Becky Cull, Mary Curran Hackett, and Abby Moran recap the first session of the Mercantile's War in Pieces discussion group, which is tackling War and Peace in four easy-to-read parts.

The group will meet to discuss Volume Two on April 9th. For more information, visit the Library's website:

http://new.mercantilelibrary.com/event/war-in-pieces-2/

Anthony Graziani of Article Menswear (http://articlemenswear.com/) joins Ben Greenberg and Chris Messick in a discussion of W. David Marx's Ametora: How Japan Saved American Style

Brendon Cull, John Faherty, Michael Link, and Abby Moran discuss David Benioff's City of Thieves.

CONTAINS SPOILERS

Garth Risk Hallberg received a record-setting $2 million advance for his sprawling debut novel, City on Fire, which is set in late 1970s New York City. In this episode, Jason Barron, Brendon Cull, and Chris Messick decide if it was worth the money.

As always, EPISODES CONTAINS SPOILERS.

Alyssa Brandt, Grace Dobush, John Faherty, and Deborah Ginocchio discuss Carrie Brownstein's memoir "Hunger Makes Me A Modern Girl."

Brendon Cull, Grace Dobush, and Austin Radcliffe talk about Lois Lowry's The Giver, and in the process invent the concept of the Flu Trilogy. Contains spoilers, including a minor and fairly oblique spoiler for Dave Eggers' The Circle.

Gabrielle Blocher, Brendon Cull, Chris Messick, and Cedric Rose have a freewheeling and spoiler filled conversation about the current pop culture they've been consuming lately.

In this vaguely holiday-themed episode (Father Christmas makes a brief and largely gratuitous appearance), Jason Barron, Gabrielle Blocher, and Deborah Ginocchio discuss C. S. Lewis' The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.

Gabrielle Blocher, Becky Cull, and Angela Potochnik discuss Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich.

Luke Blocher, Brendon Cull, and Pete Metz discuss David Maraniss' Once in a Great City