Beyond the Walls Book Chat

Kicking off season five tonight's episode begins a journey through the Victorian world of  Dracula . What's the true historical context behind the novel and what storytelling beauty are we missing when we project a 21st century face onto the text? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight's episode is a continuation of the thoughts from last week. I've attempted to clarify better what I mean by old books, and I've also included some modern reading recommendations. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight's episode walks through C.S. Lewis's reasons to read old books followed by mine. I don't believe my argument is fully fleshed out and next week I hope to have more details, definitions, and maybe even some book suggestions, so please check back. Enjoy! Below are the videos and book I reference in the episode: the fall of book editing (why books are bad now) re: Why everyone...

Tonight we explore what C.S. Lewis says about true readers in the book  C.S.Lewis The Reading Life. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Why do we read stories? Why are they so important to how we live our lives? Tonight's episode explores what some of the great writers thought of stories and the capability of books to enlarge our minds and souls. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

In 2002  Everything on a Waffle  was a runner up to the Newbery Medal. In tonight's episode we'll explore what makes this offbeat story of a little girl in a tiny Canadian fishing town full of quirky characters a potential classic of children's literature.  Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

We all have a growing-up journey. And some children's books capture the essence of that journey so much better than others. Bridge to Terebithia , based on a real-life experience of the author's, is one of those precious stories that fully encapsulates the experiences of grief that impact our hearts as children. What we do with those moments of grief and how we hold the friends we miss i...

The books that win the Newbery Medal are widely varied. In 1945 near the end of World War II a little book about animals and humans living in harmony won the coveted prize. Even though Rabbit Hill is geared to very young children more so than some of the others on our list, it still has great depth and, in some ways, a fanciful Disney-like worldview that speaks to the child in all of us. Send us F...

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler was one of my favorite books when I was young. The story stands the test of time, and I found it just as enjoyable to read as an adult. Tonight, I explore the relevance of this tale of two siblings who run away from home and go to live at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookc...

Caddie's story is a beautiful slice of 19th century Americana. Though she lived more than 150 years ago, tonight's episode looks at how her childhood experiences still feel relatable today. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The winner of the 1990 Newbery Award was Number the Stars. While not entirely a true story, it does include the historic event of the people of Denmark protecting their Jewish friends during World War II. What was the influence behind the Danes taking this courageous step and standing out as ordinary people willing to sacrifice for others in the face of evil? Send us Fan Mail For questions and com...

The book Amos Fortune, Free Man recounts the true story an African prince, sold as a slave, who buys his own freedom, and becomes the first benefactor of his town of Jaffery, NH. What can this story reveal to us about how we need to live our lives today? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Carry On, Mr. Bowditch is a beautiful book for children. Tonight's episode looks at why children and even adults can benefit from reading about the life of the great American navigator, Nathaniel Bowditch. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

"The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts."   -Marcus Aurelius Tonight's episode is the beginning of an exploration about what happens when you change the type of books you read. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The end is near as Merlin, carrying the power of the planets, enters Belbury to bring confusion and chaos to the workers of darkness. Lewis called this a fairy tale, but does it end with a "happily ever after" for Mark and Jane? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The trap around Mark is tightening and the plans of Belbury are coming to a climax. What is it that Mark's missing that has allowed him to be so taken in, and how will he find his way out? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

The tensions grow as Edgestow is invaded by the N.I.C.E. and the company at St Anne's searches for the only one who can help them. Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight, we learn more about Ransom's back story in That Hideous Strength. Things have changed a bit for him since Perelandra . Who does Lewis want him to represent in this book? How do we expect his little band of followers to go up against the NICE? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Things are getting sticky for Mark at the NICE, but sadly he doesn't see how he's being manipulated. Meanwhile, Jane is having even more vivid dreams. What will be the final dream that pushes her to the company at St Anne's for safety? Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gmail.com

Tonight's episode follows Jane and Mark as they travel separate roads leading them to the opposite sides of a cultural war. The world Mark is entering is full of vagueness, euphemisms, and uncertainty. Meanwhile Jane is drawn into a group that is welcoming, direct, and honest. What does the language of each group tell us about their ultimate intentions, and how will Mark and Jane find their w...

Tonight is our first look at That Hideous Strength , the third and final book in the Ransom Trilogy. We'll explore the setting and meet the important characters. Two big questions to be answered right away are, who are the players in this organization called the N.I.C.E. and what are the details of their nefarious plan to conquer nature? Lewis constructed his fairy tale like concentric rings...

Tonight, we follow Ransom to the garden at top of the mountain and the coronation of the King and Queen of Perelandra. We will look closely at the parallels between Dante's Purgatorio and Lewis's Perelandra and see how Love is the Prime Mover and the force behind every story. Books I reference: Mystical Perelandra Deeper Heaven Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email bey...

Tonight's episode follows Ransom through his inner battle to surrender to his calling. And once he surrenders the entire story turns. The battle with the Un-man extends beyond the island world and into the depths of a mountain. A mountain that represents not just Mt Purgatory from Dante's Divine Comedy but also the struggles and journey of the Christian life. Send us Fan Mail For questio...

Weston has arrived on Perelandra and it's everything Ransom can do to keep him from corrupting the Green Lady. This week we'll look at Weston's motives and what or who is helping him wreak havoc on this new world. Books I'm using to understand Perelandra better: Mystical Perelandra Deeper Heaven Send us Fan Mail For questions and comments please email beyondthewallsbookchat@gma...

Ransom has landed in a new world. Venus is a paradise of green seas and soft floating islands. The only inhabitants of this land are the Green Lady and a missing king. Life seems perfect on Perelandra and Ransom wants to see it stay that way. With Weston's shocking arrival we finally understand why Ransom was called. But is he ready for all that he will need to do to prevent the fall of this...