Today I’m talking about a fiery psychological thriller, Bonfire by Krysten Ritter. I’m not just excited to talk about the plot; I’m also stoked (get it?) to discuss her creative process and some surprising things we can learn from actors who are authors. Additionally, I’m touching on something that’s sparked my attention lately: how books like Gone Girl, The Woman in the Window, Sharp Objects, and Bonfire are either fanning the flames of the dead girl trope or burning it down. As usual, you can find Plotboilers on iTunes, Spotify, or right here on the Plotboilers website. Additionally, I love getting reviews and ratings on iTunes, so toss a few (or five?) stars my direction!

Books mentioned in this episode:

* Bonfire by Krysten Ritter

* Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn

* Sharp Objects by Gillian Flynn

* The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins

* The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn

Fredrik Backman is a Swedish writer best known for his books (A Man Called Ove, My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry, etc.) Today, I’m talking about one of his most recent works “Beartown,” a book that focuses on a small town’s relationship with ice hockey and the interwoven lives of the people who live there. Spoiler alert: I think this book is great, and I hope you do too. There are a ton of themes and ideas that come up in Beartown, but the one I’m most excited to discuss is loyalty. Is loyalty always a good thing? What happens when we misplace it? These are the questions Backman asks in the Beartown narrative – and just a few of the ones he answers as well.

Books mentioned in this episode:

* Beartown by Fredrik Backman

* A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

* Us Against You by Fredrik Backman

* My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

* Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman

Join me as I discuss The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury with guests Josiah and Benji! For those of you who have tuned in before, you might remember Josiah and Benji from a few months ago when we talked about “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?” by Philip K. Dick. (Psssst! We’re also reviewing wine again.)

If you enjoy Plotboilers, toss a rating and / or review my way on iTunes. And don’t forget, you can follow me on Twitter @plotboilers.

If you’ve read The Martian Chronicles or have thoughts about our thoughts on it, drop me a line in the comments below. I’d love to hear from you!

Books mentioned in this episode: 

* The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

Wines mentioned in this episode:

* House Wine (Dark Cabernet Sauvignon)

* Moral Compass 2015 Cabernet Sauvignon

PS – At the top of this episode, we mention that we are probably going to spoil the ending. Partway through, we decided not to spoil it!

Today I’m sharing an episode from another podcast, How to Write Good. Why? Because the host of HTWG podcast, Daniel Poppie, was kind enough to invite me onto the show as a guest! I’ve never guested on a show before, so this was a new – and super fun – experience. Join us as we talk about a few recent books I’ve discovered along with their creative implications. You can join the discussion in the comments below or on Twitter at @HTWGPodcast. I also encourage you to subscribe to HTWG podcast on iTunes (or wherever you get your podcasts!); it’s well worth your time if you enjoy writing and/or thinking about the creative process from a fun yet philosophical perspective.

Books mentioned in this episode:

*

My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Fredrik Backman

*

The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

 

Let’s talk about short story writing! On the one hand, short stories are simpler than novels because – as the name implies – they are short. On the other hand, the target is a lot smaller which means the margin for error is a lot bigger.

I’ve compiled a few of the things that I think make short stories a specific breed of difficult, and also a few notes on my personal process for writing them. Obviously, everyone’s creative process is different, but I’ve discovered that it’s actually harder to find solid resources on short story writing, opposed to long-form stories like a novel.

At the end of the day, short stories are a challenge because they don’t always (or in my experience, ever) fit the traditional three-act structure. That might sound crazy coming from someone who talks about story structure a lot, but it’s true. Depending on how short your story is, it’s probably not going to have a clearly defined first, second, and third act – at least not in the same capacity that a novel about the same topic, character or situation would. On the flipside, examining your short story through the lens of the three-act structure can be beneficial as well.

P.S. – You can find me on iTunes. If you like Plotboilers, it’d make my day if you rated and reviewed the show there!

Music: Twine by Podington Bear © Chad Crouch

Let’s talk about collectible books! First things first: Did you know there’s a difference between a first edition and a first printing? Both are cool, but many collectors prefer the first printing to the first edition. I’ll tell you why, and relay a few hacks I’ve discovered in my own book collecting pursuits to help you find and identify first and collectible editions of your favorite titles.

But first, it’s book giveaway time! If you follow me on Twitter, you know I promised a giveaway of a signed copy of Happily by Chauncey Rogers. Listen to the show to find out how you could win a copy!

Book Recommendations from this Episode:

* Time Was Soft There: A Paris Sojourn at Shakespeare & Co. by Jeremy Mercer

* A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

* Happily by Chauncey Rogers [Giveaway book!]

* A Prayer Journal by Flannery O’Connor

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep is a novel by Philip K. Dick. It’s also the inspiration for the movie Blade Runner, although I wouldn’t have guessed it by the title. I’ve been meaning to read this book for a long time, and as it turns out, so have fellow book enthusiasts Josiah and Benji. Join us as we discuss everything from plot to themes to the wine we’re drinking while we review it – and if you like what you’ve heard here, let me know by leaving Plotboilers a review on iTunes, following me on Twitter, and sharing your thoughts in the comments below! (Seriously, I love hearing from you guys. It makes my day.)

Wine mentioned in this episode: 2015 Château de Brandey Bordeaux  

Dropped thirty bucks for a pre-#BladeRunner copy. Tagline on the back is as wildly worth the money as it is unrelated to th actual text between the covers. 10/10 would recommend. pic.twitter.com/C6CK2CnvAI

— Emily Brady (@Plotboilers) April 14, 2018

NOTE: As per usual, Plotboilers discusses story elements. This means you’re going to hear about plot points, characters, etc. If you want to pick up Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep and read with completely fresh eyes, pause the podcast, read the book, and then give it a listen. Otherwise, my goal is for you to be able to enjoy the book after listening, too!

Today, I’m discussing Happily by Chauncey Rogers – a brand new YA retelling of the classic fairytale, Cinderella.  I know what you’re thinking: Why would I want to read a book if I already what happens? Well, I can promise you don’t know what’s going to happen in this one. I’ve actually had the pleasure of reading Happily about five times. Why? Because Chauncey asked me to perform the audiobook of Happily and the opportunity was too good to pass up.

While I’d love to talk about how much fun it is to narrate (and how my neighbors probably think I talk to myself a lot), what I’m really excited to talk about is how Happily’s protagonist got me thinking about females in YA literature. Spoiler alert: More often than not, they fail to fit the glass slipper of my critical expectations. Happily, on the other hand, gives readers a little bit more to think about than most fairytales – so let’s dive in!

Happily is available now on Amazon, and I will let you know when the audiobook is released!

If you like what you’ve heard on Plotboilers, drop me a rating and review on iTunes! Seriously, it means the world to get your feedback, plus it helps other people find the show.

It’s Plotboilers’ tenth episode! In honor of my longstanding “don’t see the movie before you’ve read the book” tradition, I’m taking a look at A Wrinkle In Time by Madeleine L’Engle. It’s a short book, but there’s a lot to talk about so I’m going to cover characters, body image, and how the story depicts religion. Most importantly, I’m here to prove it’s never too late to finish your fourth-grade reading list.

May the record show this episode went live in February! Well, at least for those of us on the West Coast. To celebrate the shortest month of the year, I’ve got a quick book review (recommendation, really) for you. And since this book is actually about the writing life, I’ve combined the show’s normal segments into one. If you haven’ read Jhumpa Lahiri, I highly recommend her two collections of short stories, Interpreter of Maladies and Unaccustomed Earth. Someday, I’d like to review some of her other other works but for now, I hope you all enjoy my discussion of The Clothing of Books.

Books mentioned in this episode:

The Clothing of Books by Jhumpa Lahiri

Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri