Aug 23

BOTNS Podcast #143: Some of Our Faves, Now in Paperback

By Michael Kindness Podcasts Add comments

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration: 33:46 — 19.4MB)

Print books evolving digitally, some recent faves, now in paperback, and hearty recommendations for The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh and The Leftovers by Tom Perrotta.

Evolving Books

Two bits of housekeeping: Regarding Retreat Author Reading Challenge Book Discussion calls, in September we’ll discuss John Milliken Thompson’s The Reservoir and in October, Wendy Clinch’s Double Black. Exact dates to come. Interested in attending Booktopia 2012, the Books on the Nightstand retreat? Click here to join the mailing list, and you’ll be kept up to date with all announcements!

Everyone’s talking about all of the new things e-books can do, but Melville House, an independent publisher is revitalizing print books with their Hybrid Books Program. Think of it as DVD extras for your book. Via a scannable QR code, you can access extra documents, maps and illustrations related to the book. The first five Hybrid Books are all part of The Art of the Novella series and are all called The Duel (by five different writers including Joseph Conrad and Giacomo Casanova).

Favorites, Now in Paperback (7:24)

Sometimes, when we really love a book, we’ll tell you about it again when it comes out in paperback, and that’s what we’re doing this week.

to the end of the land, david grossman  the tower the zoo and the tortoise, julia stewart   let's take the long way home, gail caldwell

Ann recommends To the End of the Land by David Grossman (a book President Obama brought on vacation with him) and The Tower, The Zoo and the Tortoise by Julia Stuart. I rave, again, about Gail Caldwell’s Let’s Take the Long Way Home.

Two Books We Can’t Wait for You to Read (19:40)

Ann started reading The Language of Flowers by Vanessa Diffenbaugh, knowing very little about it. But she fell completely in love with this story of Victoria, a woman who has “graduated” out of the foster care system and now needs to take care of herself. (For more information on the author’s organization, visit camellianetwork.org)

the language of flowers, vanessa diffenbaugh   the leftovers, tom perrotta

Embarrassingly, I’ve never read a book by Tom Perrotta before, but I’m so glad that I finally have. I listened to the audio of The Leftovers (on sale August 30), a look at a family and community in the wake of the “Sudden Departure,” a Rapture-like event that saw millions around the work disappear in the blink of an eye. Ann’s in the middle of reading this too and loves it as well!

  • Simcha

    I’ve had To The End of the Land at the top of my book wishlist ever since I heard you talk about it here and I’ve just been waiting for the price to go down. As soon as I listened to this episode, where you mention that it’s now on paperback, I rushed over to The Book Depository to order it. I’m just really hoping that the boy doesn’t die in the end…

  • Suzanne

    I’ve picked up To the End of the Land twice from the library and have not yet been able to get through it.  I picked up the hardcover at one of the Borders’ closing sales and I’m going to try it again, because David Grossman is appearing at the Chicago Humanities Festival in November.

  • Rob

    I was so excited to hear about the implementation of qr codes in books for additional information. While I haven’t come across a book that contains these yet, I think the possibilities could be quite exciting. For instance, using them in a cookbook to link to a video of someone preforming a delicate prodedure, or a history book linking to an archived film clip. Very exciting stuff…

  • http://twitter.com/melissawiebe Melissa Wiebe

    When you described The Language of Flowers and how kids who have gone through the foster system, the description of Victoria reminded me of my favourite character on TV, Temperence Brennan (aka Bones), and how she is emotionally stunted despite the utter brilliant mind that she posses.  I have requested the book through my library.

    I am also looking forward to reading To The End of the Land as well, which I have been wanting to read since I first heard about the book about a year ago.

  • http://twitter.com/melissawiebe Melissa Wiebe

    When you described The Language of Flowers and how kids who have gone through the foster system, the description of Victoria reminded me of my favourite character on TV, Temperence Brennan (aka Bones), and how she is emotionally stunted despite the utter brilliant mind that she posses.  I have requested the book through my library.

    I am also looking forward to reading To The End of the Land as well, which I have been wanting to read since I first heard about the book about a year ago.

  • http://twitter.com/melissawiebe Melissa Wiebe

    When you described The Language of Flowers and how kids who have gone through the foster system, the description of Victoria reminded me of my favourite character on TV, Temperence Brennan (aka Bones), and how she is emotionally stunted despite the utter brilliant mind that she posses.  I have requested the book through my library.

    I am also looking forward to reading To The End of the Land as well, which I have been wanting to read since I first heard about the book about a year ago.

  • http://chrisnegron.net/2011/08/26/dont-be-afraid-to-slap-your-readers-in-the-face-with-your-theme/ Don’t be afraid to slap your readers in the face with your theme « Chris Negron

    [...] BOTNS #143: Some of our Faves, now in paperback [...]

  • http://iwriteinbooks.wordpress.com/ Pam

    Oh, man, I’m SO glad that everyone is loving The Language of Flowers. I adored it! I really do want to read The Leftovers, too. 

  • Diana Dalalau

    This is totally off the chart, but any idea why subsribing to the podcast via zune is not working? Thanks! 

  • http://www.booksonthenightstand.com AnnKingman

    Oh no! I’m not sure — are you using the link on the side of the blog, or directly from itubes? Please email me at ann@booksonthenightstand.com with more details. Thanks.

  • Alex W

    The Tower, The Zoo and The Tortoise sounds pretty interesting…I had never heard of that before.  A book by an author I’m working with is also newly available in paperback:

    (S)Mythology by Jeremy Tarr.
    It’s a modern day fairy tale that is wry and whimsical, and tackles
    life…death…and the Underworld. The book is super cute and has illustrations
    by artist Katy Smail, which really bring the main character Sophie to life.
    Sophie has really fantastical adventures meeting really wild characters that
    make the story so much fun.  I think
    you all would really like it!

     

    You can read the first three
    chapters and check out the illustrations at http://www.smythology.co.uk or check out
    the book at Barnes & Noble here: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/bookjeremy-tarr/1100935062?ean=9780983090601&itm=1&usri=s%2bmythology.

     Enjoy!

  • Katie

    I read both Let’s Take the Long Way Home and The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise because of BOTNS recs and enjoyed them both. Nice little stroll down memory lane!

  • Alice

    Thanks for the recommendation of The Tower, the Zoo, and the Tortoise (it’s called Balthazar Jones and the Tower of London zoo here in the UK).  I found it in the library after the podcast and am really enjoying it – I went to the Tower recently and now I want to go back!

  • Paula

    Thank you so much for recommending The Leftovers! I got it on audiobook the day that it came out, and could not stop listening for two days until I finished. Like Michael, it was my first Tom Perrotta book, but it won’t be the last. I’m new to the podcast and slowly making my way through old episodes, and this is one recommendation that I would never have picked up if it wasn’t for BOTNS. Thank you guys!

  • Shannon

    You two are the best. I’m still on the library queue for The Leftovers, so I checked out Little Children. It was also my first Perrotta, and I thoroughly enjoyed it…thank you! Michael, I’m pretty sure I have forever alienated you by emailing you my husband’s not-as-glowing-as-yours review of Supergods. But I hope I can redeem myself by letting you know that on the strength of your recommendation, I picked up Ready Player One for him. Like you, the mix of 80s pop-culture reference plus video game world seemed meant for him…and he LOVED every minute of it. You have given me more amazing suggestions and insights than I can count, and I’m so happy to have discovered you! The only problem is there are not enough hours in the day to read everything you have read…and my toddlers are more into classics like Mike Mulligan’s Steam Shovel and Good Night, Moon. : )

  • Shannon

    Me again, to say THANK YOU for recommending To The End of the Land. I started last night and stayed up wayyyyy too late, but couldn’t put it down. It’s fabulous! Ann, I also just finished The Borrower by Rebecca Makkai on your recommendation, and loved it! I worked in libraries all throughout high school and college and kept trying to picture an Ian hiding out. And I especially appreciated the homage to From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler. : )

    Again, thank you both for all you do. Your reading compasses are pretty fantastic!

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