Jim Foster: Conversations On The Coast

In "A Fraction of the Whole," author Steve Toltz writes a novel about the Dean family from Australia as a son, Jasper, reflects on the events that led up to his eccentric father's demise. This discussion took place on a 2008 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "The Red Door: An Inspector Rutledge Mystery," the mother & son author team of Caroline and Charles, writing under the name Charles Todd, write the 12th in a series of Inspector Ian Rutledge Mysteries following British police inspector and World War I veteran Ian Rutledge. In this book, the inspector tries to solve a puzzle involving a lie, disappearance, and a woman's death. This discussion to...

In "The Paradise Guest House," author Ellen Sussman writes a novel about an adventure guide who is sent on an assignment to Bali but is caught up in Bali's nightclub bombings only a few days after she arrives, changing her life in many ways including finding love. This discussion took place on a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "The Burgess Boys," author Elizabeth Strout writes a novel centering around two young men living in New York City who return to their childhood home, a small town in Maine, to help their sister's teenage son who has gotten into serious trouble. This discussion took place on a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Marcelo In The Real World: The Last Summer of the Death Warriors," author Francisco X. Stork writes a coming of age story centering around a young man with Asperger's Syndrome named Marcelo. This discussion took place on a 2010 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Death of the Mantis: A Detective Kubu Mystery," authors Michael Sears and Stanley Trollip present the third in their book series, set in Botswana, which follows African investigator Detective David "Kubu" Bengu as he investigates a murder case involving nomadic Bushmen. This discussion took place on a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, Ca...

In "Pain Killers," author Jerry Stahl writes a novel largely set in San Quentin where an ex-cop sets out to investigate an inmate's claim to be the Nazi war criminal Dr. Josef Mengele. This discussion took place on a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "A Shot of Malaria," author Charles Souby writes a novel about addiction by following the story of a young man in San Francisco in the 1990s who is hooked on both drugs and alcohol, as the tale is told from a first-person narrative and with ironic humor. This discussion took place on a 2015 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "The Gallery of Vanished Husbands," author Natasha Solomons writes a novel about a single mother who finds herself a widow when her husband disappears, but just a few years later finds herself in the middle a growing art scene in 1960s London at the start of the sexual revolution. This discussion took place on a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Fra...

In "Bone: Out from Boneville," author Jeff Smith presents the first in a series of children's graphic novel books that follow three cousins who are lost in a desert and end up in a forested valley filled with both wonderful and terrifying creatures. This discussion took place on a 2005 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Who Stole the American Dream?," author Hedrick Smith writes a book detailing how the American Dream was eroded over a span of many decades, and why there are essentially two Americas today as a result of political and economic decisions made over time by the politicians in power. This discussion took place on a 2012 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Fra...

In "The Story of Ain't: America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Ever Published," author David Skinner writes about the true story of how Merriam Webster's Third New International Dictionary was created in 1961. This discussion took place on a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Prep," author Curtis Sittenfeld writes a coming-of-age novel that follows the life of 14-year-old Lee Fiora, an intelligent girl who finds herself at a prestigious boarding school in Massachusetts far away from her family home in South Bend, Indiana. This discussion took place on a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "A Student of Living Things," author Susan Richards Shreve writes a novel about a family living in Washington, D.C. who are shaken by the murder of Steve, whose sister Claire begins a quest to find out who did it. This discussion took place on a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Barack Obama in Hawai'i and Indonesia: The Making of a Global President," author Dinesh Sharma writes about the early years of President Obama's life and how they shaped the person and his days as President of the United States. This discussion took place on a 2011 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Sam Maloof: 36 Views of a Master Woodworker," author Fred Setterberg writes about the life of master woodworker and artist Sam Maloof, and the influence he had within the Pomona Valley arts scene and around the whole world. This discussion took place on a 2016 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Robot Zot!," author Jon Scieszka writes a children's book about a robot who wants to conquer the earth but finds himself having landed in a suburban kitchen instead, thus changing his original mission. The book was illustrated by David Shannon. In "Guess Again!" and "Brixton Brothers 1: The Case of the Case of Mistaken Identity," author Mac Barnett and illustrator Adam Rex write a children's p...

In "Dreams from the Monster Factory: A Tale of Prison, Redemption, and One Woman's Fight to Restore Justice to All," author Sunny Schwartz writes about her life's work in the criminal justice system in the San Francisco area and how it is possible to rehabilitate and reform criminals by having them take responsibility for their actions and eliminate violent behavior. This discussion took place on...

In "Lighting the Way: Nine Women Who Changed Modern America," author Karenna Gore writes about nine inspirational women who led the way in the twentieth century in advocating change for the better in the United States. This discussion took place on a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, California.

In "Wealth and Power: China's Long March to the Twenty-first Century," authors Orville Schell and John Delury write about China's resurgence on the world stage by examining several influential people from varied backgrounds that help bring about the modern China known today. This discussion took place on a 2013 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, C...

In "No Guns, No Knives, No Personal Checks: The Tales of a San Francisco Cab Driver," author Larry Sager writes a book about one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, driving a cab, by using his own personal experiences doing the job for two years in San Francisco. This discussion took place on a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco,...

In "Nowhere Out," author Vincent J. Sachar writes a sequel mystery romance novel in which a former Navy SEAL named Kent Taylor has his dark secret of avenging his family's murders coming to light, while at the same time meeting a new woman who challenges his belief that he gave up his right to love many years ago. This discussion took place on a 2015 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim...

In "Becoming Naomi Leon," author Pam Munoz Ryan writes a children's novel about a young girl named Naomi who carries her great grandma's positive thinking to overcome many challenges, including trying to discover who she really is when her mother reappears after being absent for many years. This discussion took place on a 2006 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in...

In "Bridge of Sighs," author Richard Russo writes a novel about a man who goes by the nickname "Lucy" living in small town conservative America in the upstate New York area, and the relationships between Lucy, his parents, wife, and wild son who ended up somewhere in Europe. This discussion took place on a 2007 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with Jim Foster" originating in San Francisco, C...

In "Life Inc.: How the World Became a Corporation and How to Take It Back," author Douglas Rushkoff writes about how the corporate world has contributed negatively to the relationship people have with each other, and how we can reconnect to our own communities and find value without it being related to a corporation. This discussion took place on a 2009 episode of "Conversations On The Coast with...