The Book Case

Author Tommy Orange discusses his latest novel 'Wandering Stars' and the themes of addiction in the Native American community. He talks about the inspiration behind the sequel, weaving historical context into narratives, and the psychological impact of historical trauma. The podcast also features Birch Bark Books, a Minneapolis store promoting Indigenous literature and language revitalization.

Amor Towles is publishing a short story collection (with a novella included) called Table for Two, and we waited with bated breath as it arrived in our mailboxes. Can he bring the same artistry in short form that he does to his novels? Is he equally talented in novella, short story and novel? Short answers are yes, yes and yes. This rich collection of stories are varied, thought provoking, funny and beautiful. Join us to find out how and why he does what he does.Book mentioned in this week's episode. Table for Two by Amor Towles A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles The Lincoln Highway by Amor Towles Rules of Civility by Amor Towles Remembrance of Things Past by Marcel Proust Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

This Disaster Loves You is the newest by Richard Roper, which we would probably best describe as a quirky British romcom, sort of... a little. But it’s also hilarious and there is both depth and humanity to it that will surprise you. We both read it in about 48 hours, and you probably will too. Read it, and then listen to this conversation; you’ll understand why we’re so charmed. Our bookstore this week is Roebling Books which has a few locations in Kentucky. Owner, Richard Hunt has some terrific recommendations you won’t want to miss.Books mentioned in this week's episode: This Disaster Loves You by Richard Roper When We Were Young by Richard Roper Something to Live for by Richard Roper Us by David Nicholls High Fidelity by Nick Hornby The Exhibitionist by Charlotte Mendelson Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver Trust by Hernan Diaz Beach Music by Pat Conroy The Land of the Laughs by Jonathan Carroll Clay’s Quilt by Silas House The Unsettling of America by Wendell Berry Jayber Crow by Wendell Berry My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

THE WRITER IN RESIDENCE SHOW!We kick off our new series, Writer in Residence, with our resident writer, J. Ryan Stradal. A great writer, a national bestseller, and a friend of Kate’s for almost thirty years, J. Ryan is going to give The Book Case a front row seat from page one to publication. Join us as he walks us through what he does to get started, and his thoughts on how the book might proceed. What does he do to get past self doubt to be the best writer he can be? He joins us once a month for about fifteen minutes to talk us through every phase. This, our first episode, he gets the whole episode. Enjoy!Books mentioned in this week's episode: Saturday Night at the Lakeside Supper Club by J. Ryan Stradal The Lager Queen of Minnesota by J. Ryan Stradal Kitchens of the Great Midwest by J. Ryan Stradal On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Working by Robert A. Caro The World According to Garp by John Irving Jesus’ Son by Denis Johnson Too Much Happiness by Alice Munro Adventures in Screen Trade by William Goldman Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

If you are a mystery fan who hasn’t read Tana French, then you have missed one of the great modern mystery writers of our time. American by birth and Irish by residence, her Irish set mysteries will both haunt you and keep you guessing. Her newest, The Hunter, is one of her best, a rousing combination of a murder mystery and heist suspense. She tells us what motivates her and how she does what she does time and time again. Our bookstore is The Odyssey Bookshop in South Hadley, Massachusetts.Books mentioned in this week's episode: In the Woods by Tana French The Likeness by Tana French Faithful Place by Tana French The Searcher by Tana French The Secret Place by Tana French Broken Harbor by Tana French The Witch Elm by Tana French The Trespasser by Tana French The Hunter by Tana French The Yiddish Policemen’s Union by Michael Chabon And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie The Secret History by Donna Tartt The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith Life After Life by Kate Atkinson The Franchise Affair by Josephine Tey Shutter Island by Dennis Lehane The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Let the Great World Spin by Colum McCann I Will Surprise My Friend! by Mo Willems The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

We believe that Anna Quindlen should be declared a national treasure. Her new novel, After Annie, is an intimate look at a family recovering from the loss of their matriarch. Taken too young, she dies suddenly of an aneurism while making dinner. It’s funny, sad, and, like all of Anna’s work, universal in its themes and depictions of family life. We pair her this week with the Bookshop Santa Cruz in Santa Cruz, California. Join us for some great conversations.Books mentioned in this week's episode: After Annie by Anna Quindlen Write for Your Life by Anna Quindlen Still Life with Bread Crumbs by Anna Quindlen Miller’s Valley by Anna Quindlen Alternate Side by Anna Quindlen Every Last One by Anna Quindlen Blessings by Anna Quindlen Nanaville: Adventures in Grandparenting by Anna Quindlen A Short Guide to a Happy Life by Anna Quindlen Lots of Candles, Plenty of Cake by Anna Quindlen Black and Blue by Anna Quindlen Rise and Shine by Anna Quindlen Object Lessons by Anna Quindlen One True Thing by Anna Quindlen Betsy-Tacy by Maud Hart Lovelace Ablaze by Christopher Krovatin The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It’s never a great idea to pigeonhole a talented writer, but you could probably call Sloane Crosley a humorist... most of the time. Her newest, Grief Is for People, is a funny, raw, introspective, and beautiful look at grief from every angle. Rocked by the suicide of her best friend, Crosley dives into her pain and loss in this slim, but effecting book that will make you laugh out loud while you reach for your tissue box. (Yes, a cliche. But, here, a true one.) We also speak with McLean and Eakin books in Petoskey Michigan, run by a husband and wife team who fell in love in the shop they now own.Books mentioned in this week's episode: Grief Is for People by Sloane Crosley I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley Cult Classic by Sloane Crosley Look Alive Out There by Sloane Crosley The Clasp by Sloane Crosley The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Truth and Beauty: A Friendship by Ann Patchett The Long Goodbye: A Memoir by Meghan O'Rourke Taking a Long Look: Essays on Culture, Literature and Feminism in Our Time by Vivian Gornick The Painter by Peter Heller The Last Ranger by Peter Heller Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

A few weeks ago Kate received an email informing her of a debut author: Diane Oliver. But this debut book stood out because the author had been dead for more than fifty years. Fascinated, we asked for copies...and Diane Oliver's work knocked us out. Her debut collection, Neighbors and Other Stories, is a compendium of her work: insightful, raw, beautiful, intimate, with character's stark and naked humanity jumping off every page. We talk to the writer Tayari Jones, who wrote the book's enthusiastic introduction, as well as Diane's agent, Elise Dillsworth and her publisher, Katie Raissian. How does one release a debut work when the author is long gone? Tune in and find out.Books mentioned in this week's episode: Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver An American Marriage by Tayari Jones Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones Leaving Atlanta by Tayari Jones The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood The Color Purple by Alice Walker Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It doesn’t happen often, but sometimes we just want to talk to each other. And that’s what happened this week. We spent some time reflecting on lessons we have learned from our authors and we go through our favorite love stories of all time (Valentine’s Day and all). It’s nice to pause every once in a while. We hope you will take a pause with us.Books mentioned in this week's episode: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë This Is Happiness by Niall Williams Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King Trust by Hernan Diaz The Swimmers by Julie Otsuka Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks A Room with a View by E.M. Forster 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you ever heard of William and Ellen Craft? They were an escaped enslaved husband and wife whose stories read like a blockbuster action movies. Symbols in their time, Ellen (who was the daughter of an enslaved woman and her master) passed as a white man and had her husband William pass as her property. A harrowing journey gave way to their leadership in the fugitive slave movement, even though it cost them dearly. Ilyon Woo shares their incredible story in her book, Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom. A great read and a great conversation about American heroes of whom you might never have heard. This week we also talk to Island books in Middletown Rhode Island. Join us.Books mentioned in this week's episode: Master Slave Husband Wife: An Epic Journey from Slavery to Freedom by Ilyon Woo The Great Divorce: A Nineteenth-Century Mother's Extraordinary Fight Against Her Husband, the Shakers, and Her Times by Ilyon Woo William Wells Brown: An African American Life by Ezra Greenspan All That She Carried: The Journey of Ashley's Sack, a Black Family Keepsake by Tiya Alicia Miles Never Caught: The Washingtons' Relentless Pursuit of Their Runaway Slave, Ona Judge by Erica Armstrong Dunbar Soul by Soul: Life Inside the Antebellum Slave Market by Walter Johnson The Slave's Cause by Manisha Sinha Wolf at the Table by Adam Rapp Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices