Kate DiCamillo has probably been honored as much or more than any living American children’s author. If her awards were all displayed on a mantle, she’d probably need dozens of fireplaces. And she’s a delightful conversationalist. Her new book is The Puppets of Spelhorst. Her most widely read book, The Tale of Despereaux, is out with a special 20th anniversary edition. Dicamillo's love with telling stories is in everything she has ever written. Since Kate is from Minneapolis, we feature one of the largest independent bookstores in the twin cities - Magers & Quinn. 

Books mentioned in this podcast:

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We have two horror genre shows left and this week we bring you Stephen Graham Jones. Although not all of his books fall squarely in horror category, My Heart is a Chainsaw and Don’t Fear the Reaper are beautiful love letters to horror fans who will take much glee in all the genre conventions within which Stephen plays. The final Indian Lake Trilogy novel comes out this fall, The Angel Of Indian Lake. Kate can’t wait. Stephen brings his Blackfoot Native American culture and aspects of social justice to his writings and his writing is all the better for it. If you shy away from horror, try Mapping The Interior or The Only Good Indians. For an independent bookseller this week, we reach out to one of Stephen’s local favorites, the Boulder Bookstore in Colorado.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

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Have you ever noticed that when it comes to great writers, Ireland seems to have had more than its fair share? Maybe it’s the difficult history, or the never ending pride for their beautiful island, but Ireland seems to be a country rife with storytellers. This week we have an Irish writer who has been nominated for the Booker Prize more than once…Sebastian Barry! His latest, Old God’s Time, is a lyrical and sprawling tale of Ireland and one man’s desperate struggle to make peace with the past. Pull up a chair by the fire and talk literature with a truly great Irish author, you will be glad you did.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

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We don't want to pigeon hole William Kent Krueger as a mystery writer. He writes terrific mysteries that will keep you guessing, sure, but what will keep you coming back is his talent! His sweeping descriptions of Minnesota landscapes, his unforgettable characters and his roots in cultural anthropology will keep you coming back. His new novel, The River We Remember, is a terrific "who done it" that beautifully weaves in themes of PTSD, the cultures of tribal bands in Minnesota, and the joys and perils of small town living. Our bookstore this week is Page 158 in Wake Forest, NC. Why is that their name? Tune in and find out!

Books mentioned in this week's podcast:

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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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