Sue Hincenbergs’s number one bestselling novel “The Retirement Plan” has garnered generally positive reviews. But Jacob Shymanski and Danielle McLaughlin felt it did not hit the mark. They share a candid review and contemplate the popularity of the book. Books referenced in this episode include: • “The Retirement Plan: A Novel” by Sue Hincenbergs • “Alice's Adventures in Wonderland” by Lewis Carroll • "Wigs on the Green" by Nancy Mitford • Jeeves Series by P.G. Wodehouse Audiobook Café is broadc...
Jul 09, 2025•28 min•Ep. 256
Plot twists, with all their glory and goodness, can be a mixed bag. Jacob Shymanski and Red Szell share their picks for the best and worst plot twists. Books that are discussed in this episode included: “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card “Life of Pi” by Yann Martel “The Da Vinci Code” by Dan Brown Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your...
Jul 07, 2025•30 min•Ep. 255
Every June, during audiobook month, Audiophile magazine releases it’s latest inductees into their golden voice list: the hall-of-fame for audiobook narrators. Sara Hillis highlights Kimberly Farr’s career and accomplishments in the field and engages with Jacob Shymanski in a conversation about the increasingly high standards of audiobook narration. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiob...
Jul 04, 2025•28 min•Ep. 254
There’s nothing like sitting down for a Stephen King chat with his Number One fan, AMI’s Greg David. He talks favourites, flops, adaptations, and why King’s stories are so popular, and so respected. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your ow...
Jun 27, 2025•28 min•Ep. 253
Carley Fortune’s One Golden Summer is topping charts, filling drugstore shelves, and giving Canadian romance a sun-kissed moment. Karoline Bordeau and Jacob Shymanski review this work of dreamy lakeside hookups and low-stakes vibes. Plus, Karoline gives us her review of another Canadian pick, the recent cozy mystery called Detective Aunty by Uzma Jalaluddin. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Fol...
Jun 25, 2025•29 min•Ep. 252
True change begins when characters leave everything familiar behind and move away to new places. Red Széll and Jacob Shymanski explore how group dynamics and new environments bring transformation to our favourite characters, for better or for worse. Books discussed in this episode are: Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Gulag Archipelago by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn The Women by Kristin Hannah The Wager by David Grann...
Jun 23, 2025•29 min•Ep. 251
Robin Whitten, Founder of AudioFile Magazine, returns for Audiobook month to celebrate their 2025 Golden Voice honours. Vikas Adam, Kimberly Farr, and Hillary Huber made the top of the list. Plus, is the hype of AI narration already dying off? Robin makes her soulless AI argument. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be tha...
Jun 20, 2025•29 min•Ep. 250
Old friend of the show Julia Bonnett races through five reviews under the 15-second clock, from secret plots and slow burns to revenge epics and stoic wisdom. Books discussed in this episode are: The Second Sleep by Robert Harris Precipice by Robert Harris Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Right Thing, Right Now by Ryan Holiday The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p....
Jun 16, 2025•29 min•Ep. 249
Marcia Yale reviews five books under the 15-second timer, on another edition of Rapid Fire Review. From romcoms to rock memoirs and a whole lot of Hawkes in between, Marcia's got range in her recent reads. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of ...
Jun 13, 2025•29 min•Ep. 248
The River Has Roots by Amal El-Mohtar is a novella that’s turning heads for its lyrical prose and spellbinding narration, blurring the line between language and spellcraft. Sara Hillis and Jacob Shymanski unpack the power of grammar, the intimacy of music, and the haunting beauty of sisterhood—all wrapped in a remarkable audiobook performance. If you love audiobooks that sound like poetry and feel like magic, this one’s for you. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes tw...
Jun 11, 2025•28 min•Ep. 247
Some of our favourite literature makes beauty and sense of the sea, so let’s explore it. Red Széll unpack the storytelling power of ships. From the loneliness of long voyages to the strict rules of command, nautical settings add pressure and mystery to fantasy, thrillers, history, no matter the story. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want ...
Jun 09, 2025•30 min•Ep. 246
Jacob Shymanski and Ramya Amuthan unpack Leviathan Wakes by James S. A. Corey, The Power of Myth by Joseph Campbell and Bill Moyers, and Too Much and Never Enough by Mary L. Trump. We head to the stars, through history, and into the Trump family archive, because truth is stranger than fiction, and fiction can sometimes be truer than truth. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café ...
Jun 06, 2025•29 min•Ep. 245
Danielle McLaughlin brings us into the witty, richly drawn world of U.S. writer Eudora Welty. With her unmistakable Southern voice and razor-sharp character sketches, Welty’s stories like The Ponder Heart and Why I Live at the P.O. reveal the humor, heartbreak, and human oddities of small-town life. We unpack the charm of her unreliable narrators, larger-than-life characters like Uncle Daniel and Bonnie D., and the fine line between comedy and tragedy. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in...
Jun 02, 2025•28 min•Ep. 244
Ever changed your mind about a book’s title, synopsis, or other first impression? Jacob Shymanski and Ramya Amuthan dive into books that surprised them upon reading, and feature responses from the book club. From Jane Austen to human waste policy, first impressions have been proven wrong. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback...
May 30, 2025•29 min•Ep. 243
As Audible makes its AI narration tools available to traditional publishers, Jacob Shymanski and Ramya Amuthan break down the impact on authors, narrators, and listeners. With over 100 synthetic voices and growing competition from Spotify, the audiobook industry is at a crossroads, and not everyone is on board. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCaf...
May 28, 2025•29 min•Ep. 242
Bold authors have been lying to their readers for years and somehow, we love every moment of it. The unreliable narrator is a tricky narrative device for authors to handle, but when it’s used well, the results speak for themselves. Red Szell of AMI-Audio’s My Life in books joins Jacob Shymanski as they share their favourite examples of stories that only work because of their unreliable narrators. Books mentioned in this episode: Lolita — Vladimir Nabokov Life of Pi — Yann Martel The Turn of the ...
May 26, 2025•28 min•Ep. 241
Kahlil Gibran’s The Prophet has been quoted at weddings, funerals, and spiritual retreats for over a century, but how does it hold up for today’s reader? Jacob Shymanski and Aamer Khan explore eight chapters from the 1923 classic that leave the two of them equally inspired and frustrated. From Gibran’s philosophy on talking, to the lofty paradoxes of freedom and beauty, his poetic language may be confusing more than clarifying the universal truths. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Can...
May 23, 2025•29 min•Ep. 240
118 cardinals, one locked room, one global secret. Karoline Bordeau helps us review Conclave by Robert Harris, a suspenseful insider imagining of a modern papal election. It’s church drama with the pacing of a thriller, steeped in political play, and you may be surprised with how much intrigue the clergy can stir up. Plus, Karoline brings us her review of The Seven Sisters — Lucinda Riley’s series reimagining the Greek myth of the Pleiades across generations and continents. Audiobook Café is bro...
May 21, 2025•29 min•Ep. 239
When vision loss and all its realities disrupted her life, Anne Moc turned to social media, storytelling, and eventually writing her experiences down on the page. In her debut book Resilience and Purpose, she breaks down how she rebuilt her confidence—and why honesty, vulnerability, and a few digital posts can go a long way in healing and helping yourself and others. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m...
May 16, 2025•26 min•Ep. 238
Becca Syme has coached thousands of writers, hosts the QuitCast channel, and believes the best advice is personalized, not packaged. She has an idea or two on what frustrates writers, and what keeps them from finding satisfaction, enjoyment, and success in their work. She also shares her vast knowledge on what it really takes to get published as an author in 2025. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. E...
May 14, 2025•31 min•Ep. 237
From footnote gags and dramatic time jumps to unreliable narrators and human writing, Ramya Amuthan and Jacob Shymanski dive deeper into what readers want from authors. Trust, voice, pacing, mood… The list (and the critique) goes on. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook re...
May 12, 2025•28 min•Ep. 236
We asked the book club: What do you love when authors do? From time-jumping stories to snarky all-knowing narrators, moving settings, and psycho-analyzing protagonists, Ramya Amuthan and Jacob Shymanski dish on the literary techniques that leave listeners wanting more. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be that comments, ...
May 09, 2025•29 min•Ep. 235
Zelu’s life is already chaotic, until she writes a sci-fi novel that truly changes everything. Nnedi Okorafor’s Death of the Author is a mind-bending concept where reality and fiction twist into a narrative loop, as the story writes back. Karen McKay and Theresa Power of CELA unpack this audiobook, exploring themes of disability, fame, and the power of storytelling. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m....
May 07, 2025•30 min•Ep. 234
When novelists borrow from real horror… Red Széll joins us to trace the tangled line between actual crime and literary fiction. From 19th-century murder pamphlets to modern thrillers like Sadie and A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder, does storytelling serve truth better when it breaks free from fact? We reflect on the allure, and the ethical dilemmas, of turning tragedy into story. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturday...
May 05, 2025•30 min•Ep. 233
Sara Hillis and Jacob Shymanski, two enduring fans of the 14-book Wheel of Time series, explore its growth over the last 35 years. From Robert Jordan’s sprawling fantasy universe to the audiobook performances of Rosamund Pike that bring it to life, and the TV adaptation capturing new audiences, they dig deep into the elements keeping this epic saga alive in all its forms. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at ...
May 02, 2025•28 min•Ep. 232
The book industry has changed dramatically since the 90s, and Writer, editor, self-proclaimed book nerd Mark Leslie Lefebvre has seen it all. He breaks down what it takes for author success these days, and how indie authors can be supported and thrive in the new age of publishing. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudiobookCafe We want your feedback! Be tha...
Apr 30, 2025•29 min•Ep. 231
In a second celebration of Poetry Month, Danielle McLaughlin continues to school us on what makes poetry. We explore the structure and spirit of poems—from the musicality of dub poetry to William McGonagall’s famously awful verse. And yes, we shower you with more original poetry, this time in the style of limerick. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Fridays and Saturdays at 1 p.m. ET. Follow Audiobook Café on Instagram @AMIAudioboo...
Apr 28, 2025•30 min•Ep. 230
What happens when an ad pulls you into a 2,000-episode audiobook? Aamer Khan shares how he stumbled onto Pocket FM—and why the platform might be brilliant, broken, or both. We break down the app's creative format, its viral success in India, and the accessibility quirks that’s holding it back. Plus, Aamer gives us his review of Amanda Quick’s latest suspense novel, The Girl Who Knew Too Much. Audiobook Café is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes two new podcast episodes a week on Frid...
Apr 25, 2025•27 min•Ep. 229
It’s the contest that turned bad writing into comical, witty, creative art. We explore the spectacularly awful and oddly brilliant world of the Bulwer-Lytton Fiction Contest, where contestants imagine and submit the opening line of the worst book to be written. Join Jacob Shymanski and Ramya Amuthan as we say goodbye, by giving you our favourite submissions of 2024, and read through the 40-year archives. Plus, Ramya offers her reflection on It Must Be Beautiful to Be Finished by Kate Gies—a poet...
Apr 23, 2025•29 min•Ep. 228
Long audiobooks are a commitment, and we’re here to defend why that commitment is worth our while. Red Széll makes the case for expansive storytelling that sits beyond the 15-hour listen, Jacob offers his favourite epic listens, and together they explore how the right pacing, character development, and hypnotic rhythm can turn long reads into unforgettably immersive experiences. Books discussed in this episode are: The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb Mo...
Apr 21, 2025•28 min•Ep. 227
