Chatter on Books

“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?

“Genius and tragedy.” Chatter rolls with David, Torie and Jamie. They break down new “Seuss-inspired” books. David addresses Ukraine’s impact on athletes; Jamie gives the geopolitical take. Gutsy author Lee Kravetz joins to talk about his novel, The Last Confessions of Sylvia P. A background in psychology and journalism makes Lee uniquely qualified to tackle the brilliance and tragedy of Sylvia Plath. Inspired by real events, The Last Confessions weaves great writing, history and mystery to imagine what Plath’s life was like as she wrote her classic The Bell Jar.

“The mother character was interesting.“ Jamie McIntyre and celebrity mixologist Rodney Ferguson join to break down the Ukranian situation (bad) and literary comfort food (good). Jamie’s all in on Jack Reacher (but not Tom Cruise). COB continues to go deep with the Iowa Writers Workshop as grad Olga Gonzalez zooms in to talk about Olga Dies Dreaming. Middle aged coming of age meets personal, political and even cultural threads. Rodney’s custom cocktail, the Janguear keeps things moving fast for Torie.

“Tragic and sad and hopeful.” COB alum and fave Erica Wright joins David and Torie for a Valentine’s Day show. Award winning author Sadeqa Johnson zooms in to talk about Yellow Wife, her haunting and disturbing novel about an enslaved Virginia woman forced to make unbelievable sacrifices for herself and her family. As fascinating as the story itself is Sadeqa’s inspiration for writing it. In honor of Valentine’s Day, Erica, David and Torie debate the good, the bad, and the ugly of the so-called all time great romance novels.

“meditation of the road” Chatter goes two-fer! Pulitzer Prize winner David Maraniss joins to talk Olympics (this is not your mother’s 2008 Beijing!) and David’s upcoming book on Jim Thorpe. Award winning thriller writer Nick Petrie zooms in to talk about The Runaway, his latest chapter in the Peter Ash series. An Afghanistan/Iraq vet with PTSD finds trouble when he rescues a stranded woman. A deadly cat-and-mouse chase ensues across the Great Plains states. “Peter Ash is the real deal,” as Lee Childs says.

Chatter rolls into groundhog day with David, Torie and Jamie. They discuss football (another good weekend), kind reviews and best sellers by city. The Paris Bookseller author Kerri Maher shares her take on Sylvia Beach, legendary owner of Shakespeare and Company and publisher of Ulysses.  It’s about epic literary friendships and the tremendous risks Beach took by publishing James Joyce’s banned novel.  The personal, professional, and literary impacts are huge.