BOOKED SOLID: A New Canaan Library Podcast for Adventurous Readers Across All Genres

Kathleen, Kat, and James come face to face with unexpected horrors and unfriendly in-laws in Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s book Mexican Gothic. Join our hosts as they discuss the Gothic novel, the strangling grasp of the patriarchy, and the terror of the fungi kingdom. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James travel down the Silk Road and encounter con artists, storytellers, and danger around every corner in Daniel Nayeri’s book The Many Assassinations of Samir, the Seller of Dreams. Join our hosts as they discuss unreliable narrators, historical jokes, and the joy of finding a book that works for all ages.To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James read N.K. Jemisin’s The Fifth Season and discover a rich fantasy world full of dark secrets, unsolved mysteries, and the beginning of the end of the world. Kathleen shows off her detective skills by catching a twist before it is revealed, Kat looks at the systems at play, and James struggles with pronunciation. Join our hosts as they discuss fantasy, writing style, and more in this month’s episode of Booked Solid.To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

This month, Kat, Kathleen, and James read the first nonfiction book of the season, Killers of the Flower Moon by David Grann. The group discusses the horrific conspiracy that the book documents against members of the Osage Nation in the 1920s, the shocking systems of oppression and exploitation that enabled and outlived it, and the excellent writing and skill of the author in covering such a difficult topic.

This month, Kat, Kathleen, and James saddle up to explore a genre that they all rarely read: historical fiction, courtesy of Geraldine Brooks' award-winning novel Horse. Tune in for a discussion about history and commodification, and discover which of the hosts doesn't like horses.

This month, Kathleen, Kat, and James venture into the unexplored depths of Julia Armfield’s haunting book, Our Wives Under the Sea. Kat loves the characters, Kathleen is fascinated by the mystery, and James can’t stop thinking about a tragic fateful decision. Join our hosts as they discuss grief, relationships, and the terrible fear and pull of the unknown.

To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website: https://www.newcanaanlibrary.org/recommended-reads?title=&field_br_tags_target_id%5B233%5D=233

Kathleen and James channel their inner teen detectives and dive into Holly Jackson’s devious YA thriller, A Good Girl’s Guide to Murder. This month the discussion focuses on intrepid teen sleuths, the trouble with using homework as an excuse for investigating a murder, and fun with localization. Kathleen is in her element with this murder mystery, while James is lost in the woods. Will he piece together the clues, solve the mystery, and put this season’s final episode behind bars? Find out in this episode of Booked Solid.

This month,Kathleenand James travel to Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children to discuss the fantasy novella (and murder mystery!) Every Heart a Doorway bySeananMcGuire. Listen in as they discuss portal fantasies, found families, and where their magical doors would lead. Will this story steal their hearts? BE SURE to check out this episode to find out!

This month, Kathleen and James read the lush and lyrical novel in verse Me (Moth) by Amber McBride. Tune in for a discussion about identity, self-discovery, and spirituality, as seen through the lens of the life cycle of a moth. James and Kathleen love the language, but will the story haunt them just as much as the prose? Find out in this episode of Booked Solid—and stick around for bonus content James recorded against his will.