The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson with guest Dr. Carl Sederholm
Release Date: 11/30/2023
All Creation Waits: The Advent Mystery of New Beginnings with author Gayle Boss
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We had a beautiful conversation with author Gayle Boss about her book All Creation Waits. This book invites you to slow down and pay attention, both to the world outside your window and to the quiet season of Advent itself. It gives you pause, and it teaches you to take pauses, as you begin to observe creation with new eyes and deeper understanding. I was humbled by the ways these 24 animals endure the winter. I learned so much of what I didn't even realize I had never known, from the painted turtle to the honey bee. The natural world has so much to teach us, and so much capacity to heal...
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The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon by Stephen King with guest Dr. Carl Sederholm
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You may not be interested in the horror genre, but you still might enjoy Stephen King’s The Girl Who Loved Tom Gordon. In this episode, we speak with Dr. Carl Sederholm—the best apologist I’ve heard for why horror can be such an insightful and meaningful genre. For one, it trusts young protagonists with frightening “adult” problems. It also explores the fears we keep tucked in our subconscious, giving us a safe space to confront them. And sometimes, it even provides a strange kind of anxiety relief by letting us see that someone else’s day is going much worse than our own....
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Crossing to Safety by Wallace Stegner with guest Amanda Frost
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Today we’re diving into Wallace Stegner’s Crossing to Safety, a novel that captures the rare, sustaining friendships between two couples, Sid and Charity Lang, and Larry and Sally Morgan. Though set in Wisconsin during the depression era, the story feels surprisingly relevant. Stegner shows how the right people at the right moments can steady us, shelter us, and make us grateful for the friendships that have become our own crossings to safety. It's beautifully written and tastes like comfort food in literary format. We’re joined by fellow book-clubber Amanda Frost, who recommended this...
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The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow with guest Paula Byrne
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Would you like to escape into a companion story to Pride and Prejudice? Look no further than Janice Hadlow’s wonderful novel The Other Bennet Sister. Hadlow masterfully gives new life and direction to Mary Bennet — the often-overlooked sister originally written as a figure of ridicule. We talk about how Mary develops as a character and eventually finds love. We’re joined by author and Austen expert Paula Byrne, whose insights into Austen’s world help us explore how Hadlow skillfully weaves together threads from Pride and Prejudice and early 19th-century society to create a fresh,...
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Speaker For the Dead with author Orson Scott Card
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This book club chat is truly monumental. We had the privilege of hearing from author and legend Orson Scott Card, whose contributions to the world of science fiction are nothing short of brilliant. I was moved to tears as he spoke about how many individuals from his own life are woven into his fiction. While he cannot heal them in real life, he finds a way to heal them and offer redemption through his literature. Join us as we discuss the qualities of empathy and kindness, how humanity might respond to an alien invasion, the dramas that unfold within families and marriages, and the...
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Circe by Madeline Miller
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In this book club chat, we explore Greek Mythology through the story of the witch Circe. Madeline Miller has offered us a beautiful retelling of a character who may have been dismissed as terrible and without feeling. She revives her into a character who draws deep sympathy as she grapples with loneliness and isolation after being cast away to the island of Aiaia. We also discuss how this novel—much like Soldier Sailor—portrays the challenges that can accompany motherhood. Circe unfolds with the energy of an adventure story. For those well-versed in Greek myths, it feels like a return to...
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Soldier Sailor by Claire Kilroy
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Come join us for a good laugh and a good cry as we explore the joys and pitfalls of mothering. This conversation centers on Soldier Sailor, a novel by Claire Kilroy. Whether you're a mother yourself or simply want to understand the world of mothering more intimately, this book offers a powerful window into that experience and makes you feel all the feels. The story focuses on Sailor, the child around whom the mother’s world revolves. Though the mother is never named, you may see yourself in her, because she is every mother. This novel is a beautiful way to revisit the immense love you felt...
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The Return of the Native by Thomas Hardy with guest John Bennion
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Let's just start off by saying we love Thomas Hardy with an ardent fervor. The man can write landscapes that are at once transportive and captivating. Join us for this book club chat as we talk about Return of the Native with Hardy expert, and former BYU professor John Bennion. We discuss the role the landscape plays, how it can entrap the characters, or assist them, depending on how you look at it. We will talk about Hardy's tendancy to write with a fatalistic tone. We discuss the question of love, its many varieties, and whether one has choice or if one is fated. We delve into the character...
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The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
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Have you ever been hounded to continue writing books? Sir Arthur Conan Doyle has! In fact, were it not for his ardent fans, we wouldn't have as many Sherlock Holmes books as we do currently. In this book club chat, we'll talk about Doyle's use of landscape to add ambiance and mystery to this novel that is at once a detective story, a horror, and a gothic tale. We discuss how the book, though known as a Sherlock book, has more Watson than anyone else. We talk about why this duo is so likable, and why Sherlock has continued in such popularity in retellings and reimaginings today. This book is...
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The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-centered Planet by John Green
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In this episode, you’ll discover why The Anthropocene Reviewed by John Green resonates so deeply with readers. Through a series of insightful, nostalgic, and often hilarious essays, Green reviews everything from Halley’s Comet and Diet Dr Pepper to scratch-and-sniff stickers and Liverpool soccer games. His reflections turn the ordinary into something extraordinary, offering moments of humor, heartbreak, and wonder. He wrote during the covid pandemic and makes you appreciate newly the challenges of connecting with others during times of separation. We discuss the essays we might write to...
info_outlineIf you're curious about the origin story of the haunted house, look no further than Shirley Jackson's classic horror novel, The Haunting of Hill House. We are joined for this book club chat by horror professor, Dr. Carl Sederholm, who recently published a chapter in a work about Shirley Jackson. While his focus was on Steven King (who is an ardent lover of the works of Jackson) he is an expert on this book, which he regularly teaches his students at BYU. Read the book before listening to the podcast as we talk in depth about the ending! It is hauntingly spooky and a perfect book for fall weather days. Enjoy!