NewsRadio Bookshelf

NewsRadio bookshelf

Marquee attraction: viral messages from the neon marquee at Vancouver’s legendary Penthouse nightclub are collected in a new book

John Ackermann speaks to Ben “The Sign Guy” Jackson, co-author of A Sign of the Times: The Best of the Penthouse Marquee

December 7, 2025 2:32 pm PST PST

A nice general romp: historian offers a fresh, nuanced look at Canada’s prime ministers, from Macdonald to Carney

John Ackermann speaks with J.D.M. Stewart, author of The Prime Ministers: Canada’s Leaders and the Nation They Shaped

November 29, 2025 4:10 pm PST PST

He paved the way: A new biography captures the fighting spirit of Canucks legend Gino Odjick

John Ackermann speaks to Patrick Johnston, co-author of Gino: The Fighting Spirit of Gino Odjick

November 16, 2025 10:56 am PST PST

Pure, unvarnished Horgan: former premier’s posthumous memoir offers a candid look inside B.C. politics

Pure, unvarnished Horgan: former premier’s posthumous memoir offers a candid look inside B.C. politics

October 19, 2025 1:58 pm PST PST

A ringside seat to history: retired foreign correspondent Brian Stewart looks back at a lifetime of groundbreaking coverage

John Ackermann speaks to Brian Stewart, author of On the Ground: My Life as a Foreign Correspondent.

October 7, 2025 11:39 am PST PST

Two if by sea: Vancouver author returns with a second Perfect Day for a Walk book, looking at the city’s waterways

John Ackermann speaks to Bill Arnott, author of A Perfect Day for a Walk by the Water: Exploring Vancouver’s Shores.

September 21, 2025 12:12 pm PST PST

Backroom Boswell: the secret diaries of Pierre Trudeau’s former chief-of-staff provide a warts-and-all look at power

John Ackermann speaks to Ron Graham, author of The Coutts Diaries: Power, Politics, and Pierre Trudeau, 1973-1981.

September 14, 2025 4:23 pm PST PST

Drawn Together: B.C. author links anti-fascist movements throughout history in a graphic novel style book

John Ackermann speaks with Gord Hill, author and illustrator of The Antifa Comic Book: Revised and Expanded.

September 7, 2025 4:19 pm PST PST

Trail Mix: The Trans Canada Trail is the common thread for a new collection of short fiction

The Trans Canada Trail is the longest multi-use trail system in the world, winding more than 28,000 kilometers from sea to sea to sea. It is also the common thread that ties together Not the Same Road…

August 24, 2025 11:46 am PST PST

A road trip through history: a new book argues the Trans-Canada isn’t just a highway but a lifeline

A road trip through history: a new book argues the Trans-Canada isn’t just a highway but a lifeline.

July 18, 2025 10:19 pm PST PST

Not the usual suspects: a new book looks beyond the traditional narratives of Canadian history

The Making of Canada: An Epic History in Twenty Extraordinary Lives is published by Sutherland House.

July 18, 2025 9:26 pm PST PST

Inside baseball: a new book celebrates the sport’s legacy in Vancouver and beyond

John Ackermann speaks to Tom Hawthorn, author of Play Ball! The Amazing Stories and Captivating Characters Who Have Made Baseball a Winning Ticket in Vancouver for Over 100 Years.

June 22, 2025 2:25 pm PST PST

Canada’s democracy is in crisis, but out of crisis comes possibility, says author

John Ackermann speaks to Andrew Coyne, author of The Crisis of Canadian Democracy

June 8, 2025 4:53 pm PST PST

Capturing history before it disappears: Vancouver author and illustrator celebrates the Chinatown of her childhood in a new book

John Ackermann speaks to Donna Seto, author of Chinatown Vancouver: An Illustrated History.

May 25, 2025 12:48 pm PST PST

Canada’s Mayflower: BC author uncovers the hidden history of the Empress of Ireland

John Ackermann speaks to Eve Lazarus, author of Beneath Dark Waters: The Legacy of the Empress of Island Shipwreck

May 12, 2025 7:52 am PST PST

Ballot box questions: former Green Party interim leader presents a 20-point plan to reform Canadian democracy

John Ackermann speaks to Jo-Ann Roberts, author of Storm the Ballot Box: An Insider’s Guide to a Voting Revolution

April 27, 2025 4:18 pm PST PST

Pierre Poilievre is ‘not the right thing for right now,’ says biographer

John Ackermann speaks with Mark Bourrie, author of Ripper: The Making of Pierre Poilievre.

April 13, 2025 12:24 pm PST PST

Ten Vancouver reads from the NewsRadio Bookshelf

In honour of Vancouver’s 139th birthday, we have compiled an updated list of 10 reads from the NewsRadio Bookshelf archives that delve into the city’s past, present, and future.

April 6, 2025 12:03 pm PST PST

Turbulent Times: Trudeau biographer weighs former prime minister’s legacy

John Ackermann speaks to Stephen Maher, author of The Prince: The Turbulent Reign of Justin Trudeau

March 30, 2025 2:38 pm PST PST

Up in smoke: a new book charts the evolution of legalized cannabis in Canada

John Ackermann speaks to Ben Kaplan, author of Catch a Fire: The Blaze and Bust of the Canadian Cannabis Industry.

March 19, 2025 11:44 am PST PST

Broken news: a new book rethinks the business of journalism for the digital age

John Ackermann speaks to Marc Edge, author of Tomorrow’s News: How to Fix Canada’s Media

February 16, 2025 12:08 pm PST PST

His name was Serafim: a new book offers a fresh perspective on Joe Fortes, one of Vancouver’s most celebrated figures

Joe Fortes is one of the most celebrated figures in Vancouver history. Best known for teaching generations of children how to swim in English Bay and saving many more from drowning, today he is commemorated…

February 2, 2025 12:54 pm PST PST

Trial by fire: a new book looks at the lessons learned from the 2024 Jasper wildfire

The wildfires in Southern California will look familiar to anyone who saw the devastation in Fort McMurray in 2016, Lytton in 2021, or Jasper just last year. But the author of a new book says, at least…

January 26, 2025 1:42 pm PST PST

Get ‘er done: A new book aims to help you tackle your to-do list and stick to your self-improvement goals

John Ackermann speaks with Jesse Lipscombe, author of The Art of Doing: A Guide to Getting Motivated, Getting Unstuck, and Getting It Done.

January 12, 2025 12:54 pm PST PST

NewsRadio Bookshelf top 24 reads of 2024

Here is a list of the top 24 reads of 2024 from the NewsRadio Bookshelf, covering some of the best in Vancouver, B.C., and Canadian non-fiction, history, and current affairs.

December 30, 2024 9:16 am PST PST

Cruel Yule: A new book of stories casts the holiday season in a more candid, realistic light

John Ackermann speaks with J.J. Lee, author of Upon a Midnight Clear: More Christmas Epiphanies.

December 22, 2024 12:48 pm PST PST

Walk the walk: a new book challenges readers to get outdoors and explore Vancouver on foot

John Ackermann speaks to Bill Arnott, author of A Perfect Day for a Walk: The History, Cultures, and Communities of Vancouver, on Foot

December 10, 2024 7:13 pm PST PST

The best campfire story ever told: A new book revisits the tale of a fabled lost B.C. gold mine

The best campfire story ever told: A new book revisits the tale of a fabled lost B.C. gold mine.

December 8, 2024 4:10 pm PST PST

Bottoms up: A new book charts the rise and fall and rise again of Vancouver’s independent beer scene

John Ackermann speaks to Noëlle Phillips, author of Brewmasters & Brewery Creek: A History of Craft Beer in Vancouver, Then and Now

November 10, 2024 3:06 pm PST PST

Not just another political memoir: Marc Garneau looks back at a most extraordinary life

John Ackermann sits down with Marc Garneau, author of A Most Extraordinary Ride: Space, Politics, and the Pursuit of a Canadian Dream.

November 3, 2024 1:02 pm PST PST