

AMI Audiobook Review
Accessible Media Inc.
Hosted by Jacob Shymanski and Ramya Amuthan, AMI Audiobook Review is THE go-to show for all things Audiobooks. With a focus on curation and audiobook reviews, you're guaranteed to find your next favourite listen.
Our steady rotation of regular contributors and special guests will keep you on your toes, ensuring that no perspective is left unexplored and that you leave with plenty of witty banter for your next book club meeting.
Our steady rotation of regular contributors and special guests will keep you on your toes, ensuring that no perspective is left unexplored and that you leave with plenty of witty banter for your next book club meeting.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Feb 19, 2025 • 29min
The Mob Mentality of Reading: Is it Good Because It’s Popular?
Fifty Shades of Grey and the Twilight saga—are they loved because they’re great, or just because they’re everywhere? Jacob Shymanski and Theresa Power break down the psychology of popular books, featuring responses from our book club community on what makes a book worth (or not worth) the mass buy-in.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Feb 14, 2025 • 29min
Logic Gaps, Slow Burns, and Broken Worlds
Are you frustrated when authors can’t justify their own logic in the worlds they’ve built? Jacob and Ramya discuss some of the biggest logic gaps in popular books (Harry Potter and A Song of Ice and Fire make the list). Some dialogue is too good to believe. Time travel is a beast to master and no reader is ever satisfied. And what happens when hard magic is flimsy? Here are hot takes on why internal consistency is key to a satisfying read.Plus, is a ‘Slow Burn’ Book Worth Our Patience? Not always, and we tell you why.And to wrap things up, Ramya reviews The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides, a critically acclaimed Psychological Thriller with a major plot twist and many mind games.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Feb 12, 2025 • 28min
Reviewing The God of the Woods by Liz Moore: A Deep Dive into Mystery and Family Secrets
Sara Hillis and Jacob Shymanski review The God of the Woods by Liz Moore, a slow-burn story weaving together a rich tapestry of characters, over a decade of time. Part mystery, part thriller, part family drama—we unpack the eerie summer camp setting, the tangled secrets of the Van Laar family, and the masterful narration by Saskia Maarleveld.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Feb 10, 2025 • 27min
Cats in Literature: Review of We’ll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida
Danielle McLaughlin reviews We'll Prescribe You a Cat by Syou Ishida, a unique narrative of a transient clinic offering cats as solutions to personal dilemmas. We also examine the portrayal of cats in other literary works, namely Japanese literature, highlighting the animals’ metaphorical roles. AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes
three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.
Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!
We want your feedback!
Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations
or reviews of your own… hit us up!
Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.ca
About AMI
AMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians
with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and
AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform
AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of
accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities
through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal.
To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.
Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+
Learn more at AMI.ca
Connect with Accessible Media Inc. online:
- X /Twitter @AccessibleMedia
- Instagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audio
- Facebook at @AccessibleMediaInc
- TikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Feb 7, 2025 • 30min
Reviews of Avenue of Champions by Connor Kerr & Greenlights by Matthew McConaughey: Stories with Lessons
Métis history, generational pain, and the lies of reconciliation—Avenue of Champions doesn’t hold back. Jacob breaks down Connor Kerr’s powerful reality checks on Indigenous truths, before Ramya dives into Greenlights, where Matthew McConaughey’s larger-than-life personality takes us on a ride through Hollywood games, questionable family ties, and McConaughey’s over-the-top poetic philosophy of “catching greenlights.”
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Feb 5, 2025 • 28min
Behind the Microphone of an Audiobook Narrator: Get to Know Simon Mattacks
Audiobook narration: is it pure performance or a faithful reading of the text? We get into it with Simon Mattacks, a narrator who’s voiced more than 100 books (including some for Ann Cleeves fans). He shares how he approaches characters and accents, whether it’s just a performance or if there’s more to connecting with the listener, and of course we get into his own takes on the listening experience of audiobooks.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Jan 31, 2025 • 30min
Book Bans, Free Speech, and The Potential Power of Literature
Book bans are back in the spotlight after The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill was pulled from the London, Ontario Catholic School Board. The novel, which confronts the history of slavery and racial injustice, has faced controversy over its unflinching portrayal of difficult themes. Kelly MacDonald is here to explore the censorship debate, the role of literature in education, and what it means for authors, educators, and readers.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Jan 28, 2025 • 30min
Exploring the Comedy of Corporate Horror: Review of I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
What happens when Joline, a complicated character with a penchant for self-destruction, gains access to everyone's emails at work? From the presentation of petty office drama to complex relationships, Aamer Khan and Sharon Johnston help Jacob figure out if this book truly delivers on its clever premise.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Jan 24, 2025 • 29min
Grief, Love, and Acceptance: Review of What I Know About You by Éric Chacour
We examine Éric Chacour’s What I Know About You, a powerful Canadian LGBTQ+ novel originally published in French, set in late 20th-century Egypt. The story follows a father, his son, and the complexities of identity and belonging. Our conversation moves from poetic to searching, with thoughts from CELA’s Karen McKay and Theresa Power.
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc

Jan 21, 2025 • 30min
Rapid Fire Review with Memoir Addict Andy Frank
We welcome back Andy Frank, Manager of AMI-audio, for a deeper than usual Rapid Fire Review. Andy shares five intriguing memoirs and biographies, and gives us his impressions of Nick Drake’s haunting journey, to Matthew McConaughey’s unconventional wisdom, and Dave Grohl’s storytelling charm.The five books discussed in this episode are…Nick Drake: The Life by Richard Morton JackGreenlights by Matthew McConaugheyOpen: An autobiography by Andre AgassiMiracle and Wonder: conversations with Paul Simon by Malcolm Gladwell and Bruce HeadlamThe Storyteller Expanded: ...Because There's More to the Story by Dave Grohl
AMI Audiobook Review is broadcast on AMI-audio in Canada and publishes three new podcast episodes a week on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays.Follow AMI Audiobook Review on YouTube & Instagram!We want your feedback!Be that comments, suggestions, hot-takes, audiobook recommendations or reviews of your own… hit us up! Our email address is: audiobookreview@ami.caAbout AMIAMI is a media company that entertains, informs and empowers Canadians with disabilities through three broadcast services — AMI-tv and AMI-audio in English and AMI-télé in French — and streaming platform AMI+. Our vision is to establish AMI as a leader in the offering of accessible content, providing a voice for Canadians with disabilities through authentic storytelling, representation and positive portrayal. To learn more visit AMI.ca and AMItele.ca.Find more great AMI Original Content on AMI+Learn more at AMI.caConnect with Accessible Media Inc. online:X /Twitter @AccessibleMediaInstagram @AccessibleMediaInc / @AMI-audioFacebook at @AccessibleMediaIncTikTok @AccessibleMediaInc