If you aren’t an Elizabeth Strout fan yet, Tell me Everything, her newest novel, is going to wow you. If you are already devoted fans, like we are, then you are in for a real treat. In Tell Me Everything, she brings together two beloved characters: Lucy Barton and Olive Kitteridge. The results are truly magical. Our bookstore this week is Snowbound Books in Marquette, Michigan.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Tell Me Everything by Elizabeth Strout
• Amy and Isabelle by Elizabeth Strout
• Olive Kitteridge by Elizabeth Strout
• Olive, Again by Elizabeth Strout
• Abide With Me by Elizabeth Strout
• Lucy by the Sea by Elizabeth Strout
• Oh William! By Elizabeth Strout
• The Burgess Boys by Elizabeth Strout
• My Name Is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout
• Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

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This is a special episode dedicated the art of spoken word poetry. One of our listeners wrote to us mentioning the name of Rudy Francisco and from there we fell down the rabbit hole of spoken word and slam poetry. We talk to Rudy and two other greats of the art, Bianca Phipps and Neil Hilborn. They are going to perform one work each and we will round it out with a conversation with Sam Van Cook. Sam is a founder of Button Poetry that represents and publishes so many of these great artists. Trust us, this is an episode you won't want to miss.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Helium by Rudy Francisco
• Excuse Me While I Kiss the Sky by Rudy Francisco
• Crown Noble by Bianca Phipps
• The Future by Neil Hilborn
• About Time by Neil Hilborn
• Mill, Railways and General Castings by Sam Van Cook

Watch their poems online:

• Hide and Seek by Rudy Francisco
• Almosts by Bianca Phipps
• OCD by Neil Hilborn

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Dr. Fei-Fei Li is one of the most important scientists of our time. Her book, The Worlds I See, chronicles her pioneering efforts in Artificial Intelligence. Does AI scare you? Us too. But read this book and listen to this episode. The book is not just the compelling story of Dr. Li herself, who immigrated as a girl speaking no English but who understands physics like Michael Jordan plays basketball. She is now a worldwide authority on AI and its development. Second, if you are scared of AI, this book explains it and the issues surrounding it both with beauty and with hope. She believes AI is the next step in our evolution, but that it MUST be rooted in humanity. What does that mean? Tune in and find out.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• The Worlds I See: Curiosity, Exploration, and Discovery at the Dawn of AI by Dr. Fei-Fei Li
• Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone by J.K. Rowling

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Have you ever heard the rumor that Shakespeare didn’t write his own plays? So had we, but By Any Other Name, the new novel by Jodi Picoult, may make the best case for it we have ever read. This novel puts forth a theory that Emilia Bassano wrote at least some of them, and she is an unforgettable character. This book succeeds on so many levels — a polemic, a great piece of feminist AND historical fiction, AND it’s a page turner. This is the book Jodi says she was born to write…and we think it’s her best to date.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult
• Nineteen Minutes by Jodi Picoult
• My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult
• Mermaid by Jodi Picoult
• Second Glance by Jodi Picoult
• Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult
• The Pact by Jodi Picoult
• The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult
• House Rules by Jodi Picoult
• Mad Honey by Jodi Picoult and Jennifer Finney Boylan
• Where There’s Smoke by Jodi Picoult
• Picture Perfect by Jodi Picoult
• Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult
• A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult
• The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult
• Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult
• Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult
• Handle with Care by Jodi Picoult
• Change of Heart by Jodi Picoult
• Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult
• Vanishing Acts by Jodi Picoult
• Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult
• Topdog/Underdog by Suzan-Lori Parks
• Knife: Meditations After an Attempted Murder by Salman Rushdie

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Love it or hate it, the genre of “reality tv” has now shaped American history. That means no matter how you feel about it, you cannot ignore it. Enter Cue the Sun!, the most comprehensive, thoughtful and well written book about the history and development of the genre we have come across. We talk to the book’s author, Emily Nussbaum about how the genre has come to take up so much space in American pop culture and what that means for our country as a whole. We also talk to Ferguson Books' owner Dane Ferguson about how his shop serves rural communities in the upper midwest. You don’t want to miss it.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Cue the Sun!: The Invention of Reality TV by Emily Nussbaum
• I Like to Watch: Arguing My Way Through the TV Revolution by Emily Nussbaum
• Black Bear Lake by Leslie Liautaud
• Thief River Falls by Brian Freeman
• Alter Ego by Brian Freeman

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Today we talk about a book that seems tailor-made to our show, given our conversations with independent booksellers. The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore is a book that, if you are a book lovers like we are, will give you the same warm, smiling feeling you get when you walk into your favorite bookstore. And we talk to Toby Cox, the owner of Three Lives & Company, one of Evan’s favorites.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

The Bookshop: A History of the American Bookstore by Evan Friss

On Bicycles: A 200-Year History of Cycling in New York City by Evan Friss

The Cycling City: Bicycles and Urban America in the 1890s by Evan Friss

All Fours by Miranda July

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

Waterlogged: The Serious Problem of Overhydration in Endurance Sports by Tim Noakes

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When you say the name Whoopi Goldberg it’s hard not to smile. The name is filled with heart, laughter, and a joyous sense of fun, just like the woman herself. Born Caryn Johnson, her memoir Bits and Pieces is a love letter to her mother and brother, the two people who molded her into the hilarious, honest and morally centered person she is today. She has also written a graphic novel about menopause (sure, why not?) called The Change, which is a declaration that women of a certain age (and color) can don a cape and fight bad guys with hot flashes, if they so choose. Join us for a laugh and some terrific storytelling.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Bits and Pieces: My Mother, My Brother, and Me by Whoopi Goldberg
• The Change: A Graphic Novel by Whoopi Goldberg, Jaime Paglia and Sunkanmi Akinboye
• Is It Just Me?: Or Is It Nuts Out There? By Whoopi Goldberg
• If Someone Says "You Complete Me,” RUN!: Whoopi’s Big Book of Relationships by Whoopi Goldberg
• Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie
• The Godfather by Mario Puzo
• The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

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Ben Shattuck is a renaissance man of sorts, which might be why we dedicated the whole episode to him. He wrote The History of Sound, a thought provoking and beautiful collection of short stories that spans the Eastern Seaboard as well as eons of time. Then there's his general store, which, on top of being the oldest general store in the country also boasts an independent bookstore curated by, you guessed it, Ben Shattuck. Join us.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode:

• The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck
• Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck
• Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx
• The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry
• This Is Happiness by Niall Williams
• Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard
• Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett
• A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
• The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann

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Every so often, a new author tackles the work of expanding a classic novel to expand its reach. Even more rarely, they succeed beautifully. This week’s book, Adventures of Mary Jane is just such a rare gem. Mary Jane's author, Hope Jahren, is a scientist (a geochemist, no less) who decided to write the story of Mary Jane, a character that haunted her from the pages of Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn her entire life. It is both a magical adventure story and an authentic and well written coming of age drama. This week’s bookstore is Where the Sidewalk Ends, which is also run by two generations in tandem. We talk to them about how they do it…and we commiserate on working with daughters and parents. Join us.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Adventures of Mary Jane by Hope Jahren
• Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
• The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren
• The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain
• The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain
• Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe
• Les Misérables by Victor Hugo
• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
• A Man without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut
• Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein
• Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea
• Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals that Helped him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Constantine Croke
• The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames-RELEASES 7/23/2024
• More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova-RELEASES 1/14/2025

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Our third check in with J. Ryan Stradal, author extraordinaire and our writer in residence. He has begun to write in earnest, and has lots to tell us about his progress. We are loving these conversations with J., and every time we learn something new. For our bookstore we talk to Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, J. Ryan's homeland. Join us.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

• Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal
• The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal
• Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal
• Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn
• For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes by Klancy Miller
• The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne

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The Magician’s Hat by Malcolm MitchellThis week we talk to Rachel Khong. Her new novel, Real Americans, asks probing questions about the reality of America’s “melting pot” mythology, and is also being a mysterious and compulsively readable family saga. We also talk to Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, in our continuing discussions on the importance of getting children to read. We hope you will join us.

• Books mentioned in this week's podcast
• Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong
• Real Americans by Rachel Khong
• Perfecto Pet Show by Judy Newman

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