In this special bonus episode, we take you inside the Q&A session of RJ Julia's recent live event with former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright at the Yale School of Management.
Listen to Roxanne's exclusive interview with Madeleine Albright here!
A Fascist, observes Madeleine Albright, “is a bully with an army... someone who claims to speak for a whole nation or group, is utterly unconcerned with the rights of others, and is willing to use violence and whatever other means are necessary to achieve the goals he or she might have.”
RJ Julia recently hosted the former Secretary of State to a sold-out crowd at the Yale School of Management. Albright sat down for an exclusive interview with Roxanne to discuss her latest book Fascism: A Warning where she draws on her experiences as a child in war-torn Europe and her distinguished career as a United States diplomat to guide us through the lessons we must understand and the questions we must answer if we are to save ourselves from repeating the tragic errors of the past.
Everyone has a story...not everyone can tell it. Roxanne says first-time author Erin Hosier “assuredly can tell her story and does so with the kind of wit, energy, warmth, and honesty that rivets you to the page.”
The New York City native and literary agent kicked off publicity for her memoir Don’t Let Me Down at the Just the Right Book studios for her podcast debut conversation!
The Beatles provided the soundtrack for the long and winding road from rural Ohio to New York City and we meet Erin’s parents who unpredictably trade their sixties rock ‘n’ roll life for Christian hymns. We meet her dad who was prone to violent outbursts. We also get to know Erin as she navigates her way through the debris and love of a fractured family, in the end reminding us that all you need is love.
Other books in this episode:
Autobiography of a Face by Lucy Grealy
The Forest for the Trees by Betsy Lerner
We welcome back Dan Sheehan from Literary Hub to give us the scoop on a couple of this month's titillating titles!
Books in this episode:
Black Leopard, Red Wolf by Marlon James
Lost Children Archive by Valeria Luiselli
Check out Lit Hub's Most Anticipated Books of 2019!
Is your smart speaker listening to your conversations? Is Google reading your emails? Jaron Lanier, the author of the international bestsellers “You Are Not a Gadget” and “Who Owns the Future?” touches on these topics and more when he recently joined Roxanne to discuss his latest book, Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now.
The Virtual Reality pioneer and founder of VPL Research (the first company to sell VR goggles and gloves) finds that social media fosters addiction, and generally makes us feel worse and fearful about each other and the world.
So, should we say goodbye to Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? While Lanier believes it should be a personal decision, he does warn, “because these things are so sneaky, a lot of people confuse their addiction with an actual benefit.”
Books in this episode:
Rumi Poetry: Rumi Poems on Love and Happiness by Rumi
I and Thou by Martin Buber
Knowledge of Man by Martin Buber
This episode of Just the Right Book is brought to you by Zola.com. To start your FREE wedding website and also get $50 off your registry on Zola, go to Zola.com/book!
Through her previous nine bestselling books, Dani Shapiro has explored the profound question of how we come to be who we are, how the threads of family secrets, tragedy, spirituality, and joy layer and intertwine to create a unique being.
During a recent sold-out event at RJ Julia, Dani sat down with Roxanne to discuss her fifth memoir, Inheritance: A Memoir of Genealogy, Paternity, and Love, how a commercial DNA kit revealed her hidden lineage, and her emotional connection to her family and faith. Roxanne says “it reflects the Zeitgeist of our times, issues of identity, family secrets, and how we tell our stories.”
Dani has written for the New Yorker, Salon, Elle, the New York Times, and has appeared on Oprah’s Super Soul Sunday. This latest book has received wide acclaim from NPR, The New York Times, The Today Show and dozens of reviews.
We recently welcomed Irish fiction writer, journalist, and editor of LitHub's Bookmarks section, Dan Sheehan back to the show to dish on his recent column, books he is currently loving, and his favorite book of 2018!!
Books in this episode:
An Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
The Water Cure by Sophie Mackintosh
Follow Me to Ground by Sue Rainsford
Friday Black by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
This episode was recorded on January 15th.
Over the last 20 years, the Case Foundation has contributed more than $100 million in funding to businesses and nonprofits that use entrepreneurship and innovation to drive social change.
As a co-founder of the foundation with her husband, Steve, Jean Case has discovered and embraced the role of being fearless as a key ingredient for everyone and anyone to realize their potential and purpose.
Jean was an early executive at America Online where she directed the marketing and branding as AOL brought the Internet to the world.
The entrepreneurial powerhouse joined us to discuss her inspiring first book, Be Fearless: 5 Principles for a Life of Breakthroughs and Purpose where she outlines her guide to living fearlessly and why embracing your failures can lead to success.
Other books in this episode:
The Hiding Place by Corrie Ten Boom
3.4 million copies sold last year made Becoming by Michelle Obama the best-selling book of 2018! We are thrilled to share an excerpt of the memoir read by the former first lady herself.
Audio File Magazine says “In a rich, warm timbre, Michelle Obama treats us to reminiscences and reflections on her life as though we were friends seated in her living room. No matter where you are on the political spectrum, the insights of "the other Obama" are interesting due to the sheer fact of her uniqueness.”
A special thanks to our friends at audio file magazine for providing the clip. Please check them out at audiofilemagazine.com!
Last week we heard Pamela Paul, the editor of The New York Times Book Review discuss the 10 Best Books of 2018! But before you dive into your 2019 TBR pile, you might just want to take a look back at some of the best titles of this past year as chosen by the editors of the Times Book Review.
For this compilation episode, we revisit three bestselling non-fiction authors from The New York Times list who joined Roxanne on the podcast in 2018!
Books in this episode:
Educated by Tara Westover
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David W. Blight
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
From poems, toasts, and inspirational quotes that feed your heart and mind to brief body-bending exercises, these books will help you kick 2019 off right! Plus, they make perfect hostess gifts!
Books in this episode:
5-Minute Yoga: A More Energetic, Focused, and Balanced You in Just 5 Minutes a Day by Adams Media
Written in the Stars: Constellations, Facts, and Folklore by Alison Davies
A Little Book of Japanese Contentments: Ikigai, Forest Bathing, Wabi-sabi and More by Erin Niimi Longhurst
Family Celebrations: Poems, Toasts and Traditions for Every Occasion by June Cotner & Nancy Tupper Ling
Brave Enough by Cheryl Strayed
2018 produced some spectacular literary page turners and if you are looking to catch up before you dive into your 2019 New Year's reading resolutions, we've got you covered!
Pamela Paul, who is the editor of The New York Times Book Review and oversees book coverage at The New York Times recently joined Roxanne to discuss the top ten reads of 2018!
Check out The New York Times 10 Best Books of 2018!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Asymmetry by Lisa Halliday
The Great Believers by Rebecca Makkai
The Perfect Nanny by Leïla Slimani
There There by Tommy Orange
Washington Black by Esi Edugyanv
American Prison: A Reporter's Undercover Journey into the Business of Punishment by Shane Bauer
Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan Jobs
Frederick Douglass: Prophet of Freedom by David Blight
How to Change Your Mind: What the New Science of Psychedelics Teaches Us About Consciousness, Dying, Addiction, Depression, and Transcendence by Michael Pollan
Say goodbye to 2018 in style with a marvelous meal curated exclusively for Just the Right Book listeners by culinary guru Dorie Greenspan!
The James Beard Award winner recently stopped by RJ Julia to talk about her thirteenth book Everyday Dorie: The Way I Cook, entertaining for the holidays and why she put her doctorate on hold to bake cookies!
This episode of Just the Right Book is sponsored by Libro.fm Audiobooks. To receive 3 audiobook credits for $14.99 during your first month of membership just go to Libro.fm ( l – i – b – r – o – dot – f – m ) and enter code “RB “
TRIPLE-LAYER PARSNIP AND CRANBERRY CAKE
Ingredients for Cake
2 cups (272 grams) all-purpose our 2 teaspoons ground coriander
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 cup (200 grams) plus 2 teaspoons sugar
1 tablespoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Finely grated zest of 1 small orange or 1 tangerine
1 cup (240 ml) neutral oil, such as canola
½ cup (100 grams) packed light brown sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1½ teaspoons pure vanilla extract
1 pound (454 grams) parsnips, trimmed, peeled and grated (3 cups)
1 cup (120 grams) chopped pecans or other nuts, toasted or not
½ cup (50 grams) chopped fresh cranberries
Ingredients for Cranberry Filling
One 12-ounce (340-gram) bag cranberries (if frozen, don’t defrost)
¾ cup (150 grams) sugar
½ cup (120 ml) freshly squeezed orange juice (or water)
1 teaspoon minced peeled fresh ginger
Ingredients for Frosting
¾ pound (340 grams) cream cheese, cut into chunks, at room temperature
1½ sticks (12 tablespoons; 6 ounces; 170 grams) unsalted butter, cut into chunks, at room temperature
6¼ cups (750 grams) confectioners’ sugar
½ teaspoon fine sea salt
4 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
STEPS TO MAKE CAKE:
Center a rack in the oven and preheat it to 325°F. (If your oven can’t hold three 9-inch cake pans on one rack, position the racks to divide the oven into thirds.) Butter three 9-inch round cake pans, dust the interiors with flour and tap out the excess; or use baker’s spray.
STEPS TO MAKE THE FILLING:
STEPS TO MAKE THE FROSTING:
Working in a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, or in a large bowl with a hand mixer, beat the cream cheese, butter, confectioners’ sugar and salt together on medium speed until very smooth; scrape the beater and bowl down frequently. Add the vanilla and beat to blend.
STEPS TO ASSEMBLE THE CAKE:
STEPS FOR STORING:
You can keep the cake at room temperature (not hot or humid) for a couple of days or, wrapped, in the refrigerator for at least 5 days. You can also freeze the cake. Freeze it, then wrap airtight; if you can manage it, defrost it overnight in the refrigerator.
SUGARED CRANBERRIES:
For an even more festive cake, crown it with sugared cranberries—finishing it like this is beautiful for the holidays. Make a simple syrup by boiling ½ cup sugar and ½ cup water together, stirring, for 3 minutes. Remove from the heat, drop in as many fresh cranberries as you’d like and roll them around to coat with syrup, then lift them out with a slotted spoon or mesh spider and transfer them to a rack. Let them set for about 1 hour—they’ll be sticky and tacky, and that’s what you want. Roll the cranberries around in a cup of sugar and then let them dry on a clean rack for another hour. Sugared berries are meant for the last minute—they’ll get syrupy in the refrigerator and won’t survive freezing.
Hosting holiday house guests and need some tips on what to serve? Culinary guru Dorie Greenspan recently sat down with Roxanne at RJ Julia to chat about her new book Everyday Dorie and give us the scoop on making a holiday-worthy cheese platter!
Make sure you tune in later this week to hear Roxanne's full conversation with Dorie Greenspan!
Here at Just the Right Book Podcast we believe that books are the perfect gift for any occasion! So, we enlisted the help of two of our esteemed experts. This year’s gift guide should help you find the perfect book for everyone on your holiday shopping list.
Publishing expert Michael Selleck and Andrew Brennan, the head book buyer for RJ Julia join Roxanne in browsing the bookshelves to give us their favorite picks for this holiday shopping season!
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
The Patch by John McPhee
Pine Barrens John McPhee
The Big fella: Babe Ruth and The World He Created by Jane Leavy
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
The Hidden Life of Trees by Peter Wohllenben & Tim Flannery
Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering The Elements of Good Cooking by Samin Nosrat
The New Yorker Encyclopedia of Cartoons
Ansel Adams and the American Landscape: A Biography by Jonathan Spaulding
Year Of Wonder by Clemency Burton-Hill
To Kill A Mockingbird by Harper Lee
Go Set A Watchman by Harper Lee
Becoming by Michelle Obama
Biography Of Frederick Douglas by David Blight
This episode of Just the Right Book is sponsored by Libro.fm Audiobooks. To receive 3 audiobook credits for $14.99 during your first month of membership just go to Libro.fm ( l - i - b - r - o - dot - f - m ) and enter code “RB “
We love hearing your comments and book recommendations! Please keep them coming by reaching out to us at info@justtherightbookpodcast.com or on our Twitter and Facebook pages!
Books in this episode:
The Library Book by Susan Orlean
1,000 Books to Read Before You Die by James Mustich
What did the words “the pursuit of happiness” and “we the people” mean then, and what do they mean now?
Joseph Ellis, an American history scholar and author of bestselling books about George Washington, John and Abigail Adams, Thomas Jefferson, John Jay, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. All his books converged to inform us about the founding of our country and the founding of a continent-wide democracy.
Says Roxanne, “Professor Ellis has earned a Pulitzer, a national book award, and has brilliantly navigated the tricky balance of producing books of scholarly standards with widespread, enthusiastic, appreciative readership. He now brings these considerable skills to his new book, American Dialogue: The Founders and Us, which for the first time Mr. Ellis supplies our founding history to the present time, addressing critical issues like race, equality, the law, and global reach.”
Books in this episode:
American Dialogue: The Founders and Us by Joseph Ellis
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
American Slavery, American Freedom by Edmund S. Morgan
The Strange Career of Jim Crow by C. Vann Woodward
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.
What to read next? What to read at all? This is the dilemma of all readers, whether they are reading one or 200 books a year. James Mustich’s 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die: A Life-Changing List includes many of the classics you might expect like Plato and Proust and covers fiction, poetry, science and science fiction, memoir, travel, biography, children’s books, history, and more.
Mustich who began his career in book-selling 40 years ago recently joined Roxanne in the Just the Right Book studios to talk about the book that has been called “the ultimate literary bucket-list” by the Washington Post.
Says Roxanne, “There've been lots of lists and books put together about what to read over the years, but none have done as charming and genre defying job as (James Mustich)..”
To purchase any of the books in this episode, please visit RJ Julia Booksellers
Moonstone by Wilkie Collins
Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
The Tale of the Genji by Lady Murasaki
An Infamous Army by Georgette Heyer
A Thousand Place to See Before You by Patricia Schultz
The Finland Station by Edmund Wilson
Growth & Form by D’arcy Wentworth Thompson
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
Fear and Loathing in Las by Hunter S. Thompson Vegas
Eloise by Kay Thompson
The Pillow Book by Sei Shonagon
Odyssey by Homer
Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders
Nancy Drew by Carolyn Keene
Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption by Laura Hillenbrand
Bread and Jam for Frances by Russell Hoban
Bedtime for Frances by Russell Hoban
The Mouse and His Child by Russell Hoban
Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban
Riddley Walker by Russell Hoban
Middlemarch by George Elliot
Memoir Mass for the Dead by William Gibson
Neuromancer by William Gibson
Pattern Recognition by William Gibson
In our crazy-busy world, finding time to read is not always easy. Thankfully, audiobooks offer a handy way to dive into your favorite bestseller while you commute, exercise or even cook!
Robin Whitten, the founder and editor of AudioFile Magazine started the magazine in 1992 to give listeners more information about the gratification of audiobooks. She recently joined Roxanne to talk about some of the best audio books of 2018!
Audiobooks in this episode:
Circe by Madeline Miller, read by Perdita Weeks
Washington Black by Esi Edugyan, read by Dion Graham
Becoming by Michelle Obama, read by Michelle Obama
Barracoon: The Story of the Last “Black Cargo" by Zora Neale Hurston, Deborah G. Plant [Ed.], read by Robin Miles
Lethal White by Robert Galbraith, read by Robert Glenister
The Long-Lost Home by Maryrose Wood, read by Fiona Hardingham
And make sure to check out AudioFile's NEW podcast, Behind the Mic With AudioFile Magazine
Take a time-traveling, fiercely independent, brave British nurse, the Scottish highland, a handsome, courageous, redheaded Scottish warrior, passionate love, conflicted love with two husbands, incredibly exciting history and dozens of riveting characters and you have a genre-defying series encompassing historical fiction, science-fiction, romance, fantasy, and of course time-travel.
Bestselling author Diana Gabaldon recently joined Roxanne to talk about her wildly popular Outlander book series which holds the #2 spot on the list of America’s best-loved works of fiction by PBS’ Great American Read. The eight-book series has sold over 35 million copies and has been adapted into a hit TV show now in its fourth season.
Diana, who spent the early part of her career earning a BS in Zoology, an MS in Marine Biology and a Ph. D in Quantitative Behavioral Ecology told Roxanne how she knew at age eight that she would be novelist.
Says Roxanne, “…you’ll be amazed to hear how one moves from that background to one of the bestselling authors in the world, and a (book) series that is the origin of a TV series that propelled her books right back onto the New York Times best-seller list 23 years after the books were first published.”
Books in this episode:
Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
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!
This episode is also sponsored by Warby Parker. To get started with a free home try-on just go to warbyparker.com/book and find your perfect pair of glasses today!
Outlander is a STARZ original series based on the wildly popular collection of books by Diana Gabaldon.
While the hit television adaptation is just four episodes into its fourth season, Gabaldon is just about wrapped on her ninth novel! The New York Times bestselling author recently spoke to Roxanne about the success of the TV time-travel romance, it's actors, and whether the show will ever get ahead of the books.
Stay tuned for Roxanne's full conversation with Diana Gabaldon on the next episode of Just the Right Book!
Tana French's latest novel, The Witch Elm is her first departure from her bestselling Dublin Murder Squad series, of which there are six.
The story follows Toby, a young Irish man of privilege who's luck seemingly runs out. After being beaten and left disabled, Toby returns to his family's ancestral home to take care of his dying uncle. The novel takes a turn when a human skull is found in the trunk of an elm tree in the garden. As detectives close in, Toby is forced to face the possibility that his past may not be what he always believed.
Says Roxanne, "Mix in good family dysfunction, unreliable narrators, the loss of belief that your good luck is forever and a jaw dropping final 40 pages, and you have all the perfect ingredients in Tana French's hands for an exquisite book."
The former theatrical actress who has been called “incandescent” by Stephen King and “absolutely mesmerizing” by Gillian Flynn recently joined Roxanne to talk about her latest mystery, her love of unreliable narrators, archaeology, luck, and whether she ever considers going back to acting.
Books in this episode:
The Witch Elm by Tana French
On Writing by Stephen King
Winter's Bone by Daniel Woodrell
The Spinning Heart by Donel Ryan
True Grit by Charles Portis
The Secret History by Donna Tartt
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!
"The Witch Elm" by best-selling author and theatrical actress Tana French has been called "extraordinary" by the "King of Horror" Stephen King.
Tana spoke to Roxanne about her latest novel and gushed about King's recent and rare book review for The New York Times.
Tune in next week to hear Roxanne's full interview with Tana French!
If you haven't read Lisa Brennan-Job’s memoir “Small Fry” yet, you will likely hear about it because Lisa's father was Steve Jobs, the founder of Apple.
But this is not a biography of Steve Jobs. Rather, it is a portrait of growing up in California in the eighties and one woman's quest to understand her family, her place in that family and her place in the world.
The outline of her story is relatively well known. Mr. Jobs fathered her at 23, then denied paternity despite a DNA match and gave little in financial or emotional support until later in her life. Surrounded by complicated relationships Lisa spends much of her childhood and adolescence seeking love and acceptance. Despite her challenges, you get a picture of a resilient, adaptable woman who emerges navigating her own way. The first-time author recently joined Roxanne to share her story first hand and unedited.
The New York Times called Brennan Jobs “a gifted writer” and Kirkus Reviews says, Brennan-Jobs “skillfully and poignantly navigates her formative years revealing the emotional wounds that parents can often inflict on their children.”
Says Roxanne “Small Fry is not about settling scores or being vindictive. It is a poignant story of a journey that, in another writer's hands, could have become something self centered. But with her unsentimental honesty, her wry humor and her literary grace, Brennan-Jobs succeeds in making a difficult story her own.”
Books in this episode:
Small Fry by Lisa Brennan-Jobs
The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard
This Boys Life by Tobias Wolff
The Winter's Tale by William Shakespeare
Housekeeping by Marilynne Robinson
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!
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