The Book Case

Occasionally, a book comes into your life that is a revelation. And The Correspondent by Virginia Evans was one of these books for us. A masterful epistolary novel in which the protagonist, a retired lawyer named Sybil, corresponds with…well, anyone and everyone.  It’s an incredible read. Trust us. Don’t miss this great conversation with a wonderful writer. And to sweeten the pot? We also talk to The Vermont Bookstore. Join us. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans 84 Charing Cross Road by Helen Hanff The White Album by Joan Didion Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry Commonwealth by Ann Patchett Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro Moby Dick by Herman Melville East of Eden by John Steinbeck The Boy From The Sea by Garrett Carr Warlight by Michael Ondaatje Is a River Alive? By Robert Macfarlane Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer Joyride by Susan Orlean COMING 10/14/25 Heart the Lover by Lily King COMING 9/20/25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Thomas Schlesser is a French Art Historian whose new novel, Mona’s Eyes is a brilliant way of exploring the great museums of Paris.  When Mona, his title character, is in danger of losing her sight, her grandfather, Henri, decides to show her one work of art a week for a year in the hopes that she can absorb all the beauty of the world before she goes blind. It is not just the touching story of a wonderful French girl and her grandfather visiting art, but also an amazing course in Art History.  From Botticelli to Basquiat, Thomas will tell you the history and stories behind some of the world’s greatest.  Join us as we talk to him about these fifty two works, his unforgettable characters and why it took him ten years to write. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: Mona’s Eyes by Thomas SchlesserLuminous Loves by Thomas Schlesser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Kathy Wang’s newest, The Satisfaction Café is the story of Joan Laing, her compromises, her victories, her loves and her loneliness.  In this memorable story, Joan and her reflections lead us through the journey of her life…culminating in the opening of a unique, strange and lovely café..  Kathy’s writing is poignant, subtle, and Joan, her protagonist is flawed yet inspiring.  Take a seat at the Satisfaction Café with us as we talk to Kathy about how she does what she does, and why she believes “satisfaction” may spell out true happiness. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Satisfaction Café by Kathy Wang Imposter Syndrome by Kathy Wang Family Trust by Kathy Wang The World According to Garp by John Irving Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler Monogamy by Sue Miller Villain by Shūichi Yoshida Middlemarch by George Eliot Bridget Jones Diary by Helen Fielding The Edge of Reason by Helen Fielding My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

J. Ryan Stradal is our Writer in Residence, if you have been following along.  What does that mean?  Well, we have been with him from step one since he started his fourth novel, as yet unnamed.  A deeply personal novel that imagines the third act his mother might have lived if she had progressed past the age of 55.  She was J.’s person, his guiding light and his North Star.  He has now finished his first draft and we talk to him as he tackles notes and thinks about bringing the novel to market.  Also joining us is Jonah Zimiles, one of our all-time favorite booksellers with his mission based independent bookstore, Words in Maplewood.  Join us for a great show with old friends. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal The Sportswriter by Richard Ford Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a feverishly paced, lyrical portrait of an unnamed African American man in the 1930’s.  Hauntingly beautiful and raw, this book changed how Americans think about race.  Immediately popular and the winner of the National Book Award in 1953, Ralph Ellison’s classic does not fit neatly in any literature genre (is it satire?  Is it fiction?  Is it historical fiction?).  We sit down with two professors from Ellison’s alma mater, Tuskegee University, Dr. Zanice Bond and Dr. Caroline Gebhard to discuss Ellison’s legacy, and the legacy of his most famous work.  Join us. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison Juneteenth by Ralph Ellison The Collected Essays of Ralph Ellison edited by John F. Callahan The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck The Waste Land by T.S. Eliot The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen Post Bellem, Pre Harlem: African American Literature and Culture 1877-1919 by Barbara McCaskill and Caroline Gebhard Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Adriana Trigiani is a true joy, and her new novel, The View from Lake Como, is a love letter to Italy.  Italian by birth, Italy always plays a big role in Adriana's books, and in this novel, Italy is the central character.  This book contains unforgettable characters, subtle and complex relationships with the artisan beauty of marble thrown in…Adriana writes it all with authenticity and heart.  Join us while we talk about what makes Italy…well Italy, and stick around for a great bookstore in Delaware, the Hockessin Bookshelf. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: The View from Lake Como by Adriana TrigianiThe Shoemaker’s Wife by Adriana TrigianiLucia, Lucia by Adriana TrigianiThe Good Left Undone by Adriana TrigianiVery Valentine by Adriana TrigianiBig Stone Gap by Adriana TrigianiBig Cherry Holler by Adriana TrigianiMilk Glass Moon by Adriana TrigianiViola in the Spotlight by Adriana TrigianiViola in Reel Life by Adriana TrigianiThe Supreme Macaroni Company by Adriana TrigianiAll the Stars in Heaven by Adriana TrigianiBrava, Valentine by Adriana TrigianiKiss Carlo by Adriana TrigianiTony’s Wife by Adriana TrigianiA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensHamlet by William ShakespeareA Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret AtwoodMoby Dick by Herman Melville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stacey Abrams is a prolific figure in American history.  And although her bread and butter come from political organization and practicing law, a lot of her heart is wrapped up in writing.  A writer with many titles to her name, her newest, Coded Justice puts forth a murder that may very well have been committed by a rogue AI system.  Is it possible and of what is AI capable?  We ask Stacey Abrams all these questions…join us.   Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:   Coded Justice by Stacey Abrams Rogue Justice by Stacey Abrams While Justice Sleeps by Stacey Abrams Stacey’s Extraordinary Words (Children’s Book) by Stacey Abrams Power of Persuasion by Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) Hidden Sins by Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) Deception by Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) Secrets and Lies by Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) Reckless by Stacey Abrams (as Selena Montgomery) The Phantom Tollbooth by Normal Juster The Story of My Life by Helen Keller Unmasking AI by Dr. Joy Buolamwini The Coming Wave by Mustafa Suleyman The AI Revolution in Medicine by Carey Goldberg, Isaac Kohane, Peter Lee Naked in Death by Nora Roberts (as J.D. Robb) Robert Caro’s Compendium of Lyndon Johnson:                   The Path to Power                   Means of Ascent                   Master of the Senate                   The Passage of Power Daring Greatly by Brene Brown The Great Santini by Pat Conroy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dennard Dayle has written a laugh out loud satire about the Civil War.  It’s both risky and ambitious and he pulls it off beautifully in How to Dodge a Cannonball.  It’s a novel about Anders, a man totally unequipped to handle the horrors of the Civil War, in which he switches sides three times.  How to Dodge a Cannonball is moving, the language is both intense and incredible, and it will make you giggle at things you never thought possible.  Considered one of America’s great “moral” wars, this Civil War book pokes fun at everything from racism to royalty. Take your time and get lost in Dennard’s satiric world.  We are so glad we did.  Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:   How to Dodge a Cannonball by Dennard Dayle Everything Abridged by Dennard Dayle Catch-22 by Joseph Heller The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain Moby Dick by Herman Melville Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophie Elmhirst has done something extraordinary.  In her new book, Marriage at Sea, she rediscovers and adds new mystery to the true story of Maurice and Maralyn Bailey, who, on their journey across the world, lost their boat and were forced to live on a life raft for 117 days.  How did they do it?  How did they FEEL about doing it?  Sophie, in her impeccably researched volume, has brought readers a nail-biting thriller while also creating a moving story of Maurice and Maralyn's tenacity, their love for each other, the day to day strategy of their survival.  Join us to find out how Sophie managed to create a new, emotional, and beautiful recounting of their amazing tale.  Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302   Books mentioned on this week's episode: Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst 117 Days Adrift by Maurice and Maralyn Bailey The Blue Flower by Penelope Fitzgerald Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s been a while since we have covered a good mystery on the Book Case, so this week, take a seat by a book that will keep you guessing.  Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall is both a terrific old-fashioned mystery combined with a modern police procedural drama and EVERYONE in the town is a suspect.  Kate read it in 36 hours, Charlie in about 48…we guarantee this will be one you can’t put down.  Join us and find out why. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: Death at the White Hart by Chris Chibnall And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie  The Black Wolf by Louise Penny The Mystery Series, Volume 1 by Enid Blyton Misery by Stephen King A Murder is Announced by Agatha Christie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s the third in our classics analysis series!  To Kill a Mockingbird is one of America’s favorite novels.  Is it worth its weight in the public’s love?  Is Atticus Finch the hero we always thought, and does Go Set a Watchman call the novel’s moralism into question?  We examine these questions with two Harper Lee scholars, Michele Reutter and Jonathan S. Cullick, who wrote Mockingbird Grows Up, a re-examination of Mockingbird through the eyes of Go Set a Watchman.  Join us! Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe  On Harper Lee edited by Alice Hall Petry Atticus Finch: A Biography by Joseph Crispino In Cold Blood by Truman Capote Mockingbird Grows Up by Michele Reutter and Jonathan S. Cullick Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We have been skimping on including independent booksellers in our show lately (and we are sorry) but here is a whole show worth of bookseller conversations!  Source Books in Detroit Michigan is owned by Janet Webster Jones.  And Print: A Bookstore in Portland ME is owned by Emily Russo.  These are two incredible independent booksellers with two incredible stores.  It’s a master class in bookselling on this week’s Book Case! Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: Beloved by Toni Morrison These Precious Days by Ann Patchett The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohlleben I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy This is Happiness by Niall Williams Lobster by Guillame Lecasble Sky Daddy by Kate Folk Win by Harlan Coben The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jess Walter has written a book that is funny, compulsively readable, and complex.  In So Far Gone, he reminds us, in a world that sometimes seems to have gone crazy, you escape society at your own peril.  Can you escape the world into isolation or is life only meaningful when you live it for and with others?  We ask the very talented Jess Walter that very question.  Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: So Far Gone by Jess Walter Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter The Cold Millions by Jess Walter Citizen Vance by Jess Walter Ruby Ridge by Jess Walter Over Tumbled Graves by Jess Walter The Zero by Jess Walter Land of the Blind by Jess Walter We Live in Water by Jess Walter The Angel of Rome by Jess Walter Walden by Henry David Thoreau Bowling Aline by Robert D. Putnam  Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg Stoner by John Edwards Williams James by Percival Everett The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Andrew Porter’s newest, The Imagined Life, is a beautiful and atmospheric novel following a man on a search for his father, who disappeared decades ago.  Tangled up in the complications of academia, the issues of exploring sexuality, and the haunting visions of the inappropriate parties his parents threw in his backyard, Stephen struggles to piece together the answers he needs so that he can create the life he wants.  This novel is subtle, complex, and beautifully written.  Join us this week to find out how Andrew created an incredible novel out of the subtleties of family dynamics. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: The Imagined Life by Andrew Porter The Theory of Light and Magic by Andrew Porter The Disappeared by Andrew Porter In Between Days by Andrew Porter The Coast of Chicago by Stuart Dybek Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson Birds of America by Laurie Moore The Best American Short Stories 2024 Edited by Lauren Groff Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Another installment of our Writer in Residence series, and J. Ryan Stradal is two chapters away from the end!  How did he get here?  What are his goals as he finishes his latest and most personal book? We find out with great excitement.  We also talk to Nefer Book Café owner, Lonna Dawson, who will inspire you to expand your reading horizons.  Join us. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned in this week's episode: Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal The Sportswriter by Richard Ford The New Saints: From Broken Hearts to Spiritual Warriors by Lama Rod Owens The Simple Art of Killing a Woman by Patricia Melo Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Dave Barry is one of the funniest writers alive, and he makes it look so easy.  How and why does he do it?  Enter Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass, his first and probably only memoir which is packed full of laugh out loud moments.  It’s also peppered with thoughts on how he got through college, memories of his mother and father, his thoughts on life, people that hate him and where he comes up with his wacky ideas.  We love talking with this man.  Find out why by tuning in. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302   Books mentioned on this week's episode: Class Clown: The Memoirs of a Professional Wiseass by Dave BarrySwamp Story by Dave BarryBig Trouble by Dave BarryBest State Ever by Dave BarryDave Barry Slept Here: A Sort of History of the United States by Dave BarryLessons from Lucy by Dave BarryInsane City by Dave BarryDave Barry's Complete Guide to Guys by Dave BarryTricky Business by Dave BarryDave Barry Hits Below the Beltway by Dave BarryDave Barry is Not Taking This Sitting Down! by Dave BarryYou Can Date Boys When You're Forty: Dave Barry on Parenting and Other Topics He Knows Very Little About by Dave BarryGet Shorty by Elmore LeonardBad Monkey by Carl Hiaasen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Richard Russo is an American treasure. The writer of so many great novels (Empire Falls, Straight Man), we strongly encourage you to read his newest, Life and Art, which is a collection of essays.  We know that so many people say, ESSAYS? Yes, essays, and they are spectacular.  These are not arguments shoved in your face.  These are thoughtful life reflections from one of the great writers of our time, and they should be savored and enjoyed.  If you love Richard Russo, please join us as we talk about why art matters more now then ever, and why he believes he had to write this book. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: Life and Art by Richard RussoEmpire Falls by Richard RussoStraight Man by Richard RussoThat Old Cape Magic by Richard RussoMohawk by Richard RussoThe Whore’s Child and Other Stories by Richard RussoElsewhere by Richard RussoThe Risk Pool by Richard RussoChances Are… by Richard RussoNobody’s Fool by Richard RussoSomebody’s Fool by Richard RussoEverybody’s Fool by Richard RussoA Tale of Two Cities by Charles DickensRumpole of the Bailey by John Mortimer Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jemimah Wei’s The Original Daughter is the GMA book club pick for May, and we loved it.  In some ways, this book is not just a compelling family drama, but it is also a thoughtful depiction of Singapore, a country often misunderstood by Americans as being simply a home for glamour and high tech discovery.  This novel centers around the lives of everyday Singaporeans, and how one family is torn apart when a new daughter is introduced to the home by way of a grandfather’s polygamy. Why did this book take Jemimah ten years to write and how does this story put a new twist on the clichés of sibling rivalry?  We ask her, so tune in and find out. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: The Original Daughter by Jemimah Wei The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin Mrs. Caliban by Rachel Ingalls Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones The Dutch House by Ann Patchett This is What Inequality Looks Like by Youyenn Teo The South by Tash Aw The Great Reclamation by Rachel Heng Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We loved talking to David K. Shipler so much that we wanted to squeeze one more show out of our conversation.  We talked so much on our last episode about the role of interpreters in journalism, but we also talked about going from fiction to nonfiction and the importance of good journalism, now more than ever. We hope you enjoy as much as we did.   Find books mentioned on The Book Case:  https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302   Books mentioned on this week's episode:  The Interpreter by David K. Shipler The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land by David K. Shipler The Rights of the People by David K. Shipler Freedom of Speech: Mightier Than the Sword by David K. Shipler Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn Dreams by David K. Shipler A Country of Strangers: Black and White in America by David K. Shipler Rights at Risk: The Limits of Liberty in Modern America by David K. Shipler Resurrection by Leo Tolstoy Without Honor: Defeat in Vietnam and Cambodia by Arnold R. Isaacs The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien The Street Without Joy by Bernard B. Fall Shrapnel in the Heart: Letters and Remembrances from the Vietnam Memorial by Laura Palmer When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: A Vietnamese Woman’s Journey from War to Peace by Le Ly Hayslip Dust Child by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The Interpreter is a beautiful book about the end of the war in Vietnam and one interpreter’s story as his country is torn apart and remade over and over throughout his lifetime.  David K. Shipler is arguably one of the greatest journalists of our time.  A veteran reporter who wrote about Russia, Vietnam, and Israel (to name a few), he has a Pulitzer to his name and his non-fiction books are legendary.  I mean, the man ran a foreign desk for the New York Times and taught at Princeton.  So why write a book of fiction?  We don’t know, but we are so glad he did.  Tune in to find out why.  Our bookstore is Charlie’s local, so you don’t want to miss it. Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: The Interpreter by David K. Shipler The Working Poor: Invisible in America by David K. Shipler Arab and Jew: Wounded Spirits in a Promised Land by David K. Shipler The Rights of the People by David K. Shipler Freedom of Speech: Mightier Than the Sword by David K. Shipler Russia: Broken Idols, Solemn Dreams by David K. Shipler A Country of Strangers: Black and White in America by David K. Shipler Rights at Risk: The Limits of Liberty in Modern America by David K. Shipler Driving Miss Daisy: A Play by Alfred Uhry The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald This is Happiness by Niall Williams The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi by Wright Thompson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices