The Book Blab Episode 18: Book Clubs Part 2

Hey guys! Amy and I found time in between summer trips to sit down and talk some more books together. If you didn't see our last episode (#17, Part 1 of our discussion on Book Clubs), you might want to check that out too. But this episode is where we get into the fun part of recommending actual books we think are great for book club discussion. As always, we'd love to hear your own recommendations in the comments. What are some of the best book club books you've ever read?

Enjoy the show!

Show Notes:

0:24 - Summer update

1:35 - Today's topic: What makes a good book club book?

2:25 - Tips for choosing books for book club:

• 2:47 - Favorite books don't always make for a good discussion
• 3:55 - Choose a book that generates opposite opinions or strong feelings
• 6:35 - Some ambiguity in the plot/ending encourages discussion
• 8:15 - This is a simple indicator for knowing if a book will be good for book club
• 9:58 - Take the length of the book into consideration
• 12:45 - Be careful of choosing a bestseller 
• 15:30 - Check if your library has book club sets
• 16:12 - Identify the unique tastes and interests and commitment levels of your book club
• 17:22 - Nonfiction is generally a safe choice

18:50 - A few of our favorite book club books

28:17 - Two recommendations for summer reading

• 29:03 - Suzanne's recommendation 
• 31:20 - Amy's recommendation

32:32 - Conclusion

Books and links talked about during the show:

The Book Blab Episode 17: Book Clubs (Part One)

State of Wonder by Ann Patchett

The Children Act by Ian McEwan (Amy's review)

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving (Suzanne's review)

Educated by Tara Westover (Suzanne's review)

America's First Daughter by Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamoie

The Wolves at the Door: The True Story of America's Greatest Female Spy by Judith L. Pearson (Amy's review)

The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo (Amy's review // Suzanne's review)

Most Dangerous: Daniel Ellsberg and the Secret History of the Vietnam War by Steve Sheinkin (Suzanne's review)

Bomb: the Race to Build--and Steal--the World's Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin (Amy's review // Suzanne's review)

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman (Amy's review // Suzanne's review)

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee (Suzanne's review)

Just Mercy by Bryan Stevenson (Amy's review) 

Half the Sky by Nicholas D. Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn (Suzanne's review) 

Jefferson's Sons by Kimberly Brubraker Bradley (Amy's review)

The Truth According to Us by Annie Barrows (Suzanne's review)

The Penderwicks by Jeanne Birdsall

Summer of the Monkeys by Wilson Rawls (Amy's review)

The Book Blab Episode 17: Book Clubs

Hi guys! I know it's been a million years (my fault, I'm the one with the crazy schedule), but Amy and I finally got together to record another episode of The Book Blab! This was another really fun discussion about book clubs (honestly we may do a Part 2 episode here, because we didn't even get around to talking about what books make good book club reads). And please, tell me all about your book club experiences in the comments. What makes them good, what makes them not-so-good? I'd love to hear!

Show notes below!

(Also, ugh, excuse the awful lighting on my end, and the technical glitches. I filmed this while taking a study break in a study room at the library, so there was awful fluorescent lighting and a jumpy wi-fi connection. Apologies.)

1:00 - Life updates
1:50 - Today's topic: book clubs
2:40 - Why would you want to be in a book club?

• 3:20 - A book club lets you discuss those books that beg to be discussed
• 4:08 - A book club helps you see a certain book in a new way
• 4:16 - It's fun to socialize with other readers
• 5:10 - A succinct answer to that question

5:58 - A few descriptions of some of the book clubs we've been in

• 6:17 - Suzanne's traditional book club in Chicago
• 7:50 - Suzanne's casual book club in Houston
• 8:03 - Suzanne's Learning Circle through the Power of Moms organization
• 9:22 - Amy's education group
• 10:15 - Suzanne's brand new book club in Kansas City
• 10:33 - Suzanne's virtual book club with former college roommates
• 11:57 - Amy's neighborhood book club
• 12:58 - Amy's very traditional, very serious book club
• 15:55 - Amy's family reunion book club
• 17:00 - Suzanne's family book club (and surprising confession!)
• 17:53 - Amy's plans for a book club with her kids this summer
• 19:30 - The Book Blab mini-book clubs

20:18 - Helpful tips for making a book club work well
25:36 - A few ideas for how to start a book club
29:26 - Two of our favorite books about motherhood

• 30:05 - Suzanne's recommendation
• 31:20 - Amy's recommendation

33:47 - Conclusion

Books and links talked about during the show:

The Read-Aloud Family by Sarah Mackenzie

Power of Moms Learning Circles

Till We Have Faces by C.S. Lewis

Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

The Four Tendencies by Gretchen Rubin

Mini-book clubs on The Book Blab (Episode 6 on A Man Called Ove and Episode 13 on The Girl Who Drank the Moon)

Educated by Tara Westover (Suzanne's review) 

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Amy's review // Suzanne's review)

The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio by Terry Ryan (Amy's review) 

The Book Blab Episode 16: Reading Classics

Hi guys! Time for another Book Blab, this time on another topic suggested by a viewer (thanks, Julia)! This was a super fun topic (thus, we run a little long). In fact, after we filmed this episode, I spent the rest of the day thinking about all the other classics I wish I would've mentioned, or things I could've talked about. Apparently, I have lots of thoughts on reading classics. Maybe I'll have to another post on this sometime. Anyway, enjoy the show! Show notes below.

(We mention a lot of authors by name, but sometimes not specific works, so those didn't get included in the list of books mentioned.)

1:35 - Today's topic: the whats, whys, and hows of reading a classic

3:12 - What is a classic?

5:15 - How long does it take for something to become a classic?

7:55 - What are some of the sub-genres of classic literature?

10:10 - Suzanne's favorite classic genres

13:10 - A few ideas for making classics more accessible

• 13:35 - Discuss it with a friend/group
• 14:18 - Read outside material
• 16:00 - Watch adaptations
• 18:00 - Audiobooks

21:12 - Many classics are surprisingly readable

23:15 - A few possible reading goals involving classics

28:00 - Some of our favorite classics

31:15 - Two of our favorite books in 2017

• 32:05 - Suzanne's recommendation
• 33:40 - Amy's recommendation

37:00 - Conclusion

Tell us about your experiences with reading classics, and please share some of your favorites!

Books and Links mentioned during the show:

Episode 3 of The Book Blab: Reading Goals

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling (Amy's review)

A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett

What Should I Read Next podcast, Episode 112

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (Suzanne's review)

The Tenant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Bronte

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Suzanne's review // Amy's review)

East of Eden by John Steinbeck (Amy's review)

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

A Gentleman in Moscow by Amor Towles (Suzanne's review)  

Rules of Civility by Amor Towles (Suzanne's review // Amy's review)

Duck! Rabbit! by Amy Krouse Rosenthal

Textbook Amy Krouse Rosenthal by Amy Krouse Rosenthal (Suzanne's review // Amy's review)

As always, we'd love to hear your thoughts about reading classics too! What are your favorites? Any tips or tricks for tackling them? Also, more topic suggestions please! We love those!

The Book Blab Episode 15: The Joys and Sorrows of Book Recommendations

Well, it's been a couple of months since our last one (my fault, I've had the crazy schedule lately), but Amy and I are back with another episode of The Book Blab. You guys, this one was seriously so much fun to record, we both had such funny stories about book recommendations gone awry! I'd love to hear your own stories in the comments. Also, apologies for the less than stellar lighting. We had to film at night because, once again, my schedule is crazy. Enjoy!

Show Notes

0:20 - Suzanne's new PhD program

1:35 - Today's topic: the perilous territory of making and receiving book recommendations

2:30 - Personal experiences with bad book recommendations

• 3:00 - Suzanne's experience
• 5:20 - Amy's experience

7:25 - How to handle a book recommendation that you didn't like

10:28 - The joy that comes from getting a good recommendation

• 11:10 - Suzanne's experience
• 11:50 - Amy's experience

13:25 - The anxiety of giving a book recommendation (but we love making recommendations anyway!)

15:40 - Suzanne's book recommendation gone wrong

18:20 - The times we've forced a book on someone, and it's gone over well

• 19:00 - Amy's experience
• 20:05 - Suzanne's experience

20:53 - The moral of this discussion

22:40 - Two seasonally appropriate reads for October

• 23:30 - Suzanne's reccomendation
• 24:50 - Amy's recommendation

28:08 - Conclusion

Books and links mentioned in the show:

Suzanne's recent post about time: Never Enough Time

Tell Me What to Read via Janssen at Everyday Reading

Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones (Amy's review)

The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey (Suzanne's review)

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte (Suzanne's review // Amy's review)

A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman (Suzanne's review // Episode 6 of The Book Blab)

A Time to Dance by Padma Venkatraman (Amy's review)
The God Who Weeps by Terryl and Fiona Givens (Suzanne's review)

Dracula by Bram Stoker (Suzanne's review) 

And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie (Amy's review)

The Book Blab Episode 14: Summer Reading Programs

Hey guys, time for another episode of The Book Blab! This month we're discussing summer reading programs, the pros and cons of reading incentive programs in general, and the fabulous summer reading program Amy puts on for her own kids. This was a pretty fun discussion, and we even had a couple of special guests (one invited, the other not, but both still adorable!).

We ask a couple of questions in the videos that we'd love your feedback on, so please comment with your opinions. What would your ideal summer reading program look like? What kinds of incentives motivate you? And finally, are there any topic ideas you have for me and Amy that you think would be fun for us to talk about in future episodes? If so, we'd love to know!

Show notes below. As always, thanks for watching!

The Book Blab Episode 13: The Girl Who Drank the Moon Mini Book Club

Sorry, guys. I didn't mean to drop out here for most of May, but life got real busy here. So busy that I couldn't even find time to read (which I'll tell you all about in my end-of-month round-up tomorrow). What have I been busy doing? Well, mostly packing up my house, moving all our stuff to storage, and then traveling around the country (which you probably know about if you follow me on Instagram).

Anyway, the good news is that during all my traveling, I ended up in Utah with a few free hours on my hands, and got a chance to meet up with Amy in person to film our latest Book Blab! And our babies got to meet!

So, so fun!

Anyway, the long awaited discussion about The Girl Who Drank the Moon is here, and we had lots to say about this book (seriously, once we turned the camera off, we sat around chatting about this book for another thirty minutes or so). If you haven't read it, maybe don't watch this. Spoilers abound. But if you have read it, we'd love to hear your thoughts! Please let us know what you think about this book. Show notes below.

The Book Blab Episode 12: The Joy of Reading Aloud

Yay! Time for a new episode of The Book Blab! This month, we talk all about reading aloud, mostly to our kids. Amy's the expert on this topic, so most of the episode is me asking questions and gleaning from her wisdom. But even if you don't have kids, we still talk about how reading aloud is a great relationship builder with anyone in your life. Thanks for watching! (Oh, and don't forget to tell us all about your favorite books to read aloud in the comments.)

The Book Blab: Episode 11 "All You Need is Love"

Woohoo! After my little maternity leave break, Amy and I are finally back this month with a new episode of The Book Blab! And since tomorrow is the Day of Love, that made for a natural topic for this month's episode. This was a super fun topic. We talk all about our favorite relationships and romances in a wide variety of genres, and there was so much to talk about I think we may need to revisit this topic in the future.

Hope you enjoy!

(And Happy Valentine's to you and yours!)

The Book Blab Episode 10: Books and Food!

Guys, if there's one thing I love as much as books, it's food. So an entire episode of The Book Blab devoted to all things books and food? Basically, Amy and I could've gone on for hours and hours. This show is packed with book suggestions and recommendations (all listed in the show notes below), so please enjoy.

The Book Blab: Reading for Learning (Episode 9 and Show Notes)

Hey guys! Welcome to The Book Blab Episode 9! We're still figuring out a new groove switching up platforms here, but Amy and I filmed this a few days ago (when it was still September), and I'm happy to be posting this fun episode today. Show notes below!

Show notes:

0:20 - September marks the beginning of a new school year

1:36 - Today's topic: Reading for educational purposes

2:06 - Reading for pleasure vs. reading for information 

3:39 - Pew survey says parents of small children do the more informational reading than non parents

5:35 - If presented in the right way, nonfiction can be just as riveting as fiction

6:15 - A few examples of books that satisfied a specific educational need

7:30 - Biographies vs. memoirs

8:58 - Self-help books 

9:52 - Fictional reading can be educational, too

11:10 - Classic and historical fiction novels are a great way to learn about history

12:52 - The value of writing about literature in a critical way

16:28 - Why there can be educational value to "cotton candy" books

17:45 - The subtle way fiction can actually help you be a better parent, spouse, human etc. and expand your perspective

19:45 - Use reading goals to tackle topics you want to learn more about

21:47 - Two books that helped us learn something new

• 22:06 - Suzanne's recommendation
• 25:38 - Amy's recommendation

28:27 - Conclusion 

Books and links mentioned in the show:

A Disciple's Life: The Biography of Neal A. Maxwell by Bruce C. Hafen (Amy's review)

Beethoven by Maynard Solomon (Amy's review)

Baby-led Weaning by Gill Rapley (Amy's review)  

Better than Before by Gretchen Rubin (Amy's review; Suzanne's review)

A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (Amy's review)

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy (Suzanne's mentions it in this post)

Johnny Tremain by Esther Forbes

Rifles for Watie by Harold Keith

Little Men by Louisa May Alcott (Amy's review)

Middlemarch by George Elliot (Amy's review)

Reading goals (Amy's; Suzanne's)

Being Mortal by Atul Gawande (Suzanne's review; Amy's review)

Honey for a Child's Heart by Gladys Hunt (Amy's review)

The Book Blab: The Pros and Cons of Book Ratings (Episode 8 with Show Notes)

Oh hey! Here it is, Episode 8 of The Book Blab. Now that the Blab platform is officially dead (RIP, although I guess we're still keeping our name, for now), we experimented with Google Hangout on Air. There's no split screen here, which is super annoying, but at least it worked and our show lives for another month! This was a fun topic for us, and I hope you enjoy! Show notes below.

The Book Blab: "Traveling With Books" (Episode 7 Show Notes)

You guys! Special surprise unannounced Episode 7 of The Book Blab! When I realized I was going to be in Utah with some downtime last week, I emailed Amy and said, hey, can we do an episode together? In person? We didn't know if it was going to work out until the day of, but it was so much fun to actually be in the same room talking books together. We filmed this last Friday, and tried out a new video service (Facebook instead of Blab) because it worked better with having us both in the same space. So it did not stream live here, but you can all enjoy the recorded episode and show notes below.

0:35 - Why Suzanne came to Utah

1:10 - Today's topic: Reading during travel

2:12 - How Suzanne and Amy plan their travel reading

4:09 - How travel converted both Amy and Suzanne to e-readers

5:30 - Suzanne's audiobook catastrophe!

6:45 - Tips for e-books deals

8:50 - Amy and Suzanne's favorite genres for travel

11:40 - Place-sensitive reading (reading books that are related to the place you're traveling to)

13:48 - Travel reading . . . with kids!

17:45 - Suzanne's fun tradition when she's traveling

19:05 - One more tip for traveling light even if you don't have an e-reader

20:30 - Quick poll: In general (not travel specific), do you prefer an e-reader or the hard copy?

22:10 - Two books that remind Amy and Suzanne of trips they went on (and that you'll enjoy whether you go on the same trip or not!)

• 22:50 - Suzanne's recommendation
• 24:45 - Amy's recommendation

27:00 - Conclusion 

Links and books mentioned in the show:

Modern Mrs. Darcy's Kindle Deals (5-7 new titles every day, usually ranging between $0.99 and $4.99)

Goodreads Deals (If you have a Goodreads account, you should already be getting handpicked deals in your inbox.)

BookBub (lots of free and really inexpensive e-books)

On Such Stuff: A random, free e-book that Suzanne took a chance on and really liked

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling

A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway

The Monuments Men by  Robert M. Edsel

The Killer Angels by Michael Shaara

On Sunlit Pages: Review of The BFG by Roald Dahl

On Of Books and Blooms: Review of Watership Down by Richard Adams

On Such Stuff: Review of Ready Player One by Ernest Cline

On Sunlit Pages: Review of Brown Girl Dreaming by Jacqueline Woodson

The Book Blab: "Mini Book Club" (Episode 6 Show Notes)

Okay guys, time to discuss one of my new favorite books: A Man Called Ove. I highly recommend you read the book before watching because, spoilers. You've been warned!

The Book Blab: Making Time to Read (Ep. 5 Show Notes)

Hi guys! Time for another episode of The Book Blab! This was a fun one, so let's jump in. Show notes below!

The Book Blab: 2016 New Releases (Ep. 4 Show Notes)

We had another fun show last Friday on The Book Blab. If you missed it, you can watch below. Show notes and links at the end.

0:42 - Amy's new roof

1:12 - Topic of Episode 4: New book releases in 2016

2:12 - How Suzanne finds out about new releases

3:30 - The two situations where Suzanne stays on top of new releases

4:20 - How Amy finds out about new releases

5:30 - A few blogs that regularly feature new releases

6:40 - A good podcast for new releases

7:28 - Two instagram accounts

8:00 - Publishers Weekly 

8:45 - Goodreads

9:14 - Publishers' catalogs

10:20 - Children's literature vs. adult literature

11:24 - Some of the books we're looking forward to in 2016

• 11:37 - Bands of Mourning (January 2016) by Brandon Sanderson
• 13:22 - The Thank You Book (May 2016) and Nanette's Baguette (October 2016) by Mo Willems
• 16:00 - Red: The True Story of Red Riding Hood (April 2016) by Liesl Shurtliff
• 18:08 - Raymie Nightingale (April 2016) by Kate DiCamillo
• 19:48 - Firestorm (June 2016) by Katie Robison
• 21:22 - It Ain't So Awful, Falafel (May 2016) by Firoozeh Dumas
• 23:00 - Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (July 2016) by Jack Thorne/J.K. Rowling

24:50 - Details on The Book Blab's first ever book club 

• 25:34 - The book Suzanne chose for Amy to read
• 26:57 - Amy's response
• 28:20 - Details on Hoopla (a lending service through your local library) 

29:19 - Two book recommendations for spring reading

• 30:15 - Suzanne's recommendation
• 31:44 - Amy's recommendation

35:00 - Final wrap up

Links from the Show:

Blogs for new releases:

• Modern Mrs. Darcy
• A Fuse #8 Production 
• Jen Robinson's Book Page
• What Do We Do All Day
• Heavy Medal

Books on the Nightstand podcast

Two Instagram accounts:

• @thecuriousreader
• @harperchildrens 

Publishers Weekly free email newsletters 

Candlewick catolog

Simon and Schuster catalogs 

More info on Bands of Mourning by Brandon Sanderson 

Publishers Weekly article: "Mo Willems Busy, Busy Year" 

Liesl Shurtliff's blog

Kate DiCamillo on her newest book 

Katie Robison's blog 

Hear Firoozeh Dumas pronounce her own name

"'Harry Potter and the Cursed Child' Play to be Published as a Book

Suzanne's review of A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

Borrow the audiobook version of A Man Called Ove from Hoopla

Suzanne's review of A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith

Amy's review of Joy in the Morning by Betty Smith