You Are What You Read

Beloved children's book author, Kate DiCamillo, joins us on this week's episode of You Are What You Read with her latest New York Times bestseller, The Hotel Balzaar. Kate is the author of Because of Winn-Dixie (a Newbery Honor book), The Tiger Rising (a National Book Award finalist), and The Tale of Despereaux (a Newbery Medal Winner). She recently completed a series of early chapter books about a pig named Mercy Watson. The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane was the winner of the Boston Globe–Horn Book Award. In this conversation, we get to know Kate, revisit her childhood filled with books, and examine her process developing some of the greatest characters of our time.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are in conversation with the great American poet Billy Collins with his all-new book of poetry, Water, Water. Billy served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2001 to 2003 and as New York State Poet from 2004 to 2006. In 2016, he was inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Billy is a former distinguished Professor at Lehman College of the City University of New York.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Poet, educator, Emmy-winning producer and #1 New York Times bestselling author of 41 books, Kwame Alexander, joins us this week on You Are What You Read for a conversation about his brilliant children’s book, An American Story. Kwame’s titles include Becoming Muhammad Ali (which he co-authored with James Patterson), Rebound, (which was shortlisted for the prestigious UK Carnegie Medal), and The Undefeated (a National Book Award nominee, recipient of the Newbery Honor, and a Caldecott Medal-winning picture book illustrated by Kadir Nelson). Kwame is also the Emmy Award- winning Executive Producer, Showrunner, and Writer of The Crossover TV series, based on his Newbery-Medal winning novel of the same name. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Master Craftsman Alice Hoffman invents the world of Anne Frank before the war. On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by the great Alice Hoffman for a conversation about her new book, When We Flew Away, a story exploring the details of Anne Frank’s life before the worst happened to her. Alice is also the author of over thirty novels including The Dovekeepers, Magic Lessons, The Book of Magic, and Practical Magic, which was adapted to the blockbuster film starring Sandra Bullock and Nicole Kidman and directed by Griffin Dunne (you can listen to our conversation with Griffin here on You Are What You Read). This episode highlights the research and the heart that goes into every Alice Hoffman book, and the importance of honoring our histories.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Maggie dives into her process in writing the global bestseller, Hamnet, the story of William Shakespeare's son in the times in which they lived. In illuminating prose and superb storytelling, she takes us into the world of a centuries-old story that has impact today. O'Farrell is an international superstar who makes the most historical of stories come alive in the moment. Hamnet was the winner of the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the National Book Critics Circle Award Winner.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the most celebrated guitarists in rock history, Peter Frampton, for a conversation about his memoir, Do You Feel Like I Do? Peter’s 1976 album, Frampton Comes Alive!, remains one of the top-selling live records of all time. He co-founded one of the first supergroups, the seminal rock act Humble Pie, and he has collaborated with legends… George Harrison, David Bowie, Jerry Lee Lewis, Bill Wyman, Ringo Starr, and most recently with the great Dolly Parton. In 2007, Peter won the Grammy Award for Best Pop Instrumental Album for Fingerprints, and in 2014 he was inducted into the Musicians Hall of Fame. In this conversation, Peter tells us about his path to stardom from an early age… his enduring friendship with David Bowie…as schoolmates and later on, as performers. He also tells us about the obstacles he’s had to overcome to continue to play and pour his heart into music. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on You Are What You Read, we have the talk of the town with us… Delia Ephron’s bestselling memoir, Left on Tenth, is now on Broadway starring Julianna Margulies and Peter Gallagher and directed by Susan Stroman. Delia Ephron is a bestselling author, screenwriter, essayist, and playwright. Her novels include Siracusa and The Lion Is In, and her movie credits…You’ve Got Mail, The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants, This is My Life, Michael, and Hanging Up (based on her novel). Her play, “Love, Loss, and What I Wore,” written with her sister Nora Ephron (based on the book by Ilene Beckerman), ran for two years off Broadway. In this conversation, Delia chronicles the events that led to her late-in-life love story. After losing her sister, Nora, and then her husband, Jerry, both to cancer, Delia struggled through years of heartbreak…but it turned out romance was the healer when a man named Dr. Peter Rutter came into the picture. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by beloved wife, mother, friend and bestselling author of the Shopaholic series, Sophie Kinsella, for a conversation about her most personal books yet, What Does It Feel Like? At the end of 2022, Sophie was diagnosed with glioblastoma, a form of aggressive brain cancer, and being the masterful writer she is, Sophie turned her own life into a narrative. In What Does It Feel Like?, we meet Eve, a successful novelist who wakes up one day in a hospital bed with no memory of how she got there. Her husband, never far from her side, explains that she has had an operation to remove the large, malignant tumor growing in her brain. What follows is an unforgettable story about learning to live and love anew.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the world’s most beloved storytellers and author of 23 New York Times bestsellers, Nicholas Sparks. Nicholas’ books have been adapted into some of the most iconic films of our time… The Notebook, The Choice, The Longest Ride, The Best of Me, Safe Haven, The Lucky One, Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, Nights in Rodanthe, Dear John and The Last Song. In this conversation, we discuss his blockbuster best seller, Dreamland. His 24th novel, Counting Miracles, is out today.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Moon Unit Zappa, daughter of the businesswoman, Gail Zappa, and world-famous musician and entertainer, Frank Zappa. Moon Zappa gave her father the biggest commercial hit of his career, “Valley Girl” when she was just 14. Since then, Moon has firmly established herself as a writer, actress, comedian, artist, podcaster, tea merchant, and now, author of her brilliant memoir, EARTH TO MOON, the story of Moon's upbringing in the shadows of Frank Zappa, in a sexually free, but also dysfunctional world in 1970s Los Angeles. Moon was a writer raised in a home bursting with creativity and yet denied artistry. She is now a lover of words with a facile and terrific talent to record her life experience on the page. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Academy Award®, Golden Globe Award and Emmy Award winning writer and director, Susanne Bier. Susanne’s new Netflix limited series THE PERFECT COUPLE, adapted from Elin Hilderbrand's global bestselling murder-mystery book, stars Nicole Kidman, Dakota Fanning, Liev Schreiber and Eve Hewson. Susanne is also known for directing Netflix’s 2018 hit film BIRD BOX starring Sandra Bullock (which went on to become the most-watched film in Netflix history), THE UNDOING, THE FIRST LADY, THE NIGHT MANAGER and more. In this conversation, we get to know the Susanne Bier story behind the camera and her unique POV to catch life on the screen.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by one of the most highly acclaimed signers of our time, Renée Fleming, Renée is a musical treasure- a 2023 Kennedy Center Honoree, a winner of five Grammy awards and the US National Medal of Arts. She has sung for momentous occasions from the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony to the Diamond Jubilee for Queen Elizabeth II at Buckingham Palace. In 2014 she became the first classical artist ever to sing the National Anthem at the Super Bowl. Known for bringing new audiences to classical music and opera, she has sung not only with Luciano Pavarotti and Andrea Bocelli, but also with Elton John, Paul Simon, Sting, Josh Groban, and Joan Baez. Renée’s voice is featured on the soundtracks of Best Picture Oscar winners The Shape of Water and The Lord of the Rings.  In this conversation, we discuss Renée’s brilliant anthology, Music and Mind: Harnessing the Arts for Health and Wellness. As Artistic Advisor to the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Renée created the Music and the Mind program, a collaboration between America’s national cultural center and the National Institutes of Health. With the anthology, Renée curated a collection of essays from leading scientists, artists, creative arts therapists, educators, and healthcare providers about the powerful impacts of music and the arts on health and the human experience. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In the history of American literature, there is only one John Grisham. On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by the "master of the legal thriller" and author of fifty consecutive #1 bestsellers that have been translated into 50 languages. You know his blockbuster bestsellers… A Time to Kill, The Firm, The Pelican Brief, The Rainmaker, and so many more. In his latest novel John Grisham takes us back to paradise for the third book in his Camino series with Camino Ghosts. (We hope you listen to the audiobook narrated by the great Whoopi Goldberg.) In his upcoming work of nonfiction, Framed, John teams up with Jim McCloskey to share ten harrowing true stories of wrongful convictions. John is a two-time winner of the Harper Lee Prize for Legal Fiction and was honored with the Library of Congress Creative Achievement Award for Fiction. When he’s not writing, Grisham serves on the board of directors of the Innocence Project and of Centurion Ministries.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by literary sensation and incomparable storyteller, Margaret Atwood. Margaret is the author of more than fifty books of fiction, poetry, and critical essays, including the award-winning, The Handmaid’s Tale, The Testaments, Cat’s Eye, Alias Grace, The Blind Assassin, and more. Margaret has won the Booker Prize, the Arthur C. Clarke Award for Imagination in Service to Society, the Franz Kafka Prize, the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade, the PEN USA Lifetime Achievement Award, and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. In this conversation, we discuss Margaret’s glorious and hilarious short story collection, Old Babes in the Wood, a deep look into family, marriage, loss and aging, and what it means to spend a life with those you love.  We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by award-winning television and film actor, bestselling author, and champion of Parkinson’s Research, Michael J. Fox. You know Michael from his notable roles as Alex P. Keaton on the sitcom Family Ties, Marty McFly in Back to the Future, and more… The Secret of My Success, Doc Hollywood, Casualties of War, and The American President. Michael returned to television in his award-winning lead role in Spin City, and also appeared in Rescue Me, Curb Your Enthusiasm, and The Good Wife. His many awards include five Emmys, four Golden Globes, one Grammy, two Screen Actors Guild awards, the People’s Choice award, and GQ Man of the Year. In 2000, Michael launched the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson’s Research, which is now the leading Parkinson’s organization in the world. He is the author of four New York Times bestselling books: Lucky Man, Always Looking Up, A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Future, and No Time Like the Future: An Optimist Considers Mortality. Our dear friend Nelle Fortenberry also joins the conversation to talk about her longtime work with Michael as his producer and creative partner. Nelle is on the board of directors for the Michael J. Fox Foundation and won an Emmy as the Executive Producer of Still: A Michael J. Fox Movie. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by author Gabrielle Zevin for a conversation about her blockbuster bestselling novel, Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow. Gabrielle’s novel was an instant New York Times best seller, one of the New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century, and Book of the Month’s Book of the Year. Gabrielle’s other novels include The Storied Life of A.J. Fikry, Young Jane Young, and Elsewhere. Her books have been translated into over forty languages. In this conversation, we learn about Gabrielle’s creative process, her journey as a writer, and the captivating characters from her beloved novels. We'd like to thank our sponsor, Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week's episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Academy Award winning actor and New York Times bestselling author Matthew McConaughey for a conversation about his memoir, Greenlights.  You know Matthew from his iconic roles in films like Dallas Buyers Club, A Time to Kill, Dazed and Confused, countless rom coms, and more. In 2009, Matthew and his wife, Camila, founded the just keep livin Foundation, which helps at-risk high school students make healthier mind, body, and spirit choices. Matthew is a professor of practice at the University of Texas at Austin, as well as Minister of Culture/M.O.C. for the University of Texas and the City of Austin. He is also brand ambassador for Lincoln Motor Company, an owner of the Major League Soccer club Austin FC, and co-creator of his favorite bourbon on the planet, Wild Turkey Longbranch. In this exclusive conversation for the Arizona Women's Board Erma Bombeck Luncheon, Matthew and I discuss the important stuff… family, work, faith, and, of course, livin’. Thanks to our wonderful sponsors! This episode of You Are What You Read is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/WHATYOUREAD today to get 10% off your first month. Get it off your chest, with BetterHelp. We'd also like to thank Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey… otherwise known as Pam Beesly and Angela Martin from The Office. Beloved for their roles as a receptionist and an accountant at Scranton’s ‘Dunder Mifflin Paper Company’, Jenna and Angela have garnered Emmy nominations, Screen Actors Guild Awards and more. In this conversation, Jenna and Angela take us through their nine seasons filming The Office and the friendship they built beyond the show. Now as hosts of the hit podcast, Office Ladies, Jenna and Angela share their plans to continue entertaining Office fans with hilarious behind-the-scenes stories and interviews.  Thanks to our wonderful sponsors! This episode of You Are What You Read is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/WHATYOUREAD today to get 10% off your first month. Get it off your chest, with BetterHelp. We'd also like to thank Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by Rock & Roll Hall of Famer, five-time Grammy Award winner, and platinum selling singer-songwriter, Michael McDonald. Michael was an essential member of Steely Dan and was then invited to join the Doobie Brothers. You know Michael as their trademark singer, keyboardist, and songwriter on numerous Top 40 singles… “Listen to the Music”, “What a Fool Believes”, “Takin’ It to the Streets”, “I Keep Forgettin’”, “Peg”, “It Keeps You Running”, and “You Belong to Me”.  In this episode, we discuss Michael’s memoir, What a Fool Believes, which he co-wrote with Paul Reiser. Bestselling novelist Lisa Patton, Michael's former assistant, also joins us for the story of our hilarious first meeting. This is a conversation you won't want to miss about Michael's unforgettable journey in music and in finding himself.  Thanks to our wonderful sponsors! This episode of You Are What You Read is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/WHATYOUREAD today to get 10% off your first month. Get it off your chest, with BetterHelp. We'd also like to thank Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this week’s episode of You Are What You Read, we are joined by literary wonder woman, Joyce Carol Oates. Joyce is a recipient of the National Humanities Medal, the National Book Award, and the Jerusalem Prize for Lifetime Achievement, among others, and has been nominated several times for the Pulitzer Prize. Joyce has written some of the most enduring fiction of our time, including the national best sellers We Were the Mulvaneys, Blonde, and The Falls. She is the Roger S. Berlind ’52 Distinguished Professor of the Humanities Emerita at Princeton University and has been a member of The American Academy of Arts and Letters since 1978. In this conversation, we learn why Joyce writes and what has brought her to the page for 64 novels, 47 short story collections, plays, librettos, children's novels, books of poetry and more. There are even a few beauty tips!  Thanks to our wonderful sponsors! This episode of You Are What You Read is sponsored by BetterHelp. Visit BetterHelp.com/WHATYOUREAD today to get 10% off your first month. Get it off your chest, with BetterHelp. We'd also like to thank Book of the Month.  Head over to bookofthemonth.com and use Promo Code ADRI to get your first book for just $9.99. Thank you for listening, and thank you for reading. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices