Kate often says that if she were a writer she would have trouble reading James McBride. It's hard not to hear a mic drop when you close the back cover. He is a master of storytelling; his sentences so packed with history, humor, and meaning that at times you forget what he was talking about, but you won't mind a bit. His writing often knocks off our socks, and his new novel, The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store, is no exception. For our bookstore this week? We let James choose one of his favorites, Watchung Booksellers in Montclair, New Jersey.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

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Andrew Ridker is but 32 years of age - yet already he has written what promises to be his second very successful novel - Hope. The title is an acronym for a medical study, but it is also a feeling that pervades his depiction of a Jewish suburban family, the Greenspans, living near Boston. Each member of the family stumbles, and struggles to find footing. But much as they may transgress, Ridker projects a belief that family of origin has an inexorable pull on all of his characters and all of us. Ridker is wise beyond his years and this book is downright funny at times! And did we mention the book has the best cover photo seen in years? Our bookstore this week is RJ Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut, owned by the very entertaining Roxanne Coady. A bookstore that pairs well with Ridker’s novel.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

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We have three horror shows left. But we are not sure Jennifer McMahon fits within the genre so neatly. If you are dipping your toe into the genre...start with the Children on the Hill, her latest. It's suspenseful, compelling, chilling and the ghoulish gore is at a bare minimum. We talk to her about why she keeps coming back to what scares her. We then talk to horror academic (yes, you heard us) Michael Arnzen, an accomplished writer in his own right.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

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We talked to the renowned bilingual author Esmeralda Santiago a few months about her incredible trilogy of memoirs. So when she sent us her new novel, Las Madres, we couldn’t wait. Turns out she is just as good of a fiction writer as she is a memoirist. This is a searing, funny and fascinating portrait of mothers and daughters, the connection Puerto Ricans feel to their island, whether we are made up of more than our memories….and so much more. It sounds like a lot, but she does it all and she does it all well. We also talk to Lynne Phillips of Wordsworth Books, one of the plaintiffs in the case against Arkansas Act 372. She will give us her recommendations and talk about why her fight is so important.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

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PATCHETT PUBLISHES!! That should be big news in the literary world. Ann Patchett has a new book out as of August 1st.  Tom Lake is the title - a novel influenced by COVID as three daughters come home to be with their mother during the pandemic. What do they want to talk about? Her past. And she has a past - having had a romance with a man who went on to become a famous actor. How much do you tell your kids? “I want them to think I was better than I was, and I want to tell them the truth…those two desires do not neatly co-exist.” Ann Patchett is a wonderful writer - one of America’s best! She’s also a wonderful and amusing talker! And she owns an independent bookstore - Parnassus Books in Nashville. That makes her a perfect guest, we think, for The Book Case.

Books mentioned in the podcast:

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

The Magician’s Assistant by Ann Patchett

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Run by Ann Patchett

Truth & Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett

This Is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann Patchett

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir about Writing and Life by Ann Patchett

Our Town by Thornton Wilder

Absolution by Alice McDermott

Do Tell by Lindsay Lynch

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This week we take you back in time to a book that is so good it’s ageless. Charlie interviewed author Markus Zusak about his phenomenal novel The Book Thief many, many years ago, and it has been a discovery and an interview that has stayed with him ever since. This week, we interview Markus about the phenomenon of his book and ask him how he came to write such a remarkable modern classic. If you haven’t read The Book Thief, run, don’t walk, to your nearest bookstore! If you already love it then you are in for a treat as we take a deep dive into the making of one of the great books of our time.

Books mentioned in the podcast:

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

The Messenger by Markus Zusak

Fighting Ruben Wolfe by Markus Zusak

Underdogs by Markus Zusak

When Dogs Cry by Markus Zusak

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean

The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne

Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

Breath by Tim Winton

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Historical fiction is the genre this week, and it centers around a lesser WWII phenomenon. During the Blitz, many British families sent their children abroad to live with families in Canada or the United States to keep them safe until the war was over. Beyond That, the Sea by debut novelist Laura Spence-Ash, beautifully weaves the tale of one of these children. Sent abroad by parents torn apart by their decision, Bea lives with an affluent family with whom she falls in love. She spends the rest of her life reckoning with that love how it shapes her sense of self. Our bookstore this week is a Las Vegas Gem (yes, we said Vegas) called The Writer’s Block. We hope you will join us. The Walt Disney Company is the parent company of ABC News.

Books mentioned in the podcast:

Beyond That, the Sea by Laura Spence-Ash

The Waves by Virginia Woolf

Fools of Fortune by William Trevor

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë

The Magician by Colm Tóibín

Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín

A Guest at the Feast by Colm Tóibín

The Guest by Emma Cline

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The History of a Difficult Child is a beautiful and sprawling family story set in Ethiopia during the Socialist Revolution. It is narrated by a young girl born into a family fighting against the system for their Christian beliefs, while being systematically relieved of their wealth and livelihood due to the oppressive incoming regime. It’s riveting, ambitious, and utterly compelling. And you know what else? It’s funny. Really funny! Take a journey with debut novelist Mihret Sibhat into The History of a Difficult Child, you will be so glad you did.

Books mentioned in this podcast:

The History of a Difficult Child by Mihret Sibhat

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz

Go as a River by Shelley Read

Family Lexicon by Natalia Ginzburg

Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg

All our Yesterdays by Natalia Ginzburg

A Small Place by Jamaica Kincaid

My Garden (Book) by Jamaica Kincaid

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Second Horror Thursday on The Book Case! Kicking off our month, we speak to the incredible Josh Malerman. How does one write a best selling horror novel while riding shotgun in a band van blasting Jerry Garcia from its speakers? And how did Josh decide to revisit his most famous work after living through the real life horror of Covid? The second of five deep dives into the horror genre, we invite you to take a step out of your comfort zone, explore what scares us, and learn how writers like Josh keep us up at night.

Books mentioned in the podcast:

Bird Box by Josh Malerman

Inspection by Josh Malerman

Malorie by Josh Malerman

Daphne by Josh Malerman

Pearl by Josh Malerman

Unbury Carol by Josh Malerman

A House at the Bottom of a Lake by Josh Malerman

Black Mad Wheel by Josh Malerman

Goblin: A Novel in Six Novellas by Josh Malerman

Foe by Iain Reeid

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Shining by Stephen King

The Sound and the Fury by William Faulkner

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Animal Farm by George Orwell

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There are times where Shelley Read’s Go as a River reads less like a novel and more of a philosophical teaching. Grounded in Buddhist philosophy, this is a beautiful story of love, nature, family and changing times. A lyrical journey of epoch proportions this book has a doomed love affair, a flooded town, an illegitimate child, a heartbreaking abandonment….and Shelley Read writes it all beautifully. As first time novelist, Read has created a journey that you will enjoy every mile of. For a bookstore this week we talk to Appletree Books in Cleveland OH.

Books mentioned in the podcast:

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