The Book Case

Lily King’s newest, Heart the Lover, is a sparing, funny, painful and beautiful novel about the first loves we have, and how they never really let go. The humanity, joy and sadness of the novel will keep you turning pages and keep the characters with you long after you have closed the book.  We talk to her about her inspirations, her struggles in writing this book and how she triumphed over diffic...

Angela Flournoy’s newest, The Wilderness was on the long list of nominees for the National Book Award, and we believe if you read it, it’s easy to see why. The story of four friends growing apart and together, it’s a lyrical work of real beauty. Over a series of decades, these four friends tell you in their distinct voices about the important turning points in their lives, giving readers a rich gl...

Sometimes we look back on a season of great podcasts (humble podcasts hosts that we are) and consider what we like best within a season.  Today, we look at the summer that was.  From the great epistolary novel, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans to non-stop laughs with Dave Barry to the magical world of Leigh Bardugo, there is something for everyone in this episode.  Join us as we look back on a...

Leigh Bardugo has written some masterful fantasy.  And, the Six of Crows Duology (that means there is only two books in the series) is about to turn 10 years old.  So we celebrate the anniversary of these two great reads with an in depth conversation with their author, Leigh Bardugo.  Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom tell the story of a small street gang as they pull of the biggest heist of their...

Joanne Harris is the writer of the “Chocolat" series, which began with the famous Chocolat (also made into a movie with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp) which spawned three sequels all continuing the story of the mysterious, talented and independent Vianne and her daughters as they struggle to find their place in the world.  But in her newest contribution to the series, Vianne, she writes beautif...

Take a moment to sit down with us to talk to the Reynolds Brothers, Peter and Paul.  On Thursday of this week we appeared on GMA to talk about International Dot Day, a worldwide creativity movement inspired by The Dot, an illustrated children’s book released more than 20 years ago. Tune in to find out more about why this book means so much to so many, and why it’s message has spread around the wor...

Occasionally, a book comes into your life that is a revelation. And The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was one of these books for us. A masterful epistolary novel in which the protagonist, a retired lawyer named Sybil, corresponds with…well, anyone and everyone.  It’s an incredible read. Trust us. Don’t miss this great conversation with a wonderful writer. And to sweeten the pot? We also talk to...

Thomas Schlesser is a French Art Historian whose new novel, Mona’s Eyes is a brilliant way of exploring the great museums of Paris.  When Mona, his title character, is in danger of losing her sight, her grandfather, Henri, decides to show her one work of art a week for a year in the hopes that she can absorb all the beauty of the world before she goes blind. It is not just the touching story of a...

Kathy Wang’s newest, The Satisfaction Café is the story of Joan Laing, her compromises, her victories, her loves and her loneliness.  In this memorable story, Joan and her reflections lead us through the journey of her life…culminating in the opening of a unique, strange and lovely café..  Kathy’s writing is poignant, subtle, and Joan, her protagonist is flawed yet inspiring.  Take a seat at the S...

J. Ryan Stradal is our Writer in Residence, if you have been following along.  What does that mean?  Well, we have been with him from step one since he started his fourth novel, as yet unnamed.  A deeply personal novel that imagines the third act his mother might have lived if she had progressed past the age of 55.  She was J.’s person, his guiding light and his North Star.  He has now finished hi...

Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a feverishly paced, lyrical portrait of an unnamed African American man in the 1930’s.  Hauntingly beautiful and raw, this book changed how Americans think about race.  Immediately popular and the winner of the National Book Award in 1953, Ralph Ellison’s classic does not fit neatly in any literature genre (is it satire?  Is it fiction?  Is it historical fiction?)....

Adriana Trigiani is a true joy, and her new novel, The View from Lake Como, is a love letter to Italy.  Italian by birth, Italy always plays a big role in Adriana's books, and in this novel, Italy is the central character.  This book contains unforgettable characters, subtle and complex relationships with the artisan beauty of marble thrown in…Adriana writes it all with authenticity and heart.  Jo...

Stacey Abrams is a prolific figure in American history.  And although her bread and butter come from political organization and practicing law, a lot of her heart is wrapped up in writing.  A writer with many titles to her name, her newest, Coded Justice puts forth a murder that may very well have been committed by a rogue AI system.  Is it possible and of what is AI capable?  We ask Stacey Abrams...

Dennard Dayle has written a laugh out loud satire about the Civil War.  It’s both risky and ambitious and he pulls it off beautifully in How to Dodge a Cannonball.  It’s a novel about Anders, a man totally unequipped to handle the horrors of the Civil War, in which he switches sides three times.  How to Dodge a Cannonball is moving, the language is both intense and incredible, and it will make you...

Sophie Elmhirst has done something extraordinary.  In her new book, Marriage at Sea, she rediscovers and adds new mystery to the true story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, who, on their journey across the world, lost their boat and were forced to live on a life raft for 117 days.  How did they do it?  How did they FEEL about doing it?  Sophie, in her impeccably researched volume, has brought reader...

It’s been a while since we have covered a good mystery on the Book Case, so this week, take a seat by a book that will keep you guessing.  Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall is both a terrific old-fashioned mystery combined with a modern police procedural drama and EVERYONE in the town is a suspect.  Kate read it in 36 hours, Charlie in about 48…we guarantee this will be one you can’t put d...

It’s the third in our classics analysis series!  To Kill a Mockingbird is one of America’s favorite novels.  Is it worth its weight in the public’s love?  Is Atticus Finch the hero we always thought, and does Go Set a Watchman call the novel’s moralism into question?  We examine these questions with two Harper Lee scholars, Michele Reutter and Jonathan S. Cullick, who wrote Mockingbird Grows Up, a...

We have been skimping on including independent booksellers in our show lately (and we are sorry) but here is a whole show worth of bookseller conversations!  Source Books in Detroit Michigan is owned by Janet Webster Jones.  And Print: A Bookstore in Portland ME is owned by Emily Russo.  These are two incredible independent booksellers with two incredible stores.  It’s a master class in booksellin...

Jess Walter has written a book that is funny, compulsively readable, and complex.  In So Far Gone, he reminds us, in a world that sometimes seems to have gone crazy, you escape society at your own peril.  Can you escape the world into isolation or is life only meaningful when you live it for and with others?  We ask the very talented Jess Walter that very question.  Find books mentioned on The Boo...

Andrew Porter’s newest, The Imagined Life, is a beautiful and atmospheric novel following a man on a search for his father, who disappeared decades ago.  Tangled up in the complications of academia, the issues of exploring sexuality, and the haunting visions of the inappropriate parties his parents threw in his backyard, Stephen struggles to piece together the answers he needs so that he can creat...

Another installment of our Writer in Residence series, and J. Ryan Stradal is two chapters away from the end!  How did he get here?  What are his goals as he finishes his latest and most personal book? We find out with great excitement.  We also talk to Nefer Book Café owner, Lonna Dawson, who will inspire you to expand your reading horizons.  Join us. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https:...

Dave Barry is one of the funniest writers alive, and he makes it look so easy.  How and why does he do it?  Enter Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass, his first and probably only memoir which is packed full of laugh out loud moments.  It’s also peppered with thoughts on how he got through college, memories of his mother and father, his thoughts on life, people that hate him and wher...

Richard Russo is an American treasure. The writer of so many great novels (Empire Falls, Straight Man), we strongly encourage you to read his newest, Life and Art, which is a collection of essays.  We know that so many people say, ESSAYS? Yes, essays, and they are spectacular.  These are not arguments shoved in your face.  These are thoughtful life reflections from one of the great writers of our...

Jemimah Wei’s The Original Daughter is the GMA book club pick for May, and we loved it.  In some ways, this book is not just a compelling family drama, but it is also a thoughtful depiction of Singapore, a country often misunderstood by Americans as being simply a home for glamour and high tech discovery.  This novel centers around the lives of everyday Singaporeans, and how one family is torn apa...

We loved talking to David K. Shipler so much that we wanted to squeeze one more show out of our conversation.  We talked so much on our last episode about the role of interpreters in journalism, but we also talked about going from fiction to nonfiction and the importance of good journalism, now more than ever. We hope you enjoy as much as we did.   Find books mentioned on The Book Case:  https://w...