The Book Case

ABC News | Charlie Gibson, Kate Gibson

  • 36 minutes 5 seconds
    Why Are Boys Falling Behind On Reading?

    The Book Case is largely about talking to authors, yes, but we believe that reading is critical for everyone. We believe it is most important for kids, that raising readers is one of the most important duties a parent can perform. But we read a study recently that said boys reading scores are lower than girls. And not just in the US, boys reading scores are lower internationally as well. Why? What is the key to teaching boys to read, and to love it for life? We are joined by Dr. Sean Reardon at Stanford author of the study as well as Dr. Nakia Townes President of Accelerate, which is studying how to turn and research into action for our kids. Finally, we are joined by Brayden Piper and his mom Lauren, who have been helped by Accelerate’s efforts to elevate boys love of reading. We had a piece on Good Morning America a few weeks ago that touched on these issues, but in this podcast we take a deep dive. Join us for this important discussion.


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    16 April 2026, 7:00 am
  • 43 minutes 18 seconds
    Tana French Mixes Ireland and the Old West

    We are going full Ireland on this show.  First, we talk to the incredible Tana French about her newest, The Keeper.  Set in rural Ireland it combines great mystery writing with the classic American Western. Does that sound like it is a long shot? Not with Tana’s talent. We then go from a fascinating conversation with a great author to Hodges and Figgis, our first international bookseller, smack in the middle of Dublin. It’s all Irish and on this week’s Book Case, so pull up a pint and 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 show:

    The Keeper by Tana French

    In the Woods by Tana French

    The Likeness by Tana French

    Faithful Place by Tana French

    The Searcher by Tana French

    The Secret Place by Tana French

    Broken Harbor by Tana French

    The Witch Elm by Tana French

    The Trespasser by Tana French

    The Hunter by Tana French

    Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurtry

    The Grand Sophy by Georgette Heyer

    The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith

    The Secret History by Donna Tart

    Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane

    War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    Ulysses by James Joyce 

    Conversations with Friends by Sally Rooney

    The Hobbit by JRR Tolkien

    The City We Became by N.K. Jemison

    We by Yevgeny Zamyatin

    All Systems Red by Martha Wells

    A Psalm From the Wild Built by Becky Chambers

    The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

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    9 April 2026, 8:00 am
  • 36 minutes 33 seconds
    Jenny Lawson Wants You to Be Okay

    Jenny Lawson is Kate’s all time favorite humor author. Obsessed since her first book, Let’s Pretend This Never Happened, Kate saw she had a new one out, How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay, and she actually whooped. Loudly. In this book, Jenny shares the different tools and tricks that she uses to try to right the ship, when she is sinking in depression. But this is not your average advice book. It’s hilarious. Seriously. It is also moving, personal, and, well, helpful. Join us when we talk to one of the great humorists of our generation. She also happens to own an independent bookstore in her hometown of San Antonio Texas, Nowhere Books. We talk to their assistant manager and events coordinator, Vicky. Have a listen for a laugh and some good advice….


    Find books mentioned The Book Case:

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

    Books in this week's episode:

    How to be Okay When Nothing is Okay by Jenny Lawson

    Broken (In the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson

    Furiously Happy by Jenny Lawson

    Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson

    Quietly Hostile by Samantha Kirby

    Me Talk Pretty One Day by David Sedaris

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    2 April 2026, 11:00 am
  • 32 minutes 5 seconds
    Louise Erdrich and the Art of the Seminal Moment

    Louise Erdrich is one of the most important writers of our time. Her award-winning words have created modern classics such as Love Medicine, The Night Watchman and The Sentence. Her newest release, Python’s Kiss, is a collection of short stories, illustrated by Aza Erdrich Abe, her daughter. Each one speaks to turning points…moments that change us and shape us. Louise talks about how her writing shapes her and how she shapes her writing.  Aza then joins us to talk about how she brought her mother’s stories to life through her art.


    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:

    Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich, illustrated by Aza Erdrich Abe

    The Mighty Red by Louise Erdrich

    The Sentence by Louise Erdrich

    The Night Watchman by Louise Erdrich

    Love Medicine by Louise Erdrich

    The Round House by Louise Erdrich

    The Master Butchers Singers Club by Louise Erdrich

    The Plague of Doves by Louise Erdrich

    LaRose by Louise Erdrich

    The Painted Drum by Louise Erdrich

    The Bingo Palace by Louise Erdrich

    The Antelope Wife by Louise Erdrich

    The Birchbark House by Louise Erdrich

    The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler

    The City We Became by NK Jemison

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    26 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 33 minutes 22 seconds
    Elizabeth Berg And a Love Story to Life (Also with Kate DiCamillo and Kelly Yang!)

    It’s a TRIPLE header on the Book Case podcast. First, our main guest is Elizabeth Berg, whose newest, Life: A Love Story is a beautifully woven tale of a woman reflecting on what objects she has saved throughout her life and why. Look around your room…are there things in there that means something to you but no one else? Elizabeth Berg writes so deftly that you will want to write your own autobiography in objects. AND, we are joined by the AMAZING Kelly Yang and Kate DiCamillo so they can tell us all about their new podcast, Storykind. JOIN US!


    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:

    Life: A Love Story by Elizabeth Berg

    Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

    Night of Miracles by Elizabeth Berg

    The Story of Arthur Trulove by Elizabeth Berg

    The Dream Lover by Elizabeth Berg

    Until the Real Thing Comes Along by Elizabeth Berg

    Joy School by Elizabeth Berg

    The Pull of the Moon by Elizabeth Berg

    Durable Goods by Elizabeth Berg

    Open House by Elizabeth Berg

    Say When by Elizabeth Berg

    Breathing Lessons by Anne Tyler

    Charlotte’s Web By EB White

    Bel Canto by Ann Patchett

    Front Desk by Kelly Yang

    The Tale of Desperaux by Kate DiCamillo

    Top Story by Kelly Yang

    The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane

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    19 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 35 minutes 51 seconds
    Joan Lunden Says Good Morning Book Case!

    Joan Lunden has been a part of the Gibson family for a long time. Her newest memoir, Joan, is an attempt to look back upon the moments of her life, her life that she has lived at an almost breakneck speed.  How did she hold down one of the toughest jobs in journalism, raise a bunch of kids and write a bunch of books?  What is life like after GMA?  She answers all those questions and gets a chance to reminisce with her old partner, Charlie.  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:

    Joan by Joan Lunden
    Good Morning, I’m Joan Lunden by Joan Lunden
    Had I Known by Joan Lunden
    Why Did I Come Into This Room by Joan Lunden

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    12 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 34 minutes 25 seconds
    For Us, Anna Quindlen is ALWAYS More Than Enough

    We have been broadcasting long enough to have what we think of as “authors we always love to talk to” and Anna is one of those.  She is a stunning talent and has thoughts about writing that always knock us out.  So sit down with us to discuss Anna’s latest, More Than Enough, and stay tuned for a great interview with Prologue Books in Ohio. Happy Spring!


    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:

    More Than Enough By Anna Quindlen

    After Annie by Anna Quindlen

    Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen

    Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen

    Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen

    Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen

    Every Last One by Anna Quindlen

    Blessings by Anna Quindlen

    Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen

    A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen

    Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen

    Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen

    Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen

    Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen

    One True Thing by Anna Quindlen


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    5 March 2026, 8:00 am
  • 31 minutes 32 seconds
    Tayari Jones and the Meaning of Kin

    Tayari Jones is one of the country’s most gifted writers, and her newest, Kin, is sure to get everyone talking. Beautiful, wrenching and compelling, this is a period piece that takes place in the South around the 1950’s and 60’s. This is a book that will move you, and almost every sentence is a work of art. Finely crafted, Kin is one of our favorites this year and we were so pleased Tayari agreed to sit with us. We talk to her all about how she pulls off this book, and why it took her so long to get it done.  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:

    Kin by Tayari Jones
    An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
    Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
    The Untelling by Tayari Jones
    Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones
    Beloved by Toni Morrison
    Song of Solomon by Tony Morrison

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    26 February 2026, 9:00 am
  • 31 minutes 45 seconds
    Allegra Goodman, Her Stories, and the Messiness of Family

    Allegra Goodman’s latest, This is Not About Us is a treasure.  Centered around the Rubenstein family, each chapter examines the Rubensteins from a different lens, a different perspective.  The stories are funny, messy, heartbreaking, captivating; all adjectives that describe complex families.  You will laugh, you will be moved, and you will be left with some brilliant tableaus of an American family as they struggle through life.  We also have a terrific bookstore owner, Sarah Lacey (The Best Bookstore in Palm Springs and The Best Bookstore in Union Square, and yes, those are the names of the stores, brilliant right?). Come 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:

     

    This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

    Isola by Allegra Goodman

    Sam by Allegra Goodman

    Kaaterskill Falls by Allegra Goodman

    The Cookbook Collection by Allegra Goodman

    The Family Markowitz by Allegra Goodman

    The Chalk Artist by Allegra Goodman

    The Other Side of the Island by Allegra Goodman

    Intuition by Allegra Goodman

    Total Immersion: Stories by Allegra Goodman

    Paradise Park by Allegra Goodman

    The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

    War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

    The Resistors by Gish Jen

    Moby Dick by Herman Mellville

    Middlemarch by George Eliot

    The Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum

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    19 February 2026, 9:00 am
  • 29 minutes 22 seconds
    Belle Burden and the Art of Being Vulnerable

    Belle Burden’s Strangers is not your everyday memoir about divorce.  After three kids, two decades and two homes, her husband was caught having an affair.  When confronted, he walked out, saying that marriage and family were not “for him”. It was not about the other woman nor was it about a long bout with depression, it seemed as if he just woke up and decided to begin anew.  Belle is left to search for answers as she questions her reality-did he ever love us?  Did I make him unhappy?  How can I move on with such a mysterious and traumatic narrative?  Written with humor, care and love, this book really is a memoir of marriage and the mysteries often associated with a broken home.  Trust us.  Read it.  Then tune into to our conversation with this amazing author and amazing woman.


    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:


    Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

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    12 February 2026, 8:00 am
  • 43 minutes 44 seconds
    The Librarians: A Must-See Documentary for Book Lovers

    This week we dedicate our show to a documentary that we think is important.  We have promised our listeners to keep the podcast non-political (no shouting talking heads, no books with a political agenda).  But there are some issues that are vitally important that we also believe are non-political.  Book banning is first and foremost among these.  Next week on February 9th, The Librarians documentary starts streaming on PBS stations across the country as part of their beloved Independent Lens series.  Join us as we talk to two brave and brilliant librarians fighting book bans with all their might.  We also talk to Kim A. Snyder, the director of the film about why the stories presented in this documentary are so important.  Book banning is wrong.  And we are talking about it this week.


    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 Library at Night by Alberto Maguel
    The Poisonwood Bible, Barbara Kingsolver

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    5 February 2026, 9:00 am
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