Plot Twist by Harlan Coben is a non fiction book that focusses on writing: the desperation, the inspiration, the execution…it’s all here. And it’s compulsively readable and wonderfully conversational, just like Harlan. Join us as we ask him about his tips and tricks, and why there is no substitution for getting your heart and mind on the page.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books featured in this episode:

Plot Twist: Life, Craft and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

Fade Away by Harlan Coben 

Back Spin by Harlan Coben

One False Move by Harlan Coben

The Final Detail by Harlan Coben

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben 

Promise Me by Harlan Coben

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Graceland, by the great Paul Simon, was always a big deal in our house. From the Boy in the Bubble to the Myth of Fingerprints, it was on almost constant repeat, the soundtrack of my childhood. Ashley Kahn’s book, Days of Miracle and Wonder, is a thorough, beautifully researched compendium of how the album was made. A real examination of Simon’s genius, this book breaks down the album and its effects on the music industry and the world. Join us as we discuss a seminal moment in music history, and a terrific book.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Days of Miracle and Wonder by Ashley Kahn

A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album by Ashley Kahn

The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records by Ashley Kahn

Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn

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We love doing “classics” episodes. And since The Catcher in the Rye is turning 75 this year, it seems that lots of folks in the book world are talking about it and we thought we would hop on board. Our two distinguished guests for this conversation are Kenneth Slawenski, one of the world's foremost historians on J.D. Salinger, and Stephen B. Shepard, a magazine editor who penned a fascinating book on the complexities of Salinger’s character. We hope you will join us in thinking about how our readings of Catcher in the Rye change over the years, and how the novel continues to touch the souls of so many readers.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski

Salinger’s Soul: His Personal and Religious Odyssey by Stephen B. Shepard

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Jennifer McMahon has been called the Shirley Jackson of her generation.  Her newest, Stay Buried, is a fascinating look at what can happen to a small town when beset with an almost inhuman pandemic, and how they turn on each other as the diseases claims victim after victim (sound familiar?). Come join us for a great conversation with Jennifer in which we talk abut her ides, her process, and how there is a touch of the scary in so many of the classics we love.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Stay Unburied by Jennifer McMahon
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
Kin by Tayari Jones
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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This is an interesting show, because the person who really championed the read this week was Arlene Gibson, the matriarch of the Gibson Family. A lifelong school teacher and administrator for girls’ schools, she fell in love with Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson. And when Arlene tells us to do something, we do it. Paradise Pawn in the story from the perspective of a young 14 year old girl named Jackie who works in a Pawn Shop in Florida. Full of humor, heart and an adolescent voice that is sincere and true to a very difficult age, this is a great book. If the age of young teenagers confuse you (maybe you are a mom, dad, caregiver or yourself a 14 year old girl) this book is an eye opener and a heartbreaker. We talk to both Arlene and Meg. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson

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Chris Bohjalian is prolific to say the least. With about 25 novels under his belt, he hits the bestseller list often with his unforgettable characters and twisty plots. But his newest, The Amateur, is his most personal novel to date. The narrator, Mira, was a caddy, just as Chris was for most of his high school career. And she is a writer, just like Chris, her sense of humor and feelings about writing are pure Chris. It’s a page turner with some terrific writing. And we talk to Elderberry and Plum, a new bookstore in Springfield, Illinois. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

The World According to Garp by John Irving

Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

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Should the Waters Take Us a is a novel of great beauty…centered around the swamp letters in the south of Louisianna. Whereas so many novels focus on story and character-this one focusses on place and how this place has shaped the lives of the characters that live there. As climate change shifts the land beneath our feet and oil companies have raided the Acadian swamps for their natural resources, the Cajun background is ever changing, and often full of tragedy. We also talk to Final Draft, the bookstore in Kansas that JUST opened. We check in to see how their opening went and how they are feeling now. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302
Books mentioned on this episode:

Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau

Last One Out Shut Off the Lights by Stephanie Soileau

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Hill by Harriet Clark

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

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Pamela Colloff is an accomplished investigative journalist and has written "Catch the Devil" about a frighteningly prolific jailhouse snitch.  Paul Skalnik testified in dozens of cases that inmates in Florida prisons had confessed their guilt to him.  Often prosecutors won convictions based largely on Skalnik’s testimony including four cases where he was instrumental on putting men on Florida’s death row.  One of them, Jim Dailey, was convicted of murdering a 14 year old girl.  Despite evidence that has come out since Dailey’s conviction, he sits on Florida’s death row.  He has been there over 40 years unable to get a new trial.  Colloff repeatedly met Skalnik who said he would tell her the truth about all his testimonies.  He never did.   But Colloff has reported the story in brilliant detail and writes about how often prosecutors use jailhouse snitches knowing their testimony may be tainted.  Skalnik’s repeated claims of jailhouse confessions defied credulity... so why did prosecutors continue to put him on the stand?  Why didn’t judges disallow his testimony?  Why did appellate courts accept his word?  It’s a compelling story - worth a reader’s time.

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302
Books mentioned on this episode:

Catch the Devil by Pamela Colloff

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Jenny Jackson’s newest, The Shampoo Effect, tells the story of an insular gang of year-round beach residents who have known each other all their lives. Until one member of their clique begins to date outside of the group-they are generally an exclusive “they go out on and off” type of friends. So how will they handle a new girlfriend they don’t know or with whom they have so little in common? The book is nuanced, funny and asks the question: what does marriage mean in the current world? We also talk to Scott D. Reich whose book One Day in September tells the story of a historic baseball game that evolved into the All-Star game we know today. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

One Day in September by Scott D. Reich

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Paul Tremblay has written a science fiction book that will prompt all sorts of important questions about AI, the role of consciousness in humanity, and how writers might have to work around AI in order to keep their work original and sustainable and it’s called DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. We love a book that poses important questions like these while still being a good page turner, and this is one of those. This is the story of Julia, a semi professional video gamer asked to take remote control of a body in a vegetative state. It’s suspenseful, strange, and will leave you with all sorts of questions about the age in which we live. We also talk to Final Draft Books in Wichita Kansas, which is opening this weekend (TAKE NOTE WICHITA). This husband and wife owner team bring a starry eyed excitement to the store that will charm the pants of all our listeners. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

The Pallbearer’s Club by Paul Tremblay

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Phillip K. Dick

The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed by Christof Koch

2666 by Robert Balano

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

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Kevin Powers’ Children of the Wild is a book about Roy and Ennis, two friends on a farm who sign up for WWI, one excited for battle, one a feral child baffled by war. What does war do to friendship? To the minds of men? We talk to Kevin, a veteran of the war in Iraq, about his ability to write war so well and the effects of PTSD on his characters. We also talk to Bartleby Books in Vermont…join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Children of the Wild by Kevin Powers

A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers

A Shout in the Ruins by Kevin Powers

Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting by Kevin Powers

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist

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