The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast

This week we have fun with all of the top books of the 21st century hype by sharing our own top 10 lists. We each killed a few darlings and made some very tough decisions. How did we do? What books would make your list? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault . You can start reading it whenever you want to! We have l...

This week we’re joined by super reader Ron Restrepo for a discussion about Roberto Bolaño, whom Rodrigo Fresan described as “one of a kind, a writer who worked without a net, who went all out, with no brakes, and in doing so created a new way to be a great Latin American writer.” Do we unlock the mysteries of Bolaño’s magic? Probably not. But we do have a great time digging into this fascinating a...

This week we look ahead to the second half of 2024 and each share the five forthcoming books we’re most excited about . . . along with a few honorable mentions, of course. Which upcoming books are you most looking forward to? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault . You can start reading it whenever you want to! We...

This week’s episode is all about . . . books! To be specific, Trevor and Paul chat about their book shelves, diving into all kinds of fun topics. How many books do they own? Where do they keep them? How are they organized? Buying and culling habits? Even better, this episode features A LOT of great listener feedback as well. It’s the perfect chance to get nosey about your fellow bibliophiles! Summ...

This week we turn back the clock and revisit our very first podcast topic: Bucket List Books! We check in on our progress over the last few years, discuss our philosophies and motivations, look ahead to our next bucket lists books, and share plenty of listener feedback. What books are on your bucket list—and why? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is Will...

Looking to fit even more books into your life? We think audiobooks are a great solution. This week we chat about reading in different formats and settings and hen and how we both read audiobooks. We also share some of our favorite audio experiences, books, and authors! Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 has been chosen! It was pretty darn close! The episo...

How do you fill the yawning chasm that arises after you finish a great book or a long group read? Is it a time of excitement and possibility, or a daunting and overwhelming trial? Fresh off of finishing several doorstops ourselves, we discuss how we approach what we want to read next. Summer Book Club The Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is coming up fast! This year we are only choosing...

So many great books have been published only to go out of print, for whatever reason. But they still have things to say to contemporary readers. Thankfully, there are several publishers whose work focuses on bringing these books back to us grateful readers. In this episode, we are are joined by Jacqui, who blogs at JacquiWine’s Journal, to discuss some of our favorite publishers who help us all re...

The idea of the Great American Novel is controversial, passé, hubristic, and . . . always fascinating to talk about. This week, inspired by a recent list of potential candidates for the Great American Novel published in The Atlantic , we dive in and talk about the concept, the history, the list, and our votes for other contenders. What book(s) would get your vote? Shownotes Books * The MANIAC , by...

How do we love poetry? Let us count the ways. This week, we’re joined by Anthony Garrett to kick off National Poetry Month with a wonderful conversation about our favorite poems and poets, how and when we read poetry, and a discussion about how to approach this sometimes intimidating part of the literary landscape. Does poetry play a part in your reading life? We also announce the winners of our l...

This week we discuss the idea of being a completist in our reading. We discuss the authors whose works we’ve finished completely, as well as those we’re working on (or hoping to…). Do you savor your favorite authors’ works slowly or gobble them all down? Have you read the entire catalog of any authors? We also have a special giveaway, so please join us! Giveaway! This week we have four books to gi...

Although the books of Barbara Comyns have experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years, she remains woefully under appreciated and read by far too few. This week, we’re joined by Comyns aficionado Nora to discuss this beguiling and fascinating author and to do our best to spread the word about her strange and wonderful books. Shownotes Books * My Death , by Lisa Tuttle * The Savage Detective...

This week, we're joined by Jerry Faust for a fun conversation about Canadian literature. Incredibly diverse and far too often overlooked, Canada’s literary output is a goldmine of wonderful books and authors. What are your favorites? Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada As you’ve heard on the podcast, Paul is a judge of this year’s prize. The longlist has been announced, and t...

This week, we're joined by Shawn the Book Maniac for a fun discovery about one of his specialties: finding books that are hidden gems. We share some tips for finding great books that are off the beaten path, discuss why it's important and fun, and share three books each that you may never have heard of before—quite a challenge! Hopefully we will add at least one to your bookstore scavenger hunt li...

Books and holidays go together perfectly, and not just for those of us doing the reading. This week, we talk about our favorite stories where the characters are on vacation—a perfect recipe for exploring exotic settings, quenching vicarious wanderlust, romance, adventure, and plenty more! We also announce the winner our latest giveaway! Shownotes * Germinal , by Émile Zola, translated by Peter Col...

This week we set our sites on 2024! We share our reading plans, hopes, and dreams for the New Year and highlight some of the new releases we can’t wait to add to our shelves. What books are you most excited to read and buy this year? Giveaway! We wanted to kick off the New Year with a giveaway! Both of us have read this on and highly recommend it: January , by Sara Gallardo, translated from the Sp...

For this final episode of 2023, we finish our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Here we count down our top five favorite reads of 2023—and again we are joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! Happy New Year! We will see you in 2024! Shownotes * Roman Stories , by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by Jhumpa Lahiri and Todd Po...

This week kicks off our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Trevor and Paul count down the first part of their ten favorite reads of 2023—and they’re joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! We dare you to not add a book (or more!) to your 2024 TBR! Giveaway Details We are excited to give away three Dalkey Archive books...

This week’s publisher episode focuses on one of our very favorites: Dalkey Archive. Founded nearly 40 years ago, Dalkey specializes in “lesser-known and often avant-garde works.” Trevor and Paul each share a few of their favorite titles and announce an exciting Dalkey giveaway. Be sure to share your favorite for a chance to win! Giveaway Details We are excited to give away three Dalkey Archive boo...

For many of us, reading is like taking a holiday. But this week, we dive into true literary holidays as we discuss some of our favorite bookish destinations, as well as a few that are on our bucket lists. Where are your top literary destinations? Shownotes Books * Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath , by Heather Clark * The Bridge of Beyond , by Simone Schwarz-Bart, translate...

Do you read in the morning or at night? Do you read while walking? With music? Do you read more than one book at a time? In this episode Trevor and Paul look at their reading habits to see what things they’ve come up with to feed the reading hound. We would love to know your reading habits as well! Please share with us! Shownotes Books * Lojman , by Ebru Ojen, translated by Aron Aji and Selin Gökç...

Jon Fosse is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and for this week’s episode we are joined by Fosse’s translator Damion Searls to discuss Fosse’s work and the art of translation. Substack Is Now Our Host When we released Episode 64: Victorian Literature, we experimented by releasing it through Substack rather than the host we had used since starting the show. We had transferred all...

This week’s episode has a lot in common with Victorian literature: long, sometimes digressive and (we hope) filled with fun topics and interesting characters! We’re joined by Victorian expert extraordinaire Rohan Maitzen for a fun discussion about this wonderful era, including some of our favorite titles and authors. And no, we weren’t paid by the word. Patreon Bonus Episode After a summer with no...

This week, we’re talking about our favorite passages from literature. You know, those sentences, paragraphs or even pages that take your breath away and send you scrambling for the closest highlighter? We discuss the types of language that catches our eye and each share some of our all-time favorite passages. What are yours?   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Po...

This week, we celebrate Spinster September by discussing spinster lit with Nora (pear.jelly). We chat about spinster tropes and stereotypes, ways in which the term is evolving, and dig into why these women appeal to so many of us. And, of course, we each share some of our favorite examples from literature.   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter ....