Chatter on Books

“Thank you.” A very special edition of Chatter kicks off at the Gaithersburg Book Festival in blistering heat and wonderful book fans. Torie and David have a great chat with Brendan Slocumb, classically trained and internationally acclaimed violinist. He also weaves a great mystery tale of ambition and resilience in “The Violin Conspiracy.” 

“Put on earth to write.” Torie kicks off the show with David and Washington Post book critic Ron Charles. Ron debriefs on the rise in book banning efforts and people fighting back. Award winning author of eight novels Susan Straight zooms in to talk about her latest, “Mecca.” A sweeping saga of intertwined lives, race, history and family, “Mecca” sets a high bar for anything about California and American culture.

“Vengeance and forgiveness.” Torie kicks off the show with Mayor Jud Ashman. Jud gives the back story on the Gaithersburg Book Festival and how he got into public service. Former Navy seal and multiple best selling author (and very forgiving) Jack Carr zooms in to talk about his latest, “In the Blood.” Over 20 years in Naval Special Warfare inform Carr’s fast paced and highly believable novel about tracking down a Mossad agent’s killer and walking into a highly sophisticated trap with global implications. Come for the action; stay for the smart geopolitical thinking.

“Riveting.” Torie kicks off the show with David and COB fave Angie Kim with – yes – another Dolly update. Angie shares her next book, and Angie and Torie score kid points by grilling David on the NFL. Lan Samantha Chang, award-winning author and first female director of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop zooms in to talk about “The Family Chao.” It’s an unforgettable look at an immigrant family tackling emotions, rivalries and ambition in small-town America.

“Inspiring” Torie, David and COB alum Marc Sterne kick off the show with Dolly. David wins the “Classics redone by YA” pop quiz. Once an aspiring cartoonist and now a best selling author several times over, Erik Larson zooms in to talk about “The Splendid and the Vile,” his spell-binding take on Churchill and the battle to save Britain. Meticulous research and immensely readable writing bring readers into Churchill’s most inner circle during the darkest days. Comparisons to Zelensky are inevitable.

“Glory” author NoViolet Bulawayo can’t make it at the last minute, but David, Torie and Jamie roll with the punches. They share fond memories of Washington icon Wendy Rieger. Torie raves about Jane Beirn of HarperCollins, the best in publishing. Best selling author Louis Bayard zooms in to talk about his upcoming book “Jackie and Me,” and the PEN/Faulkner Awards on May 2.  Today’s pop quiz is famous quotes from Pulitzer Prize winning books. David wins!

“Haunting.” David, Torie and COB alum Erica Wright break down the sports weekend (because we’re about more than books) and Erica’s life as a writer with a toddler in tow. They debrief “celebrities that write fiction.”  Carrie Fisher and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar a yes; the Kardashian sisters a hard no. Jenny Tinghui Zhang, poet, essayist and now novelist, zooms in to share “Four Treasures of the Sky.” A Chinese immigrant seeks identity in the 1880s American west, reinventing herself in the face of racism and violence.

“Transformational." Azaleas bloom and regrets flow on COB. The incomparable Steve Sands joins to talk the Masters, Tiger and golf books. COB’s favorite mayor Jud Ashman is on board to talk about the May 21 Gaithersburg Book Festival, sponsored happily by Chatter on Books. Best selling author Dan Pink zooms in with his latest, “The Power of Regret.” Building on massive research, Dan convincingly demonstrates the power and positivity of regrets. In a time when we need more reflection, Dan’s clear and concise writing brings new meaning to “optimize.”

“I need helicopters, gunfights and sex!” A nice email kicks things off on Chatter with David, Jamie and Torie. Sales of “The Bell Jar” are up!  Sports journalist and actor Gary Tanguay zooms in to talk about “The Arm and the Fall.” A quarter back commits suicide – or was he murdered? An unlikely duo of an aging sportscaster and rockstar detective deals with mobsters, egocentric owners, religious zealots, cheating spouses and more.

“Iconic.“ David, Torie and Chuck Culpepper roll into March Madness with chats about Beatrix Potter, Jack Kerouac and teachers getting fired for no good reason. Sports journalist Chris Herring zooms in to break down Blood in the Garden, his meticulously researched and compellingly told take on the 1990s New York Knicks. Casual and fervent NBA fans alike will love the details and stories that make it hard to put the book down. Who knew there were runner up rings in national championships?