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If you aren’t an Elizabeth Strout fan yet, Tell me Everything, her newest novel, is going to wow you. If you are already devoted fans, like we are, then you are in for a real treat. In Tell Me Everything, she brings together two beloved characters: Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. The results are truly magical. Our bookstore this week is Snowbound Books in Marquette, Michigan.
Books mentioned in this week's episode:
Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
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
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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
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Saknas det avsnitt?
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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
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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
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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
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Today we talk about a book that seems tailor-made to our show, given our conversations with independent booksellers. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore is a book that, if you are a book lovers like we are, will give you the same warm, smiling feeling you get when you walk into your favorite bookstore. And we talk to Toby Cox, the owner of Three Lives & Company, one of Evan’s favorites.
Books mentioned in this week's episode:
The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss
On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City by Evan Friss
The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s by Evan Friss
All Fours by Miranda July
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports by Tim Noakes
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When you say the name Whoopi Goldberg it’s hard not to smile. The name is filled with heart, laughter, and a joyous sense of fun, just like the woman herself. Born Caryn Johnson, her memoir Bits and Pieces is a love letter to her mother and brother, the two people who molded her into the hilarious, honest and morally centered person she is today. She has also written a graphic novel about menopause (sure, why not?) called The Change, which is a declaration that women of a certain age (and color) can don a cape and fight bad guys with hot flashes, if they so choose. Join us for a laugh and some terrific storytelling.
Books mentioned in this week's episode:
Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg
The Change: A Graphic Novel by Whoopi Goldberg, Jaime Paglia and Sunkanmi Akinboye
Is It Just Me?: Or Is It Nuts Out There? By Whoopi Goldberg
If Someone Says "You Complete Me,” RUN!: Whoopi’s Big Book of Relationships by Whoopi Goldberg
Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
The Godfather by Mario Puzo
The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey
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Ben Shattuck is a renaissance man of sorts, which might be why we dedicated the whole episode to him. He wrote The History of Sound, a thought provoking and beautiful collection of short stories that spans the Eastern Seaboard as well as eons of time. Then there's his general store, which, on top of being the oldest general store in the country also boasts an independent bookstore curated by, you guessed it, Ben Shattuck. Join us.
Books mentioned in this week’s episode:
The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck
Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck
Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann
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Every so often, a new author tackles the work of expanding a classic novel to expand its reach. Even more rarely, they succeed beautifully. This week’s book, Adventures of Mary Jane is just such a rare gem. Mary Jane's author, Hope Jahren, is a scientist (a geochemist, no less) who decided to write the story of Mary Jane, a character that haunted her from the pages of Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn her entire life. It is both a magical adventure story and an authentic and well written coming of age drama. This week’s bookstore is Where the Sidewalk Ends, which is also run by two generations in tandem. We talk to them about how they do it…and we commiserate on working with daughters and parents. Join us.
Books mentioned in this week's episode:
Adventures of Mary Jane by Hope Jahren
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
A Man without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals that Helped him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Constantine Croke
The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames-RELEASES 7/23/2024
More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova-RELEASES 1/14/2025
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Our third check in with J. Ryan Stradal, author extraordinaire and our writer in residence. He has begun to write in earnest, and has lots to tell us about his progress. We are loving these conversations with J., and every time we learn something new. For our bookstore we talk to Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, J. Ryan's homeland. Join us.
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
Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes by Klancy Miller
The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne
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The Magician’s Hat by Malcolm MitchellThis week we talk to Rachel Khong. Her new novel, Real Americans, asks probing questions about the reality of America’s “melting pot” mythology, and is also being a mysterious and compulsively readable family saga. We also talk to Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, in our continuing discussions on the importance of getting children to read. We hope you will join us.
Books mentioned in this week's podcast
Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
Real Americans by Rachel Khong
Perfecto Pet Show by Judy Newman
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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