Big Little Books

In this very special edition of Big Little Books, Yuli sits down with her mother, Riki, to discuss a lifetime of reading, favorite genres and authors, and why she thinks books are important for everyone.  From living in Japan, Winnipeg, Ottawa, Yellowknife, and beyond, Riki's love of reading has always been a source of comfort, joy, and education. Sit back and relax while she takes you on the story of her 70+ years, quirks and all.  Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!    EPISODE GUIDE COMING SOON.

Welcome back dear listeners to BLB, a monthly conversational podcast about two bibliophiles who like to have lively discussions about books.   In this month's Big Little Books Book Club episode, we are diving deep into the world of Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, initially released on September 21, 2021 by Penguin Teen. It is a sci-fi/ fantasy reimaging of China's only female emperor, Wu Zetian, featuring giant mechas. As per usual with Book Club episodes, SPOILERS AHEAD. To start, we immediately dive into the story that blends ancient Chinese history and futuristic science fiction. Our discussion is about the story itself and the world building, but it also delves deeper into topics of gender, feminism, and the fact that this book is marketed as YA, something that is becoming more and more difficult to define. We had a lot of fun buddy reading this book via https://www.thestorygraph.com/, and hope you enjoy this discussion! Want to know what BLB's Book Club pick for February is? Tune in to the end of this episode (ideally after… you know, listening to entire episode first) to find out! If you think you might like to add some book club questions to the discussion, or join us in reading February's pick, send us an email at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com or DM us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod. We would love to hear from you! EXTRA NOTES CW – You might want to check out the author's content warning on their website. Even though this book is marketed as YA, it includes scenes of violence, sexual assault, torture, etc. Pronunciation – Prior to recording this episode, we practiced pronouncing the names of the characters. That said, our pronunciation is still rough at times! If you want to hear the proper pronounciation directly from Zhao, check out their YouTube video called Iron Widow – Meet the Characters. (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5eW_huLBLA) It is short and sweet; a great book tease!

Welcome back to Big Little Books, and cheers to the New Year! Hot of the press, it's our last BLB episode of 2021. This past year wasn't the greatest, looking a lot like 2020, but it was a great year for books. Published one year ago today, Firekeeper's Daughter is a memorable YA thriller about an indigenous teen seeking to root out corruption in her community. This debut novel from author Angeline Boulley was selected for November book club, and we've included a few snippets from last month's Book Bangers discussion. This is a powerful book most of us breezed through, and it gave us lots to talk about. So much so that we decided to centre an entire BLB episode around it. We hope you enjoy the occasional dog barking and crackling outdoor fire sounds throughout this episode. Evidently, there's still plenty for us to learn about recording in the year ahead! Special thanks to Book Bangers for letting us record our book club discussion with scarce warning. BLB has an exciting lineup for 2022! With YA still on our minds, our next episode features Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao, something you'll most definitely want to tune in for. We are especially excited to share something we've been working on for the pod, set to be released this Friday on Instagram @biglittlebookspod! Want to know what's coming ASAP? Somewhere around the end of this episode, we spill the beans. Happy reading! Email us: biglittlebookspod@gmail.com

Welcome back to Big little books podcast! Today's episode is a mini crash course on Dune by Frank Herbert, perfectly timed with the release of the new Dune movie (out today! October 22). This crash course isn't here to dismantle theories or rewrite the way of things, we are simply adding our own analysis to the world of spice. Hopefully you'll laugh a bit! If you haven't already read the book, we hope this encourages you to pick it up and maybe even continue with the series. We are here to have a good time talking about all things Dune. The episode starts off with how we got here, chatting about Herbert himself and the inspiration for Dune, destined to become the world's best-selling science fiction novel. Next, we do our best to dive into the plot and chat about the characters. Effort was made to keep it friendly for first time readers, but be warned, SPOILERS AHEAD (limited to the first book). Then we jump into discussion time, followed by our thoughts on previous adaptations and the new Dune movie. Didn't have time to read the book before going to see the movie? Tune in for this mini-Dune crash course, whereby we hope you will learn to walk without rhythm. Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any questions or stuff you think we should talk about in upcoming episodes. Thank you for tuning in!   EPISODE GUIDE:   00:02:10 – How We Got Here: Herbert and how Dune came to be.   00:08:21 – 60 second recap (an attempt is made)   00:10:28 – The plot thickens    00:43:35 – Intermission    00:43:47 – Discussion Time    00:59:28 – Adaptations and Villeneuve's Dune!

Welcome back listeners to this mini episode of BLB that will help ease us all back into some regular programming. For those keeping a sharp eye out, our last episode was released way back in March of this year, Episode 20: Fiction & Flora. There's been a lot of change in the air, but we are excited to be back and bringing you some new bookish content! This summer we recommended library books to each other without saying too much as to what it was about. In today's mini episode, we discuss both books (as per usual, spoilers ahead), while also demonstrating that sometimes the books you crave in the moment will just fall into your lap. First, we chat about Heartstopper: Volume One by Alice Oseman, an ongoing graphic novel series about identity, friendship, and a whole lot of love. Next, we chat about Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman, which we both listened to on audiobook. Neither of us knew what to expect but are glad we gave this memoir-style book a try, as it dives deep into big friendships in a way we haven't properly considered before. Be sure to tune in until the end of this mini episode to hear what Episode 22 will be about! Want a hint? It involves worms. Come find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any questions or stuff you think we should talk about in our upcoming episodes. Big thank you, as always, for tuning in!   EPISODE GUIDE:   00:02:45 – Heartstopper: Volume 1 by Alice Oseman   00:18:07 – Big Friendship: How We Keep Each Other Close by Aminatou Sow and Ann Friedman     00:36:52 – BLB Big News for Episode 22!

Spring has sprung, dear listeners! In this episode, Yuli & Sam fully judge books by their covers - their floral covers that is. We delve into the YA books that have recently left us feeling both entertained and educated, as well as discuss our current reads and books to look forward to in the near future.  After tuning in, let us know which of your favourite books with floral covers we neglected to mention in this episode. Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com.   Thank you, as always, for listening!   EPISODE GUIDE: Coming soon!

“The book is better.”   Just like us over here at BLB, if you are a bibliophile, odds are you have said this before. Sometimes this statement is well-warranted, but often there is a power to TV adaptations through which the original material translates far better than it would to a movie. Book adaptations such as Game of Thrones, Handmaid’s Tale, and more recently The Queen’s Gambit, have all come to prominence achieving worldwide recognition. In episode 19 of BLB, we chat about book adaptations that become binge worthy television. Can they act as strong ambassadors for books in general? What about the fear of doing the material justice? Many fans are cautious about books being adapted for the small screen, but sometimes they get it right. BLB chats about the times it really worked, and the times it really worked until it didn’t. Did you develop an obsession with chess during lockdown after binge watching The Queen’s Gambit miniseries? After intermission we go into a deep discussion of the book by Walter Tevis, and what we think of the show that followed. It probably goes without saying for this episode, but be cautious dear listeners, spoilers ahead!   After tuning in, let us know if there are adaptations we neglected to mention in this episode and if you agree or disagree with our analysis of The Queen’s Gambit. Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com. Thank you, as always, for listening!   EPISODE GUIDE:   00:01:45 – A Discussion on Book Adaptations    00:22:37 – Times It Really Worked   00:22:45 – Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty, Big Little Lies – HBO (2017-2019)   00:26:17 – Cocaine Blues by Kerry Greenwood (Phyrne Fisher Mystery Series), Miss Fisher’s Murder Mysteries – ABC (2012-2015)   00:27:29 – Gossip Girl: It Had to Be You by Cecily von Ziegesar, Gossip Girl – The CW (2007-2012)   00:30:17 – Times It Worked, Until it Didn’t   00:30:23 – Dead Until Dark by Charlaine Harris (The Southern Vampire Mysteries), True Blood – HBO (2008-2014)   00:32:13 – Orange Is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison by Piper Kerman, Orange is the New Black – Netflix (2013-2019)    00:34:18 – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, The Handmaid’s Tale – Hulu (2017-ongoing)   00:38:55 – A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin (A Song of Ice and Fire), Game of Thrones – HBO (2011-2019)   00:42:46 – The Ones We Have Heard Good Things About, but Have Yet to Watch   00:42:50 – American Gods by Neil Gaiman, American Gods – Starz (2017-ongoing)   00:44:42 – Codename Villanelle by Luke Jennings, Killing Eve – BBC America (2018-ongoing)   00:45:33 – The Magicians by Lev Grossman, The Magicians – SYFY (2015-2020)   00:45:53 – QUIZ: What Queen’s Gambit Character Are You? https://www.zimbio.com/quiz/WjaI8veCF4v/Queen+Gambit+Character   00:48:30 – Intermission   00:48:30 – The Queen’s Gambit Discussion (1983 novel by Walter Tevis, 2020 Netflix miniseries)   01:13:30 – Literary TV Adaptations Coming Soon in 2021   01:13:51 – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel, Station Eleven   01:14:46 – Foundation by Isaac Asimov, Foundation   01:15:42 – Pachinko by Min Jin Lee, Pachinko   01:16:50 – Grisha trilogy and Six of Crows duology, both by Leigh Bardugo, Shadow and Bone   01:17:37 – The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien, The Lord of the Rings   01:19:32 – #CurrentlyReading

Welcome back to Big Little Books! Even though 2020 has been tumultuous, to say the least, one thing has remained constant throughout and that is books and all they have to offer. BLB takes a look at our end-of-year stats and the new reading habits that we’ve formed along the way. Since last year, Sam has developed an appreciation for audiobooks, and Yuli might be in the market for a Kindle or e-reader in the near future! We jump into what we have been reading while also entrenched in world events, specifically discussing some of our favourite reads of 2020. Next, we actively look at the year ahead and the changes we hope to see in our reading habits. Already thinking about new book releases coming out? So have we! Yuli and Sam chat about their most anticipated reads for the first half of 2021 and good things coming to the podcast in the year ahead.   Thank you, dear listeners, for tuning into this episode. As always, we would love to hear from you! Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com Coming at you in February is BLB Episode 19: From Books to TV, whereby we will be discussing The Queen’s Gambit by Walter Tevis and the Netflix adaptation everyone has been obsessed with since last fall. Friendly reminder to shop at your local independent bookstores. Stay safe out there!   EPISODE GUIDE:   00:01:53 – 2020 Cold Hard Reading Stats   00:06:00 – Goodreads Reading Stats and Goals: Pros and Cons    00:10:40 – Analysis of our 2020 Reading, discussion of BLB episode 13, and how our goals went   00:22:50 – Favourite Reads of 2020   00:23:19 – In the Dream House by Carmen Maria Machado   00:24:43 – A Darker Shade of Magic (Shades of Magic #1) by V.E. Schwab   00:25:58 – Strange the Dreamer (Strange the Dreamer #1) by Laini Taylor   00:27:39 – A Sky Beyond the Storm (An Ember in the Ashes #4) by Sabaa Tahir   00:28:00 – H is for Hawk by Helen Macdonald    00:30:15 – The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison   00:31:03 – Saga, Vol. 1 by Brian K. Vaughan (Writer), Fiona Staples (Artist)   00:33:10 – Kindred by Octavia E. Butler   00:35:14 – A Fortune for Your Disaster by Hanif Abdurraqib   00:37:36 – Last Christmas in Paris: A Novel of World War 1 by Hazel Gaynor and Heather Webb (Our Book Bangers Book Club December 2020 Pick)   00:40:10 – Intermission   00:40:30 – Reading Goals for 2021   00:45:25 – The StoryGraph Shoutout (THEY HAVE .5 RATINGS!) https://www.thestorygraph.com/   00:48:49 – Our Most Anticipated Books for the First Half of 2021   00:49:03 – No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood (February 16, 2021)   00:50:55 – The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. (January 5, 2021)   00:52:36 – A River Called Time by Courttia Newland   00:53:44 – Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor (January 19, 2021)   00:54:00 – A Court of Silver Flames (A Court of Thorns and Roses #4) by Sarah J. Maas (February 16, 2021)   00:54:45 – Hot Stew by Fiona Mozley (June 1, 2021)   00:55:55 – Home Is Not a Country by Safia Elhillo (March 2, 2021)   00:57:11 – Where is BLB headed in 2021?   00:58:40 – Besides Books

Welcome back to Big Little Books! This episode is severely delayed (it was recorded in September…) but life, and 2020 in general, has thrown us some curveballs. Our apologies for the wait in getting this episode out. It is a special one, and we are happy to finally be getting it to you all. There has been a lot going on in the world which has changed the school year in many ways, Way back in September, when back to school was in the air, it got us here at BLB thinking about our heightened connection with children’s books. What is behind it? Does our fondness for specific children’s books come from the familiarity forged through re-reading childhood favourites over and over again? So, for this episode of BLB, we chat about what books mean to us as kids. We recall the sweet rush of a Scholastic book fair, and quiz ourselves on well-known children’s authors. We talk about the books that made us readers and the books that didn’t stop us along the way. Books from your childhood can linger with you all your life, and perhaps mark you the most profoundly. Throughout this episode you will hear some new voices, as we have chatted with some of our friends and family about their childhood reads. Listen for the chimes! Special thanks to Shireen, Ben, Louise, Erin, Kenneth, Billy, and Kaitlin for joining us in this episode.  Do you have any favourite childhood reads we missed in this episode? We would love to hear from you! Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com Our next episode will be out end of January. We cross our hearts! EPISODE GUIDE:   00:01:01 – Episode Agenda // Where are we at? 00:01:49 – Nostalgia & Memories of Scholastic Book Fairs  00:06:55 – Quizzes: Classic Children’s Books and Children’s Authors   00:11:08 – The Rainbow Fish by author and illustrator Marcus Pfister, translated into English by J. Alison James   00:13:12 – Green Eggs and Ham by Dr. Seuss   00:17:55 – Where the Wild Things Are by author and illustrator Maurice Sendak   00:20:40 – Books that Were Read to Us   00:25:35 – Love You Forever written by Robert Munsch, illustrated by Sheila McGraw   00:28:20 – Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer   00:32:10 – The Giver by Lois Lowry   00:34:40 – Intermission   00:34:55 – Goosebumps by R. L. Stine   00:42:20 – The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien   00:43:28 – The Serpent’s Egg by J. Fitzgerald McCurdy   00:46:10 – General Theme of Childhood Favourites: The Faraway Tree series by Enid Blyton   00:49:55 – The books that did not stop us from becoming readers: Animorphs Series, Captain Underpants, Bridge to Terabithia and The Baby-Sitters Club (We agree to disagree on some of these!)   00:56:05 – Are You There God? It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Blume   00:57:29 – Star Girl by Jerry Spinelli   00:58:40 – Eragon by Christopher Paolini   The hard Britannica quizzes we tried: Quiz: https://www.britannica.com/quiz/classic-childrens-books Quiz: https://www.britannica.com/quiz/a-quiz-about-childrens-authors

Welcome back listeners to episode 16 of Big Little Books! Why is it important to diversify your bookshelf? Diversity is good for everyone. Reading books that represent different abilities, cultures, beliefs, and skin colour can help change your perspective and explore experiences that are new to you. Books can be a good steppingstone if you do not know where the conversation should start but want to self-educate. This episode starts with a brief discussion about Canada Reads 2020, and the recently announced winner. We dig into books that spark discussions about race and social injustice. Audio books are a thing we both do now! Tune in to find out what we have been listening to. Next, we dig into our recent reads and a new twist on the forever popular Books Spotted. We hope this episode inspires you to make a conscious effort to diversify your shelves!   If you have diverse books we should be adding to our reading lists, we would love to hear from you! Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email  us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com   EPISODE GUIDE: 00:01:33 – Theme for Today – Diversify your bookshelves/ Diverse reads 00:03:09 – Canada Reads (https://www.cbc.ca/books/canadareads) 00:05:10 – Son of a trickster by Eden Robinson 00:05:40 – We Have Always Been Here: A Queer Muslim Memoir by Samra Habib 00:07:05 – Books to Spark Discussion: So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo 00:08:27 – Books to Spark Discussion: The Sellout by Paul Beatty 00:11:28 – Books to Spark Discussion: The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin 00:12:00 – Books to Spark Discussion: The Fire This Time: A New Generation Speaks About Race a collection by Jesmyn Ward 00:16:35 – Intermission 00:16:55 – Audio Books: Invisible Women: Data Bias in a World Designed for Men by Caroline Criado Perez 00:20:48 – Audio Books: The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander (tenth anniversary edition) 00:24:10 – Short Reviews: The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison 00:29:22 – Short Reviews: 21 Things You May Not Know About the Indian Act: Helping Canadians Make Reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples a Reality by Bob Joseph 00:36:03 – Short Reviews: The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston 00:41:15 – Currently Reading: How to Do Nothing: Resisting the Attention Economy by Jenny Odell 00:50:40 – Currently Reading: The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo 00:52:52 – Books Spotted (with a twist): Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones/ The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones/ The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett 01:01:07 – Besides Books!

Hello fellow bibliophiles, it has been a while! Hosts Yuli and Sam spend each episode chatting about books while hopefully adding to your always growing TBR list. Big Little Books is back to its regular programming, fuelled mostly by coffee… and sometimes wine. For Ottawa bookworms, in this episode, we chat about OPL updates, (check out https://bilbioottawalibrary.ca for the most recent updates), as well as virtual book options. We dig into our shared read of The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls as well as our Cyber Movie Date. Do you remember how in our last episode we thought Books Spotted would be taking a break because of the ongoing pandemic? That is no longer the case. Tune in to see why! From books about urbanism and city-life, to classic sci-fi and the prequel to the Hunger Games, Yuli and Sam talk about summer reading recommendations to dive into this summer. We are happy to be back and hope to have more interviews and fresh updates for you soon. The next episode will be out at the end of August! Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email  us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com EPISODE GUIDE: 00:01:10 – Quiz – What Summer Reading Book are you? Yuli: HUNGER: A MEMOIR OF (MY) BODY by Roxanne Gay 00:02:05 – Quiz – What Summer Reading Book are you? Sam: A DUKE BY DEFAULT by Alyssa Cole (Reluctant Royals #2) 00:03:35 – OPL Updates ( https://bilbioottawalibrary.ca) 00:06:00 – How have you been doing your book shopping? 00:08:20 – Virtual Book Launches are a thing! 00:10:13 – The Glass Castle Discussion: THE GLASS CASTLE by Jeanette Walls 00:15:39 – Cyber Movie Date 00:19:10 – Short book review: H IS FOR HAWK by Helen Macdonald 00:22:06 – Short book review: THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY by Oscar Wilde 00:27:08 – Short book review: BONE CRIER’S MOON by Kathryn Purdie (Bone Grace #1) 00:28:35 – Intermission 00:28:50 – Books Spotted: DARK MATTER by Blake Crouch 00:30:16 – Books Spotted: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES by Suzanne Collins 00:31:17 – Books Spotted: THE FINAL EMPIRE by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn #1) 00:32:50 – Currently Reading: THE FOURTH HORSEMAN: A SHORT HISTORY OF EPIDEMICS, PLAGUES, FAMINE, AND OTHER COURGES by Andrew Nikiforuk 00:34:31 – Currently Reading: NINE PINTS: A JOURNEY THROUGH THE MONEY, MEDICINE, AND MYSTERIES OF BLOOD by Rose George 00:37:01 – Currently Reading: THEY EAT THEIR OWN by Amanda K. King and Michael R. Swanson (A Thung Toh Jig 2) 00:38:10 – Summer Reading Recommendation: THE BALLAD OF SONGBIRDS AND SNAKES by Suzanne Collins 00:40:31 – Summer Reading Recommendation: DUNE by Frank Herbert 00:42:10 – Black Squirrel Recommended Books on Urbanism and City Life: WALKABLE CITY RULES: 101 STEPS TO MAKING BETTER PLACES by Jeff Speck, CITIES FOR PEOPLE by Jan Gehl, HAPPY CITY: TRANSFORMING OUR LIVES THROUGH URBAN DESIGN by Charles Montgomery 00:43:35 – HP on Audio 00:44:26 – Besides Books

Happy Friday!   The world has turned upside down. Thankfully for us here at BLB, and for most of our listeners, books are a comfort. Unplugging from reality and getting lost in a story can deter your attention from everything that’s been going on. In today’s shorter episode, Yuli and Sam chat about Escapes in Literature. To match the world being upside down, we start off this episode backward with Besides Books. Next, we dive into each of our top escape books for when you are stuck at home. These are stories of nerve and endurance that continue to captivate readers. We might even read an entertaining excerpt to help suck you into a story! After intermission, we have a few quizzes to help us figure out what to read next. Make sure to check out Books Spotted, as sadly this will be our last one for a little while. Library's and stores are closed and you can’t get to a book? Check out your library’s website and see what the options are for digital copies or audiobooks Stay healthy, stay informed, and stay kind!   EPISODE GUIDE: 00:01:20 - Books bring us comfort.00:04:01 - Escape Book #1: STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor00:05:38 - Escape Book #2: ENDER'S GAME by Orson Scott Card00:06:30 - Escape Book #3: THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY by Douglas Adam00:07:35 - Yuli reads from Hitchhiker's Guide00:12:50 - Escape Book #4: ANGEL'S AND DEMONS by Dan Brown00:14:28 - Escape Book #5: THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by Ursula K. LeGuin00:15:50 - Sam reads from The Left Hand of Darkness 00:21:41 - Quiz #1 / Escape Book #6: THE GOLDFINCH by Donna Tartt 00:23:45 - Quiz #2 - Which Classic Is Your Perfect Match? Yuli: TO THE LIGHTHOUSE by Virginia Woolf00:26:30 - Quiz #2 - Which Classic Is Your Perfect Match? Sam: 1984 by George Orwell 00:27:32 - Books Spotted: WE ARE THE WEATHER by Jonathan Safran Foer00:29:30 - Books Spotted: SON OF A TRICKSTER by Eden Robinson 00:31:59 - Currently Reading: SAINT X by Alexis Schaitkin 00:34:20 - Currently Reading: HOUSE OF EARTH AND BLOOD (CRESCENT CITY #1) by Sarah J. Maas00:37:15 - Read Next: THE BOOK OF DISQUIET by Fernando Pessoa00:39:25 - Read Next: WHO FEARS DEATH by Nnedi Okorafor00:40:20 - Read Next: THE CITY WE BECAME by N.K. Jemisin  00:41:50 - Conclusion 

This is a podcast about loving books and getting lost in stories. We start off this episode with a short recap of 2019 reading stats. Yuli wins for longest book read and Sam wins for the shortest (6 pages totally counts…) We also ponder an important book-related question: Can you really say you are reading if you are listening to an AudioBook? Further discussions include Ottawa's future downtown Public Library/LAC joint facility. We delve into both topics before switching over to some regular programming. Tune in after the intermission to find out what we are currently reading and which books we spotted out in the wild. Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email  us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com We would love to hear from you about any comments or feedback.   Happy reading!

Join Yuli and Sam as they interview Ottawa-based author Frances Boyle. Prairie-raised, Frances is a writer of fiction and poetry who has been creating stories since before she could hold a pen.  She has cultivated her craft by working in the legal field and raising a family; now writing full-time, she speaks to the value of rejection that has transfigured over time. We chat about past works, her newest book of poetry This White Nest, and her upcoming short story collection Seeking Shade. We hope you enjoy this special edition of Book Ends as we break in the new decade! Find Frances on Instagram and twitter @francesboyle19, or on her website at www.francesboyle.com -------------------- Missing Yuli and Sam’s usual (and dare we say, hilarious) banter? Next month you can look forward to a brief recap of our 2019 reading, book goals for 2020, and what we're looking forward to in the year ahead for BLB. As always, thank you for joining us on this literary journey. Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us at biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with feedback, comments, or books you think we ABSOLUTELY MUST read in 2020. Happy reading!

Big Little Books is excited to be bringing back Book Ends, our special edition of interviews. From Ottawa, ON, Sam chats with her old friend Wyatt Danowski from his home in Winnipeg, MB. Join them as they discuss Wyatt’s tales of teaching English across multiple continents before returning home to teach at his old high school. We dig into how he encourages his students to read more, his love of Canadian literature, poetry, and why you should consider rereading The Catcher in the Rye. Get cozy as Sam and Wyatt take you on a journey of literary friendship! Big things are coming in 2020! Sam & Yuli will be back in January for another special edition of Book Ends with an interview featuring Ottawa based author Frances Boyle. In the meantime, find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello. Happy Reading and have a wonderful New Year!

The holiday season is upon us! With that comes a late-night sleepy Yuli and Sam episode fuelled by tea and popcorn. Join us as we discuss fiction vs nonfiction, revisit our popular segment Books Spotted, discuss a juicy book from our local book club, and get excited about a Blind Date with a Book Exchange. Early on in the episode, we learn that no matter how tired we are from work, school and the busy season, we will always find the energy to talk about books.    Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!   EPISODE GUIDE COMING SOON.  

Here we are at Episode 9! Sam & Yuli discuss the Margaret Atwood event they attended recently in Ottawa, then dive into an overview of the books they've read by the Canadian legend. Join us as we then get into our regular programming: Long Reviews, Currently Reading, Books Spotted, and Read Next.    Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!   EPISODE GUIDE: 00:01:20 - Discussing Margaret Atwood's event in Ottawa. 00:11:22 - Review: THE TESTAMENTS by Margaret Atwood00:18:30 - More Margaret Atwood!00:29:20 - Long Reviews: SELECTED SHORT STORIES by H.G. Wells00:32:10 - Long Reviews: TRICK MIRROR: Reflections on Self Delusion by Jia Tolentino00:36:43 - Long Reviews: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern00:40:48 - Long Reviews: THE BONE HOUSES by Emily Lloyd Jones 00:44:07 - Currently Reading: STRANGE THE DREAMER by Laini Taylor 00:47:34 - Currently Reading: PERSONAL DEMON (Women of the Otherworld #8) by Kelley Armstrong00:49:20 - DNF (Did Not Finish): ACE OF SHADES (The Shadow Game #1) by Amanda Foody00:52:30 - Books Spotted: A REAPER AT THE GATES (An Ember in the Ashes #3) by Sabaa Tahir00:56:20 - Read Next: QUEEN OF NOTHING (The Folk of the Air) by Holly Black00:57:45 - Read Next: DEAD BLONDES AND BAD MOTHERS: Monstrosity, Patriarchy, and the Fear of Female Power by Sady Doyle01:00:30 - Read Next: FOR SMALL CREATURES SUCH AS WE: Rituals for Finding Meaning in Our Unlikely World by Sasha Sagan01:03:45 - Conclusion + Themes for Episode 10

Fall is in the air! As such we bring to you our dear listeners a seasonally themed episode featuring a Crash Course in Horror. The genre of horror is intended to frighten, scare, and disgust. Join Yuli and Sam as they (very briefly) discuss how horror came to be and where it’s at now. They discuss all things Mary Shelley and HP Lovecraft, to Stephen King and R.L. Stine. Is our obsession with horror a means to find out who we are through a reflection of our innermost selves? We hope to find out. Or at least be frightened a bit along the way...   Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!   EPISODE GUIDE:PART 1: All About Horror 00:00:49 - Housekeeping Duties00:06:25 - Romanticism & the Gothic Horror Genre: THE CASTLE OF OTRANTO by Horace Walpole00:07:55 - Sam's Favourites: FRANKENSTEIN by Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley00:10:35 - Sam's Favourites: DRACULA by Bram Stoker 00:13:05 - American Horror: Edgar Allen Poe00:15:17 - American Horror: H.P. Lovecraft00:16:45 - Henry James, M.R. James, Shirley Jackson00:18:15 - Where are we now? Anne Rice, James Herbert, Peter Stroub00:19:01 - THE SHINING by Stephen King00:20:02 - Sam divulges one of her biggest fears ...00:22:18 - Yuli divulges some of her fears00:24:15 - THE MIST by Stephen King00:25:07 - INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE by Anne Rice00:25:57 - Postmillennial Horror: PRIDE & PREJUDICE & ZOMBIES by Seth Grahame-Smith, Jane Austen00:27:12 - MAPPING THE INTERIOR by Stephen Graham Jones00:30:16 - Yuli's Favourites: HER BODY AND OTHER PARTIES by Carmen Maria Machado 00:32:30 - Yuli's Favourites: THE GRIP OF IT by Jac Jemc00:35:40 - Sam's Favourites: LET THE RIGHT ONE IN by John Ajvide LindqvistPART 2: Regular Programming00:39:26 - Long Reviews: PLANET OF EXILE by Ursula K. LeGuin00:43:08 - Long Reviews: THREE WOMEN by Lisa Taddeo00:49:38 - Long Reviews: Y, THE LAST MAN Volume 1: Unmanned by Brian K. Vaughan.00:55:54 - Currently Reading: TRICK MIRROR: Reflections on Self-Delusion by Jia Tolentino00:59:08 - Currently Reading: THE NIGHT CIRCUS by Erin Morgenstern01:03:18 - Currently Reading: THE HAUNTING OF HILL HOUSE by Shirley Jackson01:06:55 - Read Next: THE BONE HOUSES by Emily Lloyd Jones01:07:30 - Read Next: THE EYE OF THE WORLD (The Wheel of Time #1) by Robert Jordon01:09:05 - Read Next: THE UNDYING: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care by Anne Boyer01:10:07 - News: We're going to a Margaret Atwood event!

The seasons are inevitably changing, which means Yuli and Sam are due for a mid-year review and book goal evaluation. Join us as we discover what type of book reader we are according to Bustle.com, go over our yearly book goals (numerical and otherwise), and cover familiar segments such as 30 Second Recaps, Long Reviews, and Currently Reading.  Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading! EPISODE GUIDE: 0:01:20 - Mid-year Recap0:03:20 - Our Reading Goals (Numerical)0:14:09 - 30 Second Recaps0:18:40 - Long Reviews: THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller 0:22:19 - Long Reviews: BROKEN (Otherworld #6) by Kelley Armstrong0:28:20 - Long Reviews: ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS by Ocean Vuong0:33:10 - Long Reviews: PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee0:37:47 - Currently Reading: THE HANDMAID'S TALE by Margaret Atwood0:40:41 - Currently Reading: MERMAID IN CHELSEA CREEK (Chelsea #1) by Michelle Tea0:43:13 - Currently Reading: THE HOUSEGUEST by Amparo Dávila0:46:00 - Read Next: THE BONE HOUSES by Emily Lloyd-Jones0:47:20 - Read Next: GIDEON THE NINTH (The Ninth House #1) by Tamsyn Muir 0:48:55 - Read Next: OVAL by Elvia Wilk0:50:21 - Read Next: SABRINA & CORINA: Stories by Kali Fajardo-Anstine 0:51:05 - Read Next: KINGDOM OF ASH (Throne of Glass #7) by Sarah J. Maas0:52:04 - Besides Books: Inspire555, and more!  

Summer has been fun and busy! Yuli and Sam have been going on many adventures, some through books, some in beautiful, real-life nature. Join us as we discover which Middle Earth Characters we are, cover familiar segments such as Books Spotted, 30 Second Recaps, and Currently Reading, and lastly, discuss the most recent escapades we've been embarking on this summer.  Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!    EPISODE GUIDE: 0:01:20 - Which Middle Earth Characters are we?0:04:43 - 30 Second Recaps0:08:54 - Long Reviews: THE ART OF DYING by Sarah Tolmie0:10:50 - Long Reviews: PALACES FOR THE PEOPLE by Eric Klinenberg0:14:48 - Long Reviews: THE PARCEL by Anosh Irani0:23:44 - Long Reviews: EMPIRE OF STORMS (THRONE OF GLASS #5) by Sarah J. Maas0:36:27 - Did Not Finish0:39:35 - Q: How can we retain more details on the books we've read?0:42:55 - Books Spotted: THE AU PAIR by Emma Rous0:45:06 - Books Spotted: EATING DIRT by Charlotte Gill0:47:27 - Books Spotted: BLOOD CHILD by Octavia E. Butler0:51:25 - Currently Reading: NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney0:56:05 - Currently Reading: PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee1:01:14 - Currently Reading: GIRL WITH A PEARL EARRING by Tracy Chevalier1:04:22 - Read Next: WILDER GIRLS by Rory Power1:05:45 - Besides Books: Summer Adventures!

In this very special edition of Big Little Books, Yuli sits down with her father, Peter, at the river house to discuss his lifetime of reading, favorite authors, and why he thinks books are important for everyone. Sit back and relax while Peter takes you on the story of his adventurous 82+ years - quirks, surprises, and all. Tune in at the end of next month for Episode 6. Yuli and Sam will be back with their regular programming, including favourite segments of Books Spotted, Currently Reading, Did Not Finish, and more.  Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod Email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any feedback, comments, or just to say hello.  Happy Reading!    EPISODE GUIDE COMING SOON.

In this episode, Sam & Yuli discover what type of reader they are (according to bookbrowse.com), discuss the inevitable wind of change that comes with spring, hash out familiar segments such as Books Spotted and 30 Second Recaps (which they are potentially improving on), dive into longer reviews and what they plan on reading next, and finally conclude with Beside Books: ie everything else we get up to outside of reading (including a few exciting announcements!) Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com with any comments or feedback!   EPISODE GUIDE COMING SOON.

Sam & Yuli find out which literary character they are (according to Buzzfeed), hash out familiar segments such as Books Spotted and 30-second recaps, dive into longer (more articulate?) reviews, and finally conclude with a heated discussion about spring's hottest topic: the final season of Game of Thrones. Join us in a "A Game of Reading" combined with change and spring cleaning.   Follow us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or email us biglittlebookspod@gmail.com   EPISODE GUIDE COMING SOON.

Sam and Yuli recount the reading revival they experienced in February, discuss their current reads and introduce a new and exciting segment: the 30-second recap (inspired by Harry Potter and the Sacred Text). Check us out on Spotify by searching biglittlebooks   Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or through email biglittlebookspod@gmail.com 

Prepare yourselves for a full-blown discussion about books read in January, the reading slump we both found ourselves in, books spotted, current reads, and a variety of other book-related segments as, if you haven’t figured it out yet, we talk a lot about books.Check us out on Spotify by searching biglittlebooks Find us on Instagram @biglittlebookspod or keep in touch through email biglittlebookspod@gmail.com