In our season 3 finale of The Bookshelf of Jennifer Morrison, this episode with author E.J. Koh is truly, poetry in motion. Koh joins Jennifer to discuss her novel, "The Liberators", winner of the 2024 New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award. Though it is a novel covering dark themes spanning several generations through historical tragic events, E.J. continuously manages to find light within the darkness, giving the audience a story that Jennifer finds delicate and "smooth as silk". E.J. discusses her family's influence in writing her memoir and novels, her ambition to write 1,000 love letters, and how her process of writing ultimately lends as a conduit for her real passion—making a connection with humanity.
This one is for the true book lovers out there...in this unique episode we discuss our book of the month "The Land of Milk and Honey" by C Pam Zhang with Executive Editor Caroline Bleeke at Flatiron Books. Caroline takes us on a behind the scenes journey into the world of Publishing. What exactly does an Editor do? When do they decide one of the many stories they read needs to be shared with the world? What does a career path look like for an Editor? Jennifer and Caroline dive into all of these questions and more in this episode of The Bookshelf of Jennifer Morrison.
In this memorable episode of The Bookshelf of Jennifer Morrison, Jennifer has the incredible opportunity to chat with world-renowned author, Danielle Steel, on her newest novel “A Mother’s Love”. Danielle and Jennifer discuss her astounding career including publishing 218 books internationally, her writing process, and what is behind Danielle's technique that makes each of her characters unique, relatable and leaves readers feeling happy and fulfilled with each and every one of her stories.
In this unforgettable memoir, Sarah LaBrie opens her novel "No One Gets to Fall Apart" with a devastating phone call from her grandmother—her mother was found on the side of the road, in the midst of a psychotic episode brought on by schizophrenia. Despite the incredulous journey that follows to discover the history of mental health in her family while juggling her own struggles, Sarah remains incredibly optimistic leaving Jennifer to ask just how she does it. Find out how the failure of one of Sarah's novels ultimately led her to find and pursue her true desire and why we should, too in this memorable episode of The Bookshelf of Jennifer Morrison.
Imagine getting a call as a teenager that your mother has gone to rehab and all she's left you is a $20 bill, your little sister, and several pets to take care of. That's only one of the many stories Crysta Bilton tells in her memoir, "Normal Family: On Truth, Love and How I Met My 35 Siblings". Yes, you read that right, along with growing up with her lesbian mother who was an alcoholic cult member, Chrysta discovers her biological father was a serial sperm donor and decides to host a "reunion" with dozens of her siblings. Jennifer dives in with Chrysta to relive her misadventures, past relationships that shape us, and how Chrysta was able to find peace with her mother through her writing.
The third time is indeed a charm as author Melanie Finn joins Jennifer once again to discuss one of her earlier novels, "The Gloaming". This story follows Pilgrim Jones after her husband leaves her for another woman, she's involved in an accident in a small town in Switzerland, tragically leaving 3 children dead. Filled with guilt, Pilgrim escapes to Africa, befriending a series of locals dealing with their own pasts. The town also seems to be spooked by the presence of a spirit, and Pilgrim can't shake the feeling she is being followed. Jennifer and Melanie discuss defining the line between authors' personal experiences and fiction, the discomfort in feeling the ambiguity in the good and evil of characters, and how accepting wasting time writing may be the best thing you can do.
In this episode, Jennifer is joined by Nora Lange, author of the novel "Us Fools". Auspiciously timely, Nora's story focuses on the relationship between two sisters growing up in the rural mid-west during the farming crisis of the 1980s. Often isolated, the sisters educate themselves and learn from one another as they ultimately escape to Chicago, facing a seemingly failing world. Nora and Jennifer discuss the parallels in "Us Fools" to raising daughters in our society today, and the importance of cultivating your own trauma story in order to experience re-growth.
In our Season 3 opening episode, Jennifer Morrison joins her THIS IS US co-star Griffin Dunne to discuss his new memoir, "The Friday Afternoon Club". From getting expelled the day before his stage debut, to memories with Carrie Fisher, you'll find out why 3 years on set with Griffin wasn't enough to hear all the stories he has to tell. With a family interwoven deep into Hollywood history, the behind the scenes of his writing is just as intriguing and spectacular as the book itself.
Motherhood, ghosts, intergenerational trauma—find out how these themes serendipitously fit into Jennifer's life while starring in THE PENELOPIAD at the Goodman Theatre in Chicago and coming across the novel, MOTHER DOLL by author Katya Apekina. Jennifer and Katya discuss how these themes and storytelling devices help audiences process life decisions, dealing with grief, and taking on new roles (in more ways than one), in our exciting 20th episode of THE BOOKSHELF with Jennifer Morrison. The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIA: Get 30% off your purchase Link: www.helloamia.com AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription or 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot. Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
An avid fan of theatre, each season Jennifer features a play for the book club—stories that transport, inform, and inspire and this selection is no different. Join Jennifer in conversation with barrister-turned-playwright-turned-novelist: Suzie Miller, writer of the Olivier AND Tony Award-winning play, "Prima Facie". Suzie shares how the state of the legal system compelled her to tell this powerful story, how she made the transition from fighting in court to writing on the page, and what we can do to elicit real change for justice in our future.
Join Jennifer in conversation with author, poet, and screenwriter Fatimah Asghar to discuss their first novel, "When We Were Sisters". A finalist of the 2023 New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award, the story follows 3 orphaned sisters who despite losing everything, find home in one another. Fatimah shares their own life experiences as an orphan, and how they have survived navigating both the publishing world and Hollywood as a writer on Disney's "Ms. Marvel". Find out what life advice (there's a lot!) Jennifer will take from both the novel, and this incredible interview with Fatimah Asghar. The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
Join Jennifer this month in conversation with author Christine Lai to discuss her novel, "Landscapes". Through a series of narratives and essays, the story follows Penelope in a not-too-distant and unfortunately, very probable future in the English countryside, now devastated by heat and drought. While most are keen on surviving, Penelope is tasked with archiving works of art that have outlasted post-apocalyptic weather in a ruined country home scheduled for demolition. Find out why Christine's writing opened Jennifer's eyes to the art world as they discuss just what is worth saving for future generations or is the question itself, like art—subjective? The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
This month, The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is honoured to welcome our very first returning guest—author Melanie Finn, to discuss her novel, THE UNDERNEATH. The story follows Kay, a former journalist who decides to spend the summer in rural Vermont with her husband and two children. Based on her own experiences as a journalist, Melanie and Jennifer discuss how her own small town influenced this thrilling story, how desperation and even love can turn seemingly unsuspecting individuals to commit unforgivable acts.
It's spooky season and what better month to escape into an epic fantasy novel? This October, Jennifer's pick is "Deep Sea Feline" written by author Dave Hurlow. Join Jennifer and Dave as they explore his process of creating magical realms, the fairy tales that inspired his writing, and find out why Jennifer describes his story as one filled with "hope of biblical proportions"... The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
It's a new year, and in our first episode of 2024, Jennifer sits down with writer and poet Reyes Ramirez, a finalist of the 2023 New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award. Reflecting his parents' immigration journey, "The Book of Wanderers" is a collection of short stories following several (creatively named) characters facing harrowing but similar experiences. Find out why Jennifer says the book helped her to empathize, and expand as a person, as well as what we can do to create real change in the present—to avoid Reyes' imagining of the future in "The Book of Wanderers". The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
"All Day is a Long Time" author, David Sanchez, tells Jennifer Morrison the elevator pitch for his novel: a "pseudo-autobiographical book about a young man in Florida who struggles with drug addiction". An incredibly brave tale, written by an equally fascinating person. Jennifer talks with David about his debut novel, how his story differs from most surrounding the theme of addiction, and how a class in poetry shifted his path of becoming a doctor—to becoming a writer. The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
On this episode, Jennifer discusses DISORIENTATION, a novel written by Elaine Hsieh Chou, a finalist for the 2023 New York Public Library's Young Lions Fiction Award. DISORIENTATION follows the story of Ingrid Chou who, while procrastinating writing her thesis, stumbles upon a peculiar note that changes the course of her research and life. Jennifer and Elaine discuss how she was able to tackle important yet heavy subjects while keeping the audience constantly engaged with never-ending laughs, twists and turns. Can we ever break free from the story structure of beginning-middle-end? Or are all our lives just the shape of a curve whether you're surviving a war, writing an award-winning novel, or just a snail in a diorama? The Bookshelf with Jenifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions, and our amazing sponsors. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF at the links below for special discounts offered exclusively for our listeners. AMIGO Coffee Roasters: Get 15% off your purchase Link: www.amigoroasters.com BEAM: Get 35% off a subscription -or- 15% off your purchase Link: shopbeam.com/jensbookshelf SEED: Get 25% off your first order Link: https://seed.com/ FREDA: Get 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Link: https://fredasalvador.com/en-ca
Welcome to Season 2 of The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison. In this exciting first episode, Jennifer meets with Zain Khalid, author of Brother Alive, winner of the 2023 New York Public Library Young Lions Fiction Award. Jennifer and Zain cover everything from growing up in their hometown libraries, to global affairs that inspired Zain's novel, to the perfect notebook and pen combination every aspiring writer needs. The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions. Use the code JENSBOOKSHELF for the following offers from our wonderful sponsors: Seed - 25% off your first order Freda - 15% off a one-time purchase - *exclusions include Brooke x Sam Wennerstrom collab boot Beam - 35% off a subscription -OR- 15% off a one time purchase Amigo Roasters - 15% off
In the final episode of our inaugural season, Jennifer discusses LVOE, an unforgettable collection of poems and illustrations on life sand love with the anonymous poet, Atticus. Jennifer finds out how being vulnerable and posting his poems on instagram sparked a book deal, their shared love of antique typewriters, and the importance of remaining present in our everyday lives. The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions.
This week, Jennifer discusses the dark, feminist thriller The Hare with author Melanie Finn. Despite the heavy themes, Melanie hopes the reader will be able to finish the novel feeling empowered by protagonist Rosie’s story. Find out why Jennifer gets a gold star for deciphering exactly what Melanie set out to write in this unforgettable journey of discovery, survival, and humanity.The Bookshelf with Jennifer Morrison is brought to you by Apartment 3C Productions.