Crack The Book: A Beginner's Guide to Reading the Great Books

Latest Episodes:

What if Joey Tribbiani had been born in 1740? Jul 14, 2026

Show notes

The answer: You'd have Tom Jones! Oh, how I loved this novel.

Come with me as we consider a novel that's been rather lost, overshadowed by all the delightful 19th century English writers like Dickens, Austen, and even Trollope. The History of Tom Jones, A Foundling, by Henry Fielding, is a love story with 900 pages of twists and turns to get the ending you know is coming. I thought there was no way I'd hang in there, but it turns out that this novel was a page-turner, delivering surprises until the very last chapter.

As part of my "Brit Lit" set that I was reading in preparation for my vacation in England, I'll share whether this one made the grade, and if it leads me down any other rabbit holes.

I hope you enjoy this episode half as much as I enjoyed the novel. And for fun, there's even the 1963 movie--and it WON the Best Picture Oscar that year!

Next week we are back to history, but in a really cool way: Bijan Omrani traces England's history not through wars and treaties, but through architecture, song, and literature. See you next week!

BOOKS

In this episode: The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling (Henry Fielding)

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Happy Birthday America! Jul 07, 2026

Show notes

America's 250th is just behind us, but I didn't want to let the holiday go by unnoticed--it's a big one!

This is a repeat of Week 36 from last year, the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution of the United States of America. Never read them? Neither had I--but they aren't long and, wow, are they worth the time. And what better time than now?

If you'd like to listen to other episodes that are especially American, check out these episodes:

Week 43: Frederick Douglass and W.E.B. DuBois (Frederick Douglass is a MUST READ for every American!)

Week 39: 19th Century American Literature

Week 47: 20th Century American Short Stories

We'll be back next week to talk about everyone's favorite rogue, Tom Jones. I'm so excited for this one--it's one of the funniest novels I've read in a long time!

BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE

The Constitution of the United States (Including the Declaration of Independence)

The Communist Manifesto

A Vindication of the Rights of Women

Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

A Fat Knight and a King: Henry IV Part 2 and Falstaff Jun 30, 2026

Show notes

Back for more Shakespeare! This week it's Henry IV Part 2 (following up last month's Part 1)--but with the addition of the book Year of the Fat Knight by Shakespearean actor Antony Sher.

Part One's pairings of characters give way to one central relationship in Part 2: fathers and sons. It's much more serious as Prince Hal moves closer to assuming the throne: how much will he follow his father's wishes for him? How can he create his kingly presence with Falstaff acting as his best friend and surrogate father? And who, if anyone, might fill that advisor/father role when Hal loses his own?

On top of this play, I read the wonderful Year of the Fat Knight. Sher was Falstaff in the productions of Henry IV from Royal Shakespeare Company, the ones I watched, and he was marvelous. I spotted this book when we were in Stratford last summer and decided that this was the perfect month to read it.

Sher's memoir is amazing, full of all kinds of anecdotes about not only this play but being a Shakespearean actor in general. I strongly feel that you can't experience a Shakespeare play without seeing it in some form, and Sher's memoir made me see why. It's a true vocation to act in a play like this--embodying the complicated language so that it seems natural, filling in the blanks of a personality that Shakespeare leaves, deciding exactly how to appear in front of an audience. I'm really happy I read this one.

Next week--Happy Birthday, America!

BOOKS IN THIS EPISODE

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

Henry IV Part 2 (RSC Production)

Year of the Fat Knight (Antony Sher)

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Who Started English History? Venerable Bede Speaks. Jun 23, 2026

Show notes

If you're like me, England always seemed to emerge from the mists of history more or less fully formed and with Henry VIII as king. Obviously, I was mistaken! And this week, with Venerable Bede, I found out what was really lurking back in those mists.

Our friend (because he definitely becomes our friend) Bede writes his Ecclesiatical History of the English People in 731. Long before most people's idea of history even begins, Bede has set down a story of adventure, heroism and bravery as he tells how Christianity spread across the island of Britain. Simply put, I loved everything about this book.

Reading what I call "near-contemporaneous history" lets us hear directly from people writing hundreds or even thousands of years ago. It's become some of my favorite reading, because you truly can start to see the world through very different eyes. The differences we have are as sharp as the evidence of shared humanity. That's very true in this book. Bede shares stories of saints--and most aren't distant strangers. They are friends, or friends-of-friends, who put their lives at risk to spread the Gospel. There was so much to admire in this book.

I read this book as part of my preparation for a trip to England in June, and I'm excited to see how it pays off! But even without that, this is a worthy addition to any library that has an English bent.

LINK

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Reading My Way to England Jun 16, 2026

Show notes

Finally—the first unit of reading this year! We are reading all kinds of English literature, from histories to plays, and even some poetry, and this is the episode I share with you what’s on the list.

When we decided to go on this trip to England, I thought this was a great time to combine an old routine of “pre-vacation reading” with my newfound enjoyment of old, classic, and even “great” books. This is the first time I’ve put together anything more than just one or two titles, though, and I’m interested to see how it works out.

While I haven’t finished everything yet, here is what’s on the list right now:

Venerable Bede—An Ecclesiastical History of England (Honestly way more fun than it sounds)
Alfred the Great—A History of the Anglo-Saxon People (and Vikings!)
Bijan Omrani—God Is an Englishman (modern history that talks about English Christianity and the Church of England)
Henry Fielding—The History of Thomas Jones, a Foundling (I’ve never read anything that more embodies the word “rollicking”)
Anne Brontë—The Tenant of Wildfell Hall (less rollicking for sure)
The Book of Common Prayer (1662 Edition)
Helene Hanff—84, Charing Cross Road and Q’s Legacy (set in London but that’s okay)
James Herriott—All Creatures Great and Small (for Yorkshire atmosphere)
William Shakespeare—Henry IV Parts 1 and 2; Henry V (the history England THINKS is true)

I’ve already read many of these, but we are only leaving for our trip this week. So come with me while we see if this helps, was too much, or maybe I missed the mark entirely!

What should I add for a trip to Yorkshire and Scotland? Let me know!

LINK

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

From the Mississippi to Macondo: Huckleberry Finn and One Hundred Years of Solitude Jun 09, 2026

Show notes

This week we take a look at two novels that were on last year’s reading list. Why are we revisiting them? Because we only read a couple of chapters of each one, and that wasn’t enough!

First up, Mark Twain’s Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. I shared last year that this was one I only had bad memories of from high school, but rediscovering it as an adult was a real treat. In particular, we talk about:

The centrality of Huck’s relationship with Jim, and how Huck grows and changes
Twain’s remarkable use of vernacular
The vivid locations and their relationship to Twain’s earlier writing

Finally, we get into the details of the ending—it’s fairly controversial. Did Twain rush the ending or did he mean it as a warning on the nature of change?

Then we move on to Gabriel Garcia-Marquez’ One Hundred Years of Solitude. This is a beautiful book, not for everyone but certainly a great book. We discuss:

Generational novels, and how the structure cyclical patterns and repeated names creates a dreamlike mood for this novel
How the magical realism here emerges as a natural part of the environment and not through any apparent supernatural activity
Various tensions, like isolation and connection, or ephemerality and stability, that are at work both in the family and the town of Macondo.
Whether the town of Macondo is itself the main character of the novel.

Finally, we end with a couple of things I’ve learned lately that are improving my reading. First, I’ve started to recognize that writing a little about each book helps me to resolve what I think about that book. Second, great (and even good) books tend to illuminate each other, making your world bigger, while less worthy books tend to run together. Another argument for great books!

LINK

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

All links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Reading As A Superpower Jun 02, 2026

Show notes

This week is a treat! A few weeks ago I joined Fr. Brian McGreevy for a talk at St. Philip’s Theology on Tuesdays, a biweekly group of young adults who meet at Henry’s on the Market in Charleston. Most weeks they talk about aspects of Christian living or theology—this week is was books and the WHY of reading.

Fr. Brian shares some interesting statistics on reading, and the benefits it has for your brain. It won’t surprise long-time listeners that I wanted to talk about how reading great books can change your heart.

This conversation was the first one I’ve had about books in front of a group, so I’m especially eager to share it here. I hope you enjoy it!

LINK

More episodes of Theology on Tuesdays from St. Philip's Church in Charleston

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

Kings and Princes: Shakespeare's Henry IV, Part One May 26, 2026

Show notes

We kick off our once-a-month Shakespeare series with one of my favorites from last year, Henry IV, Part One. The trilogy of Henry IV, Parts One and Two, and Henry V form The Henriad and are a great way to learn about the way England thinks about its own history.

I review my method of reading Shakespeare (see last season's Week 26 for more information), and then we move on to the actual history of the period these plays are about. It looked a lot like the world of Shakespeare, and his audience, with its tumultous succession issues.

Then we move on to the actual plot, and how the characters break down into pairs: of kings; of princes; of fathers and sons. There are so many pairs that in some way this play even feels like it has two storylines.

After a talk about the plot of the play, and its theme of "how to be a king," we move on to talk about how the play was perceived by the audience at the time.

As always, I give my opinions about this play--except you probably already know that I LOVE this one!

I highly recommend this BBC production to watch.

I love the Folger Shakespeare Library edition of this play!

Next Shakespeare: Henry IV, Part Two, on June 30.

Next week: Reading as a Superpower, my talk with Fr. Brian McGreevy.

LINK

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes: https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

All links to Amazon are affiliate links.

Let's Go! Season Three Kick-Off May 19, 2026

Show notes

Welcome to Season 3 of Crack the Book! In this episode:

A quick review of big events that happened during the break—

Ted Gioia agreed to an interview! I share some of our back-and-forth from our email “interview”/exchange.
The podcast What Should I Read Next invited me to be a guest. As a long-time listener to this podcast, it was incredibly exciting.
I gave an in-person talk (my first!) with a friend about “Reading as a Superpower.” Stay tuned for more about that.

Then we talk a little bit about how this season is going to go, reading groups of related books as units. Right now, that looks like—

British History and Fiction: in preparation for my upcoming trip to Yorkshire
The Illiad/Odyssey/Aeneid as a trilogy: revisiting my new love of epic poetry, just in time for this summer’s big movie
Children’s Books: the “right books” that every kid should read, and the ones that especially shaped me and a few friends
Once-a-month Shakespeare! Last year I felt like I conquered Shakespeare, or at least figured out how to read him without it seeming too onerous. We are keeping that going with one Shakespeare a month, on the last Tuesday.

Next week we hop right in with Henry IV, Part 1. Thanks as always for listening!

LINK

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

The Ted Gioia Interview

One of the "Movie Lists" I mentioned

What Should I Read Next, Episode 523

Theology on Tuesdays

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm

I Get Knocked Down...and I Get Up Again. Week 17: The Golden Ass [REPLAY] May 12, 2026

Show notes

While we are on a break, enjoy this episode from Season 2. Season 3 starts May 19!

This week, we take on Apuleius’ The Golden Ass, a hilarious surprise from Ted Gioia’s Immersive Humanities Course. Written in the mid-300s A.D., this is the very first Latin prose novel, penned by Algerian-born Apuleius. Lucius, our hero, is a young man who meddles in magic, transforms into a donkey, and embarks on wild adventures before returning to human form. We were so captivated that note-taking fell by the wayside, much like with Herodotus’ Histories. This rollicking tale, brimming with late-Roman-Empire themes, proved both hilarious and profound.

Unlike Aristotle’s structured tragedy guidelines (see Week 5's Poetics), The Golden Ass defies unity of action, place, and time, weaving a tapestry of digressions and sub-stories. Lucius’ transformation serves as a spine for tales like “I heard…” or “So they told me…,” echoing the nested narratives of The Odyssey and The Aeneid. The standout sub-story is the myth of Cupid and Psyche, the earliest known version, which stunned us as the inspiration for C.S. Lewis’ Till We Have Faces. Its late appearance for a myth feels significant, reflecting a decadent, fatigued Roman worldview. Fortune, personified as in Boethius’ Consolation of Philosophy, reappears, underscoring this era’s preoccupations.

Sarah Ruden’s translation is a triumph, preserving Apuleius’ puns, alliteration, and bawdy humor. This farce, second only to Lysistrata in humor, is delightfully NSFW, with outrageous scenes that shocked even our son Jack. Ruden notes comparisons to modern humorists like Wodehouse or George MacDonald Fraser’s Flashman series, and we see parallels to Forrest Gump—Lucius stumbles through events without driving the plot. The book’s influence extends to A Confederacy of Dunces, sparking new reading threads for us, exactly why we joined this course.

Join us next week as we travel east and read The Arabian Nights.

LINK

Ted Gioia/The Honest Broker’s 12-Month Immersive Humanities Course (paywalled!)

The complete list of Crack the Book Episodes (Amazon affiliate links): https://cheryldrury.substack.com/p/crack-the-book-start-here?r=u3t2r

CONNECT

To read more of my writing, visit my Substack - https://www.cheryldrury.substack.com.

Follow me on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/cldrury/

Like what you heard? Buy me a coffee! https://ko-fi.com/crackthebook

LISTEN

Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/5GpySInw1e8IqNQvXow7Lv?si=9ebd5508daa245bd

Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/crack-the-book/id1749793321

Captivate - https://crackthebook.captivate.fm