Canada Reads Inspired

Tara interviews the perfect guest for the month of October--Australian born and Canadian raised author Jessica Hamilton to discuss her latest novel, The Woods, published by Simon & Schuster, August 2026. https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Woods/Jessica-Hamilton/9781668236369 "We Used to Live Here meets The Amityville Horror in this haunting novel about Alice, a frustrated wife and grieving mother whose life is turned upside down when she moves her family into a secluded house sheltered by ancient woods. After the devastating death of her teenage daughter Lucy, Alice and her family need a fresh start. Their home in the city is full of painful reminders of what they’ve lost, and Alice is worried about the mental health of her other two children, Quinn and Polly, and the state of her marriage. So when she accidentally discovers a gorgeous, renovated bungalow nestled in the shadow of lovely old woods with a FOR SALE sign at the curb, Alice immediately emails the estate agent for a viewing. She can’t believe the list price—until the agent discloses the history of the house. Years earlier, a woman named Justine Gordon murdered her family there, claiming they were imposters and that her real family had been taken by the woods. Undeterred by the sad story, Alice makes an executive decision as the chief breadwinner. Though neither of her kids are happy to leave their friends behind, her mother Beverley thinks the granny flat in the backyard is cramped, and her husband Geoff, a failed novelist, can’t put down the bourbon long enough to help the family unpack, Alice prevails. As her family reluctantly settles in, the cracks in their relationships become more pronounced. And when inexplicable things start happening, including sightings of strange figures in the yard, and Geoff vanishing into the woods one night and returning hours later wearing different clothes and remembering nothing, Alice must confront the possibility that her refuge may be her undoing. Is her menopausal mind playing tricks on her, or is there something ancient and malevolent in the woods?" https://www.jessicahamilton.org/ https://www.instagram.com/jhamiltonauthor/   Recommended Titles: We Live Here Now by Sarah Pinborough We Used to Live Here; The Caretaker by Marcus Kliewer Model Home by River Solomon  

Tara welcomes Canadian author Aga Maksimowska, whose latest novel, Becalming, Dundurn Press (2026), "tells the story of two people realizing that happily ever after is not something to be but something to continue to explore, through adversity and outrage, tragedy and inspiration, and love." Her stories and essays have been published in Brick, The New Quarterly, Humber Literary Review, White Wall Review, The Globe and Mail, Today’s Parent, and longlisted for the CBC Short Story Prize. https://www.dundurn.com/books_/t22117/a9781459756038-becalming "Gosia, a high school chemistry teacher, travels to her native Poland to visit her estranged father. Back in Canada, meanwhile, her father-in-law — who has been more of a dad to her than her own — is dying of cancer. Away from her routine, Gosia questions everything in her life, including her long-term boyfriend, Peter. She feels stuck in the terrifying time of early adulthood, in her first grown-up job while managing student debt, monogamy, and existential dread. Is this really it, she wonders? Gosia’s time in Poland gives her the chance to examine her life, and she finds herself pulled homeward to Canada, where she faces the fact that Peter’s father — like her own — is far from perfect. Can she love despite betrayal? Can she find hope in her fiery, complex love for Peter? Is there something more to this life that she didn’t even realize she had?" https://maksimowska.ca/ https://www.instagram.com/agamaksimowska/ Recommended titles: Summerland by Helen Humphreys The Unravelling of Ou by Hollay Ghadery A Little Annihilation by Anna Janko  

Rebecca and Tara are winding down their summer reading with historical fiction, poetry, memoir, a graphic novel, short stories, and horror. Rebecca: The Archive of Alternate Endings by Lindsey Drager Kill Not the Butterfly by Ken Wyder If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer Solito by Javier Zamora Looking for Frank Wills by Wesley Brown The Choir by Carol M. Cram Unnamed Bones by Lora Senf Tara: The Collected Stories of Carol Shields The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt Becalming by Aga Maksimowska The Woods by Jessica Hamilton The Lilac People by Milo Todd Wolf Worm by T. Kingfisher If you have any comments or suggestions that you would like to share with Rebecca and Tara or you are interested in joining their monthly virtual book talk, please email them at [email protected]  

Tara welcomes Canadian author Erin Singer to the podcast and they share a lovely chat about romance and family ties in her first novel, Dangerland!  Erin also divulges that she has seen Carrot Top in suburban Las Vegas, which is, apparently, a thing! https://www.simonandschuster.com/authors/Erin-Singer/234549770 "Nora Ephron meets The Hangover in this screwball romantic comedy and family drama with a big, beating heart, set in the sun-bleached neon of Las Vegas. Kurt Richter has been in love with Eugenie Zepp since he was eight years old. Now he’s in his fifties, twice divorced, a father of four. The entire neighborhood is suing him, and he’s been estranged from Eugenie for a decade. In other words: perfect timing to declare himself to her. Kurt and Eugenie grew up in Vegas among the glamour and the grit, slot machines in pharmacies, off-Strip tiki bars, all night poker games, shimmering desert heat. They’ve spent a lifetime orbiting each other, building families and making a beautiful mess of them while trying to decide if what they share is destiny or disaster. Now their adult children are back in town with grudges, heartbreaks, and schemes of their own. As secrets surface and loyalties shift, will this be the right time for Eugenie and Kurt, after everything they’ve been through? In this delicious, darkly funny, romantic comedy, everyone is looking for love in all the wrong places and gambling on the biggest games in life—but in Dangerland, there’s always one more chance to win." Reading Recommendations: Tough Love by Tajja Isen (March 2027) Yellow Pine; Battleborn by Claire Vaye Watkins The World Jones Made by Philip K. Dick  

Tara welcomes Canadian (Nova Scotia) author Corinne Hoebers to discuss her latest novel, Tethered Spirits: Wiaqtaqne'wasultijik na Kjijaqmijinaq, OC Publishing, 2025. Corinne explains how she worked with the Mi'kmaq community to ensure historical accuracy while also telling the story of her own 1753 settlers of Lunenburg ancestors. From Goodreads: "Against the violent backdrop of the French and Indian (Seven Years) War, two German siblings come to learn about and understand the Mi'kmaq. Christian, now named Bear Cub, lives with the ancient People and develops a deep bond with his chosen brother, Eagle Feather, while his new family's way of life is increasingly threatened. On the outskirts of Lunenburg, Hanna, his younger sister, befriends a Mi'kmaw Elder and questions her papa's ownership of the land they are settling. Christian immerses himself in the Mi'kmaw language and the ways of the land, prepared to defend the People alongside Eagle Feather. Christian's father and older sister, Elisabeth, refuse to accept his new way of life; nor will they recognize the humanity of their perceived enemy. Christian is caught between two diverse families and cultures- the one to which he was born and to whom he feels obligated, and the one he has grown to love and respect. Settlers and Mi'kmaq alike struggle on land that is the ancestral home to one and promised to the other, a struggle that resonates to this day." https://corinnehoebers.mywriting.network/   Recommended titles: The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett John Newton: From Disgrace to Amazing Grace by Jonathan Aitken The Shack: Where Tragedy Confronts Eternity by William Paul Young The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy