75 Reads

We're going On The Road with Bowie as we read Jack Kerouac's classic. And in some very specific instances, we did feel we were seeing a Bowie connection in one of the characters. For us, in the first part of the book, it was Dean, and we'll tell you why. Did you see it, too?? And we imagined another friend of Bowie's as we traveled through the pages of this book, as well. We've also taken the liberty of suggesting a few songs that might accompany you on Sal's journey. Take a listen and share your thoughts with us on the ol' Twitter, won't you? We're at @75reads on the socials.

We're wrapping up The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard, and yes, there are more case studies. Loads of them. And they're actually quite interesting, but to inject a little fun into the second half of our discussion, we've decided to try something new. We're playing a little game called, "Is This Still True Today?" If you play along, tweet us some of your answers and let's discuss! You can find us on Twitter and Insta @75reads.

We're diving in to The Hidden Persuaders by Vance Packard, an examination of how our thoughts and feelings are manipulated by advertisers and media. The book was first published in 1957 and is chock-full of case studies that took place in the 1950s. Yes, it's dated. And yes, some of the phrasing makes us want to punch the author in the face, but the book does show how the manipulation of the American consumer began. The book cites studies that will make you laugh and make you angry at the same time. Join us as we, two American consumers if there ever were any, break it down.

Twitter and Insta: @75reads

We're wrapping up A Grave For A Dolphin discussing some of the most beautiful and heart wrenching love stories we've come across. There's the tale of young Hassib who is the most tragic character in a true love story we have ever read. From the book: "I had always thought that 'to love to distraction' was an idiomatic expression: an unlettered ragamuffin fourteen years old had taught me that it can also literally be true."

And there's the story of the relationship of Camara and Shambowa…and a dolphin. So magical!

Part two is filled with love and loss and lessons which could benefit us all. We highly recommend tracking down this hard to find book! And whether you have been able to do so, or not, you can absolutely listen to this episode and have a little bit of the magic rub off on you!

Tell us what you think of this beautiful book on Twitter or IG. We're @75reads.

Ten year old Alberto Denti di Pirajno met a man at a retirement party he attended with his mother who was celebrating fifty years of making Punchinello's noses. Fifty years at this job. Making puppet noses day in and day out. Unimaginable! The author thinks perhaps this was partially at the root of his wander lust.

Alberto grew up to become a doctor, and the material for A Grave For A Dolphin came from his experience as a doctor and an administrator in Italy's former African colonies. The themes for this collection of stories are children, animals, and magic.

There is the healing of a young boy by a witch doctor, a python hunt, a drunken parrot, the ape and the baboon, the wonderful tale of A Sermon For Wart-hogs, and so much more!

These beautifully told stories made us question our perception of nature and animals, and our relationship to them. It really does seem that in the western world we close our eyes to the magic that's happening all around us. No more. Open your minds and your hearts and join us on this mystical journey!

Want to add to the conversation? Find us @75reads on Twitter and Insta.

We continue riding on Joe's emotional rollercoaster. There's true love. There's loss. There are affairs and fights. And, some of the things that Joe says has us wondering if maybe we hate him. But, he knows who he is. He calls himself out on his flaws. He's human. So maybe we still love him a little bit. One thing we're both sure of is that we absolutely, positively love this book. We cannot recommend it enough! Listen to the episode to hear why!

Twitter: @75reads

IG: @75reads

Okay, we know we said that our previous read was our favorite yet. Let's just say that Room At The Top is our favorite fiction book on the list thus far. And a Bowie character clearly comes to mind while reading this book! Clearly. We see him in several of the characters actually, especially the protagonist, Joe. Which Bowie persona do we see? The Thin White Duke. He's everywhere in this book. Would love to know if you agree. Tweet and let us know: @75reads

What can we say? This is our favorite book, yet! By the end of The Outsider, we felt as though we could almost see Bowie's thought process as he read it.

In part two of the book, we were introduced to more Outsiders, some of whom seemed to have it a little more together than the Outsiders from the first half of the book. And we formed an opinion about what type of Outsider we think Bowie might have been. Our conclusion was definitely unexpected!

For links to socials and our complete reading list: www.75reads.com

At first we didn't get it, then we got it…in a big way. There are bits of this book that feel very Bowie. In so many interviews, we can see that part of his genius was that he was always searching. So are the various types of Outsiders described in this book. Which type of Outsider was Bowie? Was he, in fact, an Outsider? Are you? Join us as we begin to figure it all out. www.75reads.com

If you listened to our last episode you know that, while we knew ol' Humbert Humbert was a horrible human being, we still found him humorous and quite sharp. Well friends, in part two H.H. has lost his charm. We see him for what he is, an incredibly cruel, horribly narcissistic pedophile.

Of course, one of the best death scenes ever written occurs at the end of this book. It alone makes part two worth the read.

Join us as we wrap up Lolita, and let us know if you felt the way we felt about the second half of this book!