Your Favorite Book

Me again! This episode is a throwback to a few months ago, when I sat down with my friend and podcast twin, Julie Strauss, to talk about THE HEART IS A LONELY HUNTER by Carson McCullers. It may not be THE favorite, but it's one of the favorites! We talk about my weird affinity for sad stories and Southern literature, revisiting a classic after many years, making sense of changing times and dealing with racism in literature. We also just have a really good time, because Julie is an amazing host and if you don't already follow her show, the Best Book Ever podcast, you should! If you missed the episode of my show where she chats with me about HOWARD'S END by EM Forster, that's up on her show now as well. The book podcast world is small indeed, but it's how I've made friends and I'm grateful for it. 

Follow Julie's podcast @bestbookeverpodcast on instagram and on her website at juliewroteabook.com

Best Book Ever is on all podcast platforms! We've covered some similar books (The Song of Achilles, Catcher in the Rye, and The Hating Game) but thanks to different perspectives and different guests, it'll never be the same conversation twice.

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It's the one year anniversary of the Your Favorite Book podcast, and to celebrate me sticking with something for a whole 12 months (and of course celebrating all you wonderful listeners), I decided to have a little fun. We're talking about LEAST favorite books today, the ones that disappoint, frustrate, enrage, and bore you. The ones that make you doubt literature as a whole (okay, maybe that's a little dramatic). We have my musings on least favorites through time, takes on disappointing and problematic literature, and coming back to books you may have hated once. But the best part, we have GUEST SUBMISSIONS from listeners and former podcast guests alike, some which were submitted via audio and some as written rands (read by yours truly). With least favorite books come ranting about endings, so below are the books that have endings revealed. Listen at your own risk! But honestly, maybe you hate these books along with us. Maybe you think we're totally wrong. In that case, feel free to let us know! I always welcome honest criticism, as well as rants of any kind, even if they're about how dumb I am.

Books with Endings Mentioned: The Girl with the Green Ribbon, Our Only May Amelia, Jane Eyre, The Rum Diary, Robinson Crusoe

Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast. We'll be back to our regular interview episodes next week, with a VERY special guest!

Our first, but hopefully not our last, foray into the wonderful world of picture books. My guest Brinda Shah is a pharmacist, aspiring picture book writer, and creator of #PictureTheWordsWithB on instagram. She dives deep into the world of South Asian picture books, fully embracing them as pieces of art for children and adults alike. This book, SUGAR IN MILK by Thrity Umrigar and Khoa Le, is the definition of art. Beautifully crafted and surprisingly tender, the book follows a young girl as she attempts to adjust to a country that is now her home. Her aunt tells her a story of Persian migrants arriving in India, and the struggle for them to be accepted in a new land. The illustrations are lovely, the message all too relevant, and there are so many wonderful subtleties that were lost on me during my first read. Brinda and I dive into this book and the world of kid lit in general, talking about what makes a great picture book, the importance of diverse storytelling in the kid lit space, how to read to a child, and my husband's experiences in the world of kid lit (he's even got a youtube channel!)

Buy the Book: https://bookshop.org/books/sugar-in-milk/9780762495191

Follow Brinda on instagram @brindas.bookshelf

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New episodes of Your Favorite Book every Thursday! Please rate and review on Apple Podcasts, it seriously helps. :)

Welcome to the first episode of Season 3! This week’s guest is Dean Jobb, true crime writer and fellow Chicago Review of Books reviewer. His most recent book, THE CASE OF THE MURDEROUS DR CREAM, tracks the rise and fall of one of the 19th century's most notorious serial killers, and perhaps one of its most unknown. Thomas Neill Cream, Canadian by birth but known for his crimes across several country borders, used and abused his powers as a medical doctor to murder nearly a dozen people, often through poisoning. And that's just what we know. Jobb takes us through how this evil figure came to be, how societal standards of the day allowed him to dodge the law, and what interesting twists and turns ultimately led to his demise.

For this episode, Dean stayed true to his true crime roots and chose the 2017 work KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON by renowned journalist David Grann. This book delves into the Reign of Terror in the Osage community, and how one of America's wealthiest peoples came to be targets of white supremacy, unprecedented violence, and paternalistic policies. Grann weaves in the bungled investigation, along with its close ties to the early FBI, and creates a fascinating tale that educates, shocks, and leaves us scratching our heads. This is a story that's far from over and one that leaves you thinking.

Dean also shares his wisdom on what makes an excellent true crime book, the role of a nonlinear narrative, and whether the public fascination with high-profile murder cases has really changed over the years. There are spoilers for Dean's book when it comes to the narrating of Dr. Cream's life, but we leave KILLERS OF THE FLOWER MOON intact to preserve the mystery. In the end both books are certainly worth the read.

Follow Dean on twitter @deanjobb and find him at his website https://www.deanjobb.com/

Follow the podcast on twitter and instagram @yfbpodcast. Stay tuned for our upcoming website!

This episode marks the Season 2 finale, and our guest is Brandon Taylor, Booker prize nominee and the author of the new story collection Filthy Animals. Taylor weaves together stories of caregiving, grief, and discomfort, presenting us with humanity in all its messiness. From dancers in a fraught relationship to babysitting gone wrong, this collection leans in close to the tenuous nature of human connection.

For this episode, Brandon chose Jane Austen's final novel Persuasion. He discusses discovering the works of Jane Austen while in a darkened lab studying C. elegans, and enumerates all the ways Persuasion is her magnum opus. The novel follows Anne Elliot, single and nearly geriatric at twenty-seven, coming to terms with her family's faltering finances. Enter Captain Wentworth, wealthy and dashing, and Elliot's former fiance (jilted years ago due to his lack of money and connections, at the suggestion of Anne's loved ones). What follows is classic Austen in humor and wit, with a surprising gravitas and maturity.

Brandon discusses Persuasion at length, including the relatability of its plot, masterful dialogue, and its statements on love and companionship. We also chat about the process of crafting a short story collection (are you a singles artist or an album artist?), learning to appreciate ballet from an unlikely source, navigating awkwardness in life and in art, and so much more.

Our 50th episode! Just me this week, here to offer some reading recommendations as we get into the summer season. We have a lot of different genres to choose from (literary, romance, memoir, and more), all with spoiler free reviews and recommendations. Let me know if you decide to dive into one of these. Happy reading!

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This week’s guest is Jesse McCarthy, professor at Harvard University and author of THE FUGITIVITIES. In this debut novel we follow Jonah Winters, a recent college grad and current teacher in New York City. Already disillusioned with teaching and unsure what to do next, he travels to Brazil after a chance encounter with a former NBA player. With nothing but his lived reality as a young Black man and the people he meets along the way, Jonah seeks to find what is missing in his life and in his sense of self.

For this episode, Jesse chose a novel he has long loved and enjoys teaching, Ralph Ellison's 1952 masterpiece INVISIBLE MAN. In this picaresque, an unnamed narrator tells the story of his life in episodes, beginning with a harrowing graduation day, through his college years, and onto the streets of Harlem.This book shows us the many intersections of race and class and rings true even today.

Jesse discusses INVISIBLE MAN on a textual basis as well as how it hearkens back to African American history as well as the present. We discuss reader curiosity in the author's life, writing across fiction and nonfiction, the role of the novel in an answer-seeking society, how INVISIBLE MAN may be the progenitor for the modern social thriller, and so much more. This episode has some mild spoilers, which are indicated at appropriate times during the episode.

Buy Jesse's Book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/611299/the-fugitivities-by-jesse-mccarthy/

Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast

If you can, please rate and review on Apple Podcasts! It's very much appreciated.

Who better to talk about a middle grade novel than a middle grade author? In this nostalgic episode, Payal Doshi and I talk all things ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, everything from Anne's spunky attitude, Merilla's relatable energy, the will they/won't they of Anne and Gilbert, and so much more. We also chat about Payal's upcoming middle grade novel, which is a wonderful read in its own right. Payal talks about researching settings and worldbuilding, how to create a unique magic system, revising to fit the message you want to convey, and a whole lot more. We also share some of our favorite middle grade recommendations. If you have young people in your life, or are simply young at heart, you'll love this episode! There are some spoilers for ANNE OF GREEN GABLES, but honestly you probably know the main 'plot points' already. The book's over 100 years old, people!

If you want ANNE content only, skip to the 29 minute mark. But honestly, you want to listen to this whole episode!

Payal's website (pre-order her book!): https://www.payaldoshiauthor.com/books

Follow the podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast. Website is coming!

We've had a few lesser known books on the show recently, so I want to bring it back to a critical and cultural darling, THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller. My guest is none other than Deedi Brown, known as @deedireads on instagram. Deedi runs the Booker of the Month book club, reviews every book she reads on her blog, releases a newsletter, advocates for indie booksellers, and so much more. I'm exhausted just thinking about it! Deedi has excellent taste in books and this one is no exception. We gush about Miller's wonderful prose, tender characters, and reinterpretation of the age old myth. If you haven't read this one, don't worry, no spoilers! We also talk about the importance of supporting indie bookstores, how to practice positivity in dark times, following book prizes, and so much more. Deedi also has a TON of book recommendations for all of us, in case your TBR needed toppling. If you're looking for ACHILLES book discussion only, skip to the 20 minute mark, but you definitely want to listen to this whole episode.

Guys, we've made it to our first truly problematic favorite book. And I relish discussions like this, because let's face it, every book is problematic in its own way, even your all time favorites. But M.M. Kaye's SHADOW OF THE MOON might just take the cake. Romanticizing the British empire in India? Yikes. But Amrita points out the nuance, detailed writing, and interesting characterizations of this book. We also chat about multiple perspectives in history, the fascinating life of M.M. Kaye, whether you can write a book like this nowadays (probably not), and so much more. Amrita provides a wealth of information that I never could, so you don't want to miss this discussion. 

Subscribe to Amrita's booktube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmyb1ZvLmaDLBsen6QQrO4A

Listen to the Khandaan Podcast: https://audioboom.com/channel/the-khandaan-podcast

Follow the YFB podcast on instagram and twitter @yfbpodcast