The Book Case

Pamela Colloff is an accomplished investigative journalist and has written "Catch the Devil" about a frighteningly prolific jailhouse snitch.  Paul Skalnik testified in dozens of cases that inmates in Florida prisons had confessed their guilt to him.  Often prosecutors won convictions based largely on Skalnik’s testimony including four cases where he was instrumental on putting men on Florida’s death row.  One of them, Jim Dailey, was convicted of murdering a 14 year old girl.  Despite evidence that has come out since Dailey’s conviction, he sits on Florida’s death row.  He has been there over 40 years unable to get a new trial.  Colloff repeatedly met Skalnik who said he would tell her the truth about all his testimonies.  He never did.   But Colloff has reported the story in brilliant detail and writes about how often prosecutors use jailhouse snitches knowing their testimony may be tainted.  Skalnik’s repeated claims of jailhouse confessions defied credulity... so why did prosecutors continue to put him on the stand?  Why didn’t judges disallow his testimony?  Why did appellate courts accept his word?  It’s a compelling story - worth a reader’s time.

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Catch the Devil by Pamela Colloff

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Jenny Jackson’s newest, The Shampoo Effect, tells the story of an insular gang of year-round beach residents who have known each other all their lives. Until one member of their clique begins to date outside of the group-they are generally an exclusive “they go out on and off” type of friends. So how will they handle a new girlfriend they don’t know or with whom they have so little in common? The book is nuanced, funny and asks the question: what does marriage mean in the current world? We also talk to Scott D. Reich whose book One Day in September tells the story of a historic baseball game that evolved into the All-Star game we know today. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

One Day in September by Scott D. Reich

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Paul Tremblay has written a science fiction book that will prompt all sorts of important questions about AI, the role of consciousness in humanity, and how writers might have to work around AI in order to keep their work original and sustainable and it’s called DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. We love a book that poses important questions like these while still being a good page turner, and this is one of those. This is the story of Julia, a semi professional video gamer asked to take remote control of a body in a vegetative state. It’s suspenseful, strange, and will leave you with all sorts of questions about the age in which we live. We also talk to Final Draft Books in Wichita Kansas, which is opening this weekend (TAKE NOTE WICHITA). This husband and wife owner team bring a starry eyed excitement to the store that will charm the pants of all our listeners. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

The Pallbearer’s Club by Paul Tremblay

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Phillip K. Dick

The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed by Christof Koch

2666 by Robert Balano

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

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Kevin Powers’ Children of the Wild is a book about Roy and Ennis, two friends on a farm who sign up for WWI, one excited for battle, one a feral child baffled by war. What does war do to friendship? To the minds of men? We talk to Kevin, a veteran of the war in Iraq, about his ability to write war so well and the effects of PTSD on his characters. We also talk to Bartleby Books in Vermont…join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Children of the Wild by Kevin Powers

A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers

A Shout in the Ruins by Kevin Powers

Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting by Kevin Powers

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist

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2026 is half over. And Kate turned 50 on June 16th. So in honor of all of this half life, we decided to talk about our favorite books so far of 2026. Tana French, Tayari Jones, Ann Patchett and Allegra Goodman all made the list, but there are so many books we have loved this year that we think we mention just about all of them. Then we quiz each other on rapid fire and get sort of gooey about it. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case: ⁠

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

 Kin by Tayari Jones

The Keeper by Tana French

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

Whistler by Ann Patchett

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving

The Hero Next Door by Martha Raddatz

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

The Things We Do Not Say by Elizabeth Strout

Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich

Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott

The Power Broker by Robert Caro

The Holy Bible

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

There, There by Tommy Orange

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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Carlos Barragan’s book The Yahoo Boys schooled us on the huge and terrifying world of online moneymaking scams. From the romance scams (pretending to be a man or woman you are not, wooing others into sending you money), to celeb scams (pretending to be a celebrity for money), all the way to adoption scams (send us money, we will get you a baby). As horrible as these schemes are, Barragan takes an in depth look at the scammers, specifically in the community of Ikotun, Nigeria, painting a thorough portrait of the scammers and the loneliness in our world that allows them to thrive.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case: ⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception and the Real Lives of Nigeria’s Romance Scammers by Carlos Barragan

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Martha Raddatz is a war correspondent, one of the biggest household names in front line reporting. Her newest book, The Hero Next Door tells the story of the service men, women and the caregivers who bring honor to the uniform. From celebrations to heartbreak, these are the stories that have stayed with Martha throughout her decade of brave work, shadowing families and soldiers both on and off the battlefield. We are also talking to a mother daughter team that run LALA Books in Lowell, MA. Join us for two great conversations!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

The Hero Next Door by Martha Raddatz

The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

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Ann Patchett has written a new novel, and if you are a listener to this show, you know we are both huge fans of her work. Her newest, Whistler, is beautiful book about grace, kindness, the relationships we can’t let go and what we learn of ourselves in a crisis. When we asked if we could

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Bel Canto: The Annotated Edition by Ann Patchett

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

These Precious Days by Ann Patchett

The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Commonwealth by Ann Patchett

Run by Ann Patchett

This is the Story of a Marriage by Ann Patchett

Truth & Beauty by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Taft by Ann Patchett

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li

Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson

Dr. Zhivago by Boris Pasternak

The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

The Wizard of Oz by Frank L. Baum

Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

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Jesmyn Ward is arguably one of the most important writers of our generation.  She has won two National Book Awards before fifty (first woman to do that and first Black woman to do that). And in this, her new essay book, ON WITNESS AND RESPAIR, she writes essays on everything from Faulkner to Hurricane Katrina. This book is in part a look back at some of her most impactful essays, speeches, and book introductions-but this is also a remarkable book full of pain, fascination and joy. Join us in our conversation with one of the generations most thoughtful and talented writers.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

Let us Descend by Jesmyn Ward

Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward

Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward

Men We Reaped by Jesmyn Ward

The Fire This Time by Jesmyn Ward

Where the Line Bleeds by Jesmyn Ward

Between the World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates

Heavy by Kiese Laymon

In Cold Blood by Truman Capote

The Years by Nicholas Delbanco

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It has been quite a few months since we checked in with J. Ryan Stradal, our writer in residence. He is in his editing stage, making sure that the latest draft he delivers is the best he can do. AND, he has a title-NEXT WEEK WHEN THINGS CALM DOWN (we love this title). We talk to him

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal

Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal

Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan

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