Stay ConnectedClose Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. We read good books and talk about them.
This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Our goal is have empathetic and intelligent conversations about good books.
Close Reads is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC.
Copyright: © Goldberry Books L.L.C.
It’s the most wonderful time of the year, which means it’s also the time of the year when we’re talking about our favorite reads of 2022! We each have our own strategy for making these lists and inevitably the books we discuss on this episode are oddly specific, wonderfully fascinating, and always worth reading. So grab something to take notes, get ready to add to your TBR list, and settle for a long winter’s podcast on books, books, and more books.
Happy listening and merry Christmas!
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It’s Q&A time, so join David, Heidi, and Tim as they dig into a bunch of great questions from the Close Reads community. Topics of conversation include orange juice, opportunistic agents, German philosophers, and much more!
Close Reads HQ is a community-supported publication. Thanks so much for being a part of this endeavor in 2022!
What a book! This week you can tune in as David, Heidi, and Tim continue to rave about Chaim Potok’s skill, a few particularly miraculous passages, and the culmination of Asher’s coming-of-age.
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This week David, Heidi, and Tim are discussing Jacob Kahn. Does the book view him as an arbiter of wisdom? Is he an antagonist of sorts? Also, can Asher be a unifier between two traditions? And how does the book reveal Asher’s individual healing? Happy listening!
As we dive further into Chaim Potok’s wonderful novel, this week’s episode contemplates how dark this book really is, whether we should read it psychologically, whether Aryeh and Rivkeh are good parents, and much more.
Happy listening!
Information on Classical U:
The classicalu4closereads2months coupon code above will provide no charge for the first two months with a purchase of a monthly subscription. This is a total value of $39.90 as monthly subscriptions are regularly $19.95 per month.
The classicalu4closereads1year coupon code above will provide 25% off (or $53.86) for the first year with the purchase of an annual subscription ($171.30 for first year, regularly $215.46). All of their subscriptions come with a 14-day free trial before the first payment is collected and during which the subscriber can cancel at any time.
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Chaim Potok’s novel, My Name Is Asher Lev, is one of Tim’s favorite books, and its also one that has been nominated by listeners for a long time. So we’re thrilled to be digging into it. Here in episode one of this series, David, Heidi, and Tim discuss the way Potok skillfully reveals his protagonist’s unique gift; the questions the book asks about identity and family; and, naturally, a bit about the Jewish-American experience during the twentieth century. Happy listening!
Classical U info:
The classicalu4closereads2months coupon code above will provide no charge for the first two months with a purchase of a monthly subscription. This is a total value of $39.90 as monthly subscriptions are regularly $19.95 per month.
The classicalu4closereads1year coupon code above will provide 25% off (or $53.86) for the first year with the purchase of an annual subscription ($171.30 for first year, regularly $215.46). All of their subscriptions come with a 14-day free trial before the first payment is collected and during which the subscriber can cancel at any time.
In order to purchase a subscription, firstcreate a user account and be signed in.
Those two links are here:https://classicalu.com/register/https://classicalu.com/wp-login.php
Close Reads HQ is a community-supported endeavor. When you subscribe you help make the show possible while also gaining access to some great bonus content. Thank you!
In which we answer your questions about Amor Towles’ novel!
Up next: My Name Is Asher Lev, chapters 1-2.
We have come to the conclusion of Amor Towles’ novel, so this week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed the Casablanca of it all, whether the book ends in a satisfying fashion, and the count’s trajectory of growth.
The Rings of Power season one is over and it’s time to take stock. So join Ian and David as they discuss what worked, what didn’t, and what may be next in this controversial new take on Tolkien’s work.
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This week David, Heidi, and Ian discussed whether the Count has changed over the course of the story, whether he is a “whole” character, David’s wild (pretend) theory about this book, and more on Towle’s approach to POV.
Happy listening!
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