renowned author about their work and the books that inspired them to write. For this episode, Red is joined by Marilyn Davidson Elliott, author of The Blind Mechanic. The book chronicles the life of her father, Eric Davidson, one of the most extraordinary survivors of the Halifax Explosion of 1917, which remains the largest non-nuclear man-made explosion in history. It left nearly 2,000 people dead, and 9,000 wounded, many with eye injuries. So many, in fact, that the disaster hastened the formation of the CNIB. Of the people who lost their sight entirely that day, the youngest was two-and-a-half-year-old Eric, who went on to defy both expectation and convention to become a fully qualified automobile mechanic. He was also emblematic of Halifax’s determination to overcome the shock waves. His story and that of the Halifax Explosion have been meticulously researched by Marilyn, and the CELA Library was on hand to ensure that it was recorded as an audiobook. Join Marilyn and Red as they discuss Eric’s quiet determination, astounding automotive ability, and the enduring legacy of the Halifax Explosion.

For this episode, Red is joined by John Keay, a British historian with an international reputation for writing accessible biographies of India, The Far East and China. In his new book, Himalaya: Exploring the Roof of the World, he presents us with a meticulously researched and characterful history of one of the world’s last great wildernesses and, in particular, of the bizarre discoveries and improbable achievements of its pioneers. It has mesmerized scholars and mystics, sportsmen and spies, pilgrims and mapmakers, all of whom have mingled with its farmers and traders on the "Roof of the World." But it is also the portrait of an area, the size of Europe, that continues to be riven by conflict and is under increasing ecological threat. Join John and Red as they discuss Himalaya’s geology, exploration, exploitation and future as one of the world’s most essential and endangered wonders.

This time, Red is joined by Josie Lloyd who, since her debut in 1997, has written a string of best-selling novels, including the international smash hit Come Together, which she co-wrote with her husband Emlyn Rees. Although her books are a celebration of life, love, and friendship, Josie has never shied away from difficult subjects, but she invariably does so with a sense of hope and humour. This was particularly true of her 2021 novel, The Cancer Ladies Running Club, which she wrote in the wake of her own diagnosis of breast cancer. The novel, published in the U.S. as The Brightside Running Club, is now being made into a film of the same name, and its themes of finding positivity through fitness and friendship are continued in Josie’s latest book, Lifesaving For Beginners. Written during the lockdown, it too touches on some dark subject matter but as always Josie’s light touch is there to celebrate some of what the lockdown gave us as well as recognize what it took away. "Literature should be there to hold up a mirror for people to find themselves in, and I always look for the funny in life," she says. Join Josie and Red as they discuss the healing powers of friendship, open-water swimming, and The Very Hungover Caterpillar!

Red is joined by Kate Summerscale, an award-winning author and journalist who achieved international recognition with the publication of "The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher." The book was a ground-breaking re-examination of the infamous Road Hill House case, a grisly Victorian murder that became the blueprint for the classic English country house murder story. Since writing "Mr. Whicher," Kate has turned her forensic light onto several other seemingly inexplicable cases, including those of "Mrs. Robinson’s Disgrace" and "The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story." So her most recent book might seem like a bit of a departure. But in "The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions," she offers us a series of fascinating case studies to take us on a tour of our deepest fears and compulsions. Join Kate and Red, if you dare, as they explore foibles from arachnophobia to trypophobia with a touch of Beatlemania thrown in for good measure!

In this episode, Red is joined by Graeme Macrae Burnet who, in his four novels to date, has created a cryptic and compelling sub-genre: false true crime. His second book, His Bloody Project, was a runaway hit, shortlisted for the prestigious Booker Prize and translated into more than 20 languages. Now, his fourth, Case Study, which has recently been published in Canada, seems destined to equal, if not outperform, it. In its pages, he entwines the fictional biography of Collins Braithwaite, a radical 1960s psychiatrist, with the journal of a young woman who becomes a patient of Braithwaite’s in the belief that he drove her sister to suicide. "Suicide makes Miss Marples of us all," claims the young woman, who has adopted the name, Rebecca, in a nod to Daphne du Maurier. But as fans of Graeme Macrae Burnet will know, his protagonists are never reliable narrators, and like psychotherapists, it is up to his readers to tease out the truth contained in the stories he presents to us. Join Graeme and Red as they discuss unreliable witnesses, French Existentialism, and the joy of creating puzzles.

For this episode, Red is joined by Kevin J Anderson, the internationally best-selling author of over 170 novels, including the Dan Shamble, Zombie P.I., series and the science fiction epic The Saga of Seven Suns. He has also written spin-off novels for Star Wars, The X-Files, and co-authored the prequels to Frank Herbert’s Dune series. But perhaps his proudest achievement comes from his collaboration with legendary Rush drummer and lyricist Neil Peart. Their 2012 novel, Clockwork Angels, was written to accompany Rush’s album of the same name. Across its pages, they created a fabulous world of airships and alchemy, clockwork carnivals, lost cities and ruthless pirates, all governed by an autocratic Watchmaker and threatened by his nemesis, the Anarchist. It’s a world they revisited in Clockwork Lives, which is nothing less than a steampunk Canterbury Tales! Sadly, Neil Peart passed away in 2020, but as a tribute to his great friend and the world they created together, Kevin has completed the trilogy with, Clockwork Destiny, which he also narrates for the audiobook version. Join Kevin and Red as they discuss the profound influence Rush and Neil Peart had on Kevin’s writing, and the enduring legacy the audiobook versions of The Clockwork Angels trilogy have created.

For this episode, Red is joined by Ben Macintyre, the award-winning author of over a dozen historical biographies that reveal some of the most fascinating and entertaining true spy stories of 20th-century history. From double agents operating during World War II to legendary Cold War spies such as Kim Philby and Oleg Gordievsky, Ben’s research has given him access to some of the most closely guarded secrets in the history of espionage. His outstanding biography of Operation Mincemeat, a daring scheme to misdirect the Nazis in 1943, was adapted into a feature film earlier this year. But Ben is not one to rest on his laurels; his latest book explores another remarkable corner of World War II operations. Prisoners of the Castle: An Epic Story of Survival and Escape from Colditz, the Nazis’ Fortress Prison, shines new light on one of the greatest war stories ever told. Join Ben and Red as they discuss tunnels, tradecraft, and the type of character required to be the perfect spy.

For this episode, Red is joined by Premee Mohamed. The Alberta-based author is one of the most original and engaging voices in speculative fiction today. And with dual scientific degrees in molecular genetics and land reclamation, she is well-qualified. Premee’s writing, like her academic studies, is not constrained by genre boundaries. Her latest novella, "The Annual Migration of Clouds," combines elements of sci-fi, cosmic horror and dystopian fiction to explore the possible consequences of our present-day actions. Join Premee and Red as they probe the realm between science fact and fantasy, and discover which authors led her to speculate about our lives and futures. My Life in Books airs Mondays at 1 p.m. Eastern on AMI-audio, or download the podcast from your favourite provider via this link: https://www.ami.ca/My- Life-Books/recent_episodes

For this episode, Red’s guest is the multi-talented author Rebecca Stott. Not only is she a prize-winning biographer and emeritus Professor of Literature, but she is also the author of three highly regarded works of historical fiction. Her latest novel, Dark Earth, transports the reader back to one of the most obscure periods of European history: the years following the Roman withdrawal from Britain. It’s an era that fascinates her, and, as we’ll hear, her research has taken her far beyond the library and museums. Join Rebecca and Red as they explore the so-called Dark Ages and learn how Rebecca’s upbringing in a cult led to her discovery of Darwin.

In this episode, Red’s guest is Deborah Moggach, the author of 20 widely acclaimed novels and two collections of short stories. Deborah is also a highly regarded screenwriter; several of her books have been adapted for the screen, including "Tulip Fever" and "These Foolish Things," which became the box office hit "The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel." Join Deborah and Red as they explore loneliness, desire, ageing and the pitfalls of having your book adapted into a Hollywood movie!

In this episode, Red is joined by best-selling author Ruta Sepetys, who has built an international reputation for shining a light into the darkest corners of 20th-century history and telling the stories of ordinary people resisting extraordinary brutality. To date, her five novels have been published in over 60 countries and 40 languages, and all have been recorded as audiobooks read by some of the best narrators in the business. Her latest book, ""I Must Betray You,"" transports us back to Romania in 1989. It’s a world of state-controlled paranoia in which spies are everywhere and personal freedom nowhere. Join Ruta and Red as they discuss how the power of testimony and storytelling can be used to heal the legacy of tyranny, and discover which ""The Sopranos"" actor narrated Ruta’s latest novel.

"This month, Red’s guest is Louise Hare, whose atmospheric debut novel, ""This Lovely City,"" was set in bombed-out, post-war London and placed a young couple from the Windrush generation at the heart of a tender love story wrapped up in a whodunnit. The novel received rave reviews and Louise’s follow up, ""Miss Aldridge Regrets,"" was an eagerly anticipated treat that found its way into many-a-summer holiday suitcase. Set in 1936 aboard the ocean liner Queen Mary, it is a sparkling murder mystery, combining music and glamour with a probing exploration of race, class and pre-WW2 politics. Join Louise and Red as they explore the Golden Age of crime fiction, jazz and Art Deco, and the social divisions and suspicions that underpinned it."

This month, to celebrate the show’s first birthday, Red is joined by not one, but three guests, all of whom should be familiar to AMI listeners, and all of whom love talking books. Join Red round the table with fellow AMI presenters Dave Brown, Kelly MacDonald and Ramya Amuthan, as they explore the books they love and the changing ways in which they access them.

This month, Red’s guest is award-winning Canadian author and filmmaker Lesley Krueger. Her latest novel, "Time Squared," follows a reluctant time traveller across centuries and continents as she struggles for a sense of agency in a world dominated by patriarchal preoccupations. If that sounds heavy, fear not, Lesley has a knack for blending the weighty topics she explores with a playfulness that makes her brand of historical literary fiction hard to put down. Join Lesley and Red as they explore the liminal corners of life and art.

This month, Red’s guest is John Preston, the award-winning journalist and author whose titles include "The Dig," "A Very English Scandal" and, most recently, "Fall: The Mystery of Robert Maxwell." John has a gift for bringing historical characters back to life, exposing hypocrisy and subterfuge and for blending the tragedy and farce of human endeavour. He also has a wicked turn of phrase honed by his many years on London’s Fleet Street; of disgraced media mogul Robert Maxwell he writes, "His smile was like that of Richard III." Join John and Red as they discuss larger-than-life characters, spectacular falls from grace and adapting the written word for the screen and audiobook.

This month, Red’s guest is Ellen Alpsten, whose meticulously researched historical novels, "Tsarina" and "The Tsarina’s Daughter," retell the extraordinary stories of the two women who ushered in a century of female rule in Russia. Join Ellen and Red as they discuss hair-raising historical events and machinations at the Romanov court in 18th-century St, Petersburg that make Game of Thrones seem like a fairy tale.

This month, Red’s guest is Stuart Turton, creator of "The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle." A mind-bending blend of the board game Clue, the TV show "Quantum Leap" and the movie "Groundhog Day," it quickly became an international bestseller, as did his follow-up "The Devil and The Dark Water," an equally compelling tale of murder, mayhem and fantastic goings-on set aboard a 17th-century merchant ship. Join Stuart and Red as they discuss his work and discover how Agatha Christie, a notorious maritime incident, and a wall-papering table all played key roles in Stuart’s creative process.

"This month, Red is in conversation with Salley Vickers, the best-selling author of ""Miss Garnet’s Angel,"" ""The Librarian"" and ""The Cleaner of Chartres."" Salley’s literary fiction blends historical, romantic and psychological themes and is informed by her training as a psychotherapist, meaning that she has a keen eye for what makes her characters tick, even if they don’t always share her insight! Her latest novel, ""The Gardener,"" is her 13th, and has been described as ""an enchanting tale of the restoration of a garden, and a soul."" Join Salley and Red as they discuss her work, and how a seed sown in her childhood germinated during lockdown to grow into ""The Gardener."""

This month, Red is in conversation with Maggie Shipstead, whose latest novel, ""Great Circle,"" was shortlisted for The 2021 Booker Prize. Part historical fiction, part contemporary satire, it intertwines the story of a pioneering woman aviator with that of the Hollywood actress chosen to play her in a modern-day biopic. Join Maggie and Red as they discuss her work, and the quest for a sense of perspective.

This month, Red is in conversation with Canadian-British author Alison MacLeod, whose latest novel "Tenderness" weaves together fact and fiction to explore the genesis and repercussions of one of the most notorious books ever written: D.H. Lawrence’s "Lady Chatterley’s Lover." Through her extensive research, Alison has uncovered not only an FBI plot to suppress "Lady Chatterley’s" publication on both sides of the Atlantic, but also the likely model for Constance Chatterley herself. Join Alison and Red as they discuss how her findings fed into the creation of "Tenderness," and how the controversy surrounding "Lady Chatterley" exposed fault lines in 20th-century Western culture that continue to reverberate today.

This month, Red is joined by Ursula Buchan, author of A Life of John Buchan: Beyond the Thirty-Nine Steps. With access to a family archive, much of which has never been published before, Ursula - the granddaughter of the man who invented the modern thriller - has produced a fascinating portrait of a remarkable man. In a life spanning just 64 years, Buchan was also a scholar, barrister, diplomat, literary critic, publisher, war correspondent, director of wartime propaganda, British Member of Parliament and much-loved Governor General of Canada. Together, Ursula and Red will explore how, fueled by a passion for literature and literacy, John Buchan left a legacy that continues to inspire readers and writers today.

This month, Red is joined by Mick Finlay, author of the acclaimed Arrowood series of historical detective novels. Set in Victorian London, his down-at-heel detective, William Arrowood, is a poor man’s Sherlock Holmes who makes no secret of his contempt and envy for his more famous rival. With the publication of the fourth book in the series, Arrowood and the Meeting House Murders, Red felt it was high time to bring their creator in for questioning. Together, Mick and Red explore some of the main themes and plotlines of the series, as well as the books that have inspired Mick as a storyteller.

This month on My Life in Books, host Red Szell is joined by Joanna Toye, a novelist who cut her writing teeth on the world’s longest-running drama series, The Archers, rising to become its leading scriptwriter, senior producer and its most trusted chronicler. Since 2019, Joanna has been enthralling readers with her Shop Girls series of novels. Set in the fictional town of Hinton, just outside Birmingham in the English Midlands, the series follows the fortunes of the staff at Marlow’s, the town’s department store as they battle to keep calm and carry on during the Second World War. Packed with drama, social history, perseverance and a sense of community, the series has found a particularly receptive audience since the onset of the pandemic. Together, Joanna and Red will explore some of the main themes and plotlines of the series as well as the books that have inspired Joanna as a storyteller. They will also be joined by narrator and voice actor Becky Wright, who brought the audiobook versions of the Shop Girls to life.

In this debut episode of My Life in Books, AMI-audio Manager Andy Frank turns the table on host Red Szell to introduce him to you! Using a similar format that Red will follow in future episodes, Andy learns about Red’s life, his own books, and three books that left a deep impression on him.

September 5th, join broadcaster Red Széll for My Life in Books, featuring one-on-one interviews with authors who discuss their life, works and three books that have resonated with them. New episodes every Sunday.