The Book Case GMA

Ben Shattuck is a renaissance man of sorts, which might be why we dedicated the whole episode to him. He wrote The History of Sound, a thought provoking and beautiful collection of short stories that spans the Eastern Seaboard as well as eons of time. Then there's his general store, which, on top of being the oldest general store in the country also boasts an independent bookstore curated by, you guessed it, Ben Shattuck. Join us.

Books mentioned in this week’s episode:

The History of Sound: Stories by Ben Shattuck

Six Walks: In the Footsteps of Henry David Thoreau by Ben Shattuck

Brokeback Mountain by Annie Proulx

The Heart in Winter by Kevin Barry

This Is Happiness by Niall Williams

Pilgrim at Tinker Creek by Annie Dillard

Ship Fever by Andrea Barrett

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny and Murder by David Grann


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Every so often, a new author tackles the work of expanding a classic novel to expand its reach. Even more rarely, they succeed beautifully. This week’s book, Adventures of Mary Jane is just such a rare gem. Mary Jane's author, Hope Jahren, is a scientist (a geochemist, no less) who decided to write the story of Mary Jane, a character that haunted her from the pages of Twain’s The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn her entire life. It is both a magical adventure story and an authentic and well written coming of age drama. This week’s bookstore is Where the Sidewalk Ends, which is also run by two generations in tandem. We talk to them about how they do it…and we commiserate on working with daughters and parents. Join us.


Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Adventures of Mary Jane by Hope Jahren

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

The Story of More: How We Got to Climate Change and Where to Go from Here by Hope Jahren

The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain

The Adventures of Tom Sawyer by Mark Twain

Uncle Tom’s Cabin by Harriet Beecher Stowe

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo

Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens

A Man without a Country by Kurt Vonnegut

Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein

Good Night, Irene by Luis Alberto Urrea

Elephant Company: The Inspiring Story of an Unlikely Hero and the Animals that Helped him Save Lives in World War II by Vicki Constantine Croke

The Lost Boy of Santa Chionia by Juliet Grames-RELEASES 7/23/2024

More or Less Maddy by Lisa Genova-RELEASES 1/14/2025


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Our third check in with J. Ryan Stradal, author extraordinaire and our writer in residence. He has begun to write in earnest, and has lots to tell us about his progress. We are loving these conversations with J., and every time we learn something new. For our bookstore we talk to Next Chapter Booksellers in St. Paul, J. Ryan's homeland. Join us.

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

Perfume and Pain by Anna Dorn

For The Culture: Phenomenal Black Women and Femmes in Food: Interviews, Inspiration, and Recipes by Klancy Miller

The Friday Afternoon Club: A Family Memoir by Griffin Dunne


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The Magician’s Hat by Malcolm MitchellThis week we talk to Rachel Khong. Her new novel, Real Americans, asks probing questions about the reality of America’s “melting pot” mythology, and is also being a mysterious and compulsively readable family saga. We also talk to Judy Newman, Chief Impact Officer at Scholastic, in our continuing discussions on the importance of getting children to read. We hope you will join us.

Books mentioned in this week's podcast

Goodbye, Vitamin by Rachel Khong

Real Americans by Rachel Khong

Perfecto Pet Show by Judy Newman


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Do you like a good spy novel? Do you love le Carré and Graham Greene? Then we hope, with great sincerity, that you are reading the work of Joseph Kanon. His latest, Shanghai, centers around the city’s lesser known freewheeling WWII history and some of the lawless people who escaped the war to be there. Tune in to find out why he is fascinated by spy novels, and what he calls “spy adjacent novels”, that capture such rich moments in history.


Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Shanghai by Joseph Kanon

The Good German by Joseph Kanon

Istanbul Passage by Joseph Kanon

Los Alamos by Joseph Kanon

The Prodigal Spy by Joseph Kanon

The Berlin Exchange by Joseph Kanon

Leaving Berlin by Joseph Kanon

Defectors by Joseph Kanon

Alibi by Joseph Kanon

The Accomplice by Joseph Kanon

The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Barry

Winter Work by Dan Fesperman

The Cover Wife by Dan Fesperman

Safe Houses by Dan Fesperman

The Letter Writer by Dan Fesperman

Unmanned by Dan Fesperman

The Double Game by Dan Fesperman

Layover in Dubai by Dan Fesperman

The Arms Maker of Berlin by Dan Fesperman

The Prisoner of Guantanamo by Dan Fesperman

The Warlord's Son by Dan Fesperman

The Small Boat of Great Sorrows by Dan Fesperman

Lie in the Dark by Dan Fesperman


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Sandwich: A Novel by Catherine Newman is full of great characters, evocative nostalgic imagery and a love for Cape Cod that we share with her. It is full of thoughts on what it means to be a woman, why we keep secrets from our family, and what it is we love about the yearly vacation traditions we cherish if we were lucky enough to have them in our lives. For our bookstore this week, Bookshop West Portal, who for independent bookstore day brought in llamas. Because....well, tune in.

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Sandwich by Catherine Newman

We All Want Impossible Things by Catherine Newman

Waiting for Birdy: A Year of Frantic Tedium, Neurotic Angst, and the Wild Magic of Growing a Family by Catherine Newman

The Worst Noel: Hellish Holiday Tales by Catherine Newman

Catastrophic Happiness: Finding Joy in Childhood's Messy Years by Catherine Newman

The Beans of Egypt, Maine, by Carolyn Chute

Writers & Lovers by Lily King

Quietly Hostile by Samantha Irby

The Dutch House by Ann Patchett

Tom Lake by Ann Patchett

Long Island by Colm Toibin

Brooklyn by Colm Toibin

The Librarianist by Patrick deWitt

Shopkeeping: Stories, Advice, and Observations by Peter Miller


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