Episode 4: Chris Kluwe Talks Sci-Fi, Otaku, and Sparkleponies

Episode 5: Love is in the Air! Romance + POC Literature

On today's episode I had the pleasure of talking to Ashley Hudson, bookseller and librarian in Daphne, Alabama, just outside Mobile. In the spirit of Valentine's Day and Black History Month we discussed some seasonally appropriate favorites and of course a few options on the To-Be-Read Pile. You can check out the link to her library (including recordings of speaking engagements) here https://www.facebook.com/DaphnePublicLibrary [https://www.facebook.com/DaphnePublicLibrary] Here are the books mentioned in this episode: The Royals Next Door by Karina Halle Gild (The Plated Prisoner Series) by Raven Kennedy Sunkissed by by Kasie West The Music of What Happens by Bill Konigsberg Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco Heartstopper by Alice Oseman The Moose Springs, Alaska Series by Sarah Morgenthaler Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertalli The Modern Love Series by Alisha Rai First Comes Like by Alisha Rai Hope Never Dies by Andrew Shaffer Fifty Shades of Earl Grey by Andrew Shaffer Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston One Last Stop by Casey McQuiston The Lover's Dictionary by David Levithan The Greatest Love Story Ever Told by Megan Mullally and Nick Offerman Not Your Average Hot Guy by Gwenda Bond Call Me By Your Name by André Aciman Swimming in the Dark by Tomasz Jedrowski 99 Days by Katie Cotugno The Slave Who Went to Congress by by Frye Gaillard and Marti Rosner A Hard Rain: America in the 1960s, Our Decade of Hope, Possibility, and Innocence Lost by Frye Gaillard Watermelon Wine by Frye Gaillard Race, Rock and Religion: Profiles from a Southern Journalist by Frye Gaillard The Dream Long Deferred by Frye Gaillard Lessons from the Big House: One Family's Passage Through the History of the South by Frye Gaillard and Nancy Gaillard Alabama's Civil Rights Trail: An Illustrated Guide to the Cradle of Freedom by Frye Gaillard Hell of a Book by Jason Mott The Prophets by Robert Jones Jr. Barracoon: The Story of the Last "Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston Skin of the Sea by Natasha Bowen Cinderella is Dead by Kalynn Bayron This Poison Heart by Kalynn Bayron Smash It! by Francina Simone Concrete Rose by Angie Thomas  Punching the Air by Ibi Zoboi and Yusef Salaam Off the Record by Camryn Garrett Daughters of Nri by Reni K Amayo The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab The Bromance Book Club Series by Lyssa Kay Adams 10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston The Bridgerton Series by Julia Quinn House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas Crave by Tracy Wolff Ice Planet Barbarians Series by Ruby Dixon

Episode 4: Chris Kluwe Talks Sci-Fi, Otaku, and Sparkleponies

Chris Kluwe may be most famous for his stint in the NFL, but his talents certainly don't end there. Chris has written several stand-out books including a collection of essays called Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies (2013) and more recently, his Sci-Fi debut novel, Otaku (2020). We sit down and discuss his books, his love of reading, and so much more. Pick up a copy of Otaku from your local bookseller and follow him on Twitter under the handle @ChrisWarcraft.  Here is a list of books discussed in this episode: The Foundation Series by Issac Asimov The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien The Mallorean by David Eddings The Belgariad by David Eddings The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan The Windup Girl by Paolo Bacigalupi Neuromancer by William Gibson The Peripheral by William Gibson Agency by William Gibson Distrust That Particular Flavor by William Gibson Prime: A Genesis Series Event by Andrew Reiner and Chris Kluwe The Wandering Inn by Pirateaba (Webnovel) Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir A Memory Called Empire by Arkady Martine A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine Planetside by Michael Mammay The Misfit Soldier by Michael Mammay The Player of Games by Iain Banks Beautifully Unique Sparkleponies by Chris Kluwe Otaku by Chris Kluwe

Episode 3: A Chat with Subtext Books Manager Matt Keliher

Tucked away in the heart of Downtown St. Paul, Minnesota there is a very special bookstore called Subtext Books. Matt Keliher is the buyer and manager for the store and we sat down and talked about the indie book business, local authors, pandemic survival, and of course personal recommendations. You can follow Matt on Twitter under the handle @MAKeliher and you can support Subtext Books by purchasing from their website SubtextBooks.com. You can also support this and other local bookstores through Libro.fm that allows you to listen to audiobooks while contributing to indie booksellers. Here is a list of books recommended in the episode: Milk Fed by Melissa Broder Bad Vibes Only (and Other Things I Bring to the Table) by Nora McInerny Latehomecomer and The Song Poet by Kao Kalia Yang IRL: Finding Realness, Meaning, and Belonging in Our Digital Lives by Chris Stedman  A Little Devil in America: In Praise of Black Performance by Hanif Abdurraqib They Can't Kill Us Until They Kill Us by Hanif Abdurraqib Wintering by Peter Geye The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier The Dawn of Everything by David Graeber and David Wengrow Destiny of the Republic by Candice Millard River of the Gods by Candice Millard Moon Witch, Spider King by Marlon James St. Paul: An Urban Biography by Bill Lindeke I, Hotel by Karen Tei Yamashita

Episode 2: An Interview with Lee Mandelo, author of "Summer Sons"

Lee Mandelo's 2021 debut novel, Summer Sons has been described as a "sweltering southern gothic" and boy does it ever live up to that description! We'll talk about the book, queer stories and publishing, and lots of other reads we love on this second episode of Thanks for Reading. Summer Sons from Tordotcom is available in hardcover and ebook format wherever books are sold. Here is a list of books recommended in the episode: She Became the Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson The Future of Another Timeline by Annalee Newitz A Spindle Splintered by Alix E. Harrow The Echo Wife by Sarah Gailey Drawing Blood by Poppy Z. Brite On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong Gay Bar: Why We Went Out by Jeremy Atherton Lin In the Weeds: Around the World and Behind the Scenes with Anthony Bourdain by Tom Vitale Kitchen Confidential by Anthony Bourdain Base Notes by Lara Elena Donnelly

Episode 1: An Interview with Bookseller and Comic Artist Mike Lugaresi

Mike Lugaresi is a bookseller at the Barnes & Noble in Boise, Idaho, and not only is he a talented bookseller, but he is also a brilliant comic artist. Mike is the author and illustrator of the web comic "Mike: Bookseller" and Travels of Krrobar which can be found on his website www.krrobar.com. You can also follow his work on twitter @MikeBookseller. Here is a list of books and authors discussed and recommended in this episode: Dune by Frank Herbert Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey Keeper of the Lost Cities by Shannon Messenger Ranger's Apprentice Series by John Flanagan Amulet Series by Kazu Kibuishi Bone by Jeff Smith Calvin and Hobbes by Bill Watterson Stewart Little and Charlotte's Web by E.B. White Redwall by Brian Jacques Hush and Batman: Long Halloween by Jeph Loeb The City Watch Series by Terry Pratchett The Light Fantastic by Terry Pratchett Wonder by R.J. Palacio Mort by Terry Pratchett 1913: The Year Before the Storm by Florian Illies Tales of the Ketty Jay by Chris Wooding Empires of the Sky by Alexander Rose Unbroken and Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand Swimming in the Dark by Thomasz Jedrowski Black Death at the Golden Gate by David K. Randall The Trigger: Hunting the Assassin Who Brought the World to War by Tim Butcher Guns of August and The Proud Tower by Barbara W. Tuchman Eiffel's Tower by Jill Jonnes The Anomaly by Hervé Le Tellier Summer Sons by Lee Mandelo The Queen of the Con by Thomas Crowl Spook by Mary Roach Retribution Falls by Chris Wooding If Chins Could Kill by Bruce Campbell