Shoulda Books

today, I'm revisiting some of the Christian fiction that shaped both me and some of the listeners. if you grew up going to youth group and checking Plugged In to see how many swear words The Bourne Supremacy had…this episode is for you. topics discussed include The Shack, Babylon Rising, the John Birch Society, Frank Peretti, and more.   check out my new short film "Green Sky Bastards", starring Miles Bonsignore, on the Shoulda Books Patreon. you can sign up for a membership for $4.99/month, or buy the film a la carte for $3. https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw   this month, we're reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780141439662   next month, we're reading a TBD Stephen King book for spooky season follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/ follow Shoulda Books on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks   follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en   Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg  

author and screenwriter (and my former boss on many a set) Amanda Mortlock joins the show to talk about her steamy new novel Strange Bedfellows, the tropes she can't stand, His Dark Materials, and possibly the most whimsical heist of the century.   in the ad-free, extended version, Amanda and I discuss our shared lore in the halcyon days of Verizon's Go90 streaming service. check it out on the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks pre-order "Strange Bedfellows", available everywhere September 22 via Simon & Schuster: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/Strange-Bedfellows/Amanda-Mortlock/9781668205778   follow Amanda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mandydemoo/   follow Strange Bellows on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@strangebedfellowsbook books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.   The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780440418320   The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780385490818   The Feather Thief by Kirk Wallace Johnson https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781101981634 join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw   This month, we're reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780141439662 follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/ follow Shoulda Books on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks   follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en   Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg  

today I'm talking about the most challenging book I've read so far in 2026, Toni Morrison's Beloved.   for early, ad-free, extended episodes, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks   books discussed below. these are affiliate links for bookshop.org. by purchasing books through these links, you support local bookstores, and I earn a (very small) commission.   "Beloved" by Toni Morrison https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400033416   join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw   This month, we're reading Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9780141439662 follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/ follow Shoulda Books on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks   follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en   Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg

filmmaker Jason Nguyen talks mythology, Cormac McCarthy, and the…interesting place where he loves to read most.   follow Jason on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jasonnguyentv/?hl=en   check out Room 105: https://room105media.com/ for early, ad-free, extended episodes, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks   join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw   This month, we're reading "Beloved" by Toni Morrison https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400033416 follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/ follow Shoulda Books on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks   follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en   Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg  

Will Witwer returns to answer listener questions, respond to hot book takes, and rant/rave in general about our "twist-based" society.   follow Will on Instagram because he's going to learn how to dunk: https://www.instagram.com/wwitwer/?hl=en for early, ad-free, extended episodes, sign up for the Shoulda Books Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/cw/ShouldaBooks join the Shoulda Book Club on Fable: https://fable.co/club/the-shoulda-book-club-with-shoulda-books-225140024638?brid=yapSJjJ6zqETOwu3XngDDw   This month, we're reading "Beloved" by Toni Morrison https://bookshop.org/a/120498/9781400033416 follow Shoulda Books on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shouldabooks/ follow Shoulda Books on TikTok:  https://www.tiktok.com/@shouldabooks   follow Jonathan on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jf.kirk/?hl=en   Shoulda Books theme song by Skyler Klingenberg