From classic 19th Century love stories to modern day memoirs, Roxanne reads your fan mail and shares your favorite stories!
Books in this episode:
Listen to the Marriage by John Jay Osborn Jr.
Jane Erye by Charlotte Bronte
Born to Run by Bruce Springsteen
Born a Crime by Trevor Noah
2018 marks 200 years since the birth of Frederick Douglass, and we now have the first major biography of Douglass in a quarter century.
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by prize-winning historian and Yale Professor David Blight is based on nearly a lifetime of research as well as letters and private documentation to which no biographer has previously had access. It’s this revealing collection that helped shed new light on Douglass, particularly in the latter third of his life.
Professor Blight recently sat down with Roxanne to discuss the book the New York Times Book Review called "cinematic and deeply engaging" about how Douglass escaped slavery, then went from a boy trading bread for spelling lessons to one of the most significant figures in American history. Blight also discusses Douglass' wife of 44 years and what the political activist would think of the state of racism in the country today.
Books in this episode:
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David Blight
Leaves of Grass by Walt Whitman
The Bible
This episode of Just the Right Book is brought to you by The Gift That I Can Give by Kathie Lee Gifford. For the entire month of November, listeners can get 30% off of The Gift That I Can Give with code JTRB. Visit store.faithgateway.com and apply the code at checkout to redeem your offer!
On a special election edition of JTRB Bookmarks, we welcomed back Lissa Muscatine, owner of the renowned Politics & Prose in Washington, DC to give us the scoop on what books we should be paying attention to the weekend before the election.
Don't forget to hit your local bookstore before you hit the polls to vote!!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
Good and Mad: The Revolutionary Power of Women's Anger by Rebecca Traister
Rage Become Her: The Power of Women's Anger by Soraya Chemaly
We Can't Breathe by Jabari Asim
The Complete Federalist Papers
For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Politics by Donna Brazile and Yolanda Caraway
Frederick Douglas: A Prophet of Freedom by David Blight
The Trump Administration and International Law by Harold Hongju Koh
We Fed an Island: The True Story of Feeding Puerto Rico One Meal at a Time by Jose Andres
If you’re trying to fill your holiday wish list with amazing titles, look no further! Our very own Roxanne Coady recently hosted a live event with Penguin Random House publishing powerhouses Michael Kindness, Jennifer Black and author, Matthew Dicks.
The event, which took place at the Mandell JCC in Hartford, Connecticut, was titled “Buzz About Books” and Just the Right Book Podcast was there every step of the way!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Heart's Invisible Furies by John Boyne
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas by John Boyne
Any Human Heart by William Boyd
An American Marriage: A Novel by Tayari Jones
Silver Sparrow by Tayari Jones
There There by Tommy Orange
The Mars Room: A Novel by Rachel Kushner
Born A Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah
Reading With Patrick: A Teacher, a Student, and a Life-Changing Friendship by Michelle Kuo
The Class: A Life-Changing Teacher, His World-Changing Kids, and the Most Inventive Classroom in America by Heather Won Tesoriero
Circle by Madeline Miller
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft by Stephen King
The Silence of the Girls: A Novel by Pat Barker
The Song of Achilles: A Novel by Madeline Miller
Waiting For Eden by Elliot Ackerman
Storyworthy: Engage, Teach, Persuade, and Change Your Life through the Power of Storytelling by Mathew Dicks
On the Shortness of Life by Lucius Seneca
An American Family: A Memoir of Hope and Sacrifice by Khizr Khan
Educated by Tara Westover
I Can't Make This Up: Life Lessons by Kevin Heart
God, if You're Not Up There, I'm F*cked: Tales of Stand-Up, Saturday Night Live and Other Mind-Altering Mayhem by Darrell Hammond
The Glass Castle: A Memoir by Jeannette Walls
A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership by James Comey
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Ruth Bader Ginsburg by Jane Sherron De Hart
Abridged Classics: Brief Summaries of Books You Were Supposed to Read but Probably Didn't by John Atkinson
How To Be Well: The 6 Keys to a Happy and Healthy Life by Frank Lipman, MD
Thirst by Scott Harrison
The Seeds of Life by Edward Dolnik
Washington's Spies by Alexander Rose
Ann Frank's Diary: The Graphic Adaptation by Anne Frank
The Order of The Day by Eric Vuillard
Listen to the Marriage by John J. Osborn
His Favorites by Kate Walbert
White Houses by Amy Bloom
Small Country by Gael Faye
Spinning Silver by Naomi Novick
Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of a President by Candice Millard
Killing Commendatore by Haruki Murakami
American Dialogue by Joseph J. Ellis
American Journal: Fifty Poems of Our Time by Tracy K. Smith
Dot Journaling by Rachel Wilkerson Miller
How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley
The Water Will Come by Jeff Goodell
West by Carys Davies
In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman
Whether you crave a hair-raising whodunit, a frightening family-friendly novel, or the book that inspired Netflix's hottest spine-chilling series, we've got you covered!
We enlisted the help of David Canfield, Book Critic and Reporter for EW to get you in the mood for Halloween!
What are some of your favorite spooky reads? Write to us at info@justtherightbook.com or reach out to us on Facebook or Twitter!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
Melmoth by Sarah Perry
The Essex Serpent by Sarah Perry
Small Spaces Katherine Arden
The Witch Elm: A Novel by Tana French
The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson
Read David's interview with Tana French here!
Check out David's website here!
Entertainment Weekly is known for bringing you exclusive behind the scenes access to your favorite heavyweights across the entertainment industry. The weekly mag is your one stop shop for all the latest news about TV shows, movies, music
We were honored to welcome back David Canfield, Book Critic and Reporter for Entertainment Weekly to give us the scoop on what to read this Fall!
Read David's review of Friday Black Here!
Read David's review of The Great Believers Here!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The Friend: A Novel by Sigrid Nunez
Where the Dead Sit Talking by Brandon Hobson
There There by Tommy Orange
Milkman: A Novel by Anna Burns
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan
Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
The Lake on Fire by Rosellen Brown
Before and After: A Novel by Rosellen Brown
Everything Under: A Novel by Daisy Johnson
Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens
West by Caryn Davies
Family Trust: A Novel by Kathy Wang
Harry Potter (8 book series) by J.K. Rowling
The Mere Wife: A Novel by Maria Dahvana Headley
Autumn days beg for pumpkin, apple cider and of course books! There are an increasing number of book-to-film adaptations. Roxanne recommends reading these books before you hit the cinema this Fall!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas (film out now)
Tweak by Nic Sheff & Beautiful Boy by David Sheff (film "Beautiful Boy" out now)
Wild Life by Richard Ford (film out Oct. 19th)
If Beale Street Could Talk by James Baldwin (film out Nov. 12th
Previously released films
A Wrinkle in Time
Crazy Rich Asians
Bel Canto by Anne Patchett
Jason Stanley stopped by the Just the Right Book studios last year to discuss his book How Propaganda Works and how language influences the way we think and reason about public issues.
In his new book How Fascism Works: The Politics of Us and Them, the philosopher and Yale professor warns about the dangers of normalizing fascist politics.
This episode is brought to you by care/of. For 25 percent off your first month of personalized care/of vitamins , visit takecareof.com and enter the promo code BOOK.
This episode was originally released March 2017.
The National Book Foundation recently revealed the 24 finalists for the 2018 National Book Awards!
Roxanne highlights some of her favorite titles from the longlist which feature five categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Translated Literature, and Young People’s Literature. The competitive category of Translated Literature hasn't been awarded since 1983.
The 2018 National Book Awards Winners will be announced on November 14th.
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The New Negro: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart
Wobble by Rae Armantrout
Trick by Domenico Starnone
The Truth as Told by Mason Buttle by Leslie Connor
Hey, Kiddo by Jarrett J. Krosoczka
An American Marriage by Tayari Jones
There There by Tommy Orange
Call Them by Their True Names: American Crises by Rebecca Solnit
One Person, No Vote: How Voter Suppression Is Destroying Our Democracy by Carol Anderson
Brothers of the Gun: A Memoir of the Syrian War by Marwan Hisham and Molly Crabapple
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh
What is your reaction when you hear of a marriage breaking up? Are you shocked or did you know it was coming? In John Jay Osborne Jr.'s new novel, Listen to the Marriage we are introduced to a couple who seemed to be destined for divorce.
Steve's numerous affairs and focus on work have finally pushed his wife Gretchen to take the children and move out, but in a last minute attempt to salvage their union, they begin weekly sessions with Sandy, an unconventional therapist. Told through the therapist's eyes, we see the couple both confront and skirt issues that have torn them apart.
The former screenwriter and legal professor joined Roxanne to talk about his first novel in 37 years, his decade of experience writing in Hollywood, and how his own marriage counseling 35 years ago helped him "understand my wife for the first time".
Books in this episode:
Listen to the Marriage by John Jay Osborn Jr.
Happy All the Time by Laurie Colwin
Suffering from bad news overload? Well, we have a couple of remedies. One is dancing...and the other is books, of course! Roxanne shares four books that are distracting, witty, and engaging!
"...books offer us a way to learn and think, to make sense of the world, find peace for ourselves, or just offer us the pleasure of a well-written, utterly absorbing story" says Roxanne.
Books in this episode:
His Favorites: A Novel by Kate Walbert
On Writing by Stephen King
Listen to the Marriage by John Jay Osborn
Please Do Not Touch by Murray Moss and Franklin Getchell
"His Favorites" is a testament to the resiliency and strength of women facing society's sexual biases.
Bestselling National Book Award finalist Kate Walbert stopped by the Just the Right Book studios for an in depth interview on her latest book which Roxanne calls "gorgeous, restrained, and powerful."
The 149 page novel is a timely story about a 15 year old girl, a charming and manipulative English teacher, a dark secret and how the protagonist Jo confronts a trauma many years later.
Books in this episode:
His Favorites: A Novel by Kate Walbert
Charlotte's Web by E.B. White
This week is Banned Books Week, an annual event celebrating the freedom to read. Across the country there are discussions about schools, libraries, and communities banning books for their incendiary content. They shockingly include books like The Color Purple and A Wrinkle in Time, among many other titles.
Roxanne says "Its important for us to take this time and understand how inappropriate it is to ban books and we need to become engaged if we run into a school or a library or a set of circumstances that's wants to do that..."
What is the book that most surprised you or the book that you think should be banned? Write to us at info@justtherightbookpodcast.com
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Color Purple by Alice Walker
A Wrinkle in Time by Madeleine L’engle
Fahrenheit 451 By Ray Bradbury
Friday Night Lights by H.G. Bissinger
The Hunger Games Trilogy by Suzanne Collins
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn By Mark Twain
Beloved by Toni Morrison
When was the last time you found yourself doing nothing or sitting in quiet contemplation or simply looking out the window? Most of us think nothing of scrolling through social media while talking to a friend on the phone, or answering emails and texts while in a meeting. While this may seem productive and make us feel that we are excellent multi-taskers, it might not be good for us.
Alan Lightman is a physicist, novelist, and essayist who believes we are losing ourselves in the digital network and builds a case that the overload of Information and distraction from technology is making us less productive.
The MIT professor who has been described as the "poet laureate of science writers" joined Roxanne to discuss his latest book In Praise of Wasting Time. Lightman believes we need a mental attitude that values and protects stillness, privacy, solitude, and personal reflection, or at the very least, a half an hour a day to "waste time".
We hope this conversation helps you unplug...but don't put down whatever device you're using to listen to this podcast just yet!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
In Praise of Wasting Time by Alan Lightman
Searching for Stars on an Island in Maine by Alan Lightman
Einstein's Dreams by Alan Lightman
The Trial by Kafka Franz
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje
From the Tri-state area to the Golden State, Roxanne responds to listener emails from coast to coast!
Please continue to write to us and share your book recommendations! Email us at info@justtherightbookpodcast.com
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
Warlight by Michael Ondaatje
Flowers of the Killer Moon by David Gram
Midnight at the Bright Ideas Bookstore by Matthew Sullivan
Lily and the Octopus by Steven Rowley
Famous Father Girl by Jamie Bernstein
Antarctic Navigation by Elizabeth Arthur
It's been called the "Rotten Tomatoes" of books reviews. We were delighted to welcome Dan Sheehan, the Bookmark's editor at Literary Hub to discuss what books are hot right now, and his debut novel, Restless Souls.
Also in this episode, we welcome back the creator of the popular blog Modern Mrs. Darcy and the podcast What Should I Read Next?, Anne Bogel. Anne spoke to Roxanne about her latest book I'd Rather Be Reading, her experience as a bookseller...for a day, and what books she is currently loving!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
Restless Souls by Dan Sheehan
I'd Rather Be Reading by Anne Bogel
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
The Incendiaries by R.O. Kwon
My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh
Heartland: A Memoir of Working Hard and Being Broke in the Richest Country on Earth by Sarah Smarsh
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Harry's Trees by Jon Cohen
Inheritance: A Memoir of Geneaology, Paternity, and Love by Dani Shapiro
Whiskey When We're Dry by John Larison
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield
I Am, I Am, I Am by Maggie O'Farrell
This Must Be the Place by Maggie O'Farrell
Here's something to talk about at your next book club! BookTrib.com’s new deal with the Girly Book Club sends four books from select publishers to 50 U.S. book clubs every month. BookTrib’s Jim Alkon describes the four titles in the program’s inaugural package.
Books in this episode:
The Mapmaker's Daughter by Katherine Nouri Huges
Eight Goodbyes by Christine Brae
The Drum That Beats Within Us by Mike Bond
Darling Girl by Terry H. Watkins
BookTrib is a community of readers created by Meryl Moss Media.
Looking for more books to add to your TBR pile?! Here at JTRB Podcast, we are pleased to have such amazing & knowledgeable friends on our show to share what they are reading and loving! During this special episode, we revisit some of our favorite book experts.
Co-founder and President of The Book Report Network, Carol Fitzgerald
Click here to listen to the full episode!
Code Girls: The Untold Story of the American Women Code Breakers of World War II by Liza Mundy
Manhattan Beach (Audio) by Jennifer Egan, Heather Lind (Read by), Vincent Piazza (Read by)
The Dirty Book Club by Lisi Harrison
Need to Know by Karen Cleveland
Disclaimer by Renee Knight
Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark Sullivan
Before We Were Yours by Lisa Wingate
The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
Suzanne’s Children: A Daring Rescue in Nazi Paris by Anne Nelson
Girly Book Club founder, Erin Woodward
Click here to listen to the full episode!
The Nix by Nathan Hill
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover
Strange Fits of Passion by Anita Shreve
One Day Closer: A Mother’s Quest to Bring Her Kidnapped Daughter Home by Lorinda Stewart
Wishtree by Katherine Applegate
R.J. Julia COO, Lori Fazio
Click here to listen to the full episode!
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Anything Is Possible by Elizabeth Strout
The Last Equation of Isaac Severy: A Novel in Clues by Nova Jacobs
A Place for Us by Fatima Farheen Mirza
Arts and Culture Reporter for the Wall Street Journal, Ellen Gamerman
Click here to listen to the full episode!
White Houses by Amy Bloom
The Kremlin’s Candidate: A Novel by Jason Matthews
Come Nineveh, Come Tyre: The Presidency of Edward M. Jason by Allen Drury
Sunburn by Laura Lippman
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
The Girl on the Train by Paula Hawkins
Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
Want to get more done without sacrificing what you care about most? Last spring Charles Duhigg joined us to talk about his latest book, “Smarter Faster, Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity.” “People often get tied up in being busy, rather than being productive,” says Duhigg.
The Pulitzer Prize-winning investigative reporter, Harvard Business School and Yale graduate is also the author of “The Power of Habit,” which has spent over two years on the New York Times best-seller list.
Also in this episode, we hear from Cathy Langer, the director of buying at the Tattered Cover Book Store in Denver Colorado for our segment, “What’s on the Front Table.”
This episode was originally released May 2017.
Books in this episode:
Smarter Faster Better: The Transformative Power of Real Productivity By Charles Duhigg
The Power of Habit: Why We Do What We Do in Life and Business By Charles Duhigg
Hiroshima By John Hersey
Red Sky at Morning By Richard Bradford
American War By Omar El Akkad
Trajectory: Stories By Richard Russo
Anything Is Possible By Elizabeth Strout
My Name Is Lucy Barton By Elizabeth Strout
Borne By Jeff VanderMeer
Crime and Punishment By Fyodor Dostoyevsky
A Prayer for Owen Meany By John Irving
Our segment, “What’s on the Front Table” features booksellers, owners, and buyers from some of the best indie bookstores in the U.S.!
On a special edition of Just the Right Book Podcast we take you on a cross-country road trip to some of our favorite bookshops from past episodes! Are you ready? Let’s go!!
What is your favorite independent bookstore? Write to us at info@justtherightbookpodcast.com or message us on our Facebook or Twitter page.
Forever Words: The Unknown Poems By Johnny Cash
The Secret History of Twin Peaks By Mark Frost
Listen to the full episode with Andrew Brennan here!
Savage Country by Robert Olmstead
The Origins of Creativity by Edward O. Wilson
Listen to the full episode with Brian Wraight here!
Politics and Prose, Washington, D.C.
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren
Hidden Figures by Margot Lee Shetterly
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot
Listen to the full episode with Lissa Muscatine here!
The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death by Maggie O’Farrell
Listen to the full episode with Gael LeLamer here!
Murder By The Book, Houston TX
The Child Finder: A Novel by Renee Denfeld
The Address: A Novel by Fiona Davis
Brazos, Bookstore, Houston, TX
A Legacy of Spies by John le Carre
Listen to the full episode with McKenna Jordan from Murder By The Book & Benjamin Rybeck from Brazos Bookstore here!
Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
Sing, Unburied, Sing by Jesmyn Ward
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
Listen to the full episode with Casey Coonerty here!
News of the World by Paulette Jiles
The Lonely City: Adventures in the Art of Being Alone by Olivia Laing
Senator John McCain recorded the last chapter of his book, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights and Other Appreciations earlier this year and all of us at Just the Right Book thought the finest tribute would be to honor the true American patriot in his own words.
Sarah Jessica Parker who is best known for her iconic role as Carrie Bradshaw is also a producer, designer, and now a publisher, recently launching her own imprint, SJP for Hogarth. In a rare and revealing interview, the Sex and the City star opens up to Roxanne on several hot topics. They discuss not only the imprint, but the series’ impact on the role of women in society, the importance of pay equality for working mothers, and recent movements #MeToo and #TimesUp.
Roxanne and SJP were delighted to discover that they had several book interests in common, even swapping book recommendations. Parker says her mother instilled in her the valuable habit of reading at a young age. “You couldn’t leave the house without something to read,” she tells Roxanne. SJP continues the routine to this very day, never walking onto a set without a book.
Sarah Jessica further encourages everyone to pick up a copy of the first book on her imprint, “A Place for Us” by Fatima Farheen Mirza, which is the story of a traditional Indian-American family in California torn between traditional and modern values.
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
A Place for Us: A Novel by Fatima Farheen Mirza
His Favorites: A Novel by Kate Walbert
The Mars Room by Rachel Kushner
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena by Anthony Marra
A Ladder to the Sky by John Boyne
Famous Father Girl: A Memoir of Growing Up Bernstein by Jamie Bernstein
The World as It Is: A Memoir of The Obama White House by Ben Rhodes
In part two of Roxanne’s powerful sit-down with Mark Salter, the two dive further into The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights and Other Appreciations, the latest collaboration between Senator John McCain and his longtime aide, speechwriter and friend, Mark.
Salter shares his first-hand story of McCain's 2008 run for president, including his VP choice, and we hear Senator McCain himself read the last chapter of the memoir.
Mark Salter is the author, with John McCain, of several books, including Faith of My Fathers and their latest, The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights and Other Appreciations. Mark served as Senator McCain’s Chief of Staff, and is often described as McCain's adviser, confidant and alter ego.
Salter recently joined Roxanne for an intimate conversation in the historic town of Castine, Maine to discuss his thoughts on the Trump presidency, foreign policy, his latest collaborative memoir with the Arizona Republican, and more.
Roxanne says, "...We are given a front seat perspective on the most critical issues of our time... and the story of a man, restless, idealistic, heroic, patriotic, and fiercely committed to our country and its citizens."
In Part 2 of this exclusive conversation, Mark Salter shares his first-hand story of McCain’s 2008 run for president. Plus, we hear Senator McCain himself read the last chapter of the memoir. Check it out here!
This summer we have been introduced to a bunch of new and exciting literary voices and with the dog days finally winding down there's a handful you won't want to miss!
We are delighted to welcome David Canfield, Book Critic and Reporter at Entertainment Weekly to share some of his favorite debuts. Chances are at least one of them will wind up being a author you choose to follow for many years to come.
Books in the episode:
There There: A Novel by Tommy Orange
The Incendiaries: A Novel by R.O. Kwan
From the Corner of the Oval: A Memoir by Beck Dorey-Stein
Cherry: A Novel by Nico Walker
Fruit of the Drunken Tree: A Novel by Ingrid Rojas Contreras