Episode 7 - Joint reads of the March trilogy and The English Patient

Episode Seven Show Notes
CW = Chris Wolak
EF = Emily Fine

– Just Read –
Milk & Honey – Rupi Kaur (EF)
Cruel Beautiful World – Caroline Leavitt (EF)
March: Book One, Two and Three – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (CW & EF)
Still Life – Louise Penny (EF) (audio)
Hillbilly Elegy: A Memoir of a Family and Culture in Crisis – J.D. Vance (EF) (audio)
Queer: A Graphic History – Meg-John Barker, Julia Scheele (CW)
The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (CW & EF)
Chris writes about this one on her blog: https://wildmoobooks.com/

– Currently Reading/Listening –
1984 – George Orwell (CW)
The Little Red Chairs – Edna O’Brien (EF)
The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living – Louise Miller (EF) (audio)

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris and Emily went to see the movie Hidden Figures based on the book by Margot Lee Shetterly
Chris and Laura went into NYC to see Big River based on The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

– Upcoming Jaunts –
February 15 – RJ Julia Booksellers – Brunonia Barry author of The Lace Reader and The Fifth Petal
February 16 – 92nd St Y – George Saunders and Colson Whitehead
February 17 – Morgan Library to see the Emily Dickinson Exhibit

– Upcoming Reads –
The Vampyre: A Tale – John William Polidori (CW)
Gangsterland – Tod Goldberg (EF)
Million Dollar Consulting: The Professional’s Guide to Growing a Practice – Alan Weiss (EF)

– Also Mentioned –
Project Gutenberg – download free ebooks!
LibriVox.org – download free audiobooks!
Library Extension – Chrome extension that will show your local library holdings
Hoopla Digital – another option for audiobooks, ebooks, movies and more from your local library

Episode 6 - Dracula, Legally Blonde and open heart surgery...

Episode Six Show Notes
CW = Chris Wolak
EF = Emily Fine

–Just Read–
Carmilla – Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (CW)
South Haven – Hirsh Sawhney (CW)
March: Book One – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (CW)
Bad Feminist – Roxane Gay (EF)
You can read one of the essays from the collection here
http://therumpus.net/2012/03/the-alienable-rights-of-women/
An article regarding her protest of Simon and Schuster: http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2017/01/26/511767380/roxane-gay-pulls-book-protesting-breitbart-editors-egregious-book-deal
A Gentleman In Moscow – Amor Towles (EF)
Visit his website, it’s really cool – www.amortowles.com
Today Will Be Different – Maria Semple (EF)

–Currently Reading/Listening–
March: Book Two and Book Three – John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, Nate Powell (CW)
Bad Feminist – Roxane Gay (CW)
Something in the Blood – Jeff Guinn, Andy Grieser (CW) (audio)
Still Life – Louise Penny (EF)

–Biblio Adventures–
Chris went to The Book Barn in Niantic. A store with over 500,000 books spread over four separate locations within one mile of each other.
Emily’s adventures were all movie related and based on Alice Munro short stories:
Hateship/Loveship – based on the title story in Munro’s 2001 collection Hateship, Friendship, Courtship, Loveship, Marriage
Julieta – based on three stories in Munro’s 2004 collection Runaway. The three stories are Chance, Soon and Silence.

–Upcoming Jaunts–
February 9 – Min Jin Lee at Savoy Bookshop & Café in Westerly, RI where she will be discussing her new book Pachinko.

–Upcoming Reads–
The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (CW and EF)
Macbeth – William Shakespeare (CW)
1984 – George Orwell
Milk and Honey – Rupi Kaur (EF)
Cruel Beautiful World – Caroline Leavitt (EF)

–Also Mentioned–
Dracula - Bram Stoker
Dracula's Guest - Bram Stoker
James and the Giant Peach - Roald Dahl
Five Days at Memorial: Life and Death in a Storm-Ravaged Hospital - Sheri Fink

Episode 5 - Will Schwalbe, Roxane Gay, Kinokuniya and books, lots of books!

We visit a three story bookstore!

Episode Five Show Notes
CW = Chris Wolak
EF = Emily Fine

– Just Read –
The Trap – Melanie Raabe (CW)
Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History in New England’s Stone Walls – Robert M. Thorson (CW)
Willa: The Story Of Willa Cather, An American Writer – Amy Ehrlich, Wendell Minor (CW)
The Strays – Emily Bitto (CW)
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life– Ruth Franklin (CW) with audiobook
Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead (EF) with audiobook
The Book That Matters Most – Ann Hood (EF)
Navel Gazing: True Tales of Bodies, Mostly Mine (But Also My Mom's, Which I Know Sounds Weird) - Michael Ian Black (EF) audiobook
Yes, Chef – Marcus Samuelsson (EF) audiobook
All Is Not Forgotten – Wendy Walker (EF)
Traveling Light – Katrina Kittle (EF)

– Currently Reading/Listening –
Carmilla – Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu (CW)
Bad Feminist – Roxane Gay (EF) and (CW)
The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje (EF) with audiobook

– Biblio Adventures –
Chris and Emily went on a joint jaunt to see Will Schwalbe talk about his new book, Books for Living.
Chris went to NYC to the Morgan Library to see the Martin Luther exhibit. 
Chris and Emily also went into NYC to see Roxane Gay at the 92 St Y where she discussed her new book of short stories, Difficult Women.
While in the big city we visited Kinokuniya a three story Japanese bookstore.

– Upcoming Jaunts –
February 16 – Colson Whitehead in Conversation with George Saunders at the 92 St Y

Morgan Library in NYC to see the Emily Dickinson exhibit

– Upcoming Reads –
Macbeth – William Shakespeare (CW)
Brand Luther: How an Unheralded Monk Turned His Small Town into a Center of Publishing, Made Himself the Most Famous Man in Europe—and Started the Protestant Reformation – Andrew Petegree (CW)
Jack the Ripper: The Secret Life of Walter Sickert – Patricia Cornwell (CW)
Tenth of December – George Saunders (EF)
A Gentleman in Moscow – Amor Towles (EF)

– Also Mentioned –
Prelude to Bruise – Saeed Jones

Episode 4 - 2017 Reading Goals / The English Patient Read Along

2017 Reading Goals. Join us for a read along of the English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Episode Four Show Notes
CW = Chris Wolak
EF = Emily Fine
- 2017 Reading Goals -
Emily:
1. 52 book reading challenge set on Goodreads
2. Volunteer for a literacy nonprofit
3. Get organized to read and listen in tandem to at least four books
4. Manage time with phone better so that it doesn’t interfere with reading time
5. Upon graduation in May, set an intention to work with books and philanthropy in some fashion
Chris:
1. Australian Women Writers Challenge
      The Dry – Jane Harper
      The Strays – Emily Bitto
      My Brilliant Career – Miles Franklin
      Some Everyday Folk and Dawn – Miles Franklin2. Classics Club
2. Classics Club
      Carmilla – J. Sheridan Le Fanu
      So Big – Edna Ferber
      The Grapes of Wrath – John Steinbeck
      A Tree Grows in Brooklyn – Betty Smith
      From Here to Eternity – James Jones
      Giovanni’s Room – James Baldwin
3. Monthly author read inspired by the calendar: Masters of Literature, illustrated by Elisabetta Stoinich. Check out John Valeri website: http://www.johnbvaleri.com/ 
                January – William Shakespeare
                February – Jane Austen
                March – Charles Baudelaire
                April – Emily Dickinson
                May – Oscar Wilde
                June – Virginia Woolf
                July – Fyodor Dostoyevsky
                August – Marcel Proust
                September – Mary Shelley
                October – Edgar Allan Poe
                November – Franz Kafka
                December – The Bronte’s  
4. Willa Cather short stories. One of Ours is a favorite Cather read.
5. Books sitting on the TBR (to be read) shelf, hoping to read in 2017
                The Swarm – Frank Schӓtzing
                Look Homeward Angel – Thomas Wolfe

- Just Read -
Commonwealth – Ann Patchett (EF)
Patience - Daniel Clowes (EF)
The Horizontal Man – Helen Eustis (CW)
The Trouble with Women – Jacky Fleming (CW)

- Currently Reading/Listening -
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead (EF)
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life – Ruth Franklin (CW)

- Biblio Adventures -
Emily went to Speak Up storytelling event in New Haven

- Upcoming Jaunts -
Moby-Dick Marathon 20th Anniversary – Jan 7-10 at the New Bedford Whaling Museum
Chris and Emily will both read a portion on Sunday, January 8th
Moby Dick Big Read is a great audio version

- Upcoming Reads -
The Book That Matters Most – Ann Hood (EF)
The English Patient – Michael Ondaatje – Join us for a read along!
If you would like to submit questions/comments for the discussion, please do so by February 1. Email us: bookcougars@gmail.com

Episode 3 - Emily (meets) Oprah and much more...

Episode Three Show Notes
CW = Chris Wolak
EF = Emily Fine
Just Read
She’s Come Undone – Wally Lamb (CW)
Dogs and Their People: Photos and Stories of Life with a Four-Legged Love – Barkpost (CW)
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets if the Universe – Benjamin Alire Saenz (EF) audiobook
Seventh Heaven – Alice Hoffman (EF)
Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer (EF)

Currently Reading/Listening
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert (EF)
The Bookshop on the Corner – Jenny Colgan (EF)
The Horizontal Man – Helen Eustis (CW)

Biblio Adventures
Emily went to see the play Notes From the Field starring Anne Deavere Smith
Chris saw the musical Something Rotten on Broadway for the fourth(!) time
Chris and Emily went on a joint jaunt to see Wally Lamb talk about his new book, I’ll Take You There.
Emily saw the movie Lion based on the memoir A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierly Chris saw Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them based on the book by by J.K. Rowling
Emily visited Bookbar bookstore in Denver

Upcoming Jaunts
Chris will head to the Morgan Library in NYC to see the Martin Luther and Charlotte Brontë exhibits – http://www.themorgan.org/
The movie Julieta directed by Pedro Almodovar loosely based on Alice Munro stories
January 8 - Will Schwalbe at RJ Julia Booksellers – http://www.rjjulia.com/event/will-schwalbe-books-living
January 12 – Roxane Gay at 92 Street Y

UpcomingReads
The Trap – Melanie Raabe (CW)
Soul Survivors: Stories of Wounded Women Warriors and the Battles They Fight Long After They’ve Left the War Zone – Kirsten Holmstedt (CW)
Commonwealth – Ann Patchett (EF)
The Underground Railroad – Colson Whitehead (CW)
Patience - Daniel Clowes (EF)

Also Mentioned
Chris mentioned that she and her wife, Laura Thoma, have a self-development/coaching business. You can learn more about it at www.roadtosuccess.live.
Alan Cumming - Not My Father's Son and You Gotta Get Bigger Dreams: My Life in Stories and Pictures

Episode 2 - Top Ten Reads of 2016 and Holiday Gift Ideas

Chris and Emily discuss their top ten reads of 2016 and make some holiday gift suggestions.

Top 10 of 2016
Emily
The Nix – Nathan Hill
The Door – Magda Szabo
Felicity – Mary Oliver
Keeping the Feast – Paula Butturini // When Breath Becomes Air – Paul Kalanithi
Gift From the Sea – Anne Morrow Lindbergh
Dirty Love – Andre Dubus III
Jerusalem: A Cookbook – Yotam Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
Our Souls at Night – Kent Haruf
Ordinary Grace - William Kent Krueger
Year of Yes: How to Dance It Out, Stand In the Sun and Be Your Own Person – Shonda Rhimes

Chris
Women Heroes of World War II: 26 Stories of Espionage, Sabotage, Resistance, and Rescue – Kathryn J. Atwood
Laura – Very Caspary
Homegoing – Yaa Gyasi
Shelter – Jung Yun
The Mirror Thief – Martin Seay
Black Deutschland – Darryl Pinckney
And Then There Were None – Agatha Christie
The Price of Salt – Patricia Highsmith
The Bill Hodges Trilogy [Mr. Mercedes, Finders Keepers, End of Watch] – Stephen King
A Great Reckoning – Louise Penny

Holiday Gift Ideas
Emily
Still Life – Louise Penny or some other book that begins a series
A combo buy: The Door and Iza’s Ballad by Magda Szabo
Cookbooks: Jerusalem, Ottolenghi, Plenty and Plenty More - Yotem Ottolenghi and Sami Tamimi
How To Cook Everything – Mark Bittman
YA Novel : The Thing About Jellyfish – Ali Benjamin
Semikolon office supplies – particularly the A4/Letter Size Envelope Files in various bright colors
Chris
Literary Magazine Subscriptions: Bookmarks, World Literature Today, Mystery Scene Magazine
Membership to an author organization: examples include Willa Cather Foundation, Mark Twain House, Harriet Beecher Stowe Center and many more
Fountain Pen:
Pilot Metropolitan
Lamy Safari
Visit Goulet Pens for a wide pen selection

Episode One!

Listen to the Prequel of Episode One and Episode One all wrapped up into one!

Episode One Show Notes
KEY: CW = Chris Wolak and EF = Emily Fine

The author event/book that started it all! Chris and Emily traveled to Northshire Books in Manchester, VT.
On the 7 hour drive we decided to start a book podcast.
Shirley Jackson: A Rather Haunted Life – Ruth Franklin (NY Times 100 Notable Books of 2016)

Just Read
Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe – Fannie Flagg  (CW)
Martin Luther’s Travel Guide – Cornelia Doemer (CW)
Pride and Prejudice – Jane Austen (CW)
Small Great Things – Jodi Picoult (EF)

Currently Reading/Listening
I’ll Take You There – Wally Lamb (EF)
Aristotle & Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe – Benjamin Alire Saenz (EF) audiobook
She’s Come Undone – Wally Lamb (CW)

Biblio Adventures
Emily went to see Alice Hoffman in NYC – her new book is Faithful
Chris explored Herman Melville’s house – Arrowhead – in Pittsfield, MA
Read her blogpost! 

Upcoming Jaunts
Chris and Emily will see Wally Lamb on December 14, 2016 at RJ Julia Bookseller's in Madison, CT.
Emily is heading to a Speak Up Storytelling event in New Haven on December 15, 2016

Upcoming Reads
Women Crime Writers: Four Suspense Novels of the 1940’s – Sarah Weinman (CW)
Chicago Whispers: A History of LGBT Chicago Before Stonewall – St. Sukie de la Croix (CW)
Stone by Stone: The Magnificent History in New England’s Stone Walls – Robert M. Thorson (CW)
Girl with the Lower Back Tattoo – Amy Schumer (EF)
Big Magic – Elizabeth Gilbert (EF)
Seventh Heaven – Alice Hoffman (EF)

Authors Mentioned
Matthew Dicks
Roxane Gay
Noah Hawley – Before the Fall
Ann Patchett
Nathaniel Philbrick – In the Heart of the Sea: The Tragedy of the Whaleship Essex
Gretchen Rubin