Books Of Your Life With Elizabeth

Latest Episodes:

Neil Gaiman's Books of His Life May 29, 2019

Show notes

Elizabeth talks to legendary fantasy writer Neil Gaiman, author of Coraline, American Gods, the Sandman comic series and many other bestsellers. He's also the co-author of "Good Omens," which has just been adapted to TV by Amazon. He talks about "playing God" as a writer, about his friend and collaborator Terry Pratchett... and about the books that changed his life - including the children's book series that inspired him to start writing what would later become "Good Omens."

Talk about his book picks at the Books of Your Life book club on Goodreads.com https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/623569-books-of-your-life-with-elizabeth

Helen Hoang's Books of Her Life May 17, 2019

Show notes

Author of "The Bride Test" and "The Kiss Quotient" Helen Hoang talks to Elizabeth about the (steamy!) books of her life. Helen tells Elizabeth about being diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, about her rocky relationship with her family, and her love affair with romance novels. Talk about her book picks at the Books of Your Life book club on Goodreads.com! https://www.goodreads.com/group/show/623569-books-of-your-life-with-elizabeth

Melinda Gates' Books of Her Life May 06, 2019

Show notes

Goodreads co-founder Elizabeth Khuri Chandler talks to billionaire philanthropist Melinda Gates about her new book The Moment of Lift and about the books that have shaped her life. Melinda talks about her spiritual journey, the common frustrations she works to overcome, and being willing to show your vulnerabilities as a leader. And she's sounding the alarm about the risks of women being left out of the process of developing AI technologies. As the co-chair of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation she's had a hand in saving millions of lives, through education, health, and vaccination programs. Her top books are:

Awakening Joy by James Baraz and Shoshana Alexander
Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari
The Book of Awakening by Mark Nepo
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent and Lead by Brene Brown

Jared Diamond's Books of His Life May 01, 2019

Show notes

Jared Diamond, the author of Guns Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies, invites Elizabeth into his Los Angeles home where he shares the books that have shaped his life. He speaks about Walden by Henry David Thoreau, If This is a Man by Primo Levi, Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle, and other books that reflect his adventures in New Guinea. They also discuss his latest book, Upheaval: Turning Points for Nations in Crisis and why he remains optimistic for the future.

Will Schwalbe's Books of His Life Apr 15, 2019

Show notes

Author, editor and entrepreneur Will Schwalbe loves to talk about the books that have changed his life. He's written two books to the subject, The End of Your Life Book Club, which was about the books he read with his mother while she was dying, and Books for Living, about the role books can play in our lives and how they can show us how to live each day more fully and with more meaning. In this podcast he talks about a few gems: The Importance of Living, Giovanni's Room, A Little Life, and Why I Wake Early among others.

Frederic Tuten's Books of His Life Apr 09, 2019

Show notes

Author, essayist, art critic, and Guggenheim fellow Frederic Tuten discusses his memoir, My Young Life, Magic Mountain by Thomas Mann, Nightwood by Djuna Barnes, Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo, and why he doesn't want to live in a world without books.

*Our theme was composed by Mia Schettino. Additional music from Caius Cowgill's Atlas Orchestra and Podington Bear."

Nora McInerny's Books of Her Life Mar 26, 2019

Show notes

Podcaster, author, blogger, and very tall person Nora McInerny discusses her latest book, No Happy Endings, about how she found love again after her first husband Aaron died of brain cancer, and three other books that have shaped her life: Smashed: The Story of a Drunken Girlhood, Food Freedom Forever: Letting Go of Bad Habits, Guilt, and Anxiety Around Food, and Man's Search for Meaning.

*Our theme was composed by Mia Schettino. Additional music from Caius Cowgill's Atlas Orchestra and Podington Bear."

Dave Eggers' Books of His Life Mar 15, 2019

Show notes

Famed author, editor, publisher and activist Dave Eggers discusses his latest book, Parade, as well as the books that have shaped his life: Anna Karenina, Dune, Gulliver's Travels, The Adventures of Augie March, and the Voice of Witness series.

Marlon James' Books of His Life Feb 27, 2019

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Prize-winning author Marlon James and Elizabeth discuss books that have changed his life: Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn, Shame by Salman Rushdie and Sula by Toni Morrison.

LeVar Burton's Books of His Life Nov 12, 2018

Show notes

LeVar Burton and Elizabeth discuss books that have shaped his life, from Roots by Alex Haley to The Teachings of Don Juan series by Carlos Castaneda. Along the way, he spoke about his desire to live life as a "spiritual warrior," personal accountability, and the flexible nature of "truth" today.