The Book Case

Horror Greats for Halloween

Charlie challenged Kate to get him to consider horror literature. And she did just that. We assembled Stephen Graham Jones, Jennifer McMahon and Victor LaValle to talk ab

Bonnie Garmus and the Unique World of Peck & Peck

Bonnie Garmus’ follow up to GMA Book Club Pick Lessons in Chemistry, called Peck & Peck, is a wild and funny foray into the world of poetry. Compulsively readable with un

Yiyun Li and the Music of Writing

When we visited with Ann Patchett a few months ago, she talked almost non stop about Yiyun Li’s newest, MUSIC AGAINST THE NIGHT, which she called “close the perfect novel

TWO FOR ONE: Robert Kolker AND Chloe Benjamin

This week we have to terrific authors in one show. Robert Kolker’s newest, The Vanishing Family, is a look at a family afflicted with an early onset dementia, and how thi

Catherine Grace Katz: the Hindenburg and the Humanity

Up until now, there hasn’t really been a complete compendium on the Hindenburg disaster. Catherine Grace Katz gives it us in SHADOW BEFORE THE FLAME, and it is a page tur

Jennifer McMahon and the Allure of Haunted Towns

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

Jodi Picoult Talks Hollow Bones

Jodi Picoult’s newest, Hollow Bones, is probably more topical than even she would have wanted. A book that heart wrenchingly twists the anniversaries of 9/11 along with a

Harlan Coben Gives Us a Writing Class

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 a

Ashley Kahn and the Wonder of Paul Simon’s Graceland

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 soun

Why Catcher in the Rye Still Captures Us

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 tho

Meg Richardson and the True Voice of Adolescence

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

Chris Bohjalian Writes His Most Personal Novel

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. B

Stephanie Soileau and the Richness of Cajun History

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-t

An Injustice in the Justice System

Pamela Colloff is an accomplished investigative journalist and has written "Catch the Devil" about a frighteningly prolific jailhouse snitch.  Paul Skalnik testified in d

Double Header: Jenny Jackson and Scott D. Reich

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 o

Paul Tremblay: AI and the Not So Distant Future

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

Kevin Powers and the Art of Writing War

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. Wha

Our Favorites of 2026….So Far

2026 is half over. And Kate turned 50 on June 16th. So in honor of all of this half life, we decided to talk about our favorite books so far of 2026. Tana French, Tayari

Carlos Barragan Shows Us Why Online Scams Work

Carlos Barragan’s book The Yahoo Boys schooled us on the huge and terrifying world of online moneymaking scams. From the romance scams (pretending to be a man or woman yo

Martha Raddatz Recognizes the Heroes Next Door

Martha Raddatz is a war correspondent, one of the biggest household names in front line reporting. Her newest book, The Hero Next Door tells the story of the service men,