This week we're talking what makes a book good to us. Feel free to talk back via email ([email protected]) or Google voice (210-816-2886) to let us know what draws you in! Articles discussed in news section: Marlon James Wins the Man Booker Prize! http://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-34527496 Marlon James recommends 5 Jamaican Novels http://lithub.com/marlon-james-five-jamaican-novels-you-should-read/ Kirkus Award winners http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2015/10/15/yanagihara-coates-and-muoz-ryan-win-kirkus-prizes/?ribbon-ad-idx=7&rref=books&module=Ribbon&version=origin®ion=Header&action=click&contentCollection=Books&pgtype=article Angela Flournoy nom or 2015 National Book Award http://www.nationalbook.org/nba2015.html#.ViVXvFUViko PW Annual Salary Survey http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/publisher-news/article/68405-publishing-industry-salary-survey-2015-a-younger-workforce-still-predominantly-white.html

News we discuss this week: - Meg Rosoff and her incredible wrongness regarding diversity in literature - Amy Schumer--The Nine Million Dollar Woman - Quvenzhané Wallis's six-figure book deal Then, the show is dedicated to the discussion of the beautifully written Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta.

This week we have a special guest in the honeycomb hideout, one of our favorite listeners--Valerie (aka @Vivaciously_Val on Le Twitter)! She's here to kick off our listener recommendations segment with a treasure trove of AMAZING books to read. For the unabridged list of all the novels she named, shoot us an email at [email protected]! We also talk www.recoveringtheclassics.com briefly.

This is a new episode of the Better Than the Movie Podcast.

This week we cover a cornucopia of topics! From discussing the impact of Jackie Collins on the literary world to Grace Jones' memoir to writing from the outside, our news section is brimming with content. Links to articles discussed below. Our main segment is about upcoming books that we're anticipating reading. As always we end the show with our What Are You Reading? segment and introduce a new reader interactive segment. Articles discussed on today's show: RIP Jackie Collins: http://www.people.com/article/jackie-collins-dead Literary Map: http://www.buzzfeed.com/danieldalton/map-of-literature#.xeJQGGrddy From the Outside: http://www.lspark.com/news/from-the-outside/ Grace Jones' Memoir: http://www.timeout.com/london/music/grace-jones-autobiography-extract-rihanna-miley-gaga-kanye ​Girl Have You Read?!: www.girlhaveyouread.com Amazon Article: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/67986-20-years-of-amazon-com-bookselling.html#path/pw/by-topic/industry-news/bookselling/article/67986-20-years-of-amazon-com-bookselling.html Oyster Article: http://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/68130-oyster-is-shutting-down-operations.html#path/pw/by-topic/digital/content-and-e-books/article/68130-oyster-is-shutting-down-operations.html Fall Books: Love Love: http://amzn.to/1iKijqQ Negroland: http://amzn.to/1L1ZBaG Ghost Summer: http://amzn.to/1iKiouP The Story of My Teeth: http://amzn.to/1L1ZEDa The Sparrow Sisters: http://amzn.to/1NIqi35 The Queen of the Night: http://amzn.to/1L1ZKuE

WE BACK! : ) This week we're discussing the amazing article written by Jenny Zhang in response to the Yellowface/nom de plume debacle in the Best American Poetry 2015 anthology: http://www.buzzfeed.com/jennybagel/they-pretend-to-be-us-while-pretending-we-dont-exist#.ys3Vww1YYD We're also discussing a hood lit novel. Yep, that's right. Our friends Ashley and Sarah join us to discuss a novel titled My Bitch, Yo Bitch, Everybody's Bitch. We wrap up the show with our What Are You Reading? segment.

This week's episode we're discussing quite a few hot topics. The show begins with a discussion of Ashley Ford's List of 9 Books to Add to the Modern Brown Girl Literary Canon. We were super impressed by the variety and thoughtfulness of the selections. (http://www.elle.com/culture/books/g26694/selections-from-the-modern-brown-girl-canon/) We also discuss a new comic Raising Dion (www.raisingdion.com) which is about a single mother raising a young boy who is discovered to have superpowers. The premise of this comic is super interesting and the youtube trailer is quite adorable(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9EIxEqrJw). The majority of the show is spent discussion Jennifer Weiner's latest "Who Do You Love". We round out the show with a Self Pubbed Spotlight--highlighting books from authors Delaney Diamond and Quanie Miller.

This week's show is a hodgepodge of topics and eventually ends up with our lamentations about our writing woes (real issues, not the Wheelchair Jimmy definition.) Articles discussed are linked below: Reading for pleasure builds empathy and improves wellbeing: http://readingagency.org.uk/news/media/reading-for-pleasure-builds-empathy-and-improves-wellbeing-research-from-the-reading-agency-finds.html Man admits to dumping thousands of books onto highway: http://jezebel.com/man-admits-to-dumping-thousands-of-books-onto-highway-1724331038?utm_campaign=socialflow_jezebel_facebook&utm_source=jezebel_facebook&utm_medium=socialflow Mat Johnson's Loving Day being adapted into Showtime comedy series: http://deadline.com/2015/08/mat-johnson-loving-day-showtime-comedy-racial-identity-1201500174/

In this week's episode we discuss: - NYT Obituary for Dr. Julian Bond. RIP: http://www.nytimes.com/2015/08/17/us/julian-bond-former-naacp-chairman-and-civil-rights-leader-dies-at-75.html?_r=1 - An interview between Dolen Perkins-Valdez and Lauren Francis- Sharma about the power of the American story: http://www.salon.com/2015/07/24/the_power_of_the_american_story_i_want_to_read_something_that_reaches_inside_me_and_rips_me_up_and_puts_me_back_together/ - The Iowa Barber offering haircuts for the price of a book being read to him: http://m.globegazette.com/ap/state/article_c208d548-72ab-51c4-b54c-c13e90dad31f.html?mobile_touch=true - And wrap up with a throwback to Episode Fifteen with books on books on books part deux!