Books & Banter with Les & Co.

Join us while we talk about the Mindfuck Series written by S.T. Abby. If you haven’t read the series and you are planning to, maybe skip this one. If you have, I hope you have some of the same opinions as we do. This one is more a discussion and less banter -  but nonetheless, so much fun. Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

This week, I’m joined by Jasmyne as we look back at how my reading tastes have changed over time. We trace my genre timeline—from early romance and fantasy to dark romance, sports romance, and the high-spice romantic era—and how each shift has reflected my own growth. We also dig into the biggest romance trends heading into 2025, including STEM rom-coms, the resurgence of sports romance, neurodivergent slow burns, dark-academia love stories, and the ongoing dominance of grumpy/sunshine. It’s a conversation about how exploring new genres can reveal new sides of us and keep the joy of reading alive.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

In this episode, Jasmyne and I dive into how reading helped her find herself again in motherhood—because let’s be honest, she’s doing the parenting and I’m just here with my TBR pile and opinions. She shares how books rebuilt her confidence, gave her a purpose outside of mom life, and reminded her she’s more than a snack provider-in-chief. We also talk about how the book community helped her feel less isolated and how escaping into stories sometimes feels like the only “me time” she gets. Lots of laughs, a little chaos, and a whole lot of love for the power of reading.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

Alanna is back, and we’re diving into The Book Signing Experience—aka the thrilling sport of standing in line to say three words to an author while clutching seventeen books and a friendship bracelet. We chat about swag chaos, trading cards, social anxiety, time management, and how reading somehow turned into a full-contact fandom event. It’s funny, quirky, and painfully relatable for anyone who has ever panicked about what to say while getting a signature.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

Alanna joins us this week as we attempt to define Romantasy—because somehow dragons, destiny, and dramatic make-outs all ended up in the same genre and nobody stopped it. We chat about when fantasy picked up a romance side-quest, whether it’s gone too far (or not far enough), why BookTok is feral for morally grey love interests, and how covers and marketing now scream “there will be kissing.” We laugh about tropes taking over genres, debate if Romantasy is a trend or the new normal and wildly speculate about what comes next. It’s playful, nerdy, and delightfully chaotic—perfect for anyone who likes their magic with a side of pining.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

Dem is back as co-host, and we’re diving into Book Club Central—where an introverted hobby somehow turns into group chats, meet-ups, and chaotic debates about fictional characters. We talk about Not Your Average Book Club, how people make friends through reading, whether virtual or in-person clubs are superior, and if buddy reads are bonding or just polite pressure. It’s fun, chatty, and packed with relatable book-lover energy.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

Dem is our co-host of the week ( or two weeks) , and we’re tackling the chaotic truth behind “Hobby Reading? That’s a Thing!” We joke about how buying books and reading them are totally different hobbies, question what makes someone a real bookworm, and ask whether reading is a hobby, a trend, or a TikTok-fuelled smutty takeover. It’s fun, self-draggy, and full of unhinged reader energy—perfect for anyone with more unread books than shelf space.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

Ben is back as co-host, and this week we’re diving into the wonderfully chaotic world of bookish abbreviations. We sort out the difference between genres—like Romantasy, Romance, Dark Romance, Fantasy, and Sci-Fi—and the tropes hiding inside them, from HEA to HFN and everything in between. We try to decode what readers are talking about, take some wildly wrong guesses, and laugh our way through the shorthand that the book world insists we should already know. It’s playful, silly, and packed with “wait… that’s what it means?” moments.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia

We’re kicking off our brand-new format and Ben is jumping in as co-host for the chaos. We scroll through romance novel covers and wildly speculate about the plots, tropes, steam level, and dramatic nonsense—before finding out what the books are about. Cue shocked reactions, confident but completely wrong guesses, and uncontrollable laughter. It’s fun, quirky, and the perfect tease of the more interactive, ridiculous, and delightfully unhinged season ahead.Join Les and rotating cast of co-hosts for a weekly fun filled, talk about all things books!You can shoot us an email to [email protected] matter who you are we guarantee you will find a show (or multiple) for yourself on the Dufferin Ave Media Network! If you can't find one, start your own! We can help you with that! We're a community of passionate hosts, audio engineers, avid listeners, and day dreamers on a mission to shape the future of on-demand content together.Don't follow us on social media:X (twitter): https://twitter.com/DufferinAveNetInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/dufferinavemedia/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/people/Dufferin-Ave-Media-Network/61557492890012/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@duffavemedia