Charlotte and Megan sit down with Pete to talk about Roxane Gay's first volume of short stories, originally published in 2011 and rereleased in 2018.

Want to join the conversation about "Ayiti"?

We have a Big Book Club Podcast Facebook group and a Goodreads group.  Hang out on twitter? Share your thoughts with the hashtag #BigBookPodcast.

Mentioned in this episode - Booklist - Ayiti: Suggested further reading.

Next month: "Frankenstein," by Mary Shelley

What we're reading next:

• Charlotte - "Haiti: The Aftershocks of History," by Laurent Dubois; "Gods of Jade and Shadow," by Silvia Moreno-Garcia; "Artificial Condition: The Murderbot Diaries, Book 2" by Martha Wells
• Megan - "The Bromance Book Club" by Lyssa Kay Adams; "Circe" by Madeline Miller

In this episode, Jennie and Megan talk with Pete about how Colson Whitehead uses metaphor throughout his novel to to create a jolting, yet beautiful, story of America.

Want to join the discussion about "The Underground Railroad"?

We have a Big Book Club Podcast Facebook group and a Goodreads group.  Hang out on twitter? Share your thoughts with the hashtag #BigBookPodcast.

Further reading:

• The Underground Railroad Read-alikes
• More Speculative History

What we're reading next:

• Jennie - "The Ghost Bride" by Yangsze Choo
• Megan - "Palaces for the people: How Social Infrastructure Can Help Fight Inequality, Polarization, and the Decline of Civic Life" by Eric Klinenberg, and "These Witches Don't Burn" by Isabel Sterling

Deborah and Megan talk with Pete about their personal experience of reading "Little Women," the history of its publication, and why this book is still worth talking about.

Want to join the conversation about "Little Women"?

We have a Big Book Club Podcast Facebook group and a Goodreads group.  Hang out on twitter? Share your thoughts with the hashtag #BigBookPodcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "Meg, Jo, Beth, and Amy: A Graphic Novel" by Rey Terciero
• "Little Women" film adaptation, 1994

Little Women: Suggested further reading.

What we're reading next:

• Deborah - "The Black Cauldron" by Lloyd Alexander
• Megan - Flannery O'Conner's "The Complete Stories" and "Crazy Cupid Love" by Amanda Heger

Welcome to the Big Book Club, from Arlington Public Library in Arlington, Virginia! Each month on the podcast our librarian-bibliophile hosts will share their insights and reactions to a buzz-worthy book. We'll feature popular books, books in the news, classics worth a second look, and titles coming to a theater near you.

This month librarians Jennie and Megan talk to Pete about why we read romance, and how Casey McQuiston's "Red White & Royal Blue" captured so much of the current zeitgeist.

Want to join the conversation about "Red, White & Royal Blue"?

We have a Big Book Club Podcast Facebook group and a Goodreads group.  Hang out on twitter? Share your thoughts with the hashtag #BigBookPodcast.

Mentioned in this episode:

• "The Crown," on Netflix; the Library has Season 1 and Season 2 on DVD

Red, White & Royal Blue: Suggested further reading.

What we're reading next:

• Jennie - "Come Tumbling Down" by Seanan McGuire
• Megan - "Hungry Hearts: 13  Tales of Food and Love" and "The Cartiers: the Untold Story of the Family Behind the Jewelry Empire" by Francesca Cartier Brickell