Since his death in 2022, we have been wanting to dedicate an episode to Spanish novelist Javier Marías, a master of the distrusting, long sentence. We had a lovely time reflecting on his books, which we could read again and again. What is your favorite Javier Marías book? Shownotes Books * Doctor Thorne, by Anthony Trollope * Great Fear on the Mountain, by Charles Ferdinand Ramuz, translated by Bill Johnston * David Copperfield, by Charles Dickens * Three Days in June, by Anne Tyler The Works...

What books have you wanted to reread as soon as you finished them? Inspired by this fascinating prompt from our friend Nora, we decided to dive into this fun topic. We talk about the categories of books that inspire immediate rereads, share a few of our own examples, and discuss when (or if) we’ve ever actually done it. What books have inspired you to turn the last page and immediately go back to the beginning? Shownotes Books * Hope in the Dark: Untold Histories, Wild Possibilities, by...

We love talking about essays so much, we decided to do it again! This week, we pick up where we left off a few episodes ago, chatting about more of our favorite essayists and collections. We also share a few from our essay TBR piles. What are some of your favorites? Shownotes Books * Greenglass House, by Kate Milford * Ghosts of Greenglass House, by Kate Milford * The Westing Game, by Ellen Raskin * The Unforgivable, by Cristina Campo * You Like It Darker, by Stephen King * Every Arc Bends...

This week, we’re joined by our good friend Mark Haber to discuss his wonderful books, including the brand new Lesser Ruins. Fittingly, this episode features numerous digressions into literary influences and loves, coffee, music, art, travel, and much more! Shownotes Books * The Cemetery of Untold Stories, by Julia Alvarez * The Rainbow, by D.H. Lawrence * Fog at Noon, by Tomás González, translated by Andrea Rosenberg * Difficult Light, by Tomás González, translated by Andrea Rosenberg *...

This week’s episode is all about essays! From nature writing, to reviews and criticism, to personal reflections and familiar essays, this form offers something for everyone. In this episode, we share our thoughts and experiences, including our go-to varieties and favorite examples. What are yours? Shownotes Books * The Woman in Black, by Susan Hill * Suttree, by Cormac McCarthy * We Solve Murders, by Richard Osman * The Thursday Murder Club, by Richard Osman * Herscht 07769, by László...

We all have those books that are waiting in the wings, begging for a chance to make their way off the shelf and into our hands. This week, we chat about why some books seem to get stuck on the sidelines, even though we always think they’ll be the next one up. We discuss some of the reasons this happens and each share five of our own benchwarmer books, doing our best to justify why we keep ignoring their pleas to “put me in coach!” Shownotes Books * Horror Movie, by Paul Tremblay * Proust Was...

To close out Women In Translatjon month, we’re thrilled to be joined by poet and translator Robin Myers. We chat about the art of translation and the importance of providing access to and for wide a range of voices. And we each share three translated books written by women that we think you should know about. What did you read this year during #WITMonth? Shownotes Books * The Brush, by Eliana Hernández-Pachón, translated by Robin Myers * The Forgery, by Ave Barrera, translated by Robin Myers...

This week, we are joined from Down Under by veteran book blogger Kim Forrester to discuss our 2024 summer read, William Trevor’s The Story Of Lucy Gault. We discuss this heartbreaking, beautiful book, chat about William Trevor’s other works and make some recommendations (and plans) about where to go next. We hope you enjoy the conversation as much as we did—and we’d love to hear your thoughts on the book, the author, and what you plan to read next! Shownotes Books * Go Tell It on the...

This week we have fun with all of the top books of the 21st century hype by sharing our own top 10 lists. We each killed a few darlings and made some very tough decisions. How did we do? What books would make your list? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault. You can start reading it whenever you want to! We have lined up a guest to join us to discuss the book for the next episode! Shownotes Books * The Story...

This week we’re joined by super reader Ron Restrepo for a discussion about Roberto Bolaño, whom Rodrigo Fresan described as “one of a kind, a writer who worked without a net, who went all out, with no brakes, and in doing so created a new way to be a great Latin American writer.” Do we unlock the mysteries of Bolaño’s magic? Probably not. But we do have a great time digging into this fascinating author and his haunting books. Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book...

This week we look ahead to the second half of 2024 and each share the five forthcoming books we’re most excited about . . . along with a few honorable mentions, of course. Which upcoming books are you most looking forward to? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault. You can start reading it whenever you want to! We have lined up a guest to join us to discuss the book in Episode 86, coming out on August 8. That’s...

This week’s episode is all about . . . books! To be specific, Trevor and Paul chat about their book shelves, diving into all kinds of fun topics. How many books do they own? Where do they keep them? How are they organized? Buying and culling habits? Even better, this episode features A LOT of great listener feedback as well. It’s the perfect chance to get nosey about your fellow bibliophiles! Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The...

This week we turn back the clock and revisit our very first podcast topic: Bucket List Books! We check in on our progress over the last few years, discuss our philosophies and motivations, look ahead to our next bucket lists books, and share plenty of listener feedback. What books are on your bucket list—and why? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault. You can start reading it whenever you want to! We have...

Looking to fit even more books into your life? We think audiobooks are a great solution. This week we chat about reading in different formats and settings and hen and how we both read audiobooks. We also share some of our favorite audio experiences, books, and authors! Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 has been chosen! It was pretty darn close! The episode discussing The Story of Lucy Gault will be Episode 86, coming out on August...

How do you fill the yawning chasm that arises after you finish a great book or a long group read? Is it a time of excitement and possibility, or a daunting and overwhelming trial? Fresh off of finishing several doorstops ourselves, we discuss how we approach what we want to read next. Summer Book Club The Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is coming up fast! This year we are only choosing from William Trevor novels. After losing for the last two years, he will not lose again! But...

So many great books have been published only to go out of print, for whatever reason. But they still have things to say to contemporary readers. Thankfully, there are several publishers whose work focuses on bringing these books back to us grateful readers. In this episode, we are are joined by Jacqui, who blogs at JacquiWine’s Journal, to discuss some of our favorite publishers who help us all rediscover gems. What are some of your favorite publishers and the gems they helped you...

The idea of the Great American Novel is controversial, passé, hubristic, and . . . always fascinating to talk about. This week, inspired by a recent list of potential candidates for the Great American Novel published in The Atlantic, we dive in and talk about the concept, the history, the list, and our votes for other contenders. What book(s) would get your vote? Shownotes Books * The MANIAC, by Benjamin Labatut * Lesser Ruins, by Mark Haber * Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe, by Kapka...

How do we love poetry? Let us count the ways. This week, we’re joined by Anthony Garrett to kick off National Poetry Month with a wonderful conversation about our favorite poems and poets, how and when we read poetry, and a discussion about how to approach this sometimes intimidating part of the literary landscape. Does poetry play a part in your reading life? We also announce the winners of our latest giveaway, so please join us! Shownotes Books * Averno, by Louise Glück * The Obscene Bird...

This week we discuss the idea of being a completist in our reading. We discuss the authors whose works we’ve finished completely, as well as those we’re working on (or hoping to…). Do you savor your favorite authors’ works slowly or gobble them all down? Have you read the entire catalog of any authors? We also have a special giveaway, so please join us! Giveaway! This week we have four books to give away! And we want to choose four winners! Do any of these books call to you? Please enter to...

Although the books of Barbara Comyns have experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years, she remains woefully under appreciated and read by far too few. This week, we’re joined by Comyns aficionado Nora to discuss this beguiling and fascinating author and to do our best to spread the word about her strange and wonderful books. Shownotes Books * My Death, by Lisa Tuttle * The Savage Detectives, by Roberto Bolaño, translated by Natasha Wimmer * Splinters: Another Kind of Love Stores, by...

This week, we're joined by Jerry Faust for a fun conversation about Canadian literature. Incredibly diverse and far too often overlooked, Canada’s literary output is a goldmine of wonderful books and authors. What are your favorites? Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada As you’ve heard on the podcast, Paul is a judge of this year’s prize. The longlist has been announced, and the shortlist is on the way! Would you like to join Paul at a Zoom party celebrating the longlist,...

This week, we're joined by Shawn the Book Maniac for a fun discovery about one of his specialties: finding books that are hidden gems. We share some tips for finding great books that are off the beaten path, discuss why it's important and fun, and share three books each that you may never have heard of before—quite a challenge! Hopefully we will add at least one to your bookstore scavenger hunt list! What are your favorite books that fly under the radar? Shownotes * The Savage Detectives, by...

Books and holidays go together perfectly, and not just for those of us doing the reading. This week, we talk about our favorite stories where the characters are on vacation—a perfect recipe for exploring exotic settings, quenching vicarious wanderlust, romance, adventure, and plenty more! We also announce the winner our latest giveaway! Shownotes * Germinal, by Émile Zola, translated by Peter Collier * The Sin of Abbé Mouret, by Émile Zola, translated by Valerie Minogue * A Love Story, by...

This week we set our sites on 2024! We share our reading plans, hopes, and dreams for the New Year and highlight some of the new releases we can’t wait to add to our shelves. What books are you most excited to read and buy this year? Giveaway! We wanted to kick off the New Year with a giveaway! Both of us have read this on and highly recommend it: January, by Sara Gallardo, translated from the Spanish by Frances Riddle and Maureen Shaugnessy! Archipelago Books recently released a lovely...