Talk of Iowa Book Club

This month's Talk of Iowa book club pick is Yaa Gyasi's debut novel Homegoing.

On the Talk of Iowa book club, host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to discuss Chuy Renteria's coming-of-age memoir about identity, friendship, racism and breakdancing: We Heard it When We Were Young.

Expert readers discuss Sherman Alexie's controversial YA novel.

Angie Thomas' 2017 novel The Hate U Give is the story of Starr Carter, a 16-year-old who is present when her childhood best friend is shot and killed by a police officer.

On this episode of the Talk of Iowa Book Club, host Charity Nebbe speaks with author Jane Smiley, the A Thousand Acres opera director, Kristine McIntyre, and author Mary Swander.

Host Charity Nebbe talks with the prolific, best-selling writer about his work and whether he's hopeful about the future.

Host Charity Nebbe discusses "Thomas and Beulah" with former U.S. Poet Laureate Rita Dove and expert readers for this April meeting of the Talk of Iowa Book Club.

Host Charity Nebbe talks with medical anthropologist and Iowa Native Emily Mendenhall about her new book Unmasked: COVID, Community and the Case of Okoboji.

Charity Nebbe talks with Emily Spencer (now known as E. Yetunde Ahn,) about her award-winning poetry collection "East Walnut Hills."

Host Charity Nebbe talks with memoirist Melissa Febos about her new book, Body Work: The Radical Power of Personal Narrative

Host Charity Nebbe discusses "Cross to Safety," with expert readers.

Lee Cole's debut novel Groundskeeping explores the political, socioeconomic and educational divisions that we're all too familiar with. But, Cole says he hopes readers realize we have more in common than we think.

Charity Nebbe and a panel of expert readers discuss John Irving's The Cider House Rules.

Host Charity Nebbe and expert readers discuss Octavia Butler's "Kindred."

Author Lan Samantha Chang talks about her new novel "The Family Chao."

Charity Nebbe talks with author Ben Goldfarb about his book "Eager: The Surprising, Secret Life of Beavers and Why They Matter."

Charity Nebbe talks with author Bobby Duffy about his book, "The Generation Myth: Why When You're Born Matters Less Than You Think.”

Author Amy Tan talks with Charity Nebbe about her 2013 novel, "The Valley of Amazement."

Host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to discuss "The Joy Luck Club," by Amy Tan

Host Charity Nebbe talks with a panel of expert readers about Willa Cather's "My Antonia"

In this October meeting of the Talk of Iowa Book Club, we're discussing "An American Marriage," by Tayari Jones.

Charity Nebbe talks with Young Bear in this bonus episode of the Talk of Iowa Book Club.

The Talk of Iowa Book Club discusses "Black Eagle Child: The Facepaint Narratives," by Ray Young Bear

In this bonus episode of the Talk of Iowa Book Club, we continue the fall theme of memoirs with one from poet Stephen Kuusisto.

Host Charity Nebbe is joined by expert readers to discuss Bill Bryson's "The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir."

In this bonus episode of the Talk of Iowa Book Club, host Charity Nebbe talks with author Markus Zusak about his most popular work.

Author Elizabeth Acevedo's "Clap When You Land," is the July Talk of Iowa Book Club selection.

On this bonus episode, Charity talks with DC and Marvel Comics writer, Benjamin Percy, about his book “The Dead Lands,” a post-apocalyptic reimagining of the Lewis and Clark Expedition.

On this episode, Charity discusses “Kindred” with professor Lakesia Johnson, artist Akwi Nji and student Amaya Dawson.

In this bonus Book Club episode, Charity talks with authors Lillian Daniel of “Tired of Apologizing for a Church I Don't Belong To” and Lyz Lenz of “God Land: A Story of Faith, Loss and Renewal in Middle America.”

On this Talk of Iowa Book Club, Charity discusses “Little Faith” with author Nickolas Butler and two expert readers, Marcus Burke and Rebekah Tilley for a conversation about friendship, community and faith.

In this bonus Book Club episode, Charity talks with DJ Savarese, author of the poetry collection, “A Doorknob For The Eye,” about alternative ways of communicating, fellow autistic artists and the impact of sharing his story through writing and film.

On this Talk of Iowa Book Club, Charity discusses “An American Sunrise” with author and U.S. Poet Laureate Joy Harjo, then has a book club conversation with Linda LeGarde Grover, professor of American Indian Studies, and Mary Swander, former poet laureate of Iowa.

In this bonus episode, Charity Nebbe talks with Mark Hirsch, photographer and author of “That Tree: An iPhone Photo Journal Documenting a Year in the Life of a Lonely Bur Oak,” about slowing down, challenging the bounds of storytelling and inspiring oneself.

On this episode, a conversation about Richard Powers’ "The Overstory."

For this BONUS Talk of Iowa Book Club episode, Charity talks with Kiley Reid about her debut novel, "Such a Fun Age."

On this bonus episode, we talk about the lasting impact of Kurt Vonnegut's "Slaughterhouse-Five" and its continued relevancy - now more than 50 years later.

Host Charity Nebbe discusses Walter Tevis' "The Queen's Gambit."

On this bonus episode, we talk with two-time expert reader Caleb Rainey. Rainey is a poet and spoken word performer who performs under the name, “The Negro Artist.”

Host Charity Nebbe discusses "Mother Night" with Vonnegut scholars Jerome Klinkowitz and Suzanne McConnell, as well as first-time Vonnegut reader Caleb Rainey, for a discussion of this timeless modern classic.

Host Charity Nebbe discusses "Little Heathens" with historians Pamela Riney Kehrberg, of Iowa State University, Lindsey Smith of Living History Farms and Trisha Hicks of the State Library of Iowa.

Host Charity Nebbe discusses "Crossing to Safety" with author and academic Dean Bakopoulos of Grinnell College, Michael Knock, a historian who teaches at Clarke University in Dubuque and retired broadcaster Karen Bryan.