Lit Society: Books and Drama

AN EXTRA SPECIAL EPISODE: Acclaimed author Liz Moore joins us – US?! – to discuss her book, Long Bright River. This book has been on every list known to man, including Barry's. It involves two sisters left as casualties of the opioid crisis. One must find the other before they both end up alone or dead. How far would you go for family, and is it far enough? LET'S GET LIT!... . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: The Benefits of Age-Gap Friendships. Sometimes having "old friends" means being friends with old people, and that's a great thing. Let's get into why elderly accomplices are good for our physical and mental health. Then, on to our book: In the twilight of their lives, a group of four unlikely friends discovers a shared passion for photos of grandchildren over liquid lunches and murder. Together, they form a club of amateur, capable sleuths who can talk their way into any room and out of any trouble. But when local police find a string of dead bodies around town, speculation turns to the group of golden gumshoes. Could one of the elderly analysts actually BE the murderer?⁠ The name of the group: The Thursday Murder Club. The book is by Richard Osman. LET'S GET LIT!... Golden Girls theme song remix by "Finally Aaron" (YouTube). . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: reform schools and their history in America. We promise to keep it frank without depressing you, friend. Then, on to our book: The Nickel Boys tells the story of a promising young student, blessed with a sharp mind and an innocent heart, plucked from the brightest future and thrown into the dark demonic dungeons reserved for America's unwanted and forgotten children in the Jim Crow south. He must face an unending test of his will, character, and capacity to suffer until one decision cements his future and the future of the one person closest to him. With a storyline and dialogue inspired by true accounts, it is more real and vivid than reality. The young boy: Elwood Curtis. The book: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. LET'S GET LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Our first author interview! Enjoy a discussion with THE Jane Austen where we pull no punches. And then on to our book – "Many receive advice, only the wise profit from it."  But with all of our futures uncertain, how can we know if following good advice will rob us of a lifetime of happiness? And can those who wish us well lead us to the arms of evil? These are the questions one 27-year-old spinster must ask as she navigates the waters of love. The spinster: Anne Elliot. The Book: Persuasion by Jane Austen. And you're listening to LIT Society. LET'S GET LIT! . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: We Heart 70s Rock. And before y'all start – no. We ain't nowhere near the age of those that created this music, but we love it nonetheless! Then it's on to our book: Comprised entirely of dialogue, this is the first-hand account of one band's meteoric rise to fame in the 1970s. It openly relates the few triumphs and many failures that took them from top to bottom and everywhere in between. More importantly, this story is about the destructive and healing power of love. The name of the band is Daisy Jones and Six. Our book is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Let's get LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

After a lengthy and well-deserved winter break, we're back and ready to read, reflect, and roar with laughter! We're starting off our second season with book recommendations for people who hate reading (no judgment!). Then, we play a quick game of book trivia. Play along from home and see if you can beat Alexis – who LOVES being put on the spot (see: S1 Episode 36: Self Made). Finally, we chat about what we've been reading since we've been gone and what you can look forward to in 2021. Let's get LIT!. . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Mariah Carey is a girl from New York state whose mom was Irish and her father, Black. She has a brother and sister but no family.  What she does have is the following: The most weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for any artist in American history 19 number-one singles – second only to the Beatles The honor of being the only artist to have a number-one single in each year of a decade (!!!) The honor of being the first female artist to debut at number one in the States 5 Grammy Awards 19 World Music Awards 10 American Music Awards 15 Billboard Music Awards A place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame When people had to save up, wake up, stand in line, and wait to hear their favorite artist, they were buying her albums by the MILLIONS. Her talent is undeniable.    This is the story of a real-life person named Mariah, aka Me-Me, aka the Elusive Chanteuse, aka M.C. The meaning of Mariah is a memoir by one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our generation. Within its pages, she talks about the people who almost killed her, tried to get her hooked on drugs, tried to get her pimped, and tried to kill her dreams - all before she turned 18 years old. She also gives her honest opinion regarding her triumphs and failures and the cast of people who opened their hearts to let her in when those tasked with the job failed to be reliable.   Please enjoy this, the final episode of our 2020 season. Thank you, all of you, for listening to our show and validating the time we spend on this project of which we're so proud. Please take care of yourself and those you love. We'll see you on January 14, 2021.   Alexis and Kari

This week's theme: How to Find Success After Losing Your Job. This theme is inspired by this week's book: The country has just suffered a civil war. Households are divided, as is the nation. From the last generation of men and women born into slavery, an industrious group of individuals will become the first Black American self-made millionaires. One book tells their true story. The book is Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.      

Word up! Words have meaning, and behind every great definition is a pale, emaciated lexicographer melting away under the fire of language. What does "take" mean in "to take a nap," and how is that "take" different from "take" in "taken aback" or "take a meeting" or "take a poop." With sharp wit and a terrifying large vocabulary, one writer busts wide open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography. The seemingly dullest profession in the world is painted like a new branch of the Marvel universe thanks to her keen knack for honest storytelling and her passion for logophilia. In the end, three things are clear: our language is constantly changing, the people who define it are insane, and no matter how hallowed you consider its page, the dictionary is not a holy book. The lexicographer: Kory Stamper. The book: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. . .Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Forgoing a theme this week, we're doing a COVID Quarantine check-in. How've you been? How's your mental and physical health? Let's talk about it. Then, on to our book: One vibrant, confident young german girl is successfully navigating her way through adolescence when her country revokes her citizenship, leaving her a stateless pariah. She is to suffocate her dreams, pause her life, and restrict her waking hours to the exhausting aim of survival, living day after day in a series of rooms behind a bookshelf, never knowing if this will be the last day of her life. Her name is Anne Frank. The Book: The Diary of a Young Girl. Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.