Book Talk

"Talia is being held at a correctional facility for adolescent girls in the forested mountains of Colombia after committing an impulsive act of violence that may or may not have been warranted. She urgently needs to get out and get back home to Bogotá, where her father and a plane ticket to the United States are waiting for her. If she misses her flight, she might also miss her chance to finally be reunited with her family in the North. Publisher: Simon & Schuster Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - I Used To Be A Better Man - Small Sins 01:12 - Episode Intro 03:27 - I Used To Be A Better Man (Cont’d) - Small Sins 04:35 - Interview with Patricia Engel, Part 1 14:45 - Together Again - Small Sins 15:58 - Interview with Patricia Engel, Part 2 28:26 - André - Small Sins 29:06 - Episode Outro 31:03 - André (Cont’d) - Small Sins 32:21 - Outro 32:51 - Finish "

"Starting out in seedy small-town dives, she quickly earns her place in high-end clubs throughout North America, becoming an elite world-traveling entertainer. Carmen lives the high life and makes big money. She parties with the Hells Angels and falls in love with a sexy US drug enforcement agent—effortlessly walking the line of two extreme worlds. But when run-ins with premium organized crime land her in Bolivia, she realizes she’s gone too far, and the only thing that can free her is to ask her estranged family for help. Publisher: Friesen Press Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Alive and Dying Fast - Tucker Riggleman & The Cheap Dates 01:09 - Episode Intro 02:36 - Alive and Dying Fast (Cont’d) - Tucker Riggleman & The Cheap Dates 04:59 - Interview with Carmen Kissel-Verrier, Part 1 28:04 - Black Sky - Tucker Riggleman & The Cheap Dates 30:30 - Interview with Carmen Kissel-Verrier, Part 2 40:42 - Spill the Blood - Tuc

"Moscow, 1985. The Soviet Union and its communist regime are in the last stages of decline, but remain opaque to the rest of the world—and still very dangerous. In this ever-shifting landscape, a senior KGB officer—code name GAMBIT—has approached the CIA Moscow Station chief with top secret military weapons intelligence and asked to be exfiltrated. GAMBIT demands that his handler be a former CIA officer, Alex Garin, a former KGB officer who defected to the American side. Publisher: Pegasus Books Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Halcyon Run - Isla Den 01:15 - Episode Intro 02:47 - Halcyon Run (Cont’d) - Isla Den 04:12 - Interview with Paul Vidich, Part 1 18:55 - Cloud (Reset) - Isla Den 19:35 - Interview with Paul Vidich, Part 2 33:12 - Hyperflow - Isla Den 33:52 - Episode Outro 34:28 - Hyperflow (Cont’d) - Isla Den 36:34 - Outro 37:05 - Finish "

"In 1849, when Abraham Lincoln returned to Springfield, Illinois, after two seemingly uninspiring years in the US House of Representatives, his political career appeared all but finished. His sense of failure was so great that friends worried about his sanity. Yet within a decade, Lincoln would reenter politics, become a leader of the Republican Party, win the 1860 presidential election, and keep America together during its most perilous period. What accounted for the turnaround? Publisher: Custom House (Harper Collins) Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Hard Times - Brother Galen 01:12 - Episode Intro 03:43 - Hard Times (Cont’d) - Brother Galen 04:22 - Interview with Michael J. Gerhardt, Part 1 16:45 - Chocolate Gravy - Brother Galen 18:42 - Interview with Michael J. Gerhardt, Part 2 34:19 - The Old Highway - Brother Galen 34:37 - Episode Outro 36:09 - The Old Highway (Cont’d) - Brother Galen 38:24 - Outro 38:54 - Finish "

"Cutting between clear-eyed realism and tongue-in-cheek magical realism, Chen’s stories coalesce into a portrait of a people striving for openings where mobility is limited. Twins take radically different paths: one becomes a professional gamer, the other a political activist. A woman moves to the city to work at a government call center and is followed by her violent ex-boyfriend. A man is swept into the high-risk, high-reward temptations of China’s volatile stock exchange. And a group of people sit, trapped for no reason, on a subway platform for months, waiting for official permission to leave. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - June - Jane Migraine 01:09 - Episode Intro 02:55 - June (Cont’d) - Jane Migraine 04:17 - Interview with Te-Ping Chen, Part 1 12:06 - Every Boxing Movie Is The Same - Jane Migraine 13:02 - Interview with Te-Ping Chen, Part 2 35:20 - Sloane Peterson - Jane Migraine 35:33 - Episode Outro 37:09 - Sloane Peterson (Cont’d) - Jane Migraine 38:47 - Outr

"Pike Logan and Jennifer Cahill are enjoying a sunny vacation down under when they get disturbing news: their friend and colleague, Clifford Delmonty, is in serious trouble. While working as a contractor at an Australian F 35 facility, the former Taskforce member—callsign Dunkin—saw something he shouldn’t have, and now he’s on the run from Chinese agents. Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. Publisher: William Morrow Press (HarperCollins Publishing) 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Candle - Buck Meek 01:14 - Episode Intro 03:17 - Candle (Cont’d) - Buck Meek 04:45 - Interview with Brad Taylor, Part 1 19:11 - Two Moons (morning) - Buck Meek 19:49 - Interview with Brad Taylor, Part 2 29:50 - Second Sight - Buck Meek 30:10 - Episode Outro 31:39 - Second Sight (Cont’d) - Buck Meek 33:41 - Outro 34:12 - Finish "

"‘A Lie Someone Told You About Yourself’ traces the complex consequences of one of the most personal yet public, intimate yet political decisions a family can make: to have a child, and conversely, to choose not to have a child. A first pregnancy is interrupted by test results at once catastrophic and uncertain. A second pregnancy ends in a fraught birth, a beloved child, the purgatory of further tests—and questions that reverberate down the years. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:09 - Lesbian Pope - Emily Edrosa 01:22 - Episode Intro 02:32 - Lesbian Pope (Cont’d) - Emily Edrosa 03:32 - Interview with Peter Ho Davies, Part 1 17:28 - What’s Love Got to Do with the Price of Fish? - Emily Edrosa 18:33 - Interview with Peter Ho Davies, Part 2 43:18 - Drinking During The Day - Emily Edrosa 43:31 - Episode Outro 45:16 - Drinking During The Day (Cont’d) - Emily Edrosa 47:15 - Finish "

"For fans of ‘Sorry to Bother You’ and ‘The Wolf of Wall Street’ — a crackling, satirical debut novel about a young man given a shot at stardom as the lone Black salesman at a mysterious, cult-like, and wildly successful startup where nothing is as it seems. Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Sunday Girl - James Thomson 01:21 - Episode Intro 02:35 - Sunday Girl (Cont’d) - James Thomson 05:32 - Interview with Mateo Askaripour, Part 1 24:22 - Tommy’s Trip - James Thomson 27:30 - Interview with Mateo Askaripour, Part 2 48:02 - Fatal Ribbon Highway - James Thomson 48:50 - Episode Outro 50:02 - Fatal Ribbon Highway (Cont’d) - James Thomson 53:33 - Outro 54:04 - Finish "

"We’re going to start the New Year continuing from where we left off last week — by listening to clips from my top five favorite interviews of 2020. Book Cover images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Episode Intro 02:50 - Clip from Eric Weiner, “The Socrates Express” (October 8) 08:01 - Hey Rose - Son Little 10:56 - Clip from David Goodwillie, “King’s County” (July 30) 17:56 - We Got This - Seth Walker 20:50 - Clip from Logan Smalley and Stephanie Kent, “Call Me Ishmael” (October 15) 25:47 - On With The Show - Owen 29:51 - Clip from Tova Leigh, “F*cked at 40” (March 19) 34:26 - Another Song - Bill Callahan 37:21 - Clip from Mark Olshaker, “The Killer’s Shadow” (November 19) 42:23 - about her. again. - Son Little 43:35 - Episode Outro 44:44 - about her. again. (Cont’d) - Son Little 46:34 - Finish "

"You’ll just have to tune in to hear the number 10 thru number 6 interviews from 2020, along with some of the best music featured on the show that was released this past year. Book Cover provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:08 - Episode Intro 03:17 - Clip from Eilene Zimmerman, “Smacked" (March 5) 07:09 - Surrender - Will Butler 10:50 - Clip from Laura Lippman, “My Life As A Villainess” (August 27) 17:14 - Get Precious - Yukon Blonde 20:42 - Clip from Christopher Moore, “Shakespeare For Squirrels” (May 21) 27:31 - Sunday Girl - James Thomson 31:55 - Clip from Christina Hammond, “The Black Kids” (November 5) 38:22 - Dying Up Here - Taylor Locke 41:29 - Clip from Helen Zuman, “Mating in Captivity” (May 7) 51:41 - Not Gonna Die - Will Butler 54:20 - Episode Outro 55:33 - Not Gonna Die (Cont’d) - Will Butler 56:35 - Outro 57:06 - Finish "

"For the first time ever, Book Talk features music only. Join me on Christmas Eve as I provide a background of songs for you, with one of two themes only: Winter And snow. Music to read by, reflect to, or simply to exist with. Happy holidays. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Episode Intro 03:04 - The Very First Snow - Sean Rowe 07:13 - Winter Wheat - John K. Samson 10:03 - Snowplow - Bahamas 12:59 - Mic Break 14:05 - Snow Is Falling in Manhattan - Purple Mountains 20:03 - Snow Angels - The Good Graces 25:40 - Wintertime Love - Choir of Young Believers 31:00 - Mic Break 32:06 - Snow Tires - STRFKR 33:04 - Winter Night - Sweet Thing 37:37 - Snowballs & Icicles - Broken Social Scene 40:23 - Mic Break 40:59 - Wintergreen - The Orange Peels 45:09 - Snow Day - Dead Stars 48:13 - Mic Break 50:01 - Marionette In The Snow - SPAGA 57:44 - Episode Outro 58:14 - Finish "

"On the tiny, beautiful, and remote island of Mure, halfway between Scotland and Norway, a new hotel opening is a big event. New mother Flora MacKenzie and her brother Fintan are working themselves half to death to get it ready in time for Christmas. Publisher: Harper Collins Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - TOTM2 - Half Stack 01:21 - Episode Intro 02:50 - TOTM2 (Cont’d) - Half Stack 04:54 - Interview with Jenny Colgan, Part 1 23:37 - Country Breakfast - Half Stack 25:31 - Interview with Jenny Colgan, Part 2 36:34 - Wings of Love - Half Stack 36:49 - Episode Outro 38:23 - Wings of Love (Cont’d) - Half Stack 40:06 - Outro 40:36 - Finish "

"In the 1930s, as official government expeditions set their sights on conquering Everest, a little-known World War I veteran named Maurice Wilson conceived his own crazy, beautiful plan: he would fly a Gipsy Moth airplane from England to Everest, crash land on its lower slopes, then become the first person to reach its summit – all utterly alone. Publisher: Avid Reader Press Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Searching Spirit - Dirty Projectors 01:16 - Episode Intro 02:42 - Searching Spirit (Cont’d) - Dirty Projectors 03:41 - Interview with Ed Caesar, Part 1 21:47 - Por Qué No - Dirty Projectors 23:25 - Interview with Ed Caesar, Part 2 43:17 - My Possession - Dirty Projectors 43:47 - Episode Outro 45:25 - My Possession (Cont’d) - Dirty Projectors 46:25 - Outro 46:56 - Finish "

"Michael Riedel presents the drama behind every mega-hit or shocking flop, bringing readers into high-stakes premieres, fraught rehearsals, tough contract negotiations, intense Tony Award battles, and more. From the bitter feuds to the surprising collaborations, all the intrigue of a revolutionary era in the Theater District is packed into ‘Singular Sensation’. Broadway has triumphs and disasters, but the show always goes on. Publisher: Avid Reader Press Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Moon & Sea - Told Slant 01:18 - Episode Intro 04:38 - Moon & Sea (Cont’d) - Told Slant 06:34 - Interview with Michael Reidel, Part 1 24:35 - No Backpack - Told Slant 26:47 - I Interview with Michael Reidel, Part 2 47:16 - Bullfrog Choirs - Told Slant 47:35 - Episode Outro 49:00 - Bullfrog Choirs (Cont’d) - Told Slant 50:22 - Outro 50:53 - Finish "

"The refreshingly original debut memoir of a guarded, over-achieving, self-lacerating young lawyer who reluctantly agrees to get psychologically and emotionally naked in a room of six complete strangers—her psychotherapy group—and in turn finds human connection, and herself. Publisher: Avid Reader Press Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Get Precious - Yukon Blonde 01:13 - Episode Intro 02:55 - Get Precious (Cont’d) - Yukon Blonde 04:37 - Interview with Christie Tate, Part 1 24:54 - Your Heart’s My Home - Yukon Blonde 27:49 - I Interview with Christie Tate, Part 2 46:19 - Big Black Cloud - Yukon Blonde 47:15 - Episode Outro 49:05 - Big Black Cloud (Cont’d) - Yukon Blonde 50:19 - Outro 50:50 - Finish "

"‘The Killer’s Shadow’ is the most recent book by iconic FBI criminal profiler and international bestselling authors of ‘Mindhunter’—John Douglas and Mark Olshaker. Engrossing, terrifying, and utterly essential given our nation’s rise in extremism and hate-filled rhetoric, ‘The Killer’s Shadow’ is an in-depth examination of Douglas’s chilling pursuit of, and eventual prison confrontation with Joseph Paul Franklin, a White Nationalist serial killer and one of the most disturbing psychopaths he has ever encountered. Publisher: Dey Street Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:08 - River Don't’ Care - Gord Downie 01:15 - Episode Intro 02:34 - River Don’t Care (Cont’d) - Gord Downie 03:13 - Interview with Michael Oberman, Part 1 20:23 - No Solace - Gord Downie 22:11 - Interview with Michael Oberman, Part 2 44:13 - Hotel Worth - Gord Downie 44:25 - Episode Outro 46:15 - Hotel Worth (Cont’d) - Gord Downie 47:06 - Outro 47:36 - Finish "

"‘The Redshirt’ introduces Miles Furling, a young man who is convinced he was placed on earth to play football. Deep in the closet, he sees the sport as a means of gaining a permanent foothold in a culture that would otherwise reject him. Still, Miles's body lags behind his ambitions, and recruiters tell him he is not big enough to compete at the top level. At the same time, the country's top recruit, Reshawn McCoy, chooses to attend the same college. As brilliant a student as he is a player, the intensely private Reshawn refuses to explain why he chose King over other programs. Publisher: University Press of Kentucky Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Husk - Keaton Henson 01:15 - Episode Intro 03:42 - Husk (Cont’d) - Keaton Henson 05:04 - Interview with Corey Sobel, Part 1 30:01 - Ontario - Keaton Henson 34:10 - I Interview with Corey Sobel, Part 2 61:54 - Bygones - Keaton Henson 63:03 - Episode Outro 64:15 - Bygones (Cont’d) - Ke

"Everything changes one afternoon in April for Ashley Bennett, when four LAPD officers are acquitted after beating a black man named Rodney King half to death. Suddenly, Ashley’s not just “one of the girls” — she’s “one of the black kids.” With her world splintering around her, Ashley, along with the rest of LA, is left to question who is the ‘us’? And who is the ‘them’? Publisher: Simon & Shuster YA Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 00:26 - Episode Intro 01:17 - Luv - Antwon 01:31 - Episode Intro (Cont'd) 03:43 - Luv (Cont’d) - Antwon 04:17 - Interview with Christina Hammonds Reed, Part 1 22:56 - Dri-Fit - Antwon 25:29 - Interview with Christina Hammonds Reed, Part 2 54:16 - 100k - Antwon 57:08 - Outro 57:41 - Finish "

"The List: ‘The New Wilderness’ by Diane Cook; ‘This Mournable Body’ by Tsitsi Dangarembga; ‘Burnt Sugar’ by Avni Doshi; ‘The Shadow King’ by Maaza Mengiste; ‘Shuggie Bain’ by Douglas Stuart; ‘Real Life’ by Brandon Taylor. "The New Wilderness" by Diane Cook and “This Mournable Body” by Tsitsi Dangarembga “Burnt Sugar” by Avni Doshi and “The Shadow King” by Maaza Mengiste “Shuggie Bain” by Douglas Stuart and “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor 00:00 - Show Opening 01:07 - Florist - Ilithios 01:28 - Episode introduction 04:56 - "The New Wilderness" by Diane Cook and “This Mournable Body” by Tsitsi Dangarembga 10:29 - Trash Pandicoot - Ilithios 13:24 - “Burnt Sugar” by Avni Doshi and “The Shadow King” by Maaza Mengiste 20:03 - Sant Fea - Ilithios 23:21 - “Shuggie Bain” by Douglas Stuart and “Real Life” by Brandon Taylor 30:18 - August Shadows - Ilithios 33:49 - Episode Outro 34:19 - Finish "

"The Doors, James Brown, the Grateful Dead, the Sir Douglas Quintet, David Bowie—the list goes on. Oberman recounts stories from his career working for the major Warner-Elektra Atlantic recording company and producing concerts for Cellar Door Productions and managing recording artists. Each short interview is an invitation for readers to relive (or live for the first time) one of the greatest periods in rock 'n' roll history. Publisher: Backbeat Book Cover and Author headshot images provided by the author’s representative. 00:00 - Show Opening 01:08 - Dying Up Here - Taylor Locke 01:23 - Episode Intro 03:28 - Dying Up Here (Cont’d) - Taylor Locke 04:19 - Interview with Michael Oberman, Part 1 24:20 - The Dream Is Over - Taylor Locke 26:58 - Interview with Michael Oberman, Part 2 53:42 - The Bitter End - Taylor Locke 53:56 - Episode Outro 55:17 - The Bitter End (Cont’d) - Taylor Locke 56:40 - Outro 57:11 - Finish "