In our thirty-fifth episode, we’re introducing Little Women by Louisa May Alcott, our November book club pick. Join us as we spend the month with the March family, exploring the charm, heart, and timeless spirit of this beloved classic.

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Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our thirty-fourth episode, we take a deep dive into our thoughts on John William Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (2005). 

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our thirty-third episode, we examine the persistence of the vampire in literature, focusing on John William Polidori’s The Vampyre (1819) and Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight (2005). Despite their distance in time, both works present strikingly similar portrayals of the vampire. We discuss what continues to make this figure so enduring and culturally resonant.

Referenced content: 

• Dr. Rebecca Marks' substack on vampires: https://substack.com/@culturedump/note/c-153724554 
• The Nightmare is a 1781 oil painting by the Swiss artist Henry Fuseli
• Secrets: How Vampires Work podcast episode Kali mentions: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stuff-you-should-know/id278981407?i=1000584320844
• Article Kali quotes on John Polidori's life: https://themillions.com/2023/04/the-haunted-writing-life-of-john-polidori.html

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our thirty-second episode, we discuss what makes a good story and the impact it can have. Additionally, we take a few quizzes to test our book and movie knowledge. 

Link to BuzzFeed quiz: https://www.buzzfeed.com/swapnaravichandran/guess-the-popular-books-these-quotes-are-from

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our thirty-first episode, we take a deep dive into the many themes and lessons in the book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. 

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our thirtieth episode, we introduce the children’s genre through the beloved book The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy. We explore what makes children's literature so powerful—for both kids and adults.

Referenced information:

• BBC journal article Why adults should read children's books by author Katherine Rundell (2023): https://www.bbc.com/culture/article/20230711-why-adults-should-read-childrens-books
• Study on child development and reading daily (2019): https://ehe.osu.edu/news/listing/importance-reading-kids-daily-0
  
  

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our twenty-ninth episode, we continue to celebrate one full year of our podcast with our good friend Kylee! In this episode, we discuss the top eight books that make her a reader, and she answers the question: Why do we read? 

Follow Kylee's socials: 

- @kyjoraven (art account)

- @kylee_r_lawyer (writing account) 

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our twenty-eighth episode, we celebrate one full year of our podcast. This month, we explore the question at the heart of it all: Why do we read? We share thoughtful comments from our listeners on what draws them to stories, what obstacles keep them from picking up a book, and how reading fits into their lives. We also reflect on what our podcast has become or what we hope for it to be—a space for connection, curiosity, and community through the written word.

In this episode we reference the following:

• Dana's business, Brain Builders Science, helps support homeschool parents boost their kid's brains through hands-on science: https://brainbuilderscience.com/ and on instagram @brainbuilder_science
• Coffee with Keats' substack "Re-enchanting the World": https://coffeewithkeats.substack.com/p/re-enchanting-the-world-2e3

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our twenty-seventh episode, we delve into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, exploring our favorite moments in The Lord of the Rings and the impact it has had on us as readers. 

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).

In our twenty-sixth episode, we delve into the world of J.R.R. Tolkien, exploring the origins of The Lord of the Rings and how Tolkien’s imagination laid the foundation for modern fantasy storytelling.

In this episode we reference the following:

•  J. R. R. Tolkien: A Biography by Humphrey Carpenter 
• The Prancing Pony Podcast: https://theprancingponypodcast.com/
• Zach Rider The Lord of the Rings audiobooks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCSvzrLtkGgwuyYOyCH6Ep4g
• A Brandon Sanderson interview that credits Tolkien as the progenitor of epic fantasy and highlights The Lord of the Rings as the first fully realized "secondary world" in fantasy literature: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Z3JelPiBcc#:~:text=if%20you%20look%20at%20the%20early%20heroic,secondary%20world%20even%20though%20it's%20Middle%20Earth.

Follow us on Instagram @TheBookCommonRoom. Watch or listen to us on Apple Podcast, Spotify, or YouTube: linktr.ee/TheBookCommonRoom

Introduction music featured by Antonín Dvořák's String Quartet No. 12 in F major, Op. 96, B. 179 "American": I. Allegro ma non troppo (1893), performed by the Cleveland Quartet (Telarc, 1991).