Podcast appearances and mentions of Jess Walter

I’m coming to you live from Vroman’s Bookstore in Pasadena, California, where I got to sit down with my friend, author Jess Walter. We chatted in front of a packed house (including a few friendly dogs) and now we’re sharing that event with the rest of you. Jess is not only my go-to buddy to text about all things basketball; he’s an accomplished novelist who can skewer the Hollywood elite just as easily as he can wryly observe the local inhabitants of his hometown of Spokane, Washington. We dissect his new novel, So Far Gone, a story rife with humor, heart, and perspective in uncertain times. Plus, Jess shares the wisdom he learned from his father and how fictional characters can do the often hard work of building empathy. Find Jess’s novel, So Far Gone, wherever books are sold: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/so-far-gone-jess-walter Fail Better is now on YouTube! Watch this episode here. Follow me on Instagram at @davidduchovny. Find more video podcasts on our YouTube channel. Stay up to date with Lemonada on X, Facebook and Instagram at @LemonadaMedia. Joining Lemonada Premium is a great way to support our shows and get bonus content. Subscribe today on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts. For a list of current sponsors and discount codes for this and every other Lemonada show, go to lemonadamedia.com/sponsors.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: reading with a partner and making lazy genius decisions about your reading life Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: we are reviewing our summer break The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives Show notes are time-stamped below for your convenience. Read the transcript of the episode (this link only works on the main site) .  .  .  .  1:53 - Ad For Ourselves 3:11 - Pounded by Produce by G.M. Fairy 3:14 - Hedging His Bets by Celia Kyle [Amazon link] 5:45 - Currently Reading Patreon 6:02 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 6:39 - The Bookshop by Evan Friss 7:24 - Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor 10:05 - Our Current Reads 10:15 - Playground by Richard Powers (Kaytee) 13:04 - Bill from An Unlikely Story on Instagram (@AnUnlikelyStory) 13:55 - Bill Largent on Instagram (@TheWillToRead) 14:26 - Until August by Gabriel García Márquez (Meredith) 16:43 - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez 16:47 - One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 17:40 - The Council of Animals by Nick McDonell 19:06 - I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman (Kaytee) 19:12 - CR Season 5: Episode 48 (The Listener Press) 24:33 - The Game Is Murder by Hazell Ward (Meredith) 27:34 - The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton 27:43 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 28:55 - The Mysterious Case of the Alperton Angels by Janice Hallett (Kaytee) 29:21 - CR Season 6: Episode 31 32:18 - The Examiner by Janice Hallett 32:19 - The Appeal by Janice Hallett 33:16 - So Far Gone by Jess Walter 38:30 - Deep Dive: What We Did On Our Summer Break 46:51 - Meet Us At The Fountain 47:15 - Travel to the bookstores a little outside your norm and make time for a bookish journey and bookstore extroversion (Kaytee)  49:24 - Listen to Ep. 272: Best Books of the Year (So Far) of 10 Things to Tell You with Laura Tremaine 50:34 - Laura Tremaine's Secret Stuff on Substack 50:40 - The Shining by Stephen King 51:21 - A Journey to Three Pines  Support Us: Become a Bookish Friend | Grab Some Merch Shop Bookshop dot org | Shop Amazon Bookish Friends Receive: The Indie Press List with a curated list of five books hand sold by the indie of the month. August's IPL comes to us from our founding Indie Press List store: Fabled Bookshop in Waco, TX! Love and Chili Peppers with Kaytee and Rebekah - romance lovers get their due with this special episode focused entirely on the best selling genre fiction in the business.  All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the behind-the-scenes insights of an independent bookseller From the Editor's Desk with Kaytee and Bunmi Ishola - a quarterly peek behind the curtain at the publishing industry The Bookish Friends Facebook Group - where you can build community with bookish friends from around the globe as well as our hosts Connect With Us: The Show: Instagram | Website | Email | Threads The Hosts and Regulars: Meredith | Kaytee | Mary | Roxanna Production and Editing: Megan Phouthavong Evans Affiliate Disclosure: All affiliate links go to Bookshop unless otherwise noted. Shopping here helps keep the lights on and benefits indie bookstores. Thanks for your support!

This week on From the Front Porch, it's another episode From the Archives! In this series, we're sharing some of our favorite past episodes of the show while Annie is on maternity leave. Enjoy today's episode about traveling through books. To purchase the books mentioned in this episode, stop by The Bookshelf in Thomasville, visit our website (search episode 540) or download and shop on The Bookshelf's official app: Link to The Bookshelf's Libro.fm storefront Morgan Page's Substack, In Residence Morgan Page's podcast, That's The Spirit 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer and Annie Barrows Ordinary People by Diana Evans (unavailable for purchase) L'Appart by David Leibovitz (unavailable for purchase) The Hundred-Foot Journey by Richard Morais The Vacationers by Emma Straub Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter (unavailable for purchase) My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante A Walk in the Woods by Bill Bryson Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard The Next Great Jane by KJ Going (unavailable for purchase) Maine by J. Courtney Sullivan Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston Hannah Coulter by Wendell Berry The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Tangerine by Christine Mangan (unavailable for purchase) Born a Crime by Trevor Noah Do Not Become Alarmed by Maile Malloy (unavailable for purchase) From the Front Porch is a weekly podcast production of The Bookshelf, an independent bookstore in South Georgia. You can follow The Bookshelf's daily happenings on Instagram, Tiktok, and Facebook, and all the books from today's episode can be purchased online through our store website, www.bookshelfthomasville.com.  A full transcript of today's episode can be found here. Special thanks to Dylan and his team at Studio D Podcast Production for sound and editing and for our theme music, which sets the perfect warm and friendly tone for our Thursday conversations.  This week, Annie is reading The Names by Florence Knapp. If you liked what you heard in today's episode, tell us by leaving a review on Apple Podcasts. You can also support us on Patreon, where you can access bonus content, monthly live Porch Visits with Annie, our monthly live Patreon Book Club with Bookshelf staffers, Conquer a Classic episodes with Hunter, and more. Just go to patreon.com/fromthefrontporch. We're so grateful for you, and we look forward to meeting back here next week. Our Executive Producers are...Beth, Stephanie Dean, Linda Lee Drozt, Ashley Ferrell, Wendi Jenkins, Martha, Nicole Marsee, Gene Queens, Cammy Tidwell, Jammie Treadwell, and Amanda Whigham.

Librarians Desirae and Sarah talk about this suspenseful novel that follows a woman trying to uncover the truth of her mother's death 30 years prior on the Italian island of Capri. On an annual family visit there, one of their party goes missing, and the decades-old case gets reopened.Also mentioned: The Cloisters by Katy Hays, The White Lotus TV series, Revenge TV series, The Heiress by Rachel Hawkins, Daisy Darker by Alice Feeney, We Were Liars by E. Lockhart, The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (see episode 47), Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter.Check out books, TV shows and movies at countycat.mcfls.org, wplc.overdrive.com, hoopladigital.com and kanopy.com/en/westallis. For more about WAPL, visit westallislibrary.org.Music: Tim Moor via Pixabay

Notes and Links to Hannah Pittard's Work        Hannah Pittard is the author of six books, including the memoir WE ARE TOO MANY and the novel out as of today, IF YOU LOVE IT, LET IT KILL YOU. She is a winner of the Amanda Davis Highwire Fiction Award, a MacDowell fellow, and a professor of English at the University of Kentucky. She lives with her boyfriend and stepdaughter in Lexington. Much of her family lives nearby. Buy If You Love It, Let It Kill You   Hannah Pittard's Website   If You Love It, Let It Kill You Excerpt with Recommendation from Maggie Smith for Electric Literature   “Two Writers Fell in Love, Married, Then Divorced. Who Gets the Story?” from The New York Times At about 1:50, Hannah describes the evolution of her last name's pronunciation  At about 3:00, Hannah talks about the cover for If You Love It, Let it Kill You and describes her mindset in the leadup to her book's publication  At about 4:50, Pete shouts out Rachel Yoder's Nightbitch, both the book and movie, and asks Hannah to cast a possible future movie for If You Love It, Let it Kill You At about 7:20, Pete compliments the “snappy dialogue” of the book in asking Hannah about her family background and early intellectual life At about 8:45, Hannah discusses the book as “100% fiction” while talking about her sister and family as “muses” At about 9:55, Public urination is discussed, both within the book, and without  At about 10:50, Hannah traces her early reading life and how she “fell in love with books” and shouts out Faulkner, Flannery O'Connor, and Tim O'Brien (In the Lake of Woods) At about 14:30, Pete brings up James Frey in discussing the fine line between fiction and nonfiction, as discussed by Hannah with regard to In the Lake of the Woods' brilliance At about 15:30, Ann Beattie, Grace Paley, Alice Munro, are referenced as big influences on Hannah's writing and reading in college and right after, as she traces her semi-accidental foray into MFA At about 17:20, Hannah talks about updating her contemporary reading as she entered MFA, including her early reading of Infinite Jest!  At about 19:15, Alice Munro's “upsetting” story is discussed as is Claire Deder's Monsters, in the larger discussion about problematic and damaging authors  At about 22:50, Hannah discusses her current reading, including Honor Jones' Sleep, and Lynn Stever Strong's , and the series Storybook ND At about 25:40, Hannah shouts out the book's publisher and places to buy the book, including Good Neighbor Books in upstate NY and Exile in Bookville in Chicago  At about 27:40, the two discuss Margaret Atwood's “cameo” in the book and Atwood's epigraph At about 28:55, Pete takes another opportunity to shout out Jess Walter, Beautiful Ruins, and Edoardo Ballerini At about 33:00, Hannah shouts out “Dog Heaven” by Stephanie Vaughn in a beautiful audio form read by Tobias Wolff, and the two fanboy/girl about Wolff's “Bullet in the Brain” At about 34:40, Pete lays out the book's opening and Hannah replies to Pete's question about her original and full chapter titles At about 36:35, The two discuss the book's exposition and plotline and how “Today I am restless” sets the scene for the book's ethos At about 40:00, Hannah shares some funny real-life stories from which she took pieces for her book's characters At about 41:55, Pete playfully laments the incredible veracity of Hannah's writing  At about 44:40, The two lay out a sort of “existential crisis” and an anxiety about contentment at the book's beginning; Hannah notes the protagonist's “place of privilege” At about 47:10, Pete remarks on the book's subtlety and Hannah on the protagonist's “distanc[ing]” based on a past trauma  At about 49:35, Hannah responds to Pete's asking about the vagaries of memory and its connections to the protagonist's actions and busy thoughts At about 52:05, The two discuss the protagonist's ennui  At about 53:15, Hannah responds to Pete's questions about the book's choral/allegorical nature At about 58:55, Hannah talks about the dynamic between the protagonist and her students, and Hannah's own evolution in teaching more flexibly  At about 1:02:05, Hannah responds to Pete's wonderings and musings of “The Irishman” and the character's implications  At about 1:07:00, Hannah reflects on various iterations of scenes involving a threatening student  At about 1:09:10, Pete cites Jess Walter's ending for Beautiful Ruins, in raving about Hannah's wonderful last line and skill in bringing the storyline full circle You can now subscribe to the podcast on Apple Podcasts, and leave me a five-star review. You can also ask for the podcast by name using Alexa, and find the pod on Stitcher, Spotify, and on Amazon Music. Follow Pete on IG, where he is @chillsatwillpodcast, or on Twitter, where he is @chillsatwillpo1. You can watch other episodes on YouTube-watch and subscribe to The Chills at Will Podcast Channel. Please subscribe to both the YouTube Channel and the podcast while you're checking out this episode.       Pete is very excited to have one or two podcast episodes per month featured on the website of Chicago Review of Books. The audio will be posted, along with a written interview culled from the audio. His conversation with Hannah will be up in the next week or two at Chicago Review.     Sign up now for The Chills at Will Podcast Patreon: it can be found at patreon.com/chillsatwillpodcastpeterriehl      Check out the page that describes the benefits of a Patreon membership, including cool swag and bonus episodes. Thanks in advance for supporting Pete's one-man show, DIY podcast and extensive reading, research, editing, and promoting to keep this independent podcast pumping out high-quality content! This month's Patreon bonus episode features an exploration of writing projects that got away, as Pete discusses a particular writing project that had so much potential but is now unfinishable-at least he thinks so. Pete has added a $1 a month tier for “Well-Wishers” and Cheerleaders of the Show.    This is a passion project, a DIY operation, and Pete would love for your help in promoting what he's convinced is a unique and spirited look at an often-ignored art form.    The intro song for The Chills at Will Podcast is “Wind Down” (Instrumental Version), and the other song played on this episode was “Hoops” (Instrumental)” by Matt Weidauer, and both songs are used through ArchesAudio.com.     Please tune in for Episode 287 with Jordan Harper, whose 2017 novel She Rides Shotgun is being adapted and released through Lionsgate Studios on August 1, which is also when the episode airs.

Welcome to Episode 237 where we DO NOT talk about the scheduled ghost story, “Thrawn Janet” by Robert Louis Stevenson due to human error. We'll discuss it on the next episode along with “The Open Door” by Margaret Oliphant. Now, on to what we DID discuss. What we're currently reading: THE GARDEN by Clare Beams, SILAS MARNER by George Eliot, and COOKING IN REAL LIFE by Lidey Heuck. What we've just read: THE SHINING by Stephen King, MEMORIAL DAYS by Geraldine Brooks, and SO FAR GONE by Jess Walter. There are Biblio Adventures: Chris talked about attending the very first Bloomsday celebration at the Guilford Free Library and watching the 1980 film adaptation of The Shining. Emily shares her stop at the Montclair Public Library in New Jersey on the way to Princeton, and recaps the excitement of attending the 2025 Aspen Food & Wine Classic and fan-girling over Nancy Silverton whose book, THE COOKIE THAT CHANGED MY LIFE, is a longtime favorite. We had a wonderful discussion at our monthly Reading Salon with Patreon supporters about short books (the flip side of last month's big books). As always we wrapped with upcoming jaunts and reads, and a reminder about our third quarter readalong in our year of reading Ghost Stories – THE UPSTAIRS HOUSE by Julia Fine with a companion read of “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman. Happy Reading! https://www.bookcougars.com/blog-1/2025/episode237

The ultimate genius of Jess Walter's new novel, "So Far Gone," is the author's talent for relating our fractured modern society with humor and hope.

Writer's Voice: compelling conversations with authors who challenge, inspire, and inform Episode Summary On this episode of Writer's Voice, two authors share stories of retreat and re-engagement in a world unraveling. First, novelist Jess Walter talks about So Far Gone, a gripping, darkly funny, and deeply moving novel about Rhys Kinnick—a retired journalist who escapes … Continue reading Retreat, Resilience & Return: Jess Walter on SO FAR GONE and Marguerite Holloway on TAKE TO THE TREES →

Jess Walter is the author of the novel So Far Gone, available from Harper Books. It is the official June pick of the Otherppl Book Club. Walter is the author of seven previous novels, including the bestsellers The Cold Millions and Beautiful Ruins, the National Book Award Finalist The Zero, and Citizen Vince,winner of the Edgar Award for best novel. His short fiction, collected in The Angel of Romeand We Live in Water, has won the O. Henry Prize, the Pushcart Prize and appeared three times in Best American Short Stories. He lives in his hometown of Spokane, Washington. *** ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Otherppl with Brad Listi⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ is a weekly podcast featuring in-depth interviews with today's leading writers. Available where podcasts are available: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Apple Podcasts⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Spotify⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, etc. Subscribe to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Brad Listi's email newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Support the show on Patreon⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Merch⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Bluesky⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Email the show: letters [at] otherppl [dot] com The podcast is an ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠affiliate partner of Bookshop⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠, working to support local, independent bookstores. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In his latest novel, author Jess Walter focuses on the ways conspiracy theories can tear a family apart. So Far Gone follows a grandfather living off the grid who re-enters his family's life to try and locate his daughter, who has gone missing and might be with a dangerous militia group. Walter talks about the book ahead of an event tonight at Symphony Space at 7 pm.  

So Far Gone by Jess Walter is a timely thriller steeped in the sociopolitical landscape of the nation. Jess joins us to talk about conspiracy theories, pillars of trust, media literacy, messy characters, Spokane, road trip novels, raccoons and more with host Miwa Messer. This episode of Poured Over was hosted by Miwa Messer and mixed by Harry Liang.                     New episodes land Tuesdays and Thursdays (with occasional Saturdays) here and on your favorite podcast app. Featured Books (Episode): So Far Gone by Jess Walter The Cold Millions by Jess Walter Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter True Grit by Charles Portis The Dog of the South by Charles Portis The Berlin Stories by Christopher Isherwood

Jess Walter has written a book that is funny, compulsively readable, and complex.  In So Far Gone, he reminds us, in a world that sometimes seems to have gone crazy, you escape society at your own peril.  Can you escape the world into isolation or is life only meaningful when you live it for and with others?  We ask the very talented Jess Walter that very question.  Find books mentioned on The Book Case: https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode: So Far Gone by Jess Walter Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter The Cold Millions by Jess Walter Citizen Vance by Jess Walter Ruby Ridge by Jess Walter Over Tumbled Graves by Jess Walter The Zero by Jess Walter Land of the Blind by Jess Walter We Live in Water by Jess Walter The Angel of Rome by Jess Walter Walden by Henry David Thoreau Bowling Aline by Robert D. Putnam  Family Sayings by Natalia Ginzburg Stoner by John Edwards Williams James by Percival Everett The Dutch House by Ann Patchett Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Fiction writer Jess Walter joins co-hosts Whitney Terrell and V.V. Ganeshananthan to discuss his new novel So Far Gone, in which a former environmental reporter living off the grid is jolted back onto it by the surprise arrival of his two grandchildren and news of his missing daughter. Walter talks about developing the character of his protagonist's son-in-law, whose right-wing politics are one of the causes of the family's fissure. He also reflects on what it means that conspiracy theorists, who were formerly at the fringes of American politics, are now at its center, and why it is important for writers to depict the interior lives of those with different political beliefs. Walter reads from So Far Gone. Selected Readings: Jess Walter So Far Gone Beautiful Ruins The Cold Millions We Live in Water The Angel of Rome and Other Stories The Financial Lives of the Poets Citizen Vince Ruby Ridge:  The Truth and Tragedy of the Randy Weaver Family Over Tumbled Graves Land of the Blind Others "America's 'Spot News' Novelist Takes on the Trump Era from Spokane" Washington Post Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1 Episode 6: "All the President's Shakespeare: Jess Walter and Kiki Petrosino"  Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 4 Episode 4: “Life After Trump: Jess Walter and Jerald Walker on the Aftermath of Election 2020” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 8 Episode 5: Jess Walter on the Election ‹ Literary Hub Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Author Jess Walter returns to the show and chats with Daniel Ford about his new novel So Far Gone, out now from Harper. To learn more about Jess Walter, visit his official website. Also listen to our previous interviews with the author in Episode 537 and Episode 452. Writer's Bone is proudly sponsored by Libro.fm.

On this week's Bubbles & Books, Ellyn and Amanda are joined by bestselling author Jess Walter to talk about his upcoming novel So Far Gone. Expect laughs, insights, and thoughtful discussion as Jess shares how this novel took shape, what it says about the world today, and why he chose to leave social media. And we're so excited to share that Jess will be coming to Dog-Eared Books for a Cocktails & Convos event on Friday, September 12, at 7 PM.  Pop open your favorite bubbly or pour yourself a spiked coffee, and be prepared to become obsessed with Jess Walter if you're not already — you don't want to miss this one! Pre-Order So Far Gone by Jess Walter HERE Rhys Kinnick is an aging former journalist who's secluded himself in the woods of Washington after a family blow-up and his increasing disenchantment with the way the world is changing around him. Like Rhys, our human tendency is to withdraw when the world seems to be falling apart, but Jess Walter's novel shows us why it's important to hold onto connections with the people we love, even when those connections are sometimes fraught. The book is filled with a colorful cast of fully-developed characters – all multi-facetted people with nuanced storylines. It's both hilarious and heart-rending, while offering astute and timely social commentary. Follow Jess Walter on Instagram HERE Visit Jess Walter's website HERE ______________________________________________________________________ Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends. Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE. Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

We don't have many guests return to the show six times. Jess Walter is now one of them. Barbara DeMarco-Barrett has interviewed him three times — for his novels Beautiful Ruins and The Financial Lives of the Poets, as well as his story collection We Live in Water. He's been on with Marrie Stone for The Cold Millions and the story collection The Angel of Rome. There are a few reasons we're always eager to talk to him. First, he's always trying something different — short stories, novels, historical fiction, mystery, humor. And no matter what he's up to, his works are universally terrific. But he's also a fantastic teacher. We bill the show as a free MFA program from the masters, and Jess is a thoughtful and articulate master. Like explaining why his hilarious short story, Cheston!, never makes the cut for his collections. Jess is the author of eight novels and two story collections. His latest, So Far Gone, is out June 10th and published by Harper. It is very much born of this time and this country. It takes place in Trump's America, back to the familiar territory of Spokane, Washington. It's laugh out loud funny and poignant and tragic and all the things Jess is known for. He joins Marrie to talk about it. For more information on Writers on Writing and to become a supporter, visit our Patreon page. For a one-time donation, visit Ko-fi. You can find hundreds of past interviews on our website. You can help out the show and indie bookstores by buying books at our bookstore on bookshop.org. It's stocked with titles by our guest authors, as well as our personal favorites. And on Spotify, you'll find an album's worth of typewriter music like what you hear on the show. It's perfect for writing. Look for the artist, Just My Type. Email the show at writersonwritingpodcast@gmail.com. We love to hear from our listeners! (Recorded on May 23, 2025) Host: Barbara DeMarco-Barrett Host: Marrie Stone Music: Travis Barrett (Stream his music on Spotify, Apple Music, Etc.)

We are heading into summer and all the reading lists are coming out. Some are thoughtfully curated, and others… sloppily slapped together by AI. But today, we present you with an “AE” (Amanda & Ellyn) generated summer reading list—and trust us, it's way better than whatever the bots cooked up. Whether you're into breezy rom-coms, twisty thrillers, or something a little more unexpected, they've got you covered. Check out the Book Riot summer reading list HERE. Please enjoy our "AE" generated summer reading list, and let us know which ones you pick up! Ellyn's Currently Reading | Run For the Hills by Kevin Wilson & Indian Country by Shobha Rao Amanda's Currently Reading | Endling by Maria Reva Books coming out this week | Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood & Never Flinch by Stephen King Catch up on these books that everyone's been talking about that you haven't gotten to you. Dungeon Crawler Carl by Matt Dinniman James by Percival Everett I Who Have Never Known Men by Jacqueline Harpman  The Names by Florence Knapp Heartwood by Amity Gage Beach Reads One golden Summer by Carley Fortune Sounds Like Love by Ashley Poston (out June 17) Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood (out this week) Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry Remarkable Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt Here Beside the Rising Tide by Emily Jane Road trip books Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson The Road to Tender Hearts by Annie Hartnett If You Love Us, you'll make sure you read: So Far Gone by Jess Walter (out June 10) O Sinners! by Nicole Cuffy For fuck's sake, if you haven't read American Mermaid by Julia Langbein yet, do it. You won't regret it Read Only One Book This Summer Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty Hot Titles Coming Out This Summer Bury the Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab  (out June 10) Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid (out June 3) Not Quite Dead Yet by Holly Jackson  (out July 22) ______________________________________________________________________ Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends. Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE. Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

Our website - www.perksofbeingabooklover.com. Instagram - @perksofbeingabookloverpod Facebook - Perks of Being a Book Lover. To send us a message go to our website and click the Contact button.   This week we have Sam Miller, manager at Carmichael's Bookstore in Louisville, with us to chat about books readers might want to consider for their summer reading. It is always fun to hear what is new and notable from Sam.    This is our last episode of the season.  We will be back in July after our summer hiatus with all new episodes. Happy Reading!   Books Mentioned in this Episode:   1- The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebowitz   2- Northern Spy by Flynn Berry   3- Big Girl Small Town by Michelle Gallen   4- Factory Girls by Michelle Gallen   5- Cat's People by Tanya Guerrero   6- The View from Lake Como by Adriana Trigiani   7- Big Stone Gap by Adriana Trigiani   8- Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid   9- Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter   10- So Far Gone by Jess Walter   11- A Language of Limbs by Dylin Hardcastle   12- A Lesser Light by Peter Geye   13- Murder Takes a Vacation by Laura Lippmann   14- El Dorado Drive by Megan Abbott   15- Big Bad Wool by Leonie Swann   16- Three Bags Full by Leonie Swann   17- First Gentleman by Bill Clinton and James Patterson   18- King of Ashes by SA Cosby   19- Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil by VE Schwab   20- Katabasis by RF Kuang   21- Country Under Heaven by Frederic Durbin   22- A Witch's Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna   23- Isabella Nag and the Pot of Basil by Oliver Darkshire   24- The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar   25- Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs   26- Plato and the Tyrant by James Romm   27- Turning to Birds by Lili Taylor   28- Is A River Alive? by Robert McFarlane   29- Mark Twain by Ron Chernow   30- Charlottesville by Deborah Baker   31- Prairie Fires by Caroline Fraser   32- Murderland: Crime and Bloodlust in the Time of Serial Killers by Caroline Fraser   33- Fulfillment by Lee Cole   34- If You Love It, Let it Kill You by Hannah Pittard   35- The Fire Concerto by Sarah Landenwich   36- Black Cohosh by Eagle Valiant Brosi   37- Big Swiss by Jen Beagin   38- I Am the Arrow: The Life and Art of Sylvia Plath in Six Poems by Sarah Ruden   39- Red Comet by Heather Clark   40- Bad Badger : A Love Story by Maryrose Wood   Media mentioned--   1- Derry Girls (Netflix, 2018-2022)   2- Christoph Waltz on Jimmy Fallon --https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F0jr-HQeT74   3- Floyd Collins Broadway show--https://floydcollinsbroadway.com  

Who remembers what life felt like during the first wave of the Covid-19 pandemic, when cities and entire countries were shutting down right and left? Believe it or not, it all started five years ago this month! So we are digging back into our archives to bring you episodes from that momentous time all month long. On this episode, which originally aired on April 5th 2020, we ask our listeners: What does a day in the life of someone under lockdown look like? And they responded, offering a peek into their lives throughout the course of a day. We also offer our own.  From Lynn in San Francisco as she studies Italian to Scott trying to find some space for himself in his basement, from Madeline in Menlo Park remembering to be thankful to best-selling author Jess Walter who is very used to working from home. From Nancy in Wisconsin dealing with spring snowfall to Theresa in Port Townsend in a hailstorm to Jill in Manhattan, where the only sound on the city streets is the chirping of birds, and many, many others. We got so many glimpses into the lives of our diverse listeners that we had to divide this episode into two parts. But don't fret—the second part is available here. ***The Bittersweet Life podcast has been on the air for an impressive 10+ years! In order to help newer listeners discover some of our earlier episodes, every Friday we are now airing an episode from our vast archives! Enjoy!*** ------------------------------------- COME TO ROME WITH US: For the third year in a row, we are hosting an intimate group of listeners for a magical and unforgettable week in Rome, this October 2025! Discover the city with us as your guides, seeing a side to Rome tourists almost never see. Find out more here. ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!  

We have indie bookstore supporter, our friend, and Dog-Eared best-selling author Denise Williams on today's episode of Bubbles & Books. She joins Ellyn and Amanda to chat all about her upcoming book Just Our Luck, the romance genre, and donuts (duh.) Denise has published nine novels including Technically Yours and her debut novel How to Fail at Flirting which just so happens to be the first book to ever grace the shelves of Dog-Eared Books. Her next book Just Our Luck comes out March 25, and we can't wait to host Denise on pub day in conversation with author Ali Hazelwood. Get your tickets today! Follow Denise on Instagram HERE Ellyn's Currently Reading | So Far Gone by Jess Walter & Tilt by Emma Pattee Amanda's Currently Reading |  Just Our Luck by Denise Williams, Deep End by Ali Hazelwood, & So Far Gone by Jess Walter Denise's Currently Reading | In A Jam by Kate Canterbary, Unead and Unwed by Sam Tschida, & When Javi Dumped Mari by Mia Sosa ______________________________________________________________________ Make sure to subscribe and rate the Bubbles & Books Podcast. And don't forget to share it with your friends. Learn more about a Dog-Eared Books book subscription HERE. Follow us on Instagram: @bubblesandbookspodcast Follow Dog-Eared Books on Instagram: @dogearedbooksames Interested in audiobooks? Listen while supporting Dog-Eared Books HERE. Visit us! www.dogearedbooksames.com

Se estás sem paciência para os livros da moda e procuras leituras diferentes, este episódio é para ti. Reunimos uma lista de recomendações que acabaram por cair no esquecimento ou que não tiveram a atenção que deveriam ter tido. Partilhem connosco as vossas sugestões de livros que merecem ser relembrados! Livros mencionados: - Yours Truly (Para Sempre Teu), Abby Jimenez (01:41) - ⁠A Viagem do Elefante, José Saramago (03:46) - Girl in White, Sue Hubbard (10:35) - Maus Hábitos, Alana S. Portero (14:00) - All my Friends are Superheroes, Andrew Kaufman (16:00) - ⁠Lei da Gravidade, Gabriela Ruivo (17:46) - Beautiful Ruins (A Bela Americana), Jess Walter (19:31) - ⁠Boys Don't Cry & May All Your Skies be Blue, Fíonna Scarlett (20:59) - Nothing to See Here, Kevin Wilson (23:57) - Da Meia-Noite às Seis, Patrícia Reis (26:44) - Someone Who Will Love You in All Your Damaged Glory, Raphael Bob-Waksberg (28:49) - Soldier Sailor, Claire Kilroy (30:15) - The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, Dawnie Walton (31:44) - Freckles, Cecelia Ahern (33:54) - Snowflake, Louise Nealon (37:06) - The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox (O Estranho Desaparecimento de Esme Lennox), Maggie O'Farrell (38:44) - The Last Letter From Your Lover (A Última Carta de Amor), Jojo Moyes (40:37) - What Moves the Dead, T. Kingfisher (42:59) - How to be Good (Como Ser Bom), Nick Hornby (44:42) - Water & Earth & The Heart's Invisible Furies, John Boyne (46:43) - My Oxford Year, Julia Whelan (49:36) - Mercy Street, Jennifer Haig (51:37) - Would Like to Meet (Um Amor Como nos Filmes), Rachel Winters (53:50) - ⁠Nightcrawling, Leila Mottley (56:07) - Three Wishes (Três Desejos), Liane Moriarty (58:29) - Panenka, Rónán Hession (01:00:15) - Quiet: the power of introverts in a world that can't stop talking (Silêncio: O poder dos introvertidos num mundo que não para de falar), Susan Cain (01:01:34) - Mayflies, Andrew O'Hagan (01:02:45) - ⁠Laços, Domenico Starnone (01:03:40) - Wayward, Dana Spiotta (01:05:31) - A Família Caserta, Aurora Venturini (01:06:47) - How to be Both (Como Ser Uma e Outra), Ali Smith (01:07:43) ________________ Falem connosco: livratepodcast@gmail.com. Encontrem-nos em: www.instagram.com/julesdsilva // www.instagram.com/ritadanova Identidade visual: Mariana Cardoso (marianarfpcardoso@hotmail.com) Genérico: Vitor Carraca Teixeira (www.instagram.com/oputovitor)

In the lead-up to the presidential election, novelist Jess Walter returns to the show to revisit his previous comments about former president Donald Trump. Walter joins co-hosts V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell to discuss Trump's dangerous decisions and inflammatory rhetoric, as well as how reactions to him have changed since 2016. Walter talks about former Trump cronies who have abandoned the candidate and endorsed Kamala Harris, and reflects on the inaction that has made it possible for Trump, a felon, to run for the presidency once more. He hazards a prediction about the election results, and reads from his short story “Town and Country,” which appeared in his recent story collection Angel of Rome.  To hear the full episode, subscribe through iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app (include the forward slashes when searching). You can also listen by streaming from the player below. Check out video versions of our interviews on the Fiction/Non/Fiction Instagram account, the Fiction/Non/Fiction YouTube Channel, and our show website: https://www.fnfpodcast.net/ This episode of the podcast was produced by Anne Kniggendorf. Jess Walter The Angel of Rome and Other Stories  The Cold Millions Beautiful Ruins Others: Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 1 Episode 6: "All the President's Shakespeare: Jess Walter and Kiki Petrosino"  Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 4 Episode 4: “Life After Trump: Jess Walter and Jerald Walker on the Aftermath of Election 2020” Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 8 Episode 2: “Jeff Sharlet on ‘Sanewashing' and Fascism” Anderson Cooper interviews Kamala Harris | CNN | October 24, 2024 The Price of Power: How Mitch McConnell Mastered the Senate, Changed America, and Lost His Party by Michael Tackett Liz Cheney Lindsey Graham Shark Tank Hopium Chronicles by Simon Rosenberg Fiction/Non/Fiction Season 7 Episode 50: “Thomas Frank on How the Harris-Walz Ticket Can Win Red State Voters”  Veep Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Barbara Kingsolver discusses her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Demon Copperhead, with Jess Walter at this live event in Portland, Oregon.

As Literary Hub observes July 4, we return to our archives for a 2017 episode that remains relevant today. We will return with a new episode July 11. In episode 6, V.V. Ganeshananthan and Whitney Terrell talk political betrayal past and present with novelist Jess Walter and poet Kiki Petrosino. Jess Walter once interviewed an ailing Mark Felt, aka "Deep Throat" of Watergate fame, and he gives us the skinny on the literary qualities of Nixon, Trump, Flynn, NY mobsters, and his 2005 novel Citizen Vince. Plus, would John Gotti have liked the president? On the eve of the release of her new book, Witch Wife, Kiki Petrosino talks to us about MacBeth's witches and how Shakespeare can help us decode our current age of political skulduggery. What Trump Administration officials would you cast in Macbeth? Readings: All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein and Bob Woodward; Citizen Vince by Jess Walter; Witch Wife by Kiki Petrosino; The Tragedy of Macbeth; The Tempest; The Tragical History of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark. In the Stacks: J.J. Cantrell interviews Annie Philbrick of Bank Square Books in Mystic, CT and Savoy Bookshop & Cafe in Westerly, Rhode Island. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode of Match+Book, host Paul Kibala recommends some books that are similar to Daisy Jones & the Six. Check out these titles with your EBPL or LMxAC library card by clicking here. Daisy Jones & the Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter

Barbara Walter discusses her Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, Demon Copperhead, with Jess Walter at this live event in Portland, Oregon.

George Saunders & Jess Walter discuss their recent short story collections in this conversation with OPB's Geoff Norcross at 2022 #PDXBookFest.

In this week's episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss the NEA Big Read for Montana, The Cold Millions by Jess Walter. Topics include the Notorious EGF (Elizabeth Gurley Flynn), warm weasel hands, and the correct way to pronounce Spokane (it's Spo-CAN, Taylor…).This week's drink: Union Club via Difford's GuideINGREDIENTS: 2 oz Bourbon whiskey½ oz maraschino liqueur½ oz Campari1 ½ oz orange juice, freshly squeezedINSTRUCTIONS:Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice Shake until chilledStrain into a chilled glassCurrent reads, recommendations, and links:Silver Nitrate by Silvia Moreno-GarciaBookworm by Robin YeatmanThe Bathysphere Book: Effects of the Luminous Ocean Depths by Brad FoxKillers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI by David GrannThe Witch's Feast: A Kitchen Grimoire by Melissa Jayne MadaraNEA Big Read Program with Chris La Tray: Stolen: If They Haven't Come for Yours, They WillFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss Coraline by Neil GaimanHere is the beverage recipe for the upcoming episode if you want to drink along with us!The Other Mother created by Taylor!INGREDIENTS:1.5oz Vodka1/4 oz crème de mûre (or any other dark berry liqueur you have on hand)BlackberriesSpriteINSTRUCTIONS:Muddle a small handful of blackberries in your shaker. Add your vodka, crème de mûre and ice into shaker and shake. Pour into a tall glass and top with sprite.

In this week's episode, Kayla and Taylor discuss Emily Brontë's classic 1847 novel Wuthering Heights. Topics include fun sad facts about the Brontës, obsessive love, and literal and metaphorical haunting. Also: farts.This week's drink: Dark ‘n Stormy via liquor.comINGREDIENTS:2 ounces Gosling's Black Seal rum1/2 ounce lime juice, freshly squeezedGinger beer, to top (about 5 ounces)Garnish: lime wheelINSTRUCTIONS:Add rum and lime juice to a tall glass filled with ice.Top with the ginger beer.Garnish with a lime wheel.Current reads, recommendations, and links:The Midnight Library by Matt HaigFollow us on Instagram @literatureandlibationspod.Visit our website: literatureandlibationspod.com to submit feedback, questions, or your own takes on what we are reading. You can also see what we are reading for future episodes! You can email us at literatureandlibationspod@gmail.com.Please leave us a review and/or rating! It really helps others find our podcast…and it makes us happy!Purchase books via bookshop.org or check them out from your local public library. Join us next time as we discuss The Cold Millions by Jess Walter.Here is the beverage recipe for the upcoming episode if you want to drink along with us!Union Club via Difford's GuideINGREDIENTS: 2 oz Bourbon whiskey½ oz maraschino liqueur½ oz Campari1 ½ oz orange juice, freshly squeezedINSTRUCTIONS:Add all ingredients to a shaker filled with ice Shake until chilledStrain into a chilled glass

What makes a place magical? A lot of factors can go into it, but one of them is certainly, as author Jess Walter puts it, when "history connects with the experience you're having." In this case, he's talking about the Hotel Donna Camilla Savelli, the very hotel where we are hosting our magical Roman Adventure this October. (Email us to find out how you can join us!) Today we talk with Jess to discover just what makes this hotel so magical, and why he chose to feature it in an article he wrote about a recent family trip to Rome. Jess Walter is the author of ten books, most recently the short story collection The Angel of Rome. His other books include the national bestseller The Cold Millions; the #1 New York Times bestseller, Beautiful Ruins; The Zero, a finalist for the National Book Award; and Citizen Vince, winner of the Edgar Award. His work has been published in 34 languages and his short fiction has appeared three times in Best American Short Stories. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!  

We're joined by the wonderful James D.F. Hannah who regales us with tales of Mississippi tornado warnings, southern noir writers, if Falkner is a crime novelist, and his latest release Somewhere Outside Salvation (A Grifter's Song Book 32). We also get a sneak peek at the story and hear about the process of writing a piece in the Grifter's Song series (as well as a few other music references). James D.F. Hannah is the Shamus Award-winning author of the Henry Malone series, including the novels Behind the Wall of Sleep and She Talks to Angels. His story "No Man's Land" was selected for Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022, edited by Steph Cha and Jess Walter. His short fiction has appeared in Playing Games, edited by Lawrence Block; Under the Thumb: Stories of Police Oppression, edited by S.A. Cosby; Trouble No More; Rock and a Hard Place; Shotgun Honey; Crossing Genres; and The Anthology of Appalachian Writers. He lives in Louisville, Kentucky, where all the bourbon is. Want to submit your writing or be a guest editor? Email darkwaterspodcast@gmail.com Intro/Outro music: www.bensound.com Disclaimer: Any and all opinions expressed are the opinions of the participants and not of the organizations or institutions with which they are affiliated. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/darkwaters/support

Jess Walter is the author of ten books, including New York Times #1 bestseller Beautiful Ruins, which takes place on the Italian Riviera. The latest is a collection of short stories titled The Angel of Rome. He's spent the last five weeks seeing more of Italy than the average Italian. What are the lessons from the road, and how does exploring Italy from top to bottom alter your perception of time? He joins us this week to talk all about it. Find out more about Jess Walter at his website. ------------------------------------- ADVERTISE WITH US: Reach expats, future expats, and travelers all over the world. Send us an email to get the conversation started. BECOME A PATRON: Pledge your monthly support of The Bittersweet Life and receive awesome prizes in return for your generosity! Visit our Patreon site to find out more. TIP YOUR PODCASTER: Say thanks with a one-time donation to the podcast hosts you know and love. Click here to send financial support via PayPal. (You can also find a Donate button on the desktop version of our website.) The show needs your support to continue. START PODCASTING: If you are planning to start your own podcast, consider Libsyn for your hosting service! Use this affliliate link to get two months free, or use our promo code SWEET when you sign up. SUBSCRIBE: Subscribe to the podcast to make sure you never miss an episode. Click here to find us on a variety of podcast apps. WRITE A REVIEW: Leave us a rating and a written review on iTunes so more listeners can find us. JOIN THE CONVERSATION: If you have a question or a topic you want us to address, send us an email here. You can also connect to us through Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram. Tag #thebittersweetlife with your expat story for a chance to be featured! NEW TO THE SHOW? Don't be afraid to start with Episode 1: OUTSET BOOK: Want to read Tiffany's book, Midnight in the Piazza? Learn more here or order on Amazon. TOUR ROME: If you're traveling to Rome, don't miss the chance to tour the city with Tiffany as your guide!  

A young woman in the midst of cancer treatment goes on a road trip in a broken down el camino with her no-good ex-boyfriend. A man working as a ghoul at a sort of halloween theme park learns that his whole life has been a lie. A gay man is forced to come out over and over again to his senile misogynist father. A mother's moral outrage on behalf of her son goes seriously awry. Two new collections of short stories tell stories about people living on the edge of a society that is failing them. George Saunders' “Liberation Day” is filled with wry humor, even as his characters are often trapped by their own foolishness. The characters in Jess Walter's collection, “The Angel of Rome,” are often filled with humor and hope, even as they struggle against poverty and indifference. OPB's Geoff Norcross talks to Saunders and Walter about the art of writing short stories about our time.

Can a sentence be “delicious?” On this edition of The Weekly Reader, we  review "The Last Animal" by Ramona Ausubel and "The Angel of Rome" by Jess Walter.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

I admire someone, anyone, who takes on the great challenge of producing a film. Long or short, it's a monumental endeavor, especially when it's based on a short story by one of America's finest storytellers. Sean Finley is one of those brave souls and I'm thrilled he decided to share the journey he's taken to direct and produce a film adaptation of Jess Walter's celebrated short story We Live in Water, on this episode of The Most Interesting Person You've Never Heard Of Podcast! Like, Share, Review and Subscribe! #podcast #mipynhopodcast #weliveinwater #spokanefilms #shortfilms #spokanedoesn'tsuck

An interview with Jess Walter to kick off the Whatcom READS 2023 Season. Jess comes to town March 2-4 to talk about his historical novel, The Cold Millions. Find out more at whatcomreads.org

George Saunders & Jess Walter discuss their recent short story collections in this conversation with OPB's Geoff Norcross at 2022 #PDXBookFest.

OLIGARCHY by Scarlett Thomas / BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter  On this episode, Andrew examines OLIGARCHY by Scarlett Thomas, a story of wealth, privilege, and fierce ponies, while Bailey tangles with book-club favorite BEAUTIFUL RUINS by Jess Walter to see if she can fall in love at first sight with it. Join the hosts as they ring in the new year with a hefty stack of Christmas Shame (from some people, at least), hear about Andrew's possibly controversial list-amending, and get an INFINITE JEST update from the least lucky member of the pod!

A young woman in the midst of cancer treatment goes on a road trip in a broken down el camino with her no-good ex-boyfriend. A man working as a ghoul at a sort of halloween theme park learns that his whole life has been a lie. A gay man is forced to come out over and over again to his senile misogynist father. A mother's moral outrage on behalf of her son goes seriously awry. Two new collections of short stories tell stories about people living on the edge of a society that is failing them. George Saunders' “Liberation Day” is filled with wry humor, even as his characters are often trapped by their own foolishness. The characters in Jess Walter's collection, “The Angel of Rome,” are often filled with humor and hope, even as they struggle against poverty and indifference. OPB's Geoff Norcross talks to Saunders and Walter about the art of writing short stories about our time.

Narrator Joniece Abbott-Pratt joins AudioFile's Robin Whitten to tell listeners about narrating NIGHTCRAWLING. Leila Mottley's powerful debut novel is one of AudioFile's 2022 Best Fiction Audiobooks for its immersive listening experience crafted beautifully by Joniece. Listen to hear about the emotional intimacy of Joniece's performance, how she prepared to narrate the moving dialogue, and what's stayed with her about NIGHTCRAWLING. Read AudioFile's review of the audiobook at audiofilemagazine.com. Published by Random House Audio. AudioFile's 2022 Best Fiction Audiobooks: THE ANGEL OF ROME by Jess Walter, read by Edoardo Ballerini, Julia Whelan I WALK BETWEEN THE RAINDROPS by T.C. Boyle, read by T.C. Boyle, Cheryl Smith, Jason Culp, Derek Perkins, Jeremy Arthur, Stephen Mendel, Johnathan McClain, Ewan Chung, Pete Simonelli, David de Vries, Nan McNamara, Rex Anderson JOAN IS OKAY by Weike Wang, read by Catherine Ho THE MARRIAGE PORTRAIT by Maggie O'Farrell, read by Genevieve Gaunt, Maggie O'Farrell [Afterword] NIGHTCRAWLING by Leila Mottley, read by Joniece Abbott-Pratt THIS TIME TOMORROW by Emma Straub, read by Marin Ireland For the full list of 2022 Best Audiobooks, visit: audiofilemagazine.com Support for our podcast comes from Oasis Audio, publisher of DEATH TO DECONSTRUCTION: Reclaiming Faithfulness as an Act of Rebellion by Joshua S. Porter. Available everywhere. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess Walter: The Robert Burns cocktail (1 ounce Dewar's scotch, 1 ounce sweet vermouth, 1/2 ounce Benedictine, served up and with a lemon twist)It's possible I poured this one a little heavy, but it's my favorite drink so far. Jess talks about the surprise success of his novel Beautiful Ruins, how his agent had nearly negotiated a bonus if it made the bestseller list, though everyone believed making the list was a long shot (it stayed on the bestseller list for a year and a half!). Learn the alternate titles considered for Beautiful Ruins, his writing process, how he evaluates news ideas for novels and short stories, as well as his early work in journalism including working with Christopher Darden to write a book about the OJ Simpson case.

Tune in as Katie McLain and Kendra Winchester discuss mysteries and thrillers for Indigenous Heritage Month. Follow the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Stitcher. Sign up for our Unusual Suspects newsletter to get even more mystery/thriller recs and news! This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. BOOKS DISCUSSED My Heart Is a Chainsaw – Stephen Graham Jones Shutter – Ramona Emerson Winter Counts – David Heska Wanbli Weiden Moon of the Crusted Snow – Waubgeshig Rice Firekeeper's Daughter – Angeline Boulley The Resemblance – Lauren Nossett The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022 – edited Jess Walter and Steph Cha If you want to send an email with feedback or show suggestions, you can reach us at readordead@bookriot.com. Otherwise you can: Find Kendra on Instagram and Twitter @kdwinchester Find Katie on Twitter @kt_librarylady And we will talk to you all next time! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In Episode 126, audiobook producer Karen Dziekonski from Penguin Random House Audio joins me for today's deep-dive discussion. Karen takes us behind the scenes from the growth of audiobooks in the industry to the ins and outs of how audiobooks are produced. Plus, Karen shares her audiobook recommendations! This post contains affiliate links, through which I make a small commission when you make a purchase (at no cost to you!). Highlights What it means to be an audiobook producer and Karen's career progression. How the landscape has changed for audiobooks over the past 20 years. The days of abridged audiobooks and the process of editing down a print book. The types of books today that make it to the audiobook format. The process of auditioning an audiobook narrator, including deciding on celebrities or full-cast recordings. How much the author's relationship has grown to incorporate production input — especially for books in translation or featuring foreign language text. The decisions behind when the author narrates their own audiobook — fiction vs nonfiction. How producers court celebrities to narrate audiobooks. A bit about post-production editing of audiobook performances and checking for errors. How much the audiobook segment has grown over the past decade and the anticipated continued trajectory. Karen's Audiobook Recommendations [38:12] Two OLD Audiobooks She Loves Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter, narrated by Edoardo Ballerini | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [38:31] The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley, narrated by Jayne Entwistle | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [40:25] Two NEW Audiobooks She Loves Bittersweet by Susan Cain, narrated by the author | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [42:42] Atlas of the Heart by Brené Brown, narrated by the author | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [44:57] How She Feels About Talking About Books She DOESN'T Love [48:40] One NEW RELEASE She's Excited About Age of Vice by Deepti Kapoor (January 3, 2023) | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [50:25] Last 5-Star Book Karen Read The Maid by Nita Prose | Amazon | Bookshop.org | Libro.fm [52:57] Other Books Mentioned Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng, narrated by Lucy Liu [1:37] 41-Love: A Memoir by Scarlett Thomas [8:57] Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez, narrated by Megan McDowell [17:18] The Nanny Diaries by Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus, narrated by Julia Roberts [28:52] Sparring Partners: Novellas by John Grisham, narrated by Ethan Hawke, Jeff Daniels, and others [32:58] Angels in America by Tony Kushner, narrated by Nathan Lane (and the full Broadway cast) [34:22] What Happened to You? by Oprah Winfrey and Bruce D. Perry, M.D. Ph.D. [36:33] The War I Finally Won by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley [41:59] Quiet by Susan Cain [43:31] The Making of Another Major Motion Picture Masterpiece: A Novel by Tom Hanks (May 9, 2023) [48:55] She Said by Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey [49:55] Other Links Ep. 81: Behind the Scenes of Narrating Audiobooks with Julia Whelan About Karen Dziekonski Website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook Karen Dziekonski, VP, Audio Production for the Penguin Random House Audio Publishing Group, has been an influential member of the audiobook industry for over twenty years. Starting at Random House in 2000, Karen has produced thousands of audiobooks and forged strong collaborations with bestselling and debut authors, celebrities, and professional narrators. An excellent problem-solver and active collaborator, Karen leads a team of elite, award-winning producers in the day-to-day operation of one of the most successful audio publishers in the United States. She lives on Long Island, New York, with her chef husband and two daughters.

This week, Liberty and Danika discuss White Horse, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida, and more great books. Follow All the Books! using RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Spotify and never miss a book. And sign up for the weekly New Books! newsletter for even more new book news. This content contains affiliate links. When you buy through these links, we may earn an affiliate commission. For a complete list of books discussed in this episode, visit our website. BOOKS DISCUSSED ON THE SHOW: White Horse by Erika T. Wurth The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks by Shauna Robinson The Best American Essays 2022 edited by Alexander Chee, Robert Atwan The Best American Food Writing 2022 by Sohla El-Waylly, Silvia Killingsworth The Best American Mystery and Suspense 2022 by Jess Walter, Steph Cha The Best American Science And Nature Writing 2022 by Ayana Elizabeth Johnson, Jaime Green The Best American Science Fiction And Fantasy 2022 by Rebecca Roanhorse, John Joseph Adams The Best American Short Stories 2022 by Andrew Sean Greer, Heidi Pitlor DPS Only! by Velinxi The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka Kiss Her Once for Me by Alison Cochrun How to Excavate a Heart by Jake Maia Arlow Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet Small Game by Blair Braverman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This episode is part of an interview series for Miami Book Fair, where members of Team Micro interview authors appearing at the fair about their work. For more information about their programming and to check out the incredible roster of authors appearing this year, visit miamibookfair.com. And be sure to follow them at @miamibookfair and #MiamiBookFair2022 for more updates. A former National Book Award finalist and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Jess Walter is the best-selling author of seven novels, two book of short stories and one nonfiction book. His work has been translated into 34 languages, and his fiction has been selected three times for Best American Short Stories, as well as the Pushcart Prize and Best American Nonrequired Reading. His stories, essays and journalism have appeared in, Harper's, Esquire, Playboy, McSweeney's, Tin House, Ploughshares, the New York Times, the Washington Post and many others. Drew Hawkins is a writer and journalist in New Orleans. His work has appeared in The Guardian, The Daily Beast, Scalawag Magazine, Southerly, No Contact, Rejection Letters, HAD, and other publications. You can follow him on Twitter at @WAdrewhawkins. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jess Walter's new short story collection, "The Angel of Rome," explores the little moments in life that spark big change, for better or worse. The bestselling author of "Beautiful Ruins," "The Cold Millions," and seven other books joins Nancy Pearl to discuss his early career as a journalist (in his hometown of Spokane), how he knows when a story should be a short story and not a novel, and what he's working on next.

Edoardo Ballerini has been in your head—or at least there’s a good chance he has if you listen to audio books. Having narrated more than 350 books (including classics by Dante, Dostoevsky, Eliot, Camus, and others and books by a plethora of popular modern writers like Amor Towles, Jess Walter, Isabel Allende), Ballerini is one of the superstars of the audio book world. So on this episode of Bibliography we talked about how he jumped into that line of work, how he prepares to narrate a book, and how the experience has impacted his reading life. Of course, Ballerini is also successful television and movie actor, the son of a poet, and a parent of multiple children, so we chatted about the books that have been staples of his life over the years in each of these roles. We hope this conversation helps you find a great book to add to your TBR list. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

Host Jo Reed and AudioFile's Alan Minskoff discuss this audiobook that marks the convergence of two Golden Voice narrators with one of the country's finest fiction writers. Author Jess Walter's writing ennobles his characters, making the ordinary extraordinary. Edoardo Ballerini and Julia Whelan narrate these empathic, witty, and finely wrought short stories. Whelan sparkles with her persuasive style, smooth tone, and practiced cadence. Ballerini acts all his stories with restraint and veracity, performing with his characteristic empathy and signature evocative tone. Read the full review of the audiobook on AudioFile's website. Published by Harper Audio. Find more audiobook recommendations at audiofilemagazine.com Support for AudioFile's Behind the Mic comes from Graphic Audio, A Movie in Your Mind. Try a new spectacular original super-heroic series available in no other format! TANGENT KNIGHTS by Christopher L. Bennett. The Full Cast Audiobook #2: Tempest Tossed is out now at GraphicAudio.net Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On this episode we are excited to bring you former National Book Award finalist and winner of the Edgar Allan Poe Award, Jess Walter, author of the number one NY times bestseller The Beautiful Ruins, which spent more than a year on the bestseller list, as well as the national bestselling novel Cold Millions, and his latest short story collection The Angel of Rome and Other Stories. Jess is joined by Amor Towles, the NY Times bestselling author of Rules of Civility, A Gentleman From Moscow, and his latest novel, The Lincoln Highway that debuted at number one on the NY Times best seller list and was on the annual book recommendation lists of Bill Gates and Barack Obama. These two friends compare their early story-telling inspirations from Hollywood and music, parse the merits of timely vs timeless writing and examine their yearning to have lived in other eras. 

“Christopher Beha is one of the most talented young writers at work today.” —Jess Walter, author of Beautiful RuinsThis episode’s guest is Chris Beha, author of one of my favorite recent novels, The Index of Self Destructive Acts, which was nominated for the 2020 National book award and is one of the best books about people talking about ideas.Beha is also the author of a memoir, The Whole Five Feet, and the novels Arts & Entertainments and What Happened to Sophie Wilder. Plus, he is the editor of Harper’s Magazine, one of the most consistently interesting and thoughtful periodicals available right now.A while back he joined me to talk about the books he loves the most, including titles by Beverly Cleary, Muriel Spark, Leo Tolstoy, and others. I have been saving it for summertime because I think Index is a great book for this time of year. Thanks for tuning in. This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe