Lit Society: Books and Drama

IT'S THE SEASON FINALE! Can y'all believe we've been reading books with you for TWO YEARS?! We're so grateful to you listeners who support our show and keep up with us on Instagram and Twitter. To close out the second season, Alexis has created a game you're sure to love: Is it a Song or a Movie? Guess correctly for a chance to win a virtual, nontransferable prize worth no monetary sum and which we will never provide you. Then, on to this week's book... Moved to overcome the trauma of his youth, he attempts to build the perfect life. He finds success as a hip-hop artist, a television star, and one of the biggest movie stars of all time. His power to draw an audience is undeniable, but will his push toward perfection ruin his dreams? The star: Willard Carroll Smith II The book: Will by Will Smith Let's get LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Who doesn't love the smooth, mouthwatering goodness of chocolate? In bars, biscuits, and brownies, chocolate is the winning ingredient, but everything ain't always sweet when it comes to this treat. We'll tell you the story of a town that experienced the unthinkable, Death by Chocolate!  Then, on to our book: There are books – some big, some tall That make you feel as if you're small And like a kid who loves a story You'll start to laugh at gloom that's gory 'Cause at the center of this tale There is a man (it never fails) His love for kids you won't find touching Nor his indentured servants from other countries But if you can stomach his dark fascinations You may enjoy these prevarications Even if you find him unsatisfactory There's great fun to be had in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory The book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl LET'S GET LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

This week, we're moving on up to the rooftop as Alexis takes us on a tour of the nation's top rooftop bars and restaurants. Then, it's on to our book: One woman finds her past sitting across a room, and, against her better judgment, she starts down a path that goes against everything she is and ever has been. In the end, she will find rest and security only through the sacrifice of another.   The woman: Irene Redfield The book: Passing by Nella Larsen   LET'S GET LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Honestly, the last few years have been more challenging than high notes for J.Lo.  Friends and family are helping us keep our joy, despite everything. What if, though, you don't have as many friends as you'd like or what if your family lives far away? There's an app for that. You can build a friend, customizing everything from their style to the cadence of their voice. Tech companies are doing all they can to help us feel less lonely, but are these artificial friends doing more harm than good? We'll talk about it. Then, it's on to our book. One uniquely intelligent AI finds herself among a human family that constantly breaks promises and acts disloyally. Yet, the AI is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her new owner and their family. In the end, we must ask, "what is love," and does it belong only to those with a heart? The intelligent AI: Klara The book: Klara and the Sun   LET'S GET LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

This week, Alexis puts Kari on the spot, for a change, with a game she invented based on the music of the '70s. Will Kari emerge the winner or suffer a defeat so humiliating that she quits the podcast and moves to Florida. Stay tuned. Then, it's on to our book: A fictional story, written as a brilliant profile on one of the greatest and most misunderstood rock duos in history. Think Mick Jagger and Tina Turner - or Grace Jones + David Bowie. It interviews those responsible for Opal and Nev's rise to fame. Each producer, bandmate, and agent tell their side of who the two stars were and what role they played in the horrific event that led to a man's death and Opal and Nev's ostracization by industry insiders and wannabes for years to come. Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

We've invented another game for you this week! Play along and see if you can beat Alexis. The theme is banned books, and a few of your favorites are sure to be on the list. Then, it's on to this week's feature... Books are illegal, and being caught with one could mean your life. Society is high on the pacifying pleasures fed to them constantly, including catchy jingles and family-centered television. In this world, firemen don't stop fires; they cause them, bursting into the homes of arrested offenders and setting their literature ablaze. But one fireman has a secret that turns into a problem sure to burn his existence, including everyone he knows, to ash. The disillusioned firefighter? Guy Montag The book: Fahrenheit 451 LET'S GET LIT! ______________________________________ Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Before we dive into the thrilling conclusion of Jurassic Park, we have to get something off of our chest. Is this a safe space? Can we be honest about one of the darkest habits of society? That's right. Zoos. Are memories of innocent animals restricted in cages the highlight of your childhood? Well, we're not judging, but let's be real about where menageries and zoos started and why so many people are turning away from them. Shout out to Bubbles. Then it's on to part two of Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton. Where we ended last week, the chaos was only beginning. Now the dinos are getting their Sha'Carri on all over the park, with no one able to stop them. Who will survive when the dust settles, and where did the movie diverge from the book? LET'S GET LIT! ______________________________________ A brief look at Ming the Tiger, who lived in a Harlem apartment building: https://youtu.be/V_bhpR85mD4. _______________________________________ This week's LIT Indie: Pilsen Community Books 1102 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608 (312) 478-9434   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Despite what we often hear, can the movie ever be better than the book? This week, our theme is just that, and we talk in detail about movies that outshined their source material. Yes, Devil Wears Prada is on this list. Then, it's on to our book... What if dinosaurs walked the earth today? Like all questions, the subtext is about power. Who would profit, who would dominate, and who would die? In this page-turning, cliffhanger-packed novel, unbelievable ideas are presented in packages so digestible and feasible that they seem possible, and, in the end, the real monster is who we expected it to be all along. Man. (Oooo, that's deep.)   The man with a master plan? John Hammond   The book? Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton   LET'S GET LIT!     Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Y'all don't wanna wear masks. Y'all don't wanna get a shot. But y'all still wanna be out here hoppin' on planes, trains, and automobiles. Okay, fine. Well, here are some fool-proof tips for staying safe while traveling right now. If you're not about a mask or a vax, pay special attention to tip number one. And then we're on to our book ... Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jour is a story about a man so bored with his life that he may rob a bank, definitely beats up a priest, and travels around the world while learning nothing about the cultures that inhabit it. Still, this mindful romp has delighted readers for over a century, proving there's perhaps no better vacation than the one we give our brain. The traveler: Phileas Fogg The Book: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne LET'S GET LIT!   Find Alexis and Kari online:  Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;  Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;  Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;  Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

NOTE: Avoid spoilers by skipping 48:23 - 58:08 Today, we go back to high school as Alexis teaches us the elemental points of Greek tragedy, prepping our discussion of this week's book (which itself is a tragedy in more ways than one). What is a Greek tragedy, and which notable writers lifted the formula for their works? Broaching this topic is sure to make you blind with delight. (See what I did there?)   Then, on to our book: Folks are dying all over campus, and one therapist-turned-detective knows who's behind the bodies, or does she? Coming head to head with the university's most beloved professor will either land her on the right side of justice or six feet underground. Follow our self-appointed sleuth through the murky waters of speculation and circumstantial evidence until everyone knows the truth except her. Let's get LIT!