The Paperback Show

Ep 30 is another in our series of podcasts on Book to Movie adaptations. Special guest: Matt Kelland. In this podcast, Matt and I discuss the book Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton (2022) and its subsequent movie adaptation by Korean director Bong Joon Ho (2025). We look at story and character changes, tone, acting, visuals and then, finally, choose which version we like the best. You can find full show n...

In this episode, Matt Kelland and I reflect on the B. Traven novel, The Treasure of the Sierra Madre , originally published in German in 1927. It was translated into English and published by Hill & Wang in 1935. John Huston was enamored with the story and wanted to adapt it late in the 1930s, but the Second World War interrupted his plans. However, after the war, Huston used his success with T...

Special Guest, Matt Kelland, and I discuss our favorite books read in 2025. Full links to books in our Show notes at paperbackshow.com . Note: Music for his episode is from Free Music Archive, a creative commons 4.0. Artist: Loopkerjoe. Track: Be Bop Behind. https://freemusicarchive.org/music/john-lopker/lopkerjo-sensual-bebop-jazz

Ep 28 is about the difference between the book, Rosemary's Baby by Ira Levin, and the movie version directed by Roman Polanski and starring Mia Farrow (1968). My co-host, author Matt Kelland, and I look at the adaptation, the acting/actors, the music and, most importantly, the penultimate scene where Rosemary finally sees her baby. More extensive notes with links can be found at Paperbackshow.com...

First of a series of podcasts with couples and their private libraries. When did they start collecting? What books do they collect? How do they organize their books? These are only a few of the questions I'll be asking. In this episode, we talk with City Garage Theatre founders, Charles Duncombe and Frederique Michel. Background Music by Migfus20 -- https://freesound.org/s/609562/ -- License: Attr...

Music by Dances with Wolves (The Frailty and Anxiety). Archive.org. Note that full show notes are available at the PaperbackShow.com

The Coldest City is a 2012 graphic novel by Antony Johnston with artwork by Sam Hart. It was made into a movie in 2017, starring Charlize Theron. In this episode, Matt Kelland and I discuss the adaption and the differences between the noir style black and white comic vs the full color, punk style of the movie version, Atomic Blonde.  Full show notes can be found at paperbackshow.com.

Ep 23 continues our Book to Movie series with guest Matt Kelland. In this episode we examine the action/thriller First Blood by David Morrell (1972) and its adaptation into the 1982 movie starring Sylvester Stallone. Full show notes can be found at paperbackshow.com. Note music for this episode is by lolamoore (Intense Action Sequence" and is from the site Freesound.org.

Ep 22 is the second in our Book to Movie podcasts with writer Matt Kelland. Annihilation, both book and movie, is discussed. Jeff Van Der Meer wrote the highly-acclaimed novel in 2014 which Director Alex Garland then adapted into the 2018 movie starring Natalie Portman. We discuss the background of the book/movie and the translation process from Book to Film. More complete notes can be found at pa...

First of a series of podcasts on film adaptations of books. The Princess Bride (1973) by William Goldman was adapted by Goldman and director Rob Reiner in the 1983 film of the same name. Discussion of the adaptation with special guest, Matt Kelland. Full show notes available at paperbackshow.com

Ep 20 features a discussion with writer, Chen Malun, on J. R. R. Tolkien's essay, "On Fairy Stories". This essay set the literary and philosophical foundation for modern fantasy and helped Tolkien determine what kind of book he was going to write when he was struggling with the "Hobbit sequel" in 1937/38 (It became the Lord of the Rings). Full show notes at paperbackshow.com

Ep 19 features a brief history of the sleaze publisher, Holloway House, along with a discussion of the Black authors Iceberg Slim and Donald Goines (and others) and the development of Black Pulp Fiction with crime writer, Gary Philips. Full show notes with links is available at Paperbackshow.com Music from Freesound.org. 

Special Guest, novelist Hal Bodner, discusses the unique writer, Patricia Highsmith (1921-1995) and, in particular, her most popular novel, "The Incredible Mr. Ripley" (1955). The podcast opens with a short biography and then a more focused discussion of Ripley. Complete notes with links can be found at paperbackshow.com

This episode covers (briefly) the history of Bantam paperbacks with a specific focus on the Western and the author Louis L'amour. Full show notes and transcript can be found a paperbackshow.com. Music is from uppbeat.io and is licensed.

Check out the full show notes at paperbackshow.com . Note that the music for this episode is licensed from upbeatio . 

Episode 15 of the Paperback Show looks at another classic paperback: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson published by Popular Library in paperback in 1963. The first part of the show introduces the concept of the classic paperback and shares a short bio of Shirley Jackson while she was writing The Haunting of Hill House. The second part of the show introduces librarian and actress, Marth...

The first of an occasional series on Classic Paperbacks: those paperbacks that have had a huge influence on popular culture around the world. In ep 14 of the Paperback Show we look at the remarkable book Man's Search for Meaning by Victor Frankl. Published in 1963 in paperback (originally published in 1946) it is considered to be one of the top 10 most influential books published in the United Sta...

In this episode, we look at the life and work of celebrated private eye novelist, Ross MacDonald (aka Kenneth Millar) who wrote from the late 1940s into the early 1980s. He was the first mystery novelist to be reviewed on the front page of the New York Times book review and his work paralleled the rise of the paperback. His detective, Lew Archer, was a different kind of investigator whose ability...

I read a lot of paperbacks in 2022, but these four titles stood out. In this episode of the Paperback Show, I share why I liked the books, a bit about the authors, and the specific edition I read. The four titles are My Cousin Rachel by Daphne. Du Maurier, Bugles in the Afternoon by Ernest Haycox, The Great White Space by Basil Copper and Black Easter by James Blish. Full show notes along with cov...

Episode 11 contains a short biography of noted mystery writer James Mallahan Cain (1892 - 1977) along with a general summary of his books published in paperback. The second half of the show is a discussion with regular guest, Richard Brewer, on Cain's masterpiece - Double Indemnity. In addition to discussing the book, we also compare it to the brilliant film adaptation of the novel directed by Bil...

Full show notes including reference materials, music credit and links are available at paperbackshow.com

Full show notes to Episode 9 can be found at paperbackshow.com

Complete episode notes along links is available at paperbackshow.com

The full show notes can be found at paperbackshow.com . 

ful notes at paperbackshow.com