Ep #23 The Midwich Cuckoos

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All good things must come to an end. Join Jeane and Karena as they end the CWAtC podcast and discuss the Midwich Cuckoos. Stay tuned for next month's outtakes episode for all of the Tators' shenanigans that didn't make the cut.

Where's My Bookmark?

• City of Lost Dreams
• Among Others
• The Whipping Boy
• Lord of the Flies
• The Ground Beneath Her Feet

Ep #22: Persuasion

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Could the Tators be persuaded into Jane Austen's final novel? Was Karena losing her voice the act of malicious post Halloween spirits? Did Jared read a book other than the selection of the month? Did Jeane finish her Newbury Award Winners? Find out now! 

Where's My Bookmark?:

• Call It Courage
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn
• What the Dog Saw
• Black Magic Sanction
• Flight Behavior

Websites we mention: 

• Bay Area Literature Map
• Amazon Kindle Matchbook
• 1001 Books to Read Before You Die app

Ep #21: The Handmaid's Tale

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2013 has been the year of the dystopia and science fiction for CWAtC, as Jared, Jeane, and Karena buckle down to discuss Margaret Atwood's arguably most famous book, The Handmaid's Tale. This conversation proves the range of the dystopian genre with how wrong society can go in a variety of ways.  

Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:

• The Thirteenth Tale
• Flight Behavior
• The Round House
• May We Be Forgiven
• Sweet Tooth
• David and Goliath: Underdogs, Misfits, and the Art of Battling Giants
• Steelheart
• A Tree Grows in Brooklyn

Websites we mention: 

• Culling the Classics
• Booktrack

Ep #20: LitClubs to Lit Songs

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How can you get teenagers to enjoy the classics? Jeane and Karena interview Ali Dent about her book The LitClub in which she describes the literature club she created to get her kids and other kids into reading. Then they spotlight fellow CWAtCer Martin Waterhouse's musical take on Brave New World (which the gang talked about  back in May).


Where's My Bookmark (and other books we mention):

• The LitClub
• Beloved
• The Color Purple
• Brave New World
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Schindler's List
• Inferno
• A Wrinkle in Time
• The Bronze Bow
• Seanan McGuire 

Websites we mention

• Oyster
• Brave New World by Martin Waterhouse

Ep #19 Burn Baby Burn

The band is back together on this episode where we chat about upcoming fall television shows that are based on books (the best ones usually are!). There's some chatting about Karena and Jared's recent DC trip and then we move on to delve into our August book, Ray Bradbury's often misunderstood novel, the book burning classic Fahrenheit 451.


Where's my bookmark?

• Inferno
• Chris Bohjalian novels
• The LitClub
• City of Bones

Ep #17 The Phantom of the Opera

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Even though they were short a Tator this week, Jeane and Karena delve into what most know as a Broadway masterpiece, Gaston Leroux's The Phantom of the Opera. They snoop the shadows and discuss the mystery of Erik (don't know who that is? Read the book! Then listen to this!). Also the ladies share the joy which will be the California Bookstore Day that is being featured on Indiegogo. Support your local indie bookstores! 


Where's My Bookmark? and other books we mention:

• A Memory of Light  
• First Grave on the Right
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
• Phantom
• Orange is the New Black

Websites We Mention:

• CWAtC forum - Historical accuracy
• California Bookstore Day

Classical Clairvoyance

Classical Clairvoyance is where we ask our Tators which books they predict will win for the upcoming poll for our Goodreads book club. For October's poll, our winner is Persuasion so Laura's streak has sadly ended.  Aww.  However, she is tied with Karena on most correct answers! 

Our scores for right guesses so far are as follows: 

Angie -2

Heather - 1

Jared - 1

Jeane - 2

Karena - 3

Laura - 3

November's poll choices are for the category of 1910-1959:

The Magnificent Ambersons, The Black Obelisk, Atlas Shrugged, The Innocence of Father Brown, The Midwich Cuckoos  

Angie

Heather

Jared

Jeane

Karena

Laura

Which novel do think is going to win the poll?

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is 

What book have you read that you weren't looking forward to, but ended up liking it a great deal? 

Angie

Brave New World

Heather

The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson. I was attending an informal book discussion group a year or two ago where it was on the list. One of the members said that, when she read it, it scared her so much she couldn’t sleep. That, coupled with the fact that the book talked a lot about architecture -- a topic I knew little to nothing about and had no interest in -- turned me off. However, while reading, I enjoyed learning about architecture, the World’s Fair, and H.H. Holmes. The research that went into the novel as well as the narrative Larson was able to weave together makes for a very compelling story that shouldn’t be missed!

Jared

 Life of Pi

Jeane

Life of Pi and Pride and Prejudice

Karena

 Life of Pi. I was not looking forward to that one at ALL, but ending up liking it a lot.

Laura

The Age of Innocence. I was about to give up on it and if it weren't for CWAtC, I would have stopped reading it early on. I ended up enjoying it very much, and this experience made me realize THAT is the reason why I joined CWAtC.

Do you have any books that surprised you?

Ep #16 Heroes Are Overrated

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In this episode the Tators ask what makes them abandon a book and talk about Thug Notes. Then they delve into the second installment of the trope/archetype series in preparation for this month's book selection of The Phantom of the Opera. What makes an anti hero? Who are some of literary's most notable? Why do we all love the anti hero even more than the heroes?

Where's My Bookmark and other books we mention:

• 1984
• Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can't Stop Talking
• The Love Affairs of Nathaniel P.
• The Year of the Gadfly
• Darkly Dreaming Dexter
• A Song of Fire and Ice series
• Catcher in the Rye
• The Great Gatsby
• Harry Potter
• Millenium Trilogy
• Schindler's List
• Jack Reacher series
• Sherlock Holmes
• The Lord of the Rings
• Jason Bourne series
• Fight Club
• Pride and Prejudice

Websites We Mention:

• What Makes You Put Down A Book? via Goodreads
• Thug Notes
• The Greatest Books
• Susan Cain Ted Talks: The Power of Introverts

Tator Tuesday

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:

Who are three authors you'd most like to have dinner with (living or dead)? 

Angie 

Alive: Patrick Ness, George R.R. Martin, Sherman Alexie

Dead: Carson McCullers, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Dorothy Parker

Heather

Samuel Clemens, hands down. There’s no way there would be a dull moment. Nate Silver because then I could pick his brain about politics and statistics. And Mary Roach because she’s charming, funny, and deeply curious.

Jared

 Malcom Gladwell, Nate Silver and Clive Cussler

Jeane

Christopher Moore, Anne Rice, and Barbara Kingsolver

Karena

Jenny Lawson, Kevin Hearne and Mark Twain (Samuel Clemens). There would be booze and curse words involved and that spells great dinner party. I wonder what Twain would say to alcoholic Otter pops?

Laura

V.C. Andrews, Edgar Allen Poe and ... hmmm Marquis de Sade to keep the conversation interesting.  

Who would you have dinner with?

Tator Tuesays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is:

What was the first chapter book you remember reading? 

Angie

Are You There God, It’s Me, Margaret by Judy Bloom

Heather

I don’t quite remember, but I do know that Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins is the first book I ever read more than once.

Jared

Charlotte’s Web. There are others, but I don’t remember.

Jeanie

The Boxcar Children

Karena

Honestly, I don't remember the first. I remember really loving the Fudge series.

Laura

Danny and the Dinosaur by Syd Hoff 

What was your first chapter book?

Ep #15: Mr. Lem, Kinda Like Phlegm...We'll Leave it at Lem

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What happens when you mix Solaris, alcoholic Otter Pops, and three Tators? The fifteenth episode of the podcast! Jeane, Jared and Karena talk about their favorite books this month along with Jared's many degrees of separation for Solaris's author Stanislaw Lem and they find out what books will be on the next polls! 


Where's My Bookmark? And other books we mention

• Bonk (not to be confused with Boink)
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Fingersmith
• Hunted
• The Secret History
• Dawn of the Dreadfuls
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies
• Abraham Lincoln Vampire Hunter

Websites we Mention:

• Why is Leaving a Book Half-Read is So Hard
• Placing Literature

Required Reading

Our Tators are always reading. Here are their favorite books for the month of June.

June's Required Reading



More of the Tator's books »

Angie 

The Golem and the Jinni: This book was amazing to read. It is the perfect mix of fantasy and realistic fiction. The imagery is vivid, and the characters are well-developed. 

Heather

Michael G. Santos' Earning Freedom: Conquering a 45-Year Prison Sentence. Mr. Santos' book is equal parts engrossing and remarkable. This story is the epitome of finding strength within oneself in the face of great adversity; it's much more than turning lemons into lemonade. The lessons Mr. Santos learns while in prison and shares with readers aren't limited to the confining concrete walls of incarceration -- they're lessons all of us can learn about how to lead gracious, focused, and goal-oriented lives while managing the obstacles life throws our way.

Jared

I like the science of it [Solaris]. 

Jeane

Hilarious! Perfect story for anyone who likes science fiction, or humor, or just a light hearted action book. Redshirts by John Scalzi will make you laugh out loud and as a bonus Wil Wheaton narrates the audio book! Awesome! 

Karena

I have two this month. I really enjoyed Gone Girl and Hunted. I hesitated to submit GG for my pick because I really don't have much more to say about it than anyone has already, but I liked the unpredictability of it and the characters were though unlikeable, intriguing.  And Hunted was a fun, action packed read. If you are looking for an Urban Fantasy series to try, I HIGHLY suggest the Iron Druid Chronicles. 

Laura

Behind the Attic Wall  - I read this book during my lunch time at work. I usually eat lunch alone because of how the schedule works out, and I often feel lonely, so I identified with Maggie who drinks tea and eats crumpets with her new family of dolls. This is a very touching and magical book that would make for an amazing movie. 

Did you have any favorites this month?

Classical Clairvoyance

Classical Clairvoyance is where we ask our Tators which books they predict will win for the upcoming poll. For September's poll, our winner is Laura who was the only one to pick The Handmaid's Tale!  Go Laura!  Our scores for right guesses so far are as follows: 
Angie -1
Heather - 1
Jared - 1
Jeane - 2
Karena - 2
Laura - 3

Laura is 3 for 3. Will this month be her 4th? 

For the month of October our category is pre-1910 and our choices are Persuasion, The Scarlet Pimpernel, Rob Roy, Bartleby, the Scrivener, and Great Expectations.

Angie

Persuasion 

Heather

Bartleby, the Scrivener

Jared

Great Expectations

Jeane

Great Expectations

Karena

Persuasion

Laura

The Scarlet Pimpernel

Which book do you think will win for October's poll? Do you think Laura will win yet again? Let us know!

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we ask our Tators bookish questions. This week's question is: 

What is the best book you’ve ever received as a gift? 

Angie

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Heather

Every gift of books is the best, don’t you think? Most recently my favorite was the gift of At the Abyss: An Insider’s History of the Cold War by Thomas Reed. My mother saw him speak in my hometown, purchased the book, and had it signed just for me because she knows how much I enjoy history and politics. The best book-related gift I’ve ever received was a Kindle from my husband -- it was his wedding present to me. He wanted me to be able to read while traveling overseas on our honeymoon without the burden of physical book size or weight.

Jared

How Far Will You Go? It is a book of questions that’s great for parties. I have a lot of fun memories because of it.

Jeane

The People of Pern autographed by Anne McCaffrey

Karena

1001 Books to Read Before You Die from my parents. It's not really because of the content, but because it got me interested in the classics again which led me to cofounding CWAtC.

Laura

To Be a Pilgrim by Joyce Cary. I found it for .99 in a deli when I was nine years old and my mom went back and bought it for me.

What is the best book you've received as a gift?

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we interview our Tators and ask them bookish questions.  This week's question:

Who do you credit for your love of reading?

Angie

My dad

Heather

There are two people, really. My mother and her father -- my grandfather. I credit my mother because, as a child, not only did she read a lot, but there was a bookshelf in her old room at my grandparent’s house. Many summers were spent perusing her old bookshelf and reading the books that she read growing up. I also credit my grandfather because he was a prolific reader despite the fact he could see out of only one eye. He read almost primarily nonfiction books -- a good portion of them about the Pacific theatre of World War II, where he fought.

Jared

I don’t have a love of reading, but I don’t hate it. I enjoy reading. I don’t credit it to one person, but three. My parents are two, and my senior year English teacher.

Jeane

My mom and Cam Jansen

Karena

My mother. She took us to the library constantly. I think it backfired on her though when by the time we had arrived back home from the library I had already read all the books I'd picked out. She told me "If you read, the world is yours" and it's been so true for me.

Laura

My parents. They both love to read, and growing up, they gave me much praise and encouragement in terms of my reading abilities.

Source: Jared Fagan

Who do you credit for your love of all things literary?

Ep #14 Happy Birthday CWAtC!

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It was ladies night for this episode as Karena and Jeane leave Jared out (ok ok, he was actually stuck in traffic) to celebrate Classic Without All the Class's one year anniversary. Jeane reveals a possible change in opinion for a certain well-known book and the ladies keep it laid back talking book to movie adaptations and book spoilers and more.


Where's My Bookmark?

• Solaris
• Anna Karenina
• Inferno
• Inferno
• The Lost Symbol
• Atlas Shrugged
• Of Mice and Men
• The Phantom of the Opera
• Fahrenheit 451
• The Handmaid's Tale
• Perfume: The Story of a Murderer
• A Prayer for Owen Meany
• The Shipping News
• Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell
• The Hobbit
• A Game of Thrones

Websites We Mention:

• Bookish Super Powers
• From Zero to Well Read in 100 Books

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we interview our Tators and ask them bookish questions.  This week's question:

What is your all-time favorite book title? 

Angie

Get Your Tongue Out of My Mouth, I’m Kissing You Goodbye

Heather

Chelsea Handler’s Are You There Vodka? It’s Me, Chelsea -- it always makes me laugh.

Jeane

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ’s Childhood Pal

Laura

From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. The title is so funny and somewhat long, and it's probably my favorite.  

Do you have any favorite book titles?

Tator Tuesdays

Every week we interview our Tators and ask them bookish questions. This week's question:

What book always makes you laugh out loud? 

Angie

The Art of Racing in the Rain

Heather

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court by Mark Twain.

Jared

Karena read parts of Let’s Pretend This Never Happened to me on a car trip. Otherwise I don’t read a lot of funny books since I lean toward non-fiction.

Jeane

Any Stephanie Plum Book

Karena

Let’s Pretend This Never Happened by Jenny Lawson (The Bloggess). That woman cracks me up. I mean look at the cover, hilarious!

Laura

A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court

What book makes you giggle, chortle, or guffaw?

Truthful Tales: Exploring Non-Fiction

In Truthful Tales: Exploring Non-Fiction, CWAtC will be exploring new non-fiction each month that contains a 5th Thursday. Writers will rotate, so expect a wide variety of non-fiction reviews! For May, Book-tator Jeane, reviews My Friend Dahmer by Derf Backderf. Enjoy!

Written by an author who was a friend of and went to high school with Jeffrey Dahmer, My Friend Dahmer is a graphic novel about the infamous, cannibalistic serial killer. Interestingly, Derf Backderf tries to present a humanistic side to Dahmer. Backderf does an excellent job of showing how the murderer inside Dahmer could have been subdued had he received the help he needed during his troubled teenage years. 

My Friend Dahmer is well-written and super creepy. It freaked me out in parts and made me a little sad for Dahmer when I learned what he went through.  

Verdict

Library Bag: I believe My Friend Dahmer would be great people who already enjoy graphic novels, those who enjoy crime or true crime stories, and might even be fun for reluctant readers. In addition, I think some people might enjoy this graphic novel as a first-time experience in the graphic novel world because it gives an insider perspective of a world that most of us, thank goodness, will never experience. And, it is an illustrated format! How cool is that?!?