This is a special episode dedicated the art of spoken word poetry. One of our listeners wrote to us mentioning the name of Rudy Francisco and from there we fell down the rabbit hole of spoken word and slam poetry. We talk to Rudy and two other greats of the art, Bianca Phipps and Neil Hilborn. They are going to perform one work each and we will round it out with a conversation with Sam Van Cook. Sam is a founder of Button Poetry that represents and publishes so many of these great artists. Trust us, this is an episode you won't want to miss. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Helium by Rudy Francisco Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky by Rudy Francisco Crown Noble by Bianca Phipps The Future by Neil Hilborn About Time by Neil Hilborn Mill, Railways and General Castings by Sam Van Cook Watch their poems online: Hide and Seek by Rudy Francisco Almosts by Bianca Phipps OCD by Neil Hilborn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Fei-Fei Li is one of the most important scientists of our time. Her book, The Worlds I See, chronicles her pioneering efforts in Artificial Intelligence. Does AI scare you? Us too. But read this book and listen to this episode. The book is not just the compelling story of Dr. Li herself, who immigrated as a girl speaking no English but who understands physics like Michael Jordan plays basketball. She is now a worldwide authority on AI and its development. Second, if you are scared of AI, this book explains it and the issues surrounding it both with beauty and with hope. She believes AI is the next step in our evolution, but that it MUST be rooted in humanity. What does that mean? Tune in and find out. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Dr. Fei-Fei Li Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you like a good spy novel? Do you love le Carré and Graham Greene? Then we hope, with great sincerity, that you are reading the work of Joseph Kanon. His latest, Shanghai, centers around the city’s lesser known freewheeling WWII history and some of the lawless people who escaped the war to be there. Tune in to find out why he is fascinated by spy novels, and what he calls “spy adjacent novels”, that capture such rich moments in history. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Shanghai by Joseph Kanon The Good German by Joseph Kanon Istanbul Passage by Joseph Kanon Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon The Prodigal Spy by Joseph Kanon The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon Defectors by Joseph Kanon Alibi by Joseph Kanon The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Barry Winter Work by Dan Fesperman The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman The Letter Writer by Dan Fesperman Unmanned by Dan Fesperman The Double Game by Dan Fesperman Layover in Dubai by Dan Fesperman The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman The Prisoner of Guantanamo by Dan Fesperman The Warlord's Son by Dan Fesperman The Small Boat of Great Sorrows by Dan Fesperman Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Elizabeth Strout is our guest this week, and our conversation couldn’t be more timely. First, her novel, Oh William! has just been short listed for the Booker Prize - perhaps the most prestigious award for a writer of literary fiction. And second, her latest novel in the Lucy Barton series has just been published - Lucy by the Sea. For those who love her writing, and we are among her greatest admirers, you know that Lucy by the Sea represents a continuation of the series that includes Oh William! The book allows us to see the chaos of the last years through Lucy's eyes, and it's a tumultuous, beautiful journey. The independent bookstore this week is Tattered Cover and we talk to Jeremy Patlen, their head buyer. Books mentioned in the podcast: Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout Abide with Me by Elizabeth Strout Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout This is Happiness by Niall Williams The Collected Stories of William Trevor War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy Pigeon Feathers and Other Stories by John Updike Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage by Alice Munro Woman of Light by Kali Fajardo-Anstine Upgrade by Blake Crouch Just Kids by Patti Smith We are the Light by Matthew Quick Less Is Lost by Andrew Sean Greer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sue Miller is one of America’s finest and most admired authors. From the time of her first published novel in 1986, (The Good Mother), to her most recent, (Monogamy), Sue has developed a legion of devoted readers. Her plots often involve major events, but her greatest skill is the intimate understanding she has of her characters. She knows their head and their heart, or maybe it is that they know hers. How she writes, how she develops those characters, and what they mean to her are all subjects of our conversation. Sue Miller is one of our finest practitioners of literary fiction. We feel honored to have her in The Book Case.  This week, we also talk to the host of “Moms Don’t Have Time to Read," Zibby Owens. She invited us on her podcast, so we returned the invitation. Books mentioned in this podcast: The Good Mother by Sue Miller Family Pictures by Sue Miller While I Was Gone by Sue Miller Inventing the Abbotts and Other Stories by Sue Miller Monogomy by Sue Miller The Lake Shore Limited by Sue Miller The Senator's Wife by Sue Miller The Arsonist by Sue Miller The Distinguished Guest by Sue Miller The World Below by Sue Miller The Story of My Father: A Memoir by Sue Miller Lost in the Forest by Sue Miller For Love by Sue Miller Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak The Short Stories of Leo Tolstoy by Leo Tolstoy Slow Motion: A Memoir of a Life Rescued by Tragedy by Dani Shapiro Hourglass: Time, Memory, Marriage by Dani Shapiro Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It was just a year ago that the U.S. withdrew its troops from Afghanistan. On that date, Nahid Shahalimi, an Afghan female writer living in Germany, realized that she needed to hurry to record the stories of prominent Afghan women who soon would try to escape their country, or stay and risk death. She did so, and compiled their stories in “We Are Still Here.” The world’s attention has turned to the crisis in Ukraine, but Afghanistan is still there and should not be forgotten, particularly the stories of women oppressed by the Taliban. This week, a conversation with Nahid Shahalimi, as she writes, “Listen to these women. See them. See their commitment to freedom and to their rights." Books mentioned in this podcast: We are Still Here edited by Nahid Shahalimi The Book of Life by Jidda Krishnamurti The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood A Land of Permanent Goodbyes by Atia Abawi The Secret Sky: A Novel of Forbidden Love in Afghanistan by Atia Abawi The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini And The Mountains Echoed by Khaled Hosseini A House Without Windows by Nadia Hashimi When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi One Half from the East by Nadia Hashimi The Sky at Our Feet by Nadia Hashimi The Pearl that Broke Its Shell by Nadia Hashimi Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stuart Gibbs is this week’s guest and begins what we intend to be a periodic look at children's’ literature, or in the parlance of the day, “kids’ books”. Stuart has five different series of kids’s books in print - all successful, each aimed at the middle grades. His latest Spy School book is just out. Kate and I (grown-up who like to believe) loved it, as did our 12-year-old grandson and nephew, Lang (but then Stuart is his favorite author). To be a successful author of kids’ books we believe you have to be a good writer as well as a bit of a kid yourself. Stuart checks both boxes. Books mentioned in the podcast: Moon Base Alpha Series by Stuart Gibbs Once Upon a Tim by Stuart Gibbs Spy School Project X by Stuart Gibbs Spy School Series by Stuart Gibbs FunJungle Series by Stuart Gibbs Charlie Thorne Series by Stuart Gibbs The Last Musketeer Series by Stuart Gibbs Poached by Stuart Gibbs Encyclopedia Brown Series Donald J. Sobol The Westing Game by Ellen Raskin Bunnicula by James and Deborah Howe Superfudge by Judy Blume The Phantom Tollbooth Norton Juster The BFG by Roald Dahl Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our author this week is David Koepp. You may not realize it, but you’ve been exposed to David’s writing. Probably many times. Did you see the first two Jurassic Park movies? Spider-Man? Indiana Jones? Mission Impossible? David has worked on the screenplays of some of the most successful movies ever. Indeed, movies he has written have sold almost $2.5 billion in tickets. He also writes novels. “Aurora” is his latest. It’s an enjoyable, and even thought-provoking read. Why write novels when you’re so successful with screen plays? How do the disciplines differ? Which is more rewarding? All good questions. We ask them. Our independent bookstore this week is Interabang Books in Dallas, Texas. Books Mentioned in the Podcast: Cold Storage by David Koepp Aurora by David Koepp The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton The Sirens of Titan by Kurt Vonnegut Jr. That’s Good! That’s Bad! by Margery Cuyler Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk by Ben Fountain A Queen to the Rescue: The Story of Henrietta Szold, Founder of Hadassah by Nancy Churnin A Girl Named Carrie: The Visionary Who Created Neiman Marcus and Set the Standard for Fashion by Jerrie Marcus Smith River of the Gods: Genius, Courage, and Betrayal in the Search for the Source of the Nile by Candice Millard Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus Trust by Hernan Diaz The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett Artemis Fowl series by Eoin Colfer The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sidik Fofana has written “Stories from the Tenants Downstairs.” This is his first novel and very much worth a reader’s time. His book is eight interrelated short stories written by residents of a fictional tenement in New York City in a neighborhood going through gentrification. You root for his characters. You identify with their aspirations. But for each of them it is so tough to realize their dreams. For each of them it is so tough to negotiate the realities of every day life. And Sidik knows from whence he writes—for years he has been a New York City public school teacher. Many of his stories, he tells us, come from his kids. “Stories from the Tenants Downstairs” is an excellent book. One small warning—a couple of the stories are written with the voice of the street, but were that not the case, it would not be as authentic. And every inch of this book is authentic. Our independent book store this week is Women and Children First in Chicago—we talk with one of its owners, Lynn Mooney. Books mentioned in the podcast: Stories from the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fafana The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz Birds of America by Lorrie Moore The Broken Earth Trilogy N.K. Jemisin “Harlem” by Langston Hughes from The Collected Works of Langston Hughes A Farewell to Arms by Ernest Hemingway The Odyssey by Homer A Separate Peace by John Knowles Native Son by Richard Wright Trombone Shorty by Troy “Trombone Shorty” Andrews Easy Beauty by Chloé Cooper Johnson Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout Set Boundaries, Find Peace: A Guide to Reclaiming Yourself by Nedra Glover Tawwab Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Burkeman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jenny Lawson is a funny writer, but that label doesn’t tell the whole story. In her three books, her "parenthetical ramblings" are hilarious glimpses into her razor sharp wit that keep you laughing long after you put the book down. At the same time, Jenny Lawson deals with deep depression that has her also writing about her struggles - sometimes just to stay alive. She writes of the “monster” that at times takes over her mind. That mind works in wonderous ways - not always helpful to her own well being - but wonderous just the same. Our bookstore this week? Well that’s Jenny Lawson’s too. We talk to Elizabeth Jordon, the general manager of Jenny Lawson’s bookstore, Nowhere Bookshop in San Antonio. Books mentioned in the podcast: Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson Twice 22 by Ray Bradbury Pet Sematary by Stephen King Hurricane Girl by Marcy Dermansky Florida Woman by Deb Rogers Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado There, There by Tommy Orange A Visitation of Spirits by Randall Kenan Stories From the Tenants Downstairs by Sidik Fofana The Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Julia Glass burst on the writing scene in 2002 when her first novel, “Three Junes”, won the National Book Award for fiction. Her newest novel “Vigil Harbor” plots current problems such as worldwide virus infections, climate change and increasing political violence as they might increase over the next twelve years, and charts their impact on a small town in coastal Massachusetts. Set in 2034, the novel includes a touch of mystery and the supernatural, and is a most enjoyable read from almost any perspective. On the show, Julia speaks about the ways climate change has shaped the novel, her experience writing with a supernatural twist for the first time, and how the book changed with the Covid-19 pandemic started. Our independent book store for this podcast is Keplers, in Menlo Park, California. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hernan Diaz is an author, essayist, and finalist for the Pulitzer Prize in fiction and the PEN/Faulkner Award. His newest novel, "Trust," has just this week been chosen as a finalist for the Booker Prize - one of the most prestigious of literary prizes. The head of the Booker judging panel said many of this year’s finalists involve “the elusive nature of truth”. That certainly would pertain to “Trust”. The book is intricately plotted, marvelously written, and insightful about the world of finance and the singular relationship Americans have with money. Diaz also talks about his writing process, writing a character with an "obnoxious" point of view, and the thrills and perils of releasing a book out into a world. Our conversation took place just before the Booker nominees were announced, but reading ’Trust" and listening to Diaz will leave you with no doubt that this novel deserves the high honor according it by the Booker judging committee. Our independent book store this week is Market Street Books in Mashpee, Massachusetts, a favorite vacation destination. Books mentioned in the podcast this week: Trust by Hernan Diaz In The Distance by Hernan Diaz A Backward Glance by Edith Wharton Portrait of a Lady by Henry James I am a Bunny by Richard Scarry Horse by Geraldine Brooks Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Cloud Cuckoo Land by Anthony Doerr Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens The Old Man in the Sea by Ernest Hemingway Emma by Jane Austen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

J. Ryan Stradal is one of America’s finest young authors. His two novels have been out for some time - both highly acclaimed. Another is releasing next year. “Kitchens of the Great Midwest” was his first with “The Lager Queen of Minnesota” following four years later. Publishers conducted a bidding war for ‘Kitchens' - how rare is that for a first work? And it’s been translated into more than a dozen languages. You can argue over which is the better of the two and we have. Both are excellent. Kate likes ‘Kitchens’. Charlie is partial to “Lager Queen”. While these titles may make them sound like food books, they aren't. For J. Ryan food serves as a way of explaining different aspects of humanity, largely around themes of forgiveness. J. Ryan and Kate have been good friends since their college days (we're talking the ‘90s here folks) and she says she loves to listen to him talk. And laugh. You will too.   Since J. Ryan’s books have a Midwest setting and flavor we’ve paired him with Ann Woodbeck, one of the owners of Excelsior Bay Books to be found in Excelsior Bay Minnesota, just outside Minneapolis. Books mentioned in this episode: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Elsewhere, California by Dana Johnson Jesus' Son by Denis Johnson Oh, the Thinks You Can Think! by Dr. Seuss Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brian Goodnight Loon by Abe Sauer Ficciones by Jorge Luis Borges Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Craft in the Real World: Rethinking Fiction Writing and Workshopping by Matthew Salesses Shoulder Season: A Novel by Christina Clancy Four Dead Horses by K. T. Sparks Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub This is Happiness by Niall Williams The Boy and His Dog at the End of the World by C.A. Fletcher Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sandwich: A Novel by Catherine Newman is full of great characters, evocative nostalgic imagery and a love for Cape Cod that we share with her. It is full of thoughts on what it means to be a woman, why we keep secrets from our family, and what it is we love about the yearly vacation traditions we cherish if we were lucky enough to have them in our lives. For our bookstore this week, Bookshop West Portal, who for independent bookstore day brought in llamas. Because....well, tune in. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Sandwich by Catherine Newman We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman Waiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a Family by Catherine Newman The Worst Noel: Hellish Holiday Tales by Catherine Newman Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood's Messy Years by Catherine Newman The Beans of Egypt, Maine, by Carolyn Chute Writers & Lovers by Lily King Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Tom Lake by Ann Patchett Long Island by Colm Toibin Brooklyn by Colm Toibin The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt Shopkeeping: Stories, Advice, and Observations by Peter Miller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Anna Quindlen can write pretty much anything – years of insightful columns for the “New York Times,” wonderful fiction as evidenced by nine widely-read novels, and non-fiction as well. The latest is her plea for all of us to write. “Write for Your Life” is the book. It’s a small volume but it’s message belies its size. Anna Quindlen wants us writing for future grandchildren and great-grandchildren, for our current loved ones, and even for ourselves. Write letters, keep journals, record your own life history – it doesn’t have to be perfect, it just has to be personal. She asks her readers: If you could have one piece of writing from someone in your life who’s gone, who would that be? When you answer that, you’ll know why writing is so important. As you write, she argues, it may even bring greater clarity about your own problems and thoughts. After our conversation with Anna, stay for Sharon Davis of Book Bound Bookstore in Blairsville, Georgia, population 616. Talk about an act of faith! Opening a tiny town independent bookstore. Talking to Sharon was at the suggestion of one of our listeners, and we appreciate it.  Books Mentioned: Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen The Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Pioneer Women: The Lives of Women on the Frontier by Linda Peavy Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen The Holy Bible A Wrinkle in Time by Madeline L’Engle The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen Grandma Gatewood’s Walk: The Inspiring Story of the Woman Who Saved the Appalachian Trail by Ben Montgomery Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury  One Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseni The Gilded Wolves by Roshai Choksi The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein The Magnolia Palace by Fiona Davis Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Twelve years ago, Jennifer Egan won a Pulitzer Prize for her novel, “A Visit from the Goon Squad.” It was wildly successful and totally original. Now she has written a companion novel - a continuation, if you will - “The Candy House.” The premise is intriguing and while impossible, it lends itself to many opportunities for Jennifer to write in different styles. The premise is that it has become possible for a person to have every one of their memories, since birth, encapsulated in a box and every one of those memories can be recalled. In fact, a person can get access to someone else’s memories if willing to share their own. Every chapter is written in a different style - but all fit together nicely. Pulling that off, and she does, is literary, a feat of no small proportion. You need not have read “Goon Squad” to enjoy “Candy House.” But listening to Jennifer may well make you want to. This week we take a pause from talking to an independent bookstore. Kate and Charlie discuss what they’ve learned from their first ten podcasts. Books Mentioned: A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan The Keep by Jennifer Egan Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton Lavender's Blue: A Book of Nursery Rhymes by Kathleen Lines and Harold Jones Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Happy For You by Claire Stanford A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Preston & Child's Agent Pendergast Series The Power Broker By Robert Caro Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James (Yes, Charles Gibson read it. And yes, I am listing it. Sorry, dad.) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What if an app could quantify exactly how happy you are? That's the premise for Clare Stanford's debut novel, "Happy For You," in which a philosopher leaves academia to work as a researcher for"the third-most popular internet company" where she struggles to find belonging as a biracial woman. "Happy For You,' is a funny story of a woman searching for her identity and a satirical commentary on today's h(app)iness-obsessed world. Plus, a conversation with Mitchell Kaplan at Books and Books. Other books mentioned in the pod: The Savage Detectives by Roberto Bolaño The Bernstein Bears Series by Stan and Jan Bernstein Year of Dangerous Days: Riots Refugees and Cocaine in Miami 1980 by Nicholas Griffin Big Trouble by Dave Barry Trust by Hernan Diaz Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

David Gergen says it's time for new American leadership. As a political advisor who served four presidential administrations, Gergen has a perspective on the White House that's unrivaled in the political world. Gergen wrote his new book, "Hearts Touched with Fire," to advise the next generation of political leaders. Maybe that will include you! In President Truman's words, "Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers." List of books mentioned: Hearts Touched with Fire by David Gergen Lincoln at Gettysburg by Garry Wills The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell The March of Folly by Barbara Tuchman King Arthur and his Knights of the Round Table by Roger Lancelyn Green Churchill: Walking with Destiny by Andrew Roberts To Marry and to Meddle by Martha Waters Flying Solo by Linda Holmes Maine Beer: Brewing in Vacationland by Josh Christie Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey Blueberries for Sal by Robert McCloskey One Morning in Maine by Robert McCloskey Letters of EB White by EB White (Revised) Charlotte's Web by EB White Stuart Little by EB White Sigh, Gone by Phuk Tron Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Delia Ephron went through hell. Her leukemia almost killed her - so did the treatments to cure it. In “Left on Tenth”, her new book that is on many best seller lists, she writes about wanting to die - pleading with the doctors to let her die. However a doctor, who perhaps knew Delia better than she knew herself, wouldn’t let her. And a late in life, second love, sustained her through the most difficult of times. Delia’s book is inspiring and is testament to the strength of the human spirit and the healing power of love. Now, remarkably recovered, she talks about her ordeal. Listen to her answer of what she wants the rest of her life to be. It will make you smile. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You may know the story of Emmett Till. But you might’ve never heard his story if it weren't for one woman: Mamie Till-Mobley. In a new three-part season of ABC News' "Reclaimed" podcast, host Leah Wright Rigueur explores who Mamie Till-Mobley was before she lost her son: a young girl growing up in Illinois. Rigueur traces Mamie's journey after Emmett’s death, and how she turned her grief into a movement that changed the course of American history. The first two episodes of "Reclaimed" are available now. To listen, follow the show on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/3zofsOC), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3PSLBDU), Amazon Music (https://amzn.to/3tgHfNf), or wherever you like to listen. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Azar Nafisi offers you - a reader - a challenge. It is the title of her latest book - “Read Dangerously”. Azar comes with a unique perspective. She was teaching in Iran when the clerics took over, banned books, and eliminated many of the freedoms that Americans often take for granted. She caused something of a sensation when she wrote “Reading Lolita in Tehran” - contending that reading fiction can be a liberating and even subversive act. Now she teaches in the United States and worries that Americans aren’t reading enough - specifically aren’t reading works that take them outside their comfort zone. What freedoms could we lost if we don’t "Read Dangerously"? Her argument is an important one and very much worth a listen.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Odds are you’ve never heard of Shelby Van Pelt. She is a new author, and as we spoke she was just a week away from the publication of her first novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures”. Strange to say but this is a novel novel and both of us loved it. A writing advisor once told Shelby to try writing from an unlikely point of view - and has she done just that! Her narrator is an octopus. But not just any octopus. Marcellus is a captive in an aquarium and from that vantage point is an observer of we humans. He doesn’t have much respect for what he sees, but his warm, funny and wary narrative will have you hooked from the first page. As in almost all our podcasts, you’ll also hear from an independent bookseller from somewhere in the country. We believe independent book stores are critical. In this podcast, Otto Penzler of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York talks about mysteries as literature. Believe us, Otto knows mysteries, and is acutely aware that we all love ‘em. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

John Irving has written fourteen novels, is working on a fifteenth, has been translated into more than thirty languages, and is one of America’s most popular and beloved authors. If you’ve never read a John Irving novel, how would John suggest you start? What great American writers does he loathe (spoiler alert, one is considered America’s greatest author) and why did John adopt a model for story telling that was more than a century old? And how does he draw readers into his novels so that they will read the whole book? Our conversation with John is a master class on writing, and how he tackles his craft might surprise you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dr. Carla Hayden is the Librarian of Congress. In the 222 year history of the Library of Congress there has never before been a female Librarian of Congress, nor an African-American Librarian of Congress. Carla Hayden has broken many barriers. Dr. Hayden comes from a background of having run the Baltimore public libraries and from having a critical role in running Chicago’s libraries. On her first day in the job, what did she want to see, and hold, in the Library’s incredible collection? How can any citizen utilize the Library of Congress? And how can a library absorb 10,000 new items every single day? Carla Hayden holds the most important librarian’s job in the world - and she refers to librarians as the world’s “first search engines." Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Want a great summer read? We have it. A Better Place by Sarah Langan is a page turning mystery/thriller….like if The Stepford Wives met Shirley Jackson in The Lottery. The story is original, the characters are well written, and the mysteries presented will baffle you as they unfold. It’s a terrific ride. We also talk also talk to John Mendelson, president of Nosy Crow Books, an independent publishing house for kids, who took the entire bike trail laid out by our Massachusetts guests from last week at Whitelam Books. Why did he do it, and how? Tune in and find out. Books mentioned in this week's episode: A Better World by Sarah Langan Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan Audrey’s Door by Sarah Langan The Keeper by Sarah Langan The Missing by Sarah Langan The Lottery by Shirley Jackson The Stepford Wives by Ira Levin My Antonia by Willa Cather House of Leaves by Mark. Z. Danielewski The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay Rum Punch by Elmore Leonard The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins A Horse Called Now by Ruth Doyle and Alexandra Finkeldey Dig, Dig, Dinosaur by Anjali Goswami and Maggie Li Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Calling all parents - you need to listen to Mary Laura Philpott and read her insightful essays that speak to everyone who ever raised a child. In the vein of Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron, her new book is “Bomb Shelter” - something she wishes she could build around her two children as they prepare to leave home and begin adulthood. Like all of us, she struggles with the realization she can’t keep them safe. It’s hard to imagine a writer could say something totally original about parenting and yet she does. She is witty and wise and the angst she feels about wanting to keep her kids safe applies to all of us. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Niall Williams is an Irishman who possesses the Irish knack for telling a great story, and he does this in lyrical prose that will take your breath away. He was living in America, participating in the infamous New York City rat race, when he and his wife decided 35 years ago they needed to go back to the land of their birth, Ireland, and find out if they could write. And can he ever. If you haven’t read “This is Happiness”, you must. Just for the pure beauty of Niall’s language. And if you have read it, you’ll love our conversation as his language and his gentle Irish lilt are delightful. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How better to begin a weekly podcast on books than with Oprah Winfrey who has, in the last quarter century, done more to get Americans to read than almost any literacy program we can think of. However the beginning of her book club was something of an accident. Oprah tells us why she didn’t believe it had a chance. She tells us what is in her personal, extraordinary collection of books, what she finds the perfect reading environment, and Oprah even takes a suggestion from Kate about how she might change her reading habits. Oprah's enthusiasm for reading has proven infectious to the entire nation, and her enthusiasm for literature is addicting. After you hear our conversation, Oprah will have you wanting to immediately pick up a book. We guarantee it Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you stuck in a reading rut? The Book Case, a new weekly series from ABC Audio launching May 2, makes the case for books outside of your usual genre. Wander the aisles of your local bookstore with Kate and Charlie Gibson and meet fascinating characters who will open your appetite to new categories while deepening your hunger for books. The Book Case will journey cover to cover through the literary world, featuring interviews with best-selling authors, tastemakers, and independent bookstore owners. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This week, a dark and funny tale of sheep farming in Rural England that reads like an American Western by Cormac McCarthy. Sound a little strange? Well, it is. But it is also compelling, suspenseful, complex and packed with great characters. Scott Preston is a debut novelist, and this book, The Borrowed Hills, may defy a two sentence description but it’s worth the read. For our bookstore this week we talk to Whitelam books in Reading, Massachusetts, who tell us about what they did to bring in folks on Indpendent Bookstore Day. Join us. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Borrowed Hills by Scott Preston Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy Tree of Smoke by Denis Johnson The Man with the Golden Arm by Nelson Algren Shane by Jack Schaefer Riders of the Purple Sage by Zane Grey True Grit by Charles Portis Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry The Ox-Bow Incident by Walter Van Tilburg Clark The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien Independent People by Halldór Laxness Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk The Great Transition by Nick Fuller Googins The Cemetery of Untold Stories by Julia Alvarez Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today we have a book that helped us to lift the curtain on the inner workings of the book business. The Editor by Sara B. Franklin tells us the story of Judith Jones, the game changing editor who changed the publishing business at a time where women weren't in the publishing business. Judith helped shape literature and change publishing, and so we pair her with one of our current favorite editors who has just announced her retirement, Beverly Horowitz. Beverly has been in the business for 50 years and has worked with everyone from Judy Blume to E. Lockhart. Join us for a wonderful insiders look at the business that sustains our minds and hearts. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Editor by Sara B. Franklin Edna Lewis: At the Table with an American Original by Sara B. Franklin The Phoenicia Diner Cookbook: Dishes and Dispatches from the Catskill Mountains by Sara B. Franklin The Colossus and Other Poems by Sylvia Plath Mastering the Art of French Cooking by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, Simone Beck The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank The Tenth Muse: My Life in Food by Judith Jones Rabbit, Run by John Updike Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant by Anne Tyler The Living Mountain: A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland (Canons) by Nan Shepherd We Were Liars by E. Lockhart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We love the summer because it means trips the bookstore! We have some of our favorite bookstores recommending their favorite summer titles. If you are in need of a laugh, a thrill or just a great story to read on the beach, this is an episode of The Book Case you don't want to miss. Books mentioned in this week's episode: A Short Walk Through the Woods by Douglas Westerbeke Real Americans by Rachel Khong Same as it Ever Was by Claire Lombardo James by Percival Everett The Paris Novel by Ruth Reichl The Summer Book by Tove Jansson A Love Song for Ricki Wilde by Tia Williams Lo Fi by Liz Riggs Central Park West by James Comey Westport by James Comey Table for Two by Amor Towles Swamp Story by Dave Barry The Backyard Book Chronicles by Amy Tan The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Fei-Fei Li Let's Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson Different Seasons by Stephen King The Anxious Generation by Jonathan Haidt By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This episode is a double whammy of extreme talent. First, we have George Stephanopoulos, giving us history through the perspective of one of the most mysterious and powerful rooms in the White House: The Situation Room. It's the title of his new book...and it's an illuminating read. Second, the great J. Ryan Stradal and our second installment of the Writer in Residence series. He says he is doing a lot of writing these days...and he knows most of it won't make it in the book. You don't want to miss this week's Book Case. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis by George Stephanopoulos All Too Human: A Political Education by George Stephanopoulos Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Think Twice by Harlan Coben I Will Find You by Harlan Coben Table for Two by Amor Towles Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's always a pleasure for us to talk to a debut author and we have a good one this week in Heidi Reimer. Her novel, The Mother Act, is the story of mothers and daughters and the heap of complexities that come in those relationships. How do we know we are going to be a good mom? Once we have a child are we ALWAYS a mother first? This book asks these questions and challenges the reader to question the concepts of motherhood, empathy and family. Books mentioned in this week’s episode: The Mother Act by Heidi Reimer Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Dear Life by Alice Munro Maybe Baby: 28 Writers Tell the Truth About Skepticism, Infertility, Baby Lust, Childlessness, Ambivalence, and How They Made the Biggest Decision of Their Lives by Lori Leibovich Bomb Shelter: Love, Time, and Other Explosives by Mary Laura Philpott Middlemarch by George Eliot The Giver by Lois Lowry Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day by Judith Viorst Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you haven’t heard of Erik Larson, you don’t read enough non-fiction. A giant in the industry and an immense talent, Erik is turning his attention to the beginnings of the Civil War in his latest, The Demon of Unrest. It’s the nail biting account of how we ended up turning guns against one another, North to South, with a specific focus on the stand off at Fort Sumter. Told through the eyes of rich characters through their unique perspectives, Larson brings new learning to an oft discussed topic…how the Union tore itself apart over slavery. You won’t want to miss this one. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Demon of Unrest: A Saga of Hubris, Heartbreak, and Heroism at the Dawn of the Civil War by Erik Larson The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Isaac’s Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History by Erik Larson Lethal Passage by Erik Larson Thunderstruck by Erik Larson The Naked Consumer: How Our Private Lives Become Public Commodities by Erik Larson Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania by Erik Larson In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson No One Goes Alone: A Novel by Erik Larson The Splendid and the Vile: A Saga of Churchill, Family, and Defiance During the Blitz by Erik Larson Mary Chesnut's Diary by Mary Boykin Chestnut The Johnstown Flood by David McCullough The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We try not to do books about politics — political discourse in this country is, currently, divisive in the extreme. However, Carlos Lozada, in his new book, The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians, gives us a survey of Washington literature that will surprise, delight and inform you. From Tocqueville to Trump, from The Muller Report to DeSantis’ plea for the presidency, Carlos has read it all, and written about almost everything he has read. This book is a compendium of his best columns about books…why does Carlos think presidents insist on writing their own biographies? Why is George H.W. Bush one of the only presidents without a presidential autobiography? Tune in and find out. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Washington Book: How to Read Politics and Politicians by Carlos Lozada What We Were Thinking: A Brief Intellectual History of the Trump Era by Carlos Lozada Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant by Ulysses S. Grant An Hour Before Daylight: Memories of a Rural Boyhood by Jimmy Carter Destiny and Power: The American Odyssey of George Herbert Walker Bush by Jon Meacham Heartburn by Nora Ephron Wise Blood by Flannery O’Connor Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever heard the rumor that Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays? So had we, but By Any Other Name, the new novel by Jodi Picoult, may make the best case for it we have ever read. This novel puts forth a theory that Emilia Bassano wrote at least some of them, and she is an unforgettable character. This book succeeds on so many levels — a polemic, a great piece of feminist AND historical fiction, AND it’s a page turner. This is the book Jodi says she was born to write…and we think it’s her best to date. Books mentioned in this week's episode: By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult Mermaid by Jodi Picoult Second Glance by Jodi Picoult Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult The Pact by Jodi Picoult The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult House Rules by Jodi Picoult Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan Where There’s Smoke by Jodi Picoult Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kao Kalia Yang is a Hmong writer who has written her family and country’s history through deeply personal prisms. She told the story of her family’s beginnings via her grandmother’s story in The Latehomecomer, shared the life of her father in The Song Poet and now writes her mother’s journey in Where Rivers Part. Told in the first person, Where Rivers Part is the beautiful and compelling story of Tswb, who fled Laos to Thailand, eventually fighting her way to Minnesota to give a better future to her children. It is an epic tale of mothers and daughters, husbands and wives, struggle and triumph. Our bookstore this week is a 22-year-old dynamo who has already taken Mendham, NJ by storm…watch out world, it’s Chapter One Books. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Where Rivers Part by Kao Kalia Yang The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang A Map into the World by Kao Kalia Yang The Shared Room by Kao Kalia Yang From the Tops of the Trees by Kao Kalia Yang The Most Beautiful Thing by Kao Kalia Yang Yang Warriors by Kao Kalia Yng The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich The Round House by Louise Erdrich The BFG by Roald Dahl Danny the Champion of the World by Roald Dahl The Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tommy Orange has written a second novel. Although technically a sequel, you can easily read Wandering Stars without having experienced There There. But you should read at least one. Or both. Oh to heck with it, we love Tommy Orange and we will read anything he writes. He is incredibly talented. And we pair him with Birchbark Books & Native Arts, a bookstore that is a beloved Twin Cities landmark, while also serving the national and international Indigenous community. Tune in to find out how. Books mentioned in this week’s episode: There There by Tommy Orange Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector The Monster at the End of this Book by Jon Stone James by Percival Everett Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich The Round House by Louise Erdrich The Sentence by Louise Erdrich Waltzing the Cat by Pam Houston The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich The Iliad translated by Emily Wilson The End of the World is a Cul de Sac by Louise Kennedy Native Love Jams by Tashia Hart Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amor Towles is publishing a short story collection (with a novella included) called Table for Two, and we waited with bated breath as it arrived in our mailboxes. Can he bring the same artistry in short form that he does to his novels? Is he equally talented in novella, short story and novel? Short answers are yes, yes and yes. This rich collection of stories are varied, thought provoking, funny and beautiful. Join us to find out how and why he does what he does. Book mentioned in this week's episode. Table for Two by Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Rules of Civility by Amor Towles Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Disaster Loves You is the newest by Richard Roper, which we would probably best describe as a quirky British romcom, sort of... a little. But it’s also hilarious and there is both depth and humanity to it that will surprise you. We both read it in about 48 hours, and you probably will too. Read it, and then listen to this conversation; you’ll understand why we’re so charmed. Our bookstore this week is Roebling Books which has a few locations in Kentucky. Owner, Richard Hunt has some terrific recommendations you won’t want to miss. Books mentioned in this week's episode: This Disaster Loves You by Richard Roper When We Were Young by Richard Roper Something to Live for by Richard Roper Us by David Nicholls High Fidelity by Nick Hornby The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Trust by Hernan Diaz Beach Music by Pat Conroy The Land of the Laughs by Jonathan Carroll Clay’s Quilt by Silas House The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE WRITER IN RESIDENCE SHOW! We kick off our new series, Writer in Residence, with our resident writer, J. Ryan Stradal. A great writer, a national bestseller, and a friend of Kate’s for almost thirty years, J. Ryan is going to give The Book Case a front row seat from page one to publication. Join us as he walks us through what he does to get started, and his thoughts on how the book might proceed. What does he do to get past self doubt to be the best writer he can be? He joins us once a month for about fifteen minutes to talk us through every phase. This, our first episode, he gets the whole episode. Enjoy! Books mentioned in this week's episode: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Working by Robert A. Caro The World According to Garp by John Irving Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro Adventures in Screen Trade by William Goldman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you are a mystery fan who hasn’t read Tana French, then you have missed one of the great modern mystery writers of our time. American by birth and Irish by residence, her Irish set mysteries will both haunt you and keep you guessing. Her newest, The Hunter, is one of her best, a rousing combination of a murder mystery and heist suspense. She tells us what motivates her and how she does what she does time and time again. Our bookstore is The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts. Books mentioned in this week's episode: In the Woods by Tana French The Likeness by Tana French Faithful Place by Tana French The Searcher by Tana French The Secret Place by Tana French Broken Harbor by Tana French The Witch Elm by Tana French The Trespasser by Tana French The Hunter by Tana French The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Life After Life by Kate Atkinson The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We believe that Anna Quindlen should be declared a national treasure. Her new novel, After Annie, is an intimate look at a family recovering from the loss of their matriarch. Taken too young, she dies suddenly of an aneurism while making dinner. It’s funny, sad, and, like all of Anna’s work, universal in its themes and depictions of family life. We pair her this week with the Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California. Join us for some great conversations. Books mentioned in this week's episode: After Annie by Anna Quindlen Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen Every Last One by Anna Quindlen Blessings by Anna Quindlen Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen One True Thing by Anna Quindlen Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace Ablaze by Christopher Krovatin The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s never a great idea to pigeonhole a talented writer, but you could probably call Sloane Crosley a humorist... most of the time. Her newest, Grief Is for People, is a funny, raw, introspective, and beautiful look at grief from every angle. Rocked by the suicide of her best friend, Crosley dives into her pain and loss in this slim, but effecting book that will make you laugh out loud while you reach for your tissue box. (Yes, a cliche. But, here, a true one.) We also speak with McLean and Eakin books in Petoskey Michigan, run by a husband and wife team who fell in love in the shop they now own. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley The Clasp by Sloane Crosley The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Truth and Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett The Long Goodbye: A Memoir by Meghan O'Rourke Taking a Long Look: Essays on Culture, Literature and Feminism in Our Time by Vivian Gornick The Painter by Peter Heller The Last Ranger by Peter Heller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few weeks ago Kate received an email informing her of a debut author: Diane Oliver. But this debut book stood out because the author had been dead for more than fifty years. Fascinated, we asked for copies...and Diane Oliver's work knocked us out. Her debut collection, Neighbors and Other Stories, is a compendium of her work: insightful, raw, beautiful, intimate, with character's stark and naked humanity jumping off every page. We talk to the writer Tayari Jones, who wrote the book's enthusiastic introduction, as well as Diane's agent, Elise Dillsworth and her publisher, Katie Raissian. How does one release a debut work when the author is long gone? Tune in and find out. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood The Color Purple by Alice Walker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we just want to talk to each other. And that’s what happened this week. We spent some time reflecting on lessons we have learned from our authors and we go through our favorite love stories of all time (Valentine’s Day and all). It’s nice to pause every once in a while. We hope you will take a pause with us. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë This Is Happiness by Niall Williams Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Trust by Hernan Diaz The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks A Room with a View by E.M. Forster 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Love it or hate it, the genre of “reality tv” has now shaped American history. That means no matter how you feel about it, you cannot ignore it. Enter Cue the Sun!, the most comprehensive, thoughtful and well written book about the history and development of the genre we have come across. We talk to the book’s author, Emily Nussbaum about how the genre has come to take up so much space in American pop culture and what that means for our country as a whole. We also talk to Ferguson Books' owner Dane Ferguson about how his shop serves rural communities in the upper midwest. You don’t want to miss it. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum Black Bear Lake by Leslie Liautaud Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman Alter Ego by Brian Freeman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever heard of William and Ellen Craft? They were an escaped enslaved husband and wife whose stories read like a blockbuster action movies. Symbols in their time, Ellen (who was the daughter of an enslaved woman and her master) passed as a white man and had her husband William pass as her property. A harrowing journey gave way to their leadership in the fugitive slave movement, even though it cost them dearly. Ilyon Woo shares their incredible story in her book, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom. A great read and a great conversation about American heroes of whom you might never have heard. This week we also talk to Island books in Middletown Rhode Island. Join us. Books mentioned in this week's episode: Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother's Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times by Ilyon Woo William Wells Brown: An African American Life by Ezra Greenspan All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Alicia Miles Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market by Walter Johnson The Slave's Cause by Manisha Sinha Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kate revisits her favorite genre: horror (but she prefers the moniker of dark fiction), and this one is taped in front of a live audience! Plus: you get three great guests for the price of one, which should be irresistible. In New Hampshire to celebrate the new novel by Chris Golden (do not miss The House of Last Resort!), Kate was given the opportunity sit down with Paul Tremblay, Victor LaValle and Jennifer McMahon. It was really fun, a terrific conversation, and a lot to think about. There is great writing taking place in this genre, and this episode quizzes three of the best. Join us. Books mentioned in this week's episode: The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay No Sleep Till Wonderland by Paul Tremblay Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye by Paul Tremblay Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn't Fly by Paul Tremblay and Stephen Graham Jones Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay The Pallbearers Club by Paul Tremblay In the Mean Time by Paul Tremblay Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay The Beast You Are by Paul Tremblay The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon Island of Lost Girls by Jennifer McMahon The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon The Night Sister by Jennifer McMahon The Invited by Jennifer McMahon Don't Breathe a Word by Jennifer McMahon The One I Left Behind by Jennifer McMahon Dismantled by Jennifer McMahon Lone Women by Victor LaValle The Changeling by Victor LaValle Big Machine by Victor LaValle The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle The Ecstatic by Victor LaValle Slapboxing with Jesus by Victor LaValle Frankenstein by Mary Shelley Lord of the Flies by William Golding The Maniac by Benjamin Labatut The Lottery and Other Stories by Shirley Jackson The Sundial by Shirley Jackson Beloved by Toni Morrison Hamlet by William Shakespeare The Monkey’s Paw by W.W. Jacobs Skeleton Crew by Stephen King (Contains the short story-“Survivor Type”) The Amityville Horror by Jay Anson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices