Lit Society: Books and Drama

Latest Episodes:

ReLIT: A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole Dec 23, 2021

Show notes

We're throwing it back again this Thursday, with another favorite episode from our past! Remember, we return with a NEW episode on January 13th, 2022, the start of our THIRD SEASON. 'Til then, we're ecstatic to share with you the shows still living rent-free in our heads.

And now for the crass:

The life of the sometimes-brilliant Ignatius J. Reilly is one comedic tragedy after another. He lives with his mother, dresses funny, isn't particularly charming, but has enough self-assurance to compensate for all he's lacking — or at least that's what he tells himself. In A Confederacy of Dunces, we follow a particular chapter in Ignatius's life that involves a hot dog, a pet cockatoo, and a valve — all set in the beautiful city of New Orleans.

Written in the 60s, it is somehow an accurate study of 21st-century male loneliness and inertia in America. Yup. It's a comedy.

Before tackling Ignatius, we'll share some tips on dealing with obnoxious people. Save this one for your next family reunion.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:

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Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/;

and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com.

ReLIT: Kindred by Octavia E. Butler Dec 16, 2021

Show notes

This Thursday, we're getting ReLIT with another throwback to one of our favorite shows from season one!

The topic of our opening discussion is "How to Deal with Hostile People." LISTEN UP! We're sharing the tools we all need for putting up with other people's (adult) children.

Then, it's on to our book: The first published science fiction novel written by a black woman, it is the story of a 26-year-old writer living in California. She is inexplicably ripped from her home and thrown into antebellum Maryland one ordinary day. On the other side awaits more than a few tough decisions and a puzzle that she must solve before returning home for good.

The writer's name is Dana.
The book is Kindred.
And you're listening to LIT Society.
Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/;

Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/;

and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com.

ReLIT: Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Dec 09, 2021

Show notes

This Thursday, we're getting reLIT with a throwback to one of our favorite shows from season one!

Such a Fun Age is a story contrasting who we are as individuals against the role society has cast us to play. It follows Emira Tucker, a black 25-year-old who feels she's failing at adult life, and her white 30-something boss Alix who teeters around her own looming failures. As the two make efforts to dissolve their differences, a shocking realization shows the futility of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons.

And speaking of the "A" word, ADULTING, we'll share some expert tips on how to grow up successfully, which we both are still figuring out how to do.

This is LIT Society.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

SPOILERS!!! Our Favorite Dramatic Readings from Seasons 1 and 2 Dec 02, 2021

Show notes

🗣Hear ye, hear ye! We are geeks and not afraid to show it.

Fortunately, we have found a community of fellow book-loving weirdos in you, and for that, we're grateful. Today, we bring you the weirdest thing we do – dramatic readings of our favorite passages from our favorite (and least favorite) books. We've taken sections from past shows and stuffed them into one very strange episode.

Please note! There will be spoilers. So, if you haven't read ALL the books below, maybe don't listen to this episode. Instead, plant a tree and call your mom. Okay, bye.

Episodes referenced in this show:

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow: https://litsocietypod.com/the-sound-of-stars

Animal Farm by George Orwell: https://litsocietypod.com/animal-farm/

Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner: https://litsocietypod.com/remembering-laughter/

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: https://litsocietypod.com/a-confederacy-of-dunces/

Season Finale: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis: https://litsocietypod.com/the-meaning-of-mariah-carey/

The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told to Alex Haley: https://litsocietypod.com/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x-as-told-to-alex-haley/

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: https://litsocietypod.com/pride-and-prejudice/

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-1/

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-2/

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: https://litsocietypod.com/jekyll-and-hyde/

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-by-charlotte-bronte-part-1/

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-part-2/

Persuasion by Jane Austen: https://litsocietypod.com/persuasion/

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-1/

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (PART 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-2/

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Our Favorite Books from Season Two Nov 25, 2021

Show notes

Some are good, some are great, and others are an abomination. We're talking books; specifically, we are discussing the books we loved (and hated) most from season two. If you're new to our podcast or a long-time listener, this is an excellent episode to find the books and discussion we enjoyed the most.

Which of these recommended reads are you bringing on your road trips and vacations this year? Let us know on social media or email us at AskUs@LITSocietyPod.com.

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Let‘s Talk About PASSING, the New Movie on Netflix Nov 23, 2021

Show notes

We talked about Passing by Nella Larsen three episodes ago. That book made an impact on our minds, and we won't soon forget the story of Clare and Irene. Fortunately for all of us, Netflix recently released a movie adaptation of that book, and we need to talk about it. Oooo chile, this movie!

The setting is Harlen in the 1920s. One Black woman, who sometimes passes as white, finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white. Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Iron Man 3, Transcendence, Godzilla vs. Kong) makes her directorial debut with this intimate drama of racial identity starring Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok, Creed, Sylvie's Love, Selma) and Ruth Negga (Loving, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

Let's get MOVIE-D!

🎧 Listen to our review of Passing, the book by Nella Larsen: https://litsocietypod.com/passing-by-nella-larsen/.

Find Alexis and Kari online:
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Will by Will Smith | Season Finale Nov 18, 2021

Show notes

IT'S THE SEASON FINALE! Can y'all believe we've been reading books with you for TWO YEARS?! We're so grateful to you listeners who support our show and keep up with us on Instagram and Twitter. To close out the second season, Alexis has created a game you're sure to love: Is it a Song or a Movie? Guess correctly for a chance to win a virtual, nontransferable prize worth no monetary sum and which we will never provide you. Then, on to this week's book...

Moved to overcome the trauma of his youth, he attempts to build the perfect life. He finds success as a hip-hop artist, a television star, and one of the biggest movie stars of all time. His power to draw an audience is undeniable, but will his push toward perfection ruin his dreams?

The star: Willard Carroll Smith II
The book: Will by Will Smith

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl Nov 11, 2021

Show notes

Who doesn't love the smooth, mouthwatering goodness of chocolate? In bars, biscuits, and brownies, chocolate is the winning ingredient, but everything ain't always sweet when it comes to this treat. We'll tell you the story of a town that experienced the unthinkable, Death by Chocolate!

Then, on to our book:

There are books – some big, some tall
That make you feel as if you're small
And like a kid who loves a story
You'll start to laugh at gloom that's gory
'Cause at the center of this tale
There is a man (it never fails)
His love for kids you won't find touching
Nor his indentured servants from other countries
But if you can stomach his dark fascinations
You may enjoy these prevarications
Even if you find him unsatisfactory
There's great fun to be had in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Passing by Nella Larsen Nov 04, 2021

Show notes

This week, we're moving on up to the rooftop as Alexis takes us on a tour of the nation's top rooftop bars and restaurants.

Then, it's on to our book:

One woman finds her past sitting across a room, and, against her better judgment, she starts down a path that goes against everything she is and ever has been. In the end, she will find rest and security only through the sacrifice of another. The woman: Irene Redfield The book: Passing by Nella Larsen LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online:
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Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Klara and the Sun by Kazuo Ishiguro (Spoiler-Free) Oct 28, 2021

Show notes

Honestly, the last few years have been more challenging than high notes for J.Lo. Friends and family are helping us keep our joy, despite everything. What if, though, you don't have as many friends as you'd like or what if your family lives far away? There's an app for that. You can build a friend, customizing everything from their style to the cadence of their voice. Tech companies are doing all they can to help us feel less lonely, but are these artificial friends doing more harm than good? We'll talk about it. Then, it's on to our book.

One uniquely intelligent AI finds herself among a human family that constantly breaks promises and acts disloyally. Yet, the AI is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her new owner and their family. In the end, we must ask, "what is love," and does it belong only to those with a heart?

The intelligent AI: Klara

The book: Klara and the Sun

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com