Books with Betsy

On this episode, Francisco Rafael Peralta-Cerda, a fellow Read & Runner, talks about his work building a love for reading as a high school teacher, how his mom encouraged him to read when he was little, and a possibly surprising genre that he has fallen in love with this year. We also discuss his hesitation to read in public but also the attempt to dispel the myth of the performative male.    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Misinterpretation by Ledia Xhoga The Sisters by Jonas Hassan Khemiri    Books Highlighted by Fransico: The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky  Eragon by Christopher Paolini Cirque Du Freak: A Living Nightmare by Darren Shan  The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini  We Should Hang Out Sometime by Josh Sundquist Hole in My Life by Jack Gantos  The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Adventures of Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey  Inkspell by Cornelia Funke  Batman by Tom King  The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald  Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut  Coraline by Neil Gaiman  The Defining Decade by Meg Jay  What Happened to Millenials by Charlie Wells  Looking for Alaska by John Green  Heartstopper by Alice Oseman  A Game of Thrones by George R.R. Martin  Battle of the Bookstores by Ali Brady  Joey Pigza Swallowed the Key by Jack Gantos

On this episode, Deirdre Harrison, Executive Director of SitStayRead in Chicago talks about how her understanding of relationships affects her reading life, the joys of being a little free library steward, and shares deep thoughts about how her organization fits into the literary lives of everyone she interacts with. She also tells some really incredible stories about her experiences with SitStayRead that will emphasize the importance of literacy learning for young children.    SitStayRead   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  Disappoint Me by Nicola Dinan  Flesh by David Szalay    Books Highlighted by Deirdre: Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer  The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Goldfinch by Donna Tartt  The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld  Staying with the Trouble: Making Kin in the Chthulucene by Donna Haraway   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley  Motherhood by Lisa Marchiano LCSW  Thirty Million Words by Dana Suskind The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson  Caste by Isabel Wilkerson  Viktor Frankl Recollections by Viktor E. Frankl  The Pelican Can! By Toni Yuly  The Cool Bean by Jory John & Pete Oswald  Less Than Zero by Bret Easton Ellis  Twilight by Stephanie Meyer  Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James

On this episode, Antonio Michael Downing, author and host of CBC’s Next Chapter, talks about his early reading life with his grandmother in Trinidad, how his work affects his reading life, and the types of authors that are speaking to him now. We talk about his two books, Saga Boy, a memoir, and Black Cherokee, his first novel.     Black Cherokee  Saga Boy  The Next Chapter    Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  The Loneliness of Sonia and Sunny by Kiran Desai  Endling by Maria Reva  Isola by Allegra Goodman   Books Highlighted by Antonio Michael: A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula K. Le Guin Heavy: An American Memoir by Kiese Laymon Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin The Sellout by Paul Beatty Salt by Earl Lovelace Dubliners by James Joyce Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Deep Secrets by Niobe Way   All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: The Sound and The Fury by William Faulkner  Baldwin: A Love Story by Nicholas Boggs Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy  KJV Bible  Go Tell it on the Mountain by James Baldwin  The Fire Next Time by James Baldwin  Finnegans Wake by James Joyce  Book of Lives by Margaret Atwood Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky  Ulysses by James Joyce 

On this episode, Jesus, Emily, and Brian from Off Color Book Club join me to discuss the most recent Off Color Book Club book, Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar.    My Book Club Guide If you’re interested in joining the Off Color Book Club in the future, we will not be meeting in December but will meet on Tuesday, January 20th to discuss Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir. All are welcome!

On this episode, Julie Palazzolo, a mom who is finding her reading life to look differently than it has in the past, talks about how audiobooks have been a huge part of her reading life, the ways she brings reading to life with her kiddos, and how important and amazing children’s books are. Julie also gives a lot of great children’s book recommendations for many difficult topics.   Books mentioned in this episode:    What Betsy’s reading:  What Kind of Paradise by Janelle Brown The Director by Daniel Kehlmann   Books Highlighted by Julie: Weetzie Bat by Francesca Lia Block Never Lie by Frieda McFadden  Long Way Down by Jason Reynolds Night by Elie Wiesel The Invisible String by Patrice Karst Dog Heaven by Cynthia Rylant Bodies are Cool by Tyler Feder I Said No by Kimberly King Wasteland by Francesca Lia Block  No Drama Discipline by Daniel J. Siegel & Tina Payne Bryson Tiny Humans, Big Emotions by Alyssa Blask Campbell & Lauren Elizabeth Stauble    All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.   Other books mentioned in this episode: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld  Delirium by Lauren Oliver  The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins  Divergent by Veronica Roth  The Not-So-Friendly Friend by Christina Furnival  Into the Game! Minecraft Woodsword Chronicles #1 by Nick Eliopulos  Who Would Win? By Jerry Pallotta  The Housemaid by Freida McFadden  Necklace of Kisses by Francesca Lia Block  The Final Girl Support Group by Grady Hendrix  Behind Her Eyes by Sarah Pinborough  Ghost by Jason Reynolds  The Invisible Leash by Patrice Karst  The Invisible String Backpack by Patrice Karst  The Invisible Web by Patrice Karst  The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein  The Rainbow Fish by Marcus Pfister  Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks  It Happened to Nancy by Beatrice Sparks A Hug From Above by Pamela Quinn  On the Night You Were Born by Nancy Tillman