The Book Case

We have devoted several podcasts to the issue of how parents get children to read - off screens and into pages.  We talk about it - others DO something about it.  You might not expect to find Stephen Curry, the great pro basketball player, to be among that group.  However, Stephen and his wife Ayesha have a foundation - Eat.Learn.Play - and over the past few years they’ve given books every Christmas to every elementary school child in Oakland, California where Stephen started his pro career.  They invited us to Oakland to see the program in action.  Charlie went and had a chance to talk to the Currys about why they, like the two of us, think this issue is so critical. 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: Shot Ready by Stephen Curry The Boy Who Never Gave Up by Stephen Curry I Am Extraordinary by Stephen Curry I Have a Superpower by Stephen Curry Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Christian Robinson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Our next installment in the Book Case Classics series comes from listeners like you.  Many of you asked for Austen…you wanted it?  You got it!  We sat down with two of the world’s foremost Austen Scholars, Claudia L. Johnson, Murray Professor of English at Princeton and Devoney Looser, Regents Professor at Arizona State University (both of which have great Austen books on the market) to discuss the facts and fiction surround the great Jane Austen and her unique works.  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: Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen Mansfield Park by Jane Austen Emma by Jane Austen Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen Persuasion by Jane Austen 30 Great Myths about Jane Austen by Claudia L. Johnson Jane Austen: Women, Politics and the Novel by Claudia L. Johnson Wild for Austen: A Rebellious, Subversive, and Untamed Jane by Devoney Looser Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Abir Mukherjee was a revelation to us, even if he is already an international bestseller. The Burning Grounds, the sixth of the Wyndham and Banerjee mystery series will keep readers guessing while dazzling them with terrific writing. His series takes place during turn of the century in Imperialist India, and he exposes the good, bad and ugly, from both a British and native perspective.  He knocked us out, and we bet his Wyndham and Banerjee series will knock out our listeners too.  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: The Burning Grounds by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 6) A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham & Banerjee Book 1) A Necessary Evil by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 2) Smoke and Ashes by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 3) Death in the East by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 4) The Shadows of Men by Abir Mukherjee (Wyndham and Banerjee Book 5) Hunted by Abir Mukherjee Burmese Days by George Orwell Shooting an Elephant (An Essay) by George Orwell The Distant Echo by Val McDermid Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie The Long Drop by Denise Mina Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We are so pleased that our Writer in Residence, J. Ryan Stradal, has sold his newest to Atria Publishing. He is here this week to tell us how he did it, and how Atria became his new home (and it apparently involved an auction). We are also joined by the husband and wife team behind Bound and Vine, a brand new bookstore in Fayetteville, North Carolina that brings military families together to share ideas and share community.  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 Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal The Book Haters’ Book Club by Gretchen Anthony Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Megha Majumdar was on the short list for the National Book Award, and we were rooting hard for her to win. She may not have won THIS year, but her talent and her world building skills had us clamoring for more, so we have no doubt you will see her name on the list again. A Guardian and a Thief is a novel that asks (and not didactically) what you would do, what morals would you compromise, to survive. What would you do to ensure your children survive? We talk to Megha and then discuss a new unique Chicagoland Independent Bookseller holiday tradition with a local organizer.  Join us and Happy Thanksgiving. 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: A Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar A Burning by Megha Majumdar Martyr! By Kaveh Akbar Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens In Other Rooms, Other by Daniyal Mueenuddin This is Where the Serpent Lives by Daniyal Mueenuddin The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri Sing to It: New Stories by Amy Hempel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We DO love talking to John Irving.  In our winding, wandering and wonderful conversation we cover it all from his newest, Queen Esther, the art of writing backwards, skiing in Vienna and the eccentricities of bike pump usage.  If this description doesn’t entice you to listen, we don’t know what will. John Irving is one of the most masterful writers of our time.  Sit down with us for our third conversation with him to find out what motivates his work and makes him tick. 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: Queen Esther by John Irving The Last Chairlift by John Irving Setting Free the Bears by John Irving The Water-Method Man by John Irving The 158-Pound Marriage by John Irving The World According to Garp by John Irving The Hotel New Hampshire by John Irving The Cider House Rules by John Irving A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving Trying to Save Piggy Sneed by John Irving A Son of the Circus by John Irving The Imaginary Girlfriend by John Irving A Widow for One Year by John Irving My Movie Business: A Memoir by John Irving The Fourth Hand by John Irving Until I Find You by John Irving Last Night in Twisted River by John Irving In One Person by John Irving Avenue of Mysteries by John Irving Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Catherine Newman’s latest, Wreck, is a beautiful meditation on the act of motherhood. Revisiting the family from Sandwich as they enter a new phase of familial life. We all know that successful parents raise kids just to lose them to the world, and that this launch into independence is something we all desperately hope for and deeply dread. Funny, touching and compulsively readable this is a novel about the beauty and pain of family, who have so much to lose when they have so much to love. 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: Wreck by Catherine Newman Sandwich by Catherine Newman We all Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman Waiting for Birdy by Catherine Newman The Ten Year Affair by Erin Somers  Heart the Lover by Lily King Moby Dick by Herman Melville Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s Halloween…so who better to follow up our conversations about middle school reading than R.L. Stine? With over 400 titles to his name (the latest being The Last Sleepover In the Goosebumps House of Shiver series) this man has been scaring kids for decades and decades. And oh wow, are his stories worth the price of admission?! Join us as we talk to Bob (what he asked we call him) about what makes him tick, how he sees writing for middle school audiences and why horror keeps him in stiches. 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 Last Sleepover by R.L. Stine The Haunted Mask by R.L. Stine Give me a K-I-L-L! by R.L. Stine Little Shop of Hamsters by R.L. Stine Welcome to Dead House by R.L. Stine Revenge of the Lawn Gnomes by R.L. Stine Blind Date by R.L. Stine Bird Box by Josh Malerman The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We knew that reading levels were in fluctuation, but we had no idea there was a Middle School reading crisis.  According to the NWEA (The Northwest Evaluation Association which measures academic and student standards) only 30% of 8th graders are reading at grade level or above.  Why?  How did we get here and how do we get back on track raising great readers who love literature?  We are joined by Miah Daughtery, VP of Academic Advocacy at HMH, NWEA’s parent company, to talk about their policy recommendations.  We also talk to Rick Riordan and Katherine Rundell, two of the bestselling MS writers in the world about how to write for Middle Schoolers and why they think this audience needs attention.  Join us for this important discussion (which expands on our GMA piece that aired on October 10th). 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 Court of the Dead by Rick Riordan and Mark OshiroPercy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick RiordanImpossible Creatures by Katherine RundellThe Poisoned King by Katherine Rundell Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Lily King’s newest, Heart the Lover, is a sparing, funny, painful and beautiful novel about the first loves we have, and how they never really let go. The humanity, joy and sadness of the novel will keep you turning pages and keep the characters with you long after you have closed the book.  We talk to her about her inspirations, her struggles in writing this book and how she triumphed over difficulty in how to end the novel (no spoilers, promise). We also talk to Dixon Books in Natchez Mississippi, less than 24 hours from their grand opening, a first for us.  Join us to talk all things books and bookstores... 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: Heart the Lover by Lily King Writers & Lovers by Lily King Euphoria by Lily King Five Tuesdays in Winter: Stories by Lily King Father of the Rain by Lily King The Pleasing Hour by Lily King The English Teacher by Lily King Coconuts for the Saint by Debra Sparks Different Seasons by Stephen King Independent People by Halldor Laxness War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard The Vulnerables by Sigrid Nunez My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Angela Flournoy’s newest, The Wilderness was on the long list of nominees for the National Book Award, and we believe if you read it, it’s easy to see why. The story of four friends growing apart and together, it’s a lyrical work of real beauty. Over a series of decades, these four friends tell you in their distinct voices about the important turning points in their lives, giving readers a rich glimpse into what makes them who their are. We talk to Angela about her wonderful novel and then we pivot to Writer’s Block, a bookstore with two locations in Florida.  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 Wilderness by Angela Flournoy The Turner House by Angela Flournoy Brown Girls, Brownstones by Paule Marshall Beloved by Toni Morrison Workhorse by Caroline Palmer Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sometimes we look back on a season of great podcasts (humble podcasts hosts that we are) and consider what we like best within a season.  Today, we look at the summer that was.  From the great epistolary novel, The Correspondent by Virginia Evans to non-stop laughs with Dave Barry to the magical world of Leigh Bardugo, there is something for everyone in this episode.  Join us as we look back on a truly great summer of reading.  Plus we hear from the owners of the recently opened Cranford Bookstore in Cranford, NJ. 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: Six of Crows Duology: Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo Class Clown by Dave Barry Vianne by Joanne Harris The Correspondent by Virginia Evans Marriage at Sea by Sophie Elmhirst Queen Esther by John Irving-On Sale 11/4/25 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Leigh Bardugo has written some masterful fantasy.  And, the Six of Crows Duology (that means there is only two books in the series) is about to turn 10 years old.  So we celebrate the anniversary of these two great reads with an in depth conversation with their author, Leigh Bardugo.  Six of Crows and Crooked Kingdom tell the story of a small street gang as they pull of the biggest heist of their careers.  Full of tension, atmosphere, humor and heart, these two books are some of the best the fantasy genre has to offer.  Sit down with us and find out how and why Leigh shapes the genre while also being inspired by 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: Six of Crows Duology: Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo   Shadow and Bone Trilogy: Shadow and Bone by Leigh Bardugo Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo Ruin and Rising by Leigh Bardugo   King of Scars Duology: King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo Rule of Wolves by Leigh Bardugo   The Language of Thorns by Leigh Bardugo The Lives of Saints by Leigh Bardugo Demon in the Woods by Leigh Bardugo   Alex Stern Series: Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo Hell Bent by Leigh Bardugo   Dune by Frank Herbert Gideon the Ninth by Tasmyn Muir The Cruel Prince by Holly Black Lord of the Rings by JRR Tolkien The Corrections by Johnathan Franzen And Then There were None by Agatha Christie Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Joanne Harris is the writer of the “Chocolat" series, which began with the famous Chocolat (also made into a movie with Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp) which spawned three sequels all continuing the story of the mysterious, talented and independent Vianne and her daughters as they struggle to find their place in the world.  But in her newest contribution to the series, Vianne, she writes beautifully of Vianne’s prequel story.  What brought Vianne to her love of chocolate and what spawns her to keep traveling the world, untethered and without roots?  This is the story of her beginnings and her beginnings as the literary chocolatier that we have come to know and love.  We also talk to an amazing bookstore that is over a century old, Andover Bookstore in Andover, Massachusetts. Tune in and find out how a bookstore can still be great…even after 100 years. 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 Chocolat Series: Vianne by Joanne Harris Chocolat by Joanne Harris The Lollipop Shoes by Joanne Harris Peaches for Monsieur le Cure by Joanne Harris The Strawberry Thief by Joanne Harris  Blackberry Wine by Joanne Harris Five Quarters of the Orange by Joanne Harris Coastliners by Joanne Harris Holy Fools by Joanne Harris Honeycomb by Joanne Harris Jigs and Reels by Joanne Harris Maiden, Mother, Crone by Joanne Harris The Moonlight Market by Joanne Harris Gentlemen and Players by Joanne Harris Different Class by Joanne Harris Blueeyedboy by Joanne Harris A Narrow Door by Joanne Harris Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal The Sorrows of Young Werther by Johann Wolfgang Goethe Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Take a moment to sit down with us to talk to the Reynolds Brothers, Peter and Paul.  On Thursday of this week we appeared on GMA to talk about International Dot Day, a worldwide creativity movement inspired by The Dot, an illustrated children’s book released more than 20 years ago. Tune in to find out more about why this book means so much to so many, and why it’s message has spread around the world.  We also talk to a uniquely named bookseller you won’t soon forget. Join us! For more information on Dot Day: https://www.internationaldotday.org/ 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 Dot by Peter H. Reynolds Ish by Peter H. Reynolds  Sky Color by Peter H. Reynolds Love You By Heart by Peter H. Reynolds Say Something! By Peter H. Reynolds Gift of Words by Peter H. Reynolds Be You! By Peter H. Reynolds Peace Train by Cat Stevens & Peter H. Reynolds  The World Collector by Peter H. Reynolds Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds Little Happy Dreamer by Peter H. Reynolds  The North Star by Peter H. Reynolds  Our Table by Peter H. Reynolds Going Places by Peter and Paul Reynolds I’m Here by Peter H. Reynolds Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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