Podcast appearances and mentions of Mary Doria Russell

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: Kindle samples and getting new indie bookstores Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: six star books to which we will take no criticism from anyone 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) .  .  .  .  1:01 - Ad For Ourselves 1:18 - Currently Reading Patreon 1:34 - An Unlikely Story 2:35 - @anunlikelystory on Instagram 3:37 - Our Bookish Moments Of The Week 6:48 - Literally, A Bookshop 7:54 - @Literallybookshop on Instagram 8:52 - Our Current Reads 9:23 - The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley (Meredith) 16:32 - All the Right Notes by Dominic Lim (Kaytee) 16:40 - Tucson Festival of Books 2025 19:52 - Arsenic and Adobo by Mia P. Manasala 20:13 - This Savage Song by Victoria Schwab (Meredith) 21:47 - A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab 23:20 - The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab 23:49 - They Came for the Schools by Mike Hixenbaugh (Kaytee) 24:11 - Southlake Podcast 27:46 - Past Crimes by Jason Pinter (Meredith) 29:44 - Ready Player One by Ernest Cline 31:06 - Recursion by Blake Crouch 31:40 - The Swifts: A Gallery of Rogues by Beth Lincoln (Kaytee) 31:49 - The Swifts: A Dictionary of Scoundrels by Beth Lincoln 35:11 - Our Six Star Reads 36:08 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 37:29 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 37:33 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 40:17 - Happy Place by Emily Henry 42:32 - The Home-Maker by Dorothy Canfield Fisher 42:37 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 42:38 - In This House of Brede by Rumer Godden 42:41 - The Stand by Stephen King 42:43 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 42:44 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 44:44 - All the Lonely People by Mike Gayle 45:00 - This Is How It Always Is by Laurie Frankel 45:09 - Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 45:13 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:14 - Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 45:17 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 45:38 - Lobizona by Romina Garber Russell 45:43 - Cazadora by Romina Garber Russell 49:14 - The Bookish Life of Nina Hill by Abbi Waxman 49:49 - The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 51:22 - Meet Us At The Fountain 51:43 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live 51:53 - I want everyone to listen to episode 188 of Sarah's Bookshelves Live if you enjoy fantasy reading. (Meredith) 51:54 - Sarah's Bookshelves Live episode 188 53:09 - I wish for a book aggregator that would house all book covers of all books so we could compare easily and find the ones we want to purchase quickly without having to browse multiple sites. (Kaytee) 54:09 - Greenwood by Michael Christie 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. March's IPL comes to you from our tried and true partner, An Unlikely Story in Plainville, MA. 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!

Juliane read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell for the first time, and Luke for the second time, and they talk through how the book impacted their emotions. See every book/episode of the SFBRP here: https://www.sfbrp.com/episode-lists-3 See the SFBRP Must-Read List here: https://www.sfbrp.com/must-read Support Luke and Juliane financially via Patreon.com/lukeburrage Luke on Mastodon: @lukeburrage@masto.nu Juliane […]

A radio astronomer discovers a signal coming from Alpha Centauri - strange, beautiful alien voices, singing. While the rest of the world is transfixed by the broadcast, a catholic order, the Jesuits, take action and launch a mission to the planet of Rakhat. But from the outset we know the mission is doomed to tragedy, because a second storyline follows Emilio Sandoz after his return to Earth. The only survivor of the mission, he struggles to heal his wounds and to reconcile his faith with the deaths of his friends, and prepare to tell the world the truth of what happened on Rakhat.Join the Hugonauts book club on discord!Or you can watch the episode on YouTube if you prefer videoSimilar books we recommend:Children of God - Maria Doria Russel (Sequel)Chronicle of a Death Foretold - Gabriel García MárquezAnathem - Neal StephensonContact - Carl SaganA Canticle for Liebowitz - Walter M. Miller Jr.

*Please note that Kaytee was out of her regular recording space this week and it affected her audio. It's not you, it's us. Back to normal next week!* On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: binging a great series and re-introducing morning reading Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: you get to boss our summer TBRs! 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) .  .  .  .  .  1:29 - Ad for Ourselves 3:42 - Join us for $5 a month! patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast 3:59 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 4:37 - Ember in the Ashes series by Sabaa Tahir 5:20 - Morning Reads 6:55 - Backyard Bird Chronicles by Amy Tan 7:50 - Our Current Reads 7:59 - The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley (Kaytee) 9:32 - Outlander by Diana Gabaldon 12:18 - The God of the Woods by Liz Moore (Meredith) 13:30 - Long Bright River by Liz Moore 16:19 - Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anapara (Kaytee) 20:01 - The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place by Julie Berry (Meredith) 21:00 - Beacon Hill Books, Boston 25:31 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley (Kaytee) 26:02 - The Guncle by Steven Rowley 29:12 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 29:23 - The Stand by Stephen King (Meredith) 32:56 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 39:01 - Boss Our Summer TBRs! Vote on Meredith and Kaytee's Boss My TBR! 42:45 - Faebound by Saara El-Arifi (Kaytee Option #1) 43:50 - Wild Rain by Beverly Jenkins (Kaytee Option #2) 44:45 - The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory (Kaytee Option #3) 44:51 - Season 1 Listener Press Episode 46:18 - Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Meredith Option #1) 46:21 - Circe by Madeline Miller 46:37 - Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver (Meredith Option #2) 46:51 - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid (Meredith Option #3) 49:44 - Meet Us At The Fountain 49:47 - I Wish You the Best Summer Reading Available to You (Kaytee) 49:49 - Pantsuit Politics Podcast 50:56 - I wish that People Would Stop Being Afraid of Reading Big Books (Meredith)   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. July's IPL comes to us from Booktenders in West Virginia! All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special 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 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!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: book recommendations and…. book recommendations! Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: books we wish we read sooner 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) .  .  .  .  .  :10 - Bite Size Intro 1:44 - Send us your listener presses! Here's what we need: A voice memo with - Your name, location, book title and author, “Here's the setup”, and why you love it. Three minutes or less please!! Email those to currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com  4:36 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 8:10 - Lore Olympus by Rachel Smythe 8:53 - Our Current Reads 9:09 -  A Talent for Murder by Peter Swanson (Meredith) 11:05 - Eight Perfect Murders by Peter Swanson 12:38 - The Duke Gets Desperate by Diana Quincy (Kaytee) 15:52 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 16:30 - 2034 by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis (Meredith) 20:54 - 2054 by Elliot Ackerman and James Stavridis 21:50 - New Nigeria County by Clare Brown (Kaytee, audio only) 22:05 - @clarabelletoks on Instagram 22:37 - libro.fm 26:51 - A Better World by Sarah Langan (Meredith) 29:34 - Good Neighbors by Sarah Langan 31:19 - High Tide in Tucson by Barbara Kingsolver (Kaytee) 31:39 - Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver 34:55 - Deep Dive: Books We Wish We Read Sooner 35:44 - Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 36:34 - A  Little Life by Hanya Yanagahira 37:33 - The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow 37:50 - A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles 38:55 - The Vaster Wilds by Lauren Groff 39:32 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 40:27 - A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett 40:29 - The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett 40:51 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 40:52 - Lonesome Dove by Larry McMurty 40:58 - The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 41:09 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 41:47 - Roots by Alex Haley 42:01 - 11/22/63 by Stephen King 42:05 - On Writing by Stephen King 43:20 - The Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 43:50 - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon 44:05 - Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller 44:11 - Circe by Madeline Miller 46:21 - Meet Us At The Fountain 47:09 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 50:06 - I wish more people would read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. (Meredith) 50:47 - I wish books would tell us if they are right for us when we pick them up. (Kaytee) 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. June's IPL comes to us from our anchor store Schuler Books in West Bloomfield, Michigan. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special 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 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!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Roxanna are discussing: Bookish Moments: meeting bookish friends and “salt” books Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: difficulty in starting new books 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) .  .  .  .  .  :10 - Bite Size Intro 2:14 - Currently Reading Patreon 5:50 - PLEASE send us your Ask Us Anything questions to currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com 6:43 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 11:13 - The Stand by Stephen King 12:17 - Impossible Creatures by Katherine Rundell 14:50 - Our Current Reads 14:58 - Hotline by Dimitri Nasrallah (Roxanna) 15:02 - Canada Reads 16:56 - How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water by Angie Cruz 19:38 - Diavola by Jennifer Thorne (Meredith) 21:35 - @mother.horror on Instagram 24:10 - The Ghoul of Windydown Vale by Jake Burt (Roxanna) 29:21 - In the Kingdom of Ice by Hampton Sides (Meredith) 34:15 - Funny Story by Emily Henry (Roxanna) 38:02 - Small Change by Roan Parrish 43:43 - The Mars House by Natasha Pulley (Meredith - Meredith mistakenly said Mars Room initially. Sorry for the confusion!) 45:03 - Charter Books 45:42 - The Kingdoms by Natasha Pulley 49:51 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 49:56 - Babel by R.F. Kuang 52:16 - The Measure by Nikki Erlick 53:40 - The Difficulty Of Starting A New Book 57:54 - Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny 1:01:19 - The Feast by Margaret Kennedy 1:02:07 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 1:02:12 - The One by John Marrs 1:02:21 - Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty 1:04:07 - Meet Us At The Fountain 1:04:11 - I wish everyone would watch Butterfly in the Sky on Netflix. (Roxanna) 1:04:14 - Butterfly in the Sky on Netflix 1:06:37 - Hello Bookstore 1:07:11 - I wish everyone would reflect on how summer reading affects your reading life. (Meredith) 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. May's IPL comes to us from Commonplace Books in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller 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 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!

On this episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: bookish mail and more tech to help our reading lives Current Reads: all the great, interesting, and/or terrible stuff we've been reading lately Deep Dive: what makes an unputdownable book and some examples 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) .  .  .  .  .  1:26 - Our Bookish Moments of the Week 1:48 - All the Colors of the Dark by Chris Whitaker 1:50 - The Guncle Abroad by Steven Rowley 3:15 - Sipsworth by Simon Van Booy 6:35 - The Outsiders by S.E Hinton 8:44 - Our Current Reads 8:54 - Draco Malfoy and the Mortifying Ordeal of Being in Love by isthisselfcare (Kaytee) 9:11 - Season 6, Episode 25 w/Knox and Jamie 14:07 - Here Goes Nothing by Steve Toltz (Meredith) 15:16 - Foyles UK 16:08 - The Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz 19:05 - Annie Bot by Sierra Greer (Kaytee) 19:18 - Libro.fm 21:57 - Article About AI Friends 25:10 - The Legacy by Yrsa Sigurdardottir (Meredith) 26:32 - I Remember You by Yrsa Sigurdardottir 29:53 - Breathless by Amy McCulloch (Kaytee) 34:10 - Gentleman Jim by Mimi Matthews (Meredith) 35:55 - The Princess Bride by William Goldman 36:25 - The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews 38:49 - The Most Unputdownable Books 42:03 - Mouth to Mouth by Antoine Wilson 42:15 - Remarkably Bright Creatures by Shelby Van Pelt 43:39 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 43:51 - The Rook by Daniel O'Malley 44:17 - A Curse So Dark and Lonely by Brigid Kemmerer 45:35 - Confessions by Kenae Minato 45:48 - Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir 45:50 - Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty 45:56 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 46:17 - Cover Story by Susan Rigetti 47:18 - No Two Persons by Erica Bauermeister 47:37 - Kaytee mentions Adenrele Ojo being a Recorded Books copyright narrator but it is actually Simon and Schuster! 48:06 - The Overnight Guest by Heather Gudenkauf 48:34 - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 48:51 - The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas 49:27 - Drowning by T.J. Newman 49:28 - Falling by T.J. Newman 49:41 - Bird Box by Josh Malerman 49:44 - Fierce Kingdom by Gin Phillips 49:52 - Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell 50:31 - Shell Seekers by Rosamunde Pilcher 51:49 - Check Please! by Ngozi Ukazu 51:51 - Heartsopper by Alice Oseman 51:58 - March: Book One by John Lewis 53:00 - El Deafo by Cece Bell 54:16 - Meet Us At The Fountain 54:24 - I wish more people would give graphic novels a chance. (Kaytee) 55:35 - Currently Reading Patreon 56:28 - I wish I could collect Precious Moments dolls committing all kinds of murder. (Meredith) 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. May's IPL comes to us from Commonplace Books in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. All Things Murderful with Meredith and Elizabeth - special content for the scary-lovers, brought to you with the special insights of an independent bookseller 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 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!

Rocket Scientist Erika Nesvold and I talk about Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow all while she answers some of my dumb space questions. We touch on mining astroids, prison and capitalism in space, and whether we should even settle space? The Sparrow: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=the+sparrow+book&crid=27WWOJ6JYAAQH&sprefix=the+sparrow+book%2Caps%2C163&ref=nb_sb_noss_1

This month we read Mary Doria Russell's divisive novel The Sparrow. It's got a bit of everything - Jesuits, space travel, food, friendship, sexual assault, victim-blaming, and child murder. Amy is DM. Did we mention trigger warning? Yikes! CW/TW: see description above, and it's really serious so skip this one if you need to! We like you! By the way, we did a LOT of chatting at the top of this one, so skip to about the 12 minute mark if you want to get straight into the book discussion.

Have you ever wandered into a bookstore and felt immediately at home? Valerie Koehler, the warm and spirited owner of Blue Willow Bookshop, invites us into her literary world, where every shelf has a story. Our conversation takes us down the winding path that led her to the helm of this cherished local haven. She opens up about the shop's thoughtful inception, the significance behind its enchanting name, and the cultivated team of diverse readers who breathe life into its walls. It's a tale of how a bookstore can become the heart of a community, offering personalized recommendations that resonate with every visitor's quest for their next great read.The landscape of literature and learning faces new challenges, and they hit close to home for book enthusiasts in Texas. In a heartfelt discussion, Valerie sheds light on the contentious bill, HB 900, threatening the freedom of libraries and bookstores, stirring a mix of concern and defiance within the literary community. With a bill that casts a shadow of vagueness over what constitutes "sexually explicit" content, we reflect on the potential chilling effect on independent bookshops, the importance of preserving libraries as sanctuaries for young minds, and the irony of books being scrutinized more heavily than the vast digital world at our fingertips.Adaptability has become the hallmark of indie bookshops in recent times, and Blue Willow Bookshop is no exception. As we wrap up our chat, Valerie shares how the shop has embraced the challenge, shifting from bustling in-person events to the expansive realm of virtual gatherings. It's an ode to the resilience and innovation of these cultural keystones, ensuring that the joy of new releases and the intimacy of author interactions remain undiminished. We celebrate the inclusiveness of virtual participation and the continued commitment to fostering literary connections, making every episode a tribute to the indie bookstores that form the rich tapestry of our communities. Blue Willow BookshopThe Sparrow, Mary Doria RussellWhy I Love Indie Bookshops, Mandy Jackson-BeverlyHB 900That's Not My Name, Megan LallyThe Underground Library, Jennifer Ryan Support the showThe Bookshop PodcastMandy Jackson-BeverlySocial Media Links

This episode features The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. Discussion of the book starts at the 9th minute. Spoilers are between the 46 – 1:45 minute marks. We spend a lot of time prespoilers talking about our large cast of characters as well as how Russell balanced the book between past and present. In spoilers we talk more about the world building of Rakhat as well as Emilio's experience there and his relationship with God. We finish with our usual segments. Enjoy! 

[…] ivre morte de joie pour cette 21ème saison dilatée comme jamais, la Salle 101 reprend de plus belle, la preuve : La peste du léopard vert, brûlante nouveauté de Walter John Williams, Le moineau de dieu, vieillerie jolie de Mary Doria Russell. Les naufragés du Wager, roman coupe-faim de David Grann. N’est-ce pas ouf […]

Hear about American labor struggles from the early 1900s to now, from New York to Montana and beyond, in a variety of books suggested by Cheryl McKeon of the Book House of Stuyvesant Paza. Selections discussed: "Nickel & Dimed: On (Not) Getting By in America" (Barbara Ehrenreich, non-fiction, 2001); "Uprising" (novel about Triangle Shirt Factory fire; Margaret Peterson Haddix, 2007); "Working 9 to 5: A Women's Movement, a Labor Union, and the Iconic Movie (Ellen Cassedy, 2022); "Gilded Mountain: A Novel" (Kate Manning, 2022); "The Women of the Copper Country" (Mary Doria Russell, 2020); "The Four Winds" (novel, Kristin Hannah, 2021); "The Whistling Season" (Ivan Doig, 2016); "Somebody's Fool" (novel, Richard Russo, 2023), and "Click, Clack, Moo: Cows that Type" (a children's book about farm animals striking for better conditions! by Doreen Cronin, 2000). For more details, visit the Book House in Stuyvesant Plaza, Market Block Books in Troy, or www.bhny.com. Produced by Brea Barthel for Hudson Mohawk Magazine.

It's that time again…the books we're looking forward to the most publishing September through February! Books and other media mentioned in this episode: Ann's picks: Reykjavík by Ragnar Jónasson and Katrín Jakobsdottír (releases September 5) (buy from Bookshop) – Arnaldur Indriðason books – Parnassus Books – Ann Patchett books – Independent People by Halldór Laxness (buy from Bookshop) Black Sheep by Rachel Harrison (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – Cackle by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) – The Return by Rachel Harrison (buy from Bookshop) Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot (releases September 19) (buy from Bookshop) – The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story by Nikole Hannah-Jones (buy from Bookshop) Last to Leave the Room by Caitlin Starling (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – The Death of Jane Lawrence by Caitlin Starling (buy from Bookshop) Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (releases November 7) (buy from Bookshop) – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree (buy from Bookshop) The Excitements by C.J. Wray (releases January 30) (buy from Bookshop) – The Rose Code by Kate Quinn (buy from Bookshop) – Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn (buy from Bookshop) The Warm Hands of Ghosts by Katherine Arden (releases February 13) (buy from Bookshop) – The Bear and the Nightingale by Katherine Arden (buy from Bookshop) The Kamowaga Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai (releases February 13) (buy from Bookshop) – Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (buy from Bookshop) Halle's picks: The Christmas Orphans Club by Becca Freeman (releases September 26) (buy from Bookshop) – Bad on Paper (podcast) The Fragile Threads of Power by V.E. Schwab (releases September 26) (buy from Bookshop) – The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab (buy from Bookshop) – Shades of Magic series by V.E. Schwab Family Meal by Bryan Washington (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – Memorial by Bryan Washington (buy from Bookshop) – Lot by Bryan Washington (buy from Bookshop) – Bryan Washington at New York Times Cooking The Leftover Woman by Jean Kwok (releases October 10) (buy from Bookshop) – Little Fires Everywhere by Celeste Ng (buy from Bookshop) – Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (buy from Bookshop) Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros (releases November 7) (buy from Bookshop) – Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros (buy from Bookshop) – A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas – The Hunger Games series by Suzanne Collins The Bride Bet by Tessa Dare (releases January 15) (buy from Bookshop) – Girl Meets Duke series by Tessa Dare Come and Get It by Kiley Reid (releases January 9) (buy from Bookshop) Bride by Ali Hazelwood (releases February 6) (buy from Bookshop) – Love Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood (buy from Bookshop) What We're Reading This Week: Ann:  Ascension by Nicholas Binge (buy from Bookshop) – Annihilation by Jeff VanderMeer (buy from Bookshop) – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (buy from Bookshop) Halle: Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) – The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) – With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo (buy from Bookshop) Well-Read on Facebook Well-Read on Twitter Well-Read on Instagram Well-Read on Bookshop

I 2019 opfanger menneskeheden signaler fra Alpha Centauri. Det er lyden af en overjordisk musik. "The Sparrow" udforsker dybtgående spørgsmål om tro og tvivl i en helt særlig first contact historie. Indlægget Ep. 108: Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow blev først udgivet på SCIFI SNAK.

“Take heart, daughter; your faith has made you well” (Mt. 9). Genesis 12:1-9                                    Psalm 33:1-12 Rome 4:13-25 Matthew 9:9-13, 18-26 1. What is faith? This may be the most important question of our time. This week the indictment of our former president reminds us how questions of trust underlie every human relationship and institution. [i] In 1996 Mary Doria Russell published a science fiction novel called The Sparrow. It imagines a near future in 2019 when the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) program at the Arecibo Observatory discovers sung music coming from near Alpha Centauri. Jesuit priests led by the linguistics scholar Father Emilio Sandoz organize a mission to that world. They travel to Rakhat via newly invented technologies developed from mining asteroids. With the turn of a page it is suddenly the year 2060. Sandoz seems to be the only survivor and returns to earth. Damaged physically, psychologically and spiritually he tries to answer his superior's accusations. The reader experiences the story in parallel in two temporal settings both as Sandoz and his friends encounter a whole new form of human-like life, and much later as he explains what went wrong. It is an anthropological pleasure to imagine the language and society of the inhabitants of Rakhat. One almost wants to stop reading there before the inevitable disaster. Emilio Sandoz grew up surrounded by drug crime in Puerto Rico and first began to be educated by the Jesuits as a teenager. He has always struggled with doubt. As the story unfolds he begins to see the circumstances that brought the team together as more than a coincidence. As he finds his place among the far more social, even herdlike, inhabitants of Rakhat they physically touch him and he discovers a new conviction about God, a kind of ecstasy that fulfills him. This makes his disappointment so much worse when through his actions everything falls apart and he causes the death of his old friends and new ones. Near the end of the story two priests talk about Sandoz's struggle with faith. The Father General says, “There's an old Jewish story that says in the beginning God was everywhere and everything, a totality. But to make creation God had to remove Himself from some part of the universe, so something besides Himself could exist. So he breathed in, and in the places where God withdrew, there creation exists.” “'So God just leaves?' John asked, angry where Emilio had been desolate. ‘Abandons creation?' ‘No. He watches. He rejoices. He weeps. He observes the moral drama of human life and gives meaning to it by caring passionately about us, and remembering.' ‘Matthew 10:29… “Not one sparrow can fall to the ground without your Father knowing it.' ‘But the sparrow still falls.'” [ii] These are two different pictures of faith. First, as a kind of disposition which is a grateful response to good things in our life. This attitude is nonetheless vulnerable to suffering that leaves us wondering whether the good outbalances the pain. Or second, faith can be regarded as the knowledge of a silent watcher, a loving but invisible companion who is with us, but constrained in the help that can be provided. 2. If someone asked us to describe our faith we might say something like that. But today Matthew offers a very different and surprising kind of answer to the question “what is faith.” My friend Matt Boulton likes to describe the Christian year as divided in half. There are six months of holidays from Advent through Epiphany, Lent and Easter. Then six months of ordinary time which begins now. He says this rhythm is like inhaling and exhaling or like the tide coming in and going out again. Ordinary, does not mean commonplace, it means ordinal as in part of a series. In this case it means a series of episodes from the Bible that teach us how to live and give us a framework for interpreting our experience. [iii] The first eight chapters of the Gospel of Matthew describe Jesus' birth, his later baptism, temptation in the wilderness, the calling of his followers (the fisherman on the sea of Galilee), then his first sermon and stories of healing. In chapter nine Jesus invites the one who seems to be the last of the twelve disciples, a tax collector named Matthew. Imagine Matthew's daily life charging taxes on goods going to market. The author of the gospel uses the word tax collector as a synonym for sinner. People hate tax collectors for three reasons. First, taxes were cripplingly high. Second, these taxes were levied by, and to pay, an occupying army that punished and crucified the local people. Tax collectors are collaborators in this oppression. Finally, tax collectors extorted more money than required and did this for the sake of enriching themselves. Jesus immediately befriends and shares a meal with Matthew and “many tax collectors and sinners” (Mt. 9). I wonder what the other disciples thought about this. The pharisees, a group seeking to purify the religion of the time, deride Jesus for the company he keeps. Jesus does not make the argument that these people are not really sinners. Instead he says that like a physician he has come not to heal the healthy but the sick. The first readers of this story would know about the purity rules in the books of Leviticus and Numbers in the Old Testament. It says that menstruating women were regarded as unclean and corpses were too. Anyone and anything, including furniture like beds or chairs, that a bleeding woman touched would also become unclean. [iv] Jesus in the very act of responding to criticisms of the sinners attracted to him, is interrupted by a leader of the synagogue. This man kneels before him and begs for him to heal his daughter saying, “lay your hand on her, and she will live” (Mt. 9). As Jesus  goes with all of his disciples following him a woman touches his clothes. It's amazing that there are words spoken in the Bible that we still use today. Haimorreow is our word for hemorrhage and means to bleed. For twelve years this woman has been bleeding. For twelve years she has been unclean, isolated and literally untouchable. We hear a little of her internal dialogue. She says to herself, “If only I touch his cloak, I will be made well” (Mt. 9). The word for “made well” is sōzō related to the word sōtēr for savior. It does not just mean to be physically healed. It means to save, preserve, heal or rescue. Imagine the drama of this situation. An unclean woman goes through a crowd surrounding a great and holy teacher without permission, past his disciples, through the law that forbids it, and in effect desecrates him. The disciples must have been stunned and wondered what Jesus would say. Jesus does not rebuke her or criticize her actions. He loves her. He commends her boldness. Not only that but rather than taking credit for his healing power, he emphasizes her role in this miraculous healing. He says, “Take heart daughter, your faith has made you well” (Mt. 9). When Jesus arrives at the synagogue leader's house everyone knows that touching a dead body makes you unclean. But Jesus takes her by the hand and she gets up. The tax collector, the hemorrhaging woman and the synagogue leader come from entirely different stations of life but they teach us that faith is boldness. It is the conviction that our more daring efforts will be met by a loving God. During Pride Month it is especially important to linger for a moment here. We also need to recognize the way that Jesus interprets scripture. Jesus is not a prisoner to a simplistic and literalist reading of ancient texts. Jesus uses one text, “I desire mercy not sacrifice” (Hosea 6:6) to interpret other texts, for instance those having to do with sinners, menstruating women and corpses. In our time we need to be more diligent in reading the Bible in ways that nurture and love LGBTQ+ and all people. So for Matthew faith means more than just gratitude for the goodness of our existence. It refers to more than just a silent but compassionate watcher in our lives. Faith is a boldness in trusting God even when we cannot perfectly understand what is happening to us. The theologian Karl Barth (1886-1968) writes, “This is Abraham's faith: Faith which, in hope against hope, steps out beyond human capacity across the chasm which separates God and man, beyond the visibility of the seen and the invisibility of the unseen, beyond subjective and objective possibility… to the place where he is supported only by the Word of God.” [v] This week I received a letter from a dear friend who has been going through four terrible family tragedies this year. During the last of these tragedies he describes time moving so slowly, that his mind became his own worst enemy. He writes about being unable to pray, about screaming a bad word at the top of his lungs when he was home or in the car alone. He says that because he has faith in God, Jesus, the church he kept coming to this place, even though it brought up a tidal wave of feeling and grief. But then he heard a setting of “Ave Maria” sung by a visiting choir. He began stopping by “Our Lady of Flowers” the photographic image of Mary, and for instant had a kind of vision in which Mary held his family member on her lap. Then in a sermon he was reminded about a dream that the Medieval mystic Julian of Norwich had. In it she held a hazelnut in her hand which represented everything God had created. She worried about its destruction. But God reassured her saying that he would draw all things to himself. My friend concluded saying, “Mary seems to be my path back to mending my relationship with God.” What is faith? This may be the most important question of our time. May there always be the faith of gratitude for our existence. May we begin to experience God as the quiet, compassionate witness to our life. But above all, my dear ones, let us be audacious and bold in the places where we are supported only by the Word of God. In the beginning God was everywhere and everything. Lay your hand on us and we will live. Take heart daughter your faith has made you well. [i] Answers surround us about faith and trustworthiness, in the Senate, newspapers, laboratories and our closest relationships. In his book Faith on Earth Richard R. Niebuhr studies Luke's question “When the Son of Man comes will he find faith on earth.” Will human life end when no one can any longer be expected to keep their word? https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/10/world/australia/trump-indictment-world-reactions.html [ii] Mary Doria Russell, The Sparrow (NY: Villard, 1996) 478. [iii] Matthew Boulton, “Go: SALT's Commentary for the Second Sunday after Pentecost,” SALT 5 June 2023. https://www.saltproject.org/progressive-christian-blog/2023/6/3/go-salts-commentary-on-second-sunday-after-pentecost [iv] Leviticus 12:1-8; 15:19-30 and Numbers 19:11-13. [v] Karl Barth, The Epistle to the Romans translated from the sixth edition by Edwyn C. Hoskins (NY: Oxford University Press, 1975) 142.

In "The Sparrow" by Mary Doria Russell, life is discovered on an alien planet, and the first humans to arrive are... Jesuits. The book explores the terrifying consequences of missionaries on a new world, who are there for good reasons--with good intentions--but don't know what they've got themselves into. Richard Amiro joins to discuss.   SUPPORT THE SHOW! www.patreon.com/alienating   BOOK RECOMMENDATIONS: www.mightyheaton.com/goodscifi

Science fiction and fantasy author Anthony W. Eichenlaub joins me in an in-depth discussion on the writing craft and writing life in Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick episode 081. Anthony W. Eichenlaub is the author of a wide range of science fiction and fantasy. His novels are a hodgepodge of cyberpunk westerns, space opera, and technothrillers. His short stories have appeared in numerous publications, including Daily Science Fiction, Little Blue Marble, and On-Spec Magazine. Anthony is a member and volunteer with SFWA, a member of the Rochester Writers Group, and a teaching artist at the Loft Literary Center. In his spare time, he enjoys landscaping, woodworking, and long walks with his lazy dog. Anthony has been writing for nearly twenty years, and he brings that expertise and experience to our conversation as we discuss... Beginning writing as an adult The influence of role playing games on fiction Story structure and "the dreaded middle" Marketing, goals, and planning Teaching Growing and developing as a writer and author ...and a whole lot more. This episode was recorded on April 26th, 2023. The conversation with Anthony W. Eichenlaub was recorded on January 24th, 2023. Links and Topics Mentioned in This Episode My day job? I'm a creative services provider helping authors, podcasters and other creators. How can I help you? My first novel, Brave Men Run, comes up as an example of a first book performing better than later works. I mention one of my favorite James Baldwin quotes. I recommend The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. Anthony makes pens! There are pen-making kits you can use with a bit of woodturning / woodworking skill. Anthony was inspired to write fiction after leading fantasy role playing gaming sessions. He's far from the first author similarly driven! Books2Read is a service for authors that provides a "links page" to various online marketplaces. BookFunnel is an author marketing service that connects readers to authors via mailing list newsletter exchanges, among other methods. Humble Bundle offers collections of books, games, software, and other goodies for greatly reduced prices, with a portion of sales going to charity. Story Bundle is similar to Humble Bundle, with a focus on collections of books curated by authors, editors, and publishers. You probably know about Patreon -- it's what I use to run my Multiversalists member community -- but did you know co-founder Jack Conte and his partner Nataly Dawn have a cool band called Pomplamoose? When this episode was recorded, Anthony was working on a noir book, and so he was reading classic noir fiction authors like Raymond Chandler. Similarly, when I was preparing to write my literary fantasy novel Light of the Outsider, I read Theodore Sturgeon, Philip Roth, and Ursula K. Le Guin to get a particular tone and lyricism in my head. Maybe you would like to be a future guest on Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick? Learn more! Big thanks to my Multiversalists patron community, including Amelia Bowen, Ted Leonhardt, Chuck Anderson, and J. C. Hutchins! This episode took thirteen hours and forty-nine minutes to record, edit, produce, and publish, so I'm incredibly grateful for the support of my patrons. If Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick brings you joy, become a patron! The Multiversalists patron member community receives the uncut, unedited version of every episode. For this episode, patrons get almost forty five minutes of additional content! Want in on that? Become a patron for at least $5.00 per month (cancel any time) and get a bunch of other perks and special access, too. Every month the member community has at least twenty members, I will donate 10% of net patron revenue to 826 National in support of literacy and creative writing advocacy for children. Let's go! Love Sonitotum with Matthew Wayne Selznick and have the desire and means to make a one-time donation in support of the show? Donate via PayPal or leave a tip via Ko-Fi, with my grateful thanks.

En el programa de hoy os traigo cuatro lecturas de lo más variadas, cuatro novelas de género que harán las delicias de cualquier aficionado al género que busque algo diferente. Las cuatro elegidas han sido: -Devoradores de cadáveres de Michael Crichton -Jonathan Strange y el Sr. Norrell de Susanna Clarke -El hombre que cayó a la Tierra de Walter Tevis -Rakhat, la última misión de la compañia de Mary Doria Russell. Confío en que disfrutéis el programa y os animéis a darle una oportunidad ¡Con suerte conseguiremos que Rakhat vuelva a estar en las librerías! Si queréis que haga algún programa dedicado a un autor, a un género o formato en particular, no dudéis en dejar vuestras sugerencias en la caja de comentarios de Ivoox o en nuestras redes sociales. Si os ha gustado el programa, hacédnoslo saber en la caja de comentarios o a través de nuestras redes sociales en: - Julio Bernad: @Hugodevries11 - Chechu Rincón: @TxeRincon Recordad que también tenemos un canal de Twitch en el que retransmitimos en directo -o lo intentamos- todos los domingos a las 18:00.

Courtesy of Harper Collins 'Epitaph' by Mary Doria Russell Everyone's heard the story of the shootout at the O.K. Corral. It's been immortalized in over 40 feature films and written about in 1,000 books. But Mary Doria Russell refused to accept the story as we know it. Her 2015 novel novel digs for truth in the conflict that made Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday household names. While researching “Epitaph,” Russell tracked down diaries, census records and first-hand accounts of the O.K. Corral shootout. “It has been simplified and scrubbed up and changed and ultimately you have fiction based on fiction based on fiction,” Russell told host Kerri Miller. “What I was trying to do was get back to the real people, peel away the mythology, find the core of historical truth and work with that instead of just accepting the way it had been portrayed in movies for years." It's a fascinating conversation from our archives, one that we hope will whet your appetite for another book that dives into the true story of the American West. This Friday on Big Books and Bold Ideas, Miller talks with Katie Hickman, whose new book “Brave Hearted” tells tales of women of the American West. Guest: Mary Doria Russell is an award-winning author of seven bestselling novels, including two novels about the West, “Doc” and “Epitaph.” To listen to the full conversation you can use the audio player above.  Subscribe to the MPR News with Kerri Miller podcast on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or RSS. Subscribe to the Thread newsletter for the latest book and author news and must-read recommendations. 

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Meredith and Kaytee are revisiting the very first Top 10 episode we ever aired. We've grown a lot as podcasters since then and our tastes have changed some, so it was a fun trip down memory lane. We hope this episode stocks your TBRs with books that are ALL backlist now, and easy to grab from the library! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . 3:10 - Currently Reading Patreon 4:12 - Deep Dive: Our Best Books of 2018 5:33 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 7:03 - The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne 8:56 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 9:39 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 10:50 -  The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 11:36 -  The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast 11:47 - CR Season 1: Episode 7 11:53 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 13:02 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown 14:04 - Educated by Tara Westover 14:58 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 17:05 - Circe by Madeline Miller 18:02 - CR Season 1: Episode 10 18:52 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle 19:59 - Calypso by David Sedaris 21:26 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 21:31 - CR Season 1: Episode 3 22:04 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 23:07 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 24:20 - CR Season 1: Episode 18 24:22 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 26:11 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 26:19 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 29:04 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 31:15 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 31:20 - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 32:12 - Us Against You by Fredrik Backman 32:16 - Beartown by Fredrik Backman 32:24 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman 35:07 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman 35:08 - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She's Sorry by Fredrik Backman 40:58 - CR Season 1: Episode 17 Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

Many healthcare startups are launched each year and it isn't easy to get traction.  When a company does thrive in this complex industry, you know it has a solid value proposition and Omada Health has just that. Omada Health began almost 12 years ago with a focus exclusively on pre-diabetes. They wanted to get ahead of the problem by helping individuals make lifestyle changes that would help keep them from becoming a diabetic.   Omada health has since expanded into a platform that offers coaching for diabetes – including prevention, hypertension and MSK. Omada Health is a trusted platform for employers and health plans alike.   With me is Sean Duffy, Co-founder and CEO of Omada Health and he will share how Omada Health has transformed into a healthcare platform and how they have had staying power in the business.   Favorite Books:  The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell; The Martian by Andy Weir; Principles for Dealing with the Changing World Order by Ray Dalio; The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Sovereign Profession and the Making of a Vast Industry by Paul Starr.

On this week's episode of Currently Reading, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: travel reading and two great bookish podcast episodes Current Reads: buzzy books, sci-fi, and plenty of murder Deep Dive: book covers that enhanced our reading experience The Fountain: we visit our perfect fountain to make wishes about our reading lives As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you'd like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don't scroll down!  We are now including transcripts of the episode (this link only works on the main site). The goal here is to increase accessibility for our fans! *Please note that all book titles linked below are Bookshop affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. If you'd prefer to shop on Amazon, you can still do so here through our main storefront. Anything you buy there (even your laundry detergent, if you recently got obsessed with switching up your laundry game) kicks a small amount back to us. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . Season 5, Episode 17 1:34 - Bookish Moment of the Week 1:57 - Kaytee's noise canceling headphones 4:32 - Episode 126 of Sarah's Bookshelves Live 5:26 - Planet Money: The E-Book Wars 6:52 - Current Reads 7:17 - A Rover's Story by Jasmine Warga (Kaytee) 8:21 - The Martian by Andy Weir 8:25 - The Martian; Classroom Edition by Andy Weir 9:15 - All Systems Red by Martha Wells (Murderbot #1) 10:25 - Peril at End House by Agatha Christie (Meredith) 15:55 - The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull (Kaytee) 17:48 - Brilliant Books  18:26 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 18:57 - The Harbor by Katrine Engberg (Meredith) 20:11 - The Tenant by Katrine Engberg 20:12 - The Butterfly House by Katrine Engberg 22:36 - The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen 23:38 - Thank You for LIstening by Julia Whelan (Kaytee) 26:53 - Episode 81 of Sarah's Bookshelves Live w/Julia Whelan 26:53 - Episode 340 of What Should I Read Next w/Julia Whelan 27:17 - The Family Game by Catherine Steadman (Meredith) 29:19 - Something in the Water by Catherine Steadman 30:00 - A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny (Three Pines #4) 31:32 - The Nest by Cynthis D'aprix Sweeney 31:33 - The Heirs by Susan Reiger  32:20 - Book Covers that Enhanced Our Reading Experience 32:59 - The Family Game by Catherine Steadman 34:40 - Winterhouse by Ben Guterson 36:09 - The Last Cuentista by Donna Barba Higuera 37:18 - White Smoke by Tiffany D. Jackson 39:02 - Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz 39:22 - Matrix by Lauren Groff 40:47 - How High We Go in the Dark by Sequoia Nagamatsu 41:54 - Last Smile in Sunder City by Luke Elliott Arnold  42:54 - An Immense World by Ed Yong 43:53 - Blackwell's UK 44:39 - Meet Us At The Fountain I wish for suggestions on perfect holiday romance reading. (Kaytee) Email Kaytee at currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com or DM her at @notesonbookmarks with your holiday romances!  I wish those who enjoy it would sink into puzzles and audiobooks this season. (Meredith) 47:00 - HH Holmes Murde Castle Puzzle 47:06 - The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram Roxanna is @roxannatheplanner on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com Support us at patreon.com/currentlyreadingpodcast and www.zazzle.com/store/currentlyreading

This week, we visit the stars above! We read The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell this episode of Required Reading. In a remarkable piece of Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Anthropology and Catholicism, the Sparrow is a story of triumphs and trials and it is all the more incredible for doing so.  As we have done all season, I will be sharing the next book. In October we will be covering a classic horror tale and it's modern retelling. We start with a reading of Frankenstein by Mary Shelley followed by Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton.  Please continue to share and review! Also, if you are interested, follow me on Good Reads and follow us on Twitter @required_pod

This week we read the most recent piece of fiction yet! With the plot hinging on 9/11, we read Jonathan Foer's Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close. We cover this non-traditional narrative and get to the bottom of a key in a vase.  We thank you for following us! In an effort to keep you reading, next week we will cover The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, a sci-fi novel about Jesuits, space travel and music.  Host: Nic Hoffmann Co-Hosts: Mike Burns, Mike Carroll  

The UP Notable Book Club presents author Mary Doria Russell speaking about her book "The Women of the Copper Country". Widely praised for her meticulous research, fine prose, and compelling narrative drive, Mary Doria Russell is the New York Times bestselling and award-winning author of The Sparrow, Children of God, A Thread of Grace, Dreamers of the Day, Doc, and Epitaph. Dr. Russell holds a PhD in biological anthropology. She lives in Lyndhurst, Ohio. In July 1913, twenty-five-year-old Annie Clements has seen enough of the world to know that it's unfair. She's spent her whole life in the mining town of Calumet, Michigan, where men risk their lives for meager salaries—and have barely enough to put food on the table for their families. The women labor in the houses of the elite, and send their husbands and sons deep underground each day, dreading the fateful call of the company man telling them their loved ones aren't coming home. So, when Annie decides to stand up for the entire town of Calumet, nearly everyone believes she may have taken on more than she is prepared to handle. Yet as Annie struggles to improve the future of her town, her husband becomes increasingly frustrated with her growing independence. She faces the threat of prison while also discovering a forbidden love. On her fierce quest for justice, Annie will see just how much she is willing to sacrifice for the families of Calumet.

When Mary Doria Russell stumbled upon an old photograph of a woman leading a union demonstration in Michigan's upper peninsula, her curiosity led to the creation of her last novel. Russell talks about how The Women of the Copper Country began and what she learned during the writing process. Learn more about Mary Doria Russell and The Women of the Copper Country here: https://marydoriarussell.net/ (https://marydoriarussell.net/) LIMElight with Jessie is part of the WGRT 102.3 FM Podcast Network. For the latest episodes of all of our featured podcasts, visit our website here: https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm/ (https://wgrt-1023-fm-podcast-network.captivate.fm) WGRT's LIMElight with Jessie is produced by the following team members: Executive Producer: Jessie Wiegand Audio Engineer: George James Administrator: Jessie Wiegand Marketing: Jessie Wiegand Follow Jessie on Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/wgrt_jessie/ (https://www.instagram.com/wgrt_jessie/)

This episode finds Branan tired and new father Anson unexpectedly well-rested. Discussed in this episode: SEVERANCE, GIRLS Vs. GANGSTERS AND MIKE TYSON (!), Joel Coen's THE TRAGEDY OF MACBETH as reviewed by Ethan Coen,  Octavia Butler's  WILD SEED, THE SPARROW by Mary Doria Russell, A delinquent dancing cactus, wisdom from Sterling Hayden, Anson's worst moment as an actor, and a giant and expensive rebar chicken, and more!

Some would say that an ancient faith like Christianity won't survive outer space -- especially as we explore further than we ever have before. This episode is sponsored by Zondervan's new book 'The Theology of Paul and His Letters' by Douglas J Moo. COMPETITION!Go to Apple Podcasts, write a review of Undeceptions, send us a screenshot of what you wrote, and we have a free hardcover copy of John Dickson's new book Bullies and Saints for the 5 best-written reviews. Extra points for using the Oxford comma! Details in the shownotes for this episode.To WIN, all you have to do is leave us a review on Apple Podcasts (what used to be called iTunes), take a pic of the review and send it to us. Producer Kaley will pick the 5 best-written reviews in the next few weeks. LINKS Want more Space stats (so you can be more like Director Mark)? Click here. Here's some more about becoming an astronaut and the US Military Academy at West Point. Jeff Williams said he was inspired to become an astronaut after reading Tom Wolfe's book The Right Stuff.  Here's something fun: Captain Kirk (aka William Shatner) went to the "edge of space" on Jeff Bezos' Blue Origin rocket.  Jeff Williams went to space for the first time in NASA Space Shuttle Atlantis, which is now as exhibit at the Kennedy Space Centre. You can also watch the final Atlantis flight to the International Space Station here. Read more about the 5000-year-old rock paintings in Karkom, southern Israel. What's an Exoplanet? All our science fiction references:  Interstellar (2014) Arrival (2016) Stephen Hawking's first extinction prediction (1000 years), as reported by The Washington Post.  Annnd.... Stephen Hawking's updated prediction: He gave humans a deadline of 100 years to leave earth. Read more about Elon Musk's grand space plans in this Australian Broadcasting Corporation story, Launching Starship: Inside Elon Musk's plan to perfect the rocket to take humanity to Mars.Also this from Futurism: When will the first human leave the Solar System?  Deborah Haarsma enjoyed The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, a novel that traces the fate of the first manned expedition to the stars. Here's a NYT review of the book from 1996. We quote CS Lewis from the first book of his acclaimed Space Trilogy, Out of the Silent Planet .  “We are not fit yet to visit other worlds. We have filled our own with massacre, torture, syphilis, famine, dust bowls and with all that is hideous to ear or eye. Must we go on to infect new realms?” And this other CS Lewis quote from his 1963 essay "We might meet a species which, like us, needed Redemption but had not been given it. But would this fundamentally be more of a difficulty than any Christian's first meeting with a new tribe of savages? It would be our duty to preach the Gospel to them. For if they are rational, capable both of sin and repentance, they are our brethren, whatever they look like.” "Space exploration leads directly to religious and philosophical questions" – Carl Sagan from this BBC article. Here's some of that Kremlin propaganda against religion, depicting Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin in space with the words "There is no God". Buzz Aldrin took communion in space and, on his return journey from the moon to the earth on Apollo 11, read aloud the words of Psalm 8: “When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained; What is man that thou art mindful of him? And the Son of Man, that thou visitest Him?"  Aldrin said later that NASA had asked him not to read the Bible passage, with the agency still reeling from a lawsuit (that was ultimately dismissed) brought by atheist activist Madalyn Murray O'Hair had claimed that a broadcast of astronauts reading from the Book of Genesis during the Apollo 8 mission violated the separation of church and state.

After a short summer break, Seth and Tsh are back! To kick off another season, they talk about many vs few: why does it matter how many people we follow online, friends we stay connected with, names we know, or celebrities we keep up with? Turns out there's some anthropological science to the overwhelm we feel when we keep track of thousands of people online yet don't know our neighbor's name across the street. Perhaps this isn't how we're designed to live? Seth: Newsletter | Website Tsh: Newsletter | Website Pick up a round of drinks & help keep the show going Come to Italy with us! Orgain protein powder Dunbar's Number: Why My Theory That Humans Can Only Maintain 150 Friendships Has Withstood 30 Years of Scrutiny, by Robin Dunbar Bear Grease Podcast 1,000 True Fans, by Kevin Kelly Brideshead Revisited, by Evelyn Waugh Start With Why, by Simon Sinek The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell

Hello, Should-Heads! We're back with a longer than usual episode (and a fourth host!) and we have a lot to talk about. It's a book club episode and there are spoilers, but we talk about faith and doubt, purpose, colonialism, the rush to judgment, the perils of re-reading a favorite book and much, much more.  Discussion links:https://www.themarysue.com/romance-writers-of-america-racism-religion/  https://www.npr.org/2021/08/05/1025195204/romance-writers-of-america-was-doing-better-with-race-until-a-recent-award-choic Bekki's bag: https://www.instagram.com/p/CSTPV39Nre3/  Currently Reading: Bekki: Black Sun (Rebecca Roanhorse), The Scarlet Pimpernel (Emmuska Orczy), Not the Girl You Marry (Andie Christopher) and Legendborn (Tracy Deonn)Julia: Apples Never Fall (Liane Moriarty) and The Book of Longings (Sue Monk Kidd) Kelly: Conversations With Friends (Sally Rooney) Rachael: Apples Never Fall (Liane Moriarty) Recent Acquisitions:Bekki: The world's cutest bag that looks like a retro phone AND IT WORKS, What Abigail Did That Summer (Ben Aaronovitch), Klara and the Sun (Kazuo Ishiguro), The Windsor Knot (SJ Bennett), The Mad Women's Ball (Victoria Mas), Lote (Shola von Reinhold), The Devil and the Dark Water (Stuart Turton), Hot Under His Collar (Andie Christopher)Julia: Obviously: Stories From My Timeline (Akilah Hughes), Well-Matched (Jen DeLuca), All the Feels (Olivia Dade), The Ex Hex (Erin Sterling) and The End of Men (Christina Sweeney-Baird)Kelly: Billy Summers (Stephen King), The Guilt Trip (Sandie Jones) and Wayfaring Stranger (James Lee Burke)Rachael: Once There Were Wolves (Charlotte McConaghy), The Wild Ones (Nafiza Azad) and The Other Bennet Sister (Janice Hadlow)  Follow Bekki:Twitter: @Ginger_Sister Instagram:  @bekki_the_gingernut/ Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/3325348-bekki-fahrer   Follow What You Should Read: Twitter:                  @wysr_podcast Instagram:                  @wysr_podcast Goodreads:                  https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/115539912-what-you-should-read-podcast YouTube:                  https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCfNtid_b0R14otSPRZTkmQ www.whatyoushouldread.com Get two books for the price of one with a new membership to Libro.fm! Use the promo code WHATYOUSHOULDREAD and get two books for $14.99. Best of all, your indie bookstore will also benefit; just select your favorite bookstore when you sign up.  

Stories about the discovery of mysterious alien artifacts, and the similar challenges of first contact, became prominent in the 70s and 80s. Some of them we have discussed before, but many are new. In this episode, we see an overview of these stories. Book recommendation: Contact by Carl Sagan Other works discussed: Gateway by Frederick Pohl Hyperion by Dan Simmons Stargate Close Encounters of the Third Kind E.T. the Extra-terrestrial The Sparrow and Children of God by Mary Doria Russell

CONTENT WARNING: This episode features a discussion about murder and violence toward women, children and animals. Sexual assault and suicide are also discussed and described. Hi, Should-Heads! We're going to discuss true crime in today's episode. It's been getting increasingly popular over the past few years and has taken over podcasts, Netflix, cable shows, and of course the book world. So...why? Kelly has some theories and some recommendations. Book News:New Cursebreakers book:  https://twitter.com/BrigidKemmerer/status/1414624947553640453?s=20  Currently Reading:Julia: The Book of Longings (Sue Monk Kidd); recently finished Wish You Were Here (Jodi Picoult) Kelly: Under the Whispering Door (TJ Klune); recently finished While We Were Dating (Jasmine Guillory) and Meant to Be: If the Shoe Fits (Julie Murphy) Rachael: The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue (VE Schwab) and Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir); just finished Wish You Were Here (Jodi Picoult) Recent Acquisitions: Julia: While We Were Dating (Jasmine Guillory) and The Rehearsals (Annette Christie)Kelly: Where the Briars Sleep (Emma Beaven), While We Were Dating (Jasmine Guillory), Under the Whispering Door (TJ Klune), When You Get the Chance (Emma Lord), The Rehearsals (Annette Christie), The Therapist (BA Paris), How Sweet It Is (Dylan Newton), Such a Quiet Place (Megan Miranda), The Nobleman's Guide to Scandal and Shipwrecks (Mackenzi Lee) and One True Loves (Elise Bryant)Rachael: Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir) and The One Hundred Years of Lenni and Margot (Marianne Cronin) Books mentioned in the episode:The Stranger Beside Me (Ann Rule)I'll Be Gone in the Dark (Michelle McNamara) and watch the HBO show, tooTo the Bridge (Nancy Rommelman)Chasing Alice (Stephanie Fowler)Gone at Midnight (Jake Anderson)Death on Ocean Boulevard (Caitlin Rother)My Friend Dahmer (Derf Backderf)Killers Keep Secrets (James Huddle)An Unexplained Death (Mikita Brottman)  Follow What You Should Read: Twitter:                 @wysr_podcast Instagram:                 @wysr_podcast Goodreads:                 https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/115539912-what-you-should-read-podcast YouTube:                 https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCfNtid_b0R14otSPRZTkmQ www.whatyoushouldread.com Get two books for the price of one with a new membership to Libro.fm! Use the promo code WHATYOUSHOULDREAD and get two books for $14.99. Best of all, your indie bookstore will also benefit; just select your favorite bookstore when you sign up.  Our next book club will be The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell! We're discussing it in our August 10 episode. 

Show Notes:Intro - On the Needles - Dami - ~NoneC.C. -~Wyatt's Birthday Cowl (Oats Cowl by TinCanKnits) on US8 (5mm), Vidalana by KnitCrate Ambient Worsted in the Michelangelo colourway & Vidalana by KnitCrate Celestial in the Ganymede colourwayFinished Projects - Dami - ~NoneC.C. -~2021 Preemie Hat #26 on US6 (4mm), Lily Sugar'n Cream in the Swimming Pool colourway & Lily Sugar'n Cream in the Squishy Twists colourwayFlosstube - Begins at timestamp 5:56Dami - ~Rose bookmarkProject bag by Fat Cat CreatesNeedle Minder from SewHappyMailBristolSnipattie from cattycrosstitchesC.C. - ~Dreaming Girl by Barbara Ana DesignsProject Bag from The Black Needle Society~Edinburgh Castle by Terra Luna StitcheryUsing Pattern Keeper software on Kindle Fire 7Needle Minder from TopKnotStitcherProject Bag from KnitRunDigGrime Guard from Crab Shack StitcheryBitzy Bob Basic from That's So Kelly Co.Silicone tiesYummies (our current favourite things) - ~Custom Sleeve from Love You More Studios~They/Them pattern from Abby Top Knot StitcherWhat We're Watching, Reading, + Listening To - Please be aware that we do discuss recent tv show episodes that have aired in the last week or so. This is your spoiler warning!Episode 450 Bookshop List~Blood Water Paint by Joy McCullough - Dami is readingApril / May / June 2021 RAL winnersJuly / August / September 2021 RAL - 15 minutes of reading daily challenge* 88-92 of 92 days - 1 or more giveaways for eBook, everyone gets $1.20 off any single pattern coupon code & 88+ days RAL virtual badge* 61-87 of 92 days - 1 or more giveaways for single pattern, everyone gets 61+ days RAL virtual badge* #GGKRAL21* #GGKRAL21~ July / August / September* 92 days - 10 entries* 88-91 days - 8 entries* 61-87 days - 5 entries~ October / November / December* 92 days - 10 entries* 88-91 days - 8 entries* 61-87 days - 5 entries~ Read All 365 days - 10 bonus entries~ Complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2021 Reading Challenge - 12 bonus entries [all or none] (we'll open a thread for you to post this in December 2021)~The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk - C.C. is reading~Untamed by Glennon Doyle - C.C. finished rereading~Becoming Eve: My Journey from Ultra-Orthodox Rabbi to Transgender Woman by Abby Stein - C.C. is reading~A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian - C.C. finished reading~The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - C.C. finished reading~Anne of Manhattan by Brina Starler - C.C. finished reading~Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall - C.C. is reading~Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - watching Season 21 & episodes for That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast~Gilmore Girls - rewatching Season 1 with the I Am All In With Scott Patterson Podcast~Grace and Frankie - finished watching Season 5 & watching Season 6~Queer Eye~Secrets of Great British Castles~My Favourite Murder podcast~Cabin Pressure~Random Spotify PlaylistsJune / July / August Summertime and the Living is Easy AL -*Runs from 1-June through 31-August*Details - any project you knit/crochet/weave/spin/stitch/sew that you can convince us relates to summertime*No WIPS - Your project must be begun no earlier than 1-June and finished no later than 31-August*Each project that you knit/crochet/weave/spin must be at least 20yds/18.3m that you finish and post in the Facebook Group FO Thread counts as 1 entry into the giveaways. If your project is not at least 20yds/18.3m, you need to group it in a single post with other projects that together total at least 20yds/18.3m. For stitching/sewing projects, we'll leave it to your best judgment. If you wanted our official ruling, PM email us at ggkcspodcast@gmail.com*Feel free to poly-dip in other ALs as long as it fits in with other rules*Please complete our Google form in order to help us make sure you are receiving a prize that you'll actually enjoy using.*Prizes: If you'd like to donate one, email us at ggkcspodcast@gmail.comKnitCrate - 2 skeins of 2-ply superwash undyed sock yarn (fingering weight, 399 yd / 365 m, 100g) & Kool-Aid to dye it with - 2 winners will each win 1 setMineville Wool Project Super Sock 80/20 in the 2909-36-4 colourwayI'd Rather Be Buying Cross Stitch WalletCountess Ablaze Braid - Geeks Like Rainbows TooYarn Squad Drawstring Backpack*Must be a member of the our Facebook group ~ GGKCS Podcast / FlossTube to participate*Social Media Hashtag: #GGKCSSummertime21*Thread will be locked the morning of 1-September and winner(s) drawn on the next podcast following that*For any and all giveaways, prizes, competitions, ALs, etc. that we host, the winner(s) have 30 days from the date of announcement (the date the podcast episode in which the winner was announced goes live) to contact us to claim their prize or it will be forfeited. If this occurs, the prize will be used for another giveaway at our discretion. Thanks for understanding!*There is a Chatter Thread in our Facebook group so we can encourage each other along the way.Ask the Geeks - Originally asked/answered in 2017:Elizabeth asks:What got you interested in knitting preemie hats? Have you found a different place to send them to since moving back to the US?We mention: Hats4HopeMisc. - ~Pride AL - Runs from 17-May-2021 [The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)] through 30-June-2022. #GGKCSPrideAlong2122~Support the Podcast, Become A Patron~Support the Podcast, Join us on YouTube~Each week, we create a list on Bookshop of all the books we talk about in that week's episode. Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. If you purchase a book from our list, we earn a commission & local, independent bookstores also earn money from your purchase.~Want another way to help support our podcast? Throughout our website, links to books, tv shows, movies, etc. are Amazon Affiliate Links. We receive a portion of what you spend when you click through our website to shop on Amazon. What we receive helps us with the costs associated with producing this podcast as well as with prizes & shipping for giveaways. Thanks in advance for your support!If you are in the UK, please click this link, Amazon.co.uk, or the banner below to shop:If you are in Canada, please click this link, Amazon.ca or the banner below to shop:~For any and all giveaways, prizes, competitions, ALs, etc. that we host, the winner(s) have 30 days from the date of announcement (the date the podcast episode in which the winner was announced goes live) to contact us to claim their prize or it will be forfeited. If this occurs, the prize will be used for another giveaway at our discretion. Thanks for understanding!Find Us Online -C.C. - (she/her)~ on Instagram as CC_JavaPurlDami - (they/them)~ on Instagram as damisdoodlesPink Purl - ~on Instagram as pinkiepurlJavaPurl Designs~ JavaPurl Designs websiteGGKCS -~ our Facebook group ~ GGKCS Podcast / FlossTube~ our Facebook page~ email us: ggkcspodcast@gmail.com~ on Apple Podcasts~ on YouTube~ Support the Podcast, Become a PatronUntil next time,

Show Notes:Intro - On the Needles - ~Wyatt's Birthday Cowl (Oats Cowl by TinCanKnits) on US8 (5mm), Vidalana by KnitCrate Ambient Worsted in the Michelangelo colourway & Vidalana by KnitCrate Celestial in the Ganymede colourwayFinished Projects - ~2021 Preemie Hat #25 on US6 (4mm), Knitting in France Sparkles in the Something About CC colourway & Berroco Vintage DK in the White colourway~Lola's Birthday Cowl (Oats Cowl by TinCanKnits) on US8 (5mm), Audine Wools Chill in the A Little Cabinectomy colourwayFlosstube - Begins at timestamp 11:06~Dreaming Girl by Barbara Ana DesignsProject Bag from The Black Needle Society~Edinburgh Castle by Terra Luna StitcheryUsing Pattern Keeper software on Kindle Fire 7Needle Minder from TopKnotStitcherProject Bag from KnitRunDigGrime Guard from Crab Shack StitcheryBitzy Bob Basic from That's So Kelly Co.Silicone tiesYummies (our current favourite things) - ~The Black Needle Society Pirate Life Stitching boxWhat We're Watching, Reading, + Listening To - Please be aware that we do discuss recent tv show episodes that have aired in the last week or so. This is your spoiler warning!Episode 449 Bookshop ListApril / May / June 2021 RAL - 15 minutes of reading daily challenge* 87-91 of 91 days - 1 or more giveaways for eBook, everyone gets $1.20 off any single pattern coupon code & 86+ days RAL virtual badge* 60-86 of 91 days - 1 or more giveaways for single pattern, everyone gets 59+ days RAL virtual badge* #GGKRAL21* #GGKRAL21~ April / May / June* 91 days - 10 entries* 87-90 - 8 entries* 60-86 - 5 entries~ July / August / September* 92 days - 10 entries* 88-91 days - 8 entries* 61-87 days - 5 entries~ October / November / December* 92 days - 10 entries* 88-91 days - 8 entries* 61-87 days - 5 entries~ Read All 365 days - 10 bonus entries~ Complete the Modern Mrs. Darcy 2021 Reading Challenge - 12 bonus entries [all or none] (we'll open a thread for you to post this in December 2021)~The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma by Bessel van der Kolk - C.C. is reading~Untamed by Glennon Doyle - C.C. is rereading~Kitty's Mix-Tape by Carrie Vaughn - C.C. finished reading~A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian - C.C. is reading~Yes, Daddy by Jonathan Parks-Ramage - C.C. finished reading~The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell - C.C. is reading~Enola Holmes~Law & Order: Special Victims Unit - finished watching Season 20 & watching Season 21 & episodes for That's Messed Up: An SVU Podcast~Gilmore Girls - rewatching Season 1 with the I Am All In With Scott Patterson Podcast~Grace and Frankie - finished watching Seasons 2-3-4 & watching Season 5~My Favourite Murder podcast~Random Spotify PlaylistsJune / July / August Summertime and the Living is Easy AL -*Runs from 1-June through 31-August*Details - any project you knit/crochet/weave/spin/stitch/sew that you can convince us relates to summertime*No WIPS - Your project must be begun no earlier than 1-June and finished no later than 31-August*Each project that you knit/crochet/weave/spin must be at least 20yds/18.3m that you finish and post in the Facebook Group FO Thread counts as 1 entry into the giveaways. If your project is not at least 20yds/18.3m, you need to group it in a single post with other projects that together total at least 20yds/18.3m. For stitching/sewing projects, we'll leave it to your best judgment. If you wanted our official ruling, PM email us at ggkcspodcast@gmail.com*Feel free to poly-dip in other ALs as long as it fits in with other rules*Please complete our Google form in order to help us make sure you are receiving a prize that you'll actually enjoy using.*Prizes: If you'd like to donate one, email us at ggkcspodcast@gmail.comKnitCrate - 2 skeins of 2-ply superwash undyed sock yarn (fingering weight, 399 yd / 365 m, 100g) & Kool-Aid to dye it with - 2 winners will each win 1 setMineville Wool Project Super Sock 80/20 in the 2909-36-4 colourwayI'd Rather Be Buying Cross Stitch WalletCountess Ablaze Braid - Geeks Like Rainbows TooYarn Squad Drawstring Backpack*Must be a member of the our Facebook group ~ GGKCS Podcast / FlossTube to participate*Social Media Hashtag: #GGKCSSummertime21*Thread will be locked the morning of 1-September and winner(s) drawn on the next podcast following that*For any and all giveaways, prizes, competitions, ALs, etc. that we host, the winner(s) have 30 days from the date of announcement (the date the podcast episode in which the winner was announced goes live) to contact us to claim their prize or it will be forfeited. If this occurs, the prize will be used for another giveaway at our discretion. Thanks for understanding!*There is a Chatter Thread in our Facebook group so we can encourage each other along the way.Misc. - ~Pride AL - Runs from 17-May-2021 [The International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, and Transphobia (IDAHOBIT)] through 30-June-2022. #GGKCSPrideAlong2122~Support the Podcast, Become A Patron~Support the Podcast, Join us on YouTube~Each week, we create a list on Bookshop of all the books we talk about in that week's episode. Bookshop is an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores. If you purchase a book from our list, we earn a commission & local, independent bookstores also earn money from your purchase.~Want another way to help support our podcast? Throughout our website, links to books, tv shows, movies, etc. are Amazon Affiliate Links. We receive a portion of what you spend when you click through our website to shop on Amazon. What we receive helps us with the costs associated with producing this podcast as well as with prizes & shipping for giveaways. Thanks in advance for your support!If you are in the UK, please click this link, Amazon.co.uk, or the banner below to shop:If you are in Canada, please click this link, Amazon.ca or the banner below to shop:~For any and all giveaways, prizes, competitions, ALs, etc. that we host, the winner(s) have 30 days from the date of announcement (the date the podcast episode in which the winner was announced goes live) to contact us to claim their prize or it will be forfeited. If this occurs, the prize will be used for another giveaway at our discretion. Thanks for understanding!Find Us Online -C.C. - (she/her)~ on Instagram as CC_JavaPurlDami - (they/them)~ on Instagram as damisdoodlesPink Purl - ~on Instagram as pinkiepurlJavaPurl Designs~ JavaPurl Designs websiteGGKCS -~ our Facebook group ~ GGKCS Podcast / FlossTube~ our Facebook page~ email us: ggkcspodcast@gmail.com~ on Apple Podcasts~ on YouTube~ Support the Podcast, Become a PatronUntil next time,

Hi, Should-Heads! We are here to discuss our favorite reads of 2021 so far, and it was hard to narrow it down to five each! We're also joined by our friend (and tastemaker of the pod) Kathy Coe! While we could each have easily named another five books each (or 10, or 20), we're pleased with this list. No matter your taste, there's definitely something for everyone on here.Kelly's Poe socks: https://outofprint.com/collections/socks/products/let-it-poe-cozy-socks Kelly's bookmark came from here: https://t.co/bXan9MJZaA?amp=1 Currently reading:Julia: Malibu Rising (Taylor Jenkins Reid) and If the Shoe Fits (Julie Murphy)Kelly: Ace of Spades (Faridah Abike Iyimide)Rachael: Olive Kitteridge (Elizabeth Strout), Malibu Rising (Taylor Jenkins Reid) and Jay's Gay Agenda (Jason June) Recent acquisitions:  Julia: Skye Falling (Mia McKenzie), The Other Black Girl (Zakiya Dalila Harris) and Half Sick of Shadows (Laura Sebastian)Kelly: I Am Not a Wolf (Dan Sheehan) and Bath Haus (PJ Vernon)Rachael: The Southern Book Club's Guide to Slaying Vampires (Grady Hendrix) and If the Shoe Fits (Julie Murphy)Our Favorites of 2021:Kathy: A Mouthful of Forevers (Clementine von Radics), The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo (Taylor Jenkins Reid), The House in the Cerulean Sea (TJ Klune), Blackout (Dhonielle Clayton, Tiffany D. Jackson, Nic Stone, Angie Thomas, Ashley Woodfolk and Nicola Yoon) and Malibu Rising (Taylor Jenkins Reid)Julia: Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas), That Summer (Jennifer Weiner), Meet Me In Another Life (Catriona Silvey), Project Hail Mary (Andy Weir), Pumpkin (Julie Murphy) Kelly: Wish You Were Here (Jodi Picoult), That Summer (Jennifer Weiner), Honey Girl (Morgan Rogers), We Are Inevitable (Gayle Forman) and Outlawed (Anna North)Rachael: Concrete Rose (Angie Thomas), The Snow Child (Eowyn Ivey), That Summer (Jennifer Weiner), Rebecca (Daphne du Maurier) and Pumpkin (Julie Murphy) Follow Kathy Coe:Blog:  http://glass-of-wine.blogspot.com/ Twitter: @kathycoe   Instagram: @glassofwine81 Follow What You Should Read: Twitter:    @wysr_podcast Instagram:    @wysr_podcast Goodreads:    https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/115539912-what-you-should-read-podcast YouTube:    https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCCfNtid_b0R14otSPRZTkmQ www.whatyoushouldread.com Don't forget about our next book club! We're discussing The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell in August! You can email your thoughts or find us on social media! We're really excited for this one--and its special guest! Get two books for the price of one with a new membership to Libro.fm! Use the promo code WHATYOUSHOULDREAD and get two books for $14.99. Best of all, your indie bookstore will also benefit; just select your favorite bookstore when you sign up. 

Episode 85 You may be wondering if something is wrong with your podcast feed because this episode is clearly about AI when we already finished that miniseries. Well, that's my (Zack) fault. I released the wrong episode last time and got us all out of order! Honestly, I'm impressed I made it 85 episodes without messing up the order. This episode is a sort of nice bow on the series. We break down the difference between artificial intelligence, machine learning, and deep learning. We talk about the rights of non-organic beings, whether robots can convert to Judaism, and what our creations teach us about ourselves. We'll also touch on the ethics of data harvesting and whether Google's AlphaGo computer signals the end of homo sapiens as we know it...   Support this podcast on Patreon at https://www.patreon.com/DowntheWormholepodcast   More information at https://www.downthewormhole.com/   produced by Zack Jackson music by Zack Jackson and Barton Willis    Show Notes To Read:  1) Alphago deep learning https://deepmind.com/research/case-studies/alphago-the-story-so-far 2) Alternative reading of Alphago https://www.wired.com/2016/05/google-alpha-go-ai/  3) Terminator “skynet” character https://terminator.fandom.com/wiki/Skynet 4) Defense of the skynet character: https://medium.com/humungus/in-defense-of-skynet-3fd56d04b06f 5) Engineered or Evolved: https://theconversation.com/evolving-our-way-to-artificial-intelligence-54100  6) Book (don't read if you're happy) https://www.amazon.com/Sparrow-Novel-Book-ebook/dp/B000SEIFGO  7) Song: machine generated,  Frank Sinatra covers Britney Spears “toxic” https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mbh3VAzrwh8  [the original version: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LOZuxwVk7TU  ] 8) Book https://www.amazon.com/Creativity-Code-Art-Innovation-Age/dp/0674988132    Transcript  This transcript was automatically generated by www.otter.ai, and as such contains errors (especially when multiple people are talking). As the AI learns our voices, the transcripts will improve. We hope it is helpful even with the errors.    Zack Jackson 00:00 Hey there, Zack here. You may be wondering if something is wrong with your podcast feed because this episode is clearly about AI when we already finished that mini series. Well, that's, that's my fault. I kind of released the wrong episode last time and got us all out of order. Honestly, I'm impressed. I made it 85 episodes without messing this up. Hooray for me. This episode is sort of nice a bow on the series though. It's a really wonderful episode, we had lots of fun with it. We break down the difference between artificial intelligence machine learning and deep learning. We talk about the rights of non organic beings, whether robots can convert to Judaism and what our creations tell us about ourselves. So without further ado, Let's get this party started. You are listening to down the wormhole podcast exploring the strange and fascinating relationship between science and religion. This week our hosts are   Rachael Jackson 01:05 Rachael Jackson, Rabbi at Agoudas, Israel congregation Hendersonville, North Carolina and if I were stranded on a deserted island with a I would choose the AI computer from Star Trek next generation, Zack Jackson   Zack Jackson 01:21 UCC pasture and Reading Pennsylvania and if I were stranded on a desert island with one AI I would choose Google Assistant because no one in my life knows me better. Now   Adam Pryor 01:41 Adam Pryor, I work at Bethany College in Lindsborg Kansas. If I were stranded on a desert island with an AI. I would choose the mind uploading software from a book called mind scan, which operates as a quasi AI but allows you to then transport your consciousness into artificial bodies in other places,   Ian Binns 02:06 so I'd get the best of both. Ian Binns Associate Professor of elementary science education at UNC Charlotte. And if I had to be stranded on an island with AI, Siri,   Kendra Holt-Moore 02:19 yeah, Siri, Kendra Holt-Moore, PhD candidate, Boston University. And if I was stranded on a desert island with an AI, I think maybe at this point, I would go with our two D two because he just like always survives, you know, he gets into a lot of sticky situations and always comes out alive or always saves people who are in sticky situations and being on a desert island. That's a sticky situation. So   Ian Binns 02:48 RTD I feel like he could probably tap into the midichlorians probably see, so there you go. Maybe we are on right track here.   Zack Jackson 02:57 Thank you, Kendra. You're welcome. Not sure how that's how   Kendra Holt-Moore 03:00 I'm not sure that I agree with you. But you're welcome. Yeah, thank you.   Zack Jackson 03:06 Well, we kind of have a confusion of terms there. Ian's trying to make midichlorians from the Star Wars into artificial intelligence, when I'm pretty sure in canon, their biological. But the terms here that we've been using the past couple of weeks are a little squishy. And maybe we haven't clarified them super well. So since this is the last episode in our series on AI, we're going to kind of clarify some things and give some final thoughts for now we'll probably revisit this topic in the future since this sort of technology is just happening so quickly into our lives. And especially with the rollout of 5g, I mean, that's going to be a whole other conversation about the Internet of Things. And when you have refrigerators and toasters that are as smart as your iPhone is now the world is going to look a lot different in the next couple of years when we will definitely still be podcasting. So we want to answer a couple of questions that we ourselves have had and also tell you that we are going to be adding a q&a segment to the end of every episode. So if you have questions that you want answers if there's something from the episode that was unclear if there is a pressing question you have in your mind if you have any question what so ever that is at least somewhat tangibly tangentially connected to the podcast, then you can leave it on our Facebook page on Twitter, you can email it to admin at down the wormhole comm any way that you can get in touch with us to ask that question. We want to answer it at the end of every episode. So please send that in. But the most pressing question today. What is AI? What is artificial intelligence other than a very sappy movie from the early 2000s Well, we've kind of been using some of these terms interchangeably when we probably shouldn't have. So artificial intelligence is just an overarching term for any machine that acts like a human, or has human like intuition. So your Roomba, that's able to tell that there's a chair leg and moves out of the way, that's artificial intelligence, the computer player in Mario Kart, that's artificial intelligence, the machine that beat the championship go player, that's artificial intelligence. But there's all these different branches of it that we just need to clarify real quick. So like, at the most foundational level, you've anything that has a set of stimulus, and then response is artificial intelligence. So if you're programming something, all it needs to be is a series of if then statements. So if there's a table leg in the way, then move for your Roomba. So an example of this kind of rudimentary level, is all of the battles and Lord of the Rings. You know, when you have like 10s, of 1000s, of orcs, and humans and elves, and all of them coming at each other, that was a computer program called massive, which stands for multiple agents simulation system in virtual environment. One of those really forced acronyms backronym, right. But they're called. So what that was, was each and every one of those characters had its own set of physics, and its owns awareness of what was happening around it. And they were told, attack. And if you encounter this, then this happens and encountered that, then that happens. And so you do that on a large enough scale. And you could have 10s, of 1000s, of orcs and humans and elephants, and all kinds of things fighting each other. And the computer is determining each and every outcome based on a set of, of commands. Actually, in early renders, the humans kept on losing. And so they had to keep modifying it in in a couple of cases, when the olifants came over, over the side, the humans retreated. And they kept giving up because it was too hard, and which is such a human thing to do. So a lot of the special effects that you see are done like this. So then one step in to that, nested within that, if you think of it, like a series of nested eggs, is machine learning. And this is artificial intelligence that gets smarter, the more you use it. Basic machine learning has been around for a long time, if you've ever had to prove your human by answering a CAPTCHA, you know, show all of this, but click on all the squares that have a crosswalk. That's you are actually training an artificial intelligence by doing that, you are helping them to learn how to identify crosswalks so that that information can then be used by machines in the future to for some other purpose. This level of machine learning requires human input to say to it, this is a crosswalk, this is not a crosswalk, and then the artificial intelligence then takes it apart pixel by pixel. And enough input from humans will teach it what to look for and what not to look for. And then once it has a grasp on it, it can start doing it itself. And the more that it does it, and is confirmed that that's the right thing, the better it gets. And so this process can take months and months and months of of teaching this machine, the way that you would teach a child that this is this that is not that my local recycling plant has this incredible system driven by machine learning where it's got all these cameras and sensors, and it can tell different types of plastic. And then it can sort them with machine arms and with all kinds of fun things that they can do to then sort the plastic faster than you could with humans, which then means that it can be more profitable, and they can recycle more and be less wasteful. So like, that's pretty great. And the longer they use that system, the smarter it gets, the better it gets at determining different types of plastics and metals and whatnot. So that's great. I'm totally into that. It takes a lot of human input, though, in order to teach it. So then, the next level of nested egg of artificial intelligence is what's called Deep learning. And this is the future. This is actually the present. If you've interacted with google assistant or Siri or any kind of customer service You have likely interacted with deep learning. Deep Learning does what machine learning does, but it doesn't require humans to, to teach it first. So an example of this is Google's AlphaGo, which is a program, the supercomputer that was created to beat a human go player, the ancient Chinese game. And the thing about go is that it has, I think it's I read somewhere, it's like a million times more potential know, the difference between the potential moves in chess and the potential moves in go is more than all of the atoms in the entire known universe, there is so much, so many different moves, you can make an any different point. Whereas chess players are thinking about potential moves, a lot of times, like the best go, players are just feeling it, it's intuition for them. And so this is kind of the gold standard for teaching artificial intelligence to beat humans and to think like humans. So what they did was they they took this AI that they developed, and they had it watched 100,000 games of go. And so it's analyzing every single pixel of this, and putting it through its neural network and breaking it all apart and deciphering the rules itself. And then after 100,000 times of watching it, it had learned the rules on its own, because like it knew that this person one and this person last, and this person did this, and this criteria was met. And so it learned the rules itself, nobody had to teach it, it learned it itself. And then they set it to play against itself 30 million times, it's simulated 30 million games against an older version of itself. So it would learn for a while to get a little bit better, and then face its previous self, and then that version would get a little better, and then it would face the version before it. So it's always facing a version that it can beat, but just by a little bit. And after 30 million times, it faced the number one champion go player in the world and beat it beat him in 2017. So those, what, five years, four or five years ago, that it is for this happened for Yes, thank you for thank you for math, we're not yet in 2022. So in this case, it took no human interaction for this thing to learn and then to be able to thrive. They've got these playing old, old games from the 70s and 80s. It learned how to beat Space Invaders overnight, and just defeat the whole game without teaching it any other rules. It just lost enough times to know how to avoid things and how to time things and all of that. What this requires, however, as opposed to machine learning, and AI, in the simpler senses, is a ton of data. So this required 10,000 100,000 games of go, it had to watch in order to figure out the rules of the game. So if we have a ton of computing power, and a ton of data, then we can create systems that can teach itself how to best optimize itself, and then is able to find avenues that the human mind is not able to find. So this is where we are now, which obviously there are some issues with because if you're not being very careful about the data that you're feeding it, then the output is going to end up being potentially skewed. On the other hand, because we're not intentional about which we're not giving it specific data sets, we're giving it everything, it's able to make patterns that maybe we wouldn't have otherwise, it's already proven to be so effective at locating cancer cells of predicting stock movements, which is causing all kinds of issues, was one of the reasons why the GameStop stock went crazy was because humans out out, bought the algorithm and then crashed the stock market basically for a while. It's also one of the things that's contributed to the crazy gerrymandering that we have now, because the computer is able to run every simulation of every election we've ever had against population data and then determine the ideal gerrymandered district for how population growth is going to go and immigration and all of that to make sure that their people stay in power. So like there's a lot of potential in this kind of technology. To be amazing, like, imagine a shirt that was able to sense your body temperature and your sweat, and the temperature and the forecast and then to be able to adjust its fit, depending on your particular comfort level. So like the person who's like, I'm always cold, they don't have to be always cold anymore, because your shirt knows you, and it loves you, and it wants you to be warm and comfortable. But at the same time, there's all kinds of potential issues where it'll still smell bad. It'll say, Well,   Rachael Jackson 15:33 I was thinking about how to wash your shirt like that,   Kendra Holt-Moore 15:35 unless it's merino wool. Unless it's what will Marina will?   Zack Jackson 15:40 Sorry, is that fancy? Well, which I don't know? Well, yeah. Well, resistant, very, I'm a simple man,   Kendra Holt-Moore 15:45 I've been preparing for backpacking this summer. And that's. So an example of issues with big data.   Zack Jackson 15:58 Okay, so all of these companies that are trying to teach computers how to talk and to communicate with humans, naturally use these huge language models, where they take communications from spoken communications from television, and radio, and podcasts even and, and they take written communications from websites and emails and text messages. And they create models of the English language, let's say, and, and then are able to do the sort of predictive texts that you see, or Google is able to translate websites just in a snap. There are some concerns. And one of the couple of months ago, the head of Google's ethics team co authored a paper that her name is timnit gebru. And she co authored a paper for conference, questioning some of the ethics behind this because if you're just gathering data, just haphazardly, because you need a ton of data to make this kind of system work. If you're just gathering it from everything, and you know, Google, the Google algorithm has access to every google doc and every email and everything that you have ever used on their system they have, that algorithm can access whenever it wants to, if you're just taking all of that in order to learn the English language, and you're not taking into consideration prejudices and violence and the awful things that make humans human, then you have the potential to create an algorithm that will say have implicit bias built into it the way that humans have it built into us, because it's just the air we breathe. And so she questioned in this paper, that not specifically calling out Google but IBM and Microsoft and everyone else that's doing it. And Google demanded that she retract her name from it. And when she refused, because she wanted to know who exactly it was that was censoring her, and why they were censoring her and what she's allowed to say in her position and what she's not. They fired her, though, they said they told everyone that she quit. Yeah. And she has said many times, I did not quit you, I say you fired me, I don't work there anymore. And I didn't quit. That means you fired me. And they still kind of refused to acknowledge that they fired her over questioning this kind of potential issue with data. And so that's not a good look for Google. Because they are, this is kind of their business. They're in the business now of big data and predictive tax, and they need to be on top of it. And it's a threat to their bottom line if if people start questioning the ethics of it, and they start opting out of that. So that raises all kinds of issues about oversight about trusting capitalist systems to self correct for morality, versus government systems for that as well. The potential for a self learning machine to become smarter than us and realize it doesn't need us or the potential for it to fill in all of the gaps of our weaknesses and help to create a utopian society. It seems like the future is wide open and we are at a transitional tipping point right now. And that is my long intro into all things AI and machine learning and deep learning and the fear and the optimism of the future.   Ian Binns 20:08 So can I ask a question? No, you just don't want to do anymore. All of the it sounds like even, you know, maybe from the initial beginning of things that is still depends on human input in some way to to then get things going. Is that accurate?   Zack Jackson 20:28 But like humans have to create it,   Ian Binns 20:31 either and create and then started on the learning process until they started doing it on its own, like from the the initial outset. Like it doesn't start on its own right.   Rachael Jackson 20:44 I don't think anything does doesn't I mean, started jumping? No. Doesn't does anything start on its own? Or like, your father? Did your children start on their own? That that,   Ian Binns 20:57 that that topic will come up in a later episode, Rachel, you know, it is. Not that they   Rachael Jackson 21:09 came into existence on their own, but that, as you're raising them, they don't just know what you expect of them. Right. And so for me, I don't know why we would expect anything different at this point until AI creates its own AI. And perhaps that's because I was watching Agents of SHIELD where AI is creating AI and I just want to cry. And how the sort of sci fi horror that comes with that. But I think, for me, the analogy is absolutely each one of those things, right? It's very much a parent child relationship for for those circles within circles, how much input is someone giving it? Or how much are you just being taught to do on your own, and a whole lot of garbage in garbage out?   Ian Binns 21:55 But I guess what I'm saying is, is that I guess, where I'm trying to go with this is that being that it always like, even if AI gets advanced enough to the point where it can create its own AI, the initial AI still had to be depend on human input to get going.   Rachael Jackson 22:14 Yes, all of our biases, all of our motives, all of our garbage, is my point is going to be a part of it until somebody teaches it or trains it to remove it in my opinion.   Adam Pryor 22:25 But I think that's what's terrifying about deep learning. Is that it Yeah, it's not reliant on that. Like, so this is what this is what's notable about the AlphaGo experiment, right? So this this experiment where they're playing go, right, so like, it's not just that AlphaGo beat Lisa doll, it beat Lisa doll three times in a row. And the second time it beat Lisa doll, it made a move that no go player thought was a good move. He made a totally novel move, it's in fact changed the way that go players play by analyzing this game. So okay, it took it. So like, mathematicians will describe this in terms of like a local maximum. Right? Go players had reached a local maximum in the landscape of potential go moves that one could make. And everyone thought that was the highest point AlphaGo utterly creatively changed the strategy by which the game is played. It found a new maximum in the landscape of possibilities. Right, that that's the piece of deep learning that it was not relying on human beings. Okay. It was not taught to do it. It was a completely novel structure structure that it came up with vinted on its own.   Ian Binns 23:46 Yes. all on its own. Like it. This was not from analysis. Nope. of Oh, I, you know, the thing was able to remember a move in the past this was told this was a totally novel move. That's really interesting,   Zack Jackson 23:59 right? That's what the old ones like Watson, when they're playing chess, they would look at the board and all possible moves, and then would plan ahead for all possible moves like three times in the future. That is kind of rudimentary machine learning. This one got creative.   Kendra Holt-Moore 24:17 But that creativity, I mean, I don't know that that creativity still is based on what the AI has learned from humans. It's not that the novel move. Yeah, maybe like humans had never done that before. But it's like a process of elimination of what didn't work that humans had done. And so the novelty is still sort of playing in opposition to human.   Adam Pryor 24:46 No, it's because that would be so that would be that would be a machine learning instance, right. That would be where there's a set algorithm, it analyzes all of the potential moves that would be available and then chooses the best one. Right.   Kendra Holt-Moore 25:01 But what is the best case one is one that was never chosen.   Adam Pryor 25:04 But in this case, it's not working that way. It's modifying the algorithm.   Ian Binns 25:08 And that's where the deep learning comes into play.   Kendra Holt-Moore 25:12 Okay, yes. That's creepy. Yeah, okay. Well, that that kind of.   Adam Pryor 25:18 I mean, it is still like children, though. I mean, like, I think that's still like a good like an out like, right, like, but there comes a point, right? Where those children start making decisions on their own. Right? utterly independent of the places from which they came. Deep Learning is rapidly approaching that place, and if not already crossing over into it.   Rachael Jackson 25:38 And just like with children, or, you know, I'm not I'm not saying children as in a particular age set, but the parent child relationship, looking at them going, you know, you can have that moment of like, wow, where did that come from? That I'm now seeing you. It's no longer what I'm teaching you and you're a being back to me. It's like this was you. And then there can be that moment of like, Oh, my God, what is this? Like, what did I create? And where is this coming from? Like, the, the parents of psychopaths, like I did not create that. They did that all on their own. So I, again, I really like the analogy that a where we are with AI and deep learning and all the concentric circles is still really a parent child relationship.   Zack Jackson 26:27 This has this has a very Genesis three feel to it. Yeah, we're like, God creates these creatures that have advanced knowledge and gives them a set of of do this, don't do that. But I'm gonna let you go and learn on your own. And then   Rachael Jackson 26:43 I want to be God to let me eat this apple.   Ian Binns 26:46 That does make me think about Skynet from Terminator. And when you really think about it right there, they wanted to pull the plug on Skynet, because they realized this guy that was learning on its own, and becoming better, like learning faster and becoming dangerous to humans. And so they tried to pull the plug. But by then it was too late.   Adam Pryor 27:06 I mean, like, this is the thing to me. Right? Like, Skynet is like the, the, like the best example of this, right? Because the only thing human beings have going for us is that we're better at structuring context. Right? We are never going to win the like data processing game. Computers have beat us out on that for a long, long, long time. And it's only the distance is only growing further. Right? It's, it's when you reach this point with deep learning that algorithmic systems produce better analyses of context than humans do. Which is really what Skynet does, right? Like it's it's gathering all this data, and then suddenly can produce a better vision. Right, of what the original outcome that it sought, is then what? Humans you know, what our key was, okay?   Ian Binns 28:04 Or like Vicky from iRobot? Ah, yeah, that's a good example. That would be a really good example of realizing to Vicki, I think there's even a part in that film. Where, Vic, like, when they realize that the one who's been doing this bad stuff the whole time was Vicki. And she talks about, I think, something like realizing that humans were unable to do these things for themselves. And so Vicki felt like it was time for me to take over. Because humans are too dangerous, and all that kind of stuff. And then it just, yeah. All the problems that exists because of humans. So let me take over and I'll fix everything by killing.   Kendra Holt-Moore 28:43 Nice. But yeah, but also rational. Yeah, yeah. Oh, no, just this conversation is making me rethink. Or maybe not rethink, but I'm just wondering about, like, the usefulness of this frame, like comparative framework that someone published an article, I think it was in Scientific American, or somewhere, I can look and send that to Rachel, but he's a scientist and was talking about, like, the way to think about AI. It's something that has evolved or like, is evolved, rather than engineered. And that, you know, I think, sort of like colloquially, especially for people who aren't scientists making robots, we think our like gut reaction is like, oh, someone made that someone like engineered this robot to perform this function. And that that, you know, Like, on some level is true, but it's not actually the end game of AI in like the grand scheme of, like what humans are trying to do with AI, it given our conversation about, you know, the, the, the goals of like being better and better with each generation of AI. Like they're vastly outpacing a lot of our, like human abilities already. And that's just like continuing to happen at greater degrees. And so there is an evolution, like, have these things. It's always been that way. But I guess like the the main point of that comparison between, like evolution versus engineering is that thinking about AI, in terms of evolution, is more like thinking about human intelligence, and, like the evolution of human ness. And that there's something very similar, maybe, like, eerily so that robots are, you know, that's like what we're doing. And I think that the example that I think it was Rachel, who a few minutes ago, like, brought up the kind of analogy to like a child, or like that parent child relationship that, you know, there is like a starting like a baseline of what AI is and what it knows. But if you have to have like mechanisms in place for it to, to grow and learn and that simple Engineering Task, where you're creating a thing to solve issue a, there's not an an implied, like, growth are like evolution factor in a simple Engineering Task. I mean, it can be but not always. And so I just, I think that's really interesting, because I, I just, like, evolution. Like, I guess I'm struggling always with, like, what the morality of like, what, what are the implications of this? the morality of AI, because I'm, like, thinking about the evolution of AI. And in that one day, it's just gonna like, or, you know, apparently, I've been misunderstanding robots. And it's already like creatively coming up with novel solutions. that evolution is kind of this like, opportunistic, amoral system. I guess that's how I think about it. And so whether you're talking about AI in terms of engineering, or evolution, you still have these like social political issues. And that doesn't go away. And it's a little concerning, because I think that, like some scientists will see themselves as outside of that problem. Like, science for the sake of science, seeking the truth, uncovering whatever is before us, whether that's good or bad. And there's something really exciting about that ideal, but like, it's out of it, we don't like live in a vacuum, and you can't, you can't, like seek that kind of big t truth without considering these other contextual factors have implications for harm and things like that, which is, you know, what we've been talking about. So anyway, that, the other thing I wanted to say is that this sort of relates to I think, one of the first episodes we recorded about personhood, and just thinking about the kinds of AI that are so much like, us, I'm just wondering about future conversations where, you know, like, we talk a lot now in the 21st century about human rights, and the importance of human rights. And, you know, we're there are a lot of people who always have but, you know, now these groups, you know, look in different forms of like, animal rights, and, you know, like, hardcore, like veganism and things that are trying to, like, bring animals into the picture and, you know, reevaluate, especially the ways that the West treats nature. And I just am really curious about how robots are gonna make us reconsider even the value of like, human or animal this and like, what will be our big common denominator? Is it is it personhood? Or is it something else? Because personhood is, I think can include robots, but it's still kind of this like weird, a morphus category and human rights is just something that I think especially for like, liberals is like this big like, that's the idea. We want everyone to like, benefit from human rights. And, you know, we want to like not torture animals too. And just like how will that conversation, which is like general and really common in a lot of our circles? How will that change with those smart robots all around us?   Rachael Jackson 35:41 Zach, I want to make sure that you had some time.   Zack Jackson 35:45 I had the first 20 minutes. I was thinking the same thing about everyone else.   Ian Binns 35:58 And can we go back to the AlphaGo thing real quick? Just come just curious. So I was I found a wired article about it, right? And started thumbing through and goes back to what you're saying, Adam, that that move showed that, you know, his creativity that was able to do something that's never been done before on its own. And right here, it talks about this article I'm Reading in Wired Magazine. That particular move wasn't the moment where the machines began their rise to power over our lesser minds. That move was the moment machines and humanity finally began to evolve together.   Adam Pryor 36:37 Right, so this is that like, I mean, I think kendras thing about like, engineering versus evolution for thinking about this is really critical, like, because we do think of machines as engineered objects. Right? And that is not what is happening at this point, right? Like, what I think is like, most interesting, terrifying sort of like, is strategically helpful, potentially, about the way algorithmic learning occurs, which is really like, also, I keep using the phrase algorithmic learning, you could substitute deep learning, right? All deep learning is a form of algorithmic learning, at this point, so what's like both terrifying and potentially helpful about over an algorithmic learning is this place that it has reached, where it allows a new context for local systems to be discovered. It opens up a new way of seeing the data that sits within a given field field of analysis. Now, at least in my area of the world, academically, we might call that meaning formation. And that I think is the sort of like that wired article is I think, Reading AlphaGo, Reading the situation that occurred is AlphaGo, forming new meaning out of this particular landscape of the game. Now, is that what happened? I am a little more suspect, right? Like there's a level of intentionality and consciousness being projected. right on to that situation in order to say that machines and humans are learning together right now, are they evolving together? Right? is are we suddenly in an age where this sort of algorithmic, algorithmic deep learning means humans engage their environment in ways that previously were totally unimaginable? Yes, I'm on board with that. Like, I I'll point to this moment with AlphaGo. And say, like, that may be the moment where Homo sapiens die. If we looked at this millions and millions and millions of years from now, like that might be the demise of our species.   Ian Binns 39:24 So happy right now. I don't think that's a bad thing.   Kendra Holt-Moore 39:31 I'm not ready to die.   Ian Binns 39:34 I like my I like our species, and that I'm still alive.   Adam Pryor 39:37 I mean, the Neanderthals like their species to   Ian Binns 39:41 good fairpoint.   Rachael Jackson 39:48 You know, that's where I was thinking about this, you know, if we, if we really toy with this idea of evolution, and AI, we don't there's past 70 or so. The activity in my head, right engineering means that we are actively doing something and evolution is there's sort of a passiveness that it's that it is happening, or happens like we you just said the Neanderthals like themselves too. And yet they're not here either. And part of that is not the evolution of them, but the evolution of us. And then we killed them.   Zack Jackson 40:23 Right, right. absorb them I'm part Neanderthal, yes.   Rachael Jackson 40:30 Two 3% or something like that, right? Like, absorbed kills those things? Perhaps those things, sports, all those things like people that those things like those changes, I'm not that harsh. Right? Resistance is futile, you understand this? Right? So maybe if we initially engineered machines, machine learnings that then has with our evolution and our engineering, we're sort of making that deep learning turning into ai ai, then over X number of hundreds of years then evolves beyond where we started from. And if that then is our demise, then perhaps isn't that our homosapiens evolution? That, that we have all these branches, and it's not necessarily a fatalistic perspective, but it is much more of a geological time perspective, right, human Homo sapiens have have been around for a blink of an eye.   Adam Pryor 41:40 Not nearly as long as homo Neanderthals were around.   Rachael Jackson 41:42 Exactly. Exactly. And, and who knows how many more iterations before that, that we just don't even know about? And how long they were around? And why why do we think that us human beings are so much more specific and special that we would get to last? You know, 160 million years like dinosaurs did? In a Why? I just don't see I don't I don't have an issue with Homo sapiens no longer existing. Again, not a deathwish not saying that I want us to die now. But but recognizing that in the grand scheme of things of things on this planet, if that's if that's where we're going to go through our own evolution, then that's, that's an okay thing. It's not our demise. Like Adam is saying it's   Adam Pryor 42:38 that no, let's let's be clear, it is still our demise. No, no, I don't want to let you off the hook. That easy. Wait, there's there's demise there. There may be progress. Also. I'm okay with that. But it is still the demise of Homo sapiens.   Ian Binns 42:55 As we know it now. Yes. Okay. Great.   Kendra Holt-Moore 43:00 Thank you, demise, evolution, what's the difference? Tato. But, so to me, like, what's interesting about this,   Rachael Jackson 43:09 maybe we'll be together. Sorry, Adam. Or like, maybe it will be together?   Adam Pryor 43:13 I don't think that's gonna go well, for the like, like, not as fast thinking homosapiens we just say that hasn't traditionally gone real well, for those species, but   Zack Jackson 43:22 think about it an excellent pet way to be.   Adam Pryor 43:28 Have you read the sparrow? No. Okay. Yeah, you need to read the sparrow. And think about that before you decide you want to be a pet. I will just tell you, if you haven't read the sparrow, it is Jesuits in space. It's worth Reading.   Rachael Jackson 43:45 Is this just making sure. Mary Doria Russell, Mary Doria Russell,   Adam Pryor 43:50 yeah. Because it's brilliant. It's a brilliant book. Also, please don't read it. When you're feeling happy.   Rachael Jackson 43:57 You will not feel happy at the end,   Adam Pryor 43:58 you will not feel happy at the end of this book in any way, shape, or form. But all told, even if it is the demise of Homo sapiens, which I think it is, or, you know, a lovely vision of progress where Homo sapiens now live in a utopia with these machines. And we're not just pets. I look at this though. And I do go like, I feel like that's really challenging for religious traditions. Like I think most religious traditions have a sense of the sacredness of the human. And that gets translated to Homo sapiens. Very, very specifically. And, and I think this is sort of like an interesting place where I really do think deep learning is starting to push a boundary for religious traditions to rethink themselves. Maybe not all, but I'll at least speak from my right, like, Lutheran Christian version of this right. It's really hard for me to square any kind of eschatology that we've usually talked about in those traditions, with a vision of Homo sapiens not being permanent fixtures until the Rapture. Right? That's, that's pretty hard to square. It's, it gets kind of harder for me to sort of do a usual Christology. where, you know, Jesus Christ shows up at this very particular point in time, if Homo sapiens aren't going to be the last species of human beings on this planet. I mean, I think there are ways to do it. But but it's a, there are some creative theological questions that I think really emerge from taking this idea seriously.   Rachael Jackson 45:38 If you don't have those two things, though, right, because only some religions have those two things. Would it? Would it work?   Adam Pryor 45:49 Well, what I would say is, like, I wonder are would other religious traditions have their own questions that they have to ask in the face of this? I don't, I don't think all all of them ask the same question by any stretch of imagination, like   Rachael Jackson 45:59 I think about, from my, my corner of the world, right? I'm thinking that in Judaism, what what is the ultimate goal for for the existence of humans or the existence of Jews or the exit, right? Like what what is happening next, not the rapture, not right a second coming up. A Messianic age figure that says the world is now fully repaired, and it will continue to exist in a place of wholeness and peace. It allows for anybody to participate in that. In fact, it it requires anybody and everybody to participate. And if you were at one point, a righteous person, or specifically a righteous Jew, you then get to return in that in that Messianic age, and sort of heaven on earth, right? gun aid in the Garden of Eden, comes once more for us to live happily ever after. And there's no problem with Well, what if it's not me?   Adam Pryor 47:12 Well, but I think maybe then, so as I'm listening to you, right, like the question that would start to emerge for me in my like, philosophy of religion sort of side of things would be like, okay, so can there be a righteous Jew? That's not a homosapien? It feels like there would be internal debate about that.   Rachael Jackson 47:30 I don't actually know. I mean, only because Jews debate about everything. I mean, right. But beyond that question, my gut reaction is, why not? If we're not already limiting ourselves to dues, then we're opening ourselves to everyone. And if we're opening ourselves to everyone, then why couldn't that everyone include an AI? Maybe I'm just optimistic and positive. I don't know. Maybe I'm just in the right religion. I don't know that either.   Adam Pryor 48:27 There's nothing that brings my heart more joy than just hearing you say maybe I'm in the right religion. I'm gonna hold on to that for a while. I just I just want you to know.   Ian Binns 48:42 I say you're always optimistic to   Rachael Jackson 48:45 heavy stuff.   Adam Pryor 48:47 I would bet that there are scholars though, in different religious traditions who, who would be able to say like, there are questions in our questions or propositions or concepts within our tradition that have to be rethought in light of homosapiens not being a permanent feature into the far future.   Kendra Holt-Moore 49:10 Yeah, I think like everything that you're saying, Adam makes a lot of sense. But I I also think there's a version of like Christian eschatology and Christology that on the one hand, you're right, like people will have issues with the, you know, homosapien piece, but there's another side of that where I feel very similar to what Rachel saying, I'm like, yeah, Christians will be fine with it, and they adapt and make up stuff all the time for that's why I have a job. Yeah, so I just think, you know, it'll be like the same as it's always been, like, more hardcore conservative interpretations will maybe be more troubled by this, but I think Christianity has also always done a version of like very liberal and open and like metaphorical interpretation that definitely can survive without homosapiens. However we may feel about that.   Adam Pryor 50:18 Yeah, I mean, I think that would be the case. I, I do think, though, that you end up with a I'm gonna I'm gonna go with this since you know, Rachel's in the right religion, right. I think there are winners and losers out of these, like traditions as a result, like there are. Look, we can use the evolutionary example, right? There are evolutionary streams of various religious traditions that get closed off if you start taking this seriously.   Ian Binns 50:47 Well, so what I'm really curious about I keep coming back to this AlphaGo thing, like, I mean, if you really think about it, that is really amazing. This happened.   Kendra Holt-Moore 51:01 Right, right. Like, it's how to, like sign up for the go championship or something like,   Ian Binns 51:09 no, no. I've never played the game. So I would probably do pretty badly. But no, my point is, is that so this this article that I have from wired magazines, like 2016. So what's happened since then? Like if this was kind of a pivotal moment, in machine learning, and deep thinking, what I mean, Adam, are you aware of anything like that, since then has happened? That's,   Adam Pryor 51:44 well, like more like, Holy moly, I can't believe that happened. So it's interesting to me that like, after this moment, my understanding is that the deep mind team, like so the folks who did Watson, the folks who did AlphaGo, like, they have shifted on to more substantial issues. Things like climate change analysis, right, very specific, like, like, targeting this type of deep learning to specific problems. So like Zack mentioned, like at the beginning, like cancer, cancer Reading, right, so I'm training algorithms to be better interpreters of MRI scans, and CAT scans, then human technicians, right, that's an active project going on at a couple of medical schools, you start to see these very, they tend to be like highly targeted problems right now. In terms of stuff that I'm thinking about, there are some like creativity ones. I taught a an interdisciplinary class with a math professor on this. And Charles Deuce toi, wrote a book called the creativity code that covers like, some of the like, latest things, and he starts like with AlphaGo, and then works on other places. And the book is framed around, like, will we reach a point where deep learning is more creative about mathematics than mathematicians are? is like a sort of, like, problematizing question. But there's some really interesting examples along the way of, you know, like the action Jackson, right, which is a machine painting system. Some other music is a big area, right? Where there are good AI projects working to do composition work.   53:47 Cool. So.   Adam Pryor 53:50 So on the one hand, there are some like kind of like, pet projects in the creativity realm. There, there are a series of like, I think, specific medical and environmental technologies, where you're seeing this used pretty robustly. There was a good piece in The New York Times Magazine on where AI, particularly deep learning systems will end up replacing a variety of middle class jobs. Actually, there was the final one of the final assignments for the students in the class was when their job that they want to pursue be replaced by AI in their lifetime.   Kendra Holt-Moore 54:29 That's a great assignment.   Adam Pryor 54:32 Most of them said probably, and that, you know, that, you know, ultimately, there's something about their humaneness that would prevent them from losing their jobs specifically.   Rachael Jackson 54:43 We talked a little bit about that, I think in a in a previous episode to where we say like, some of us like, our jobs are secure. My jobs not going anywhere.   Adam Pryor 54:54 But mine definitely will go away. I mean, I'd be shocked, actually. Yeah. Part of it will be part certainly part of it would.   Rachael Jackson 55:02 Yeah. One of the things that I just wanted to sort of end on that we've been dancing around but not really talking about is our human relationship to AI. In terms of what will our relationship be, if we're looking at relational or transactional? Those are sort of the buzzwords these days for how to how to be inside a community like are you treating? Is your community? Is your place of worship transactional? Are you fee for service? Or are you relational, and that's how you get people to stay members. Or to stay engaged, not just a membership, because it goes much more beyond those buzzwords of the last half decade. And for me, it goes further back to Martin boober. And the idea of, not just where is God, but where are we, and how are we using the ideas of AI it or I thou relationships, and for boober boober said that we can have an I it relationship with another human being and most of us do almost all the time. Right? The person that at the grocery store, the person the bank, Teller, any delivery service, even friends, even rather acquaintances, and co workers, most of them are I it relationships, very basic, based in transaction I will do for you only because you do for me. And that's sort of how we just can live our life and the antithesis to that is the I thou relationship, the ICU is you and want to be in relationship with new, not because of what you can do for me. And that is that can be true for every person. And also with things you can have an i thou relationship with a tree. And I love that one like I guess I have, I haven't I have an i thou relationship with my tree. And if we take that concept, how right this is, this is sort of my hopeful, optimistic view of where we can go with this, no matter what it is that we're talking about. If it's a deep learning, if it's an AI, if it's if it's, if it's Rosie, if it's your Roomba, you can have the I thou relationship with it, with the object with the creature with this, this something in front of you, and you're better for it as as is that thing. And wherever, wherever we ended up going with it. That's that's the perspective. And that, for me is what I can contribute to these relationships. What my perspective and how I perceive the thing across from me, I'm smiling.   Adam Pryor 57:55 So so I want to know, do you do you say thank you to Siri or Google or Alexa? When when you ask it questions, almost always,   Rachael Jackson 58:04 and it changes that I have I have Alexa. And it changes the sound of its voice. And it'll give me two or three phrases back such as you betcha. And it's like this really fun. Is this really fun statement of like, Oh, you're welcome. Now, just FYI, if you say I love you, it does not say I love you back. It says, you know, like, thank you, which is really smart emotional learning. So you don't find to get that attachment to this object. So that I believe is the programmer is because it's not yet capable of doing that. But maybe we'll get to a point of how and Eureka, right, the TV show Eureka where he's buried to a house.   Adam Pryor 58:47 So I I will say I tell Google thank you all the time. Whenever whenever I asked Google something. Um, but what it did make me recognize is that I don't say thank you to my cats. As we talked about, I though I had relationships,   Rachael Jackson 59:05 but but you don't like your cats. You have until your cats you kind of hate them.   Adam Pryor 59:08 No. So. So this is the like, but when we ask, like, Can we have a closer relationship with machine learning, deep learning than we do with other creatures? You right? Like I don't even have to go all the way to a tree. I can just go to the cats in my house. Right, right. Like any when they get up on the counter. The thing I shout at them is nobody loves you. Right? So like, I mean, I don't shout nobody loves you Google. I say thank you.   Rachael Jackson 59:33 You have a deeper relationship with your Google than you do with your cat. Yeah, I think that's a perfect example. You monster.   Zack Jackson 59:45 This has been Episode 85 of the down the wormhole podcast. Thank you for coming on this journey with us and especially to all you who have helped us to spread this work by sharing with your friends or leaving us a review wherever you get your podcasts. That's really huge. Thanks also to our patrons on Patreon for helping us to make this podcast happen. If you'd like to donate to the cause you can find us@patreon.com slash down the wormhole podcast. And make sure you send in your questions for our new q&a segment as well. So hit us up on Facebook, Twitter or through our website at down the wormhole.com

The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell Intro 00:07 // Synopsis 01:28 // Themes 12:46 (hard and soft SF, exploration, survival, skills, celebrating discovery and forming relationships) // Media 28:30 (The Expanse, Form Grows Rampant, The Forever War, Gateway, Diaspora) Links What would the Smart Party Do? Shawn Tomkin interview The Expanse Form Grows Rampant The…Read more 93: the Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

In this week's episode of Bookish @ Bethel, Philosophy Professor Carrie Peffley and History Professor AnneMarie Kooistra are joined by Bethel English Professor Marion Larson and Bethel Computer Science Professor Nathan Gossett to discuss Mary Doria Russell’s novel The Sparrow. For more information about Bookish @ Bethel or to find all of our episodes, check out our website: https://bookishbethel.wordpress.com/

A Review of Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow Series Book 2 Children of God. Emilio Sandoz is recovering from a disastrous mission on the alien world of Rakhat. And despite the unspeakable horrors he lived through, the Society of Jesus wants him to return.

A Review of Mary Doria Russell's The Sparrow Series Book 1 The Sparrow. Emilio Sandoz is the sole survivor of a ill-fated mission to a foreign world. He was a Jesuit priest who wanted to spread the word of God to alien race of people. This led to a series of horrific events that scarred his soul, crippled his body and broke his heart.

Last year Coode Street sat down with people from all over the world to talk about what they were reading, what they were up to, and how they were coping with strange times. We did it every day, which we probably never will again, and along the way found out it was fun and interesting to check in for a short chat. We're continuing that during 2021. Ten Minutes with Jason Sizemore The first "Ten Minutes with..." chat for 2021 is with Apex Magazine editor and publisher, Jason Sizemore. Apex is an award-winning magazine that publishes fantastic fiction. It paused publication due to illness, but is back with exciting new material in 2021. During our conversation Jason discusses the future of the magazine, watching Deadwood for the first time, and the fiction of Mary Doria Russell.

Sly Gittens will be speaking with Evelyn Zabo Global Cloud Alliances Lead at HPE. She will be sharing her experiences and recommendations about getting established in the IT field. Connect with Evelyn on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/evelyn-zabo-1b0b4/ Evelyn's email: EvelynZabo@hotmail.com Evelyn book recommendations: ✦ The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell: https://amzn.to/2Vb1E53 ✦ Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi: https://amzn.to/2KTodtb ✦ Ulysses by James Joyce: https://amzn.to/2J8ZDE5 ✦ SUBSCRIBE so you don't miss more tech tutorials and tech career tips videos:: http://bit.ly/SlyGittensYouTubeChannel ✦ LinkedIn Profile ➜ https://www.linkedin.com/in/slygittens/ ✦ Instagram Profile ➜ https://www.instagram.com/sly_gittens/ --- This episode is sponsored by · Anchor: The easiest way to make a podcast. https://anchor.fm/app

While a lot of readers have struggled during the pandemic, Scott had a reading breakthrough this past year. We talk about BookTube, places for readalongs, and books we've read and liked recently.Download or listen via this link: Reading Envy 204: BookTube Season Subscribe to the podcast via this link: FeedburnerOr subscribe via Apple Podcasts by clicking: SubscribeOr listen through TuneIn Or listen on Google Play Or listen via StitcherOr listen through Spotify New! Listen through Google Podcasts Books discussed: A Memory Called Empire by Arkady MartineHow Long 'Til Black Future Month by N.K. JemisinThis is the Story of a Happy Marriage by Ann PatchettEmpire of Wild by Cherie DimalineLast Call by Tim PowersOther mentions:The Bully Pulpit by Doris Kearns GoodwinAltered Carbon by Richard K. MorganCoode St. Podcast with Arkady MartineForeigner by C.J. CherryhA Desolation Called Peace by Arkady MartineThe Fifth Season by N.K. JemisinAncillary Justice by Ann LeckieThe Killing Moon by N.K. JemisinSistah ScifiThe Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham JonesThe Marrow Thieves by Cherie DimalineOn Stranger Tides by Tim PowersThe Anubis Gates by Tim PowersThe Great & Secret Show by Clive BarkerThe Fall of Hyperion by Dan SimmonsGet Booked PodcastHugos There PodcastA Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter MillerThe Sparrow by Mary Doria RussellEveryone who Reads Must Converse (YouTube)Endymion by Dan SimmonsA Case of Conscience by James BlishWelcome Home: An Anthology of Love and Adoption edited by Eric SmithRelated episodes:Episode 009 - Pirates and Noonday DemonsEpisode 039 - Paranoid Squint with FredEpisode 058 - Wishing for a Sequel with Scott D. Danielson Episode 123 - Godlets and Forests with Lauren WeinholdEpisode 202 - Jacket Flap with Chris and Emily Shelf Wear - Book 3 - The Only Good Indians  Stalk us online: Scott on A Good Story is Hard to Find (podcast) Scott on Shelf Wear (blog and podcast)Jenny at GoodreadsJenny on TwitterJenny is @readingenvy on Instagram and Litsy All links to books are through Bookshop.org, where I am an affiliate. I wanted more money to go to the actual publishers and authors, and less to Jeff Bezos. I only link to Amazon in cases where Bookshop.org does not carry a backlist title, which took place a few times for this list.

The Sparrow tells the story of a charismatic Jesuit priest and linguist, Emilio Sandoz, who leads a scientific mission to an off-planet world, Rakhat, and the risky and courageous attempt to make first contact with intelligent extraterrestrial life.

Today, Meredith and Kaytee are discussing: Bookish Moments: a zoom call and a buddy read Current Reads: apocalyptic, scary, ho-hum, heartwarming, icky, and revealing. We’ve got a bit of everything! Deep Dive: the anti-book twin or… the EVIL book twin! Book Presses: a historical fiction novel with broad appeal and a favorite mystery series As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . . Bookish Moments: 3:15 - Meeting 20 Patrons of the podcast (Bookish Friends) over Zoom! 4:24 - Buddy reading a book with mom Current Reads: 5:16 - Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler (Kaytee) 5:28 - Kindred by Octavia Butler 6:38 - The Road by Cormac McCarthy 6:40 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 8:00 - Parable of the Talents (book #2) by Octavia Butler 8:38 - The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud (Meredith) 11:48 - The Love Story of Missy Carmichael by Beth Morrey (Kaytee) 11:59 - @booknerdnative on Instagram 13:29 - A Man Called Ove by Fredrick Backman 14:06 - The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes by Suzanne Collins (Meredith) 14:16 - The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins 18:45 - The Roanoke Girls by Amy Engel (Kaytee) 20:40 - All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood 21:49 - The Office: The Untold Story of the Greatest Sitcom of the 2000s by Andy Green (Meredith) 22:48 - Office Ladies Podcast Deep Dive - Evil Book Twins: 27:14 - From the Front Porch Podcast 28:00 - What Should I Read Next Podcast 29:43 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live Podcast 31:11 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 32:13 - What Alice Forgot by Liane Moriarty Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 34:55 - Washington Black by Esi Edugyan (Kaytee) 35:14 - Episode 33 of Season 1 36:34 - Case Histories by Kate Atkinson (Meredith) Connect With Us: Meredith is @meredith.reads on Instagram Kaytee is @notesonbookmarks on Instagram Mindy is @gratefulforgrace on Instagram Mary is @maryreadsandsips on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast.com @currentlyreadingpodcast on Instagram currentlyreadingpodcast@gmail.com

Is questioning God allowed? Enduring a pandemic has brought up a lot of questions. What do we do with those?Also, the book I mention is The Sparrow, by Mary Doria Russell.Love to you all!

Rezensionen zu "Sperling" von Mary Doria Russell, "Der Wanderer von Deverry" von Katharine Kerr und "Die Turing Option" von Harry Harrison und Marvon Minsky

Today, Kaytee and Meredith are discussing: Bookish Moments: he enthusiasm that only comes from scoring a great book, and a new bookstore and “fan in the wild” moment Current Reads: we’ve got three books a piece, and they are all over the place. Be sure to pop over to Instagram to enter our giveaway! Deep Dive: Our favorite bookish podcasts! Book Presses: a real page turner and apocalypse fiction As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*   . . . . . Bookish Moments: 3:30 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 4:40 - Title Wave Books, Revised in Albuquerque, NM 5:09 - 50 Shades of Gray by E.L. James 5:11 - Me Before You by Jojo Moyes Current Reads: 6:00 - The Fourth Monkey by J.D. Barker 8:16 - @bookworm_365 on Instagram 8:49 - Roots by Alex Haley 10:12 - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough 10:14 - Shogun by James Clavell 10:15 - Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell 10:24 - We Were the Lucky Ones by Georgia Hunter 10:29 - Finding Dorothy by Elizabeth Letts 12:09 - The Literary Enneagram by Judith Searle 13:20 - The Road Back to You by Ian Morgan Cron and Suzanne Stabile 14:06 - Don’t Overthink It by Anne Bogel 15:47 - Instagram Giveaway! 16:11 - Greenglass House by Kate Midford 19:50 - All American Boys by Jason Reynolds and Brendan Kiely Deep Dive - The Bookish Podcasts in our Queues 22:39 - Novel Pairings @novelpairingspod with @chelseyreads and @fictionmatters 24:08 - He Read She Read @hereadsheread with @chelseyreads and @curtisreads 24:45 - The Duchess Deal by Tessa Dare 25:46 - All the Books Podcast with @franzencomesalive 27:37 - What Should I Read Next @whatshouldireadnext with @annebogel 27:42 - One Great Book with @annebogel 28:59 - Episode 11 of WSIRN with Meredith! 29:16 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 30:00 - East of Eden by John Steinbeck 30:21 - Sarah’s Bookshelves Live with @sarahsbookshelves 32:23 - SBSL Episode with @jordys.book.club 32:38 - SBSL Episode with Siobhan Jones of BOTM 33:12 - Episode 16 with Meredith and Kaytee 33:21 - From the Front Porch @bookshelftville with @anniebjones 33:40 - The Dutch House by Ann Patchett 34:09 - Bonus episodes for Patrons: Kaytee Reads Too Much! 35:07 - Shelf Subscription 35:39 - Diving In @diving_in_podcast with @virginia_reads and @lousie_cooks_and_reads 37:18 - Sorta Awesome @sortaawesomeshow with @sortaawesomemeg 37:27 - 10 Things to Tell You @10thingstotellyou with @laura.tremaine 37:35 - The Popcast @thepopcast with @knoxmccoy and @jamiebgolden Books We Want to Press Into Your Hands: 39:13 - What She Knew by Gilly Macmillan 41:08 - Kaytee's (written) author interview with Gilly Macmillan 41:39 - Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton 41:45 - Episode 1 of Currently Reading! 43:10 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 43:12 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 43:32 - Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

Jacquelyn Fletcher Johnson is the founder & creator of Heartwood Healing, podcaster, award-winning author (14 books!!), speaker and coach PLUS a great friend of mine. Join us today as we talk about our favorites books and Jacquelyn’s work. Hang with Jacquelyn Fletcher on her podcast, The Heartwood Treehouse If you are interested in the Heartwook Self-Mastery Program Digital Course, please use THIS LINK Jacquelyn’s Favorite Books: ”Self-Compassion: The proven power of being kind to yourself” by Kristin Neff, PhD "Faith: Trusting Your Own Deepest Experience” by Sharon Salzberg ”Lovingkindness: The Revolutionary Art of Happiness” also by Sharon Salzberg Samaria Series by Sharon Shinn ”The Sparrow” by Mary Doria Russell ”Children of God” by Mary Doria Russell (2nd book) ”Evidence of V: A Novel in Fragments, Facts, and Fictions” by Shelia O’Conner Errin’s Favorite Books: ”You are a Badass” by Jen Sincero ”Throne of Glass” by Sarah Maas “Alanna, The First Adventure: Song of the Lioness, Book 1” by Tamora Pierce ”The Hero and the Crown” by Robin McKinley ”Arrows of the Queen” by Mercedes Lackey (series is Valdemar: Heralds of Valdemar #1) Book a Call with Errin HERE

I’ve been preaching … about God-given rights. They are not as “self-evident” as the founders asserted. And they certainly are not as important as the right God actually endowed us with.I’ve been reading … Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell. Again. The OK Corral incident was all about gun-control laws. They didn’t work then, and they don’t work now, because they don’t deal with the real problem. I’ve been hearing … about the White Settlement shooting. In all the talk about concealed carry permits and church security, we have ignored the real issue. And it’s not gun-related.I’ve been playing … Bang! The Dice Game. The trick is to shoot the other team and not your own. Trouble is, you don’t always know who is who. Sort of like in the church.

We will discuss what I call “The Magnificent Seven,” Biblical characters that remind me of the heroes from the classic film.We will discuss Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell, again. Josie Marcus was determined that the world see her man, Wyatt Earp, as the man she knew him to be. We should be equally protective of Jesus’ reputation We will discuss John Wayne’s “The Alamo,” a film he saw as his commentary on freedom and communism. The stand he took, both behind the scenes and on the big screen, should inspire us to stand for Christ.We will discuss Dicetown, which combines Yahtzee and poker to create a game where, to quote Kenny rogers, every hand’s a winner and every hand’s a loser.

We will discuss placing our faith in government. Only God can give assurance in the matters Christians truly care about. If that isn’t enough for us, an ineffectual government is the least of our worries.We will discuss Epitaph, by Mary Doria Russell. There is the Wyatt Earp who played by the rules and lost, and the Wyatt Earp who broke the rules and won. Which one is your hero?We will discuss the impeachment process, and why people seem to be pursuing an impossible goal. Turns out, so-called pointless fights say more about the fighter than the cause.We will discuss Council of Verona, in which the Montague and Capulet clans fight for control. Whether Romeo and Juliet wind up together is only part of the story.

For this 44th episode of Bookin', New York Times bestselling author Mary Doria Russell joins host Jason Jefferies to talk about her new novel The Women of Copper Country.  Topics discussed include Mother Jones, women’s leadership in the Labor movement, copper in Michigan and Arizona, Shakespeare as a framing device, and more.  Signed copies of The Women of Copper Country can be purchased in-store at Quail Ridge Books and online here (while supplies last).  

This week, Sharifah talks about music in SFF. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, Apple Podcasts here, Spotify here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. To get even more SF/F news and recs, sign up for our Swords and Spaceships newsletter! DISCUSSED: Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno Garcia Sister Mine by Nalo Hopkinson Soul Music by Terry Pratchett The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell

Kaytee and Meredith are back on track with another episode, recorded just a day after the last one. You’ll never guess it though! Important announcement this week: we have a great discount code to share with you from The Bookshelf Thomasville! Now through June 30th, you can get anything on their website for 10% off using the code CURRENTLYREADING (wow!!!) This would be a great time to pick up a Shelf Subscription for yourself or others! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a re-read experience of a favorite novel and bookish unpacking wins. Next, we discuss our current reads for the week. Quite a few non-fiction titles again this week, as well as some readalikes and great books for your kiddos. For our deep dive this week, we are getting a little deeper into the deepness and sharing about times that a book saved our lives. These stories are a bit vulnerable, a bit emotional, and a lot bookish. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands. This week we’ve got two historical fiction novels: one centering on the plague and one in the back of beyond of Australia. As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  2:45 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 6:07 - The Yoga Store Murder by Dan Morse 9:24 - I Miss You When I Blink by Mary Laura Philpott 10:06 - Tell Me More by Kelly Corrigan 10:13 - Of Mess And Moxie by Jen Hatmaker 10:18 - Love Warrior by Glennon Doyle Melton 11:42 - The Hunting Party by Lucy Foley 14:56 - And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie 15:28 - Emma by Jane Austen 15:59 - Dear Mr. Knightley by Katherine Reay 16:34 - Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 20:02 - Stick Dog by Tom Watson 20:05 - Stick Cat by Tom Watson 22:04 - Max and the Midknights by Lincoln Peirce 22:10 - Big Nate by Lincoln Peirce 22:58 - Maid by Stephanie Land 29:13 - Master of the Game by Sidney Sheldon 29:15 - Bloodline by Sidney Sheldon 29:17 - The Other Side of Midnight by Sidney Sheldon 33:10 - Harry Potter Series by JK Rowling 37:12 - Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks 39:12 - Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet 39:41 - The Thorn Birds by Colleen McCullough *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!* 

In this episode, Amber, Brooke, Shannon and Stacy talk about some of their favorite books in the genre of historical fiction. Books in this episode are: Mary Doria Russell, Doc Jamie Ford, Hotel On the Corner of Bitter And Sweet Anna Hope, The Ballroom Jennifer Donnelly, The Tea Rose: Tea Rose Trilogy, book 1 Sorayya Khan, City of Spies Lyndsay Faye, The Paragon Hotel Geraldine Brooks, Year of Wonders Susan Meissner, As Bright As Heaven John Larison, Whiskey When We're Dry Fiona Davis, The Doll House Renee Rosen Park Avenue Summer Kate Quinn, The Huntress You can always contact the Book Bistro team by searching @BookBistroPodcast on facebook, or visiting: https://www.facebook.com/BookBistroPodcast/ You can also send an email to: TheBookBistroPodcast@gmail.com

Meredith and Kaytee are so excited to finally bring you this very special episode, which we, and our kiddos, have been looking forward to for a long time! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of the hosts: preparing with our sons for the special deep dive in this week’s episode (yep, that’s one bookish moment for the two of us!). Next, we discuss our current reads. Since we wanted to leave time for the kids, we give you only two (and a half) titles each this week, and they are all over the map. Our deep dive this week is a super special interview with Jackson Schwartz, 7, and Micah Cobb, 8. These two boys have big opinions about the books they have read and loved. And the way they relate to each other is downright adorable. Anyone else think this needs to be a regular feature? We are totally smitten. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands. There are four (or more) titles in this week’s pressed books segment, so get those Amazon clickers ready! As per usual, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  3:41 - The Vanishing Stair by Maureen Johnson 3:52 - Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson 6:57 - Confessions of a Domestic Failure by Bunmi Latidan 7:11 - The Honest Toddler 7:20 - Toddlers Are A**holes by Bunmi Latidan 10:36 - The Age of Miracles by Karen Thompson Walker 10:44 - The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker 11:49 - Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel 13:03 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 13:50 - The Care and Feeding of Ravenously Hungry Girls by Anissa Gray 14:10 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 14:28 - A Single Shard by Linda Sue Park 17:52 - The Indian in the Cupboard by Lynn Reid Banks 19:46 - The One and Only Ivan by Katherine Applegate 21:02 - Inspector Flytrap: The Da Vinci Cold by Tom Angleberger 22:08 - The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey 22:34 - Dogman by Dav Pilkey 22:47 - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl 24:23 - Fantastic Mr. Fox by Roald Dahl 24:36 - Ricky Ricotta’s Mighty Robot by Dav Pilkey 26:26 - Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan 28:59 - Diary of a Wimpy Kid by Jeff Kinney 30:44 - Arrow to the Sun by Gerald McDermott 31:50 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling 31:59 - Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by JK Rowling 33:28 - The Course of Love by Alain de Botton 36:10 - The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas 37:48 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 38:17 - On The Come Up by Angie Thomas *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

Jenn and guest Sarah Davis discuss book club picks, dancers, capital punishment, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by Audible , EveryPlate, and Nurx. Subscribe to the podcast via RSS, Apple Podcasts, or Stitcher.   Questions   1. My book club is working on compiling a list of our upcoming books by the end of February. We have had a lot of books that really hurt the momentum of our group, and recently have had a streak of really great books that have gotten us all excited again. The books we have enjoyed are: The Rosie Project by Graeme Simsion, Artemis by Andy Weir, Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee, They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera, and Between The World and Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates. The books that have made us collectively lose steam are: The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance by George O’Neilly, Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey, Lord of Misrule by Jaimy Gordon. Do you have any suggestions for us? We enjoy both non fiction and fiction. We have some readers that read almost exclusively non-fiction and some that read almost exclusively fiction. -Traci   2. Hey there! I’ve been a long time fan of your podcast, but this is the first time I’m actually looking for a personal recommendation. Recently I’ve read The Cranes Dance by Meg Howrey and I immediately fell in love. Ever since I’ve been trying to find books that deal with similar topics or themes, but nothing managed to live up to it. So, here’s what I’m looking for: books dealing with ballet or any kind of activity the main character is really obsessed with (I’m open to ideas), books that talk about some more philosophical ideas that don’t go over one’s head, character driven stories and a strong character voice (preferably from a female point of view). I already have Sally Rooney’s books on my TBR, I’ve read Donna Tartt, Elena Ferrante and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. Any ideas what I should pick up next? Thanks in advance! xoxo -Olivia   3. Hey Amanda & Jenn – Thanks for all you do at Book Riot for us readers out there! I’m hoping you can help me find more reading material on capital punishment. My interest in it peaked when I was reading Just Mercy (Bryan Stevenson) and I later followed it up with The Sun Does Shine (Anthony Ray Hinton). I’d prefer non-fiction but I’ll take whatever you can give me! Thanks so much. -Nicole   4. Hi Jenn and Amanda! I was wondering if you could help me find some mystery/suspense books that involved two detectives who are a married couple. I’ve been binging through Agatha Christie’s “Tommy and Tuppence” series and I’m absolutely obsessed with their dynamic. Anything that involves a married couple (or romantic couple) solving crimes together and bantering is right up my alley! Thank you! -Mallory   5. I recently read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo by Taylor Jenkins Reid and absolutely loved it! I am looking for recommendations for books that take place in old timey Hollywood that might be similar to The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. I enjoy stories told from different points of view, time jumping from present to past and wouldn’t say no to some mystery. Thank you in advance for your help! Looking forward to your recommendations. -Rebeca T   6. I really loved the book The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell, and the movie Arrival is one of my favorites because I love the glimpses that both works give of linguists. I am looking for more books about linguists/linguistics. Fiction or non-fiction, as long as the non-fiction is accessible to a ‘regular’ non-academic. Thanks, -Angie   7. Hi Get Booked Ladies! I’m kind of obsessed with the works of Ray Bradbury, specifically Dandelion Wine and Something Wicked This Way Comes. I can’t seem to find any other books that capture the same sort of nostalgia and enigmatic, subtle magic that those books portrayed so wonderfully. Help please!!! Thanks, -Rin   Books Discussed Washington Black by Esi Edugyan The Night Ocean by Paul LaFarge (Cosmic Horror post) The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani “10 New Controversial Books to Shake up Your Book Club” Disoriental by Negar Djavadi, translated by Tina A. Kover Sweetbitter by Stephanie Danler Pointe by Brandy Colbert (tw: eating disorders) Dancer by Colum McCann Burial Rites by Hannah Kent The Fact of a Body by Alexandria Marzano-Lesnevich In the Bleak Midwinter by Julia Spencer-Fleming To Say Nothing of the Dog by Connie Willis A Touch of Stardust by Kate Alcott Laura Lamont’s Life in Pictures by Emma Straub The Study of Animal Languages by Lindsay Stern Ammonite by Nicola Griffith The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman Mama Day by Gloria Naylor

You’ve been asking for it, and now it’s here: our best books of 2018 list! We are the type of people who cannot pick our books until ALL the books have been finished for the year, so this is the soonest we could record! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each host: a Christmas gift that is perfect for an avid reader and the reason you all feel like your TBR lists explode whenever we release a new episode. Next, we discuss what we are currently reading, and this week has an incredible variety of titles that we discuss. This week’s deep dive is a recap of our top ten books of the year for each of us. We picked the cream of the crop to share with you, readers. As always, we finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a gripping mystery and a two-book series that are so unexpectedly wonderful. As always, time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  5:08 - Little Free Library! 9:33 – The Indifferent Stars Above by Daniel James Brown 9:45 – The Best Land Under Heaven by Michael Wallis 12:25 – The Hunger by Alma Katsu 13:00 – Becoming by Michelle Obama 16:19 - The Only Girl in the World by Maude Julien 16:34 - The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls 16:36 - Room by Emma Donoghue 18:56 - Holidays on Ice by David Sedaris 19:33 - Only Human by Sylvain Neuvel 19:41 - Sleeping Giants by Sylvain Neuvel 21:51 - Waking Gods by Sylvain Neuvel 22:59 - Sadie by Courtney Summers 25:13 - The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser 29:10 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 30:39 - The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne 32:32 - The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey 33:15 - Essentialism by Greg McKeown 34:28 – The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah MacKenzie 35:03 – The Read-Aloud Revival Podcast 35:29 - American Marriage by Tayari Jones 36:39 - Braving the Wilderness by Brene Brown 37:41 - Educated by Tara Westover 40:42 - Circe by Madeline Miller 42:32 - Tattoos on the Heart by Gregory Boyle 43:37 - Calypso by David Sedaris 45:03 - The War That Saved My Life by Kimberly Brubaker Bradley 45:41 - Thunderhead by Neal Shusterman 46:44 - The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz 47:58 - Where The Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 49:48 - Nevermoor by Jessica Townsend 49:56 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 52:41 - The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine 54:52 - Behind Closed Doors by B.A. Paris 54:58 - The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn 55:51 - Us Against You by Frederik Backman 55:55 - Beartown by Frederik Backman 56:01 - A Man Called Ove by Frederik Backman 58:44 - Britt-Marie Was Here by Frederik Backman 58:45 - My Grandmother Asked Me to Tell You She’s Sorry by Frederik Backman *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

Meredith and Kaytee are back in your earbuds this week with a broad array of books to tell you about! You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: a personalized book gift FOR a friend, and a kidlit audiobook addiction. Next, we tackle what we are currently reading, some quick reads to hit your year-end goals, and a few books we cannot WAIT to talk to you about! Our super special deep dive this week centers on an interview with Delia Owens, writer of Where the Crawdads Sing. This book has been chosen as a Reese Witherspoon Book Club pick, as well as (just announced the day after recording) picked up by 20th Century Fox as a feature film production. Delia is so gracious, so well-spoken, and so lovely. We know you’ll love hearing from her. As always, we ALL finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to press into every reader’s hands: a nature collection from Delia, a cry-your-heart-out book, and a middle grade classic. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  1:35 - Wundersmith by Jessica Townsend 4:18 - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling 5:32 - Alcatraz vs. The Evil Librarians by Brandon Sanderson 6:31 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 7:43 - Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong 7:57 - Shogun by James Clavell 8:51 - Theft by Finding: Diaries by David Sedaris 10:51 - Kingdom of the Blind by Louise Penny 16:06 - The One by John Marrs 19:59 - Some Writer! by Melissa Sweet 20:06 - Stuart Little by E.B. White 20:08 - Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White 22:55 - Relish: My Life in the Kitchen by Lucy Knisley 23:25 - Belonging: A German Reckons with History and Home by Nora Krug 24:11 - Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens 27:51 - The Secret, Book, and Scone Society by Ellery Adams 30:15 - The Whispered Word by Ellery Adams 41:19 - The Sand County Almanac by Aldo Leopold 43:45 - Instagram Giveaway! Go win one of two copies of Where The Crawdads Sing! 45:09 - When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi 48:29 - Tuesdays At The Castle by Jessica Day George *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

This November we're reading Children of Time by Adrian Tchaikovsky. Woo Adrians!This episode we discuss what the "science" in science fiction means. What other books portray science well? What does it mean to write a book about science? Should science fiction try to be "realistic"? In addition, we give you the book facts, and discuss a number of other works. Links are at spectology.com if they don't show up in your podcatcher: * Blindsight by Peter Watts* Ursula K. Le Guin* Foreigner by CJ Cherryh* The Mote in God's Eye by Larry Niven & Jerry Pournelle* The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (also see episodes 2.1 & 2.2 of Spectology for further discussion thereof)* The Dark Eden Trilogy by Chris Beckett* The Mars Trilogy by KSR* Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang* The Arthur C. Clarke Awards --- We'd love to hear from you, either by chatting with us on twitter at @spectologypod, sending us an email at spectologypod@gmail.com, or submitting the episode to r/printSF on reddit. We'll reply, and shout you out in the next podcast when we talk about your comment. And if you like the episode, subscribe at spectology.com or whever you listen to podcasts, and share it with your friends! Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.

What role does religion play in science fiction and fantasy? What do we read into and what do we read *out* of a book written by an author of a known religious bent (think Orson Scott Card, C.S. Lewis, or Tolkien), or which features characters of a religious bent (think Mary Doria Russell or Tristan Palmgren)? Religion is something we can't get away from in 2018, whether we're talking about contemporary politics or science fiction or our own personal histories. Get ready for some serious baggage inspection, folks: Kend is here with some rants on growing up religious, while Tony is here to be calm and the kind of emotional anchor we all need in our lives in 2018. What more could you want out of a podcast? You can find our back episodes on YouTube. Our Twitter handle is @imaginary_pod, our website www.imaginaries.net, and our email imaginarypod@gmail.com. If you would like to help support our work, you can do so at www.ko-fi.com/imaginaries. And don't forget to vote on on our "What Should We Read Next?" lists on Goodreads! See our Twitter for more information on that. Thanks for listening!

Kaytee and Meredith return this week to chat about books with you! How do you feel about the backlist? We’re going there. You’ll hear a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us: using books as a coping strategy and books that you’ve been meaning to read for more than decade… We dive in to discussing 3 books each. These mostly take a trip down backlist lane, because only one is brand new and the rest are back in the catalog. Next we get into every listener’s most-asked question: a brief overview of how in the /world/ Kaytee reads SO much while homeschooling all those children. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to put into every reader’s hands. We’ve got a book that will make your life better and a series that you have to push through the first book to get to the way better second and third books. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book and resource we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down!  .  .  .  .  .  8:35 - Inspector Thanet Series by Dorothy Simpson 9:32 - Fear: Trump in the White House by Bob Woodward 12:01 - Fire and Fury by Michael Wolff 13:00 - All the Pretty Girls by J.T. Ellison 13:14 - Setting Free the Kites by Alex George 13:18 - All the Missing Girls by Megan Miranda 16:47 - The Uninvited Guests by Said Jones 19:51 - Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides 20:25 - Middlemarch by George Eliot 20:46 - The Virgin Suicides by Jeffrey Eugenides 23:08 - The Two-Family House by Lynda Cohen Loigman 24:05 - Fates and Furies by Lauren Groff 27:34 - All Things Good and Wonderful, nope, just kidding, it’s All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood 29:22 - Florida by Lauren Groff 29:36 - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 30:42 - What I Saw and How I Lied by Judy Blundell 36:52 - Happier at Home by Gretchen Rubin 36:55 - The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin 37:00 - Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn 39:33 - Do Audiobooks Count?? For further reading: To Your Brain, Listening to a Book is Pretty Much the Same As Reading It 41:32 - Kindle Paperwhite love 44:47 - Better Than Before by Gretchen Rubin 45:36 - The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin 48:39 - A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas 49:04 - A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas 49:08 - A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*  

Welcome to the Currently Reading podcast! In our inaugural episode, we try out our format for the first time. You get to hear us get over our microphone nerves and get comfortable chatting with each other. We share a “bookish moment of the week” from each of us – something readerly in our lives that we want to highlight, a few of the books we’ve finished reading lately, and what’s up next on the TBR pile. We finish up with A Book (yep, capitalized) that we’d like to put into every reader’s hands: something that has ranked on our favorites list or been well-beloved by the people in our lives that we’ve convinced to read it. Perhaps it will become one of your favorites as well. Time-stamped show notes are below with references to every book we mentioned in this episode. If you’d like to listen first and not spoil the surprise, don’t scroll down! . . . . 2:33 – Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by J.K. Rowling Illustrated edition 5:20 – Stretched Too Thin: How Working Moms Can Lose the Guilt, Work Smarter, and Thrive by Jessica N. Turner 7:22 – Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery 9:38 – The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery 13:05 – You Think It, I’ll Say It by Curtis Sittenfeld 14:28 – Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld 14:31 – Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen 15:52 – Good Morning, Midnight by Lily Brooks-Dalton 19:28 – The Book of M by Peng Shepherd 22:53 – The Walking Dead (TV Series) 26:41 – War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy 27:02 – Blindness by José Saramago 27:26 – These is my Words by Nancy Turner 30:33 – The City Baker’s Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller 30:57 – The Book of Essie by Meghan MacLean Weir 32:46 – Castle of Water by Dane Huckelbridge 35:30 – The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell 36:52 – Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel *Please note that all book titles linked above are Amazon affiliate links. Your cost is the same, but a small portion of your purchase will come back to us to help offset the costs of the show. Thanks for your support!*

In this episode, Madeline Miller recommends Troilus and Cressida by William Shakespeare, and Sabaa Tahir recommends The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell. This episode of Recommended is sponsored by Penguin Random House Audio and our bookstore gift card giveaway.

Now that everyone's had time to read it, it's time to talk about The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell in detail. Did we like the book? Were the characters compelling? Did the end work for us? Was it an effective alegorical exploration of the Columbian contact with the Americas? And why are the answers to all these questions "no"? This book featured a lot of graphic imagery, so be aware we have in-depth discussions of rape, torture, and isolation in this episode.  If you'd like to skip the discussion of the plot and jump right to our deeper discussion of the themes, then jump from about 15:05 to 52:40. We wanted folks who haven't read the book recently, or don't intend to read it, to be able to understand the plot and enjoy the rest of the episode, but not everyone will want a recounting of the novel they just read. During the course of the novel we mentioned a few articles, videos, and books, including: Monolingual Fieldwork by Daniel Everett (a linguist learns Hmong) Do Elephants Have Souls? by Caitrin Keiper for the New Atlantis Alien intelligence: the extraordinary minds of octopuses and other cephalopods by Elle Hunt The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber 1491 and 1493 by Charles Mann Next week we'll be discussing Arthur C. Clarke's short story "The Star" (pdf) in the context of The Sparrow to compare and contrast them.  As always, we'd love to hear from you! Tweet us at @spectologypod, submit the episode at r/printSF, or email us at spectologypod@gmail.com with your thoughts about the book. Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.

We're excited to announce that in May, we're reading The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell! In this spoiler free, pre-read episode, Adrian and Matt discuss religion in science fiction. How do different books handle religion in the future? Does science fiction have an antagonistic relationship with religion? What are some of our favorite works of SF that feature religion? There's a diversion into Adrian's fundamentalist upbringing and his path to agnosticism. And what does a prog rock album based on future Jesuits sound like? Some of the books we talk about this episode are: The Book of Strange New Things by Michel Faber The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler Ten Billion Days and One Hundred Billion Nights by Ryu Mitsuse Dark Eden by Chris Beckett Underground Railroud by Colson Whitehead Contact by Carl Sagan Broken Spears by Miguel Leon-Portilla And make sure to check out The Sparrow album by the prog rock band Metaphor for your reading soundtrack. As always, we'd love to hear from you! Tweet us at @spectologypod, submit the episode at r/printSF, or email us at spectologypod@gmail.com with your thoughts about the book. Many thanks to Dubby J and Noah Bradley for doing our music and art.

The Fangirl Vault opens once again for a discussion of the timeless dinosaur classic, Jurassic Park. Thanks to our patrons for making this episode possible. 🐝 You can read a transcript of this episode. 🐝 Jurassic Park; 00:23 Spoilers, y’all! Recommendations; 24:02 The Gene by Siddhartha Mukherjee & The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell ❤️ […] The post Fangirl Happy Hour, Episode #108 – Jurassic Park (1993) appeared first on Fangirl Happy Hour.

I got together with my friends Cole Watkins, Ron Allison and James Baker so we could recommend stuff to each other. We each came with at least 3 things (though Ron didn't totally understand the prompt...). We went in a circle and talked about each thing, like you do. Here are the topics and times on the off chance some of this isn't fascinating to you: - Intro (00:00) - Introductions (2:30) - A Futile and Stupid Gesture (10:10) - JoJo's Bizarre Adventure/vrv.co (14:45) - Outlets (20:45) - Emerald City (25:40) - The End of the F***ing World (31:12) - WWE Royal Rumble on 1/28/2018 (34:33) - What if Benjamin Franklin discovered Wi-Fi? (41:15) - The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell (45:45) - Baths/Geotic (50:25) - Star Wars: Knights of the Old Republic 1 & 2 (56:00) - Apples with worms in them (1:00:50) - The Man from Earth (1:06:00) - BONUS RECOMMENDATIONS (1:09:15) - Mother! (1:10:15) - Chasing Earhart (podcast) (1:19:00) - Jordache Jeans (1:22:50) Thanks for listening! Jeff Grant's Evolving Podcast is available on iTunes and Soundcloud.

Amanda and Jenn discuss international reads, Star Trek readalikes, bisexual characters, and more in this week's episode of Get Booked. This episode is sponsored by As You Wish by Chelsea Sedoti and OwlCrate. Enter our Best of 2017 books giveaway! bookriot.com/bookriottop20   Questions 1. Hi girls! I love reading about people from different countries or people currently living in different countries and would love a recommendation! I'm trying to find something that isn’t about war or racism. Maybe something a little more lighthearted- if that exists. I love both fiction and nonfiction and am very open to translated works, poetry, plays, short story collections, etc. None of my book friends have been able to help, but I'm hoping you can :) Thank you! --Bianca   2. Hi Amanda & Jenn, I'm looking for a recommendation for my book club. We're all women ranging in age from mid-twenties to mid-sixties and, as individuals, read everything from literary fiction to romance to science fiction and fantasy. We've only been meeting for the past 6 months so we're still figuring out what types of books work best. Right now, we've read Where'd You Go Bernadette (which everyone really enjoyed), Small Great Things (most people liked), Elsie and Mairi Go to War (awful, didn't even finish), Exit West (another strong pick), When Dimple Met Rishi (good, but not substantial enough), and God: A Human History (haven't discussed yet, but from our group emails, I'm thinking it's a bit too academic). Contemporary fiction with interesting, strong female protagonists seems to be our sweet spot. We have The Mothers on our to-read list as well as A Gentleman in Moscow, My Cousin Rachel and The Summer Before the War. We read diversely, don't shy away from difficult/sensitive subjects, nonfiction is ok but we've read a decent amount lately, and prefer adult to YA. Thanks so much! --Megan   3. Hi there - I'll be moving to the Bay Area soon for a software engineering program, and I'm a little nervous about feeling lonely/missing home. I'd love some recommendations for: escapist/comforting reads and/or fiction with an awesome female lead and/or books set in San Francisco. I've been reading through the October Daye series by Seanan McGuire and have enjoyed them. I'm also planning to take Sourdough by Robin Sloan with me. I enjoy most sci-fi/fantasy and read a lot of literary fiction as well. Some of my favorite authors are Miriam Toews, Mary Doria Russell, Peter Heller and Connie Willis. Thanks for your help and for the show - this podcast has helped me find so many great books! --Rachel   4. What sci-fi books would you recommend to someone who loves Star Trek? I've of course read some of the novelizations, but I'd like to read some novels that are unconnected but have a similar enough feel to Star Trek. I love the space exploration, philosophy, and different alien races working together, but most of all I loved the idealized future. It seems every futuristic novel I read, we all live in a terrible future that is terrible, and OH LOOK AT HOW EVIL TECHNOLOGY IS. There are no words to describe how tired I am of that. Thanks in advanced guys. I can't wait to hear your recs. --Eliza   5. Hi, I recently listened to your podcast about biography recommendations and can't wait to check out Cleopatra. I would love some other great biographies/memoirs about women. I would prefer people of color or/not already widely famous people. For example, I loved Stolen Lives; Twenty Years in a Desert Jail by Malika Oufkir, Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi, Unbowed by Wangari Maathai, and Mennonite in a Little Black Dress by Rhoda Janzen. Thanks! --Carrie   6. I'm on a search for bisexual characters in literature (who actually call themselves bi- too often authors try to skirt around the word). I'm bisexual myself and I'm craving representation. I find so many gay and lesbian characters, but rarely bi. I don't mind if the character is in a same sex or opposite sex relationship, I would just really like to read about a bi character. Also, while I would love to see some bi women, I encounter bi women much more than I encounter bi men, so I would appreciate it if your suggestions had both genders (if that is at all possible). Thank you so much, and I absolutely adore the show. --Virginia   7. Hi Amanda and Jenn! I love listening to your podcast! Im wondering if you can recommend some books set in the Middle East. I recently read When the Moon is Low by Nadia Hashimi and loved it. I'd particularly like books told from the perspective of a female character(s). Thanks! --Becky   Books Discussed Sunshine by Robin McKinley A Darker Shade of Magic by VE Schwab The Rabbit Back Literature Society by Pasi Ilmari Jääskeläinen, translated by Lola Rogers The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso (rec’d by Rebecca) White Oleander by Janet Fitch Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi Wallbanger by Alice Clayton A Dirty Job by Christopher Moore Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold Provenance by Ann Leckie Wild Swans by Jung Chang Mighty Be Our Powers by Leymah Gbowee A Gentleman’s Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee 100 Must Read Bisexual Books post Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner Escape from Aleppo by N.H. Senzai An Unnecessary Woman by Rabih Alameddine

Comment commencer son histoire ? Les évolutions modernes de la narration peuvent-elles éclairer les auteurs sur les façons intéressantes de commencer un récit de manière à susciter l’intérêt d’un lecteur ? Et à aider, aussi, l’auteur dans son écriture ? Mélanie Fazi, Laurent Genefort et Lionel Davoust partagent leur approche de ce moment « d’une délicatesse extrême » et ce à quoi ils prêtent tout spécialement attention. Vous pouvez commenter sur le forum d'Elbakin.net : http://www.elbakin.net/forum/viewtopic.php?id=8813 Œuvres citées : - Mary Doria Russell, Le Moineau de Dieu - Stephen King, Dolores Claiborne - Big Little Lies, série

"The Sparrow" - After 20 years, we revisit Mary Doria Russell’s first-contact classic “The Sparrow.” It’s a story about aliens, spirituality, and why God allows terrible things to happen to good people. And boy, do terrible things happen to people in this book. (Content advisory: One of those things is sexual assault of humans by aliens.) Host Jason Snell with Scott McNulty, Shannon Sudderth and Erika Ensign.

What a treat to have Mary Doria Russell with us for the second half of our discussion about her book "A Thread of Grace"! We  also discuss her reverence of Kurt Russell's keister, take a stand for all Generation Y-ers (you know you're one if you can make those springy things with the bits you rip off the paper after printing the Valentine's  Day card you made for your mom off a dot matrix printer in computer lab - remember how carefully you folded those cards?) and the lengths we will go to to see Shaq play.

This week we have the enviable task of discussing the book "A Thread of Grace" with its author, New York Times Bestseller and two time Pulitzer Prize nominee, Mary Doria Russell.

Luke reviews Children of God by Mary Doria Russell. Get this audiobook for free, or any of 100,000 other titles, as part of a free trial by visiting this link: http://www.audibletrial.com/sfbrp. Buy this book at Amazon, or discuss this book at Goodreads.com Luke blogs at: http://www.lukeburrage.com/blog Follow Luke on twitter: http://twitter.com/lukeburrage Luke writes his own […]