Lit Society: Books and Drama

This episode was first published on April 14, 2022, and it's still one of our favorites.  We return next week with a new episode covering No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. Enjoy! America's Most Wanted was a television show launched by a man who knew what it meant to lose a child forever, in the blink of an eye, to the hands of a monster. He took his pain and helped others find their missing children before it was too late. Today, we discuss how that man, Jon Walsh, lost his son and what we all can do to be a little safer in these streets. Then, on to our book... On the tenth anniversary of her youngest daughter's disappearance, one woman must choose to let go of her pain and reopen herself to life and love. After meeting a charming writer, who reminds her of her ex-husband, she begins a path that takes her somewhere she never imagined — to the truth about her daughter's disappearance a decade earlier. The woman's name? Laurel Mack. The book? Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.  

Not all heroes wear capes or have long epic trilogies written about them. Some live quiet lives, doing what they can to protect the most vulnerable. In a small Irish town, one man must choose if he'll become a hero or remain a silent enabler of a horrific system perpetrated by the church of his community.   The book: Small Things Like These The author: Claire Keegan  LET'S GET LIT!!!   - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod   Find Alexis and Kari online:    Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod   Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod   Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod   Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

An enslaved woman on a cotton plantation is considered an outcast by her fellow Africans, and as she comes into womanhood, her problems increase. What will she decide when a new enslaved man, Caesar, invites her to escape? The book: The Underground Railroad The author: Colson Whitehead LET'S GET LIT!!! - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.  Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Alexis and Kari are on a well-deserved break this week, so we'd like to share one of their favorite past episodes with you, The LITeratti.  This week's theme, How to Survive a Crisis, is inspired by an amazing non-fic graphic novel, now turned into a film! One girl, the beloved only child of progressive parents, is sent to school in Austria. This is the story of her childhood, growing up in a time of war and revolution. Her parents hope that she'll escape what they see as Iran's oppressive regime. Together, she and her country must decide who they're supposed to be and who they actually are. The girl's name — Marjane Satrapi. The book — Persepolis. This is LIT Society. Let's get LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.  

Why do you travel? Is relaxation your strongest motivation, or is it a desire to fill your IG feed with enviable photos? Do you look for comfort when abroad? Or do you hunger to taste the culture of others? Would you like to be treated like royalty? Or do you humbly present yourself as a guest in the home of another? One woman shares with us her travel philosophy as she strives to become the first Black woman to visit every country in the world. The woman: Jessica Nabongo The book: The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World LET'S GET LIT! - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.  Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

When should you give your kids cell phones, and what's the best way to teach a child about technology? We discover the answer in this episode's theme of the week, but first — It is a riveting story of a company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley.  The book: Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry  The authors: Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff  LET'S GET LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr   

Do you have what it takes to endure in the wilderness if lost? Chances are you have everything you need to survive in your backpack. In this week's themed discussion, we'll explain how to use your tools to live another day if lost. Share this episode with your hike-loving friend. Then, it's on to our book.    Helena has a loving husband and two beautiful daughters, but there is a deadly secret she's never told them. It is the mystery of her past, who she is and where she's from. When Helena's father escapes prison and grabs national news attention, she is forced to expose herself and her family to the truth of her identity: The Marsh King's Daughter.   The book: The Marsh King's Daughter The author: Karen Dionne From our theme of the week - What to do if you get lost hiking: https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2016/may/31/wilderness-survival-outdoor-gear-life-saving-tips-hiking-camping   https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/wilderness-how-to-survive-wellness/index.html   https://emd.wv.gov/About/News/Pages/10-Essential-Tips-for-Wilderness-Survival.aspx   - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.   Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/     

A filmmaker pulls together a writer's unfinished work to reveal truths about racial relations in America.    The writer: James Baldwin  The book: I Am Not Your Negro   LET'S GET LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.   Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/ 

One of the most iconic figures of the 21st century faces the impact of a life-threatening conspiracy. After serving his country for decades, Oppenheimer's government proceeded on a campaign to take down this leader and burn his world to the root. This is the thrilling conclusion of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.   The Book: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer   The Authors: Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin   LET'S GET LIT!   "How the U.S. and Japan Became Allies Even After Hiroshima and Nagasaki" - Time.com     - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama. Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

A brilliant and ambitious physicist whose connection to communism makes the FBI suspicious pushes through moral dilemmas to become the father of the atomic bomb.   The Book: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer   The Authors: Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin   LET'S GET LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama. Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

You just boarded a flight to New York. There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard. What you don't know is that your pilot's family was kidnapped thirty minutes before the flight. For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die. The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane. Enjoy the flight. The Book: Falling The Author: T.J. Newman LET'S GET LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama. Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

SEASON 5 IS HERE - and our first book is a doozie!  The year is 1920, and the wealthiest people on earth all belong to one Native American tribe, The Osage Nation of Oklahoma. Soon, a trail of corpses unearths a sinister plot involving greed, murder, and the foundation of the FBI. After a spoiler-filled discussion, we'll break down some of history's most notorious American crime cases.   The Book: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI The Author: David Grann LET'S GET LIT! - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q  Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama. Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

Hi readers! Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week, we're rediscovering the thrilling heist of Harlem Shuffle by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead.    Looking for something new? Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Support our show and grab something bookish chic at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/ View the three Black Cake recipes we chose: https://www.litsocietypod.com/black-cake-a-novel-by-charmaine-wilkerson/ ◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️  This week, we're talking jewelry heists. Which notorious thieves were caught by police, and which got away? Alexis has the answers. Then, it's on to our book.   Orphaned in high school, Ray Carney worked through college and now owns his own furniture store in 1960s Harlem. He's a family man living the American dream, but some dreams are no different from nightmares. Fighting familial and internal influences, Carney must outlast three separate heists to secure the lives of those he loves most. Will he survive? Or will this man lose himself trying to find his dream? The book is Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead.   Let's get LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr   

Hi readers! Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week, we're rediscovering the book Black Cake, now an Oprah-produced miniseries on Hulu.   Looking for something new? Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Support our show and grab something bookish chic at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/ View the three Black Cake recipes we chose: https://www.litsocietypod.com/black-cake-a-novel-by-charmaine-wilkerson/ ◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️  Our parents have a past. Sometimes that past catches up with them, leaving their children holding the pieces. Sometimes, though, that past reveals itself and helps their children realize more fully who they are and from where they come. One mother has chosen to expose the darkness of her life, but only after her death. Will her children be able to handle learning who the woman they know best really is? The mom with the mystery? Eleanor Bennett Our book: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson And you're listening to LIT Society. LET'S GET LIT!   - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr   

Hi readers! Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week is for the LAMBLY. Mariah Carey is a girl from New York State with Irish and Black American roots. She has a father, mother, brother, and sister but no family.  What she does have is the following: The most weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for any artist in American history 19 number-one singles – second only to the Beatles The honor of being the only artist to have a number-one single in each year of a decade (!!!) The honor of being the first female artist to debut at number one in the States 5 Grammy Awards 19 World Music Awards 10 American Music Awards 15 Billboard Music Awards A place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame When people had to save up, wake up, stand in line, and wait to hear their favorite artist, they bought her albums by the MILLIONS. Her talent is undeniable.    This is the story of Mariah, aka Me-Me, the Elusive Chanteuse, aka M.C. The Meaning of Mariah is a memoir by one of our generation's greatest singer/songwriters. Within its pages, she talks about the people who almost killed her, tried to get her hooked on drugs, tried to get her pimped, and tried to kill her dreams - all before she turned 18 years old. She also gives her honest opinion regarding her triumphs and failures and the cast of people who opened their hearts to let her in when those tasked with the job failed to be reliable.   Please enjoy this, the final episode of our 2020 season, originally airing November 19th, 2020. Alexis and Kari    

While this season might be coming to a close, the world of literature continues to expand endlessly. With a fifth season on the horizon, we eagerly anticipate unearthing new narratives, unexplored genres, and captivating conversations with authors and bibliophiles alike.   Stay connected with us on YouTube, where we'll share weekly bonus content (https://www.youtube.com/@LitSocietyPod).   To our incredible listeners who have journeyed with us through the pages year after year, thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. As we gear up for the next chapter, stay tuned for more literary adventures, insightful discussions, and the shared love for the written word that binds us together. The story doesn't end here—it's merely the closing of one captivating chapter, paving the way for countless more tales waiting to be explored.   View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod   Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod   Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod   Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  

Popular obsession with genealogy has some twisted roots. Let's talk about it - but first: An award-winning actress and gladiator receives a call from her parents on a routine afternoon. Their nervous hesitations let her know something is wrong. She turns her car around, drives to the home, and sits in the living of the people she's known all her life as mom and dad, her protectors, her withholding parents. There, in that familiar home, they share a secret that begins to unravel the loose ends of her childhood memories.   The Gladiator: Kerry Washington The book: Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington   LET'S GET LIT!   View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod   Theme of the week discussion's source: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/09/our-obsession-with-ancestry-has-some-twisted-roots-maud-newton-ancestor-trouble   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod   Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod   Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod   Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  

Two men have formed an unlikely friendship, traveling from place to place, working toward one united dream: Owning their own ranch, a place in the world where they'll belong. This dream becomes their life's purpose, but it is as unreachable as happiness.     The men: George and Lennie The book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck   LET'S GET LIT!   View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod   Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod   Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod   Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  

In a memoir that is part true crime, part horror, a pop princess details how her life was taken captive by her family and how we all just stood by and watched.   The pop princess: Britney Spears The book: The Woman in Me LET'S GET LIT!   View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod   THEME OF THE WEEK SOURCES: PBS: https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/20th-century-music/#:~:text=The%20most%20important%20influence%20on,within%20the%20bonds%20of%20slavery. NBC NEWS: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/soundtrack-history-how-black-music-has-shaped-american-culture-through-n1258474 SMITHSONIAN: https://music.si.edu/story/musical-crossroads   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod   Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod   Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod   Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com.    Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr  

SURPRISE! It's a bonus episode!!! Today, we want to share an exciting preview of a Shakespeare podcast we think you will enjoy: Play On Podcasts!  Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night's Dream in a way anyone can easily understand, created by some of America's most captivating playwrights, directors, and composers and performed by awarded stage and screen actors. This preview features the one and only Keith David. You know him from classic films such as Barbershop, Disney's Hercules and The Princess and the Frog, and Greenleaf, the television show Community and the list goes on.    This is the first episode of Play On Podcasts!'s King Lear series, where Marcus Gardley sets his translation of King Lear in San Francisco. Here, anything can happen at any moment, and madness is barely constrained beneath the brittle veneer of gentrification. Infused with a jazz score that evolves in time with Lear's decline, this is a harrowing journey into the essence of life, death, love, and loss.    Here's the first episode of King Lear. Enjoy!