The Book Case

Latest Episodes:

TWO FOR ONE: Robert Kolker AND Chloe Benjamin Oct 08, 2026

Show notes

This week we have to terrific authors in one show. Robert Kolker’s newest, The Vanishing Family, is a look at a family afflicted with an early onset dementia, and how this family could revolutionize the way we think about the aging mind. Chloe Benjamin was GMA’s September Book Club pick, and although we are late to the party, we are proud to get to attend at all. It’s a mind-blowing book about time flowing backwards, and forwards. Join us for a sit down with two great authors and their two great books.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Understory by Chloe Benjamin

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

The Anatomy of Dreams by Chloe Benjamin

The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

Lost Girls by Robert Kolker

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Catherine Grace Katz: the Hindenburg and the Humanity Oct 01, 2026

Show notes

Up until now, there hasn’t really been a complete compendium on the Hindenburg disaster. Catherine Grace Katz gives it us in SHADOW BEFORE THE FLAME, and it is a page turner. Filled with top notch research, Katz drops readers squarely in the 1930’s so that they experience the majesty, mystery and looming fascism that cloaked the Hindenburg’s journey from Germany to the US. Something the size of three football fields was destroyed in 34 seconds. What did the people see on the ground? What did the passengers feel and see as it combusted? Did anyone live? These are all questions asked and answered on this week’s podcast. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Shadow Before the Flame: The Hindenburg Disaster and the Prelude to War by Catherine Grace Katz

The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jodi Picoult Talks Hollow Bones Sep 17, 2026

Show notes

Jodi Picoult’s newest, Hollow Bones, is probably more topical than even she would have wanted. A book that heart wrenchingly twists the anniversaries of 9/11 along with a serious look at Post Partem Psychosis, Picoult acknowledges how relevant this story may be in the shadow of the Lindsay Clancy trial. She of course, could not know how riveting and frightening that trial would be for so many Americans to read about and watch, and this book treats the subject with sensitivity and care. Join us as we talk to Picoult about how she feels about PPP as a mother herself (and grandmother) and how the medical system needs to do better for new moms.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books featured in this episode:

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Act by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Harlan Coben Gives Us a Writing Class Sep 10, 2026

Show notes

Plot Twist by Harlan Coben is a non fiction book that focusses on writing: the desperation, the inspiration, the execution…it’s all here. And it’s compulsively readable and wonderfully conversational, just like Harlan. Join us as we ask him about his tips and tricks, and why there is no substitution for getting your heart and mind on the page.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books featured in this episode:

Plot Twist: Life, Craft and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

Fade Away by Harlan Coben

Back Spin by Harlan Coben

One False Move by Harlan Coben

The Final Detail by Harlan Coben

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben

Promise Me by Harlan Coben

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ashley Kahn and the Wonder of Paul Simon’s Graceland Sep 03, 2026

Show notes

Graceland, by the great Paul Simon, was always a big deal in our house. From the Boy in the Bubble to the Myth of Fingerprints, it was on almost constant repeat, the soundtrack of my childhood. Ashley Kahn’s book, Days of Miracle and Wonder, is a thorough, beautifully researched compendium of how the album was made. A real examination of Simon’s genius, this book breaks down the album and its effects on the music industry and the world. Join us as we discuss a seminal moment in music history, and a terrific book.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Days of Miracle and Wonder by Ashley Kahn

A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album by Ashley Kahn

The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records by Ashley Kahn

Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why Catcher in the Rye Still Captures Us Aug 27, 2026

Show notes

We love doing “classics” episodes. And since The Catcher in the Rye is turning 75 this year, it seems that lots of folks in the book world are talking about it and we thought we would hop on board. Our two distinguished guests for this conversation are Kenneth Slawenski, one of the world's foremost historians on J.D. Salinger, and Stephen B. Shepard, a magazine editor who penned a fascinating book on the complexities of Salinger’s character. We hope you will join us in thinking about how our readings of Catcher in the Rye change over the years, and how the novel continues to touch the souls of so many readers.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski

Salinger’s Soul: His Personal and Religious Odyssey by Stephen B. Shepard

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jennifer McMahon and the Allure of Haunted Towns Aug 20, 2026

Show notes

Jennifer McMahon has been called the Shirley Jackson of her generation. Her newest, Stay Buried, is a fascinating look at what can happen to a small town when beset with an almost inhuman pandemic, and how they turn on each other as the diseases claims victim after victim (sound familiar?). Come join us for a great conversation with Jennifer in which we talk abut her ides, her process, and how there is a touch of the scary in so many of the classics we love.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Stay Unburied by Jennifer McMahon
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
Kin by Tayari Jones
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Meg Richardson and the True Voice of Adolescence Aug 13, 2026

Show notes

This is an interesting show, because the person who really championed the read this week was Arlene Gibson, the matriarch of the Gibson Family. A lifelong school teacher and administrator for girls’ schools, she fell in love with Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson. And when Arlene tells us to do something, we do it. Paradise Pawn in the story from the perspective of a young 14 year old girl named Jackie who works in a Pawn Shop in Florida. Full of humor, heart and an adolescent voice that is sincere and true to a very difficult age, this is a great book. If the age of young teenagers confuse you (maybe you are a mom, dad, caregiver or yourself a 14 year old girl) this book is an eye opener and a heartbreaker. We talk to both Arlene and Meg. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Chris Bohjalian Writes His Most Personal Novel Aug 06, 2026

Show notes

Chris Bohjalian is prolific to say the least. With about 25 novels under his belt, he hits the bestseller list often with his unforgettable characters and twisty plots. But his newest, The Amateur, is his most personal novel to date. The narrator, Mira, was a caddy, just as Chris was for most of his high school career. And she is a writer, just like Chris, her sense of humor and feelings about writing are pure Chris. It’s a page turner with some terrific writing. And we talk to Elderberry and Plum, a new bookstore in Springfield, Illinois. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

The World According to Garp by John Irving

Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stephanie Soileau and the Richness of Cajun History Jul 30, 2026

Show notes

Should the Waters Take Us a is a novel of great beauty…centered around the swamp letters in the south of Louisianna. Whereas so many novels focus on story and character-this one focusses on place and how this place has shaped the lives of the characters that live there. As climate change shifts the land beneath our feet and oil companies have raided the Acadian swamps for their natural resources, the Cajun background is ever changing, and often full of tragedy. We also talk to Final Draft, the bookstore in Kansas that JUST opened. We check in to see how their opening went and how they are feeling now. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302
Books mentioned on this episode:

Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau

Last One Out Shut Off the Lights by Stephanie Soileau

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Hill by Harriet Clark

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices