Chatter on Books

"All Pulitzers all the time"    Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Mike Croley. Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger (aka Harry and COB alum) zooms in to talk about his book "The Mosquito Bowl," inspiration for Peter Berg's new movie.  Another Pulitzer Prize winner (and also a COB alum) Andrew Sean Greer joins to share "Villa Coco." With his signature humor and disarming life ou...

Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and Lorraine Voles. They bemoan (again) the Washington Commanders (the curse continues). Book bans are on the rise (sigh). The jury's out on Barnes & Noble acquisitions.  Pulitzer Prize winning photographer David Kennerly zooms in to share "In the Room: 60 Years on the Front Lines of History." A true magnum opus, the book covers Kennerly's stunning career t...

Chatter rolls with Kevin Stanfield, David, Jamie, and Torie. The jury is out on AI, but Torie is confident the Commanders are cursed. Trouble in Dollywood. Bigger trouble in Ukraine whose literary culture is being wiped out. Best selling author John U. Bacon zooms in to share "The Gales of November." His deep research and brilliant storytelling combine to keep you enthralled from prologue to final...

Chatter rolls into fall with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  They pay respects to Dolly, the great one and reflect on the 9/11 25 th anniversary.  "The Pitch" is down to three finalists — Chantel Acevedo and "Cages,"  Melissa Faliveno and "Hemlock," and Tom Lin and "Babylon, South Dakota."  Prolific writer, Fulbright scholar, and DMV native Camille Acker zooms in to share "A Very Special Episode...

Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Louis Bayard.  They cover dance clubs, Pale Blue Eye(s) and Commaders fans. They marvel at Iowa City, home to everyone who's writing a book.  Literary legend (and Lou's pal) Thomas Mallon zooms in to share two books from his exceptional and large collection of work — "A Book of One's Own" and "The Very Heart of It."  The first captures the hear...

"Agency"   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  They're sad the World Cup is done and doubt the US Mens team will be in the final four any time soon.  Jamie introduces another new independent bookstore, The Brady Readery  in Laytonsville, MD.  Veteran and woman owned, the hope is it becomes a community hub.  Author  Emma Styles Zooms in from the UK to share her latest, "The Shark."...

"Walking away from loneliness and toward community."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, and Torie.  They break down the country's 250th, World Cup drama and James Grady's continued roll.  Best selling author, tattoo expert, and Today Show fave Isaac Fitzgerald zooms in to share "American Rambler."  Following in the footsteps of the real Johnny Appleseed, Fitzgerald's journey shows the power of wa...

"Remember we are we's not I's."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, and Torie.  They break down the World Cup and the Williams sisters owning Wimbledon.  Maggie Robe of  Flyleaf Books  joins to nominate  Melissa Faliveno  and her book  " Hemlock" .  Can't say it any better than the book jacket: "A Woman haunted by a dark inheritance returns to the woods where her mother vanished, in this queer got...

"Why is it always Florida?"   Chatter rolls into June with Lauren at the wheel, David in NBA land, and Torie assisted by Lu Lu.  Gayle from   Wonderland Books  nominates their DMV author,  Jeffrey Katz .   His 2026 book  "Unsettled Ground"  is a deeply personal examination of Germany's attempts to confront and meaningfully address the Holocaust.  COB alumni and fave  Erica Wright  zooms in to shar...

"Black leather jacket."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and icon James Grady. David did indeed cry at his son's graduation, and Torie lived Book Fair-palooza in Gaithersburg and Oyster Bay.  Miami literary legend Mitchell Kaplan of Books & Books  joined in to nominate  Chantel Acevedo  for "The Pitch."   Her new book "Cages" is out in June.  Crossing Cuba, London, and Miami, it reveals...

Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, Mike Croley, and Jud Ashman.  Mike introduces Reggie, the cutest new member of the Chatter family. Staying with animals, Cherie DeVaux, first time female trainer to win the Kentucy Derby, gets her due.  Somehow (no featured author?)  the team reveals porn star names and why LIV golf is going away.  Jud gets us back on track with the May 16   Gaithersburg Bo...

"Whatever he does he hits!"   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie and Torie.  Claude shares his Sperryville golf success, and David summarizes the NFL draft.  Shane Mullen joins from the midwest with two authors nominated for "The Pitch," Tom Lin and Soman Chainani.  They're current and creative and inspiring.  21 st century renaissance man Berner zooms in to share "Becoming Legend."  He calls...

Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, James Grady, and Chatter's favorite Mayor, Jud Ashman.  The wrap up March Madness and Torie's Duke animosity.  James Grady's soon to be released "Shadows on Sidewalks" getting terrific buzz.  Jud previews the May 16 Gaithersburg Book Festival.  Free attendance, free parking, and over 130 authors, workshops, kids' events, poetry competitions and more.   COB...

"Women versus nature?"   Chatter rolls with Torie, David, and literary icon James Grady.  They revel in UConn's win and Torie's roll in it.   Is there anything good about AI in writing?  Award winning, best selling and favorite Australian author Charlotte Wood zooms in from down under to share "The Natural Way of Things."   Originally published ten years ago it's eerily current.  Imprisoned in an...

Chatter rolls with Torie and COB fave Erica Wright, and Texas rules the show.  Erica's busy with a new novel and book of poetry and will be back soon to chat about both.  Daylight Savings screwed Micah Williams of  Black Pearl Books   who was set to nominate their author for "The Pitch," K.D. Blade.  No worries — writer and artist K.D. stepped up and shared  "Don't Touch My Hair" and her wonderful...

"A gift."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  They (finally) break down hockey and romance — and all have their picks for sports romance novels.   Shane Mullen of Left Bank Books in St. Louis joins, sharing the store's back story and teasing his picks for "The Pitch."  Retired Lieutenant General Mark Hertling zooms in with "If I Don't Return," his reflections on life lessons sha...

"Bad ass."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Louis Bayard.  They revel in the Olympics glow and mourn again Washington Post layoffs, the loss of "Book World" in particular.  Poet, teacher, and inspired author Rebecca Lehmann zooms in to share "The Beheading Game."   Few are brave enough to tackle the well-trod ground of Anne Boleyn, the first of Henry the Eighth's six wives t...

"Protest and patriotism"   Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and COB fave David Maraniss.  In light of Washington Post layoffs David A shares his George Solomon (sports god) story.  David M would have given a sneak peek at his next work, the life of Jack Johnson, first Black heavyweight boxing champion.  Award winning civil rights historian Matthew Delmont zooms in to share "Until the Last Gun is S...

"In the DNA."   Chatter rolls through snowmageddon with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books  returns to nominate their first author for  "The Pitch" ,  James DeVita and his book "Sanctuary," post-apocalyptic yet scarily current.  Then Mark Medley zooms in to share "Live to See the Day," his empathetic search to answer the question: what keeps people going against insurm...

" Challenge the status quo. "   Chatter rolls (fast) into 2026.   Torie, Claude, and COB's favorite Mayor Jud Ashman catch up and look ahead to the Gaithersburg Book Festival in May.  Elaine Katzenberger of  City Lights Booksellers and Publishers introduces Rae Alexandra, first nominee for "The Pitch," the writing contest in which independent book stores nominate an author from their region with a...

Steve Israel - "The Einstein Conspiracy" & Steve Vogel - "A Task Force Called Faith: The Untold Story of the U.S. Army Soldiers Who Fought for Survival at Chosin Reservoir — and Honor Back Home" Chatter rolls into the holidays with Claude, David, Torie, and icon James Grady. They pre-sneak Jim's book out in 2026 and rave about two COB alums, Charlotte Wood and Tevi Troy. Both make major "best of 2...

Group Therapy Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  Torie pitches Rob Dundon's wonderful cause in honor of his mother Cathy  (go to: alt.org/goto/CathysLegacy/2025 .  The gang makes holiday gift recommendations.  Scientist in Residence at the School of Art Institute in Chicago Eugenia Cheng zooms in to share "Unequal — The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up," It's about so much...

"Unfinished Business"   Chatter rolls live in an undisclosed secure location in the DMV with Claude, David, Torie, and Renaissance man Rodney. It's "boy time" as Rodney extols the virtues of his men's book club.  Charter member Thomas Dann joins to share "Midnight in Memphis," a mystery set in 1950s Memphis.  A Southern noir  "Midnight" is a nuanced look at race, political turmoil, and relationshi...

"More than football."   Chatter goes live at Caddies on Cordell, the DMV's premier sports bar, with Claude, David, Torie, S.L. Price and DeMaurice Smith, longtime head of the National Football League Players Association.  They break down the latest sports gambling scandal (nobody's shocked and all are worried about the impact).   Smith shares "Turf Wars," the ultimate insiders look at the biggest...

"Extracting information."   Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie.  They cover Claude's equine role and the NBA cheating scandal. (Who knew the mob was still so active!).   Nancy Baenen of  Arcadia Books joins to chat up her iconic Wisconsin book store and dispense advice on "The Pitch," the 2026 Chatter on Books writing competition.  Ann E. Butler zooms in to share "Wife, Mother, Spy...