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Books on the Nightstand published our final episode in July 2016. This is a place for listeners to find old episodes. 

I'm sorry that we don't have show notes for all of the episodes, and that the episodes do not have consistent filenames. Still, we hope you find that the content is valuable enough to overlook those annoyances.

Thank you to all who have listened to BOTNS over the years and for those who are just discovering the podcast. 

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  2. BOTNS #378: Showered with Questions

BOTNS #378: Showered with Questions

Apr 12, 2016

"April Showered" with listener questions. Plus, we recommend Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh, and Geek Parenting by Stephen H. Segal and Valya Dudycz Lupescu.

Thanks to all of you who commented on episode 375 with suggestions for adult books that can be ready by a precocious 9-year-old. And, in a follow-up to episode 376, listener Mitzi shared info on a local library's seed library.

 

Showered with Questions (08:12)

Marchelle A.D. asked about book trailers, and why they exist. Some people think they're pretty awful, but there are a few that we think are funny (B.J. Novak/Mindy Kaling, Gary Shteyngart) and some are viral and don't even mention the book.

Jessie from Montana asked if the reading we do for work happens during work hours or during evenings and weekends. We definitely do our work reading in off hours, and that's the case for most of the publishing and bookstore industry.

MaryAnne from Oceanside CA asked if either Ann or I write or wanted to be a published author. Ann did want to be an author, until she started working in publishing, and realized how hard it would be! As for me, other than an extremely derivative short science fiction story in grade school, I've never really enjoyed writing. I much prefer to read!

Elenor H heard about James Patterson's generosity toward bookstores, booksellers, and libraries, and wonders if author philanthropy common. Ann found a listing from 2012 of top-earning authors and where they donated funds.

 

Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (30:06)

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Ann recommends Eileen by Otessa Moshfegh, calling it one of the strangest and most intriguing books she's read in a long time. The main character, Eileen, is an unlikable, terrible person, and she seems to enjoy telling us exactly how awful she is. Yet Ann found the writing compelling and irresistible.

I recommend Geek Parenting by Stephen H. Segal and Valya Dudycz Lupescu, a collection of parental advice brought to life via exceedingly memorable examples from pop culture:

  • "Inheriting dad's pointed ears does mean a kid is just like dad. That is illogical."
  • "If they're creepy and they're kooky, then you're the one who's lucky."
  • "We should savor life's sweetness, with or without a golden ticket."
  • "If you always harp on what they're doing wrong, you're teaching them to focus on the dark side."