The Perks Of Being A Book Lover Podcast

This week we chat with Brittany Thurman, a native of Kentucky, who has recently published her first children’s picture book titled Fly illustrated by Anna Cunha. She worked as a children's specialist at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh which is where the idea to write her own book occurred, and she even took inspiration from one of the children who would come to her storytimes. Fly is the story of a young girl who wants to enter a double dutch jump rope competition but doesn’t know how to double dutch. She asks her friends for tips and while they don't know how either, they each give her a piece of knowledge that helps her be more confident in her dreams. In this episode, she tells about the creation of this book as well as other books that she has in the pipeline, including one about the first public library built for and staffed by African Americans in the United States, which is the Western branch of the Louisville Free Public Library system. Brittany is a very busy new author. You can find Brittany on instagram at @britjanee and at her website at www.brittanythurman.com. Follow us on Facebook at The Perks of Being a Book Lover or on Instagram at @perksofbeingabookoverpod to see what we're up to. For show notes for any episode, go to our website at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Fly by Brittany Thurman and Illustrated by Anna Cunha 2- Fearless: Boulevard of Dreams by Mandy Gonzalez with Brittany Thurman 3- Forever and Always by Brittany Thurman 4- Addie Walker--American Girl series 5- Goosebumps series by R.L.Stine 6- Replica series by Marilyn Kaye 7- Mary Kate & Ashley series 8- A Surgeon in the Village: An American Doctor Teaches Brain Surgery in Africa by Tony Bartelme 9- Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese 10- Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi 11- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 12- Stunt Boy, in the Meantime by Jason Reynolds 13- A Comb of Wishes by Lisa Stringfellow 14- Red, White and Whole by Rajani LaRocca

We are excited to open up Season 5 with suspense writer David Bell. He is the USA Today bestselling author of 11 books and his most recent offering hit the bookshelves yesterday. His newest Kill All Your Darlings is the interconnection of all kinds of hot topics; showing the dark side of academia and what happens when plagiarism makes you the prime suspect of a murder. Plus add some professor ickiness that would make the #Metoo movement cringe and you have a page turner that book websites like SheReads and Frolic call a most anticipated summer reads for 2021. David is a professor of English at Western Kentucky University and heads up their MFA creative writing program. Books mentioned in this episode: 1- Kill All Your Darlings by David Bell 2- The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkein 3- King Arthur & His Knights by Mabel Louise Robinson 4- I'll Be Gone in the Dark by Michelle McNamara 5- Somebody I Used to Know by David Bell 6- OCDaniel by Wesley King, narrated by Ramon de Ocampo 7- Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, narrated by Ramon de Ocampo 8- Chasing the Boogeyman by Richard Chizmar 9- Crooked Letter, Crooked Letter by Tom Franklin 10- Cemetery Girl by David Bell Movies mentioned-- Together, Together directed by Nikole Beckwith Tenet, directed by Christopher Nolan TV shows mentioned I'll Be Gone in the Dark  - Limited series on HBO

This week Carrie and I traveled to record at the Tompkins-Buchanan-Rankin Mansion, which is a Victorian era mansion built in 1871, with 12-foot ceilings, hand-carved wood balusters, and intricately designed colorful wallpapers. It has been preserved and enveloped by the campus of Spalding University and is the location of their School of Creative and Professional Writing and home base for today’s guest, debut novelist Katy Yocom. Katy’s novel, Three Ways to Disappear, was published in 2019 and has won numerous awards including The Siskiyou Prize for Environmental Fiction. It has also been selected as a Barnes and Noble Indie Book Favorite. Katy has vivid memories of as a child reading All Creatures Great and Small by James Herriott out loud with her mother. It was a short leap to her writing her own book about the intricacies of animal conservation and family bonds. Katy tells us how her obsession with a set of newborn tiger cubs at the Louisville Zoo 14 years ago started her on the path to write her book, how a suggestion from an astute editor changed the trajectory of her novel, and why she believes much of the riskier and cutting edge literature is being published by small independent presses and how important it is to support them. Books Discussed in this Episode 1- One Crazy Summer by Rita Williams-Garcia 2- Severance by Ling Ma 3- The Road by Cormac McCarthy 4- Kindred by Octavia Butler

Our guests today are members of a group they comicly refer to as a “literary gang”, a book club called The Monstrous Regiment, a name based on a book by author Terry Pratchett that features a feminist manifesto. Hannah Zimmerman and Amelia Reesor started the group 3 ½ years ago with a focus on female-centric books, although as you will soon realize, every rule is meant to be broken in this high energy crowd of both male and female 20 and 30 somethings. Hannah and Amelia talk to us about the difference between being a group that is female-centric versus feminist, why having male members adds interesting insights to their book discussions, and how they were surprised that the group has gone from a typical book club to a supportive social network.   Books Mentioned in this Episode: Even Cowgirls Get the Blues by Tom Robbins Coraline by Neil Gaiman The Monstrous Regiment by Terry Pratchett Beloved by Toni Morrison My Sister the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite The Power by Naomi Alderman The Member of the Wedding by Carson McCullers The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng The Magician's Assistant by Ann Patchett Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card City of Girls by Elizabeth Gilbert Medallion Status by John Hodgman The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Winter's Solstice by Rosamunde Pilcher From the Mixed Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.

There is a saying, “If you want a happy ending, read a cookbook”. Our guest, Laura Lucchese, is in a book club that always ends well because her group reads and then produces a group meal from cookbooks. James Beard, the great culinary expert said, food is our common ground, a universal experience. In our mind, to bring books and food together is a match made in heaven. Laura tells us how many cookbooks have a narrative story just like a traditional book, why cooking from a cuisine outside your own encourages discussion, and how modern cookbooks offer a different philosophy to entertaining that diverges from the older well-known cookbook authors like Martha Stewart. Books Mentioned in this Episode. Six Seasons by Joshua McFadden and Martha Holmberg How to Cook Everything by Mark Bittman Smitten Kitchen Cookbook by Deb Perelman Dining In by Alison Roman Nothing Fancy by Alison Roman Indianish by Priya Krishna Bottom of the Pot by Naz Deravian Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee Everyday is Saturday by Sarah Copeland How They Choked by Georgia Bragg Simple by Yotam Ottolenghi Do You Mind If I Cancel by Gary Janetti Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris Bad Blood by John Carreyrou A Gentleman from Moscow by Amor Towles All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood Sourdough by Robin Sloan You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.        

Our guest today is what Mr. Rogers would call a “helper”. I first saw William Sutton on Louisville MetroTV, where he was interviewed about his work with children and it was obvious that he was something special. William works in the children’s department of the Portland branch of the Louisville Free Public Library system. Portland is one of the largest neighborhoods in Louisville and one that has a long and rich history. In the late 1800s it had the first trolley line from downtown and was the welcoming home to many waves of immigrants including Irish and German. In recent years this neighborhood has hit hard times; it has one of the lowest income levels in the city, but it is experiencing a rebirth with numerous art galleries, stores, and restaurants coming to the area. Nowhere is the small community spirit more evident though than in its neighborhood library. William Sutton is a favorite face there and you will see why. His joy in his work is infectious. He talks to us about why being a black male in a female heavy field is important for children to see, how comic books built the basis for his literary life, and why black superheroes can be an inspiration for teens to find the strength in themselves.   Books Mentioned in this Episode: Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler The Screwtape Letters by C. S. Lewis Storm by Eric Jerome Dickey The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.

As this is our last episode for the season and we are in the middle of the holidays, we wanted to give you a feel good show. Today we are talking Little Free Libraries. Have you seen the cute little boxes of all colors and sizes on posts where you just open the door and you can take a book? Is there one in your neighborhood? The Little Free Library national movement is 10 years old this year and we wanted to celebrate this anniversary by exploring the movement in our community with our 2 guests this week. Mary Sullivan is a master builder with Metro United Way who spearheaded the Little Free LIbrary movement in underserved neighborhoods of Louisville which now includes 42 little libraries. Joan Dubay is a retired teacher who implemented a Little Free Library at her church and continues to maintain it by adding upwards of 50 books a week to the library. Mary and Joan talk to us about how they first found out about Little Free Libraries, why Little libraries were chosen as a way to help local children be school successful, and how this movement is a revolving door of good feels. They wowed us with the surprising number of books being shared. Mary wants our listeners to know that if you have books you would like to donate they can be delivered to Metro United Way, 334 E. Broadway in Louisville between the hours of 8:45-4:30 Monday-Friday. If you need other times call 502.583-2821 and leave a message for Mary Sullivan. Books Mentioned in this Episode: Belle Prater's Boy by Ruth White The Selected Works of T.S. Spivet by Reif Larsen I, Eliza Hamilton by Susan Holloway Scott The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot The Bean Trees by Barbara Kingsolver You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.

Our guest this week, Kara Evans, is a transplant to Louisville by way of New Jersey and Atlanta and was looking for a fun way to meet new people. She is a healthcare consultant specializing in technology but her hobbies have always included reading and movies. So she decided to create a book and movie club called Books Going to the Big Screen which can be found on the platform Meetup.com, a site with a plethora of different kinds of groups you can join in any geographical area. Kara tells us the benefits and the frustrations of having Hollywood pick the book selections, why she needs crazy good research skills to keep up with the ongoing movie schedule, how their discussions in this club feel completely different than a regular bookclub when you are comparing and contrasting two different mediums, and how reading has always been her escape. Books Mentioned in this Episode: I'm Down by Mishna Wolff Will My Cat Eat My Eyeballs: Big Questions from Tiny Mortals About Death by Caitlin Doughty The Last Days of Night by Graham Moore The Good Liar by Nicholas Searle Motherless Brooklyn by Jonathan Lethem I Heard You Paint Houses by Charles Brandt The Lady From the Black Lagoon: Hollywood Monsters and the Lost Legacy of Milicent Patrick by Mallory O'Meara You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.

Our guest today is a history buff who has taken his interest in the past to a whole new level. Mick Sullivan is a history educator at the Frazier History Museum and is in charge of their youth and family programs. But he is also the creator of the children’s history podcast, The Past and the Curious, which Common Sense Media lists as one of the best podcasts for kids. His quirky combo of humor and music keeps both kids and adults interested and sneaks in a little history in the process. His podcast includes a bit of an earworm song about local coffee shop Heine Bros Coffee So even if history isn’t your jam, check it out just for that tune. The success of his podcast has led to the publishing of his first children’s book, The Meat Shower, which is a fun telling of the historical event of meat (yes I just said meat) literally raining down on a Kentucky farm in the 1800s. In fact what is even more curious, there is still no explanation of this unusual event today. Mick tells us how his podcast grew out of the stories he tells kids at the Frazier’s children’s programs, how his background in musical performance has served him well when creating the variety of music for his podcast, what huge role vultures play in his new book, and all about his vision to have a series of books featuring quirky history for every reading level.   The Meatshower by Mick Sullivan Spying on the South by Tony Horwitz Confederates in the Attic by Tony Horwitz Life of Pi by Yann Martel American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang You can find us on FB, instagram (@perksofbeingabookloverpod) and on our blog site at www.perksofbeingabooklover.com Perks airs on Forward Radio 106.5 FM and forwardradio.org every Wednesday at 6 pm, Thursdays at 6 am and 12 pm. We have purchased the rights to the theme music used.

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we have our annual summer reading episode with our favorite bookseller, Sam Miller, store manager at Carmichaels Bookstore in Louisville, KY. By this point in our spring season, we are tired, so having Sam on and letting her do the heavy lifting on book suggestions is what we’re about. Sam clues us in to some new fiction, nonfiction, traditional summer reading, mysteries, sci-fi/fantasy, and children’s books you may want to scoop up. Books Mentioned in This Episode: 1- James by Percival Everett 2- Hamilton by Ron Chernow 3- We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman 4- Sandwich by Catherine Newman 5- Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult 6- By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult 7- Long Island by Colm Tóibín 8- Brooklyn by Colm Tóibín 9- Peace Like a River by Leif Enger 10- I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger 11- The Summer Pact by Emily Giffen 12- Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy 13- Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder 14- Knife by Salman Rushdie 15- The Demon of Unrest by Erik Larsen 16- 1974 by Francine Prose 17- The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 18- Sociopath by Patric Gagne 19- An Unfinished Love Story by Doris Kearns Goodwin 20- The Searcher by Tana French 21- The Hunter by Tana French 22- One Perfect Couple by Ruth Ware 23- Midnight Feast by Lucy Foley 24- Highway 13 by Fiona McFarland 25- This Bright River by Liz Moore 26- God of the Woods by Liz Moore 27- The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley 28- Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride 29- The Book of Elsewhere by Keanu Reeves and China Miéville 30- Service Model by Adrian Tchaikovsky 31- House on the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune 32- Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ Klune 33- The Deading by Nicholas Belardes 34- Unicorn Woman by Gayl Jones 35- Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones 36- You Are Here edited by Ada Límon 37- Black Gold by Marguerite Henry 38- The Kentucky Oaks by Avalyn Hunter 39- Bourbonland by Edward Lee 40- Smoke and Pickles by Edward Lee 41- Buttermilk Graffiti by Edward Lee 42- The Gaga Mistake by Emma Straub 43- Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love 44- The Squish by Brianna Carzoo 45- The Berlin Letters by Katherine Reay 46- Horrorstor by Grady Hendrix 47- Finna by Nino Cipri 48- The Divorcees by Rowan Beaird 49- I’m Afraid You Have Dragons by Peter S. Beagle 50- The Last Unicorn by Peter S. Beagle Apps mentioned— Merlin app (birds)

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. May is Audiobook Appreciation Month so this week we suggest to you 10 plus books that give an added dimension when you listen to the audiobook version. And we aren't even entertaining the notion that listening to audiobooks isn't reading. Listening counts! Books mentioned-- 1- The Jinn Daughter by Rania Hanna 2- The Paper Palace by Miranda Cowley Heller 3- Rules for Second Chances by Maggie North (A 5 star read recommended by fellow book lover Shannon Loar @shopcoffeekids 4- Invasion of the Body Snatchers by Jack Finney, narrated by Kristoffer Tabori 5- Taste: My Life Through Food by Stanley Tucci, narrated by Stanley Tucci 6- Nothing is Wrong and Here is Why by Alexandra Petri, narrated by Rebecca Gibel 7- Nothing to See Here by Kevin Wilson, narrated by Marin Ireland 8- The Assasination of Brangwain Spurge by MT Anderson and Eugene Yelchin narrated by Gildart Jackson 9- Daisy Jones and the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid, narrated by an ensemble cast 10- A Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess, narrated by Tom Hollander 11- Heartbreak: A Personal and Scientific Journey by Florence Williams, narrated by author 12- Leave the World Behind by Rumaan Alam, narrated by Marin Ireland 13- Ava's Man by Rick Bragg 14-The Speckled Beauty: A Dog and his People by Rick Bragg 15- My Southern Journey: True Journeys from the Heart of the South by Rick Bragg 16- It's All Over But the Shoutin' by Rick Bragg 17- Calypso by David Sedaris 18- Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris 19- Strangers on a Train by Patricia Highsmith, narrated by Bronson Pinchot 20- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith 21- The Husbands by Holly Gramazio 22- The People of Paper by Salvador Plascencia Movies and Shows mentioned-- 1- Big Night (1996) 2- Stanley Tucci Searching for Italy (CNN) 3- The Hunger Games (2012) 4- The Devil Wears Prada (2006) 5- Daisy Jones and the Six (Amazon, 2023) 6- Leave the World Behind (Netflix, 2023) 7- Ripley (Netflix, 2024)

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. We interact with book publicists pretty often, but a few months ago, one of them, Sami Lien, emailed and asked for recommendations about things to do in Kentucky around Derby. She explained that she is in a travel book club; they read books over the course of 12 months about a particular US location and then take a trip to visit. The novel Horse by Geraldine Brooks was the book that inspired this particular trip for their club. Well, we love books and travel so we had to invite Sami and her book club friend, Marilyn, to be guests on the show. We had a great time learning about the ins and outs of their travel book club and are excited to get to meet them this Friday at a restaurant about an hour outside of Louisville. If you would like to see the full list of books they read this year preparing to travel to Kentucky and the Derby, you can find the list in the show notes. Books Mentioned in the Episode: 1- Horse by Geraldine Brooks 2- Relative Strangers by A.H. Kim 3- Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards 4- 1984 by George Orwell 5- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 6- Cannery Row by John Steinbeck 7- East of Eden by John Steinbeck 8- Black Beauty by Anna Sewell 9- Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 10- South of Broad by Pat Conroy 11- My Reading Life by Pat Conroy 12- Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy 13- Lexington: The Extraordinary Life and Turbulent Times of America's Legendary Racehorse by Kim Wickens 14- Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War by Tony Horwitz 15- Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon - A five star read recommended by fellow book lover Caitríona Shannon @these_thats_and_prose 16- Friday Harbor by DC Alexander 17- Blood in the Bluegrass by DC Alexander 18- Mary by Janis Cooke Newman 19- Not My Father's Son by Alan Cumming 20- Norah Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan Shows mentioned-- 1- Ripley (Netflix, 2024)   The Divine Destinations Reading List for Kentcuky and the KY Derby 1- Horse: A Novel by Geraldine Brooks 2- The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek by Kim Michele Richardson 3- Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver 4- Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand 5- Groundskeeping by Lee Cole 6- Icy Sparks by Gwyn Hyman Rubio 7- Lincoln by Russell Freedman 8- Water Street by Crystal Wilkinson 9- The Giver of Stars by Jojo Moyes 10- The Perfect Horse: The Daring U.S. Mission to Rescue the Priceless Stallions Kidnapped by the Nazis by Elizabeth Letts 11- First Lie Wins by Ashley Elston 12- The Patron Saint of Liars by Ann Patchett 13- Horse Crazy: The Story of a Woman and a World in Love with an Animal by Sarah Maslin Nir 14- Lexington by Kim Wickens

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we have a remix episode because we are attending the LA Festival of Books. We catch up with author Ellen Birkett Morris. We first spoke to her in 2020 about her short story collection, Lost Girls, and now she has recently published a novel Beware the Tall Grass. So we will hear a little something old and a little something new from her in that episode. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Beware the Tall Grass by Ellen Birkett Morris 2- Lost Girls by Ellen Birkett Morris 3- Harriet The Spy by Louise Fitzhugh 4- James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl 5- Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 5- Arabel's Raven by Joan Aiken 6- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout 7- Gulp: Adventures on the Alimentary Canal by Mary Roach 8- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Cadavers by Mary Roach 9- Bonk: The Curious Coupling of Science and Sex by Mary Roach 10- Lake Life by David James Poissant 11- Tell The Wolves I'm Home by Carol Rifka Brunt 12- The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 13- The One and Only Bob by Katherine Applegate 14- Door to Door Bookstore by Carsten Henn translated by Melody Shaw - 5 Star Read recommended by Sarah Phillips @cosymidlifebooknook Article mentioned in this episode: lawnlove.com/blog/best-cities-for-book-lovers/

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we are playing the nostalgia card. All of the books we mention are backlist in a big way; the majority are at least 15 years old. Our episode is about books that take up space in our heads. They may be books that, when we see them on a shelf, stir up all kinds of feelings or memories from years past. Or they are books that simply left a huge impression on us and we think about them from time to time. Even though they aren’t new and shiny, these books deserve a place on your TBR. Books mentioned: 1- The Dead Boy Detectives comic series based on characters developed by Neil Gaiman 2- The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith 3- Catherine Called Birdy by Karen Cushman 4- The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin 5- Everything I Learned, I Learned in a Chinese Restaurant by Curtis Chin 6- When the Moon Hatched by Sarah A. Parker - A 5 star read recommended by fellow book lover - Kasey @kayree_reads 7-It by Stephen King (1986) 8- Jack Gance by Ward Just (1997) 9- Burglars Can’t Be Choosers (the Bernie Rhodenbarr series) by Lawrence Block (1977) 10- The Good Men by Charmaine Craig (2003) 11- The Six Wives of Henry VIII by Alison Weir (1991) 12- Eleanor of Aquitaine: A Biography by Marion Meade (1991) 13- Nora: A Biography of Nora Joyce by Brenda Maddox (1998) 14- House of Sand and Fog by Andre Dubus III (1999) 15- Eva’s Man by Gayl Jones (1987) 16- Fair and Tender Ladies by Lee Smith (1988) 17- Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy (1895) 18- Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy 19- Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Torzs 20- Children of Earth and Sky by Guy Gavriel Kay Shows mentioned— 1- Dead Boy Detectives (Netflix, 2024) 2- Catherine, Called Birdy (Amazon Prime, 2022) 3- Ripley (Netflix, 2024) 4- Sandman (Netflix, 2022) 5- Good Omens (Amazon Prime, 2019) 6- Sherlock (Hulu, 2010) 7- The Talented Mr. Ripley (1999) 8- Emma ( Amazon Prime, 2020) 9- 3 Body Problem (Netflix, 2024) 10- Burglar (1987) 11- House of Sand and Fog (Max, 2003) 12- Lion in Winter (1968) 13- Jude (1996) 14- Far from the Madding Crowd (Max, 2015) Theatre mentioned— Broadway across America production of “Six” Articles mentioned— 8 Bookish Podcasts for Booklovers - www.badasswomensbookclub.com/blog/2024/…booklovers

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. You can find Judith Lindbergh at judithlindbergh.com/ and on IG @judithlindbergh. This week’s episode is one that big history nerds may find fascinating. In fact, big nerd Carrie could have gone even further down a rabbit hole of Herodotus than she did with our guest Judith Lindbergh. If you feel like playing a drinking game with this episode, between the three of us, we say the word ‘fascinating” at least nine times. Judith’s second novel, titled Akmaral, will be published on May 7 and is a sweeping story of a nomadic woman warrior in Central Asia during the 5th century. Judith tells us about her inspiration for the novel (and you can find more about the Ice Maiden she mentions in our interview on her website) and how the matriarchal community in which Akmaral lives has connections to the mythological Amazons. Judith relates the challenges of women during the Iron Age to those that modern women have through her story. A perfect saga story for fans of Madeline Miller. Books Mentioned In This Episode: 1- Akmaral by Judith Lindbergh 2- Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach 3- The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith 4- The Thrall's Tale by Judith Lindbergh 5- Histories by Herodotus 6- Rough Magic by Lara Prior-Palmer 7- The Fair Botanists by Sara Sheridan - A 5 star read recommended by fellow book lover Linda Lefler @lindalefler 8- This is How Your Marriage Ends: A Hopeful Approach to Saving Relationships by Matthew Fray 9- The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave 10- The Comfort of Crows: A Backyard Year by Margaret Renkl 11- Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl 12- I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai Movies mentioned-- 1- White Noise (2023) Documentary mentioned: 1- Secrets of the Dead: Amazon Warrior Women, www.pbs.org/wnet/secrets/amazon…women-episode/1464/. 2- NOVA: “Ice Mummies: Siberian Ice Maiden. www.youtube.com/watch?v=vrYitmlS1YU. Article mentioned-- 1- The Marriage Lesson That I Learned Too Late --www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/…-dishes/629526/ 2- Tuvan Throat Singing - www.songlines.co.uk/features/essent…-singing-albums.

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. Earth Day is upon us in a few weeks, April 22, and what better time to explore literature that comments on the health of Mother Earth. This week we are talking eco-literature. Eco-literature engages readers on environmental concerns through the interactions between humans and the environment. And it encourages thought about our impact on the planet. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Wishtree by Katherine Applegate 2- That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming 3- That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf by Kimberly Lemming 4- Ramayana: Divine Loophole by Sanjay Patel 5- Kaikeyi by Vaishnavi Patel 6- Did You Hear About Kitty Karr by Crystal Smith Paul - A 5 Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Kristin M. @paws.read.repeat 7- Flight Behavior by Barbara Kingsolver 8- Bicycling with Butterflies by Sara Dykman 9- Dune by Frank Herbert 10- Don't Call Me a Hurricane by Ellen Hagan 11- Beaverland: How One Weird Rodent Made America by Leila Philips 12- The Last Animal by Ramona Ausubel 13- Three Ways to Disappear by Katy Yocom 14- State of Wonder by Ann Patchet 15- What Blooms From Dust by James Markert 16- The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 17- Days of Sand by Aimee de Jongh 18- The Fifth Season by NK Jemisin 19- Death in the Air: The True Story of a Serial Killer, the Great London Smog, and the Strangling of a City by Kate Winkler Dawson 20- Hoot by Carl Hiassen Links to articles we reference: Library Book Returned After 102 Years people.com/family-returns-pair…ranch%20on%20Monday. Wishtree censorship— www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/…ishtree.html Sting Ray article— www.npr.org/2024/03/07/12366785…tery-north-carolina Bringing Back the Wooly Mammoth www.npr.org/sections/health-sho…-mammoth-extinction

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. You can find this week’s Austen authors at their websites: AH Kim - www.ahkim.net/ and @ahkim.writer Melodie Edwards - www.melodieedwards.com/ and @melodiewritesedwards  Jane Austen was born in 1775 and died in 1817 but she remains a writer who has captured the minds and hearts of many readers. The themes she addressed in her time remain ones that are relevant today: the need to be an individual despite the binds of society’s rules, the complications of marriage, and the power and powerlessness that comes with changes in social class. Our guests this week, AH Kim, and Melodie Edwards, both love Jane Austen and with such gusto that they wrote their own reimaginings of her novels. They talk about the potential pitfalls of their endeavors given how exacting many Austen fans are, as well as the things they wanted to ensure they kept from Austen versus the creative license they took to make their stories unique to their own experiences and modern times. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Relative Strangers by A.H. Kim 2- Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen 3- Once Persuaded, Twice Shy by Melodie Edwards 4- Persuasion by Jane Austen 5- Death Comes to Pemberley by PD James 6- Jane and Edward by Melodie Edwards 7- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte  8- A Good Family by A.H. Kim 9- Long Live by V. B. Lacey - A Book recommended by a fellow book lover Brianna Wright @bwrightsbookreviews 10- Deacon King Kong by James McBride 11- Hello Beautiful by Ann Napolitano 12- Every Time We Say Goodbye by Natalie Jenner 13- The Fetishist by Katherine Min 14- Murder Your Employer: The McMasters Guide to Homicide by Rupert Holmes 15- The Mostly True Story of Tanner and Louise by Colleen Oakley TV series mentioned: 1- Northern Exposure ( Amazon, 1990-1995) 2- The Reluctant Traveler (Apple +, 2023-present) Movies mentioned- 1- Pride and Prejudice (1995) with Colin Firth 2- Sense and Sensibility (1995) with Emma Thompson 3- Persuasion (Netflix, 2022) with Dakota Johnson 4- Persuasion (2007, iTV) with Sally Hawkins 5- Persuasion (1995) with Ciarin Hinds 6- Emma (1996) with Gwyneth Paltrow 7- American Fiction (2023)

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we’re talking about linked short story collections. What are linked short stories, though? These are stories that are collected and somehow linked to each other. That link can be very explicit or very subtle. They can be linked by one character who threads her/his way throughout every one or who is only mentioned marginally. They can be linked by several characters. They can be linked by the setting–if they are set in a certain town or state or country. But they can also be linked by theme or symbol or a common experience of characters. They could all be about a shared experience, like parenthood or death or love. Or a combination of these things. Books Mentioned in This Episode: 1- Spaceman of Bohemia by Jaroslav Kalfar 2- We Are Never Meeting in Real Life by Samantha Irby 3- Good Taste by Caroline Scott 4- Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte - a 5 star read recommended by fellow book lover Anastacia @ms_a_m_c 5- The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer 6- The Decameron by Giovanni Boccacio 7- Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout 8- The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien 9- Dubliners by James Joyce 10- Dear Chrysanthemums: A Novel in Stories by Fiona Sze-Lorrain 11- The House on Mango Street by Sandra Cisneros 12- Birth Canal by Dias Novita Wuri 13- There, There by Tommy Orange 14- Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 15- What Makes You Think You’re Supposed to Feel Better by Jody Hobbs Hessler 16- The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw 17- A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan 18- Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi 19- Music of the Swamp by Lewis Nordan 20- To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee 21- Crooked Hallelujah by Kelly Jo Ford 22- Frying Plantain by Zalika Reid-Benta 23- Gwen and Art are Not in Love by Lex Croucher 24- Throne of Glass (series) by Sarah J. Maas 25- The Bone People by Keri Hulme 26- The Extinction of Irina Rey by Jennifer Croft Podcasts mentioned-- Ologies with Alie Ward - www.alieward.com/ologies/oikologyencore NPR's Book of the Day - www.npr.org/2024/03/14/11969793…-rey-jennifer-croft Movies mentioned-- 1- Oppenheimer (2023) 2- Spaceman (2024, Netflix)

To find more of Kari’s book thoughts, you can find her on instagram @checkedoutbooks. Our website at perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we chat with Kari Heggen, a bookstagrammer from Iowa who set herself a goal to read all the Newbery Award winners from the past 102 years. Originally she had planned to read 10 a year but she ultimately decided to just get her done. She read 49 of the winners in 2023 and got a jump start on 2024 by reading this year’s winner, The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers. Kari talks about the highs and lows of her Newbery Award challenge. Books from the early days of the award were decidedly not great. But by the 1960s, Kari got into a better groove and found herself enjoying books for the first time and often the second time which brought back some childhood nostalgia. Books Mentioned in this Episode: 1- Erasure by Percival Everett 2- Tulip Fever by Deborah Moggach 3- Island of the Blue Dolphins by Scott O'Dell 4- Holes by Louis Sachar 5- The Giver by Lois Lowry 6- Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of NIMH by Robert C. O'Brien 7- The Story of Mankind by Hendrik Willem van Loom 8- A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L'Engle 9- The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera 10- Criss Cross by Lynne Rae Perkins 11- The Higher Power of Lucky by Susan Patron 12- Joyful Noise: Poems for Two Voices by Paul Fleischman 13- A Visit to William Blake's Inn by Nancy Willard 14- Number the Stars by Lois Lowry 15- King of the Wind by Marguerite Henry 16- Misty of Chincoteague by Marguerite Henry 17- Dicey's Song by Cynthia Voigt 18- Homecoming by Cynthia Voigt 19- Moon Over Manifest by Clare Vanderpool 20- The Crossover by Kwame Alexander 21- The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo 22- The Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Patterson 23- Jacob Have I Loved by Katherine Patterson 24- The Eyes and the Impossible by Dave Eggers 25- Breaking Stalin's Nose by Eugene Yelchin 26- When You Reach Me by Rebecca Stead 27 - Five Star Read Recommended by a Fellow Book Lover Hope @lifewithhopeann- Divine Rivals Duology by Rebecca Ross 28- Nick Drake: The Life by Richard Morton Jack 29- The Frozen River by Ariel Lawhon 30- Starter Villain by John Scalzi 31- Sword of the Rightful King by Jane Yolen 32- Morgan is My Name by Sophie Keetch 33- The Idylls of the King by Alfred Tennyson 34- The Mists of Avalon by Marion Zimmer Bradley Movies and TV Series mentioned: 1- Oppenheimer (2023) 2- American Fiction (2023) 3- Poor Things (2023) 4- The Wonderful Story of Henry Sugar (2023, Netflix) 5- Peaky Blinders (2013-2022, Netflix) 6- The Secrets of Nimh (1982) Article about Serving on the Newbery Awards committee- www.fairfaxcounty.gov/library/what-i…y-medal-winner

Our website www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod FaceBook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message, go to our website and click the Contact button. This week we talk about some of our favorite books coming out of small and independent presses. The Big 5 publishers print those blockbusters we love to stick in our beach bag but smaller presses support much more diverse authors and innovative and important stories that may be your next favorite read! We give you a little primer about the difference between a small press and an imprint by on the Big 5. And we give you 10 books (plus a few more) that we recommend from indie presses! Books mentioned-- 1- The Changeling by Victor Lavalle 2- The Odyssey by Homer 3- Men Explain Things To Me by Rebecca Solnit 4- Everyman by Philip Roth 5- Italian Shoes by Henning Mankell 6- Gilead by Marilynne Robinson - 5 star readrecommended by fellow book lover Amy Bernath @mrsmillardfillmorereads 7- The Wild Hunt by Emma Seckel (Tin House) 8- Three Ways to Disappear by Katy Yocom (Ashland Creek Press) ThePerksofBeingaBookLover.podbean.com/e/ep-3…26-20/ 9- The Salt Fields by Stacy D. Flood (Lanternfish Press) 10- Whiskey and Ribbons by Leesa Cross Smith (Hub City Press) 11- Landings: A Crooked Creek Farm Year by Arwen Donahue (Hub City Press) 12- Places We Left Behind: A Memoir in Miniature by Jennifer Lang (Vine Leaves Press) 13- What Ben Franklin Would Have Told Me by Donna Gordon (Regal House) ThePerksofBeingaBookLover.podbean.com/e/s-6-…-8-22/ 14- Menopause: A Comic Treatment edited by MK Czerwiec (Penn State University Press) 15- Bad Tourist by Suzanne Roberts (Univeristy of Nebraska Press) 16- Another Appalachia by Neema Avashia(WVU Press) 17- World of Wonders by Aimee Nezhukumatathil (Milkweed Editions) 18- Late Migrations by Margaret Renkl (Milkweed Editions) 19- Lungfish by Meghan Gillis (Catapult Books) 20- Tidepool by Nicole Willson (Parliament House) 21- The Keeper of the Key by Nicole Willson (Parliament House Books - coming Nov. 12, 2024) Movies/Shows mentioned-- Maestro (Netflix, 2023) The Changeling (Apple+, 2023) For All Mankind (Apple+, 2019) Links mentioned: Odysseus Lunar Landing - www.cnn.com/2024/02/22/world/mo…nasa-scn/index.html Solar Flare - www.cbsnews.com/philadelphia/news…outage-earth-att/ Human Isolation on Mars- www.nytimes.com/2024/02/25/magazi…n-experiment.html LA Public Library now owns a small press - www.latimes.com/entertainment-art…makes-total-sense