Book Chat with You

Niagara Falls, Or Does It? by Henry Winkler and Lin Oliver is a short children's novel for Age 8-12 years or Grades 3-7. It's the first in the Hank Zipzer series. I borrowed this book from my previous job to review after reading a autobiographical piece by Henry Winkler. Though, this book is about a kid struggling with dyslexia, who doesn't even know it, there are concepts here universal for us al...

Matilda by Roald Dahl. What more can be said about this timeless classic? I will admit I kinda like the movie better than the book which is ironic because the material is kinda anti movie huh? It is funny how the book has some anti-American lines, but the movie is American. Danny DeVito and Mara Wilson were great in those. It was kinda neat how her powers manifested differently in the book though....

This is an archive in which I covered Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell. It is quite a brutal novel. I wouldn't have known it was a children's novel if not for doing a bit of research for the review. It is about a woman living on her for about twenty years after her tribe had been murder by seal hunters. Year after year her tribe had been given a poor deal in exchange for allowing a fore...

This is an archive I made many many many years ago of Space Station Rat by Michael J Daley. I don't remember this whole story other than I had a full cast audio of it I got from Humble Bundle. A boy everyone finds annoying (just a normal kid) befriends a stowaway genius rat that escapes to horrible experiments. I'm not even sure I read the book or just listened to it. Either way it was a fun kids...

This is Book Chat with You. This is just a quick announcement. The next four episodes are archives from before. One from the stone age and a few a bit more recent, but I just never uploaded on here for several reasons. I should have done this a week ago when I had no time for this, but perhaps this will give me a bit of a buffer. follow me: matthewlh702@proton.me  https://discord.gg/36WxYB7T  http...

In today's episode we look at Sensational Spider-Man 38 which is part of Back in Black that leads to Brand New Day. Sensational Spider-Man 38 is the second of a two part issue featuring Eddie Brock also known as Venom. This is a dark dark issue. There's some exposition explaining how Eddie Brock came to be without the symbiote that turns him into the anti-hero Venom. He is sick and dying of cancer...

In today's episode we look at Sensational Spider-Man 38 which is part of Back in Black that leads to Brand New Day. Sensational Spider-Man 38 is the first of a two part issue featuring Eddie Brock also known as Venom. This is a dark dark issue. There's some exposition explaining how Eddie Brock came to be without the symbiote that turns him into the anti-hero Venom. He is sick and dying of cancer...

Hello. On this episode we discuss Carol Shields short story "Dolls, Dolls, Dolls, Dolls." This story doesn't have a conventional story arc. It weaves in and out through the main character's memories and thoughts mostly connecting to dolls. It starts with the main characters thoughts of a letter she received from her friend visiting Japan and going on a tour through doll factories and pivots to a t...

Hello Everyone, This is Matthew Hernandez. I decided to try another monthly recap. In this episode I went over the various stories I read this month and ask you what you read, what you think about what you read, and if you read some of these stories. The stories I read and recapped are: "The Moths" by Helena Maria Viramontes, “The Second Coming” by Joe Gores, “Love So Fleeting, Love So Fine” by Ca...

Join Matt Hernandez in discussing A Small Good Thing by Raymond Carver. This is a short moving story about parents dealing with tragedy. Though, in the background of it all is their own approaching loneliness which comes headfirst into the loneliness dealt with by a local baker. In short, Ann goes to a baker to order a cake for her son, Scott's, eighth birthday, though on Scott's birthday he is hi...

Join me, Matthew Hernandez, in discussing Rocket’s Red: A Lady Astronaut Story By Mary Robinette Kowal. I had to read this for a class I'm taking online. I had to tell myself to give this a fair shot, but it was very easy to like this story. The PDF I had was about 7 pages and the author has this story for free on her website. This story is about Aaron Parkhill and his mother setting up a firework...

Hello, in this episode I will look at Amazing Spider-Man #539 Back in Black which will lead to Brand New Day. I thought about doing comics before and I have before, but to be 100% one of my few podcasts with any listens / watches in Battle Angel Alita, so I figured on covering Spider-Man up to Brand New Day hoping that I catch a bit of a rush with the upcoming movie. Though, to get why there was a...

Hello all. I was thinking of doing a podcast on comics too. Though the time and money needed to do so is a major deterrent at the moment. I am reading a ton, but I barely have the time to have made the last podcast or this one today. I like comics too and own well over two hundred comics in print, but I understand it's a completely different genre than written stories and notably short stories. I...

Join Matt Hernandez on Book Chat with You as we delve into Raymond Carver’s masterpiece, “Cathedral.” This episode unpacks Carver’s signature style – stark realism, clipped dialogue, and a focus on the unspoken – within this short story that’s captivated readers for decades. Matt guides us through the story’s core tension: a husband’s growing irritation with his wife’s blind friend, Robert, who st...

Join Matt Hernandez on Book Chat with You as we dissect Irwin Shaw’s deceptively simple short story, “The Girls in Their Summer Dresses.” This episode dives into a character study of Michael and his wife, Frances, as they navigate a fleeting encounter with a captivating woman on a New York afternoon. Matt unpacks the story’s central tension – Michael’s persistent, almost obsessive, gaze – and ques...

Join Matt Hernandez on Book Chat with You as he delves into Carol Shields’ deceptively simple short story, “Love So Fleeting, Love So Fine.” This story centers on an unnamed narrator’s obsessive, almost hallucinatory, fascination with a woman – Wendy – glimpsed only in fleeting moments throughout his daily commute. Matt unpacks the narrative's experimental structure, revealing it’s entirely contai...

Join Matt Hernandez on Book Chat with You as he dissects Joe Gores’ unsettling short story, “The Second Coming.” This darkly atmospheric tale follows a pair of observers as they witness an execution in 1966 San Francisco, exploring themes of fascination, trauma, and the unsettling nature of violence. Gores masterfully utilizes slang and evocative imagery to build suspense, prompting a conversation...

Matthew Hernandez explores the short story "The Moths" by Helena Maria Viramontes. "The Moths" is about a 14-year-old girl who takes care of her grandmother dying of stomach cancer. The unnamed girl is severely treated by her father and has a disdain for Catholic life. Her mother encourages her to spend her time with her grandma in which much of that time is spent gardening. The unnamed narrator i...

Explore the heartbreaking story of ‘Two Kinds’ by Amy Tan, a powerful examination of generational conflict, cultural expectations, and the struggle for self-acceptance. This episode delves into Jingmei’s desperate desire to be a prodigy under the intense pressure of her Chinese immigrant mother, Suyuan Wu's, dreams. Discover the symbolic weight of a disastrous haircut, the fraught dynamic of ‘two...

Matthew Hernandez chats about A Wood by Carol Shields and her daughter Anne Giardini in this episode of Book Chat with You. This story is a violinist named Elke who is working on her concert performance for the end of the month. Elke and her brothers, Ross & Stanley, are still grieving the passing of their Papa. In this story we ask ourselves what is sincerity from a sibling? Do dreams matter...

In this episode Matthew Hernandez chats about Sonny's Blues by James Baldwin. This story has been covered endlessly before, and Matthew adds his perspective on suffering, brothers' quarrel and longing for art in a world of suffering. In this story a brothers, seven years apart, reach out to each other. Have we done this with someone we made a promise to? Should we live for stability or pour our he...

Matt Hernandez dissects Carol Shields’ short story, ‘The Metaphor Is Dead, Pass It On’! He grapples with the story's ironic satire of academia and explores its metaphors—often with a delightfully conversational style. Is she making fun of professors? You decide! #PodcastAnalysis #LiteraryHumor follow me: matthewlh702@proton.me https://discord.gg/36WxYB7T   https://locals.com/bookstoread/feed   htt...

Matt Hernandez dives deep into a sensational 1936 true crime account, 'The Demon of Belfry'! He dissects Hildegarde Teilhet's reporting, analyzes the sensationalism, and explores the layers of a bizarre case – all with a healthy dose of his unique, conversational style. #TrueCrime #PodcastAnalysis #Literature Learn more about this horrible crime: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=anA5RQzb3Ds   Read...

Matt Hernandez lays bare his process for analyzing short stories – from his chaotic recording setup to the AI-assisted editing! He dives into his creative philosophy, seeks audience recommendations, and explores the challenges of building an engaged audience. #ShortStoryAnalysis #PodcastProcess #CreativeProcess follow me: matthewlh702@proton.me     https://discord.gg/36WxYB7T https://locals.com/bo...

In this episode Matthew Hernandez dwells and grapples with previously read stories. What stood out about "The Man From Planet Earth" to "Battle Angel" and even more recent recent episodes, but mostly about Isabel Allende's 'An Act of Vengeance.' Though, I am trying to be open about whatever I feel about stories that may not have been the best story to become more open. Upon later thought I became...