Book Me, Please!

We’ve got almost too much to talk about in Episode 16, as comedian Caitlin Durante fills us in on Holes, Matt Donaher talks about What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, and Brock Wilbur takes us back to the 80’s with Less Than Zero. What starts off on a tangent about Burning Man turns into a fun conversation about a really fun book and movie for the whole family, Holes by Louis Sachar. There’s a lot to like in this story, and Caitlin shares her enthusiasm for this YA classic about kids at a camp that turns out to be much more than it appears. Next up, Matt Donaher brings us a non-fiction account of the life and craft of Japanese fiction master Haruki Murakami, who’s latest book, What I Talk About When I Talk About Running, tells of his love of running and how it relates to his life’s work, writing. Finally, we’ve saved the juicy stuff for last, as we dive into the depraved indifference of the decadent and indelible, Less Than Zero by Brett Easton Ellis. Don’t judge Brock Wilbur for loving this book, please, and you shouldn’t because it is, in many ways, an incredible book, and has always been one of my favorites as well. It’s one of those books that never fails to shock and amaze. It’s a book that so good, even the story behind the writing of the book is a great story. And, after all that, we leave you, dear listeners, with a few tantalizing cliff hangers. You know, just to keep people coming back and listening for more... Enjoy!

BOOKS: What I Talk About When I Talk About Running by Haruki Murakami: Knopf - ISBN - 0-307-26919-1

Holes by Louis Sachar: Farrar, Straus and Giroux - ISBN 978-0-786-22186-8

Less Than Zero - by Brett Easton Ellis: Simon and Schuster - ISBN 978-0-14-008894-6

In episode thirteen we gather together three old friends from the San Francisco comedy scene, Sammy Obeid, Casey Ley, and Kevin Camia, and they recommend three very different but equally fascinating books. We start with a book Kevin Camia enjoyed so much he almost finished it, the controversial nonfiction best seller 40 Million Dollar Slaves by William C. Rhoden. This 2007 book combines a potent history of black athletes in professional athletics, with provocative theories about the modern professional sports industry. Next, Casey Ley brings us the brand new history book from Scott Anderson, Lawrence In Arabia, which sheds new light on the incredible real life of T.E. Lawrence, set amidst the historic backdrop of WWI. This book is a perfect compliment to last episode’s The Peace To End All Peace, treading the same historic ground but seen from a completely different perspective, and packed with tantalizing new information about what we thought was an old story. Finally, Sammy Obeid tells us about his experience reading John Steinbeck’s last novel The Winter of Our Discontent in high school, as well as some things he enjoyed more, such as Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park, and some things he enjoys less, such as math in movies. It all adds up to a really fun show! (See what I did there?)

LAWRENCE IN ARABIA: WAR, DECEIT, IMPERIAL FOLLY AND THE MAKING OF THE MODERN MIDDLE EAST by Scott Anderson Random House ISBN # 978-0-307-47641-8

THE WINTER OF OUR DISCONTENT - by John Steinbeck Penguin ISBN# 978-0-14-118631-3

FORTY MILLION DOLLAR SLAVES: THE RISE, FALL, AND REDEMPTION OF THE BLACK ATHLETE by William C. Rhoden Three Rivers Press ISBN# 978-0-307-35314-6

In this episode we have an excellent variety of books, including the autobiography of a famous athlete, a futuristic novel, and a book of art by an American music icon. We begin with Joe Praino who brings us a classic baseball book, ‘Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud’, by Joe Pepitone, who’s wild life as a Yankee made him as famous for what he did off the field as what did on it. Next, we talk with Klee Wiggins about the recent work of fiction, ‘Ready Player One’ by Ernest Clone, a soon-to-be movie set in a futuristic world immersed within a video game. Finally, we talk to actor and native Oklahoman, Josh Fadem, who gives us a peek at the visual art of singer Woody Guthrie in the book “Art Works”, a rare book from the collection of works on display at the Woody Guthrie Center in Tulsa Oklahoma. Great comics, great books!

And be sure to watch Joe Praino throw out the first pitch at the Mets game on June 26th!

Joe Praino - ‘Joe, You Coulda Made Us Proud’ by Joe Pepitone (with Berry Stainback) - Sports Publishing - ISBN - 978-1-61321-796-2

Josh Fadem - Woody Guthrie Art Book - ‘Art Works’ - Steven Brower and Nora Guthrie - Rizzoli Publishing

Klee Wiggins - ‘Ready Player One’ - Ernest Clone - Random House - ISBN - 978-0307887436

In episode nine we have a great variety of books, ranging from life with a beast, to the last of a species, to life on another planet. We open with our first cookbook, “Feed The Beast: Cooking For The Alpha Male” and author Tracy Hammond tells us what it’s like to live with an Alpha Male, and how to tame them with delicious food (And plenty of it!) Next, Virginia Jones brings us a classic of the animal conservation movement, the stunning, funny, and ultimately important
book, “Last Chance To See”, in which venerable Sci-fi author Douglas Adams and zoologist Mark Carwardine travelled around the globe to document the possible “last of” a variety of endangered animals. And finally, from a classic Sci-fi author to a new Sci-fi classic, Matt Kirshen brings us the fascinating new novel by Andy Weir, “The Martian”, that has grown from a small internet fan base to become one of the most well regarded novels of the last few years.

MATT KIRSHEN - ‘The Martian’ by Andy Weir - Crown Publishing Group - ISBN
978-0-8041-3902-1

VIRGINIA JONES - ‘Last Chance To See’ by Douglas Adams & Mark Carwardine - Pan Books - ISBN # 978-0-345-37198-0

TRACY HAMMOND - ‘Feed the Beast - Cooking For Your Alpha Male’ by Tracy Hammond - Volossal Publishing - ISBN # 978-0-9886262-9-4 - Audiobook soon on Audible.com

In episode seven we get our first big “celebrity” interview when we’re joined by internet sensation Danielle Perez from the infamous ‘Price Is Right!’ viral video in which she won a treadmill, despite being in a wheelchair. In this in-depth interview, we find out what it’s like to “go viral”, and the surreal circumstances that lead from a funny game show “fail” to her video appearing on huge media outlets such as ‘The Huffington Post’, ‘World Star Hip Hop’, ‘Reddit’, and eventually going viral around the world before finally landing her on the stage of ‘Jimmy Kimmel Live!’ All in the span of 48 hours! It’s been a crazy week for Danielle and we get to hear all about it in this, her first full length interview since the madness began.

Eventually we do get to the books, and we’ve got some great ones to recommend. The very funny Hannah Gansen recommends the books of Joe Hill, including ‘Heart Shaped Box’ and ‘Horns’, and Danielle recommends ‘The Interestings’ by Meg Wolitzer, a fascinating look at what it means to be creative, what it takes to live a happy life, and the difficulties that arise when you desire both.

Joe Hill - William Morrow - ISBN 978-0-06-114793-7 (Heart Shaped Box)

Meg Wolitzer - Riverhead Books - 978-1-59448-839-9 (The Interestings)!