Books on the Nightstand

When TV shows diverge from books; new novels from Mary Doria Russell and Jim Shepard.   We've closed out our survey for Summer Book Bingo square ideas, and we'll be announcing the new link for your 2015 BOTNS Summer Book Bingo card. That should give you a chance to plan your reading in time for our official start, May 25th. Be sure to tune in next week to hear more! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (02:30) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780553397468.jpg)Spinster (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/spinster-making-a-life-of-ones-own/230593), by Kate Bolick is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week, and it's read by the author. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   It Doesn't Say That in My TV Guide (08:16) This week we discuss books that have become movies or TV shows, and where the story arcs in the media diverge significantly from the books. The topic was inspired by an article that Michael read about Game of Thrones season 5, which speculates that characters from the book may be killed off in the television series. Other articles, books and shows discussed: "Game of Thrones actor explains his surprisingly early exit" (www.ew.com/article/2015/05/01/ser-barristan-dead-thrones) by James Hibberd in Entertainment Weekly (warning, spoilers for TV show) Darkly Dreaming Dexter (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17231.Darkly_Dreaming_Dexter?from_search=true&search_version=service) by Jeff Lindsay "The Book Was Better": Why Readers of TV Adaptations Need to Let Go (http://time.com/3058894/outlander-game-of-thrones-books-tv/) by James Poniewozik in Time The Walking Dead (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6465707-the-walking-dead-compendium-1?from_search=true&search_version=service) by Robert Kirkman "Book Series vs. TV Series: Rizzoli and Isles" (http://supposedlyfun.com/2013/06/20/book-series-vs-tv-series-rizzoli-and-isles/) The Surgeon (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/32263.The_Surgeon?from_search=true&search_version=service) by Tess Gerritsen (Rizzoli and Isles #1)   Two Books We Can't Wait for You to Read (19:38)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1404411572l/18739541.jpg)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1430257714l/22889835.jpg)   Michael talks about Epitaph (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18739541-epitaph?from_search=true&search_version=service), the new novel by Mary Doria Russell that takes a fresh look at Wyatt Earp, Doc Holliday, and the shootout at the O.K. Corral. You don't have to have read Mary's earlier book, Doc, to enjoy Epitaph, but they go together wonderfully. The Book of Aron (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22889835-the-book-of-aron?from_search=true&search_version=service) by Jim Shepard was called "A Masterpiece" (http://www.washingtonpost.com/entertainment/books/the-book-of-aron-by-jim-shepard-is-a-masterpiece/2015/04/28/0a159fe6-ea98-11e4-9a6a-c1ab95a0600b_story.html) by Washington Post Book Reviewer Ron Charles. It's a story set in the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi Occupation, told through the eyes of Aron, a young boy who wants only to protect his family. This is as much a coming of age story as it is a Holocaust story, though of course we know what's coming.  

This week we bring you the first three author talks from Booktopia Asheville, recorded at Malaprop's Bookstore (http://www.malaprops.com/): * E. Lockhart, author of We Were Liars * Krista Bremer, author of My Accidental Jihad (recently published in paperback under the title A Tender Struggle) * Anthony Marra, author of A Constellation of Vital Phenomena   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1402749432l/18339662.jpg)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423486633l/20312468.jpg)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408313066l/18428067.jpg)

Celebrate Independent Bookstore Day! And, don't forget about Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton, and The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown.   Summer is just around the corner, and that means the return of BOTNS Beach Blanket Book Bingo. Full deatils will be announced before Memorial Day, but in the meantime, we'd love your ideas for categories for the Bingo squares. We've set up a survey (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1z-QVs8RHenSsSXvq2SyBOvs9JePjupT0WLdocqZ33ms/viewform) where you can suggest topics for squares, so let us know your ideas.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:15) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780804191432.jpg)The Book of Unknown Americans (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/the-book-of-unknown-americans-a-novel/211816) by Cristina Henriquez, told by multiple narrators, is my pick for this week's Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Independent Bookstore Day (07:42)(http://static1.squarespace.com/static/5231f673e4b0833bcd11793b/t/54dd3877e4b079b59538b6cd/1423784067115/?format=500w)   This Saturday, May 2, is Independent Bookstore Day. Four hundred bookstores across the country (http://indiemap.bookweb.org/) are planning special events, and many will be selling special items (http://cabookstoreday.com/s/2015-IBD-Catalog.pdf) only available on May 2 (not all items available at all stores). May 2 is also Free Comic Book Day (http://www.freecomicbookday.com/Home/1/1/27/992), so head out to your local book stores and comic book stores to celebrate the written word, and the folks in your community that bring it to you!   Don't You Forget About Me (12:40)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1344371661l/6424171.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1320545937l/3335546.jpg) Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton is a 25-year-old thriller that is still scary and fun today. If you haven't read it yet, this should be one of your Summer vacation reads! Ann recommends The Rope Walk by Carrie Brown, a book she nearly forgot about until a colleague mentioned it the morning we recorded. It tells the story of Alice, and a summer she spent exploring the woods of Vermont with two friends who are newcomers to her small town.

Earlier this week, I was honored to be a guest on the Covered (http://t.co/kxSGhwEtjF) podcast, hosted by Harry Marks. Harry and I talked about The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22318578-the-life-changing-magic-of-tidying-up?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service) by Marie Kondo. I had a great time, and I hope you give it a listen ... and check out the other episodes of Covered, too! (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (02:49): Sweetland (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/sweetland/226344)(http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781622316533.jpg) by Michael Crummey, narrated by John Lee, is Michael's pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   The Writer on the Page (07:58): Michael and I were recently interviewed by Julia Pistell (http://juliapistell.com/) (of the great Literary Disco (http://www.literarydisco.com/) podcast), for the opening event of the 4th Annual Writers Weekend at the Mark Twain House and Museum (https://www.marktwainhouse.org/index.php). One of the questions that Julia asked us inspired this episode. Julia asked if, as readers, we think about the author as we read. Michael loves to notice beautiful sentences, while I prefer to get lost in a story and sometimes feel pulled out of a book if the author's hand is too visible. But in the end, I feel that Michael and I are probably more similar in the way we read than we we are different. Writers and readers, we'd love to hear your thoughts. Please leave a comment hear, or call our voicemail line (209/867-7323) and leave us a (short) message. Books mentioned in our discussion: Girlchild (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/12160934-girlchild?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_a&search_version=service) by Tupelo Hassman Dept. of Speculation (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402288-dept-of-speculation?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service) by Jenny Offil The Sense of an Ending (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/10746542-the-sense-of-an-ending?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service) by Julian Barnes The Painter (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/18310201-the-painter?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_a&search_version=service) by Peter Heller A Little Life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_a&search_version=service) by Hanya Yanagihara God Help the Child (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/23602473-god-help-the-child?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service)by Toni Morrison Atonement (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6867.Atonement?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_a&search_version=service) by Ian McEwan On Chesil Beach (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/815309.On_Chesil_Beach?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service) by Ian McEwan The Girl on the Train (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22557272-the-girl-on-the-train?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_b&search_version=service) by Paula Hawkins Defending Jacob (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11367726-defending-jacob?from_search=true&search_exp_group=group_a&search_version=service)by William Landay   Two books we can't wait for you to read (29:05):   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423770455l/20701984.jpg)   (https://d.gr-assets.

A National Poetry Month discussion with poet Jynne Martin, author of We Mammals in Hospitable Times.   Note: One of the poems Jynne reads has some four-letter words, so if you usually listen around children, you may want to wait until they're out of earshot.   Celebrating National Poetry Month with Jynne Martin Some of you will remember Ann's National Readathon Day discussion with Jynne Martin, Associate Publisher and Director of Publicity at Riverhead Books. We invited her back for National Poetry Month, to discuss her book We Mammals in Hospitable Times. (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1422984219l/23529967.jpg)     (http://41.media.tumblr.com/958eea5cd3ab83e8555bcc75ef14a3cd/tumblr_mw166pQLvt1qep539o3_500.jpg) We Mammals in Hospitable Times grew out of Jynne's time as 2013 Antarctica Artist-in-Residence. I was very eager to hear about this experience, from the exciting (breathing 800,000 year old air) to the mundane (contraband yogurt). We also discussed how living in Antarctica for six weeks informed her poetry and she read for us "What Breaks First" (http://www.nybooks.com/articles/archives/2015/apr/23/what-breaks-first/) from her collection. Next, I tasked Jynne with undoing the poetic damage inflicted by one of my high school English teachers. Being told to analyze a poem--and then being told I was "wrong"--turned me off of poetry. It's a tale that, according to Jynne, is all too common, and it's even the subject of her favorite poem about reading poems, Billy Collins' "Introduction to Poetry." (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/176056) Jynne describes poems as "...beautiful ways to dwell in mystery," and says people need to find the poems that are right for them. She recommends some funny poets (Frank O'Hara, Mary Ruefle, Lydia Davis, and Philip Larkin whose "This Be The Verse" (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/178055) she reads). She also describes the three main styles of poetry (Narrative, Lyric, and Associative). For Narrative poetry she recommends Larry Levis, and reads to us "Lying in a Hammock at William Duffy’s Farm in Pine Island, Minnesota" (http://www.poetryfoundation.org/poem/177229) by James Wright. Jynne was kind enough to put together some Poetry Notes for listeners of Books on the Nightstand, which you can download here (http://traffic.libsyn.com/booksonthenightstand/Poetry_Notes_by_Jynne_Martin.pdf). They contain some of her favorite poets and poems, and have me eager to read more poetry!

We answer many listener questions, and we recommend The Buried Giant by Kazuo Ishiguro, and The Room by Jonas Karlsson.   Ann and I are thrilled and honored to have been invited to speak at the Mark Twain House's Fourth Annual Writers' Weekend. Details and information on tickets can be found here (http://www.museumtix.com/venueinfo/program.aspx?vid=884&pid=1688580&eid=2303787&evd=4%2f17%2f2015&evt=17%3a00%3a00&pvt=mth). Tim Huggins, a friend and big name in the Boston bookstore scene has started Bound & Dedicated (http://boundanddedicated.com/), a new site devoted the joy of signed books and connections with authors. Anyone can submit photos of title pages signed by the author along with a few sentences about the experience of meeting the author. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:34) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781433287695.jpg)A Confederacy of Dunces (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/a-confederacy-of-dunces/102456) by John Kennedy Toole, narrated by Barrett Whitener, is Ann's pick for this week's Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   April Showers Bring More Questions (08:55) We're answering a bunch of listener questions. Remember, you too can submit (https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ZvVSya--Ur1cM_251OfPiafFHpyidI5XLzkfRZE0Bg0/viewform) your own question! (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1342295000l/6375845.jpg) * Sue asks about reading Batman graphic novels and wonders where to start. I recommend these graphic novels, in this order: Batman: Year One, Batman: The Long Halloween, Batman: The Killing Joke, and Batman: Hush. * Spancho asks about a "rating system" for books. Something that would allow her to avoid foul language and explicit sex. For kids' books, we recommend Common Sense Media (https://www.commonsensemedia.org/), mostly known for movies, video games, etc. but does sometimes review books. Our best suggestion is to befriend a librarian or bookseller, so they can guide you. * Cathy asks for recommendations for her 15 year old son who has read and enjoyed The Stand and some books by Michael Crichton, but hasn't enjoyed other things. We recommend Fragment, The Passage, The Road, The Alienist, and, of course, other books by Stephen King (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/3389.Stephen_King?from_search=true). * Peggy is worrying that if people move to reading electronically, her organizations used book sale will suffer. We assure her that she doesn't need to worry. The growth of digital books has plateaued, and people will be culling personal libraries for years to come! * Trucker Michael is hoping to find a way to replicate, online, the act of browsing in a bookstore or library. Unfortunately for Michael, who doesn't get into physical book spaces, this doesn't seem to be something that can be replicated digitally. Many companies have tried, but none have succeeded. * Marchelle wonders when Maggie Shipstead's next book will be out. We don't know yet, but Ann, who loved both of Maggie's books - Seating Arrangements and Astonish Me - will definitely talk about it on the podcast when the new book is published. * Christi asked if it's okay, when talking to authors through social media, to say that she's getting their books through the library. Will they be offended that she's not buying them? Ultimately, we believe most authors will be thrilled that their books are being read whether they're checked out of the library or purchased. * Liz R.

Why are some of us drawn to dark, disturbing works of fiction? Don't you forget about Seabiscuit by Laura Hillenbrand and Arthur and George by Julian Barnes.   Ann discovered a wonderful time-suck of a website: What's That Book? (http://whatsthatbook.com/) It's a site where anyone can post details of a book that they remember but for which they can't recall the title or author, and other users can try to help.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:18) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780553395679.jpg)Smek for President! by Adam Rex, narrated by Bahni Turpin, is my pick for this week's Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Why Read Dark? (07:58) After discussing A Little Life, Ann got several comments asking why people like dark, upsetting, and sad books. We have a long - sometimes convoluted - discussion about what dark books might do differently than lighter books, like provoke a strong emotional response. But, you have to be a reader who is willing to feel those feelings (as evidenced by the reaction of one of the Tournament of Books' judges to the books he read (http://www.themorningnews.org/tob/2015/zombie-round-all-the-light-we-cannot-see-v-an-untamed-state.php)). Is there a need among some people to vicariously feel the fear, horror, or disgust that can be experienced by things like reading a dark book or seeing a horror movie? Is encountering emotions that way as powerful as experiencing them in real life? Stanford scientists took MRIs of people reading Jane Austen (http://news.stanford.edu/news/2012/september/austen-reading-fmri-090712.html), to see what their brain did. From the article about this study: "After reviewing early scans, neuroscientist Bob Dougherty... said he was impressed by 'how the right patterns of ink on a page can create vivid mental imagery and instill powerful emotions.' " What do all of you think about reading dark, disturbing books? Please share your thoughts in the comments section below! We're very eager to hear what you all think!   Don't You Forget About Me (27:15) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353591886l/16164863.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1419234701l/45369.jpg) Unbroken has been a huge hit, and many people have likely gone back to read Laura Hillenbrand's first book Seabiscuit, but if you haven't you really must. If you’re like I was, you might wonder why you’d ever want to read a book about horse racing, but Hillenbrand makes the tale of a horse and three men, each damaged in their own way, truly unforgettable. Ann recommends Arthur & George, Julian Barnes' fictional account of a real-life crime and the correspondence between the accused and the creator of Sherlock Holmes. It's a case that has recently had new evidence (http://www.csmonitor.com/Books/chapter-and-verse/2015/0319/A-real-life-mystery-surrounding-Sherlock-Holmes-creator-Arthur-Conan-Doyle) come to light. (That new evidence is a bit of a spoiler to the story, so don't click through if you're planning on reading the book!)

Tournament of Books Upsets! We're almost into the final rounds of the Morning News Tournament of Books (http://www.themorningnews.org/tob/), and it's been a season of upsets. My favorite part of the competition is the commentary, so I'm not even that sad that my favorite books have been knocked out of the competition (though I'm rooting for Station Eleven (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20170404-station-eleven?from_search=true) and Dept. of Speculation (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17402288-dept-of-speculation?from_search=true) to come back in the Zombie round).   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg) Audiobook of the week (07:01) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780553551594.jpg)  Hausfrau (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/hausfrau-a-novel/228962), written by Jill Alexander Essbaum and narrated by Mozhan Marno is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Technology in fiction (11:40) Our conversation this week is inspired by "Reader, I Muted Him (http://www.themillions.com/2015/03/reader-i-muted-him-the-narrative-possibilities-of-networked-life.html), an article written by Steve Himmer, author of Fram (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820399-fram?ac=1). Technology in fiction can be tricky -- dilemmas become easily solved with a cellphone and access to the internet. Missed connections are no longer missed, thanks to text messages and phone calls. But there also some books that put technology at the center. Himmer's Fram (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/20820399-fram?ac=1) is one, as is Jonathan Coe's The Terrible Privacy of Maxwell Sim (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7419758-the-terrible-privacy-of-maxwell-sim). How would your favorite novel be changed if modern technology had a walk-on role? How ubiquitous does a technology have to be to add meaning a novel? We talk about these and other questions for which there are no answers.   Two books we can't wait for you to read (22:54)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412793698l/22318387.jpg)    (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415588203l/22889767.jpg) The Tusk That Did the Damage by Tania James is a novel that multi-layered novel that is told from the point of view of three characters: a young filmmaker, an elephant poacher, and the elephant himself. Yes, part of the novel is told from the perspective of the elephant. Believe me, it totally works, and was my favorite part of the novel. Michael really enjoyed Better Than Before: Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives by Gretchen Rubin, which gave him insight into his "habit tendencies." Filled with personal stories and case studies, Michael found himself marking sections and pages, and learned a lot about himself.    

This week we bring you the final two author talks from Booktopia Boulder, recorded at Boulder Book Store (http://boulderbookstore.indiebound.com/). Please enjoy these talks from TaraShea Nesbit, author of The Wives of Los Alamos, and Peter Heller, author of The Painter. (There's also a sneak peek mention of my selection for next week's Book I Can't Wait For You to Read: Better Than Before, by Gretchen Rubin, on sale today) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415428719l/22313634.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1415582715l/23012502.jpg)

This week, a very special episode focusing on just one book, A Little Life (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22822858-a-little-life?from_search=true) by Hanya Yanagihara.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:30)(http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780307877871.jpg) Doc (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/doc/93536), written by Mary Doria Russell and narrated by Mark Bramhall is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1412530242l/22822858.jpg) This week, Michael and I talk about A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara. I wanted to dedicate this episode to a single book, because it's a book that I feel intensely passionate about. It's brilliant, accomplished, should win awards -- and it's emotionally devastating. It's not a book that I can sum up easily. And it's not a book that is for everyone.  It's dark, and sometimes difficult to read about the horrors that one man experiences in his little life. But in the end, it is more than worth the uncomfortable moments that make you want to look away from the page. Because it's not easy for me to write about this book, you can hear me talk about it (if you are receiving this via email, there should be a download link at the bottom of the email. Just download the file, open it and listen). It's an incredibly important book. I think you'll be hearing a lot about it. I hope you'll read it, and let me know what you think.      

Books coming to theaters this year. We recommend Girl in the Dark by Anna Lyndsey and On Hurricane Island by Ellen Meeropol.   A few "books within books" that didn't make it into last week's podcast (http://booksonthenightstand.com/2015/02/botns-320-fictional-books-in-fiction-books.html): * The seven novels featured in The Nobodies Album by Carolyn Parkhurst * The Deity Next Door for which an afterword was written in The Afterword by Mike Bryan   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:30) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781469226224.jpg)The Last Policeman (the first book in a trilogy) by Ben H. Winters, narrated by Peter Berkrot, is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   On Shelves Now, In Theaters Soon (08:14) The Huffington Post compiled a list of 10 Books That Will Vie for the 2016 Oscars (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/overdrive/10-books-that-will-vie-fo_b_6723178.html): * Serena by Ron Rash * Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith * Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy * Black Mass by Dick Lehr & Gerard O'Neill * Frankenstein by Mary Shelley (the movie will be called Victor Frankenstein and will star Daniel Radcliffe as Igor!) * The Martian by Andy Weir * In the Heart of the Sea by Nathaniel Philbrick * Dark Places by Gillian Flynn * The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry * The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman Many of these won't be out until later in the year, giving you plenty of time to read them before you see the movie!   Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (22:22) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417980684l/22543949.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1424750388l/22999456.jpg) Ann recommends Girl in the Dark, a memoir by Anna Lyndsey, which is a pseudonym. As a young woman, Anna was diagnosed with an extremely rare light sensitivity, and in this book she details what that diagnosis and its aftermath have done to her daily life, her relationships, and her existence. On Hurricane Island, the new novel from our bookselling friend Ellen Meeropol, is both a look at the abuses of governmental powers as well as a page-turner of a thriller. Ellen deftly tells the story of a mathematics professor wrongly detained by Homeland security, and she tells it from the points of view of an array of very different characters.

What books within novels do you most want to read? Don't you forget about Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro and A Simple Plan by Scott Smith. (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1423752026l/24870092.jpg)   In a New York Times Op-ed (http://www.nytimes.com/2015/02/19/opinion/oliver-sacks-on-learning-he-has-terminal-cancer.html?_r=0), Dr. Oliver Sacks wrote beautifully and poignantly about his terminal cancer diagnosis. It is an extremely touching piece that everyone should read. Dr. Sacks's memoir, On the Move, will be published April 28.   (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (04:50) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9780698163911.jpg)Big Little Lies (http://www.audiobooks.com/audiobook/big-little-lies/213429) by Liane Moriarty, narrated by Caroline Lee, is Ann's pick for this week's Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Fictional Books in Fiction Books (08:58) Over at our Goodreads group, Keith asked which fictional books - books within other books - we would most like to read. We mention quite a few books that don't really exist (and some that were eventually published in the real world), and then discuss which we'd most like to read ourselves. * The Escapist comics from The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3985.The_Amazing_Adventures_of_Kavalier_Clay?from_search=true). Some comic stories in the style of Kavalier and Clay were eventually published under the name The Amazing Adventures of the Escapist. * The Doctor Eleven comics from Station Eleven * Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them, Quidditch Through the Ages, The Tales of Beedle the Bard, and The Monster Book of Monsters from the Harry Potter series. * The science fiction novel The Blind Assassin, within Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin * The various books containing clues in Mr. Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore * Novels written by Kilgore Trout (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/185899.Kilgore_Trout?from_search=true), a fictional writer created by Kurt Vonnegut (https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/2778055.Kurt_Vonnegut?from_search=true). There were actually a few Kilgore Trout books written by Philip Jose Farmer, including Venus on the Half-Shell * The novels of Julian Carax featured in The Shadow of the Wind * Thirteen Tales of Change and Desperation in The Thirteenth Tale * Various books in The Historian * An Imperial Affliction in The Fault in Our Stars * The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy in the book (https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11.The_Hitchhiker_s_Guide_to_the_Galaxy?ac=1) of the same name. What are some of your favorite fictional books? Which would you most like to read? Let us know in the comments below!   Don't You Forget About Me (22:09) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1353048590l/6334.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1388264590l/21727.jpg) Ann recommends Kazuo Ishiguro's Never Let Me Go, published way back in 2005. It's set in a boarding school, and we know how Ann loves those. It's very different from Ishiguro's other books, and it's very hard to describe without giving anything away. Ishiguro has a new book coming out soon and Ann will be telling you about that as soon as it's out. Scott Smith's A Simple Plan is a propulsive page turner. This dark, and often disturbing, debut novel shows just how quickly an ordinary man can turn violent when money and family are on the line. Plus,

The many jobs you can have around books. We recommend The Half Brother by Holly LeCraw, and The Sculptor by Scott McCloud. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (02:34) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781441870025.jpg)Hounded (Book One of the Iron Druid Chronicles) by Kevin Hearne, narrated by Luke Daniels, is my pick for this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Our Most Frequently Asked Question (07:10) Listener Corey asked two questions: How did Ann and I get our jobs? and What are some possible jobs involving books? For the first question, the short answers are: Ann graduated with three majors including magazine journalism, had trouble finding a job, and was placed at Dell Publishing where she saw a poster celebrating 25 years of Yearling Books. After seeing so many of her childhood favorites on there, she knew she wanted to stick around. I've worked in bookstores since I was 15, eventually ending up as a buyer for a bookstore where I worked with and got to know publishers' sales reps. When one of the Random House reps left, the other one recommended me for the job. Corey's second question is a big one. A recent post on the Reading Rainbow blog (https://www.readingrainbow.com/blog/2015/02/10/book-related-jobs-hobbies-surround-books/) describes jobs and hobbies that will surround you with books. They list many options. One of the jobs they list is "Publisher," and Ann and I are able to expand on that one listing quite a bit. There are countless jobs within publishing itself, and as the industry and technologies evolve, there are new types of jobs being created all the time. There are also many publishing courses (some Master's degree and some Summer class) available from colleges and universities: The ones we mention are: * NYU Master's in Publishing (http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/ms-in-publishing.html) (they also have a Summer program (http://www.scps.nyu.edu/academics/departments/publishing/academic-offerings/summer-publishing-institute.html)) * The Columbia Publishing Course (http://www.journalism.columbia.edu/publishing) (formerly the Radcliffe Publishing Course) * Pace University MS in Publishing (http://www.pace.edu/dyson/academic-departments-and-programs/publishing) * University of Denver Publishing Institute (http://www.du.edu/publishinginstitute/) * Yale Publishing Course (http://publishing-course.yale.edu/)   Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (30:28)   (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1408923922l/22551750.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418629570l/22040598.jpg) Holly LeCraw's The Half Brother follows Charlie Garrett, a teacher at a New England prep school, who falls in love with the headmaster's daughter. They end their relationship, but things come to a head ten years later when she returns to campus just as Charlie's magnetic half-brother begins teaching. The Sculptor by Scott McCloud is a new addition to my all-time favorite graphic novels, and will surely be one of my favorite books of 2015. Struggling sculptor David Smith makes a deal with Death: in exchange for unfettered control over materials, David will die in 200 days. What happens when inspiration still doesn't strike, but love does?

Booktopia VT authors. Short books for a short month. And we recommend Get in Trouble by Kelly Link, and Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny.   Harper Lee is NOT Coming to Booktopia Vermont Two bits of news to cover in the first segment of this episode. Up first, is the huge news that Harper Lee will publish her second novel, 55 years after her first, and amid much speculation (http://news.yahoo.com/controversy-rages-over-harper-lee-second-novel-195908027.html). Go Set a Watchman will be released on July 14. We're thrilled to announce here on the podcast, the full line-up of authors for Booktopia Vermont: * Josh Cook, An Exaggerated Murder * Michael Crummey, Sweetland * Cristina Henriquez, The Book of Unknown Americans * Steve Himmer, Fram * Dylan Landis, Rainey Royal * Kelly Link, Get in Trouble * Megan Mayhew Bergman, Almost Famous Women * Mary Doria Russell, Epitaph Don't forget: Northshire Bookstore has a special page (http://northshire.com/booktopia-2015) set up where you can order these books and have them shipped to you or held at the store for pickup during Booktopia weekend. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (10:20) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781478983316.jpg)The Autumn Balloon by Kenny Porpora, narrated by the author, is this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Short Month, Short Stories (14:16) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1405866770l/22543938.jpg) February is a short month and many short story collections are just out or out very soon. Is there something about reading (and publishing) short stories in the winter? We speculate on a few reasons why this might or might not be the case, and we mention many wonderful collections: * Almost Famous Women by Megan Mayhew Bergman * Get in Trouble by Kelly Link * Voices in the Night by Steven Millhauser * Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman * Honeydew by Edith Pearlman * Redeployment by Phil Klay (paperback out at the end of the month) * There's Something I Want You to Do by Charles Baxter * Lucky Alan by Jonathan Lethem (out February 24) * Crow Fair by Thomas McGuane (out on March 3) * Three Moments of an Explosion by China Miéville  (coming in August) * Interesting Facts by Adam Johnson (coming late Summer or Fall)   Two Books We Can't Wait For You to Read (28:52) (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1400856552l/22125258.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1418772766l/22237215.jpg) I'm thrilled to finally tell you about Get in Trouble by Kelly Link, a collection of stories I read over a period of several months at the end of last year. These are dark, emotional, funny and moving tales that take our familiar world and make one or two key changes, then examine the ramifications. Single, Carefree, Mellow by Katherine Heiny is Ann's pick for this week. In her stories, Katherine Heiny creates characters, relationships, and situations that are funny and poignant. Ann devoured this collection in just two days.

Booktopia Boulder talks from Justin Go and Colin McAdam. (http://booksonthenightstand.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/12/audiobooks.jpg)Audiobook of the week (01:59) (http://covers.audiobooks.com/images/covers/full/9781441711670.jpg)The Day of the Jackal by Frederick Forsyth, narrated by Simon Prebble, is this week’s Audiobooks.com Audiobook of the Week. Special thanks to Audiobooks.com (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook) for sponsoring this episode of Books on the Nightstand. Audiobooks.com allows you to listen to over 40,000 audiobooks, instantly, wherever you are, and the first one is free. Download or stream any book directly to your Apple or Android device. Sign up for a free 30-day trial and free audiobook download by going to www.audiobooks.com/freebook (http://www.audiobooks.com/freebook)   Justin Go and Colin McAdam, from Booktopia Boulder (04:36) This week we bring you two more author talks from Booktopia Boulder, recorded at Boulder Book Store (http://boulderbookstore.indiebound.com/). Please enjoy these talks from Justin Go, author of The Steady Running of the Hour, and Colin McAdam, author of A Beautiful Truth. (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1397777844l/18143778.jpg)     (https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1395610457l/18339900.jpg)