Shelve Under: Podcast

George's band is called West Coast Grey, and they have a new album coming out soon - working title: The Cursed Image.
Bonus content: Here's a Soundcloud playlist where you can hear the two live, acoustic songs on this episode plus an additional bonus track, along with their full studio versions.

Books and resources discussed in this episode:

TPL program videos on Youtube

The Recording Engineer's Handbook by Bobby Owsinski

Recording Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior

Mixing Secrets for the Small Studio by Mike Senior

(For more always-available tech ebooks, including books on digital audio recording, visit our Safari Tech collection!)

Lynda.com

Learn to use Saved Lists on tpl.ca

George's Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/westcoastgrey

West Coast Grey on Bandcamp: https://westcoastgrey.bandcamp.com/

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part Six)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 8 May 2020 04:00:04 +0000

Books discussed:

One More Thing: Stories and Other Stories by B.J. Novak

The Book With No Pictures by B.J. Novak

The Journey Prize Stories: The Best of Canada's New Writers

The Man That Corrupted Hadleyburg: and Other Stories by Mark Twain

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court by Mark Twain

That Time I Loved You by Carrianne Leung

Library services discussed:

Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)

Libby app

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part Five)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 1 May 2020 04:00:17 +0000

Books mentioned:

The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Wish You Were Here by Rita Mae Brown and Sneaky Pie Brown

The Cat Who series by Lilian Jackson Braun

If Walls Could Talk by Juliet Blackwell

Ducks, Newburyport by Lucy Ellman

Library services discussed:

OverDrive (Getting Started with Overdrive guides)

Shelve Under: Pulp Fiction

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Cory Doctorow, Wendy, Christina) — Mon, 27 Apr 2020 22:24:18 +0000

“What mostly happens in disasters is, they're the moment in which the background refrigerator hum of petty grievance stops and leaves behind this ringing silence in which you realize that you have much more in common with your neighbours than you ever had as a point of difference.”
- Cory Doctorow

Books discussed:

Radicalized by Cory Doctorow

Walkaway by Cory Doctorow

Alan Mendelsohn, the Boy from Mars by Daniel Pinkwater (ebook unavailable, so try Lizard Music instead)

A Paradise Built in Hell by Rebecca Solnit

Afterland by Lauren Beukes (ebook coming soon)

Or What You Will by Jo Walton (coming soon)

The Thessaly Series by Jo Walton (Series about Plato's Republic)

Lent by Jo Walton (one of the books about Florence)

Books by Ada Palmer

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part Four)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 24 Apr 2020 04:00:27 +0000

Books and music discussed:

Tabula Rasa (Fratres - version for cello ensemble) by Arvo Pärt

From Sleep by Max Richter

M Train by Patti Smith

Just Kids by Patti Smith

Deep Field by Eric Whitacre

The Flyer Vault: 150 Years of Toronto Concert History by Daniel Tate and Rob Bowman

The Magic Flute by W.A. Mozart

Library services discussed:

Naxos Music Library

Naxos Music Library (Jazz) (Getting Started with Naxos Music Library Jass Guide)

Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)

Medici.tv (Getting Started with Medici.tv Guide)

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part Three)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 17 Apr 2020 19:12:42 +0000

Books and articles discussed:

Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef

"Even if you're locked down from COVID-19, you can still explore the city. Here's how" by Shawn Micallef

The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach

"How Do We Read When Words Fail Us" by Kerry Clare

The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative by Thomas King

The 2003 CBC Massey Lectures, "The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative"

OverDrive Cooking & Food Collection

Kitchen Sink Cookies by Julia Moskin

Library services discussed:

Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)

NYTimes.com

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part Two)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 10 Apr 2020 04:00:04 +0000

Books discussed:

What I Talk About When I Talk About Running: a Memoir by Haruki Murakami

The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapeña

Agency by William Gibson

Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata*

*Correction: we used the wrong pronouns when referring to Sayaka Murata. She is a woman. We regret the error.

Library services discussed:

NYTimes.com

Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)

TPL Reading Challenge 2020 Facebook Group

Shelve Under: True Crime

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Mon, 6 Apr 2020 16:26:19 +0000

"I've tried to, at every step of the way, reject the traditional true crime lens. Whether it was the podcast, the book I'm working on, any of the stories I worked on, it was always supposed to be one that put the police process and the victims first."

- Justin Ling, journalist, author and host of Uncover: The Village

Content Warning: this episode discussed violent crimes. The topics are sensitive in nature and may be difficult for some people.

Books discussed:

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

Missing from the Village by Justin Ling (out in September 2020)

Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David Grann

Ghettoside: A True Story of Murder in America by Jill Leovy

I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer by Michelle McNamara

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan by Jake Adelstein

The Billionaire Murders: The Mysterious Deaths of Barry and Honey Sherman by Kevin Donovan

Underground: The Tokyo Gas Attack and the Japanese Psyche by Haruki Murakami

The Billionaire's Vinegar: The Mystery of the World's Most Expensive Bottle of Wine by Benjamin Wallace

Podcasts discussed:

Shelve Under: Distancing (Part One)

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Fri, 3 Apr 2020 04:00:03 +0000

Books, movies and comics discussed:

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle

A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan

A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson

The Nix by Nathan Hill

French Exit by Patrick deWitt

Ramen Heads

The Sandman series by Neil Gaiman

Library services discussed:

Overdrive (Getting Started with Overdrive Guides)

Hoopla (Getting Started with Hoopla Guide)

Kanopy (Getting Started with Kanopy Guide)

Flipster (Getting Started with Flipster Guide)

Shelve Under: Writing

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Jason, Raquel Rich, Wendy) — Mon, 24 Feb 2020 05:00:12 +0000

Content Warning: This episode includes discussion of a fictional account of sexual assault.

Books discussed:

Hamartia by Raquel Rich

Making Comics by Lynda Barry

What It Is by Lynda Barry

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Writing Alone and with Others by Pat Schneider

Library services discussed:

Writers' groups

Writers' rooms

The Asquith Press book printing service

Biblioboard library ebook platform for indie authors

Other resources discussed:

Raquel's website

NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month)

Shelve Under: Podcasting

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Mon, 27 Jan 2020 05:00:02 +0000

“If you get people listening past the first 10 seconds of your podcast, they're probably going to stick through the whole thing. So those first 10 seconds are so valuable, you gotta make the best use of it.”

-Amanda Cupido, award-winning podcast producer

Books, articles, podcasts, and websites mentioned in this episode:

Let's Talk Podcasting: the Essential Guide to Doing It Right by Amanda Cupido

Her Story - Episode 1 - Athletics

STARTUP podcast (by Gimlet), Season 1 Episode 1: How Not to Pitch a Billionaire

Gimlet

Luminary

Pacific Content

Google Podcasts creator program

Werk It Festival

Phoebe Wang's acceptance speech (2018 Third Coast Awards Ceremony)

Modern Love

The New York Times

Radiolab

Radiolab, Episode, "Animal Minds"

Radiolab, Episode, "Lucy"

This American Life

Flights by Olga Tokarczuk

Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk

OPPO

Canadaland

Stop Podcasting Yourself

The Greatest Generation

Shelve Under: Flâneur

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Thu, 25 Jul 2019 09:00:00 +0000

*"The more I have walked, the more I have discovered that there's more to walk and understand."*

-Shawn Micallef, Toronto Star columnist and noted flâneur

Christina and Mike talk about what it takes to be a flâneur and why they love exploring the city. Then Christina talks to Toronto Star columnist Shawn Micallef about what he learns during his six-hour strolls throughout the city. Then discover some new walks that start at library branches.

Books, articles, resources and websites mentioned in this episode:

Toronto Guerrilla Gardeners

Toronto Public Space Committee

Spacing Magazine

Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef

Wanderlust: a History of Walking by Rebecca Solnit

Accidental Parkland directed by Dan Berman

Accidental City: the Transformation of Toronto by Robert Fulford

Toronto Food Policy Council

Thorncliffe Park Women's Committee

The Lonely Planet Guide to Experimental Travel by Rachael Antony

House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski

Tenements, Towers & Trash : an Unconventional Illustrated History of New York City by Julia Wertz

Read episode transcript

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Shelve Under: Anxiety

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Thu, 16 May 2019 13:00:00 +0000

*"And for me the biggest power of improv was taking a break from the struggle."*

-Cameron Algie, Instructor and Founder of the Improv for Anxiety program at Second City Toronto

Jason and Christina talk anxiety with one of TPL's full-time social workers, Rahma Hashi. Jason interviews his mentor, Cameron Algie, about his mission to improve the world's mental health...with improv! Finally, some reading recommendations and self-care tips.

Books, articles, resources and websites mentioned in this episode:

"Free walk-in counselling thrives at Regina libraries" on CBC

The Artist's Way by Julia Cameron

Books by Pema Chödrön

Books by Deepak Chopra

The Happiness Equation by Neil Pasricha

Play With Fire Improv

[SAD / Light Therapy Lamps] 8 at the Toronto Public Library

Going Under by Zviane

Improv Nation by Sam Wasson

The Upright Citizens Brigade Comedy Improvisation Manual by Matt Besser

Mind Over Mood: Change How You Feel By Changing the Way You Think by Dennis Greenberger

Mastering Adulthood: Go Beyond Adulting to Become an Emotional Grown-up by Laura E. Fielding

ConnexOntario, 1-866-531-2600, available 24/7

Anxiety Disorders Association of Canada, 1-888-223-2252

NOTE: This episode has been updated to replace an earlier version that was released in error.

Read episode transcript

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Shelve Under: Makers

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Wed, 20 Mar 2019 18:15:00 +0000

"It's about the idea that you should sit down and make the thing that you want, whatever that thing is, whether it's origami or model boats or model trains or crazy weird robots or glowing things or fountains with lights in them."

- Eric Boyd, Director of Festival Programming, Maker Festival

Jason and Mike talk to Ted about the maker movement in Toronto. Then, Wendy interviews Maker Festival programming director Eric Boyd, and goes out to meet some makers in the Reference Library. Finally: noisemakers, carrot hot dogs, and other things you can learn to make from books.

Books, websites and other resources mentioned in this episode:

botbrawl.ca

Coding for Beginners Using Python by Louie Stowell

Cool Tools by Kevin Kelly

From the Kitchens of Yam Chops by Michael Abramson

The Joy of Cooking by Irma S. Rombauer

Junkyard Jam Band by David Erik Nelson

Lynda.com

MakerFestival.ca

Maker Festival 2019: Call for Makers

Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig

Read episode transcript

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Please take our survey.

Shelve Under: Behind the Scenes

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Wed, 20 Feb 2019 15:12:00 +0000

"We're kind of the Men in Black... People don't even know we exist." - Mike N.

Jason and Wendy wonder how a book gets from the publisher's catalogue to your local hold shelf. Jason digs behind the scenes to find out - and meets library staff you never knew existed.

Books and videos mentioned in this episode:

Coffee Lids: Peel, Pinch, Pucker, Puncture by Louise Hartman and Scott Specht

Amy processes Fire and Fury by Alice

What Valerie's reading this season:

Valerie's Picks, Winter/Spring 2019

Read episode transcript

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Please take our survey.

Shelve Under: Toronto

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Wed, 9 Jan 2019 14:30:00 +0000

"If you wander around the city, if you are able to stop and listen, the stories are all right there." - Matt Galloway

What's your Toronto all about?

Christina and Wendy talk about their respective Torontos. Then, Christina interviews CBC Metro Morning host Matt Galloway, and we find out about his Toronto - and also what his favourite book is this year, and why he's so important to librarians.

Books, music and talks mentioned in this episode:

The Art of Inclusion by Matt Galloway - Walrus Talks

Books by Peter Carey

Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston

Books by Langston Hughes

Cab Calloway

Count Basie

Brother by David Chariandy

I’ve Been Meaning To Tell You: a Letter to My Daughter by David Chariandy

Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

Books by Dionne Brand

How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman

Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes

Sing Unburied Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Warlight by Michael Ondaatje

Boys: What It Means to Become a Man by Rachel Giese

Motherhood by Sheila Heti

Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai

uTOpia: Towards a New Toronto edited by Jason McBride and Alana Wilcox

Stroll: Psychogeographic Walking Tours of Toronto by Shawn Micallef

Frontier City: Toronto on the Verge of Greatness by Shawn Micallef

Fifteen Dogs by Andre Alexis

The Hidden Keys by Andre Alexis

Scarborough by Catherine Hernandez

Bloodletting and Miraculous Cures by Vincent Lam

What We All Long For by Dionne Brand

Love Enough by Dionne Brand

Consolation by Michael Redhill

Further Reading:

‘Da Kink in My Hair by Trey Anthony

Kim’s Convenience by Ins Choi

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

Toronto Comics by various contributors

Spacing Magazine

Subdivided: City-Building in an Age of Hyper-Diversity edited by John Lorinc and Jay Pitter

Towerkind by Kat Verhoeven

The Ward: the Life and Loss of Toronto’s First Immigrant Neighbourhood edited by John Lorinc, Michael McClelland, Ellen Scheinberg, Tatum Taylor

And, of course, browse the Local History section online, or at your local branch!

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Please take our survey.

Shelve Under: Romance

shelveunder@tpl.ca (Toronto Public Library) — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 17:00:00 +0000

"It's not 'happily ever after' - it's 'happy enough for now'." - Vicki Essex

In this episode, Mike and Wendy ponder their feelings about romance, and Wendy recounts her foray into the world of romance publishing. Then, Mike interviews romance writer Vicki Essex - and they correct some fusty stereotypes about the genre. Finally: a reckoning.

Books, movies and articles mentioned in this episode:

Twilight by Stephenie Meyer

The Neapolitan Novels by Elena Ferrante

The Dim Sum of All Things by Kim Wong Keltner

Avatar, the Last Airbender

Fifty Shades of Grey by E. L. James

Matinees with Miriam by Vicki Essex

Dangerous Books for Girls by Maya Rodale

Red Carpet Arrangement by Vicki Essex

Love Between the Covers

The Original Sinners by Tiffany Reisz

The Night Mark by Tiffany Reisz

The Devil's Revolver by Vicki Essex

"In Harlequin's new Dare series, heroines own their sexuality" by Joseph Saraceno in The Globe and Mail

"Authors of Fiction Confront a Problem: How to Write About Sex" by Sarah Lyall in The New York Times

Outline by Rachel Cusk

High Fidelity by Nick Hornby

Find Vicki Essex at http://www.vickiessex.com and http://www.vsmcgrath.com. The Devil's Pact, the third book in The Devil's Revolver series, will be released on December 18th, 2018.

Note: This episode has been edited from a previous version.

Click here for a transcript of this episode.

Your hosts: Christina, Mike, Jason, and Wendy

Please take our survey.