Episodes

  • Ann Patchett burst on the scene with Bel Canto twenty three years ago. Bel Canto was not her first novel, but many still consider it to be her best (although she disagrees). This week she releases an Annotated Edition of Bel Canto and in it she rereads and notes her triumphs and mistakes on every page. Seriously. A great novel, a great writer making insightful comments on her own writing (in her own handwriting)…if you love reading, writing or Ann Patchett, this is a HUGE treat. In this episode, the first installment of our conversation with Ann, we talk to her about the inspirations behind Bel Canto, and so much of what she thinks she could do better if she wrote it today. Listen and nerd out with us on the writing experience.
    Books mentioned in this week’s podcast: 
    Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition by Ann Patchett
    The Dutch House by Ann Patchett
    These Precious Days by Ann Patchett
    The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett
    State of Wonder by Ann Patchett
    Commonwealth by Ann Patchett
    Run by Ann Patchett
    This is the Story of a Marriage by Ann Patchett
    Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett
    Tom Lake by Ann Patchett
    Taft by Ann Patchett
    Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmond Rostand
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  • Danzy Senna has written a seriously funny and thought provoking book in Colored Television. It will make you laugh, but also make space for anger, pain and frustration as she skewers race, Hollywood, authentic voice, the publishing industry, the Kardashians, navel gazing, philosophy….you name it, there is satire in this book for everyone. Great writing and a great conversation with the author. We are also joined for our fourth writer in residence conversation with J. Ryan Stradal. He tells us why he is working so hard on the first draft of his new novel. Join us. 
    Books mentioned in this week’s podcast:
    Colored Television by Danzy Senna
    Caucasia by Danzy Senna
    New People by Danzy Senna
    You are Free: Stories by Danzy Senna
    Where did you Sleep Last Night by Danzy Senna
    David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
    Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee
    Colours of the Mountain by Da Chen
    The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin
    The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion
    Beloved by Tony Morrison
    The Message by Ta-Nehisi Coates
    Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
    Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
    Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
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  • Reginald Dwayne Betts is on a mission is to put a curated library in the cell block of every prison in America. A survivor of the system himself, he has obtained a college degree, a law degree from Yale, and a MacArthur Genius grant. Looking to bring hope to America’s most hopeless places, Bates has founded Freedom Reads, an organization that brings free curated library collections to every prison system that agrees to it. His partner in the endeavor, Debbie Leff, also talks to us about what inspired her about this tremendous organization. No one better personifies the power of reading to change a life, so join us for what we believe is an important discussion about the vitality of libraries and the power of books to heal.

    Books mentioned in this week’s podcast:
    The Circumference of a Prison by Reginald Dwayne Betts
    Doggerel by Reginald Dwayne Betts
    Felon: Poems by Reginald Dwayne Betts
    Redaction by Reginald Dwayne Betts
    Bastards of the Reagan Era by Reginald Dwayne Betts
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  • Paula Hawkins is a master of the mystery, and her new one, The Blue Hour, has one of the best opens and closes to a mystery we have ever read. An author who knows mood and atmosphere, this book will keep you turning the pages long after you told yourself to go to bed. Our bookstore this week is a revisit with one of our favorites, Beacon Hill Books. Join us!

    Books mentioned in this week’s podcast:
    The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins
    The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
    Into the Water by Paula Hawkins
    Slow Fire Burning by Paula Hawkins
    And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
    Life After Life by Kate Atkinson
    The Natural Way of Things by Charlotte Wood
    The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood
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  • Richard Osman has one of the most successful literary mystery series of all time: The Thursday Murder Club (just finished filming as a major motion picture too). So why start a new series and why do we love it so much? First, we will read anything this man writes, including his address book, but second, because it’s good, AND funny. We ask Richard what inspired him, why he was crazy enough to start a new series and how. Our bookstore this week is Collected Works in Santa Fe. Join us!
    Books mentioned in this week's episode:
    We Solve Murders by Richard Osman
    Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
    The Bullet that Missed by Richard Osman
    The Man who Died Twice by Richard Osman
    The Last Devil to Die by Richard Osman
    Fade Away by Harlan Coben
    And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
    David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
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  • This week's book case: Emmitt Till’s murder has been a seminal moment in American history ever since it occurred in 1955. Wright Thompson’s new book “The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi” looks at the horror through a whole new prism. Thompson loves his native land of Mississippi but is haunted by the barn where Emmitt Till was murdered. Why is it that we still know so little about one of the ugliest chapters in the history of American race relations? Tune in and find out.

    Books mentioned in this week’s podcast:

    The Barn: The Secret History of A Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson
    Pappyland: A Story of Family, Fine Bourbon and the Things that Last by Wright Thompson
    The Cost of These Dreams: Sports Stories and Other Serious Business by Wright Thompson
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  • The United Kingdom has given us some amazing children’s authors: C.S. Lewis, Lewis Carroll, Roald Dahl, Beatrix Potter...and may we add Katherine Rundell. Her newest, Impossible Creatures, is a sensation in Britain, and was declared an instant classic even before its U.S. release. It delivers all the magic promised in the fantastical title. Tune in to our conversation with this fascinating Renaissance literature and Dunne scholar as we talk to her about what’s so addicting about writing for middle schoolers, and where we can find the magical lands she creates.

    Books mentioned in this week’s episode:

    Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell

    The Good Thieves by Katherine Rundell

    The Wolf Wilder by Katherine Rundell

    Rooftoppers by Katherine Rundell

    The Explorer by Katherine Rundell

    The Girl Savage by Katherine Rundell

    The Zebra’s Great Escape by Katherine Rundell

    Super-Infinite: The Transformations of John Dunne by Katherine Rundell

    The Golden Mole: And Other Living Treasure by Katherine Rundell

    Why You Should Read Children’s Books, Even Though You are So Old and Wise by Katherine Rundell

    The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo

    The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

    The Magician’s Nephew by C.S. Lewis


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  • If you aren’t an Elizabeth Strout fan yet, Tell me Everything, her newest novel, is going to wow you. If you are already devoted fans, like we are, then you are in for a real treat. In Tell Me Everything, she brings together two beloved characters: Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. The results are truly magical. Our bookstore this week is Snowbound Books in Marquette, Michigan.


    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout

    Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout

    Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout

    Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout

    Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout

    Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout

    Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout

    The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout

    My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout

    Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout


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  • This is a special episode dedicated the art of spoken word poetry. One of our listeners wrote to us mentioning the name of Rudy Francisco and from there we fell down the rabbit hole of spoken word and slam poetry. We talk to Rudy and two other greats of the art, Bianca Phipps and Neil Hilborn. They are going to perform one work each and we will round it out with a conversation with Sam Van Cook. Sam is a founder of Button Poetry that represents and publishes so many of these great artists. Trust us, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Helium by Rudy Francisco

    Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky by Rudy Francisco

    Crown Noble by Bianca Phipps

    The Future by Neil Hilborn

    About Time by Neil Hilborn

    Mill, Railways and General Castings by Sam Van Cook


    Watch their poems online:

    Hide and Seek by Rudy Francisco

    Almosts by Bianca Phipps

    OCD by Neil Hilborn


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  • Dr. Fei-Fei Li is one of the most important scientists of our time. Her book, The Worlds I See, chronicles her pioneering efforts in Artificial Intelligence. Does AI scare you? Us too. But read this book and listen to this episode. The book is not just the compelling story of Dr. Li herself, who immigrated as a girl speaking no English but who understands physics like Michael Jordan plays basketball. She is now a worldwide authority on AI and its development. Second, if you are scared of AI, this book explains it and the issues surrounding it both with beauty and with hope. She believes AI is the next step in our evolution, but that it MUST be rooted in humanity. What does that mean? Tune in and find out.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Dr. Fei-Fei Li

    Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling


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  • Have you ever heard the rumor that Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays? So had we, but By Any Other Name, the new novel by Jodi Picoult, may make the best case for it we have ever read. This novel puts forth a theory that Emilia Bassano wrote at least some of them, and she is an unforgettable character. This book succeeds on so many levels — a polemic, a great piece of feminist AND historical fiction, AND it’s a page turner. This is the book Jodi says she was born to write…and we think it’s her best to date.


    Books mentioned in this week's episode:


    By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

    Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult

    My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

    Mermaid by Jodi Picoult

    Second Glance by Jodi Picoult

    Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

    The Pact by Jodi Picoult

    The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

    House Rules by Jodi Picoult

    Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan

    Where There’s Smoke by Jodi Picoult

    Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult

    Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

    A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

    The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

    Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

    Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

    Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult

    Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult

    Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

    Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult

    Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

    Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks

    Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie


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  • Love it or hate it, the genre of “reality tv” has now shaped American history. That means no matter how you feel about it, you cannot ignore it. Enter Cue the Sun!, the most comprehensive, thoughtful and well written book about the history and development of the genre we have come across. We talk to the book’s author, Emily Nussbaum about how the genre has come to take up so much space in American pop culture and what that means for our country as a whole. We also talk to Ferguson Books' owner Dane Ferguson about how his shop serves rural communities in the upper midwest. You don’t want to miss it.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum

    I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum

    Black Bear Lake by Leslie Liautaud

    Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman

    Alter Ego by Brian Freeman


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  • Today we talk about a book that seems tailor-made to our show, given our conversations with independent booksellers. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore is a book that, if you are a book lovers like we are, will give you the same warm, smiling feeling you get when you walk into your favorite bookstore. And we talk to Toby Cox, the owner of Three Lives & Company, one of Evan’s favorites.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:
    The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss
    On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City by Evan Friss
    The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s by Evan Friss
    All Fours by Miranda July
    The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
    Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports by Tim Noakes
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  • When you say the name Whoopi Goldberg it’s hard not to smile. The name is filled with heart, laughter, and a joyous sense of fun, just like the woman herself. Born Caryn Johnson, her memoir Bits and Pieces is a love letter to her mother and brother, the two people who molded her into the hilarious, honest and morally centered person she is today. She has also written a graphic novel about menopause (sure, why not?) called The Change, which is a declaration that women of a certain age (and color) can don a cape and fight bad guys with hot flashes, if they so choose. Join us for a laugh and some terrific storytelling.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg

    The Change: A Graphic Novel by Whoopi Goldberg, Jaime Paglia and Sunkanmi Akinboye

    Is It Just Me?: Or Is It Nuts Out There? By Whoopi Goldberg

    If Someone Says "You Complete Me,” RUN!: Whoopi’s Big Book of Relationships by Whoopi Goldberg

    Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie

    The Godfather by Mario Puzo

    The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey


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  • Ben Shattuck is a renaissance man of sorts, which might be why we dedicated the whole episode to him. He wrote The History of Sound, a thought provoking and beautiful collection of short stories that spans the Eastern Seaboard as well as eons of time. Then there's his general store, which, on top of being the oldest general store in the country also boasts an independent bookstore curated by, you guessed it, Ben Shattuck. Join us.

    Books mentioned in this week’s episode:

    The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck

    Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck

    Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

    The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

    This Is Happiness by Niall Williams

    Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

    Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett

    A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

    The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann


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  • Every so often, a new author tackles the work of expanding a classic novel to expand its reach. Even more rarely, they succeed beautifully. This week’s book, Adventures of Mary Jane is just such a rare gem. Mary Jane's author, Hope Jahren, is a scientist (a geochemist, no less) who decided to write the story of Mary Jane, a character that haunted her from the pages of Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn her entire life. It is both a magical adventure story and an authentic and well written coming of age drama. This week’s bookstore is Where the Sidewalk Ends, which is also run by two generations in tandem. We talk to them about how they do it…and we commiserate on working with daughters and parents. Join us.


    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Adventures of Mary Jane by Hope Jahren

    Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

    The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren

    The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

    The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

    Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

    Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

    Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

    A Man without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

    Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

    Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

    Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals that Helped him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Constantine Croke

    The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames-RELEASES 7/23/2024

    More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova-RELEASES 1/14/2025


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  • Our third check in with J. Ryan Stradal, author extraordinaire and our writer in residence. He has begun to write in earnest, and has lots to tell us about his progress. We are loving these conversations with J., and every time we learn something new. For our bookstore we talk to Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, J. Ryan's homeland. Join us.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:


    Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal

    The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

    Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

    Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn

    For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes by Klancy Miller

    The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne


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  • The Magician’s Hat by Malcolm MitchellThis week we talk to Rachel Khong. Her new novel, Real Americans, asks probing questions about the reality of America’s “melting pot” mythology, and is also being a mysterious and compulsively readable family saga. We also talk to Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, in our continuing discussions on the importance of getting children to read. We hope you will join us.

    Books mentioned in this week's podcast

    Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

    Real Americans by Rachel Khong

    Perfecto Pet Show by Judy Newman


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  • Do you like a good spy novel? Do you love le Carré and Graham Greene? Then we hope, with great sincerity, that you are reading the work of Joseph Kanon. His latest, Shanghai, centers around the city’s lesser known freewheeling WWII history and some of the lawless people who escaped the war to be there. Tune in to find out why he is fascinated by spy novels, and what he calls “spy adjacent novels”, that capture such rich moments in history.


    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Shanghai by Joseph Kanon

    The Good German by Joseph Kanon

    Istanbul Passage by Joseph Kanon

    Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon

    The Prodigal Spy by Joseph Kanon

    The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

    Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon

    Defectors by Joseph Kanon

    Alibi by Joseph Kanon

    The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon

    The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Barry

    Winter Work by Dan Fesperman

    The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman

    Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman

    The Letter Writer by Dan Fesperman

    Unmanned by Dan Fesperman

    The Double Game by Dan Fesperman

    Layover in Dubai by Dan Fesperman

    The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman

    The Prisoner of Guantanamo by Dan Fesperman

    The Warlord's Son by Dan Fesperman

    The Small Boat of Great Sorrows by Dan Fesperman

    Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman


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  • Sandwich: A Novel by Catherine Newman is full of great characters, evocative nostalgic imagery and a love for Cape Cod that we share with her. It is full of thoughts on what it means to be a woman, why we keep secrets from our family, and what it is we love about the yearly vacation traditions we cherish if we were lucky enough to have them in our lives. For our bookstore this week, Bookshop West Portal, who for independent bookstore day brought in llamas. Because....well, tune in.

    Books mentioned in this week's episode:

    Sandwich by Catherine Newman

    We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

    Waiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a Family by Catherine Newman

    The Worst Noel: Hellish Holiday Tales by Catherine Newman

    Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood's Messy Years by Catherine Newman

    The Beans of Egypt, Maine, by Carolyn Chute

    Writers & Lovers by Lily King

    Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

    The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

    Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

    Long Island by Colm Toibin

    Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

    The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

    Shopkeeping: Stories, Advice, and Observations by Peter Miller


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