For this final episode of 2023, we finish our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Here we count down our top five favorite reads of 2023—and again we are joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! Happy New Year! We will see you in 2024! Shownotes * Roman Stories, by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by Jhumpa Lahiri and Todd Portnowitz * Disruptions, by Steven Milhauser * The Last Devil to Die, by Richard Osman * Solenoid,...

This week kicks off our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Trevor and Paul count down the first part of their ten favorite reads of 2023—and they’re joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! We dare you to not add a book (or more!) to your 2024 TBR! Giveaway Details We are excited to give away three Dalkey Archive books to a lucky listener with a U.S. address*. Please send us an email (or dm on Instagram or...

This week’s publisher episode focuses on one of our very favorites: Dalkey Archive. Founded nearly 40 years ago, Dalkey specializes in “lesser-known and often avant-garde works.” Trevor and Paul each share a few of their favorite titles and announce an exciting Dalkey giveaway. Be sure to share your favorite for a chance to win! Giveaway Details We are excited to give away three Dalkey Archive books to a lucky listener with a U.S. address*. Please send us an email (or dm on Instagram or...

For many of us, reading is like taking a holiday. But this week, we dive into true literary holidays as we discuss some of our favorite bookish destinations, as well as a few that are on our bucket lists. Where are your top literary destinations? Shownotes Books * Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, by Heather Clark * The Bridge of Beyond, by Simone Schwarz-Bart, translated by Barbara Bray * Shady Hollow, by Juneau Black * The Brothers Karamazov, by Fyodor Dostoevsky,...

Do you read in the morning or at night? Do you read while walking? With music? Do you read more than one book at a time? In this episode Trevor and Paul look at their reading habits to see what things they’ve come up with to feed the reading hound. We would love to know your reading habits as well! Please share with us! Shownotes Books * Lojman, by Ebru Ojen, translated by Aron Aji and Selin Gökçesu * Roman Stories, by Jhumpa Lahiri, translated by the author and Todd Portnowitz * The Heaven...

Jon Fosse is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and for this week’s episode we are joined by Fosse’s translator Damion Searls to discuss Fosse’s work and the art of translation. Substack Is Now Our Host When we released Episode 64: Victorian Literature, we experimented by releasing it through Substack rather than the host we had used since starting the show. We had transferred all of the files over and changed all the doo-dads and bee-bops (we hoped) to make it so that no one...

This week’s episode has a lot in common with Victorian literature: long, sometimes digressive and (we hope) filled with fun topics and interesting characters! We’re joined by Victorian expert extraordinaire Rohan Maitzen for a fun discussion about this wonderful era, including some of our favorite titles and authors. And no, we weren’t paid by the word. Patreon Bonus Episode After a summer with no bonus episodes (an unplanned break!), Paul and I put together a rather lengthy bonus episode for...

This week, we’re talking about our favorite passages from literature. You know, those sentences, paragraphs or even pages that take your breath away and send you scrambling for the closest highlighter? We discuss the types of language that catches our eye and each share some of our all-time favorite passages. What are yours?   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the...

This week, we celebrate Spinster September by discussing spinster lit with Nora (pear.jelly). We chat about spinster tropes and stereotypes, ways in which the term is evolving, and dig into why these women appeal to so many of us. And, of course, we each share some of our favorite examples from literature.   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at...

This week is all about the most intimidating books on our TBR piles. You know, the ones you really want to read someday and yet never quite seem to make it to the top of the pile? We each share five of the most terrifying tomes on our shelves, and share some some listener input as well. Oh, and we each *gulp* commit to read one book from our list! Want to join us by committing to read a formidable title from your own list? For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes...

Have you ever forgotten one of your all-time favorite books? If you’re anything like the two of us, the answer is a resounding yes! This week, we talk about some of the best books we’ve forgotten about over the years . . . and how this is even possible.   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews. Follow us on...

This week, we are joined by an all-star cast to discuss our 2023 summer read, Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry Heart. Two of the most insightful readers we know, Merve Emre and Kim McNeil, share wonderful insights and thoughts and help us uncover aspects of Ginzburg’s brilliant work that we had never considered before. We hope your enjoy the conversation as much as we did! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the...

Summer is a perfect time to take a break from real life and completely disappear into a good book. But what makes a book immersive? Plot? Writing? Characters? This week, we explore this topic and share some of our favorite immersive reads. We also announce the winner of our latest giveaway: a copy of Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry Heart, which we’ll be discussing  for our Summer Book Club during our next episode! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast...

This week, we ignore our towering TBR piles and the many shelves bulging with backlist masterpieces and instead look ahead to the upcoming new releases we’re most excited about in the second half of 2023. From small indie presses and relatively unknown authors to well-known headliners, the next few months promise a treasure trove for bibliophiles. Hold on to your wallets, everyone! We also announce another giveaway ahead of our upcoming summer readalong of Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry...

A minor author focused only on small-town vicars and spinsters, or the next Jane Austen? This week, we are joined by Bonnie Renzi to discuss the complicated and fascinating Barbara Pym. In this author episode, we hear from a variety of experts and fans and offer our own experiences from her works. Let's just say there's a lot more than meets the eye! We also announce the winner of our latest bookish giveaway of the lovely Archipelago Books edition of Jean Giono's Occupation Journal. For...

This week, Trevor and Paul call a quick audible and talk about summer books and reading horizons (an homage to The Readers!) They chat about their short-term reading plans, a few books that are calling out to them right now, and summer reading in general. And be sure to listen closely for another bookish giveaway!   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our...

Would a book by any other name smell as sweet? This week, we have fun talking all about titles: How much do they matter? Are they truly art or more of a marketing tool? Do certain genres lend themselves to better titles? We also share (more than) a few of our favorites! What are your top titles? For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at...

Inspired by Brian Dillon’s new book “Affinities,” Trevor and Paul have fun exploring the question: Why do we like what we like? The answers are not always black and white or even logical—but they are sure are fun to talk about! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews. Follow us on Twitter @mookse and @bibliopaul....

Art and literature is filled with idylls -- picturesque and happy moments that can take the form of vacations, journeys or even a stolen afternoon. What is it about these brief moments that haunts us and can even change the course of lives? This week, Trevor and Paul delve into these question and share some of their favorite literary idylls. They also unveil five surprise winners of a bonus giveaway from Open Letter Books! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the...

This week, we talk about passing on a love of reading between generations. Whether reading aloud to each other or quietly side by side, going on bookstore and library visits, or attending author events, there are countless ways to enjoy books together. What are your favorite stories and memories? We also announce a big giveaway: one year of Open Letter books! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit...

This week’s episode is all about one of our favorite publishers: Open Letter Books. Trevor and Paul are joined by translated lit super fan, Ron Restrepo, as they share a few favorite Open Letter titles, talk about the ones they can’t wait to pick up next, and discuss the importance and magic of this vital and exciting press.   We also announce the winner of our giveaway of Arabesques! Oh, and we have another giveaway . . .   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and...

Would you only visit a favorite city once? Enjoy a  delicious meal and then never eat it again? Meet a fascinating new person and then go your separate ways - forever? Of course not. So why should it be any different with books? In this episode, we discuss the many benefits (and a few potential pitfalls) of rereading and share some of our favorite experiences. What books do you return to most often?   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. ...

Are you an underliner? Tab-user? A worshiper of the unblemished page? A *gulp* dogearer? This week, Trevor and Paul discuss marginalia and the various other ways readers engage with what they're reading. As always, the conversation takes some very unexpected detours!   For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews....

How do we love books? Let us count the ways. This week, Trevor and Paul have a little fun and answer a set of Valentine’s-influenced bookish questions. Find out all about their literary breakups, long-term relationships, flings, and more. Love is in the air! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at http://mookseandgripes.com/reviews. Follow us on...

This week, Trevor and Paul discuss the difficult but vital and beautiful work of Scholastique Mukasonga. Although her books cover incredibly tough subject matter, they serve as, among other things, a haunting elegy and love letter to her family and friends lost in the Rwandan genocide. For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse and the Gripes Patreon. Visit our blog at...