This week we're back to the Yorkshire Dales with All Things Bright and Beautiful by James Herriot. This is a wonderful mix of connected stories full of the heartwarming and everyday humor and kindness that makes Herriot's books favorites around the world.

We talk with podcaster and author L.B. Graham about a few of the stories that have shaped his life and imagination. We discuss his work as a hospital chaplain, the mission of his podcast, the experience of world-building in writing fantasy, and the enduring value of great stories, including a quick tour through a few of the best, with Descent into Hell, The Martian Chronicles, and Idylls of the King.

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The Táin Bó Cúailnge is a journey into the fierce, strange, and unforgettable world of ancient Ireland. What begins as pillow talk between a husband and wife sparks a kingdom-wide conflict over a prized bull. Armies march, heroes clash, and the legendary deeds of Cú Chulainn take center stage. Ancient Ireland comes alive in one of the oldest, strangest, and wildest epics in European storytelling.

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It all starts with a treasure map. Let's set sail with Treasure Island - where there's pirates and mutineers and maroons and adventures to be had!

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Born on the edge of the American frontier, Crockett grew up hunting, working, and surviving in a rugged, rapidly expanding nation. With little formal education, he still rose to prominence in Congress, through grit, storytelling, and powerful reputation.

We trace his journey from backwoods hunter to congressman, where he clashed with then current political policies, standing on principle even when it cost him politically.

Finally, we follow him to Texas and the fateful stand at the Battle of the Alamo.

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We enter the sinister world of Macbeth - a tragedy of ambition, prophecy, guilt, and conscience. With one of the greatest lady villains of all time, this play shows the terrible cost of taking fate into your own hands, whatever it takes. While this one is dark it also does a masterful job of displaying the contrast of the light.

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A boy named Eustace Clarence Scrubb (yes, really!) gets dragged into a world he doesn’t believe in....and it doesn’t go well at first. Alongside his cousins, Lucy and Edmund, as well as the valiant Reepicheep, and King Caspian of Narnia, the Dawn Treader sails east into unknown waters, looking for lost friends and perhaps, the very end of the world.

And no one is the same by the end of the voyage.

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In the wonderful book, The Giver by Lois Lowry, a young male named Jonas is Eleven, about to become a Twelve. And all seems well. There's structure, there's system, and he knows the rules. But when he's chosen to be the Receiver of Memory, he learns the wonder and the cost of things that extend beyond the safety of his upbringing.

This is a powerful story about what it means to remember, to feel, and to truly live.

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A strange and charming fairy tale about a giant who keeps his heart hidden outside his body.

This tale has all the classic fairytale elements along with the bigger question of why would someone even want to keep their heart elsewhere?

What makes a man “great”—his victories or his character?

In this episode, we step into Plutarch’s account of Alexander the Great. And not just the conqueror of the known world at the time, but the complex, driven, and often contradictory actions of the man himself. From taming the wild horse Bucephalus as a boy to win after win after win in conquering tribes and nations, Alexander’s life is a story of brilliance and ambition.

Plutarch isn’t just reciting history but describing the character of the man. And in Alexander, there's a lot to discover. He led an amazing life by all accounts.