bookclub

Sing, Unburied, Sing | Jesmyn Ward | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 22

December 8, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 1:01:06 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Sing, Unburied, Sing

In November we read Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward.

Next month we will read American Pastoral by Philip Roth.

Rated: Difficult Themes, One F-bomb

Gerald, Anais, and Colette discuss Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward, a book the three of them thoroughly enjoyed. Despite being under 300 pages long, the novel felt full of spirit, meaning, and plot. Tune in to the gush fest and dig deeper into the themes Ward explores through her poetic prose, resonant symbols, and perfectly paced plot.

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We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

We’d love to hear from you

Did we miss something? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group.

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Psst: Full list of books discussed on the podcast >>

Manhattan Beach | Jennifer Egan | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 20

October 5, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 01:07:01 2 Comments

Discussion Notes: Manhattan Beach

In September we read Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan.

Next month we will read Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan.

Rated: Explicit

This week we welcome back Colette Sartor who joined us on the weekly short story discussion podcast to discuss “The Proxy Marriage” by Maile Meloy on Ep 123. Colette will be joining the bookclub as a regular host. Hooray!

Gerald, Anais, and Colette discuss Manhattan Beach by Jennifer Egan. In 2017, the novel was long listed for the National Book Award and selected by Time magazine as one of its top ten novels of that year. This historical crime novel gripped all three hosts  with its broody mood, brilliant prose, and vivid characters. Through discussion, they try to unravel meaning from Egan’s twisty, fast-paced plot.

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

We’d love to hear from you

Did we miss something? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group.

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Support us on Patreon

We’re still a self-funded podcast. We work hard every week to bring you the best content possible.


Support Literary Roadhouse on Patreon

 


Psst: Full list of books discussed on the podcast >>
Literary Roadhouse

Reservoir 13 | Jon McGregor | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 18

August 3, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 0:45:58 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Reservoir 13

In July we read Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor.

Next month we will read Here Comes the Sun by Nicole Dennis-Benn

Rated: Clean

Erika Liodice, author.

Erika Liodice, author.

Winner of the 2017 Costa Novel Award, Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor challenges reader expectations by subverting mystery tropes and dwelling on the aftermath of a disappearance, such as it may be.

Gerald, Maya and Anais were joined by Erika Liodice. She is the author of Empty Arms: A Novel as well as the new children’s book series High Flyers: Rookie of the Year. 

Erika pens “The Indie Way” column on the popular fiction writing website, Writer Unboxed, and is a contributor to Author In Progress, the Writer Unboxed team’s first anthology.

To learn more about Erika and her work, visit erikaliodice.com.

Interview with Erika

Anais sat down with Erika to discuss her novel which is also focused on a missing girl of sorts, and to discuss her more recent adventures in writing children’s books and racing pigeons. Yes, really, racing real pigeons. The interview is available to our patrons on Patreon.  

To become a patron, you determine how much to donate to Literary Roadhouse to keep our show going.

Support us on Patreon

Support us on Patreon

We’d love to hear from you

Did we miss something? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group.

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

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The Sympathizer | Viet Thanh Nguyen | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 17

July 6, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 0:48:01 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Sympathizer

In June we read The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen.

Next month we will read Reservoir 13 by Jon McGregor.

Rated: Explicit

Gael Gilliland, founder of The Legacy Recorder

Guest Gael Gilliland, found of The Legacy Recorder

Winner of the 2016 Pulitzer Prize, this gripping novel centers around a mole in the Vietnamese army. The story follows his journey after he flees Vietnam. The book  is often funny, sometimes horrifying, and always clever.

Gerald and Anais were joined by Gael Gilliland. She is the founder of The Legacy Recorder (www.thelegacyrecorder.com) which  helps people preserve their favorite moments and wisdom for generations to come. The Legacy Recorder works with both individuals and assisted living facilities to help preserve individual’s life stories.

If she looks familiar, that’s because Gael had previously joined our weekly show for a discussion of The Kitchen Child by Angela Carter. 

We’d love to hear from you

Did we miss something? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group.

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

The Heirs | Susan Rieger | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 16

June 1, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 00:41:00 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Heirs

Next month’s novel: The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen

Rated: Adult Themes

Guest host Susan Pogorzelski

Susan Pogorzelski, YA Author and Editor

In May we read The Heirs by Susan Rieger, a character-driven novel chock full of thrilling plot twists. Gerald and Anais were joined by guest host Susan Pogorzelski (www.susanpogorzelski.com), the author of the Gold in the Days of Summer novella series. She’s a YA author who founded Brown Beagle Books (www.brownbeaglebooks.com) to help emerging writers share their literary vision and develop their writing talents.

 

All three hosts loved the story which Anais and Susan described as a mature, subdued soap opera. Gerald fell in love with Eleanor, Susan loved Sam, and Anais could not stand Jim. Surely characters that elicit such strong responses must be vivid and worth the read.

The hosts also analyzed the novel’s prose and themes.

We’d like to hear from you

Did we miss something? Tell us below! Or on Twitter @litroadhouse or in our FB group.

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Join the Literary Roadhouse Readers FB Group

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

Lincoln in the Bardo | George Saunders | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 15

May 4, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 0:38:31 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Lincoln in the Bardo

Next month’s novel: The Heirs by Susan Rieger

Rated: Explicit

The bookclub read the 2017 Man Booker Prize winner Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders. The hosts are split with Anais vehemently defending a novel she loved that Gerald disliked and Maya found disappointing, even as she saw its merits. While Gerald liked the beginning, it quickly went downhill for him, while Maya felt the experiment didn’t quite pan out. Anais  enjoyed the book so much and found it so funny that she, while reading, yelped with excitement.

And you?

We’d like to hear from you

Did we miss something? Let us know what you think of the novel in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer, leave a voicemail by clicking on the feature to the right. By the way, we may play your voicemail on our next show, so tell us if you would prefer we did not.

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

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Swing Time | Zadie Smith | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 14

April 6, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 01:01:00 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: Swing Time

Next month’s novel: Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

Rated: Clean

On today’s show, Anais, Gerald, and Tamara discuss Zadie Smith’s Swing Time, a vibrant story about race, class, and long-term friendship. All three hosts gush about the novel’s characters and prose, and marvel at how astutely Smith draws her characters. When it comes to discussing plots, opinions diverge. Stay for nuanced recommendations about why to read this story, and for a discussion on what we want from fiction.

We’d like to hear from you

Did we miss something? Let us know what you think of the novel in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer, leave a voicemail by clicking on the feature to the right. By the way, we may play your voicemail on our next show, so tell us if you would prefer we did not.

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We (try to) air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

The Association of Small Bombs | Karan Mahajan | Literary Roadhouse Bookclub Ep 13

March 9, 2018 Anais Concepcion Monthly Bookclub 0:51:55 0 Comments

Discussion Notes: The Association of Small Bombs

Next month’s novel: Swing Time by Zadie Smith

Rated: Explicit themes and language

The Literary Roadhouse Bookclub is back after a (year) long hiatus! And we’ve made some behind the scenes staff and systems changes to return to a regular monthly schedule. We missed you, and hope you let your friends know the bookclub is back on.

If you missed us and want to help us thrive, consider contributing to our expenses at patreon.com/literaryroadhouse.

On today’s show, Anais, Gerald, and Tamara discuss Karan Mahajan’s sophomore novel The Association of Small Bombs, a gritty story that explores the character of terrorism in India. At first, our hosts struggle to piece together this fragmented story structure, but slowly, through deep discussion and analysis, begin to understand the clever theme and lessons embedded in the narrative. Along the way, they find a new appreciation for Mahajan’s celebrated novel.

We’d like to hear from you

Did we miss something? Let us know what you think of the novel in the comment section below. Or, if you prefer, leave a voicemail by clicking on the feature to the right. By the way, we may play your voicemail on our next show, so tell us if you would prefer we did not.

Please leave an iTunes review! It helps us attract a wider audience and keep growing.

We (try to) air the first Friday of every month, and discuss the books on Twitter between shows using #LRHBookclub.

Support us on Patreon

Become a Patron!

Join the Discussion

Reading along with us and have comments of your own? You are welcome to leave them on this website, our join our closed Facebook group for story discussion, The Literary Roadhouse Readers.

About Literary Roadhouse

Literary Roadhouse is a literary podcast where avid readers and aspiring writers read and discuss short and long fiction.
Read deeply.