Between The Covers

This week, Jay’s pick is the 1962 novel by Anthony Burgess, A Clockwork Orange, which focuses on a violent teen subculture and a dystopian society’s attempt at reformation. Chaos Reader updates her progress on the biography she’s reading of Gerald Ford.

Jay’s entry this week to his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language is Thomas Hardy’s 1892 novel Tess of the D’Urbervilles, and it raises issues 21st century readers are still grappling with. Chaos Reader discusses her reading goals for 2026.

A NOTE ON THE SOUND: We discovered a mic issue after we recorded, so we know the sound is off on this one, but it wasn’t possible to fix in editing. We apologize and hope you’ll stick with this episode anyway.

This week’s entry on Jay’s list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language is William Makepeace Thackeray’s VANITY FAIR, often considered the Victorian domestic novel that kicked off this sub-genre of fiction. Jay talks about why he has so much affection for the 1848 book that follows the lives of Becky Sharp and Amelia Sedley through British society. Chaos Reader checks in on the biography she’s reading of Gerald Ford.

Jay chose Anthony Doerr’s CLOUD CUCKOO LAND for this episode’s lovable novel.  While the plot sounded a bit wackadoodle to Stacey, Doerr’s deft ability to link the book’s different narratives to a common theme that booklovers can relate to makes an effective case for its lovability. Chaos Reader discusses her personal reaction to being in a musical based on Dickens’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL.

Jonathan Swift’s 1726 novel GULLIVER’S TRAVELS is Jay’s pick this week for his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language, and Stacey admits she had a very narrow view of what the book was like to read or what it is really about. (Spoiler: It’s not a children’s story.) Chaos Reader discusses a recent New Yorker essay that made an impact on her.

Walter Scott’s IVANHOE: A ROMANCE is Jay’s choice for his 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language list this week. A 19th century example of medievalism, the book takes readers back to England in the Middle Ages and influenced how people think of this era today and significantly influenced 19th, 20th and 21st fiction to come. Chaos Reader buys a collection of poems by Margaret Atwood.

Jay chose Louisa May Alcott’s LITTLE WOMEN for this week’s lovable novel (which is also a lovely Christmas read) and surprises Stacey with the backstory of how it got written and how some savvy young readers green-lit the manuscript to get it published. After this discussion of Meg, Jo, Beth and Amy’s passage from girlhood to womanhood in Civil War-era New England, Chaos Reader picks up a biography of Gerald R. Ford about his passage from Congressman to President.  

This week Jay enters Jack London’s 1903 naturalist fiction novel The Call of the Wild, which Stacey was surprised to learn is not a children’s or young-adult novel. London’s dog hero Buck and his struggles highlight many issues inherent in a growing industrial economy as it trickles down to the creatures upon whom the work depends. Chaos Reader revisits Exit Interview for an update.

Jay convinces Stacey to read James Baldwin’s 1953 semi-autobiographical novel Go Tell It on the Mountain, a coming-of-age novel that grapples with race and religion in mid-twentieth century America. Chaos Reader gives a progress report and shares a tribute to a big influence in her reading life after his recent passing.

This week, Jay puts Louise Erdrich’s The Night Watchman on his list of the 100 Most Lovable Novels in the English Language. Stacey wants to know how he chose from Erdrich’s extensive list of works, because she too loves this American author and her entire canon. Chaos Reader checks in on her progress reading the Irish novel The Star of the Sea.