The Book Case

Susan Orlean, one of the best journalists of our generation, has written a memoir, along with some great advice about writing.  Beyond writing, she has thoughts on the importance of curiosity in these trying times.  Curiosity can break down barriers, and create beautiful stories out of the ordinary.  And Susan does it brilliantly in all of her writing, and especially in her new memoir, Joyride. It is a joy to read Joyride.  And we speak to a new bookstore owner in Charleston, South Carolina, Summer Anderson, who is also a joy and who seems to take joy out of all she does. Join us for a great discussion on writing, the art of curiosity and joy.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Joyride by Susan OrleanThe Orchid Thief by Susan OrleanThe Library Book by Susan OrleanRin Tin Tin by Susan OrleanMy Kind of Place by Susan OrleanThe Bullfighter Checks Her Makeup by Susan OrleanSaturday Night by Susan OrleanAs I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

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Janice Page’s The Year of the Water Horse is a funny memoir. At times, laugh out loud funny. But it is also about why we tell stories, what we make important in our lives, what we protect and what we share. Full of thoughtful reflection, this is a book that will have you looking at your own life, wondering where the magic is in your story. Janice Page has created magic out of her story through her prose and humor, and we talk to her about it.  Our bookstore this week is Booksmart in San Jose.  Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Year of the Water Horse by Janice Page

Where Rivers Part by Kao Kalia Yang

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Paula McLain’s Skylark is the GMA book club pick this month
and we are so pleased she sat down with us too. This book is a beautifully written, touching and suspenseful story centered around the meaning of freedom, and the prices we pay to attain it.  Paralleling two stories in Paris,
one in the 17th century, the other on the dawn of WWII, each story takes us
into the depths of the Paris underground, exploring hidden tunnels, abandoned quarries and secret rivers.  There is a second Paris that is hidden under the streets that tourists know and love.  And this story explores the lost depths of the city while handing readers unforgettable characters with page turning action. McLain herself is an amazing woman who has taken her challenging life and turned it into a gift for the written word.  She shares her experience and how it shaped her writing.  Join us for an unforgettable conversation with a terrific writer.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Skylark by Paula McLain

The Paris Wife by Paula McLain

Love and Ruin by Paula McLain

LIke Family: Growing up in Other People’s Houses by Paula McLain

A Ticket to Ride by Paula McLain

Circling the Sun by Paula McLain

When the Stars go Dark by Paula McLain

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar
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Grab a pen and pencil so you can write down what are some of our absolute favorite reads of 2025.  There is something for everyone, fiction, non fiction, romance, marooned sea travelers, epistolary greatness, fictionalized examinations of climate change….you name it.  Get yourself a glass of wine or a cup of tea and take a journey with Kate and Charlie through 2025.  We know you will find one of your new favorites in there.  We sure did.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Memorial Days by Geraldine BrooksHeart the Lover by Lily KingThe Interpreter by David K. ShiplerA Marriage at Sea by Sophie ElmbhurstThe Correspondent by Virginia EvansA Guardian and a Thief by Megha Majumdar

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We have devoted several podcasts to the issue of how parents get children to read - off screens and into pages.  We talk about it - others DO something about it.  You might not expect to find Stephen Curry, the great pro basketball player, to be among that group.  However, Stephen and his wife Ayesha have a foundation - Eat.Learn.Play - and over the past few years they’ve given books every Christmas to every elementary school child in Oakland, California where Stephen started his pro career.  They invited us to Oakland to see the program in action.  Charlie went and had a chance to talk to the Currys about why they, like the two of us, think this issue is so critical.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Shot Ready by Stephen Curry

The Boy Who Never Gave Up by Stephen Curry

I Am Extraordinary by Stephen Curry

I Have a Superpower by Stephen Curry

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White

The Last Stop on Market Street by Matt De La Pena, illustrated by Christian Robinson

Something, Someday by Amanda Gorman, illustrated by Christian Robinson

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