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Best Book Ever Podcast

Julie Strauss

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Best Book Ever is a podcast for Bookworms! We get to know interesting people by asking them about their favorite books.

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Chris Angel Murphy (they/them) is a queer, trans, and nonbinary LGBTQ+ educator and consultant living in Denver, CO, but is originally from Los Angeles, CA. They have a background in social work and LGBTQ+ community organizing. Chris Angel started LGBTQ+ community organizing as a freshman in high school back in 2001 and has been speaking and presenting on various topics ever since. They also have their own podcast, Allyship is a Verb, in which they interview LGBTQ+ community members from various lived experiences and backgrounds. In addition to all that, Chris Angel is just a great conversationalist, fearless when it comes to tackling difficult subjects with love and compassion. I loved this conversation with them, and fell wildly in love with their Best Book Ever, “The Perks of Being a Wallflower” by Stephen Chbosky. WHAT a book!

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book Ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Do you have a book you want to tell me about? Go HERE to apply to be a guest on the Best Book Ever Podcast.

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram

Guest: Chris Angel Murphy

Instagram /Podcast/Etsy Store/Website/Gumroad

Discussed in this episode:

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky

The Animorphs series

The Goosebumps series by R.L. Stine

Go Ask Alice by Anonymous

Over the Top: A Raw Journey to Self Love by Jonathan Van Ness (Julie’s note: JVN narrates the audiobook version of this book; if you aren’t in love with them yet, you for sure will be after you listen to it!)

The Perks of Being a Wallflower movie

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

Sissy: A Coming of Gender Story by Jacob Tobia

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive clip

PFLAG

Raising LGBTQ Allies: A Parents’ Guide to Changing the Messages from the Playground by Chris Tompkins

(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links, meaning I get a few bucks off your purchase at no extra expense to you. Anytime you shop for books, you can use my affiliate link on Bookshop, which also supports Indie Bookstores around the country. If you’re shopping for everything else – clothes, office supplies, gluten-free pasta, couches – you can use my affiliate link for Amazon. Thank you for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)

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09/07/20 • 52 min

Libbie Hawker is one of my very favorite writers, and I was thrilled for the opportunity to have a good long book chat with her. We discovered a shared love of "atmospheric weirdness" in our books, and the fascinating sensory experience she has when reading and writing books. Libbie's favorite book, Dune, is a science fiction classic that I would never have picked up on my own, and it was a blast listening to Libbie explain the layers of it. Trust me, even if you don't like sci-fi, you will love this discussion.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon. If you join in September, I'll send you a Best Book Ever Face Mask! I know: masks are the worst. But if you wear these super soft masks from the BBE TeePublic Shop, men will stop telling you to smile more, and start asking you about your books. That's a bookworm Win/Win.

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Libbie Hawker

Blog/Instagram

Discussed in this episode:

Dune by Frank Herbert (this is the first book, that I read with Libbie)

The Complete Dune Series Set (Books 1-6) by Frank Herbert

The Eye of the World: Book One of the Wheel of Time by Robert Jordan

Baptism for the Dead by Libbie Hawker

Watership Down

Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand

Henry Darger at MoMA

Ammonite by Nicola Griffith

Octavia Butler

The Goldfinch by Donna Tart

The Time Traveler’s Wife by Audrey Niffenegger

Her Fearful Symmetry by Audrey Niffenegger

Duplex by Kathryn Davis

The Silk Road by Kathryn Davis

Madam (Old Seattle Book 2) by Libbie Hawker

E.M. Forster (you know my favorite of his!)

Tessa Dare

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Kyle MacLachlan’s hair in Dune

Dune 2020 (as of this recording, there is no official trailer available, but I did find this very compelling compilation of stills from the upcoming movie)

Jadorowsky’s Dune (documentary film)

Blade Runner 2049

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep by Phillip K. Dick (inspiration for Blade Runner movies)

Arrival

Arrival (Stories of Your Life) by Ted Chiang

Adrian Lyne’s Lolita

Stanley Kubrick’s Lolita

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive Clip:

Dune by Frank Herbert

Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov

Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel

Winter by Ali Smith

Anne of the Island by L.M. Montgomery

Anne of Green Gables, The Complete Set by L.M. Montgomery

Autumn by Ali Smith

Spring by Ali Smith

...
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Casey Starnes is a Disney blogger, which I think is the coolest job imaginable. She convinced me to re-read a book that used to annoy me - The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. Casey is a joy to talk to, and it was particularly wonderful to revisit this story with her as a mature woman, as a mother, as a person with a new understanding of mental wellness.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Casey Starnes

Website/Facebook/ Instagram

Discussed in this episode:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger’s The Catcher in the Rye: A Cultural History by Josef Benson

The Ride of a Lifetime: Lessons Learned from 15 Years as CEO of the Walt Disney Company by Robert Iger

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I found Asha Sabbella on Instagram, where she keeps a lovely book review account. She also writes reviews on her blog, ashareads.com. When I asked her to choose her favorite book, she didn't hesitate to choose a twisty thriller with lots of devious characters and a satisfying payoff. We talked about thrillers, reading and writing with sisters, and the joy of reading books by Own Voices authors.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Asha Sabbella

Instagram/ Blog

Discussed in this episode:

The Last Mrs. Parrish by Liv Constantine

Book of the Month

#bookstagram

Reese’s Book Club

The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen

The Truth Hurts by Rebecca Reid

The Safe Place: A Novel by Anna Downes

Us Against You: A Novel by Fredrick Backman

Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

The Jane Austen Collection

A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas

Hunted by the Sky by Tanaz Bhathena

Dating Makes Perfect by Pintip Dunn

Frankly in Love by David Yoon

Party of Two by Jasmine Guillory

The Ripped Bodice Bookstore (located in Los Angeles, California, open for online or phone orders)

East Bay Book Sellers (located in Oakland, California, open for online or phone orders)

Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur

The Sun and Her Flowers by Rupi Kaur

Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri

Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Gowda

The Boyfriend Project by Farrah Rochon

The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan

The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett

The Mothers by Brit Bennett

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive Clip:

The Wives by Tarryn Fisher

Home Before Dark by Riley Sager

Dexter

(Note: some of these are affiliate links. Your purchase helps to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business. Thank you!)

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Farheen Abbas is the kind of person you want to be friends with the first time you meet her. She is engaging, quick-witted and energetic. She's my first guest who chose to talk about a book from her childhood, and it was amazing how relevant the book still is today. We ventured all over the place in this wide ranging talk - from Manga to how movies depict slavery to reading difficult books as a child. I know you're going to love hearing from her as much as I did.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Farheen Raza Abbas

Instagram/ Podcast /Radio Caravan

Discussed in this episode:

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling

The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Alex Haley

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

The Next Person You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

Pokemon Classic Chapter Book Collection

Sailor Moon 1 by Naoko Takeuchi

Dragon Ball Z, Vol. 1 by Akira Toriyama

Chobits 20th Anniversary Edition 1 by CLAMP

The Crucible by Arthur Miller

Hamilton

Selma

The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown

Origin by Dan Brown

Juliet, A Novel by Anne Fortier

Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive clip:

Flight #116 is Down! By Caroline B. Cooney

Lord of the Flies by William Golding

The Lost Sisterhood by Anne Fortier

Have a Little Faith by Mitch Albom

Selma

The Patriot

Harriet Movie

Twelve Years a Slave (PS from Julie – this is also an excellent book by Solomon Northrup, and the audio version is especially gripping)

Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey

Dog Man by Dav Pilkey

Who Was? and What Is? Books (Note: this link is for a boxed set of 25 books, but the books are also available individually)

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08/10/20 • 41 min

Elizabeth Essex is the award-winning author of critically acclaimed historical romance, including Reckless Brides and her new Highland Brides series. Her books have been nominated for numerous awards, including the Gayle Wilson Award of Excellence, the Romantic Times Reviewers’ Choice Award and Seal of Excellence Award, and RWA’s prestigious RITA Award. The Reckless Brides Series has also made Top-Ten lists from Romantic Times, The Romance Reviews and Affaire de Coeur Magazine, and Desert Isle Keeper status at All About Romance. Her fifth book, A BREATH OF SCANDAL, was awarded Best Historical in the Reader’s Crown 2013.

When not rereading Jane Austen, mucking about in her garden, walking her beloved dogs, Ghillie and Brogue, or simply messing about with boats, Elizabeth can be always be found with her laptop, making up stories about heroes and heroines who live far more exciting lives than she. It wasn’t always so. Long before she ever set pen to paper, Elizabeth graduated from Hollins College with a BA in Classics and Art History, and then earned her MA in Nautical Archaeology from Texas A&M University. While she loved the life of an underwater archaeologist, she has found her true calling writing lush, lyrical historical romance full of passion, daring and adventure.

Elizabeth lives in Texas with her husband, the indispensable Mr. Essex, and her active and exuberant family in an old house filled to the brim with books.

Show notes:

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Elizabeth Essex

Website/Facebook/ Instagram/Pinterest

Discussed in this episode:

Lessons in French by Laura Kinsale

Persuasion by Jane Austen

The Witch of Blackbird Pond by Elizabeth George Speare

The Poetry of Robert Frost: The Collected Poems, Complete and Unabridged

The Goose Girl by Shannon Hale

From Cabin Boys to Captains: 250 Years of Women at Sea by Jo Stanley

Most Secret and Confidential: Intelligence in the Age of Nelson by Steven E. Maffeo

Rafe: A Buff Male Nanny (Loose Ends Book 1) by Rebekah Weatherspoon

Flowers From the Storm by Laura Kinsale

The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens

Great Expectations by Charles Dickens

After the Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

Mad About the Marquess by Elizabeth Essex

Almost a Scandal by Elizabeth Essex

A Scandal to Remember by Elizabeth Essex

The Lady Sherlock Series by Sherry Thomas

Book 1: A Study in Scarlet Women

Book 2: A Conspiracy in Belgravia

Book 3: The Hollow of Fear

Book 4: The Art of Theft

Book 5: Murder on Cold Street

The Veronica Speedwell Series by Deanna Raybourn

Book 1: A Curious Beginning

Book 2: A Perilous Undertaking

Book 3: A Treacherous Curse

Book 4: A Dangerous Collaboration

Book 5: A Murderous Relation

Andrea Penrose: The Lady Arianna Hadley Mysteries (6 Book Series) and the Wrexford and Sloane Regency Mysteries (4 Book Series)

During our conversation, we talked about a Jane Auste...

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Jeff Adams got me to do something I've never done before: enjoy a book about sports. Who would have thought? You're going to love this episode. Jeff is a reader and reviewer, and he has amazing taste in books. You are going to love all of the recommendations he has for us.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon. If you join in September, I'll send you a Best Book Ever Face Mask! I know: masks are the worst. But if you wear these super soft masks from the BBE TeePublic Shop, men will stop telling you to smile more, and start asking you about your books. That's a bookworm Win/Win.

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Jeff Adams

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Instagram/Big Gay Fiction Podcast/Big Gay Author Podcast

Discussed in this episode:

The Understatement of the Year by Sarina Bowen

(Part of the Ivy Years Series)

New York City Gay Hockey Association

Trouble Shooter Series by Suzanne Brockman (This is a 19-book series that begins with The Unsung Hero.)

Love, Simon

The Front Runner by Patricia Nell Warren

St. Nachos by Z.A. Maxfield

Simon Vs. The Homo Sapiens Agenda

The Extraordinaries by TJ Clune

Camp by L.C. Rosen

V.L. Losey (Romance author)

RJ Scott (Romance author)

The MM Author Podcast

GRL – Gay Rom Lit Retreat

They Both Die At the End by Adam Silvera

History Is All You Left Me by Adam Silvera

What If It’s Us by Becky Albertalli and Adam Silvera

Boyfriend Material by Alexis Hall

Love, Victor

Finding Joy by Adriana Herrera

The Dreamers Series Adriana Herrera

Book 1: American Dreamer

Book 2 American Fairytale

Book 3: American Love Story

Book 4: American Sweetheart

The Hideaway Inn by Phillip William Stover

Smart Podcast, Trashy Books

The Hockey Player’s Heart by Jeff Adams and Will Knauss

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive Clip:

The Astonishing Life of August March by Aaron Jackson

The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon

Wolf Song by TJ Clune

How to Be Remy Cameron by Julian Winters

Pretty Pretty Boys by Gregory Ashe

(Note: some of these are affiliate links. Your purchase helps to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business. Thank you!)

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07/27/20 • 37 min

My guest today is one of my favorite book friends, Mark Lefebvre. Despite how much I love talking books with Mark, I really dreaded reading his book choice, because it's a post-pandemic book and I'm a baby. But I'm so glad I went ahead and read Earth Abides. It's a lovely book about what makes us human when everything we know changes.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Mark Lefebvre

Website/Twitter/Instagram/YouTube/Podcast

Discussed in this episode:

Earth Abides by George R. Stewart

(side note: Mark recommends this one on audio)

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee

The Stand by Stephen King

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

AMC’s The Walking Dead (TV show)

The Chrysalids by John Wyndham

The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins

Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel

City of the Dead by Brian Keene

Dead Sea by Brian Keene

The Body by Stephen King

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

Childhood’s End by Arthur C. Clarke

Pilgrim: A Novel by Timothy Findley

Fire by George R. Stewart

The Glass Hotel by Emily St. John Mandel

Active Reader: And Other Cautionary Tales from the Book World by Mark Leslie

A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving

Poison: Stories by Amy Teegan

No Day Like Today by Amy Teegan

Every House is Haunted by Ian Rogers

Awakened: The Ascension Myth Book 1 by Ell Leigh Clarke and Michael Anderle

A Trick of the Light by Louise Penny

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07/20/20 • 34 min

I'm a longtime fan of the thoughtful book reviews that my guest Marion Hill writes. He is possibly the most diverse reader I've ever met - veering around all genres, always willing to try something new and recommend unfamiliar authors and books. I was delighted that he agreed to join me today to talk about why "Memory and Dream" by Charles de Lint is the Best Book Ever.

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Marion Hill

Website/Instagram/GoodReads/BookBub

Discussed in this episode:

Memory and Dream by Charles de Lint

The Little Country by Charles de Lint

Charles deLint Website

The Spectator Bird by Wallace Stegner

Ascending (The Vardeshi Saga Book 1) by Meg Pechenik

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Guy Gavriel Kay Website

The Diondray’s Chronicles Series by Marion Hill

Diondray’s Discovery (Book 1)

Diondray’s Journey (Book 2)

Diondray’s Roundabout (Book 3)

Marion’s 25 by Marion Hill

Marion’s 25, Vol. 2 by Marion Hill

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis

All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy

The Crossing by Cormac McCarthy

The Highway 59 Series by Attica Locke

Bluebird, Bluebird (Book 1)

Heaven, My Home (Book 2)

Larry McMurtry website

Kinky Friedman website

The Little Leaders Series by Vashti Harrison

Little Leaders: Bold Women in Black History

Little Dreamers: Visionary Women Around the World

Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History

Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

S.: A Novel by John Updike

The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

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Kenya Goree Bell is warm and bawdy and hilarious. She was exactly the person I needed to talk to in the middle of a rough week. We talked about reading romances when we were way too young to read them, and the joys of being proven wrong when we discover a romance trope we previously thought we hated. And she made me laugh so hard my side ached for the rest of the day. Plus, her favorite book is an absolute joy of a romance. I know you're going to love this episode!

Support the Best Book Ever Podcast on Patreon. If you join in September, I'll send you a Best Book Ever Face Mask! I know: masks are the worst. But if you wear these super soft masks from the BBE TeePublic Shop, men will stop telling you to smile more, and start asking you about your books. That's a bookworm Win/Win.

Follow the Best Book ever Podcast on Instagram or on the Best Book Ever Website

Host: Julie Strauss

Website/Instagram/Facebook

Guest: Kenya Goree Bell

Website/Instagram/Twitter/Facebook

Discussed in this episode:

Nine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake by Sarah MacLean

Looking for Mr. Goodbar by Judith Rossner

The Lonely Lady by Harold Robbins

Jackie Collins

Sweet Valley High

Rapper’s Delight by Kenya Goree Bell

Tess Gerritson

James Patterson

Dean Koontz

Sixteen Candles

Pretty in Pink

Naima Simone

Sally Kilpatrick

Sierra Simone

Cry of Metal and Bone by L. Penelope

Nalini Singh

Laura Thalassa

Love Unexpected by QB Tyler

Your Dad Will Do by Katee Robert

Truly by Carmel Rhodes

Scoring the Player’s Baby by Naima Simone

Holt, Her Ruthless Billionaire by Theodora Taylor

Discussed in our Patreon Exclusive Clip:

Rapper’s Delight by Kenya Goree Bell

Lotus Flower Bomb by Kenya Goree Bell

Rapper’s Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang

(Note: some of these are affiliate links. Your purchase helps to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business. Thank you!)

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FAQ

How many episodes does Best Book Ever Podcast have?

Best Book Ever Podcast currently has 144 episodes available.

What topics does Best Book Ever Podcast cover?

The podcast is about Leisure, Hobbies, Literature, Reading, Podcasts, Books, Arts and Authors.

What is the most popular episode on Best Book Ever Podcast?

The episode title '084 Chris Angel Murphy on "The Perks of Being a Wallflower" by Stephen Chbosky' is the most popular.

What is the average episode length on Best Book Ever Podcast?

The average episode length on Best Book Ever Podcast is 36 minutes.

How often are episodes of Best Book Ever Podcast released?

Episodes of Best Book Ever Podcast are typically released every 7 days.

When was the first episode of Best Book Ever Podcast?

The first episode of Best Book Ever Podcast was released on May 19, 2020.

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