Mar 16

Michael and I have been planning this podcast for months, but just now made the time to actually get it up and running. As you listen, it will quickly become clear that we are not professionals (not even close), so please be kind. I’m certain that we’ll get better at this as we record more episodes.

In this episode, we discuss the concept of “comfort reading,” what
we think about re-reading books, and Michael finds reading material suitable for a new “holiday” called ‘Pi Day.’

It will probably take a few weeks for the podcast to make it into iTunes and other podcatchers, so for now, you can listen here or download it manually.

You can listen by using the player below. If your browser does not support javascript, you won’t see the player; click the link below the player to listen, or right-click to download the episode.

If you’re using Internet Explorer, click twice to listen.

Books on the Nightstand, Episode 1
(13:31)Further information on things discussed in Episode 1:
NPR Books Podcast
Reading Across Rhode Island

We encourage you to write down or print out the title information and shop at your local bookstore. Titles link to LibraryThing, a social networking site that allows you to catalog your home library. They also link to various online purchasing options. Here are the books from this post:

Books mentioned:
The Chocolate War by Robert Cormier
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time by Mark Haddon
A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz
Water For Elephants by Sara Gruen
The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

 

  • http://www.bookchatterandotherstuff.blogspot.com Ti

    Hi,

    I heard of your blog from The Written Nerd and decided to check you guys out.

    I am also a lover of books and take great pleasure in looking for them as well as reading them. Sometimes I have more fun just trying to decide WHAT to read.

    Anyway, just wanted to say that I am enjoying the blog and the podcasts too. It’s fun to check out what others are reading.

    Take care..

    Ti

  • http://www.bookchatterandotherstuff.blogspot.com Ti

    Hi,

    I heard of your blog from The Written Nerd and decided to check you guys out.

    I am also a lover of books and take great pleasure in looking for them as well as reading them. Sometimes I have more fun just trying to decide WHAT to read.

    Anyway, just wanted to say that I am enjoying the blog and the podcasts too. It’s fun to check out what others are reading.

    Take care..

    Ti

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann

    Thanks for reading and listening, Ti, and for telling us how you heard about us. Going to check out your blog now!

    Ann

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann

    Thanks for reading and listening, Ti, and for telling us how you heard about us. Going to check out your blog now!

    Ann

  • http://taueret.typepad.com Taueret

    I am coming to your podcast late and catching up on back episodes, so my comments will be little time travellers ;-) . Thanks for the recommendation of ‘Water for Elephants’. For some reason I had in mind that it was a depressing war-torn story, which I don’t need. I loved “The Life of Pi”, I wonder if you’ve read it yet Ann? It’s one of those books no one I know has read but I would LOVE to talk it over with someone! Anyway I am enjoying your podcast!

  • http://taueret.typepad.com Taueret

    I am coming to your podcast late and catching up on back episodes, so my comments will be little time travellers ;-) . Thanks for the recommendation of ‘Water for Elephants’. For some reason I had in mind that it was a depressing war-torn story, which I don’t need. I loved “The Life of Pi”, I wonder if you’ve read it yet Ann? It’s one of those books no one I know has read but I would LOVE to talk it over with someone! Anyway I am enjoying your podcast!

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com ann

    We love “time traveler” comments!! It’s funny how we get ideas of books that turn out to be wrong or incomplete — I’ve had this happen very recently with a book that I had resisted for a long time, only to find that it was nothing at all like I expected. I’m going to blog about it soon, so I’ll have to keep you in suspense about the title :)

    Life of Pi is still on my ‘to read’ list, I’m ashamed to say. I bought a copy well over a year ago, and it has somehow disappeared. I took it (and many other books) on vacation with me last summer and it must be in some parking lot between Massachusetts and California.

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com ann

    We love “time traveler” comments!! It’s funny how we get ideas of books that turn out to be wrong or incomplete — I’ve had this happen very recently with a book that I had resisted for a long time, only to find that it was nothing at all like I expected. I’m going to blog about it soon, so I’ll have to keep you in suspense about the title :)

    Life of Pi is still on my ‘to read’ list, I’m ashamed to say. I bought a copy well over a year ago, and it has somehow disappeared. I took it (and many other books) on vacation with me last summer and it must be in some parking lot between Massachusetts and California.

  • Nute

    I found your podcast on I-Tunes today. It felt like discovering a hidden treasure. I enjoyed it so much that I stayed up half the night listening to all 34 episodes that were posted. What Fun?!

    Then when I thought my excitement peaked, you mentioned your blog site. There goes two more hours of lost sleep. I wanted to get in on this discussion of books, but I had never done this kind of thing before.
    However, need had you.

    It was that comment, “We have no idea what we are doing”, that fueled this moment. I was inspired. I don’t know what I am doing. I just want to talk about books with someone else who wants to talk about books. Oh, boy!:)

    The podcast is fun and informative. It is so refreshing that it is just two plain folks. I love that it is unpolished. It is fabulous for those of us who feel like that cannot breathe without repeated moments of literary exposure.

    Keep it up. Stay real!
    Nute

  • Nute

    I found your podcast on I-Tunes today. It felt like discovering a hidden treasure. I enjoyed it so much that I stayed up half the night listening to all 34 episodes that were posted. What Fun?!

    Then when I thought my excitement peaked, you mentioned your blog site. There goes two more hours of lost sleep. I wanted to get in on this discussion of books, but I had never done this kind of thing before.
    However, need had you.

    It was that comment, “We have no idea what we are doing”, that fueled this moment. I was inspired. I don’t know what I am doing. I just want to talk about books with someone else who wants to talk about books. Oh, boy!:)

    The podcast is fun and informative. It is so refreshing that it is just two plain folks. I love that it is unpolished. It is fabulous for those of us who feel like that cannot breathe without repeated moments of literary exposure.

    Keep it up. Stay real!
    Nute

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

    Nute,
    Wow. Thank you so much. I’m thrilled that you found us.

    You might like our Goodreads group — membership at Goodreads is free, and we have an active discussion board of Books on the Nightstand readers and listeners. Come join us:
    http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4862.Books_on_the_Nightstand

    And thanks again, truly.

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com Ann Kingman

    Nute,
    Wow. Thank you so much. I’m thrilled that you found us.

    You might like our Goodreads group — membership at Goodreads is free, and we have an active discussion board of Books on the Nightstand readers and listeners. Come join us:
    http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/4862.Books_on_the_Nightstand

    And thanks again, truly.

  • Julianna

    I found your podcast on Google last week while looking for some book-themed podcasts to listen to while at work. I started with the latest episode, but have fallen in love with your program and am starting from the beginning! I love the way you guys discuss books that would be found on the bestseller table AND in the back of the store. It gives me a little ego boost that I may have already read one, but it’s humbling to realize that there are still so many to go! At my desk, I have a post-it with all of the books you guys have gotten me interested in…it grows everyday. I’m a college student who loves to read (I’m pretty sure I have a compulsive book-buying problem) and want to eventually work in the publishing world. A native of new york, I can still remember my Grandma pointing out which buildings in the city belonged to Simon and Schuster, Random House, Scholastic, etc. I think you guys have the coolest jobs ever, and was wondering–how did you get them?

    On another note, I heard about the retreat and was so upset that I had missed registration (and the event as a whole) but was overjoyed to see that you do the event at Northshire Bookstore. I have had a ski house in Stratton, VT since I was eight years old and have called Northshire “my bookstore” when raving about it to my friends at home. It’s truly one of my favorite places in the entire world, and I’m so glad you guys found it!

    Thanks so much for doing this podcast. Sometimes, it’s hard to find people who you feel appreciate books as much as you do. It’s like having friends you’ve never met.

    Keep it up,
    Julianna :)

preload preload preload