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We start this week’s podcast with a new segment we’re calling Nightstand Newsbites. Occasionally we’ll tell you about interesting book related stories we’ve heard about, and link to the full stories online. Here are the four we talked about this time:
- Britain’s most avid reader, 91, has borrowed 25,000 library books – Telegraph
- Students offered scholarships from fictional crimefighter, Jack Reacher | Books | guardian.co.uk
- Reading cuts stress levels by 68% | Health news | Marie Claire
- Roald Dahl proves a man of a great many letters for his biographer – Telegraph
Ann pays tribute to Frank McCourt, who recently passed away, by remembering his wonderful memoir Angela’s Ashes. I admit to never having read the book, but will track down the unabridged audio book read by Mr. McCourt.
I continue the memoir theme by discussing two of the most powerful and moving memoirs I’ve ever read. Love in the Driest Season is the story of journalist Neely Tucker and his wife Vita. While in Africa they cared for, and came to love, an orphaned girl named Chipo. This book is the story of their struggle against societal taboos that believe foreigners should not be allowed to adopt Zimbabwean children.
The Bear’s Embrace, by Patricia Van Tighem, is the story of the author and her husband, who are attacked by a bear while hiking in the Canadian Rockies in 1983. They both survive, but Patricia’s road to recovery was particularly difficult. Sadly, while researching the show notes (and after recording this episode), I discovered that Patricia committed suicide in 2005.
Segment three is a little different this week, as Ann and I each tell you about a book we can’t wait to read. The weekly schedule means we’d need to have a new book that we’ve read and loved, every week. Neither Ann nor I read that quickly! So, we’ll occasionally tell you about a book we’re hearing a lot about; a book we want to read, but haven’t gotten to yet. This time around I discuss Big Machine by Victor LaValle, an author the Wall Street Journal says is being compared to Ralph Ellison and Thomas Pynchon. Ann tells us about a book called Heroic Measures by Jill Ciment, a book Ann found interesting long before Oprah discovered it. Jill Ciment is a favorite author of many of the Random House reps, including me!
Finally, thanks to Chris, Nora and Karen for calling in and singing our Voice Mail number. We hope you enjoy their renditions as much as we did!
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Frank McCourt’s books are great, and you MUST listen to the audiobook version! As you pointed out, they’re narrated by Frank McCourt himself, but you forgot to mention that that includes his thick Irish accent. He’s a delightful reader; enjoy!
Great podcast as always. I just have to make a comment about the “reading cuts stress levels by 68%” though (which I’d heard about somewhere else, too)… if this is true, then I should be a regular Serenity Sue by now. Clearly the study’s sample size was too small and didn’t include enough chronic worry-worts.
Heather-
Here’s what I think about that study: Reading does cut stress levels, but the effects are very short-lived. So you just need to KEEP reading ALL THE TIME.
Stupid life that interferes with its stress and demands on our times!
The Marie Claire article that noted that reading relieves stress reminded of the following quote:
“I’ve never known any trouble that an hour’s reading didn’t assuage.”
~ Montesquieu ~
Also, I recommend listening to Angela’a Ashes as read by author Frank McCourt. It is extraordinary.
A cool thing about the Frank McCourt narration of Angela’s Ashes is how his voice changes when he gets to the part where his own memory kicks in. It’s a little flat when he’s talking about his parents’ history, but then it really livens up when it gets to his own life!
I like your new Newsbites segment, it’s a nice roundup and all your news items were very interesting.
And I certainly got a kick out of the caller who used the iPhone Smack Talk app to make it sound like a guinea pig was doing the singing! My husband has that app on his iPhone and it’s a hoot!
I read Angela’s Ashes for a sociology paper I wrote for a university class I took and actually really enjoyed it, despite the depressing nature of the book.