This week we’re joined by super reader Ron Restrepo for a discussion about Roberto Bolaño, whom Rodrigo Fresan described as “one of a kind, a writer who worked without a net, who went all out, with no brakes, and in doing so created a new way to be a great Latin American writer.” Do we unlock the mysteries of Bolaño’s magic? Probably not. But we do…

This week we look ahead to the second half of 2024 and each share the five forthcoming books we’re most excited about . . . along with a few honorable mentions, of course. Which upcoming books are you most looking forward to? Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 is William Trevor’s The Story of Lucy Gault. Y…

This week’s episode is all about . . . books! To be specific, Trevor and Paul chat about their book shelves, diving into all kinds of fun topics. How many books do they own? Where do they keep them? How are they organized? Buying and culling habits? Even better, this episode features A LOT of great listener feedback as well. It’s the perfect chance…

This week we turn back the clock and revisit our very first podcast topic: Bucket List Books! We check in on our progress over the last few years, discuss our philosophies and motivations, look ahead to our next bucket lists books, and share plenty of listener feedback. What books are on your bucket list—and why? Summer Book Club The book for the M…

Looking to fit even more books into your life? We think audiobooks are a great solution. This week we chat about reading in different formats and settings and hen and how we both read audiobooks. We also share some of our favorite audio experiences, books, and authors! Summer Book Club The book for the Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024 ha…

How do you fill the yawning chasm that arises after you finish a great book or a long group read? Is it a time of excitement and possibility, or a daunting and overwhelming trial? Fresh off of finishing several doorstops ourselves, we discuss how we approach what we want to read next. Summer Book Club The Mookse and the Gripes Summer Book Club 2024…

So many great books have been published only to go out of print, for whatever reason. But they still have things to say to contemporary readers. Thankfully, there are several publishers whose work focuses on bringing these books back to us grateful readers. In this episode, we are are joined by Jacqui, who blogs at JacquiWine’s Journal, to discuss …

The idea of the Great American Novel is controversial, passé, hubristic, and . . . always fascinating to talk about. This week, inspired by a recent list of potential candidates for the Great American Novel published in The Atlantic, we dive in and talk about the concept, the history, the list, and our votes for other contenders. What book(s) would…

How do we love poetry? Let us count the ways. This week, we’re joined by Anthony Garrett to kick off National Poetry Month with a wonderful conversation about our favorite poems and poets, how and when we read poetry, and a discussion about how to approach this sometimes intimidating part of the literary landscape. Does poetry play a part in your r…

This week we discuss the idea of being a completist in our reading. We discuss the authors whose works we’ve finished completely, as well as those we’re working on (or hoping to…). Do you savor your favorite authors’ works slowly or gobble them all down? Have you read the entire catalog of any authors? We also have a special giveaway, so please joi…

Although the books of Barbara Comyns have experienced a bit of a renaissance in recent years, she remains woefully under appreciated and read by far too few. This week, we’re joined by Comyns aficionado Nora to discuss this beguiling and fascinating author and to do our best to spread the word about her strange and wonderful books. Shownotes Books …

This week, we're joined by Jerry Faust for a fun conversation about Canadian literature. Incredibly diverse and far too often overlooked, Canada’s literary output is a goldmine of wonderful books and authors. What are your favorites? Republic of Consciousness Prize, United States and Canada As you’ve heard on the podcast, Paul is a judge of this ye…

This week, we're joined by Shawn the Book Maniac for a fun discovery about one of his specialties: finding books that are hidden gems. We share some tips for finding great books that are off the beaten path, discuss why it's important and fun, and share three books each that you may never have heard of before—quite a challenge! Hopefully we will ad…

Books and holidays go together perfectly, and not just for those of us doing the reading. This week, we talk about our favorite stories where the characters are on vacation—a perfect recipe for exploring exotic settings, quenching vicarious wanderlust, romance, adventure, and plenty more! We also announce the winner our latest giveaway! Shownotes *…

This week we set our sites on 2024! We share our reading plans, hopes, and dreams for the New Year and highlight some of the new releases we can’t wait to add to our shelves. What books are you most excited to read and buy this year? Giveaway! We wanted to kick off the New Year with a giveaway! Both of us have read this on and highly recommend it: …

For this final episode of 2023, we finish our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Here we count down our top five favorite reads of 2023—and again we are joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! Happy New Year! We will see you in 2024! Shownotes * Roman Stories, by Jhump…

This week kicks off our annual two episode best of the year extravaganza! Trevor and Paul count down the first part of their ten favorite reads of 2023—and they’re joined by a cast of listeners who share some of their top books and best reading experiences of the year! We dare you to not add a book (or more!) to your 2024 TBR! Giveaway Details We a…

This week’s publisher episode focuses on one of our very favorites: Dalkey Archive. Founded nearly 40 years ago, Dalkey specializes in “lesser-known and often avant-garde works.” Trevor and Paul each share a few of their favorite titles and announce an exciting Dalkey giveaway. Be sure to share your favorite for a chance to win! Giveaway Details We…

For many of us, reading is like taking a holiday. But this week, we dive into true literary holidays as we discuss some of our favorite bookish destinations, as well as a few that are on our bucket lists. Where are your top literary destinations? Shownotes Books * Red Comet: The Short Life and Blazing Art of Sylvia Plath, by Heather Clark * The Bri…

Do you read in the morning or at night? Do you read while walking? With music? Do you read more than one book at a time? In this episode Trevor and Paul look at their reading habits to see what things they’ve come up with to feed the reading hound. We would love to know your reading habits as well! Please share with us! Shownotes Books * Lojman, by…

Jon Fosse is the newest winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature, and for this week’s episode we are joined by Fosse’s translator Damion Searls to discuss Fosse’s work and the art of translation. Substack Is Now Our Host When we released Episode 64: Victorian Literature, we experimented by releasing it through Substack rather than the host we had us…

This week’s episode has a lot in common with Victorian literature: long, sometimes digressive and (we hope) filled with fun topics and interesting characters! We’re joined by Victorian expert extraordinaire Rohan Maitzen for a fun discussion about this wonderful era, including some of our favorite titles and authors. And no, we weren’t paid by the …

This week, we’re talking about our favorite passages from literature. You know, those sentences, paragraphs or even pages that take your breath away and send you scrambling for the closest highlighter? We discuss the types of language that catches our eye and each share some of our all-time favorite passages. What are yours? For complete shownotes,…

This week, we celebrate Spinster September by discussing spinster lit with Nora (pear.jelly). We chat about spinster tropes and stereotypes, ways in which the term is evolving, and dig into why these women appeal to so many of us. And, of course, we each share some of our favorite examples from literature. For complete shownotes, please sign up for…

This week is all about the most intimidating books on our TBR piles. You know, the ones you really want to read someday and yet never quite seem to make it to the top of the pile? We each share five of the most terrifying tomes on our shelves, and share some some listener input as well. Oh, and we each *gulp* commit to read one book from our list! …

Have you ever forgotten one of your all-time favorite books? If you’re anything like the two of us, the answer is a resounding yes! This week, we talk about some of the best books we’ve forgotten about over the years . . . and how this is even possible. For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'…

This week, we are joined by an all-star cast to discuss our 2023 summer read, Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry Heart. Two of the most insightful readers we know, Merve Emre and Kim McNeil, share wonderful insights and thoughts and help us uncover aspects of Ginzburg’s brilliant work that we had never considered before. We hope your enjoy the conversation…

Summer is a perfect time to take a break from real life and completely disappear into a good book. But what makes a book immersive? Plot? Writing? Characters? This week, we explore this topic and share some of our favorite immersive reads. We also announce the winner of our latest giveaway: a copy of Natalia Ginzburg’s The Dry Heart, which we’ll be…

This week, we ignore our towering TBR piles and the many shelves bulging with backlist masterpieces and instead look ahead to the upcoming new releases we’re most excited about in the second half of 2023. From small indie presses and relatively unknown authors to well-known headliners, the next few months promise a treasure trove for bibliophiles. …

A minor author focused only on small-town vicars and spinsters, or the next Jane Austen? This week, we are joined by Bonnie Renzi to discuss the complicated and fascinating Barbara Pym. In this author episode, we hear from a variety of experts and fans and offer our own experiences from her works. Let's just say there's a lot more than meets the ey…

This week, Trevor and Paul call a quick audible and talk about summer books and reading horizons (an homage to The Readers!) They chat about their short-term reading plans, a few books that are calling out to them right now, and summer reading in general. And be sure to listen closely for another bookish giveaway! For complete shownotes, please sig…

Would a book by any other name smell as sweet? This week, we have fun talking all about titles: How much do they matter? Are they truly art or more of a marketing tool? Do certain genres lend themselves to better titles? We also share (more than) a few of our favorites! What are your top titles? For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse…

Inspired by Brian Dillon’s new book “Affinities,” Trevor and Paul have fun exploring the question: Why do we like what we like? The answers are not always black and white or even logical—but they are sure are fun to talk about! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show…

Art and literature is filled with idylls -- picturesque and happy moments that can take the form of vacations, journeys or even a stolen afternoon. What is it about these brief moments that haunts us and can even change the course of lives? This week, Trevor and Paul delve into these question and share some of their favorite literary idylls. They a…

This week, we talk about passing on a love of reading between generations. Whether reading aloud to each other or quietly side by side, going on bookstore and library visits, or attending author events, there are countless ways to enjoy books together. What are your favorite stories and memories? We also announce a big giveaway: one year of Open Le…

This week’s episode is all about one of our favorite publishers: Open Letter Books. Trevor and Paul are joined by translated lit super fan, Ron Restrepo, as they share a few favorite Open Letter titles, talk about the ones they can’t wait to pick up next, and discuss the importance and magic of this vital and exciting press. We also announce the wi…

Would you only visit a favorite city once? Enjoy a delicious meal and then never eat it again? Meet a fascinating new person and then go your separate ways - forever? Of course not. So why should it be any different with books? In this episode, we discuss the many benefits (and a few potential pitfalls) of rereading and share some of our favorite e…

Are you an underliner? Tab-user? A worshiper of the unblemished page? A *gulp* dogearer? This week, Trevor and Paul discuss marginalia and the various other ways readers engage with what they're reading. As always, the conversation takes some very unexpected detours! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsl…

How do we love books? Let us count the ways. This week, Trevor and Paul have a little fun and answer a set of Valentine’s-influenced bookish questions. Find out all about their literary breakups, long-term relationships, flings, and more. Love is in the air! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If…

This week, Trevor and Paul discuss the difficult but vital and beautiful work of Scholastique Mukasonga. Although her books cover incredibly tough subject matter, they serve as, among other things, a haunting elegy and love letter to her family and friends lost in the Rwandan genocide. For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the G…

This week, Trevor and Paul look ahead to another exciting year of reading. From goals and strategies to some books they plan to read from their shelves to the 2023 new releases they're most looking forward to, there's a whole lot to talk about! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to…

In this episode, Paul and Trevor end the year on a high note by each unveiling their top 5 reads of 2022. To add to the fun, they’re again joined by a few friends who also share their top picks. Happy reading! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast Newsletter. If you'd like to support the show, visit The Mookse…

It’s that time of year again! This week, Trevor and Paul unveil the first half of their lists of top reads of the year. And to add to the holiday cheer, some friends and familiar faces (voices?) gather 'round to share their favorites, as well. Your TBR pile will never be the same--and that’s a good thing. For complete shownotes, please sign up for …

What makes the perfect winter reading experience? A hot drink? A cozy fire? And what types of books draw you in during the cold, dark times of the year? Long tomes you can sink into? Seasonal favorites that remind you of days gone by? This week, we discusss our ideal winter reading experiences, share some favorite memories and chat about a few wint…

This week, Trevor and Paul sit down with author and librarian extraordinaire, Nancy Pearl, to discuss the magic and importance of libraries. We share some favorite memories and stories, talk about what the future might hold and just gush about how much we love all things library. As always, we also have a nice chat about what we’re reading, so be s…

Book prizes tend to create a lot of buzz and conversation in the literary world. And that surely can’t be a bad thing, right? Some of us are longlist completionists, some patiently wait for the winner and others just let it all pass them by. This week, we’re joined by book critic and bookstore owner Lori Feathers to discuss literary prizes, includi…

Some of us read for escape, others for the beauty of language. And then there are those on a never ending quest to be scared witless! In this episode, we discuss a variety of scary reads, from ghost stories, to tales of dread to downright horror. We each share three of our favorite spooky books, discuss three short stories, and ask for a little hel…

Borges’ library. Middle Earth. Avonlea. Literature is filled with wonderful and intriguing places we wish were real. This week, we chat about the different things that make these worlds so appealing and fascinating. And, of course, we each pick a few of our very favorites to discuss! For complete shownotes, please sign up for The Mookse and the Gri…

What is your preferred hotel experience? Do you go for a break from it all? A secret meeting? Do you like seedy crime scenes, or ghosts from the past? Are you there in a crowd of interesting and troubled individuals? Or do you prefer to go out of season? This week, we are pleased to have Jacqui from JacquiWine's Journal as a guest to discuss hotel …

This week, our two heroes journey across the wine-dark sea in search of their favorite epic reads. But first, they have to try to figure out what the heck that even means! Trevor and Paul discuss some of the criteria that make up an epic and have fun debating where the definition begins and ends. They also each bring five of their favorites for dis…