The Book Case

Paul Tremblay has written a science fiction book that will prompt all sorts of important questions about AI, the role of consciousness in humanity, and how writers might have to work around AI in order to keep their work original and sustainable and it’s called DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. We love a book that poses important questions like these while still being a good page turner, and th...

Kevin Powers’ Children of the Wild is a book about Roy and Ennis, two friends on a farm who sign up for WWI, one excited for battle, one a feral child baffled by war. What does war do to friendship? To the minds of men? We talk to Kevin, a veteran of the war in Iraq, about his ability to write war so well and the effects of PTSD on his characters. We also talk to Bartleby Books in Vermont…join us!...

2026 is half over. And Kate turned 50 on June 16th. So in honor of all of this half life, we decided to talk about our favorite books so far of 2026. Tana French, Tayari Jones, Ann Patchett and Allegra Goodman all made the list, but there are so many books we have loved this year that we think we mention just about all of them. Then we quiz each other on rapid fire and get sort of gooey about it....

Carlos Barragan’s book The Yahoo Boys schooled us on the huge and terrifying world of online moneymaking scams. From the romance scams (pretending to be a man or woman you are not, wooing others into sending you money), to celeb scams (pretending to be a celebrity for money), all the way to adoption scams (send us money, we will get you a baby). As horrible as these schemes are, Barragan takes an...

Martha Raddatz is a war correspondent, one of the biggest household names in front line reporting. Her newest book, The Hero Next Door tells the story of the service men, women and the caregivers who bring honor to the uniform. From celebrations to heartbreak, these are the stories that have stayed with Martha throughout her decade of brave work, shadowing families and soldiers both on and off the...

Ann Patchett has written a new novel, and if you are a listener to this show, you know we are both huge fans of her work. Her newest, Whistler, is beautiful book about grace, kindness, the relationships we can’t let go and what we learn of ourselves in a crisis. When we asked if we could come down to Parnassus in Nashville TN, she said yes. So, with great enthusiasm we hopped on planes and did The...

Jesmyn Ward is arguably one of the most important writers of our generation.  She has won two National Book Awards before fifty (first woman to do that and first Black woman to do that). And in this, her new essay book, ON WITNESS AND RESPAIR, she writes essays on everything from Faulkner to Hurricane Katrina. This book is in part a look back at some of her most impactful essays, speeches, and boo...

It has been quite a few months since we checked in with J. Ryan Stradal, our writer in residence. He is in his editing stage, making sure that the latest draft he delivers is the best he can do. AND, he has a title-NEXT WEEK WHEN THINGS CALM DOWN (we love this title). We talk to him about where he is, why it takes so long to get a book out and how is feeling about this very personal novel. We also...

Today The Book Case has another two for one. Laurie Frankel’s newest, ENORMOUS WINGS is funny, thought provoking and will have you questioning the vitality of choosing everything in your life from those first steps towards independence to dying with dignity. An incredible read you won’t want to put down. Caroline Bicks talks to us about her newest, MONSTERS IN THE ARCHIVES. In it, she explores the...

Elizabeth Strout has departed from Olive Kittredge, Lucy Barton and Burgess Boys; she has even departed from Maine. Her newest, THE THINGS WE NEVER SAY, introduces us to Artie Dam, a teacher in Massachusetts who is just as full of depth, pain and laughter as any character Strout has ever written. Haunted by the divisiveness that has beset our nation, he searches for meaning in his family and his w...

If you had a mother who was a strong influence in your life, we wanted to honor her with this week’s Book Case episode. Sometimes we want to find all the right words to tell mom how much she meant to us and we can’t find them. This week we share some great books that would make terrific gifts for Mother’s Day. From Mary Laura Philpott to Niall Wiliams to Whoopi Goldberg, there is something in this...

Jason Reynolds is one of the best young adult writers of our generation. But don’t let the label fool you into thinking that young adult writing hasn’t provided some of the most important books in the American Literary Canon (Catcher in the Rye? To Kill a Mockingbird?). His latest, Soundtrack, explores the life of teenagers busking great music in New York subway stations. It is also about the fact...

The Book Case is largely about talking to authors, yes, but we believe that reading is critical for everyone. We believe it is most important for kids, that raising readers is one of the most important duties a parent can perform. But we read a study recently that said boys reading scores are lower than girls. And not just in the US, boys reading scores are lower internationally as well. Why? What...

We are going full Ireland on this show.  First, we talk to the incredible Tana French about her newest, The Keeper.  Set in rural Ireland it combines great mystery writing with the classic American Western. Does that sound like it is a long shot? Not with Tana’s talent. We then go from a fascinating conversation with a great author to Hodges and Figgis, our first international bookseller, smack in...

Jenny Lawson is Kate’s all time favorite humor author. Obsessed since her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Kate saw she had a new one out, How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay, and she actually whooped. Loudly. In this book, Jenny shares the different tools and tricks that she uses to try to right the ship, when she is sinking in depression. But this is not your average advice book. I...

Louise Erdrich is one of the most important writers of our time. Her award-winning words have created modern classics such as Love Medicine, The Night Watchman and The Sentence. Her newest release, Python’s Kiss, is a collection of short stories, illustrated by Aza Erdrich Abe, her daughter. Each one speaks to turning points…moments that change us and shape us. Louise talks about how her writing s...

It’s a TRIPLE header on the Book Case podcast. First, our main guest is Elizabeth Berg, whose newest, Life: A Love Story is a beautifully woven tale of a woman reflecting on what objects she has saved throughout her life and why. Look around your room…are there things in there that means something to you but no one else? Elizabeth Berg writes so deftly that you will want to write your own autobiog...

Joan Lunden has been a part of the Gibson family for a long time. Her newest memoir, Joan, is an attempt to look back upon the moments of her life, her life that she has lived at an almost breakneck speed.  How did she hold down one of the toughest jobs in journalism, raise a bunch of kids and write a bunch of books?  What is life like after GMA?  She answers all those questions and gets a chance...

We have been broadcasting long enough to have what we think of as “authors we always love to talk to” and Anna is one of those.  She is a stunning talent and has thoughts about writing that always knock us out.  So sit down with us to discuss Anna’s latest, More Than Enough, and stay tuned for a great interview with Prologue Books in Ohio. Happy Spring! Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https...

Tayari Jones is one of the country’s most gifted writers, and her newest, Kin, is sure to get everyone talking. Beautiful, wrenching and compelling, this is a period piece that takes place in the South around the 1950’s and 60’s. This is a book that will move you, and almost every sentence is a work of art. Finely crafted, Kin is one of our favorites this year and we were so pleased Tayari agreed...

Allegra Goodman’s latest, This is Not About Us is a treasure.  Centered around the Rubenstein family, each chapter examines the Rubensteins from a different lens, a different perspective.  The stories are funny, messy, heartbreaking, captivating; all adjectives that describe complex families.  You will laugh, you will be moved, and you will be left with some brilliant tableaus of an American famil...

Belle Burden’s Strangers is not your everyday memoir about divorce.  After three kids, two decades and two homes, her husband was caught having an affair.  When confronted, he walked out, saying that marriage and family were not “for him”. It was not about the other woman nor was it about a long bout with depression, it seemed as if he just woke up and decided to begin anew.  Belle is left to sear...

This week we dedicate our show to a documentary that we think is important.  We have promised our listeners to keep the podcast non-political (no shouting talking heads, no books with a political agenda).  But there are some issues that are vitally important that we also believe are non-political.  Book banning is first and foremost among these.  Next week on February 9th, The Librarians documenta...

Roger Rosenblatt wrote a column for the NY Times called Before You Toss that Book… We already loved Roger’s books, and this column moved us to reach out to him. We asked if he would come on our show to read the column for our audience and to talk to us about what makes books so important, what keeping books can do to grow your love for the written word. Roger is a national treasure and this conver...

Susan Orlean, one of the best journalists of our generation, has written a memoir, along with some great advice about writing.  Beyond writing, she has thoughts on the importance of curiosity in these trying times.  Curiosity can break down barriers, and create beautiful stories out of the ordinary.  And Susan does it brilliantly in all of her writing, and especially in her new memoir, Joyride. It...