On this episode, past guests of Books with Betsy and I share our favorite books of 2025! Listen to hear about lots of great 2025 books and the excellent backlist we got to this year.    Books mentioned in this episode:    Betsy’s Best Categorically (books that…):  Shocked me:  It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage Sky Full of Elephants by Cebo Campbell  Made me Cry: The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai  Are You Happy? By Lori Ostlund  Underrated: Fundamentally by Noussaibah Younis  What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown  Recommend Widely: There is No Place For Us: Working and Homeless in America by Brian Goldstone  Isola by Allegra Goodman  Hard to Recommend:  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby  Flesh by David Szalay  Made me Think About my Life Differently: Uzumaki by Junji Ito  Hunchback by Saou Ichikawa    Books Highlighted by Guests: Deedi Brown:  The Everlasting by Alix E. Harrow Telephone by Percival Everett  Searches: Selfhood in the Digital Age by Vauhini Vara  Francisco Rafael Peralta-Cerda:  Grace and Henry’s Holiday Movie Marathon by Matthew Norman  Displacement by Kiku Hughes  Yellowface by R.F. Kuang  Chloe Waryan:  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  Woodworking by Emily St. James  Poor Things by Alasdair Gray Jess Abra Sandy:  How to Sell a Haunted House by Grady Hendrix  Don’t Let the Forest In by C.G. Drews Soft Science & Other Poems by Franny Choi  Time is a Mother by Ocean Vuong  Shakia Perry:  Issac’s Song by Daniel Black  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby  Zeal by Morgan Jerkins  Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan  Chelsey Stone:  The Princes of Ireland by Edward Rutherfurd Creatures of Passage by Morowa Yejidé Deirdre Harrison:  Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teachings of Plants by Robin Wall Kimmerer  Motherhood: Facing and Finding Yourself by Lisa Marchiano  The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  Chirri & Chirra: The Snowy Day by Kaya Doi & Yuki Kaneko  The Red Fruit by Lee Gee Eun  Red Sled by Lita Judge  Jordan Hernandez:  This is Your Mother by Erika J. Simpson  The Girls Who Grew Big by Leila Mottley  Loca by Alejandro Heredia  Liv Hoselton:  Everything is Tuberculosis: The History and Persistence of Our Deadliest Infection by John Green  A Noble Madness: The Dark Side of Collecting from Antiquity to Now by James Delbourgo  Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton Frankenstein by Mary Shelly  A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens  Leah Rachel von Essen:  And the Band Played On: Politics, People, and the AIDS Epidemic by Randy Shilts  Get a Life, Chloe Brown by Talia Hibbert  One Day Everyone Will Have Always Been Against This by Omar El Akkad A Day of Fallen Night by Samantha Shannon

On this episode, Madeline Blair, founder and editor of the literary magazine Sabr Tooth Tiger, talks about her development as a lover and writer of poetry, how balancing reading online publications can run up against her day job, and how she discovers new pieces to read. You also get to hear me have a bit of an existential crisis in real time which happens every time I think about how much content there is out there to read.    Sabr Tooth Tiger   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Sisters by Jonas Hassan Khemiri  There is No Place for Us by Brian Goldstone   Books Highlighted by Madeline: Crossing the Water by Sylvia Plath  Ariel by Sylvia Plath  Wicked by Gregory Maguire Monsters, Clowns, and the Holy Fool by Satori Na The Poet’s Companion by Kim Addonizio  Letters to Milena by Franz Kafka The Unabridged Journals of Sylvia Plath by Sylvia Plath   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Johnny Panic and the Bible of Dreams by Sylvia Plath  Girls That Never Die by Safia Elhillo  The Diary of Anaïs Nin by Anaïs Nin  The Intentions of Thunder by Patricia Smith  Poems 1962-2012 by Louise Glück  Selected Poems of Frank O’Hara by Frank O’Hara  Men in the Off Hours by Anne Carson  Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bzaterrica  Dubliners by James Joyce  The Idaho Four by James Patterson & Vicky Ward  The Wild Fox of Yemen by Threa Almontaser

On this episode, Francisco Rafael Peralta-Cerda, a fellow Read & Runner, talks about his work building a love for reading as a high school teacher, how his mom encouraged him to read when he was little, and a possibly surprising genre that he has fallen in love with this year. We also discuss his hesitation to read in public but also the attempt to dispel the myth of the performative male.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga The Sisters by Jonas Hassan Khemiri    Books Highlighted by Fransico: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky  Eragon by Christopher Paolini Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini  We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos  The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey  Inkspell by Cornelia Funke  Batman by Tom King  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut  Coraline by Neil Gaiman  The Defining Decade by Meg Jay  What Happened to Millenials by Charlie Wells  Looking for Alaska by John Green  Heartstopper by Alice Oseman  A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin  Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady  Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

On this episode, Deirdre Harrison, Executive Director of SitStayRead in Chicago talks about how her understanding of relationships affects her reading life, the joys of being a little free library steward, and shares deep thoughts about how her organization fits into the literary lives of everyone she interacts with. She also tells some really incredible stories about her experiences with SitStayRead that will emphasize the importance of literacy learning for young children.    SitStayRead   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan  Flesh by David Szalay    Books Highlighted by Deirdre: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer  The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt  The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld  Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene by Donna Haraway   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  Motherhood by Lisa Marchiano LCSW  Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson  Caste by Isabel Wilkerson  Viktor Frankl Recollections by Viktor E. Frankl  The Pelican Can! By Toni Yuly  The Cool Bean by Jory John & Pete Oswald  Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer  Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

On this episode, Antonio Michael Downing, author and host of CBC’s Next Chapter, talks about his early reading life with his grandmother in Trinidad, how his work affects his reading life, and the types of authors that are speaking to him now. We talk about his two books, Saga Boy, a memoir, and Black Cherokee, his first novel.     Black Cherokee  Saga Boy  The Next Chapter    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai  Endling by Maria Reva  Isola by Allegra Goodman   Books Highlighted by Antonio Michael: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin The Sellout by Paul Beatty Salt by Earl Lovelace Dubliners by James Joyce Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Deep Secrets by Niobe Way   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner  Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  KJV Bible  Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin  The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin  Finnegans Wake by James Joyce  Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky  Ulysses by James Joyce 

On this episode, Jesus, Emily, and Brian from Off Color Book Club join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.    My Book Club Guide If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, we will not be meeting in December but will meet on Tuesday, January 20th to discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. All are welcome!

On this episode, Julie Palazzolo, a mom who is finding her reading life to look differently than it has in the past, talks about how audiobooks have been a huge part of her reading life, the ways she brings reading to life with her kiddos, and how important and amazing children’s books are. Julie also gives a lot of great children’s book recommendations for many difficult topics.   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown The Director by Daniel Kehlmann   Books Highlighted by Julie: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block Never Lie by Frieda McFadden  Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Night by Elie Wiesel The Invisible String by Patrice Karst Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder I Said No by Kimberly King Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block  No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson Tiny Humans, Big Emotions by Alyssa Blask Campbell & Lauren Elizabeth Stauble    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld  Delirium by Lauren Oliver  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  Divergent by Veronica Roth  The Not-So-Friendly Friend by Christina Furnival  Into the Game! Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles #1 by Nick Eliopulos  Who Would Win? By Jerry Pallotta  The Housemaid by Freida McFadden  Necklace of Kisses by Francesca Lia Block  The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix  Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough  Ghost by Jason Reynolds  The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst  The Invisible String Backpack by Patrice Karst  The Invisible Web by Patrice Karst  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein  The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister  Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks  It Happened to Nancy by Beatrice Sparks A Hug From Above by Pamela Quinn  On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman

On this episode, Jen Price, of Travel Books and Movies, discusses her life that involves a great deal of travel, how she incorporates reading into travelling, and her book club that has a brilliant idea about how to choose books. We also get into some of the shared perils of being feral readers.    Travel Books and Movies Blog Jen on Instagram Travel Books and Movies Facebook Group Reading Retreat Guide/Newsletter Bon Voyage Book Box    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Katabasis by R.F. Kuang  Pan by Michael Clune   Books Highlighted by Jen: From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg  Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides  Travels of Terror by Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl  A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini  The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M. Martin The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown  The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg  The Girl from Donegal by Carmel Harrington  A Journey to the New World (Dear America) by Kathryn Lasky  The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown  What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman

On this episode, Taylor Thornburg, multi-media creator and fan talks about how to plug in to the local literary scene, his connection to physical media, and how he loves authors that are just entirely out of the box. We also talk about a lot of the great benefits of the Chicago reading life.    Agathe, 6:00 p.m. to 7:27   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Katabasis by R.F. Kuang  Flashlight by Susan Choi    Books Highlighted by Taylor: Ubik by Philip K. Dick  In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa  White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link Lapovona by Ottessa Moshfegh My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante  Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Herscht 07769 by Lázló Krasznahorkai Schattenfroh by Michael Lentz  The Instructions by Adam Levin The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey  Bluets by Maggie Nelson  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien  Frindle by Andrew Clements  Severance by Ling Ma  Bliss Montage by Ling Ma  Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon  All Fours by Miranda July  My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh  Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh  Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace  Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah  North Woods by Daniel Mason

On this episode, Lorna Sherry and Cara Sandlass join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin.    My Book Club Guide If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in November, we will be meeting on Tuesday, November 18th to discuss Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. All are welcome!

On this episode, Tina of TBR, etc., talks about how being an active book person in multiple internet formats affects her reading life, her favorite genre acronym, and we go deep into the world of reading trackers. We also talk about her viral moment this past summer when she broke an AI-related book story.    Books to Read if You Liked Unknown Caller Books With Covers We Hate and Why We Read Them Anyway   Tina TBR, etc Instagram TikTok Tina Books | TBR, etc. - YouTube Book Talk, etc. Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage  Hot Air by Marcy Dermansky Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin   Books Highlighted by Tina: Look Closer by David Ellis  Hush Little Baby by R.H. Herron Next of Kin by Kia Abdullah One Yellow Eye by Leigh Radford Red Clay by Charles B. Fancher Dominion by Addie E. Citchens  Saving Noah by Lucinda Berry  Nobody Knows You’re Here by Bryn Greenwood  When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager  We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer  Nestlings by Nat Cassidy  Mary by Nat Cassidy  King of Ashes by S.A. Cosby  Razorblade Tears by S.A. Cosby  All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby  The Nix by Nathan Hill  When the Wolf Comes Home by Nat Cassidy  Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy  Play Nice by Rachel Harrison  Baby Teeth by Zoje Stage  The Midnight Library by Matt Haig  The Humans by Matt Haig  The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by V.E. Schwab  All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood

On this episode, Rebecca Tucker, who is working on writing her own fantasy novel, talks about how reading was incentivized for her at an early age but had ups and downs in her reading later in life. We also talk about some great fantasy novels and I make a claim about a book I believe will be considered one of the great memoirs.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones It’s Not the End of the World by Jonathan Parks-Ramage    Books Highlighted by Rebecca: When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill  The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones  Modernist Woman Poets  Eurydice by Sara Ruhl Girls of Paper and Fire by Natasha Ngan The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk I’m Glad my Mom Died by Jenette McCurdy The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Melinda Lo The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Red Rising by Pierce Brown Katabasis by R.F. Kuang The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien

On this episode, Eirien, author of The Riven War, discusses her love of fantasy, including a classic series that I really believe is underrated. She also talks about her first moment understanding the power of a book, how she looks for books that speak to her more than popularity, and how being a slower reader can actually be a benefit.    Get The Riven War here!   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones   Books Highlighted by Eirien: Black Beauty by Anna Sewell  The Power of Habit by Charles Duhigg The Witcher Blood of Elves by Andzrej Sapowski Dune by Frank Herbert  The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis The Picture of Dorian Grey by Oscar Wilde    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis  The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon  The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien  Marley & Me by John Grogan  Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas  Frankenstein by Mary Shelly

On this episode, Marla Taviano, writer and poet, who has a very fun project she’s attempting to complete before her 50th birthday talks about her love for annotating books, why she loves to read writers on writing, and her bookstagram project that greatly influenced her reading life.    Please Cut Up My Poems Liberation is Lit   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  Make Your Way Home by Carrie R. Moore    Books Highlighted by Marla: You Could Make This Place Beautiful by Maggie Smith  A Handful of Earth, A Handful of Sky: The World of Octavia Butler by Lynell George The Autobiography of Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley  The New Jim Crow: Mass Incarceration in the Age of Colorblindness by Michelle Alexander  The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life by Suleika Jaouad Undrowned: Black Feminist Lessons from Marine Mammals by Alexis Pauline Gumbs  Traveling with Pomegranates: A Mother Daughter Journey to the Sacred Places of Greece, Turkey, and France by Sue Monk Kidd and Ann Kidd Taylor  Books & Islands in Ojibwe Country: Traveling Through the Lands of My Ancestors by Louise Erdrich  Old in Art School: A Memoir of Starting Over by Nell Painter Faith Unraveled: How a Girl Who Knew All the Answers Learned to Ask Questions by Rachel Held Evans  Love Wins: A Book About Heaven, Hell, and the Fate of Every Person Who Ever Lived by Rob Bell    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan  Novelist as Vocation by Haruki Murakami  Conversations with Toni Morrison by Toni Morrison & Danille K Taylor-Guthrie  Absolutely on Music by Haruki Murakami & Seji Ozawa  What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami  Toni at Random by Dana A. Williams  Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson  Back in Blues by Imani Perry  South to America by Imani Perry  Looking for Lorraine by Imani Perry  Full of Myself by Austin Channing Brown  Frog and Toad are Friends by Arnold Lobel  unbelieve by Marla Taviano  jaded by Marla Taviano  whole by Marla Taviano  What makes you Fart? by Marla Taviano  Between Two Kingdoms by Suleika Jaouad  The Dance of the Dissident Daughter by Sue Monk Kidd 

On this episode, Laura Ustick and Emily Bogaert  join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, North Woods by Danel Mason.    My Book Club Guide   If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in October, we will be meeting on Tuesday, October 21st to discuss Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Liv Hoselton, an indie bookseller in Chicago, talks about their impulse to dive deep into the horrors of the world to better understand them, how their teachers and librarians were so impactful for their reading life, and one of our shared favorites that kids just aren’t interested in (much to our chagrin). I anticipate you’ll also be surprised at how engrossing Liv’s description of the sinking of the Edmund Fitzgerald is and it might make you want to read that book.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  North Woods by Daniel Mason Uzumaki by Junji Ito  Summerdale II by David Jay Collins    Books Highlighted by Liv: The Einstein of Sex by Daniel Brook Murderland by Caroline Fraser  The Gales of November by John U. Bacon Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh by Robert C. O’Brien The Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster  The Bandit Queens by Parini Shroff City of Thieves by David Benioff Winter’s Tale by Mark Helprin   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman  The Clique by Lisi Harrison  Twilight by Stephenie Meyer  Women Talking by Miriam Toews  Redwall by Brian Jacques  Where Men Win Glory by Jon Krakauer  Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin  A Noble Madness by James Delbourgo  Playing Possum by Susana Monso  Good and Evil and Other Stories by Samanta Schweblin  The Essential Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson 

On this episode, Lauren Oliver, author of many books, comes on to talk about her new book that was just released, What Happened to Lucy Vale. We also have a great conversation about mysteries, the magic of Agatha Christie, and how even when you’re plugged-in to the book world it can be hard to decide what to read.    Get a copy of What Happened to Lucy Vale More About Lauren  Lauren’s Substack Follow Lauren on Instagram    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Phoenix Pencil Company by Allison King   Books Highlighted by Lauren: One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez  And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie  Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie  The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne  Not Nothing by Gayle Forman  The Secret Place by Tana French  The Great Divorce by C.S. Lewis  The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis  Breathing Underwater by Richard Rohr   The Wisdom Pattern by Richard Rohr     All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar  The Cat Who Could Read Backwards by Lilian Jackson Braun  The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley  Matilda by Roald Dahl  The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame  Curiosity House: The Shrunken Head by H.C. Chester & Lauren Oliver  The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri  The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman  The Boy from the Woods by Harlan Coben  The Secret History by Donna Tartt  The Secret Life of Bees by Sue Monk Kidd  True Biz by Sara Novic  Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

On this episode, Blake Chastain, author and podcaster, talks about how reading has helped him slow down through the difficult times we live in now, how technology helps and hurts his reading life, and some really excellent book recommendations. He will likely make you want to read comics and if that’s new for you, go for it!!    Exvangelical and Beyond: How American Christianity Went Radical and the Movement that’s Fighting Back  Find Blake on Substack  Hear me on Let’s Talk About Text on Apple and Spotify   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Phantasma by Kaylie Smith What Happened to Lucy Vale by Lauren Oliver    Books Highlighted by Blake: A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers  A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers Money, Lies, and God: Inside the Movement to Destroy American Democracy by Katherine Stewart  Females by Andrea Long Chu Devotions by Mary Oliver  Too Like the Lightning by Ada Palmer  House of X/Powers of X by Jonathan Hickman  The Diamond Age by Neal Stephenson  Technology and the Virtues: A Philosophical Guide to a Future Worth Wanting by Shannon Vallor  The AI Mirror: How to Reclaim our Humanity in an Age of Machine Thinking by Shannon Vallor  Marriage, a History: How Love Conquered Marriage by Stephanie Coontz   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien  The Fellowship of the Ring by J.R.R. Tolkien  Fantastic Four: Solve Everything by Jonathan Hickman  Ultimate Spider-Man by Jonathan Hickman  God Is Disappointed in You by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler Apocrypha Now by Mark Russell & Shannon Wheeler  Inventing the Renaissance by Ada Palmer  The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers  The Power Worshippers by Katherine Stewart  The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams

On this episode, Cynthia Chen (Episode 64) and Maggie Brennan (Episode 46) join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado.    My Book Club Guide   If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in September, we will be meeting on Tuesday, September 16th to discuss North Woods by Daniel Mason. All are welcome! 

On this episode, Dan Dzurak, a physical media fan, discusses his love for books that are “out there,” how his dad’s reading life informed his early reading memories, and why being compared to a character is one of his standout memories. We also get into the ups and downs of being feral readers when you know so many people in the hospitality industry.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Several People are Typing by Calvin Kasulke Her Body and Other Parties by Carmen Maria Machado   Books Highlighted by Dan: Sandman Slim by Richard Kadrey Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut A Slow Death: 83 Days of Radiation Sickness  A Storm of Swords by George R.R. Martin Detours and Lost Highways: A Map of Neo-Noir by Foster Hirsch The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn The Killer Inside Me by Jim Thompson Approaching Oblivion by Harlan Ellison    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton Eaters of the Dead by Michael Crichton Sleepless by Charlie Huston  High Fidelity by Nick Hornby  Dune by Frank Herbert  Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by Robert M. Pirsig The Road by Cormac McCarthy One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez A Million Little Pieces by James Frey  Breakfast of Champions by Kurt Vonnegut  God Bless You, Mr. Rosewater by Kurt Vonnegut  Deadeye Dick by Kurt Vonnegut  Mother Night by Kurt Vonnegut  Nuclear War by Annie Jacobsen  Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace  Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson  Red Harvest by Dashiell Hammett  The Postman Always Rings Twice by James M. Cain  Lies My Teacher Told Me by James W. Loewen  American Psycho by Bret Easton Ellis  Heat 2 by Meg Gardiner & Michael Mann