The Book Case

Delia Ephron went through hell. Her leukemia almost killed her - so did the treatments to cure it. In “Left on Tenth”, her new book that is on many best seller lists, she writes about wanting to die - pleading with the doctors to let her die. However a doctor, who perhaps knew Delia better than she knew herself, wouldn’t let her. And a late in life, second love, sustained her through the most difficult of times. Delia’s book is inspiring and is testament to the strength of the human spirit and the healing power of love. Now, remarkably recovered, she talks about her ordeal. Listen to her answer of what she wants the rest of her life to be. It will make you smile.

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You may know the story of Emmett Till. But you might’ve never heard his story if it weren't for one woman: Mamie Till-Mobley. In a new three-part season of ABC News' "Reclaimed" podcast, host Leah Wright Rigueur explores who Mamie Till-Mobley was before she lost her son: a young girl growing up in Illinois. Rigueur traces Mamie's journey after Emmett’s death, and how she turned her grief into a movement that changed the course of American history.

The first two episodes of "Reclaimed" are available now. To listen, follow the show on Apple Podcasts (https://apple.co/3zofsOC), Spotify (https://spoti.fi/3PSLBDU), Amazon Music (https://amzn.to/3tgHfNf), or wherever you like to listen.

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Azar Nafisi offers you - a reader - a challenge. It is the title of her latest book - “Read Dangerously”. Azar comes with a unique perspective. She was teaching in Iran when the clerics took over, banned books, and eliminated many of the freedoms that Americans often take for granted. She caused something of a sensation when she wrote “Reading Lolita in Tehran” - contending that reading fiction can be a liberating and even subversive act. Now she teaches in the United States and worries that Americans aren’t reading enough - specifically aren’t reading works that take them outside their comfort zone. What freedoms could we lost if we don’t "Read Dangerously"? Her argument is an important one and very much worth a listen. 

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Odds are you’ve never heard of Shelby Van Pelt. She is a new author, and as we spoke she was just a week away from the publication of her first novel “Remarkably Bright Creatures”. Strange to say but this is a novel novel and both of us loved it. A writing advisor once told Shelby to try writing from an unlikely point of view - and has she done just that! Her narrator is an octopus. But not just any octopus. Marcellus is a captive in an aquarium and from that vantage point is an observer of we humans. He doesn’t have much respect for what he sees, but his warm, funny and wary narrative will have you hooked from the first page.

As in almost all our podcasts, you’ll also hear from an independent bookseller from somewhere in the country. We believe independent book stores are critical. In this podcast, Otto Penzler of The Mysterious Bookshop in New York talks about mysteries as literature. Believe us, Otto knows mysteries, and is acutely aware that we all love ‘em.

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John Irving has written fourteen novels, is working on a fifteenth, has been translated into more than thirty languages, and is one of America’s most popular and beloved authors. If you’ve never read a John Irving novel, how would John suggest you start? What great American writers does he loathe (spoiler alert, one is considered America’s greatest author) and why did John adopt a model for story telling that was more than a century old? And how does he draw readers into his novels so that they will read the whole book? Our conversation with John is a master class on writing, and how he tackles his craft might surprise you.

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Dr. Carla Hayden is the Librarian of Congress. In the 222 year history of the Library of Congress there has never before been a female Librarian of Congress, nor an African-American Librarian of Congress. Carla Hayden has broken many barriers. Dr. Hayden comes from a background of having run the Baltimore public libraries and from having a critical role in running Chicago’s libraries. On her first day in the job, what did she want to see, and hold, in the Library’s incredible collection? How can any citizen utilize the Library of Congress? And how can a library absorb 10,000 new items every single day? Carla Hayden holds the most important librarian’s job in the world - and she refers to librarians as the world’s “first search engines."

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Calling all parents - you need to listen to Mary Laura Philpott and read her insightful essays that speak to everyone who ever raised a child. In the vein of Erma Bombeck and Nora Ephron, her new book is “Bomb Shelter” - something she wishes she could build around her two children as they prepare to leave home and begin adulthood. Like all of us, she struggles with the realization she can’t keep them safe. It’s hard to imagine a writer could say something totally original about parenting and yet she does. She is witty and wise and the angst she feels about wanting to keep her kids safe applies to all of us.

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Niall Williams is an Irishman who possesses the Irish knack for telling a great story, and he does this in lyrical prose that will take your breath away. He was living in America, participating in the infamous New York City rat race, when he and his wife decided 35 years ago they needed to go back to the land of their birth, Ireland, and find out if they could write. And can he ever. If you haven’t read “This is Happiness”, you must. Just for the pure beauty of Niall’s language. And if you have read it, you’ll love our conversation as his language and his gentle Irish lilt are delightful.

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How better to begin a weekly podcast on books than with Oprah Winfrey who has, in the last quarter century, done more to get Americans to read than almost any literacy program we can think of. However the beginning of her book club was something of an accident. Oprah tells us why she didn’t believe it had a chance. She tells us what is in her personal, extraordinary collection of books, what she finds the perfect reading environment, and Oprah even takes a suggestion from Kate about how she might change her reading habits. Oprah's enthusiasm for reading has proven infectious to the entire nation, and her enthusiasm for literature is addicting. After you hear our conversation, Oprah will have you wanting to immediately pick up a book. We guarantee it

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Are you stuck in a reading rut? The Book Case, a new weekly series from ABC Audio launching May 2, makes the case for books outside of your usual genre. Wander the aisles of your local bookstore with Kate and Charlie Gibson and meet fascinating characters who will open your appetite to new categories while deepening your hunger for books. The Book Case will journey cover to cover through the literary world, featuring interviews with best-selling authors, tastemakers, and independent bookstore owners.

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