The Book Case

Latest Episodes:

Our Halloween Horror Reading Recommendations Oct 26, 2023

Show notes

So we have come to the last of our horror genre shows…although we have decided we like the moniker 'dark literature’ better. We have a game-changing author to end it with (in time for Halloween): Paul Tremblay. If you read ‘dark literature’ and you haven’t devoured A Head Full of Ghosts on a dark and stormy night, RUN, do not walk, to your nearest independent bookstore. But Kate has read seven of his books (so far) and has not been disappointed in a single one. We also talk to horror writer and Professor Michael Arnzen of Seton Hill University about the courses he teaches in the dark art of writing what scares us. We hope you have enjoyed our ‘dark literature’ series….we might dip back from time to time. Happy Halloween.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

A Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay
The Little Sleep by Paul Tremblay
No Sleep Til Wonderland by Paul Tremblay
Swallowing a Donkey’s Eye by Paul Tremblay
Floating Boy and the Girl Who Couldn’t Fly by Paul Tremblay and Stephen Graham Jones
Disappearance at Devil’s Rock by Paul Tremblay
The Cabin at the End of the World by Paul Tremblay
Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
The Pallbearer’s Club by Paul Tremblay
In the Mean Time by Paul Tremblay
Growing Things and Other Stories by Paul Tremblay
The Beast You Are: Stories by Paul Tremblay
Sophie’s Choice by William Styron
Absolution by Alice McDermott
The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
The Stand by Stephen King
Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been by Joyce Carol Oates
Pet Sematary by Stephen King
Our Share of Night by Mariana Enríquez
Psycho by Robert Bloch
The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allen Poe
The Masque of the Red Death by Edgar Allen Poe
Dracula by Bram Stoker
The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Ulysses by James Joyce
Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica
Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell
Men, Women and Chainsaws: Gender in the Modern Film by Carol Clover

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

Tan Twan Eng Takes Us Through The House of Doors Oct 19, 2023

Show notes

Tan Twan Eng, in some ways, has the perfect bibliography. He has written three books, all novels. All three have been on the short or long list for the Man Booker Prize. That should tell you how talented he is….and this is the first book he has published in more than a decade. The House of Doors is a lyrical and lovely read about the travels of William Somerset Maugham in Malaysia. Don’t know Maugham’s work? Doesn’t matter. Don’t know much about Malaysia? Doesn’t matter. Tan Twan Eng’s books transcend the familiar-getting to the humanity of every conflict, every story. This book transports readers….and its more than worth the price of the ticket.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

The House of Doors by Tan Twan Eng
The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng
The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng
This is Happiness by Niall Williams
The Letter by William Somerset Maugham
Of Human Bondage by William Somerset Maugham
The Casuarina Tree by William Somerset Maugham
Time for a Tiger by Anthony Burgess
Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

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

Writers of the Movie "Airplane!" On The Rules of Comedy Oct 12, 2023

Show notes

Surely You Can’t be Serious - heard that before? Surely you have, if you have seen the movie Airplane! Made in 1980. The incredibly successful and popular movie was the brainchild of three guys from Milwaukee - then in their twenties - David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker. They called themselves ZAZ. And, improbably, they got their movie made against all odds. They admit they didn’t have the slightest idea how to make a movie. Much less direct it. Much less convince Hollywood executives to invest in it. But they did and the rest is history and not to mention, a very funny book, just released. Surely You Can’t be Serious is the story behind the story of one of the funniest movies ever made.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

Surely You Can't Be Serious: The True Story of Airplane! by David Zucker, Jim Abrahams, and Jerry Zucker
The Years of Lyndon Johnson by Robert Caro
Ketogenic Diets: Treatments for Epilepsy and Other Disorders by Jon Freeman

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

Amanda Gorman’s Poetry Slays Monsters Oct 05, 2023

Show notes

Amanda Gorman is an American treasure. Her inaugural poem, The Hill We Climb, stunned audiences around the world in 2021, and her tome of poetry, Call Us What We Carry, spoke to the pain and powerlessness that the world felt while locked down by COVID-19. What you might not know (and now we hope you do) is that she is also an accomplished children’s author. Her latest, Something, Someday teaches kids to make the world a better place by starting small while thinking big. Illustrated by the talented Christian Robinson (who also joins us), Amanda’s words reach out from the page to say that no one is too small to make a difference.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode:

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Change Sings by Amanda Gorman, Illustrated by Loren Long
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Dandelion Wine by Ray Bradbury
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
You Matter by Christian Robinson
Harlem’s Little Blackbird: The Story of Florence Mills by Renée Watson, Illustrated by Christian Robinson
The Last Stop on Market Street by Mark de la Peña, Illustrated by Christian Robinson

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

Kate DiCamillo Transforms Children's Fiction Sep 28, 2023

Show notes

Kate DiCamillo has probably been honored as much or more than any living American children’s author. If her awards were all displayed on a mantle, she’d probably need dozens of fireplaces. And she’s a delightful conversationalist. Her new book is The Puppets of Spelhorst. Her most widely read book, The Tale of Despereaux, is out with a special 20th anniversary edition. Dicamillo's love with telling stories is in everything she has ever written. Since Kate is from Minneapolis, we feature one of the largest independent bookstores in the twin cities - Magers & Quinn.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The Tale of Despereaux - Kate DiCamillo
The Puppets of Spelhorst - Kate DiCamillo
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane - Kate DiCamillo
The Beatryce Prophecy - Kate DiCamillo
Louisiana’s Way Home - Kate DiCamillo
Paddington - Michael Bond
Hello Lighthouse - Sophie Blackall
If You Come to Earth - Sophie Blackall
Finding Winnie: The True Story of the World's Most Famous Bear - Lindsay Mattick, illustrated by Sophie Blackall
Wellness - Nathan Hill
Braiding Sweetgrass - Robin Wall Kimmerer

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

Stephen Graham Jones Writes Hopeful Horror Sep 21, 2023

Show notes

We have two horror genre shows left and this week we bring you Stephen Graham Jones. Although not all of his books fall squarely in horror category, My Heart is a Chainsaw and Don’t Fear the Reaper are beautiful love letters to horror fans who will take much glee in all the genre conventions within which Stephen plays. The final Indian Lake Trilogy novel comes out this fall, The Angel Of Indian Lake. Kate can’t wait. Stephen brings his Blackfoot Native American culture and aspects of social justice to his writings and his writing is all the better for it. If you shy away from horror, try Mapping The Interior or The Only Good Indians. For an independent bookseller this week, we reach out to one of Stephen’s local favorites, the Boulder Bookstore in Colorado.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones
My Heart is a Chainsaw by Stephen Graham Jones
Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones
Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones
Night of the Mannequins by Stephen Graham Jones
Demon Theory by Stephen Graham Jones
Ararat by Christopher Golden
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle
Come Closer by Sara Gran
Collected Poems, 1947-1980 by Allen Ginsberg
Merlin Book 1: The Lost Years by T. A. Barron
The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel
Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
Stars Go Blue by Laura Pritchett

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

Sebastian Barry Carries the Irish Torch Sep 14, 2023

Show notes

Have you ever noticed that when it comes to great writers, Ireland seems to have had more than its fair share? Maybe it’s the difficult history, or the never ending pride for their beautiful island, but Ireland seems to be a country rife with storytellers. This week we have an Irish writer who has been nominated for the Booker Prize more than once…Sebastian Barry! His latest, Old God’s Time, is a lyrical and sprawling tale of Ireland and one man’s desperate struggle to make peace with the past. Pull up a chair by the fire and talk literature with a truly great Irish author, you will be glad you did.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Old God’s Time by Sebastian Barry
On Canaan’s Side by Sebastian Barry
Days Without End by Sebastian Barry
A Long Long Way by Sebastian Barry
Thousand Moons by Sebastian Barry
The Whereabouts of Eneas McNulty by Sebastian Barry
Annie Dunne by Sebastian Barry
The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry
The Temporary Gentleman by Sebastian Barry
The Poems of Catallus by Catallus
The Odyssey by Homer
The Philosophy of Modern Song by Bob Dylan
Checkout 19 by Claire-Louise Bennett
Pond by Claire-Louise Bennett
Nostromo by Joseph Conrad

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

William Kent Krueger Takes Us To Minnesota Sep 07, 2023

Show notes

We don't want to pigeon hole William Kent Krueger as a mystery writer. He writes terrific mysteries that will keep you guessing, sure, but what will keep you coming back is his talent! His sweeping descriptions of Minnesota landscapes, his unforgettable characters and his roots in cultural anthropology will keep you coming back. His new novel, The River We Remember, is a terrific "who done it" that beautifully weaves in themes of PTSD, the cultures of tribal bands in Minnesota, and the joys and perils of small town living. Our bookstore this week is Page 158 in Wake Forest, NC. Why is that their name? Tune in and find out!

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

The River We Remember by William Kent Krueger
This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger
Ordinary Grace by William Kent Krueger
The devil’s bed by William Kent Krueger
Iron Lake by William Kent Krueger
Boundary Waters by William Kent Krueger
Purgatory Ridge by William Kent Krueger
Blood Hollow by William Kent Krueger
Mercy Falls by William Kent Krueger
Copper River by William Kent Krueger
Thunder Bay by William Kent Krueger
Red Knife: A Cork O’Connor Mystery by William Kent Krueger
Heaven's Keep by William Kent Krueger
Vermilion Drift by William Kent Krueger
Northwest Angle by William Kent Krueger
Trickster's Point by William Kent Krueger
Tamarack County by William Kent Krueger
Windigo Island by William Kent Krueger
Manitou Canyon by William Kent Krueger
Sulfur Springs by William Kent Krueger
Destination Mountain by William Kent Krueger
Lightning Strike by William Kent Krueger
Fox Creek by William Kent Krueger
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury
Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

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

James McBride Masters Historical Fiction Aug 31, 2023

Show notes

Kate often says that if she were a writer she would have trouble reading James McBride. It's hard not to hear a mic drop when you close the back cover. He is a master of storytelling; his sentences so packed with history, humor, and meaning that at times you forget what he was talking about, but you won't mind a bit. His writing often knocks off our socks, and his new novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, is no exception. For our bookstore this week? We let James choose one of his favorites, Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride
Kill 'em and Leave: Searching for James Brown and the American Soul by James McBride
The Good Lord Bird by James McBride
Song Yet Sung by James McBride
Five-Carat Soul by James McBride
Miracle at St. Anna by James McBride
The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother by James McBride
Deacon King Kong by James McBride
Moby-Dick by Herman Melville
The Bridge Builder by Will Allen Dromgoole
Fellowship Point by Alice Elliott Dark
A Glimmer of Death by Valerie Wilson Wesley
Hester by Laurie Lico Albanese
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

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

Andrew Ridker Writes With Hope Aug 24, 2023

Show notes

Andrew Ridker is but 32 years of age - yet already he has written what promises to be his second very successful novel - Hope. The title is an acronym for a medical study, but it is also a feeling that pervades his depiction of a Jewish suburban family, the Greenspans, living near Boston. Each member of the family stumbles, and struggles to find footing. But much as they may transgress, Ridker projects a belief that family of origin has an inexorable pull on all of his characters and all of us. Ridker is wise beyond his years and this book is downright funny at times! And did we mention the book has the best cover photo seen in years? Our bookstore this week is RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut, owned by the very entertaining Roxanne Coady. A bookstore that pairs well with Ridker’s novel.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

Hope by Andrew Ridker
The Altruists by Andrew Ridker
The Custom of the Country by Edith Wharton
The Topeka School by Ben Lerner
10:04 by Ben Lerner
Old God's Time by Sebastian Barry

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

Our TOPPODCAST Picks

Follow Us

Stay Connected

Related Podcasts

Links

Stay Connected