Bookmarked

"She was the one among them who ruined his hate for them." In this amazing, joyous best seller, James McBride considers hate and the forces that ruin it in a small Pennsylvania town. Chris Gardner joined me to explore this novel.

My guest Jennifer Kabay described the memoir:

Burroughs is a high-paid professional and RAGING alcoholic. Like—bad. Like stinking up the elevator with gin seeping from his pores bad. And from page 1 you’re sucked into his personal cocktail of lies, shame, co-dependency, and self-destruction. Maybe it’s my toxic trait to find these memoirs utterly fascinating. But really, I want to understand. Because too many people I love struggle with addiction. Burroughs shares his rise and inevitable fall with surprising humor. Like seriously, this book is FUNNY. And I loved it. Straight to STAFF PICKS at the library and big love to anyone who has the courage to share their truth like this.

Small Acts of Courage chronicles the history of Velshi’s family and their migrations from India to South Africa to Kenya to Canada. Throughout, Velshi uses their experience to reflect on what it means to be a citizen—what happens when some people are denied full participation in a society, the best way to strive for full participation, and the responsibilities that go along with citizenship. Dr. Rebecca Bell-Metereau joins me to discuss this compelling book.

Eight (or is it nine?) translators in a primeval Polish forest in search of a missing author, complete with ghosts and flammable mushrooms. Brandon Beck and I explore this compelling, mysterious novel by translator Jennifer Croft.

Listen to a conversation with author David Meischen about his lyrical short story collection "Nopalito, Texas"--a compassionate look at the secret longings beneath the surface of life in a small Texas town.

Garrie Borden and I explored Celeste Ng's powerful novel, depicting a dystopian America that's way too much like this one.

Listen in for a conversation with San Marcos author Debbie Roppolo about her very funny take on family life and her award-winning children's books.

55 pages into this dark, compelling 1963 mystery , one word changes everything! Mystery enthusiast Joan Worley joined me to explore this fascinating example of West Coast Noir.

How do we remain hopeful in the face of ongoing injustice? a conversation with San Antonio Express-News columnist Cary Clack about his powerful new book, More Finish Lines to Cross: Notes on Race, Redemption, and Hope.

This wonderfully subtle novella reveals the adult world through a child's eyes, revealing layers of meaning within everyday life. Chris Gardner explored those layers with me.