Red Fern Book Review by Amy Tyler

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Amy interviews bestselling author Katherine Heiny about her hilarious, big-hearted novel Early Morning Riser. The book features a cast of lovable characters in a small town whose lives are forever changed after an accident. Katherine talks about literary influences from Anne Tyler and Stephen King and relives her 20s when she one day wore a bridesmaid dress to work.

Books and Resources discussed:

Early Morning Riser by Katherine Heiny
Standard Deviation by Katherine Heiny
Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen
The Accidental Tourist by Anne Tyler
Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding
High Fidelity by Nick Hornby
Strawberry Spring, podcast
Heartburn by Nora Ephron
Early Morning Riser, song by Deb Talan, Steve Tannen and The Wheepies
Misery by Stephen King
On Writing by Stephen King
Succession, HBO
Insecure, HBO
Murder in Illinois, podcast
Brood by Jackie Polzin
Tig and Cheryl: True Story, podcast

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Geoff is in the house to discuss one of his favourite authors, Mr. Difficult himself, Jonathan Franzen. Franzen's latest book, Crossroads, is discussed.  Set in the 1970s, this book is the story of a Midwestern family at a pivotal moment of moral crisis. Amy and Geoff also discuss Mayflies by Andrew O'Hagan. This poignant and at times fun book looks at a group of lifelong friends as they set out for the concert of their lives.  It is story of male friendship and what it means to grow up.

Books and Resources discussed:

The Alpinist, Amazon Prime
Mr. Difficult, podcast
Mayflies by Andrew O’Hagan
The Corrections by Jonathan Franzen
Purity by Jonathan Franzen
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Crossroads by Jonathan Franzen

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I participate in affiliate marketing programs where I receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on my website. Your cost remains unchanged. Thank you for supporting Red Fern Book Review by clicking on these links to make your purchases!

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Three magical realism novels, The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki, Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertino and Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders, are reviewed.

Books and Resources Discussed:

Only Murders in the Building, Hulu and Disney+
Everything is Alive, podcast
The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki
Parakeet by Marie-Helene Bertino
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
A Tale for the Time Being by Ruth Ozeki
Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman
Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
A Swim in a Pond in the Rain by George Saunders

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Book Subscription Box: The Red Fern Book Review Spring Book Box

Affiliate Links

I participate in affiliate marketing programs where I receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on my website. Your cost remains unchanged. Thank you for supporting Red Fern Book Review by clicking on these links to make your purchases!

Follow Red Fern Book Review:

Website and to leave a voicemail: https://www.redfernbookreview.com
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Fantasy Fiction aficionado and Instagram mixologist Jeanette Bruce joins Red Fern to discuss fantasy fiction and a classic thriller. The Starless Sea is a luminous fantasy novel heavy on imagery and lighter on world building. The Shadow of the Wind is a timeless, modern classic set in Barcelona about a young man who owns a copy of a rare book at his own peril. Jeanette and Amy discuss cocktails and tea, what constitutes a fantasy novel and the role of women in The Shadow of the Wind.

Books and Resources discussed:

The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

The Magicians by Lev Grossman

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Greenwood by Michael Christie

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Book Subscription Box: The Red Fern Book Review Spring Book Box

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Instagram: @liljables

To read Jeanette's book reviews: Armchair Books

Info on the next Whistler Community Book Club, April 25 at 7 p.m.: Greenwood

To hear another Red Fern podcast episode with Jeanette click here:

Short Stories and Fantasy Fiction

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I participate in affiliate marketing programs where I receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on my website. Your cost remains unchanged. Thank you for supporting Red Fern Book Review by clicking on these links to make your purchases!

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Historical novel The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict delves into the mysterious, real-life disappearance of Agatha Christie. I compare this novel to Christie’s first book The Mysterious Affair at Styles. It's been over 100 years since the mystery queen penned her first book but it is a page turner.

Books and Resources discussed:
The Red Fern Book Review Spring Book Box
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie by Marie Benedict
The Mysterious Affair at Styles by Agatha Christie
The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont
Mindful of Murder by Susan Juby
CODA (2021), movie
Mystic Pizza (1988), movie
The Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Curtain by Agatha Christie
Agatha (1979), movie
The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict

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Book Subscription Box: The Red Fern Book Review Spring Book Box


Affiliate Links
I participate in affiliate marketing programs where I receive a small commission when products are purchased through links on my website. Your cost remains unchanged. Thank you for supporting Red Fern Book Review by clicking on these links to make your purchases!

Follow Red Fern Book Review:

Website and to leave a voicemail: https://www.redfernbookreview.com
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Newsletter: https://www.redfernbookreview.com/newsletter

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Women and Literature expert Reema Faris is back to look at contemporary romance fiction and adaptations. Reema and Amy discuss the continued proliferation of romance fiction and if there is such a thing as one true love.

Books and Resources discussed:

Bridgerton, Netlix
The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn
Dune (2021), movie
The Wheel of Time, Amazon Prime
The Bennett Women by Eden Appiah-Kubi
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
The Soul of a Woman by Isabel Allende
Forgotten in Death by J.D. Robb
Love Between the Covers (2015), Documentary

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Follow Reema Faris:
Website: Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Simon Fraser University
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SFU.GSWS/

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Women and literature academic Reema Faris joins Red Fern to discuss the enduring popularity of romance fiction. In this first of a two-parts series, the history of romance novels is examined.  Amy makes an argument for Hallmark Christmas movies.

Books and resources discussed:

A Natural History of the Romance Novel by Pamela Regis
Pamela by Samuel Richardson
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
The Devil’s Cub by Georgette Heyer
The Wolf and the Dove by Kathleen E. Woodiwiss
Something Wonderful by Judith McNaught
Possession: A Romance by A.S. Byatt
Bridgerton, Netflix

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Follow Reema Faris:
Website: Department of Gender, Sexuality and Women's Studies, Simon Fraser University
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/SFU.GSWS/

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Writer and academic Suzanne Scott drops by the podcast to discuss two books that inspire her as a writer. The Friend is an experimental book that Suzanne describes as a jazz piece riffing and improvising on the themes of suicide, writing and dogs. The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donoghue is a gripping historical novel set during the Spanish Flu at a Dublin maternity hospital. Suzanne reveals how The Chair accurately captures an academic environment and The Secret Life of Writers podcast is a source of inspiration.

Books and Resources:
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
The Pull of the Stars by Emma Donaghue
Room by Emma Donaghue
The Chair, Netflix
Country Girls by Edna O’Brien
Station Eleven by Emily St. John
Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam
The Secret Life of Writers, Podcast
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle
Herself: Reflections on a Writing Life by Madeleine L’Engle
The Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys
A Bright Ray of Darkness by Ethan Hawke

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Read Suzanne Scott's Writing:
First Person, The Globe and Mail, February 12, 2018
How to Love and Support Your Alpha Wife​ 

Facts & Arguments, The Globe and Mail, April 12, 2016
As My Newly minted teen gazed over New York, I could only gaze on him

First Person, The Globe and Mail, October 6, 2021
What Does it Mean to Be a Middle-Aged Woman Today?

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English teacher Liz Kelsey is back in the house to discuss David Copperfield. The most autobiographical of all of Dickens' works, David Copperfield is a blend of truth and fiction. The novel offers up an early example of the found or unconventional family as well as an array of eccentric characters who are very supportive and happy. There is also a clash in the representation of nasty predators and hyper caregivers that keeps the plot moving along.

Books and Resources discussed:
David Copperfield by Charles Dickens
Hard Times by Charles Dickens
Mol Flanders by Daniel Defoe
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defore
1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die by Peter Boxall
Native Son by Richard Wright
The Personal History of David Copperfield, Amazon Prime

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Friend and academic Liz Kelsey joins Amy in a two part episode on the classics. In the first episode Liz explores Jane Austen's lesser known work Lady Susan. The novella was was written when Jane was a teen and published after her death. It centres around the life of  beautiful, racy widow Lady Susan Vernon who is often described as the most accomplished coquette in England. Liz explores why Jane Austen is so popular today and discusses modern print and movie adaptations that have contributed to the author's endurance in the literary canon. Next week, Liz and Amy will explore David Copperfield by Charles Dickens

Lady Susan by Jane Austen
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
Mansfield Park by Jane Austen
Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
Sense & Sensibility by Joanna Trollope
Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld
Longbourn by Jo Baker
Love and Friendship, Amazon Prime
Clarissa by Samuel Richardson


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