Episode 82 - Visionary Alchemy with Antonio Michael Downing
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
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Episode 81 - Book Club - Martyr!
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!
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Episode 80 - Reading as a Mom with Julie Palazzolo
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
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Episode 79 - Ways to Escape and Ways to Learn with Jen Price
On this episode, Jen Price, of Travel Books and Movies, discusses her life that involves a great deal of travel, how she incorporates reading into travelling, and her book club that has a brilliant idea about how to choose books. We also get into some of the shared perils of being feral readers.
Travel Books and Movies Blog
Jen on Instagram
Travel Books and Movies Facebook Group
Reading Retreat Guide/Newsletter
Bon Voyage Book Box
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Pan by Michael Clune
Books Highlighted by Jen:
From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler by E.L. Konigsburg
Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Travels of Terror by Kelly Florence and Meg Hafdahl
A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini
The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Kristy’s Great Idea by Ann M. Martin
The Secret of Secrets by Dan Brown
The View from Saturday by E.L. Konigsburg
The Girl from Donegal by Carmel Harrington
A Journey to the New World (Dear America) by Kathryn Lasky
The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding by Kristin Newman
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Episode 78 - Absolute Freaks with Taylor Thornburg
On this episode, Taylor Thornburg, multi-media creator and fan talks about how to plug in to the local literary scene, his connection to physical media, and how he loves authors that are just entirely out of the box. We also talk about a lot of the great benefits of the Chicago reading life.
Agathe, 6:00 p.m. to 7:27
Books mentioned in this episode:
What Betsy’s reading:
Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Flashlight by Susan Choi
Books Highlighted by Taylor:
Ubik by Philip K. Dick
In Praise of the Stepmother by Mario Vargas Llosa
White Cat, Black Dog by Kelly Link
Lapovona by Ottessa Moshfegh
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
Pale Fire by Vladimir Nabokov
All books available on my Bookshop.org episode page.
Other books mentioned in this episode:
Herscht 07769 by Lázló Krasznahorkai
Schattenfroh by Michael Lentz
The Instructions by Adam Levin
The Möbius Book by Catherine Lacey
Bluets by Maggie Nelson
The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis
The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien
Frindle by Andrew Clements
Severance by Ling Ma
Bliss Montage by Ling Ma
Shadow Ticket by Thomas Pynchon
All Fours by Miranda July
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Eileen by Ottessa Moshfegh
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace
Chain Gang All Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
North Woods by Daniel Mason
Books with Betsy is a podcast that celebrates the reading life of all readers. Each week, Betsy interviews a different person about their reading life. Listen for book recommendations, reading tips, and to join in the joy that reading brings. And remember, anyone who reads is a reader.
New Zealand