Odds and Ends

Segment one this week is a cornucopia of bookish news:

• Check out this line of bookmark greeting cards: In My Book, with lovely illustrated fronts that can be detached and used as bookmarks, has been around for over ten years. They are new to me, but not a new line of cards as I mistakenly say in the podcast. They’re very cool and you can probably buy them at a store near you!
• Many folks attending Booktopia have started a The Sense of an Ending  read-along. They’ll read the book now, then discuss it at the Booktopia events (so far we have attendees for VT and MS reading along). We’ve decided to expand the event into a sort of “One Podcast, One Book” and we encourage you all to read the book and share your thoughts at our Goodreads group! (For more info on the three Booktopia events, click here.)
• Last week I told you about Quiet by Susan Cain, who will be joining us at Booktopia VT. Since being published, Quiet has been anything but. It’s been getting tons of attention and Susan is scheduled to appear on The Colbert Report on 2/16. Set your DVRs!
• A recent article in The Guardian alerted Ann to The Library Book, a very cool sounding collection of “famous writers on libraries real or imagined, past and future; why libraries matter and to whom.” It’s a book that’s only available in the UK, as far as we can tell, but we’re sure hoping it will published in the States so we can check it out as well!
• Some folks are using The BOTNS 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge as a way to visit 12 bookstores they’ve always meant to see in person. In that vein, we’d love for everyone to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323) and briefly describe your favorite bricks-and-mortar (i.e. physical) bookstore.

Kindred Spirits (12:00)

Ann has been geting back into knitting, and recently discovered 2 Knit Lit Chicks, a podcast that is half about knitting and half about books. When Barb, one of the women on the podcast, recommended The Sex Lives of Cannibals by J. Maarten Troost, Ann actually cheered out loud. It was that exciting moment when you find out that someone else shares your love of a less-than-well-known book. For me, it happened recently when someone friended me on a social networking site and his favorite book listed was Pfitz by Andrew Crumey, a book I sadly thought I was the only person in the world to have read.

In the comments below we’d love to hear what obscure book would make an instant connection between you and another fan.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (21:44)

Behind the Beautiful Forevers by Katherine Boo is an intimate, revealing and heartbreaking look into the lives of the residents of Annawadi, a small slum on the edge of Mumbai’s international airport. I feel quite certain saying this is a book that will garner widespread attention and will win awards.

Set in 1907, History of a Pleasure Seeker by Richard Mason, follows Piet Barol a young tutor brought into the home of a bourgeois Amsterdam family. It’s a book that Ann lost herself in and she’s thrilled that the author will be continuing Piet’s story in future books. For more on Richard Mason, check out this great interview.

A very happy meal (maybe)

McDonalds recently announced that it would be including books with children’s Happy Meals in the United Kingdom. This has generated quite a bit of controversy. Michael and I examine our feelings about it which, frankly, are conflicted. The fact that 1 in 3 children in the UK does not own a book is a staggering reality that makes me believe that this program may be OK. Still, I wrestle with the idea of connecting books and junk food.

Should tragedy be funny? (05:21)

A recent New York Times Book Review by Christopher R. Beha about Adam Johnson’s The Orphan Master’s Son [WARNING: major spoilers included in Beha's review] has raised the question: is it ever OK to deal with tragic events through the use of humor? The novel, set in North Korea with Kim Jong-Il as a character, does have some humorous elements within, but overall it is not a comic novel.  As I was thinking about the review and Beha’s viewpoint, I happened upon a blog post on The Book Smugglers that questions a young adult book that contains a Nazi joke.  Shalom Auslander’s new novel, Hope: A Tragedy, centers on a farmhouse where Anne Frank lives in the attic as a squatter. My friend Kalen begins her Goodreads review in this way: “I don’t even know where to start reviewing this book. It is so very, very wrong and hysterically funny.”  What do you think? Is there a certain period of time that should pass before tragedy is written about in a way that veers from the serious? Are some subjects untouchable?

Two books we can’t wait for you read (13:20)

Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World that Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain is a work of nonfiction that we think will appeal to many of our Books on the Nightstand listeners. The book looks at how extroversion as “the norm” is a fairly recent phenomenon, and how introverts are often “forced” to work with others and in ways that are do not always play to the strengths of the introvert. The book looks at the brain science behind each personality trait, and examines the societal expectations and valuation of introverts and extroverts. Even though many of us share traits of both extroverts and introverts, it’s a fascinating book that has made Michael look at the world a little differently. (Susan blogged about last year’s Books on the Nightstand retreat, even before we knew that her book would be published by Crown, one of the Random House imprints. We’re thrilled that Susan will be joining us at Booktopia:Manchester).

Full confessions: I have not yet read The Ice Balloon by Alex Wilkinson, but many, many of my colleagues have and it’s killing me that I haven’t gotten to it yet. But based on other books that our Books on the Nightstand listeners have read and loved, I didn’t want to wait to tell you about this book. It’s the story of Swedish explorer S.A. Andreé, who in 1897 tried to discover the North Pole by flying over it in a hydrogen balloon. Andreé and his fellow aeronauts were not successful, and they seemingly disappeared into thin air. Wilkinson tells the story of what happened, based on diaries and unexposed films that were found 33 years after the fatal voyage, when their bodies were finally discovered.

Books Around the World

January 31 and February 1 are two dates to circle on your calendar. February 1 is the deadline to sign up to be a volunteer book-giver for World Book Night. I’ve already signed up and Ann is narrowing down the selection of which book she’d like to pass out. Join us!

January 31 is the deadline to nominate books for the shortlist of The International Readers Book Awards, put on by our friends Simon and Gav at The Readers podcast. If a book was published somewhere in the world in 2011, it’s eligible, so nominate your favorites!

The Alex Awards (5:38)

The American Library Association just awarded The Alex Award to ten adult books that have “special appeal to young adults.” It’s a wonderful list that includes a few of our favorites:

• Big Girl Small, by Rachel DeWoskin
• In Zanesville, by Jo Ann Beard
• The Lover’s Dictionary, by David Levithan
• The New Kids: Big Dreams and Brave Journeys at a High School for Immigrant Teens, by Brooke Hauser
• The Night Circus, by Erin Morgenstern
• Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline
• Robopocalypse, by Daniel H. Wilson
• Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward
• The Scrapbook of Frankie Pratt: A Novel in Pictures, by Caroline Preston
• The Talk-Funny Girl, by Roland Merullo

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (9:12)

Defending Jacob by William Landay is the story of a lawyer dealing with a murder in his town; a murder for which his own fourteen-year-old son Jacob has been accused. This is a book that I read in huge gulps, turning pages frantically until the end, when my hands were shaking and my heart was pounding. We’re thrilled that Bill Landay will be joining us in Manchester for Booktopia VT.

Ann was thrilled to see Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward on the list of Alex Award recipients. It also won the 2011 National Book Award for Fiction. It’s a book she read last year, but hadn’t had a chance to talk about yet. Set in a fictional Mississippi town in the ten days leading up to Hurricane Katrina, this novel follows Esch, a fourteen-year-old who has just found out she’s pregnant, and her family. Poetic, literary, and many-layered, it’s a book that you don’t want to miss.

The Value of a Blurb

Betsy in our Goodreads Group asked whether or not she should trust author blurbs. Do the authors actually read the books then write those recommendations? The short answer is yes. In our opinion, and from what we’ve seen on the “inside,” we think you can trust the majority of blurbs. When you should most pay attention is when an author you love blurbs a book. That should definitely make you check out that book!

You Did WHAT to a Book?! (6:56)

On our Facebook wall, author Elizabeth Stuckey-French posted a message about using books as the raw materials for art projects. The book lover in her can’t bear the thought of books, even old ones, being destroyed for any reason. Ann and I can certainly see her point, but we had to admit that we’ve done things like this many times. In our defense, we also handmake books, so that has to balance the scales a bit, right? Whether you need inspiration for “evil” (mutilating helpless books) or “good” (creating beautiful new tomes), here are some books of inspiration and instruction:

• The Repurposed Library by Lisa Occhipinti
• Playing With Books by Jason Thompson
• Uncovered by Thomas Allen
• Handmade Books by Lark Studio Series
• How to Make Books by Esther K. Smith

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (16:12)

Ann has been waiting several months to tell you all about The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker (on sale January 31). It’s the story of a young woman who travels to Burma in search of the truth behind her father’s disappearance and the possible love affair he had with a woman there. It’s perfect for book groups. (Because Ann read the book so long ago, she mixed up the main character’s name when describing the book. It’s Julia.)

Just out in stores now is The Thorn and the Blossom by Theodora Goss. It’s an utterly charming story of a love affair that spans a decade, and possibly a millennium. The story is told from the point of view of both the man and the woman, and is presented in a unique accordion fold package. You choose which story to read first. When you finish it, you flip the book over and read the other side. Plus, it’s packaged in a beautifully illustrated slipcase.

Not Yet on the Nightstand

Our forthcoming monthly newsletter finally has a name: Not Yet on the Nightstand (thanks to Doug on our Facebook page for coming up with the title – even though Ann claims she came up with it first, but I have no memory of that!). The newsletter will take a quick look at manuscripts we have just read and loved, but that won’t be out for a few months, plus a calendar of exciting books coming out the following month.

(If signup form does not appear, please use this link to subscribe)

As we did last year, we will be creating a book to commemorate the Booktopia 2012 events.  Full details on how to submit will soon be sent to all registered attendees and authors. Sadly, the deadline for getting the book ready in time for the first event in April means that folks who wait to register for Oxford in June or Santa Cruz in October may be left out. Yet another reason to register soon!

Adaptations (9:26)

Sundance Film Festival starts soon, and will feature two movies based on books: Wuthering Heights and Lay the Favorite. Ann and her daughter recently watched the movie version of Snow Flower and the Secret Fan, which was disappointing to say the least. Two book-based movies we are looking forward to are Norwegian Wood and The Woman in Black.

Adaptations is a collection of 35 short stories that were turned into movies. I think it would make for an interesting book group discussion to read several of the stories and then watch the movies to see how they were expanded.

And Two One Book We Both Can’t Wait For You to Read (18:27)

It’s rare for Ann and I to read the same book, and our tastes are different enough that we don’t always agree when we do. But we both love The Orphan Master’s Son by Adam Johnson.

 The story follows Pak Jun Do, a boy raised by his father in an orphan work camp. In adulthood, he finds himself serving the North Korean government in several covert capacities until he finally ascends to a level that pits him against the Dear Leader himself, Kim Jong-il. The writing is wonderful and the research that went into the book creates a picture of a North Korea that has rarely been glimpsed.

Step Away from the Screen

My amazingly wonderful wife surprised my with an iPad for Christmas. It’s fantastic and and I love it, but I’ve been spending a lot of time on it and my reading time has suffered. So I’ve made a resolution to unplug from all media two hours before bed. Ann has made a similar pledge: to change the hour between 7-8 am from time spent trolling Twitter and email to an hour spent reading. Don’t forget about our 12 in ’12 Reading Challenge. Folks are coming up with some great interpretations over at our Goodreads group!

A New Literary Ambassador (4:53)

Walter Dean Myers was just named the National Ambassador for Young People’s Literature. That got us thinking: should there be a Literary Ambassador for adult books or reading in general? What would that position entail and who should fill it? I suggested John Grisham, but Ann made a compelling argument for Neil Gaiman. What do you say Neil? If chosen, will you serve?
As for the rest of you, let us know who you would nominate to this (as of now, non-existent) post.

And Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (12:35)

Over the holiday break, I read, and was moved by, Enjoy Every Sandwich by Lee Lipsenthal M.D. Lipsenthal’s life and work uniquely prepared him for his diagnosis of terminal esophageal cancer. This book is his a look at his philosophy of truly living every day you are alive.
Last episode, Ann and I both expressed regret over not having read The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson. Ann picked it up New Year’s Day and was very much surprised by it. It was not what she expected and she can’t wait to discuss it with others who have read it (yes, yes, I’ll get to it soon!)

photo by spykster, via flickr

Successes and failures

At the beginning of the year, we made some reading resolutions. Michael and I report on our successes (or not) in meeting those resolutions. Congratulations, Michael, on reaching your goal of reading 61 books. Many others who joined the challenge have completed or surpassed their +11 in 2011 resolutions, and they are scheming ways to read “12 in 2012″. Join the Goodreads thread to check in on them, and to join in with your own challenge. Michael will put up a blog post soon with all the details–watch for it!

Our favorite books of 2011

It was really difficult to narrow down our favorite books of 2011, but we (sort of) managed. Our individual lists are presented below, in no particular order. Where applicable, links go to the BOTNS episode where we first discussed these books.

Ann’s list:

The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje
We the Animals by Justin Torres
The Illumination by Kevin Brockmeier
The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan
The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott or Jo Nesbo’s The Snowman

I also want to add  the winners of 2011′s big literary awards:
The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes, which won the Man Booker Prize, and
Salvage the Bones by Jesmyn Ward, which won the National Book Award.

Michael’s list:

The Bee Loud Glade by Steve Himmer
Habibi by Craig Thompson
Ready Player One by Ernie Cline
Townie by Andre Dubus III
The Art of Fielding by Chad Harbach (not previously discussed on BOTNS)

Three books we wish we had read this year

Michael and I both discovered that the number one book we wish we had read this year is The Family Fang by Kevin Wilson

Since we didn’t want you to feel cheated, we each chose another book. Michael wishes he had read Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs.

I chose Ready Player One by Ernie Cline — Michael and so many of the rest of you have convinced me!

World Book Night!

April 23rd is World Book Night, and we hope that you will all participate. I’m sure that publicity will ramp up after the New Year, but it’s a great event that will hopefully spread the love of reading far and wide. Volunteers throughout the United States, UK & Ireland (and possibly other countries, I’m not sure) will hand out free books in their communities. We’ll be talking about this a lot more in 2012, but if you think you’d like to learn more and maybe participate, please visit the World Book Night website. There’s a form there to fill out if you’d like to be a volunteer, or you can just get more details.

Just a reminder: Michael and I are taking next week off to spend Christmas with our families. Happy Holidays to everyone! We will be back with a new episode on January 4th!

Sometime last week Books on the Nightstand podcast passed 500,000 downloads. It’s an astonishing number. True, heartfelt thanks to all of you who have supported us for past 4+ years!

Next week, we’ll be bringing you our Favorite Books of 2011. We’d love to hear what your favorites were this year! In the comments section below, please tell us up to five of your top books. Feel free to leave a simple list, or tell us a little about the books and why you loved them.

The Books on the Nightstand Retreat Author Reading Challenge is coming to an end! You have until January 15 to report the reading that you’ve done. Then we’ll pick three winners who will each receive a book, or two, plus a set of BOTNS Bookmarks, hand letterpress printed by Ann.

The Books Michael Saw on Vacation

While at Disney’s Hollywood Studios, I was amused (and a little horrified) to see books used entirely as props. So much so that they were actually glued to the bookshelves. I’m guessing we all love to “decorate” our homes with the books we’ve read and loved, but I think books strictly as decoration, especially in a way that prevents using them as intended, is going a little far!

A Cry for Attention (9:34)

We’ll be covering our favorites of 2011 next episode, this time around we’re discussing the books we feel deserve more readers. Some of them may have sold well, or made some Best of lists themselves, but in our own opinions, they should have been even bigger. Similar lists were put out by Flavorwire and Book Riot. (Titles below link to original BOTNS podcast where the book was mentioned)

Ann:

• We the Animals by Justin Torres
• The Devil All the Time by Donald Ray Pollock
• The Curfew by Jesse Ball
• The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady by Elizabeth Stuckey-French
• The Upright Piano Player by David Abbott

Michael:

• Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman
• After the Apocalypse by Maureen McHugh
• Bright’s Passage by Josh Ritter
• The Tragedy of Arthur by Arthur Phillips
• Vietnamerica by GB Tran

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (20:20)

Batman: Noel, a graphic novel written and beautifully painted by Lee Bermejo is a Gotham City retelling of A Christmas Carol. I loved Bermejo’s unexpected choice of who stood in for Scrooge. Ann recommends a YA novel, Divergent by Veronica Roth. What happens in a future utopia when someone decides to choose a path different from the one society has chosen for her? This book was named best book of 2011 by Goodreads members.

When good authors go bad

How do you handle the disappointment when you are looking forward to a favorite author’s book and it leaves you wanting? I tend to make a distinction between favorite books and favorite authors — not all of my favorite books are by my favorite authors. I tend to judge authors on the body of their work, but I don’t always love every book by a favorite author. Michael and I discuss this. Is it a case of overblown expectations? Are we more disappointed by a book we don’t love if it’s from a favorite author? Do we cut other authors more slack?

Excuse me, where is the time travel section?

Michael and I are both fans of time travel in fiction.

Paris Before Men by Pierre Boitard is often mentioned as one of the first time travel novels. Some classic examples of time travel fiction are The Time Machine by H.G. Wells and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain. In this segment, we do a quick roundup of some of our favorite time travel novels, and one or two that are on our to-be-read list:

• A Scientific Romance by Ronald Wright
• Replay by Ken Grimwood which, as Michael points out, was revitalized a few years ago when author Brad Meltzer talked about it on NPR.
• Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
• The Revisionists by Thomas Mullen
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly
• Kindred by Octavia Butler
• Time and Again by Jack Finney

Two books we can’t wait for you to read

Michael talks about Alan Bradley’s new book, I Am Half-Sick of Shadows. The latest in the Flavia DeLuce series, this book is set during the holiday season and includes a plot by Flavia to catch Santa Claus. Michael hasn’t read it yet, but  you know that both of us are huge fans of Alan Bradley, so I suspect that we will both have read this book before the year is out.

My recommendation for this episode is gritty and gory: The Leopard by Jo Nesbo, the latest mystery in the Harry Hole series. The novel picks up after The Snowman, and we see Harry Hole suffering from the events that transpired in The Snowman. Despite his best efforts, Hole gets dragged into a new investigation in Norway that involves a serial killer who is targeting people who stayed in a particular cabin on a particular night.

Before the show… I realize that we’ve forgotten to mention two important things. First, the 2011 BOTNS Holiday Gift Guide is available for you to download. We hope that you find some great gift ideas.

Secondly, we recently announced that we would be writing a free monthly email newsletter, available only to subscribers. We’ll begin in January. We’re still playing with the types of content that we want to include, but we know that it will feature a snapshot of the manuscripts we’ve been reading. If you like hearing about books that will be published far in the future, this is the email for you. Sign up here. We promise we will never spam you.

Book Elves are Back on Duty

Last year, Michael and I played “book elves,” and asked BOTNS listeners to call in and give us their “gift giving challenges”. We came up with book recommendations for those tough-to-buy-for people, and we had a great time doing it. This year we’ve decided to play Book Elves on our Facebook page. Post your holiday gift challenges on our wall there, and Michael and I will try to come up with some great book suggestions — but we’d love for you to chime in with your recommendations, too! It starts on December 1st, so please join us there!

Books as Warm Blankets

We got an email message asking us to talk about “security blanket books” — those books that we turn to in time of stress or turmoil. Others have called these “comfort reads.” Michael and I confess that neither of us have specific books that we turn to, but we do have genres that we rely on. Michael of course loves superhero comics, and I run for mysteries and thrillers, especially Lee Child‘s Jack Reacher series. What are your comfort reads or “security blanket books”? Let us know in the comments.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read

Michael recommends After the Apocalypse, a collection of short stories by Maureen McHugh.  The stories are all very different and don’t fit the typical post-apocalyptic mold.

My pick for this week is P.D. James’ Death Comes to Pemberley, which I confess I have not yet read–but I will drop whatever I’m reading when my copy arrives. P.D. James has set her latest mystery at Pemberley, the estate from Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice. It’s an homage to Austen that I can’t wait to read.

Meet The Readers:

We open the episode with a call from Simon and Gavin of The Readers, our new favorite books podcast. We love their take on the UK book scene, and we strongly recommend that you download a few episodes and check them out (Michael and I have a cameo in episode 8). Simon and Gavin share their literary Mount Rushmores with us, and I think the call will give you a great sense of what their podcast has to offer.

What is Narrative Nonfiction?

Next, we talk about the category of “Narrative Nonfiction,” which some also call “Creative Nonfiction.” This is nonfiction that reads like fiction, following a story and incorporating the elements of fiction such as plot, character, pacing, etc. Some examples: John Krakauer’s Into Thin Air and Into the Wild, Erik Larsson (Isaac’s Storm, Devil in the White City).

We each have a book of narrative nonfiction on our reading lists: Michael wants to read The Unconquered by Scott Wallace, which will appeal to readers of River of Doubt by Candace Millard or Lost City of Z by David Grann.

On my nightstand is Destiny of the Republic, the new book by Candace Millard. this book looks at the assassination attempt of President James A. Garfield and what happened after Garfield was shot in the back.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read:

I love The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, which won the National Book Critics Circle 2010 award for nonfiction. Wilkerson writes about “The Great Migration,” the large-scale movement of southern African-Americans to points north, east and west. Wilkerson follows three people on their journey, telling their stories and what compelled them to leave, the challenges they found, and also the opportunities.

Michael talks about Death in the City of Light by David King, about a serial killer who terrorized Paris during the Nazi occupation. Michael compares this book to Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

   

On Thanksgiving morning (that’s November 24 for those of you non-US-based listeners), we’ll have our annual Holiday Gift Guide ready for download. Look for it here before you dive into your mashed potatoes.

Let the Lists Begin

Publisher’s Weekly is one of the first media outlets to name their Best Books of 2011 and it’s an interesting list filled with big names (Jeffrey Eugenides, Tina Fey and Ann Patchett) and some smaller ones (Ali Smith and Maureen McHugh). Ann is thrilled that Donald Ray Pollock’s The Devil All the Time made the list. In case you missed it, she raved about that book back in episode 138. There are plenty more “Best of” lists to come. Start thinking of which books are on your list; in December, we’ll be asking for your favorite book of the year.

You’ve Got to Pick a Dickens or Two! (4:15)

2012 marks the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Dickens and it will be celebrated in many ways: BBC Films will be releasing a new film version of Great Expectations; the UK newspaper The Guardian, in association with Vintage Classics, is running a photo competition to find a contemporary image to put on the jacket of Oliver Twist: and, apparently, 2012 is the year I finally read Dickens, as Ann chose this episode’s topic partly as a way of guilting me into committing. And I did: Great Expectations in 2012.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (12:08)

Jo Nesbo’s Headhunters, recently came out in a US edition, in advance of the release of the foreign film based on it. What if a corporate headhunter got to know his clients so well that he was able to steal precious works of art from their homes?
Marzena Sowa’s Marzi, is a beautifully told graphic memoir of growing up in Poland just as Communism was falling. It’s a wonderful blend of the everyday elements of childhood and the nation-changing events occurring around her.

Another great batch of calls, thanks everyone! Here’s the updated Name Cloud, including all authors mentioned in episode #152 and in this episode. (Click on the image for a larger version)

Based on the sizes of some of those names, it looks to me like the Books on the Nightstand Mount Rushmore will have to feature five authors: Ann Patchett, Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Louisa May Alcott and William Shakespeare.

So who wants to start carving the mountain for us?

A completist’s guide to title trends:

Our friend and librarian extraordinaire Carol K. pointed us to this article from Shelf Talk, the Seattle Public Library blog: Top Trends: The Irresistible “-ist” List. We love that observant librarians are discovering new treands in book titles. Coincidentally, Michael is currently reading Tom Mullen’s The Revisionists. Can you think of other “ist” titles? Go share them in the comments at Shelf Talk.

[photos: courtesy of BOTNS listeners who were on twitter when I needed cute dog photos: @picky_girl, @LaraFromOhio, @LittleGidget, @ya_reader, @Rita_liccious, @SarahMMcCoy and @melizaallen]

BOTNS goes to the dogs:

Speaking of trends, this fall is chock full of dog books. Now in the front of bookstores everywhere:

You Had Me at Woof by Julie Klam

Love at First Bark by Julie Klam

Following Atticus by Tom Ryan

Rin Tin Tin by Susan Orlean

Also, some members of our Goodreads groups had some suggestions:

Libby recommends:

Pack of Two by Caroline Knapp

Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, Smell and Know by Alexandra Horowitz

Through a Dog’s Eyes by Jennifer Arnold

Elizabeth recommends:

The Other End of the Leash by Patricia McConnell

Dog Years: A Memoir by Mark Doty

A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron

Janet recommends Spencer Quinn’s Chet and Bernie Mysteries, the first of which is called Dog On It.

Wade Rouse edited a collection called I‘m Not the Biggest Bitch in this Relationship, with essays from actors, comedians and authors.

And fear not, feline fanciers: we will have a podcast on cat books sometime in the future.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read:

In the 1970s, there was a national fascination with the book and movie Sybil, about a young woman with multiple personalities. A new book by Debbie Nathan, Sybil Exposed, looks at the real story behind the case, using many of the original papers and records of the therapist and the author of the original book. It’s a fascinating expose, especially if you remember the original Sybil mania.

Michael recommends Zone One by Colson Whitehead, which is not your typical zombie book. It follows a group of 3 soldiers, including one whose nickname is ‘Mark Spitz’ as they are tasked with cleaning up Manhattan from the zombies left behind. Esquire called this the best book of the fall, and Justin Cronin, author of The Passage, called it “a zombie novel with brains.”

Next week, the second part of our “Literary Mount Rushmore series.”

Rather than a laundry list of all of the authors mentioned, I thought it might be fun to create a word cloud of the names. For those unfamiliar with word clouds, the more common a word, the larger it is. So, for the cloud below F. Scott Fitzgerald and Jane Austen were the most popular authors. When we air part 2 we’ll update the cloud to reflect all of the calls.

I’m not sure there’s a mountain in the world big enough to fit all of those faces, and that’s only half of the calls!

[Note: We are amazed and grateful that so many of you called our voicemail line with your Literary Mount Rushmore. The response was so overwhelming that I need more time to put the show together, so watch for that next week!]

So many of you have asked for a show on Steampunk and we are thrilled to oblige. When we heard about Steampunk!, the anthology edited by Kelly Link and Gavin Grant (founders of Small Beer Press), we knew they would be the perfect people to educate us on this genre. They welcomed me into their amazing, book-filled home for a short interview.

Some of the topics we discussed included what steampunk means to them, the history of steampunk, and what it was like to put this anthology together, pulling in authors who pushed the boundaries of what was previously thought of as steampunk. They recommend Flora Segunda by Ysabeau S. Wilce as a perfect entry point, especially for adult reluctant readers of sci-fi or steampunk. There was also much discussion of the aesthetic of steampunk; the costumes, the constructions and the modified technology, all of which is wonderfully illustrated in 1,000 Steampunk Creations by Dr. Grymm. They had a copy of the book and I was blown away by so many of the things that fans have made.

For further reading in this genre, Kelly and Gavin recommend anything written or edited by Jeff VanderMeer, including The Steampunk Bible and the anthologies Steampunk and Steampunk II: Steampunk Reloaded.

We ended the interview with Two Books Kelly and Gavin can’t wait for you to read. Kelly recommends Mr. Fox, by Helen Oyeyemi, which is the story of a novelist who meets his muse in the flesh, and has conversations and arguments with her about his fiction. Gavin just finished reading Beautiful and Dark by Rosa Montero, which is about Baba, an orphaned girl sent to live with relatives in a crime-ridden neighborhood, but who finds hope in an unexpected place.

A little retreat update: Manchester, VT is sold out; Oxford, MS is filling nicely, and Santa Cruz, CA is 1/3 full. If you are thinking of joining us, you may want to decide soon. Info at booktopia.booksonthenightstand.com.

Is this the biggest book of the fall?

Many are saying that Walter Isaacson’s biography of Steve Jobs will be the biggest nonfiction book of the fall.  The book is an authorized biography, and according to the author Jobs was forthright and honest. It’s due in stores on October 24th.

Not even in the same room

Whenever we meet BOTNS listeners in person, they almost always want to know how Michael and I find time to get together to record. The truth is, we don’t.  When we record, Michael and I are each in our own homes at our own desks. We talk on the phone, with a microphone in front of us, so that we each record our own voices. Then we splice the two audio recordings together, and voila! Well, it’s not quite so simple, but in this episode we try to give you an idea of how we put together each week’s show. Enough of you have asked, so hopefully you will find it interesting.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read.

Michael tells us about The Night Strangers, the haunting new novel by Chris Bohjalian. It’s very different from Chris’ other books — it’s truly a ghost story; creepy, gothic-feeling, and perfect for reading on a cool autumn evening.

The Cat’s Table by Michael Ondaatje is my pick this week. The story of a young boy (named Michael) on an ocean voyage in the 1950s is evocative and gorgeously written.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (2:09)

Ann’s love for Lee Child shines through again as she tells us about The Affair, the most recent book in his Jack Reacher series. This one goes back to earlier in Reacher’s life to tell us why he is no longer an Army MP. Ann absolutely loved the book but is devastated that she’s all caught up on Lee Child’s books.

It’s true that When She Woke by Hillary Jordan starts out as a retelling of The Scarlet Letter set in a near future, but in my opinion, the writing and world that author has created make it so much more than that. It’s so very different from the author’s first book, Mudbound, but no less powerful.

Three Retreats We Can’t Wait to Tell You About (12:44)

April 20-22, 2012: Manchester, Vermont
June 15-17, 2012: Oxford, Mississippi
October 19-21, 2012: Santa Cruz, California

The official announcement of the three Booktopia 2012 retreats went out to the mailing list last week, but in case you weren’t on that list we wanted everyone who listens to the podcast to hear about them. All three events are still very much works in progress. No authors have been finalized, but in this episode we give you a brief rundown of the cities, the bookstores we’ll be working with (Northshire, Square Books and Bookshop Santa Cruz) and a some special things we’re thinking about for each location.

Much more information to come, and you’ll always be able to find the most complete and up-to-date details at the Booktopia website. At the top of the page, there’s a tab for each location, plus a tab for FAQs. Check it all out and register soon, spaces are filling fast!

We can’t wait to meet many of you, or see you again!

Hype vs. buzz – when is it too much? Who’s on your literary Mount Rushmore? Also, We the Animals by Justin Torres, and Habibi by Craig Thompson.

Hype vs. Buzz

In segment one, we try to differentiate between “hype” and “buzz,” largely inspired by a post at the Redbox blog. We think that “hype” is manufactured, and “buzz” is genuine. Examples of this are The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern and Chad Harbach’s The Art of Fielding. Both books received incredible word-of-mouth months prior to publication, but from our vantage point, that was genuine buzz created largely by booksellers and bloggers who had read and loved those books. We look at some of the reasons that people may not want to read books or see movies that are getting “too much buzz” or being “too hyped.” Please share your thoughts with us in the comments.

Your literary Mount Rushmore? (7:51)

In our Goodreads group, we have a thread called “What do you want us to talk about?” where we troll for episode ideas when we’re stuck. Dennis had a great one:

How about a “Literary Mount Rushmore”.

I think it would be fun to do a call-in show about the four authors you’d put on your personal Literary Mount Rushmore. I’d leave off any qualifiers to make the answers the most interesting and diverse.

We had a lot of fun with this topic. We hope you do, too. Please call our voicemail line: (209) 867-78323 and tell us which 4 authors would be on YOUR literary Mount Rushmore.

Michael’s literary Mount Rushmore:
William Boyd
Jeffrey Eugenides
Donna Tartt
J.K. Rowling

Ann’s literary Mount Rushmore:
Agatha Christie
Anton Chekhov
William Shakespeare
J.R.R Tolkien

Please do call our voicemail line by October 15th if you can — we will put all of your calls together for a podcast that will air on October 19th.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read: (16:17)

I need you to read We The Animals by Justin Torres. I don’t really want to say much more than that. As I was reading this book, I sent a twitter post: “We the Animals, wow! My heart was broken by page 5, stomped upon by page 17.”

Michael raves about Habibi by Craig Thompson, a graphic novel set in an unnamed Middle Eastern country. The story of a young woman who is sold into slavery, and the young child she finds and cares for. The art is beautiful and evocative, and the design of the book is stunning.

One last thing: if you are at all interested in the details of the Books on the Nightstand retreat, Booktopia 2012, please sign up for the newsletter — we will be announcing details via the email list on Friday, September 30th.

[image:  Some rights reserved by theclyde]

Favorites Turn Fifty

2011 and 2012 will see the 50th anniversaries of James and the Giant Peach by Roald Dahl (previously discussed here), The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster, A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’Engle and The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats. Wow, that was a good year for kids’ books! What are some of your favorite kids’ classics (whether they’ve reached 50 or not)?

So You Wanna Read a Graphic Novel? (6:41)

Kate and Dawn wrote in asking for a recommendation for their first ever graphic novel. Thanks to the help of many folks on Twitter, I’ve got a huge list for anyone who might be ready to dive into this storytelling format, and you won’t find a singled superhero among the books. So here comes what our good friends at Bookrageous call a Title Dump. And speaking of Bookrageous, be sure to check out episode 15 of their podcast where they recommend graphic novels based on which books you like.

• Blankets by Craig Thompson
• Black Hole by Charles Burns
• Daytripper by Gabriel Bá and Fabio Moon
• Local by Brian Wood
• Pride of Baghdad by Brian K. Vaughan
• Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi
• The Ballad of Halo Jones by Alan Moore
• Maus by Art Spiegelman
• MetaMaus by Art Spiegelman
• The Arrival by Shaun Tan
• Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis and Christos H. Papadimitriou
• Essex County by Jeff Lemire
• Stitches by David Small
• American Born Chinese by Gene Luen Yang
• Asterios Polyp by David Mazzuchelli
• Camelot 3000 by Mike W. Barr
• The Walking Dead by Robert Kirkman
• Sweet Tooth by Jeff Lemire
• Y: The Last Man by Brian K. Vaughan
• The Unwritten by Mike Carey
• Bone by Jeff Smith
• Fables by Bill Willingham
• DMZ by Brian Wood
• Strangers in Paradise by Terry Moore
• Richard Stark’s Parker: The Hunter by Darwyn Cooke

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (26:41)

Ann’s literary prejudice against books set in a circus was quickly set aside after she read The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern, a truly enchanting book about Celia and Marco, two young magicians who are meant to battle each other, but who fall in love instead. I proclaim my font geekery with my love of Simon Garfield’s Just My Type, a fun and informative look at the history of type and fonts.

We received an email from a listener who needs help: she’s looking for the title of a science fiction book she read years ago, possibly published in the 1980s. An elderly, wealthy business man was dying, and his assistant agreed to an operation where her brain would be transferred to his body.  Can you help our listener identify this book?

It’s Man Booker Time Again

The shortlist for the 2011 Man Booker Prize was announced this week. It’s a great list of titles, several of which I’ve read.  The winner will be announced on October 18th.

Julian Barnes, The Sense of an Ending (will be published in the US in October)
Carol Birch, Jamrach’s Menagerie
Patrick DeWitt, The Sisters Brothers
Esi Edugyan, Half Blood Blues
Steven Kelman, Pigeon English 
A.D. Miller, Snowdrops 

Does the Booker shortlist make a difference for you? Do they make you more interested in the books than before (if you knew about them previously)? And for our international listeners, does the Man Booker prize mean anything outside of the UK?

 Grandparents’ Week

Victoria called in to talk about Grandparents’ Day, which is September 11th. We’re going to expand this into Grandparents’ Week, since we couldn’t get the episode out in time for Sunday. Victoria wanted recommendations for books by authors who were literary late bloomers, or books that featured main characters who were over 50. Here’s what we came up with:

Some of the “late bloomer” authors we came up with:
David Abbott, author of The Upright Piano Player
Alan Bradley, author of The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
Harry Bernstein published his memoir, The Invisible Wall, at the age of 91.
Frank McCoourt, author of Angela’s Ashes, which was published when McCourt was 66.
And novelist Donald Ray Pollock, who recently published The Devil All the Time.
There are a few more literary late bloomers listed in an article over at The Huffington Post.

Books featuring grandparents as protagonists:
The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
Above the Thunder by Renee Manfredi

Listeners, what novels featuring grandparents do you recommend?

2 books we can’t wait for you to read

I recently fell in love with The Sisters Brothers by Patrick DeWitt. It’s a western, and though I’m not terribly well-versed in the western genre, I think it’s a unique take. It’s the story of Charlie and Eli Sisters, who are hired guns for a wealthy man. It’s quietly violent, but also funny and warm.

Michael loved Domestic Violets by Matthew Norman. Tom Violet is in his mid-thirties, and he’s not living the happy, successful life that he thought he would be. He has a conflicted relationship with his successful-novelist father, and he doesn’t know what to do. It’s funny and heartbreaking, and features a great main character.

[image: Some rights reserved by caspis, via flickr]

We got several voicemails about the study saying spoilers can actually enhance enjoyment of a story. Some of you agreed with the study and some of you agreed with me and my no spoiler stance.

We also got a wonderful response to our episode on author events, including from authors, from a bookstore employee and from many of you who love to attend events.

Finally, our last group includes recommendations for West with the Night by Beryl Markham, Too Many Cooks by Emily Franklin, A Homemade Life by Molly Wizenberg, The Recipe Club by Andrea Israel and Nancy Garfinkel, and the Jedi Journals interview with Ready Player One author Ernie Cline.

[image: _Nathan_W_ via flickr]

Short stories and book groups:

Do you read and discuss short stories as part of your book group? Robin Black, author of If I Loved You, I Would Tell You This, recently published a blog post about how book groups can use short story collections in their discussions. That post inspired this episode about short stories.  My favorite of Robin’s suggestions: talk about which of the author’s stories could be expanded into a novel, and what that would look like. Karen Russell, who wrote on of my favorite story collections, St. Lucy’s Home for Girls Raised by Wolves, did just that.  The story “Ava Wrestles the Alligator” was expanded to become the novel Swamplandia.

Stories worth discussing:

In this segment, we talk about some story collections that would be great choices for book groups. One of Michael’s favorite collections is Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Strange Pilgrims. The stories that he finds most memorable: “Your Trail of Blood in the Snow”,”I Just Came to Use the Phone,” and “Light is Like Water.” 
Michael also loves How to Breathe Underwater by Julie Orringer (author of the novel The Invisible Bridge). One story that sticks out for Michael is  ”Pilgrims.”

Ann’s recommendations for book groups: You are Not a Stranger Here by Adam Haslett, which was a finalist for both he Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Award. Haslett’s recent novel is Union Atlantic. One of the standout stories is “Notes to my Biographer.” Ann’s favorite short story ever is “A Fable Ending in the Sound of a Thousand Parakeets,” by Kevin Brockmeier, which appears in the collection The View from the Seventh Layer. Another notable story from that collection is “The Lady with the Pet Tribble,” an homage to both Chekhov and Star Trek.

Coincidentally, one of Michael’s favorite stories, “The Ceiling,” appears in a different Brockmeier collection, Things that Fall from the Sky. That book also contains another story that Michael mentions, “A Day in the Life of Half of Rumpelstiltskin.”

Two stories we can’t wait for you to read:

One of the most heralded short stories of the 20th centuries is “What We Talk About When We Talk About Love” by Raymond Carver. I was inspired to re-read it because of the forthcoming story collection by Nathan Englander, What We Talk About When We Talk About Anne Frank (due in February 2012). In 2009, the Library of America published Raymond Carver Collected Stories, which contains “Beginners,” the original, unedited version of “What We Talk About when We Talk About Love.”  I think it would be interesting to compare the two versions, and to see what influence editor Gordon Lish had on this very important short story.

Michael is currently reading Stay Awake, a new forthcoming collection by Dan Chaon. Instead of including a story that isn’t yet published, Michael went back to Chaon’s earlier collection and read two stories in Among the Missing: the title story, and “Big Me”, a story about identity which was on the O.Henry prize list when it was first published.

And finally….

Don’t forget to sign up for the Booktopia 2012 Retreat mailing list. We want to be sure you receive all of the latest information about the Books on the Nightstand retreat 2012.

[image: kbaird via flickr]

Evolving Books

Two bits of housekeeping: Regarding Retreat Author Reading Challenge Book Discussion calls, in September we’ll discuss John Milliken Thompson’s The Reservoir and in October, Wendy Clinch’s Double Black. Exact dates to come. Interested in attending Booktopia 2012, the Books on the Nightstand retreat? Click here to join the mailing list, and you’ll be kept up to date with all announcements!

Everyone’s talking about all of the new things e-books can do, but Melville House, an independent publisher is revitalizing print books with their Hybrid Books Program. Think of it as DVD extras for your book. Via a scannable QR code, you can access extra documents, maps and illustrations related to the book. The first five Hybrid Books are all part of The Art of the Novella series and are all called The Duel (by five different writers including Joseph Conrad and Giacomo Casanova).

Favorites, Now in Paperback (7:24)

Sometimes, when we really love a book, we’ll tell you about it again when it comes out in paperback, and that’s what we’re doing this week.

Ann recommends To the End of the Land by David Grossman (a book President Obama brought on vacation with him) and The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart. I rave, again, about Gail Caldwell’s Let’s Take the Long Way Home.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (19:40)

Ann started reading The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, knowing very little about it. But she fell completely in love with this story of Victoria, a woman who has “graduated” out of the foster care system and now needs to take care of herself. (For more information on the author’s organization, visit camellianetwork.org)

Embarrassingly, I’ve never read a book by Tom Perrotta before, but I’m so glad that I finally have. I listened to the audio of The Leftovers (on sale August 30), a look at a family and community in the wake of the “Sudden Departure,” a Rapture-like event that saw millions around the work disappear in the blink of an eye. Ann’s in the middle of reading this too and loves it as well!

For this episode, we were inspired by news of a soon-to-be published scientific study regarding literary spoilers and their influence on our enjoyment of the work. Our favorite post about the study is at Wired Science, and I was intrigued by Jonah Lehrer’s personal take on the study.

Did we mention how much we love it when you call us? Today we catch up on three voicemails, including one from Catherine in California that talks about the intriguing reversible book jacket on Across The Universe by Beth Revis. Image of the two jackets, below, courtesy of kitriandtheanimals.

Also, Suzanne called in with two additions to our “books about books” episode:  more love for The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak, and A Novel Bookstore by Laurene Cossé.  And lastly, David calls in with an enthusiastic message that urges Michael to read Pride and Prejudice.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read

As the weather here in Massachusetts starts to cool slightly, I’m starting to think about fall and more serious reading. My pick today is 1493 by Charles Mann. This is a fascinating, smart, and highly enjoyable read that examines the effects that Christopher Columbus and those that came after had on the world, including things that impact us even today. Put this one on your reading list, even if you generally stay away from nonfiction. Michael is entranced by The Magician King by Lev Grossman.  With elements of Harry Potter and The Chronicles of Narnia, it’s a magical fantasy novel for adults that continues the world created by Grossman in The Magicians.

Catching Up on Voicemails

Thanks to all of you who continue to call our voicemail line (209.867.7323)! We have several calls waiting in the wings, so we listen to three of them today:

• An interesting act of fate got Kim from Texas to pick up Donald Ray Pollock’s The Devil All the Time.
• Debra called in to say that a line I mentioned from Grant Morrison’s Supergods reminded her of the book Flatland by Edwin Abbot.
• Robin from Michigan called to rave about her favorite book about the love of reading: A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith.

Authors, Live and In-Person (4:25)

We’re all about the author events this week as we discuss what we like in an author event, why we can’t necessarily get to as many events as we’d like. We’d love to hear what all of you think. Do you go to author events? Why or why not? How do you hear about author events? What do you love to see at an author event? What would get you to attend an event if it was for an author who was new to you? It is true that many booklovers don’t have any author events occurring near them. Though it won’t have the same level of interactivity as a live, in-person event, online videos are a great way to see authors discussing their books. Harvard Book Store has an extensive archive of events. Or just search online for your favorite authors to maybe find videos like this one of Glen Duncan reading from The Last Werewolf, at the Strand in New York.

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (17:32)

I let my geek flag fly higher than ever as I gush over Geek Wisdom edited by Stephen H. Segal, a collection of quotes from movies, TV, comics, books, video games, each of which is followed by a short essay on how that wisdom can be put to use in your life. It’s fun, but truly thought-provoking. Ann has found the perfect summer read in Girls in White Dresses by Jennifer Close. It’s a snapshot of three women dealing with an endless barrage of bridal showers, but it goes beyond the usual “chick-lit” story.

One Book I Can’t Wait For You to Read

We’re changing things up this week as I tell you about Ready Player One at the start of the show, rather than at the end. This thrilling, incredibly fun novel is set in the year 2045. Wade Watts has just solved the first of three quests, hidden in the virtual world OASIS, by James Halliday, the world’s deceased creator. The first person to solve all three will win Halliday’s fortune and control of OASIS. Filled with real-world threats, an evil conglomerate, and more 80′s pop culture references than you can shake a Rubik’s Cube at, Ready Player One is the ultimate adventure novel, perfect for the final weeks of Summer.

Books for the Road (7:40)

Thanks to everyone who wrote in or called with suggestions of great books for the family road trip. There are so many great books mentioned, let’s hope you’re driving somewhere far away!

• The Disappearing Spoon by Sam Kean
• The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling (multiple recommendations)
• The Princess Bride by William Goldman
• The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall
• The Golden Compass by Phillip Pullman
• The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan
• Peter and the Starcatchers by Dave Barry and Ridley Pearson
• The Maze Runner by James Dashner
• Ship Breaker by Paolo Bacigalupi
• The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
• Ida B by Katherine Hannigan
• A Long Way from Chicago by Richard Peck
• A Year Down Yonder by Richard Peck (two recommendations)
• To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
• The Lord of Rings (BBC Audio) by J.R.R. Tolkien
• Tales of Mystery and Imagination by The Alan Parsons Project
• The Mysteries in our National Parks series by Gloria Skurzynski and Alane Ferguson
• The Big Book of How by Time for Kids Magazine

Do You Want to Play a Game? (23:56)

How about a game where you can win not only an advanced reader’s copy of Ready Player One, but also a t-shirt, some buttons and a temporary tattoo? It’s the Ready Player One Prize Pack and all you have to do to be entered is tell us about your favorite decade and your favorite piece of pop culture from that decade. For instance, my answer would be the 70′s through 80′s, the span of the original Star Wars trilogy and all of those great action figures! Leave your answer here in the comments and I’ll randomly choose 5 winners on Monday, August 15. (U.S residents only – sorry!)

Bookmobiles

399 Borders stores are closing, leaving some areas of the country without any bookstores. A recent “For Sale” notice had Ann contemplating a Books on the Nightstand Bookmobile. While we won’t be buying “Big Blue” (seen below), at least one other bookseller (Bookin’ It) has made mobile the way to go (Susan Gregg Gilmore even had an event there). And in the UK, you can even buy your books on the water, courtesy of The Book Barge.

Recommendations needed! We hope to put together an episode about great books to read or listen to for family road trips. Please send us your favorites, via Facebook or on our voice mail line 209.867.7323.

Press Play While Reading (8:14)

Spotify, a music-sharing service which recently launched in the US (after much success in Europe), has Ann thinking about creating playlists that would enhance her reading of certain books. Carolyn Parkhurst created a song list to go along with her novel The Nobodies Album, so Ann turned it into a playlist on Spotify. You can even share whole albums on Spotify, including The Real Tuesday Weld’s soundtrack to Glen Duncan’s book The Last Werewolf.

Spotify is still in beta. You can get access to a free account if you have a Social Media Klout score high enough, or you can sign up for a paid Spotify account. OR, you can win one of two invites from Ann, just by leaving a comment here telling us which book you wish had a soundtrack. Include a song or two to give us an idea of what you’re thinking. Winners will be randomly chosen on August 3.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (15:56)

Ann tells us about The Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur, a man who traveled to Somalia on his own, because he wanted to get at the truth behind the pirates; their motivations and their backgrounds. I rave about Dawn Tripp’s Game of Secrets, the story of an affair in the 50′s that has consequences now. Lush, poetic writing and a several family secrets made this a difficult book to put down.

Tumbling Books

We start this week inspired by a message on twitter: @jhaubs2 asked if we’d ever heard of Better Book Titles, which is a Tumblr site. We love this site, so we thought we’d talk about a few literary tumblr sites that we like. Thanks for the idea, Julianna!

First up is Better Book Titles, the brainchild of Dan Wilbur. Below are two of our favorites, which we borrowed to show you. Please go pay them a visit to see more.

Coverspy is a Tumblr blog where a team of self-described “publishing nerds” hit the streets of New York to see what people are reading.

Our friends at the Bookrageous host their show notes on Tumblr. Their recent episode, which Michael mentioned, is on “Underdog Books.”

And thank you to our anonymous caller who left a voicemail response to last week’s cover episode: one of his favorite book jackets is The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffinegger.

Books about Books that we couldn’t resist

There seem to be a lot of books in the stores right now that have to do with books.

The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai, about a young children’s librarian and one of her patrons that is not allowed to read certain types of books.

Tolstoy and the Purple Chair by Nina Sankovitch, a nonfiction book by a woman who, as a way of dealing with grief, decided to read a book a day and blog about it. (Readallday.org)

Michael wants to read The Reading Promise by Alice Ozma, about a father’s promise to read with his daughter at least 10 minutes every night for 100 nights. They kept going for 8 years, when Alice left for college.

One of our bookseller friends recommended A Jane Austen Education: How six novels taught me about love, friendship and the things that matter by William Deresiewicz.

Michael recently bought 84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff.

What books about books do you love? Let us know in the comments.

Two books we can’t wait for you to read

Daytripper by Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba is Michael’s choice this week. A graphic novel that was originally published as an 8 or 9 volume set of comic books, it’s the story that begins with the tale of Bras, an aspiring novelist who is killed in a bar. Each chapter from there on is a look at a different point in Brass’s life.

I talk about The Devil All the Time, a first novel by Donald Ray Pollock, author of Knockemstiff, one of my favorite collections of short stories. This is a brutal novel of family violence, madness, and religious extremism in a small Ohio town.

Our live chat with Steve Himmer, author of The Bee-Loud Glade is July 28th at 7:30pm Eastern Time. Steve will be joining us at 7:45. More details of how you can join us to come here on the blog.

Reading Back and Forth

John, from Kuwait (!) emailed us with the book he’s most looking forward to reading this Summer (yeah, John, we don’t blame you for not calling!), which is Norman Mailer’s The Naked and the Dead. We forgot to read his email last time, so we wanted to be sure to include it here.

Lately I’ve been reading George RR Martin’s A Game of Thrones (thanks for making me commit to it Jeff!), and it’s amazing. Via HBO On Demand, I just got access to all 10 episodes of the series, so I’ve been watching the show as well – never watching beyond where I’ve read. I’ve found it an interesting way to experience the book. Ann and I have both read a book and listened to the audio at the same time (picking up where one leaves off). And you? Any cross-media reading/experiencing a story?

Yeah, We Judge

Barbara sent us an email about book jackets, specifically about two covers she felt did not accurately reflect the story inside. Ann and I talk a bit about our experiences from the publishing side; how hard it can be to pick the perfect jacket that is indicative of the story, is eye-catching to someone who hasn’t read it, and that will stand out in the crowded bookstore setting. A few recent and not so recent jackets we’ve loved include those for Robopocalypse by Daniel H. Wilson, Maps and Legends by Michael Chabon, The Secret History by Donna Tartt and The Gone-Away World by Nick Harkaway. For more information about book jackets and some of the production techniques used to make them irresistible, check out this video we made last year.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read

Supergods by Grant Morrison is a deep and often philosophical look at the creation and mythology of superheroes, stretching from Superman to today. In addition, Morrison talks much about his own fandom and career in comics. (The only cover images I could find online were of the book without its jacket, so that’s what is shown above.) Ann finally gets to rave in full about The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan, a book she briefly mentioned on our show about literary horror. Jake Marlowe, the titular lycanthrope is tired and ready for death, but some very powerful people want him to stay alive. Be sure to check out this page for more info on the book, its soundtrack and a video trailer!

We attend to some details

Thank you, thank you, thank you! We loved hearing your calls, and are thrilled to be able to play your voicemails on this show.

First, a few items of housekeeping:

Our live online chat about Steve Himmer’s The Bee-Loud Glade is scheduled for July 28th at 7:30pm EST.

We will discuss Elizabeth Stuckey-French’s The Revenge of the Radioactive Lady on August 23rd at 9pm EST.

Please plan on joining us. Both authors will call in about 15 minutes into the hour, so we can talk with them about their books.

Lastly, we plan on announcing details for BOTNS Retreat 2012 sometime in September. But start saving your money now — we want to meet you, or see you again! More to come…

A trillion books you can’t wait to read

It’s all you this week! Here are the books that BOTNS listeners are looking forward to reading this summer:

Mercy by Jussi Adler-Olsen

Shades of Gray by Jasper Fforde

The Day the Falls Stood Still by Kathy Marie Buchanan

The Soul of a Soldier by Myron Miller

A Dance with Dragons by George RR Martin (this was mentioned by many, and Don is wondering whether he should read it or listen to it as an audiobook!)

Beach Music by Pat Conroy

Fallen by Karin Slaughter

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

Her Sister’s Shadow by Katherine Britton (mentioned twice)

Game of Thrones by George RR Martin

The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton

The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins

The Thousand Autumns of Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell

Sister by Rosamund Lupton (mentioned twice)

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan

The Greater Journey by David McCullough

Song of the Lark by Willa Cather

Forever by Maggie Stiefvater

Incognito: the secret lives of the brain by David Eagleman

The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer

Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Before I Go To Sleep by S.J. Watson

The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville

The Joy of Cheesemaking by Jody Farnham and Marc Druart 

Dreams of Joy by Lisa See

Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan

Carthage Must Be Destroyed by Alan Wilkins

We the Drowned by Carsten Jensen

Doc by Mary Doria Russell

Break the Skin by Lee Martin

Poland by James Michener

The Hypnotist by Lars Kepler

The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle

The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The Honor Harrington series by David Weber

Jim Butcher’s Harry Dresden series

Jim Butcher’s Codex Alera series

image credit: flickr, Some rights reserved by JotoLo02

http://www.flickr.com/photos/jrbragg/23806855/sizes/z/in/photostream/

Radio killed the podcast star (not really)

Did you all catch Michael’s appearance on NPR’s On Point with Tom Ashbrook? Michael tells us all of the details. If you haven’t had a chance to hear it, be sure to check it out — Michael gives us some great recommendations for Hot Summer Reads.

Literary Horror (5:28)

The Passage by Justin Cronin was a favorite of ours last year, and now it’s in paperback (with the first chapter of the sequel!). That made us think about some upcoming literary novels that have a supernatural element. These are not your average vampire, werewolf or zombie stories, but are written by authors who have serious literary chops, and they cross over into the mainstream of fiction. This fall, Colson Whitehead’s Zone One will feature zombies. One of Ann’s favorite books coming out this summer is The Last Werewolf, by Glen Duncan (on sale July 12th).  I talk a bit about my prejudices regarding horror novels, and speculate on what makes a novel “literary horror.”

And we’d like to hear from you: what other authors are writing literary horror?

Two books we can’t wait for you to read (15:08)

One of Ann’s favorite books from last year was Adam Ross’ Mr. Peanut. Ross has a new collection of short stories, Ladies and Gentlemen, that is simply wonderful. These stories are more straightforward than the convolutions that were so intriguing in Mr. Peanut, but they are still populated with characters who are dark and disturbing.  Michael loves Bright’s Passage, a novel by singer/songwriter Josh Ritter. Bright’s Passage tells the story of Henry Bright, a World War I veteran who has an angel at his side.

Michael is on vacation, so next week’s show will star you! We’ve got some wonderful voicemails, but there’s still time to add yours. Please call us (209/867-7323) by July 3rd and tell us what one book you are looking forward to reading this summer.

No Epitaph for the Epigraph

Clearly Ann and I are the only two people on the planet who don’t regularly read a book’s epigraph. Many of you called or commented to say you definitely do read the epigraph. Thanks to everyone who shared their thoughts, especially Shannon, Nancy, Adrienne, Susan and Matt.

Speaking of sharing your thoughts, the future of episode #136 is in your hands! I’ll be on vacation next week so I won’t be around to record. We’d love to have a listener voice-mail show about which book you’re most looking forward to reading this Summer. Call 209-867-7323 by July 3, and tell us briefly about your big Summer book. Ann will edit the responses together for the July 6 episode.

Surf and Turf (10:48)

Recent work-related trips to two New England islands had us thinking about books set on or near (or under) the sea. Thankfully, many resort community bookstores have whole sections devoted to these topics, and it was easy for us to pick out several for you to choose from:

• Caleb’s Crossing by Geraldine Brooks
• Heat Wave by Nancy Thayer
• Unfamiliar Fishes by Sarah Vowell
• Shadow Divers by Robert Kurson
• Safe from the Sea by Peter Geye
• Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan
• Demon Fish by Juliet Eilperin
• Moby Duck by Donovan Hohn (the true story behind Eric Carle’s Ten Little Rubber Ducks)

Two Books We Can’t Wait For You to Read (22:38)

Yes, it’s true. I’m talking about The Bells by Richard Harvell again. You’ve heard me rave about the book before, it was one of my favorite books of 2010, but it’s coming out in paperback on June 28, so you if you’ve been waiting, now’s your chance! Ann tells us about Jamrach’s Menagerie by Carol Birch, a Dickensian adventure that sends street urchin Jaffy Brown on a three-year sea voyage in search of a dragon.

Literary exclusives

First, we discuss “literary exclusives” — books that are available only through one retail source. This was sparked by Michael’s enjoyment of The Adventures of Huckelberry Finn, narrated by Elijah Wood. This audiobook is available only through Audible.com, an online audiobook download service, as part of their Audible Signature Classics program.  You can’t (as far as we know) borrow this audio from the library or purchase it at your local bookstore. Here at Books on the Nightstand, we do our best to recommend books that are easily available to most of our listeners (with an admitted US bias). We don’t want to rave about a book and then have it be frustrating for you to find. We will occasionally break this rule for an out-of-print book or something very special, but as a rule, we want our recommendations to be available to the widest number of listeners possible.

So Michael’s love of the audio sparked a discussion about exclusives, including a forthcoming book by Barry Eisler which will be published by Amazon’s new publishing division, and will appear as an e-book exclusively available on the Kindle platform.

How do you feel about books that are published like this? We’d love to know your thoughts.

Books for Men? Written only by men?

We also stumbled upon another controversy that was in the news this week. Recently, Esquire posted a slideshow of “The 75 Books That Every Man Should Read”. Only one of those 75 books was written by a woman. Joyland Magazine countered with “250 Books by Women All Men Should Read“. Michael and I wander through various bits of debate related to these lists. Are these books that only “manly men” should read? How has Michael gotten this far without reading Raymond Carver? It’s a little rambly, but in the end Michael and I discover our mutual love for George Saunders and his story collection Civilwarland in Bad Decline. Gotta  love a conversation with a happy ending.

2 books we can’t wait for you to read

Life with Mr. Dangerous by Paul Hornschemeier, a graphic novel that depicts the “everyday” of a 20-something young woman who is obsessed with a television show. There are no superheroes in this book, but Michael was blown away. Ann is crazy about Jesse Ball’s The Curfew, a dystopian novel that is a father-daughter story with a puppet show at the center. Don’t let that scare you off — it’s a brilliant, amazing (and short) novel.

[image credit: flickr

Don’t forget our Retreat Author Reading Challenge book chat with Ellen Meeropol, author of House Arrest. It takes place at 8:30 EST on Wednesday, June 22nd. Full details can be found here.

Book Explosion America

Ann spent an exhausting yet exhilarating few days at Book Expo America and gives us a quick run down of authors and books that made an impression, including Lisa See, Joan Didion, Harry Belafonte, Margaret Atwood, Erin Morgenstern (author of The Night Circus, a book with huge buzz already), Jennifer Close (a bookseller from Politics and Prose who has her first book, Girls in White Dresses, coming out this Fall). At the HarperCollins Blogger Party, Ann heard about Domestic Violets, by Matthew Norman, a book that is earning comparisons to novels by Jonathan Tropper. Colson Whitehead’s Zone One was a big hit (I can vouch for the novel – so good!). Hillary Jordan’s When She Woke is a book that Ann read in two sittings and she brought a copy home for me as well. Tayari Jones’ Silver Sparrow is another advanced reader’s copy that Ann read right away and loved. [Note: BEA is a time to promote books coming out in the Fall, so most of these books won't be out until then, but many of them will be featured here when they are available!]

June is Gay Pride Month (11:56)

BOTNS listener Christian asked long ago for a show about LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender) Fiction. We coincidentally planned this show for this week, the first week of Gay Pride Month. Ann has long been a fan of Armistead Maupin’s Tales of the City series. Two male characters in The Bells, one of my favorite novels of last year, have one of the most loving relationships I’ve seen portrayed in fiction. Even though they weren’t main characters, their love for each other is one of the things I’ll always remember about that book. We turned to Twitter for more books and got many wonderful suggestions:

Simon Savidge, awesome book blogger, is a founder and chair of judges for The Green Carnation prize, now in its second year. The prize seeks to recognize quality works written by LGBT writers and published in the UK. In its first year, it honored Paperboy by Christopher Fowler.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (22:31)

Lisa See returns to sisters Pearl and May, the characters she created in Shanghai Girls. In that book’s sequel, Dreams of Joy, Pearl’s daughter Joy discovers the secrets about her birth long held by her mother and her aunt. Ann raves about The Upright Piano Player by David Abbot. It’s the story of Henry Cage, a man dealing with forced retirement and an act of violence that shocks him and has you turning pages right from the start.