Best Book Ever Podcast

Suswati Basu is a multilingual disabled journalist, mental health books show podcast host, and award-winning activist.She has written for the Guardian, Huffington Post, and the F-Word blogs, and has worked for various media outlets such as the BBC, Channel 4 News, and ITV News. She has worked in China, India, and the UK and currently writes on a freelance basis. As a result, she speaks multiple languages including Mandarin, Spanish, Hindi, and Bengali. Suswati has also appeared on BBC Radio's Woman's Hour with Jenni Murray as well as BBC News, speaking in regard to feminist issues. As a survivor and thriver from trauma, living with both mental health and physical disabilities, she began the How To Be... podcast looking at helping mental wellbeing through reading and interviewing authors.

 

Suswati joined me today to talk about Albert Camus’ “The Stranger,” a classic of Existentialist literature, featuring a disconnected main character who faces consequences for a violent action he committed, even though he evidently has no concept of consequences, violence, or feelings. If you’re my age and you grew up in the States, you probably read this in your high school English class, and all I can tell you is that it’s a totally different book now.

 

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

This episode is sponsored by Lover’s Moon by Mark Leslie and Julie Strauss

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Suswati Basu

Podcast/Website/Facebook/Instagram/You Tube/Twitter

Discussed in this episode:

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

1984 by George Orwell

Haramacy: A Collecgtion of Stories Prescribed by Voices from the Middle East, South Asian, and the Diaspora by Zahed Sultan

Energize: Make the Most of Every Moment by Simon Alexander Ong

How to Be Sad: Everything I’ve Learned About Getting Happier by Being Sad by Helen Russell

The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country by Helen Russell

Stronger: Changing Everything I Knew About Women’s Health by Poorna Bell

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. The charity links are NOT affiliates, but they are organizations I trust and personally donate money to. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

Christina Olson was the real-life woman who inspired artist Andrew Wyeth’s painting “Christina’s World.” It’s considered a master work of American art that inspires a lot of feelings in people, myself included. In the novel “A Piece of the World,” author Christina Baker Kline tells a fictionalized version of the real-life relationship between artist and subject. It’s an emotional and complex relationship and a totally compelling book.

Joining me today is April Bielefeldt, is a Landscape Photographer and one half of the Travel Collective, where she creates videos, showcases boutique guides and tours and shares her knowledge of how to travel like she does. She has a deep love for the USA, particularly the Maine coast, where today’s book is set, and she creates personal itineraries as well as leads small tours. I loved talking with an artist about the connections between visual and literary art, and how sometimes one can change our opinions about the other.

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

This episode is sponsored by Lover’s Moon by Mark Leslie and Julie Strauss

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: April Bielefeldt

Podcast/Website/Facebook/Instagram/You Tube

 

Discussed in this episode:

A Piece of the World by Christina Baker Kline

Christina’s World by Andrew Wyeth

Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline

The Way Life Should Be by Christina Baker Kline

Olson House at Farnsworth Art Museum

The Inn at Lake Devine by Elinor Lipman

The Bridges of Madison County by Robert James Waller

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. The charity links are NOT affiliates, but they are organizations I trust and personally donate money to. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

Do you believe in ghosts?

Shannon Bailey Grace is the creator and host of the Indie podcast Ghost and Grub. Shannon has a master’s degree in English literature and teaches research and writing at the college level. Her interest in storytelling fuels her love for a good ghost story, and she has a passion for learning about the people and events surrounding each story she tells. When Shannon is not telling ghost stories or traveling to spooky and strange destinations on a constant search to find the world’s best nachos. Shannon joined me today to talk about “Life With the Afterlife” by Amy Bruni, and why ethics are important in ghost tourism.

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

This episode is sponsored by Lover’s Moon by Mark Leslie and Julie Strauss

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Shannon Bailey Grace

Podcast/Facebook/Instagram/Twitter

 

Discussed in this episode:

Life With the Afterlife by Amy Bruni

Kindred Spirits TV Show

My Night in the Most Haunted Hotel in Texas: A Very True Ghost Story by Victoria Mundae

 

HOW TO SUPPORT GUN REFORM LEGISLATION IN AMERICA

Find your senators here.
Find your representatives here.

I know it can sound intimidating to call a lawmaker. But your calls MATTER. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office of your elected official. The person who answers your call will make note of your message and pass it on to the member of Congress. Their addresses are also listed if you would like to send something in writing. This script is easy to follow:

"Good morning. My name is _____ and I live at _____. I am a constituent and have a deep love for my community and neighbors. I urge Senator/Representative _____, as an elected official who represents me, to protect our safety by leading the way toward gun violence prevention. Specifically, I am asking Senator/Rep _____ to advocate for the The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. Eight) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 1446). I will be casting my next vote based on his or her legislative response to the gun violence epidemic in America. Thank you for your time."

 

The highlighted portion is especially important – it’s time we let our lawmakers know that if they don’t vote to keep us safe from guns, they won’t have a job much longer.

Please know that even if you live in a blue state, these calls and letters are still very important.

If you’d like to make a cash donation, I like these two organizations, both of which are rated highly on Charity Navigator:

Everytown.org

Sandy Hook Promise

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. The charity links are NOT affiliates, but they are organizations I trust and personally donate money to. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

I love cooking almost as much as I love reading, and, in my opinion, a well-written cookbook can be as much fun to read as literary fiction. LA Son, Well Fed, and Back to Basics are three very different cookbooks that are all a great read in different ways.

With me today are the hosts of my new favorite show, the Three Kitchens podcast. Sarah Somasundaram, Erin Walker and Heather Dyer are longtime friends and passionate home cooks. On their weekly podcast they take listeners along for a deep dive into a recipe. They talk - and laugh - through the challenges, successes and failures along the way as they tackle recipes from around the world with locally found ingredients, right in their own home kitchens. Sarah, Erin and Heather joined me today for a cookbook-palooza – each of them shared their personal favorite cookbooks and what they’ve learned from them. I guarantee you’re gonna be starving by the end of this one. They told me about Butter Tarts (!) and I showed them a naked picture of Anthony Bourdain. It got weird.

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

This episode is sponsored by Lover’s Moon by Mark Leslie and Julie Strauss

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Sarah, Erin, and Heather of the Three Kitchens Podcast

Podcast/Facebook/Instagram/Pinterest

 

 

Discussed in this episode:

 

Back to Basics: 100 Simple Classic Recipes with a Twist by Michael Smith

L.A. Son by Roy Choi

Well Fed: Paleo Recipes for People Who Love to Eat by Melissa Joulwan

Julie’s Guest appearance on the Three Kitchens Podcast

Three Kitchens Date Night Episode

Three Kitchens Babka Episode

Three Kitchens Oma’s Strudel Episode

Three Kitchens Bánh Xèo Episode

The Chef Show on Netflix (with Roy Choi and Jon Favreau)

Chef Movie

Broken Bread

My Last Supper: 50 Great Chefs and Their Final Meals by Melanie Dunea

Absent in Spring by Mary Westmacott

The Orphan Collector by Ellen Marie Wiseman

The Lost Boys: Inside Muzafer Sherif’s Robbers Cave Experiment by Gina Perry

 

 

 

CONTEST INFORMATION

 

In celebration of the Best Book Ever 100th Episode, I’m going to invite you to join me in supporting Charnaie Gordon’s work. I’m donating $100 from the Best Book Ever podcast. If you want to help, here’s how to do it.

 

If you would like make a donation of any amount of cash or gently used books, go to 50 states 50 books dot net slash donate, and email me a screenshot of your donation to [email protected]

 

Or you can promote her on your social media. On Instagram, post something about her work and  Tag @50States50Books and me @bestbookeverpodcast. I’m not on TikTok, Facebook or Twitter, but if you promote her work through those channels, just screenshot it and shoot me an email so I can see it.

 

Everyone who promotes her, whether it’s through money, books, or exposure, and then lets me know about it will be entered into a drawing, and one randomly chosen winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to their favorite indie bookstore. This contest is only open to residents of the United States, no purchase necessary, and is not associated with 50 States 50 Books or any social media entity. The deadline to enter this drawing is June 30, 2022.

 

HOW TO SUPPORT GUN REFORM LEGISLATION IN AMERICA

 

Find your senators here.
Find your representatives here.

 

I know it can sound intimidating to call a lawmaker. But your calls MATTER. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office of your elected official. The person who answers your call will make note of your message and pass it on to the member of Congress. Their addresses are also listed if you would like to send something in writing. This script is easy to follow:

 

"Good morning. My name is _____ and I live at _____. I am a constituent and have a deep love for my community and neighbors. I urge Senator/Representative _____, as an elected official who represents me, to protect our safety by leading the way toward gun violence prevention. Specifically, I am asking Senator/Rep _____ to advocate for the The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. Eight) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 1446). I will be casting my next vote based on his or her legislative response to the gun violence epidemic in America. Thank you for your time."

 

The highlighted portion is especially important – it’s time we let our lawmakers know that if they don’t vote to keep us safe from guns, they won’t have a job much longer.

 

Please know that even if you live in a blue state, these calls and letters are still very important.

 

If you’d like to make a cash donation, I like these two organizations, both of which are rated highly on Charity Navigator:

 

Everytown.org

Sandy Hook Promise

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. The charity links are NOT affiliates, but they are organizations I trust and personally donate money to. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

It's our 100th episode! Let's celebrate, but in the middle of the celebration, let's have an existential crisis! 

It was tough to be happy this week, but I was able to do it because I had something special in my back pocket: an interview with Charnaie Gordon.  Charnaie is a wife, mom, and former Computer Programmer turned full-time Content Creator and Author with both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science/Information Technology. She’s also a Distinguished Toastmaster and huge literacy advocate/champion. Her blog, Here Wee Read, is where she expresses her creativity and passion for reading, diverse literature, and literacy. She’s also the founder of a children’s literacy organization, 50 States 50 Books, where her family collects and donates diverse children’s books to deserving kids in each of the 50 U.S. states. We also talked about the changes we've made in our life because of the book "Atomic Habits" by James Clear.

Bookworms, there was simply no better way to celebrate 100 episodes than to hang out with Charnaie. Make sure you listen to the end of the episode to learn how you can help me celebrate 100 episodes by helping Charnaie out.

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Charnaie Gordon

HereWeeRead Website/Here Wee Read Instagram/50 States 50 Books Website/50 States 50 Books Instagram/Facebook/Twitter

Here Wee Read Podcast

DylPop’s Bookshop

 

Books by Charnaie Gordon:

 

A Friend Like You

A Kids Book About Diversity

 

 

Discussed in this episode:

 

Atomic Habits by James Clear

Corduroy by Don Freeman

Text Me When You Get Home: The Evolution and Triumph of Modern Female Friendship by Kayleen Schaefer

 

CONTEST INFORMATION

In celebration of the Best Book Ever 100th Episode, I’m going to invite you to join me in supporting Charnaie’s work. I’m donating $100 from the Best Book Ever podcast. If you want to help, here’s how to do it:

If you would like make a donation of any amount of cash or gently used books, go to 50States50Books.net/donate, and email me a screenshot of your donation.

Or you can promote her on your social media. On Instagram, post something about her work and  tag @50States50Books and me @bestbookeverpodcast. I’m not on TikTok, Facebook or Twitter, but if you promote her work through those channels, just screenshot it and shoot me an email so I can see it.

Everyone who promotes her, whether it’s through money, books, or exposure, and then lets me know about it, will be entered into a drawing, and one randomly chosen winner will receive a $100 gift certificate to their favorite indie bookstore. This contest is only open to residents of the United States, no purchase necessary, and is not associated with 50 States 50 Books or any social media entity. The deadline to enter this drawing is June 30, 2022.

 

HOW TO SUPPORT GUN REFORM LEGISLATION IN AMERICA

Find your senators here.
Find your representatives here.

I know it can sound intimidating to call a lawmaker. But your calls MATTER. Call the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for the office of your elected official. The person who answers your call will make note of your message and pass it on to the member of Congress. Their addresses are also listed if you would like to send something in writing. This script is easy to follow, though feel free to modify it so you feel comfortable:

"Good morning. My name is _____ and I live at _____. I am a constituent and have a deep love for my community and neighbors. I urge Senator/Representative _____, as an elected official who represents me, to protect our safety by leading the way toward gun violence prevention. Specifically, I am asking Senator/Rep _____ to advocate for the The Bipartisan Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. Eight) and the Enhanced Background Checks Act of 2021 (H.R. 1446). I will be casting my next vote based on his or her legislative response to the gun violence epidemic in America. Thank you for your time."

(That part in bold is the really important part. It's time we let our lawmakers know that their response to gun violence will decide their future in politics.)

If you’d like to make a cash donation, I like these two organizations, both of which are rated highly on Charity Navigator:

Everytown.org

Sandy Hook Promise

 

(Note: Some of the above book links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. The links to charities are not affiliates; I get nothing from those. I just want to encourage you to support those who are doing good work in the world. But anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

Kelly Pollock has always been the kind of person who asks questions — lots of questions — to anyone who will listen and answer. With a BA in Religious Studies from Northwestern University and an MA in Religious Studies from the University of California, Santa Barbara (where she wrote a thesis on feminist witches), she has now turned my questioning to history where she digs deep into stories that aren’t getting enough attention.

By day Kelly is the Dean of Students in the Division of the Social Sciences at the University of Chicago, where she has worked since 2004. She lives on the south side of Chicago with her husband, the two best kids in the world, and two senior cats. 

Kelly joined me today to talk about “All That She Carried” by Tiya Miles, a book whose language and terminology changed my understanding of how I have always learned about enslaved persons. We also discussed why such a humble object is so profoundly affecting, and how, ultimately, this is a story of hope.

 

 

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Kelly Therese Pollock

Website/Twitter/Instagram/Unsung History Podcast/Uncorked History

 

This episode is sponsored by my new book, a werewolf romance called Lover's Moon, written with my dear friend and frequent guest of the show, Mark Leslie. It's a Meat-Cute love story. C'mon, I know that made you laugh.

Discussed in this episode:

 

All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley’s Sack, A Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Miles

Knitting Brigades of World War 1 (Unsung History Podcast)

The Jackson State Shootings (Unsung History Podcast)

Julia Chinn, wife of Vice President Richard Mentor Johnson (Unsung History Podcast)

Dispossessed Lives: Enslaved Women, Violence and the Archive by Marisa J. Fuentes (this contains Fuentes’ method of “reading against the grain”

Wake: The Hidden History of Women Led Slave Revolts by Rebecca Hall

When Everyone Around You Is Talking About the End, Talk About Black History (Tiya Miles Op-Ed in the New York Times – may have a paywall, but I promise, this is WELL worth a read.)

A Lady’s Guide to Etiquette and Murder (Book 1 of the Countess of Harleigh Mystery Series) by Dianne Freeman

Fierce and Fearless: Patsy Takemoto Mink, First Woman of Color in Congress by Judy Tzu-Chun Wu and Gwendolyn Mink

Public Faces, Secret Lives: A Queer History of the Women’s Suffrage Movement by Wendy L. Rouse

Recasting the Vote: How Women of Color Transformed the Suffrage Movement by Cathleen D. Cahill

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

We Don’t All Need to Talk About Proust

Sivan Hong was a professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business and former partner at The Bridgespan Group. Today, she authors and illustrates the best-selling children’s book series The Super Fun Day Books, which focus on neurodiverse children who overcome their challenges with perseverance and bravery.

Sivan joined me to talk about “The Sense of An Ending” by Julian Barnes, a book that is really short but packs a real punch. Then we veered into talking about the 900-page doorstopper she is currently reading, and the value of sticking with books even when you don’t love them. Sivan’s determination to finish all books runs counter to my “give it 50 pages and then quit” philosophy, and it was wonderful to hear her reasons why she doesn’t quit the hard books.

 

TW: This book discusses suicide

 

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Sivan Hong

Website/Facebook/Instagram

 

Discussed in this episode:

 

The Sense of An Ending by Julian Barnes

 

Books by Sivan Hong:

George J. and the Miserable Monday

Benny J. and the Horrible Halloween

Emily D. and the Fearful First Day

Avery G. and the Scary End of School

The Books of Jacob by Olga Tocarczuk

Ann Patchett

Westport Public Library Bookstore – they have an online shop, so you can support their mission no matter where you live!

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Lizbeth Meredith

Website/Facebook/Instagram/Podcast

 

Discussed in this episode:

 

What Comes Next and How to Like It: A Memoir by Abigail Thomas

Pieces of Me: Rescuing My Kidnapped Daughters by Lizbeth Meredith

Stolen by Their Father (Lifetime movie based on Lizbeth’s movie)

Little House on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

TukTuk for Two by Adam Fletcher

Liane Moriarty

A Three Dog Life by Abigail Thomas

Safekeeping: Some True Stories from a Life by Abigail Thomas

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Liam Jenkins

Website/Facebook/Instagram

 

Discussed in this episode:

Dylan McFinn & The Sea Serpent’s Fury by Liam Jenkins

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

Percy Jackson & the Olympians by Rick Riordan

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

The Discworld Series by Terry Pratchett (there are 41 novels in this series, and the books can be read in any order. But, avid fans have suggestions for different approaches you might take.)

The Carpet People by Terry Pratchett

Mort by Terry Pratchett

The Sandman by Neil Gaiman

Man’s Search for Meaning by Viktor E. Frankl

Mind Magic Methods: A Complete Magickal System by Merlin Starlight

The Island of Dr. Moreau by H.G. Wells

The Island of Dr. Moreau movie

Origin by Dan Brown

 

 

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com

“Jonathan Livingston Seagull” is one of those books that I’ve seen my whole life, but never actually picked up. I always thought it was a kids’ book. And it kind of is – it’s definitely assigned in a lot of schools. But many adults claim it as an all-time favorite. It’s often cited as the book that starts people on spiritual journeys. Today I am delighted to welcome poet, actress, and podcaster Sonia Iris Lozada to talk about this famously tiny but profound book.

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

 

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

 

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram  

 

Guest: Sonia Iris Lozada

Website/Instagram/Facebook/Poetic Resurrections Podcast/Chica and the Man Podcast

 

Discussed in this episode:

Jonathan Livingston Seagull by Richard Bach

Follow: Akashic Dreaming Through Time by Sonia Iris Lozada

The Untethered Soul by Michael A. Singer

Inspire Me: Raw by Sonia Iris Lozada

The John Pilate Mystery Series by J. Alexander Greenwood

 

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit bestbookeverpodcast.substack.com