Okie Bookcast: Recent Episodes
J Hall
The Okie Bookcast celebrates books and writing in and about Oklahoma. Each episode includes an interview with a contributor to the reading life of Oklahoma - it might be author, publisher, librarian, reader, bookseller, or other figure. In addition to the interview, each episode includes a review from an Oklahoma author about a book they love. New episodes drop on the first and third Tuesdays of the month. Connect with Okie Bookcast on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok - @okiebookcast.
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Welcome to Chapter 86! This month, I'm joined by Rebecca Lemke. Rebecca is a multi-genre, no spice author based in Oklahoma. She enjoys a wide variety of hobbies (too many, really, she says) including reading, baking, traveling, crochet, cosplay, music, and more. She collects pins (usually of National Parks) and pretty paperbacks that she may or may not get around to reading.
In our conversation, we talk about Rebecca’s writing journey, including her transition from writing YA dystopian to sweet romances and back again. We also talk about the development of her Lainey Ross altar ego, the challenge of marketing in two different worlds, and the role of cosplay in her author persona.
Connect with Rebecca: substack | IG | Linktree
Connect with Lainey: substack | IG | Linktree
Help us celebrate 4 years of Your Next Great Read
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Mentioned on the show:
Wings of Fire - Tui T. Sutherland
Harry Potter - J.K. Rowling
Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Maze Runner - James Dashner
I Am the Messenger - Marcus Zuzak
So Not Happening - Jenny B. Jones
Colleen Coble
The Vanishing at Castle Moreau - Jamie Jo Wright
Famous for Living - Melisa Ferguson
Denise Hunter
The Wrath & the Dawn - Renee Ahdieh
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, special guest host Luke Swanson and J are joined by Beccah Bland from the I Reckon I'll Read It podcast. J's secret list is revealed, Luke pays tribute to Hannah, and Beccah offers a confession. Oh, and we talk about a lot of books.
Connect with Luke: website | IG | Bobcast IG | Bobcast
Connect with Beccah: IG | I Reckon I'll Read It IG | IRIRI
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show
Beccah
Starter Villain - John Scalzi
The Road to Tender Hearts - Annie Hartnett
The Correspondent - Virginia Evans
Beach Read - Emily Henry
Luke
Big Little Truths - Liane Moriarty
Billy Summers - Stephen King
Green City Wars - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Devil’s Detective - Simon Kurt Unsworth
J
Funny You Should Ask - Elissa Sussmann
Alien Clay - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Nouscraft World 2: Royale - Leonard Buford
Firestarter - Stephen King
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Volume 17 - our 4th anniversary volume! This time we have poems from 13 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Looking for more work by Oklahoma authors? Check out readlokal.substack.com
Featured organization: Poetry Society of Oklahoma
Here's the Lineup:
Giant Pushpin, Oklahoma - Cassie Grimm
- IG: @cassandrie_
Bedtime Story - Rob Sturma
- IG: @ratpack_slim
- Web: robsturmawrites.weebly.com
Middle American Girls - Kasey Jones
- IG: @kaseyrjones
- Web: kaseyjoneswriter.com
Closed Mouths - MAC Woods
- IG: @mac_since1985
Open the Door - Kelley Morris
- IG: @kmariemorris
- Web: kelleymorris.com
Tar Creek Aubade - Seth Copeland
- IG: @sethtcope
- Web: neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Worthy and Woman - Sydney Aerin
- IG: @sydneysometimes
- Web: sydneysometimes.weebly.com
The Tether - Nichole Yates
- IG: @nicholeyates
Wheatfield with Cowdog - Brand Rackley
- IG: @brandrackley
Okie Thinks of Wendell Berry's "The Peace of Wild Things" - Scott LaMascus
- IG: @scott_lamascus
Reels of 8 mm Kodachrome Film - David Jennings
- FB: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Jared - Linda Neal Reising
- Instagram: @nealreising
Tomorrow - Ken Hada
- Facebook: @ken.hada.3
- Website: kenhada.org
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 85! We're going big this month with a Round Table of fantasy authors, talking about their work, the genre, and the challenges of creating new worlds. And talking about a ton of books!
Our panel includes:
Rebecca Loomis - Author of the YA trilogy Touch of Kindness, Taste of Bravery, and Voice of Change
WK Gorbet - Epic fantasy author of the First Matter Saga, beginning with his debut novel, Echoes of Destruction
Nadia Tate - Authors of the contemporary fantasy Saint Elias University series, beginning with their debut novel, The Summoning of Mages
Connect with Rebecca: site | IG | YouTube
Connect with WK: site | IG
Connect With Nadia Tate: site | IG |TT
Mentioned on the Show
The Invisible Hour - Alice Hoffman
Sword In the Storm - David Gemmell
Between Two Fires - Christopher Buehlman
Terror at the Gates - Scarlett St. Clair
The Poppy War - R.F. Kuang
The Eye of the World - Robert Jordan
The Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
Home Before Dark - Riley Sager
The Hunger Games - Susan Collins
The Two Princesses of Bamarre - Gail Carson Levine
The Blade Itself - Joe Abercrombie
The Hollows series - Kim Harrison
Kate Daniels series - Ilona Andrews
Red Rising - Pierce Brown
The Last Time I Lied - Riley Sager
Ruth Ware
Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab
Full Metal Alchemist - Hiromu Arakawa
Vinland Saga - Makoto Yukimura
Pluto - Naoki Urasawa, Takashi Nagasaki
Fantastic Four - Jonathan Hickman
Thor: God of Thunder - Jason Aaron
Rebirth Batman - Scott Snyder, Tom King, David Finch, Mikal Janin
The Folk of the Air series - Holly Black
The Fever series - Karen Marie Moning
Avatar the Last Airbender
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, special guest host Melissa Coast and J are joined by the founder of OKC Silent Book Club, Meredith Dennis. Tons of recommendations across a variety of genres, including several Oklahoma-connected books.
Connect with Melissa: Instagram
Connect with Meredith: Instagram
Connect with OKC Silent Book Club: Instagram | Facebook
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show
Meredith
Nuclear War: A Scenario - Annie Jacobson
Such a Fun Age - Kiley Reid
Shoot the Moon - Billie Letts
The Sea of Tranquility - Katja Millay
Melissa
The Emperor of Gladness - Ocean Vuong
Full Speed to a Crash Landing - Beth Revis
The Correspondent - Virginia Evans
Why We Sleep - Matthew Walker
J
On a Quiet Street - Saraphina Nova Glass
The Worst Hard Time: The Untold Story of Those Who Survived the Great American Dust Bowl - Timothy Egan
The Dog Stars - Peter Heller
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 84! My guest this month is Sara Causey. Sara is an award-winning author, artist, and illustrator whose work often explores power, conscience, creativity, and the uneasy tension between public image and private truth.
She is best known for her tireless efforts to preserve the life and legacy of UN Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld, including the award-winning biography Decoding the Unicorn: A New Look at Dag Hammarskjöld and the forthcoming Simply Dag: The Private Man in a Public—and Dangerous—Office.
In addition to her Hammarskjold books, Sara writes and illustrates books for children, including a new series designed to help kids (and adults) learn a second language.
Connect with Sara: website | website | Facebook | Instagram
Dag and the Apple - Bilingual Children's Book
Find out about more great Oklahoma books through the Read LOKal Newsletter
Mentioned on the Show:
JFK vs Allen Dulles: Battleground Indonesia - Dr. Greg Poulgrain
The Artist’s Way - Julia Cameron
The Last Temptation of Christ - Nikos Kazantzakis
Childhood’s End - Arthur C. Clarke
High-Rise - J.G. Ballard
Interview with a Vampire - Anne Rice
Faust - Goethe
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, Hannah and J are joined by member of Hannah's infamous Book Club, Devin Green. In addition to tons of book recs, Hannah drops a huge announcement about her future with the show (don't worry, it's good!).
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show
Devin
The Dream Hotel - Laila Lalami
Broken Country - Clare Leslie Hall
True Biz - Sara Novic
Such a Fun Age - Kylie Reid
Hannah
Birth Vibes - Jen Hamilton
A House of Vipers - Emma Jackson
Strange House - Uketsu
Life’s too Short - Abby Jimenez
J
The Island of Dr. Moreau - H.G. Wells
The Midnight Train - Matt Haig
Four Doorways In or Near New Orleans - V.M. Harrigan
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 83! My guest is author and podcaster, William Bernhardt. We got together on release day for his new book The Superman Wars: A Battle for Truth, Justice, and an American Icon.
William is the author of more than sixty books, including the nationally bestselling Ben Kincaid legal thriller series. He has received numerous awards for his books and has also written plays, a musical, children’s stories, and New York Times crossword puzzles. In 2013, he became a Jeopardy! champion. He lives in Oklahoma with his wife and children.
In our conversation we talk about the book, the wrestling match between art and commerce, the challenge of writing narrative nonfiction, and I test Bill’s lifelong love for Superman with a quick Superman quiz. It’s a fun conversation for people at every level of comics appreciation.
Connect with William: website | Facebook
Connect with WriterCon: website | Podcast | Facebook
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Mentioned on the show:
Justice for All - William Bernhardt
Erik Larson
Sebastian Younger
Beowulf
The Epic of Gilgamesh
The Iliad - Homer
Odyssey - Homer
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, Hannah and J are joined by Grayson Long, author of the brand new contemporary romance, Chasing the Butterflies, and two other books in her Glendale series.
Plenty of fantasy, thriller, horror, and romance recs (plus lots of indie books!) to help you build your TBR!
Connect with Grayson: Instagram | Twitch | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show:
Grayson
Rites of the Starling - Devney Perry
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
The Prison Healer - Lynette Noni
Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt
Hannah
The House in the Cerulean Sea - TJ Klune
Nowhere Burning - Catriona Ward
Turn Off the Light - Jacquie Walters
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
J
Echoes of Destruction - W.K. Gorbet
The Bluff - J.L. Hyde
Manuscript of an Invasion - Ruy Forte
The Preservationist - David Maine
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Volume 16! This time we have poems from 11 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Looking for more work by Oklahoma authors? Check out readlokal.substack.com
Here's the Lineup:
Untitled - Rachel Waters
- IG: @rchlwtrs
Clear Lake - Seth Copeland
- IG: @sethtcope
- Site: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Say, Can You See - Brand Rackley
- IG: @brandrackley
Dorothy - Jes McCutchen
- IG: @jesmwrites
Mantle Clock - David Jennings
- FB: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
What's More - Andrew Morris Gilman
- IG: @andrewmorrisgilman
Listened - Kristen Grace
- IG: @_kristen_grace
Ritual - Jake Spann
- FB: @jake.spann.9
Wellspring - Kelley Morris
- Website: kelleymorris.com
Splashpad - Josh Wann
- IG: @homegrownpoets918
A Perpetual Spring - Nichole Yates
- IG: @nicholeyates
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 82. This month we're celebrating the centennial anniversary of Route 66 with authors, historians, and preservationists Jim Ross and Shellee Graham. Jim and Shellee’s new book, Route 66—The First 100 Years, chronicles the birth, life, demise, and renaissance of the legendary highway over its first century. Released in May 2025, it was named to the National Trust’s “Summer Reading List” and later listed as one of the year’s 10 best travel books by Smithsonian magazine.
In our conversation, we talk about their books, but also about their passion for traveling Route 66 and for preserving its physical and cultural history. We also talk about the centennial celebration of route 66 and how you can be a part of it.
Connect with Jim: website
Connect with Shellee: website
Oklahoma Route 66 Association
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Mentioned on the show:
Route 66 Map Series - Jim Ross and Jerry McClanahan
Tales from the Coral Court - Shellee Graham
The Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Louis L’Amour
Dresden Files - Jim Butcher
East of Eden- John Steinbeck
Cannery Row - John Steinbeck
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Route 66 Museum in Clinton
Painted Desert Trading Post
Rt 66 Centennial website
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
Text the Bookcast and say "hi"!
Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, Hannah and J are joined by JC Lamb, author of Reincarnated: The Malicious Queen.
Plenty of thriller, scifi, and romance recs to help you build your TBR!
Connect with JC: Instagram | Twitch | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Discussed on the Show
JC
The Diabolic - S. J. Kincaid
Hell Mode, Vol. 1 - Hamou, Seanna Hundt, Taishi, Mo
Full Clearing Another World Under a Goddess with Zero Believers: Volume 1 - Isle Osaki, MPT, Kaipo Shwab
Solo Leveling, Volume 1 - Chugong
Hannah
All the Colors of the Dark - Chris Whitaker
Come Closer - Sara Gran
Eight Perfect Hours - Lia Lewis
The Princess Bride - William Goldman
J
Theo of Golden - Allen Levi
You Are Fatally Invited - Ande Pliego
Roadside Picnic - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The Colour of Magic - Terry Pratchett
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 81! This is a fun one!
My guests are Jes McCutchen and Josh Wann - two Tulsa poets / writers who have created a new book called Side Quests and Shenanigans. The book is part poetry collection, part creative instigation designed to encourage people to create and to do so in community.
Jes is an author, poet, editor, publisher, and all-around creative from Tulsa, OK who has written several novels and contributed to and / or edited poetry and horror anthologies.
Connect with Jes: website | IG | FB
Josh Wann is a writer and educator in Tulsa, OK. His plays have been produced by Blackjack Rewrite Company, among others, at Living Arts, The Nightingale Theater, and Studio 308. His essays have been published in The Black Wall Street Times, Calliope Crashes, and others. Lastly, his poetry and comedy have been performed at various venues and events throughout Tulsa. He gravitates towards laughter, nature, picking the guitar, and big plates of breakfast foods.
Connect with Josh: IG
We talk a lot about creativity and the challenge of finding whimsy and joy in the midst of difficult times. And we laugh. A lot.
Mentioned on the Show:
Quraysh Ali Lansana
Meadow Market Books
The Perfect Bastard: Poems - Quinn Carver Johnson
LuvBytes - Hank Byrd
Sistah Samurai - Tatiana Obey
Lone Woman - Victor LaValle
A Master of Djinn - P Djèlí Clark
The Sun Also Rises - Ernest Hemmingway
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
These Are Not My Final Words - Samantha Ryan
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, Hannah and J are joined by bookseller Dani Terrell from Only One Bed Book Truck - a mobile romance bookstore built around a 1968 Ford truck!
Plenty of thriller, scifi, and romance recs to help you build your TBR!
Connect with Dani: website | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show:
Dani
Moms of Mayhem - Amy Vance
Heir of Illusion - Madeline Taylor
In Stormy Weather - Chelsea Curto
The Deal (Off Campus Book 1) - Elle Kennedy
Hannah
My Husband’s Wife - Alice Feeney
The People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry
A Killing Cold - Kate Alice Marshall
A Walk to Remember - Nicholas Sparks
J
Consider This: Moments in My Writing Life After Which Everything Was Different - Chuck Palahniuk
The End of the World Running Club - Adrian J. Walker
Everybody Wants to Rule the World - Ace Atkins
Saga - Brian K. Vaughn and Fiona Staples
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 80 - Romance Round Table 3.0!
We’ve got a fantastic lineup for this year’s romance round table - authors Hayley Elliott and MJ Hughes and owner of Love Stories OKC, Courtney Hedrick. In our conversation, we get to hear about the work of our panelists and then talk about tropes, the growing male audience for romance fiction, writing spice, and I attempt to get to the bottom of the hockey romance trend. It's a great time with equally great folks.
Support the show: Buy Me A Coffee
Subscribe to Read LOKal - our monthly newsletter of Oklahoma new releases.
Connect with Hayley: website | TT | IG | FB
Connect with MJ: Linktree | TT | IG | FB
Connect with Courtney: website | TT | IG | FB
Mentioned on the Show:
All the Missing Pieces - Cathrine Cowles
Yours Truly - Abby Jimenez
Hat Trick - Chelsea Curto
The 12 Week Year - Brian P. Moran
Carlie Walker
Ally Carter
If He Had Been With Me - Laura Nowlin
Falling Into Place - Allison Ashley
Elle Kennedy
Dating in Decay - Lindsey Montgomery
Catherine Cowles
Laurel K. Hamilton
DC Stars Series - Chelsea Curto
Off Campus Series - Elle Kennedy
Playing for Keeps Series - Becka Mack
Abby Jimenez
Allison Ashley
Annabel Monaghan
Katherine Center
Ashley Poston
Sophie Cousins
Carly Fortune
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Sherlock Holmes - Arthur Conan Doyle
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! This month, Hannah and J are talking about books they're excited to read in 2026, with a little help from some bookstore friends.
Check out the books, and let us know what you're excited to read this year.
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Meadow Market Books
The Last Page Bookstore
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books discussed on this episode:
Hannah
The House in the Pines - Ana Reyes
How To Kill Your Family - Bella Mackie
Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep - Paul Tremblay
Nowhere Burning - Catriona Ward
House of Vipers - Emma Jackson
Long Bright River - Liz Moore
Guest Picks
The Last Page Bookstore
Dear Debbie - Frieda McFadden
Blood and Roses - Callie Hart
Meadow Market Books
Side Quests and Shenanigans - Jes McCutchen and Josh Wann
Father Material - Alexis Hall
Operation Bounce House - Matt Dinniman
A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinniman
J
The Art Thief - Michael Finkel
The Lost House - Melissa Larsen
A Parade of Horribles - Matt Dinnimann (DCC 8)
Platform Decay - Martha Wells (Murderbot 8)
Children of Strife - Adrian Tchaikovsky (CoT4)
Everyone in this Bank is a Thief - Benjamin Stevenson (Ernest Cunningham 4)
Red God - Pierce Brown (Red Rising 7)
The Midnight Train - Matt Haig (Midnight World 2)
Exit Party - Emily St. John Mandel
The Superman Wars - William Bernhardt
Downbelow Station - C.J. Cherryh
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Volume 15! This time we have poems from 11 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Looking for more work by Oklahoma authors? Check out readlokal.substack.com
Here's the Lineup:
Halcyon - Cassie Grimm
- IG: @cassandrie_
The Music I Hear - Ken Hada
- Facebook: @ken.hada.3
- Website: kenhada.org
It's 3AM and I Need Your Glow - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @durell.carter
Glass Houses - Kelley Morris
- Website: kelleymorris.com
Thank Yous and Testimonies - MAC Woods
- IG: @mac_since1985
Pigs - Brand Rackley
- IG: @brandrackley
The Dead Were Singing - Zachariah Hobia
- FB: @zachariah.hobia
The Infant Jesus of Prague, Oklahoma - Seth Copeland
- IG: @sethtcope
- Site: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Is This Still Our Team? - Jake Spann
- FB: @jake.spann.9
Out of Eden - David Jennings
- FB: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
A Perpetual Spring - Nichole Yates
- IG: @nicholeyates
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 79!
We're doing something a little different to kick off the year. I’ve invited three experts working in the field of literacy across Oklahoma to join me for a conversation about where we are as a state and what is being done to help meet childhood and adult literacy challenges. You are going to hear some passionate folks talk about some inspiring interventions and results and you’re also going to hear about how you can get involved.
Erin Bell - Project Manager for Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library in Oklahoma
Connect: Imagination Library Website | Erin on IG
Melissa Ahlgrim - Program Director of Literacy Policy and Programs at the Oklahoma State Department of Education
Connect: OKDOE on FB | Website | Melissa on IG
Christopher Myers - Director of Academics for the Opportunities Industrialization Center of Oklahoma County.
Connect: OICOKC Website | OICOKC on IG | 405.235.2651
Sign up for the Read LOKal Newsletter
Support the Okie Bookcast through Buy Me A Coffee
Mentioned on the Show
Nancy Drew Mysteries - Carolyn Keene
Get Out of Your Own Way - Mark Goulston and Philip Goldberg
The Mountain is You - Brianna Wiest
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read!
This month, Hannah and J talk about som recent reads and then recap a great year of reading in 2025. We read a lot of great stuff this year and loved getting a chance to talk about all of our favorites in one place.
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Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books discussed on the show:
Hannah
The Ghostwriter - Julie Clark
In a Holidaze - Christina Lauren
Favorites of 2025:
When the Wolf Comes Home - Nat Cassidy
The God of the Woods - Liz Moore
Normal People - Sally Rooney
This Thing Between Us - Gus Moreno
The Winter People - Jennifer McMahon
J
Death of the Author - Nnedi Okorafor
We Are Legion (We Are Bob) - Dennis H. Taylor
Favorites of 2025:
Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones
Crooks - Lou Berney
Shake Bouchon series - Lou Berney
Children of the Neon Bamboo - B. Glynn Kimmey
Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Music by JuliusH
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Welcome to Chapter 78! This month we are featuring books for kids with our first ever Children's Author Round Table! I'm joined by two great authors to talk about their work and a ton of other books.
Mark McCraw is a Former educator, AF and Air Force Reserve Veteran, corrections officer, adjunct professor, daycare teacher, migrant Head Start teacher, children's book author, and non-profit executive. He’s the author of 12 books for children and speaks and reads to kids all over the state and across the country.
Eileen Hobbs is the author of 8 books for ages 7-11 including the Heath Cousins Series, Under the Golden Rain Tree, Stella and the Sea Stars, and The Girl from Korn. She also completed her first picture book titled "Charlie's No Fun Day at the Beach".
Connect with Mark: website | FB | YouTube
Connect with Eileen: website | FB | IG
Don't forget to subscribe to Read LOKal, our new newsletter highlighting Oklahoma new releases and bookish events. Find out more, subscribe, and submit your book (all for FREE) at readlokal.substack.com.
Mentioned on the Show:
Mary the Missionary: A Kenya Adventure - Yvonne M. Morgan
I Move a Lot and That’s OK - Shermaine Perry-Knights
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides
Inspiration in Uniform - Dona T. Mularkey
Una Belle Townsend
Tammi Sauer
Rizzoli and Isles Series - Tess Gerritsen
The Ship of Brides - Jojo Mayes
Something In the Water - Catherine Steadman
The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena
Diana Kathryn Penn
Visions: Stories and Poems from Peculiar Perspectives - Diana Kathryn Penn, ed.
The Quire: An Omnibus of Story - Diana Kathryn Penn
Flights of Fantasy: Bedtime Stories and Poems for Children - Diana Kathryn Penn
Dr. Seuss
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's always a blast when Jamie (JL) Hyde joins us on YNGR! In addition to some fantastic mysteries and thrillers, we also manage to go on about Grady Hendrix, Tiger King, Indie Authors, how much reading we did during COVID, tons of other books, and the bookish bullet I dodged when Hannah was about 9 years old (you can hear the fear in my voice as she tells this story!).
Settle in and get ready to build that TBR tower even higher!
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Connect with Jamie: website | Instagram | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books Discussed on the Show:
Jamie
The Kidnapping of Alice Ingold - Cate Holahan
Witchcraft for Wayward Girls - Grady Hendrix
You’ll Never Know - Caleb Stephens
All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
Hannah
Family of Liars - E. Lockhart
The Chain - Adrian McKinty
Look Closer - David Ellis
The Guest List - Lucy Foley
J
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides
By the Fire We Carry - Rebecca Nagle
The Andromeda Evolution - Daniel H. Wilson
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 77! For this episode, we’re talking about one of, if not the, most iconic Oklahoma story of all - The Outsiders. I got to sit down with Jimmie Trammel from the Tulsa World and Danny Boy O’Connor, founder of the Outsiders House Museum to talk about their new book, Staying Gold: An Oral History of the Outsiders.
Jimmie Tramel, who was born in Pryor and raised in Locust Grove, is a lifelong Oklahoman who has worked at the Tulsa World since 1989. He was a sports writer for 25 years and wrote books on (or with) former Oklahoma State football coach Pat Jones and former University of Oklahoma coach Barry Switzer. He switched from sports to entertainment 11 years ago and became the Tulsa World's pop culture writer.
Danny Boy O’Connor is the Founder and Executive Director of The Outsiders House Museum in Tulsa and a founding member of the 90s rap group, House of Pain.
In our conversation, we talk about their new book, the challenges and opportunities of writing an oral history, the legacy of the Outsiders and the Outsiders Hour Museum, and the biggest mistake they made in putting the book together.
Connect with Jimmie: Twitter | Facebook
Connect with Danny: Twitter | Facebook | The Outsiders House Museum
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Mentioned on the Show
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Woke Up this Morning: The Definitive Oral History of The Sopranos - Michael Imperioli and Steve Schirripa
Live From New York: The Complete, Uncensored History of Saturday Night Live as Told by Its Stars, Writers, and Guests - Tom Shales and James Andrew Miller
Exile on Front Street: My Life as a Hells Angel . . . and Beyond - George Christie
Fast Times at Ridgemont High - Cameron Crowe
The Adventures of Pippi Longstocking - Astrid Lindgren
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's the October edition of YNGR! This month we are celebrating spooky season with our forever October guest - author Stacey Kade (AKA S.A. Barnes)!
Plenty of horror and thriller reads at a variety of scare levels to finish out your October TBR. We also get a quick rundown of Stacey's new book, Death's Daughter (preorder here)!
Connect with Stacey: Instagram | website
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Huge thanks to Self Publish Me for sponsoring this episode!
Books discussed on the show:
Stacey
The Familiar - Leigh Bardugo
Exiles - Mason Coile
Play Nice - Rachel Harrison
The Hollow Places - T. Kingfisher
Hannah
The God of the Woods - Liz Moore
Such Quiet Girls - Noelle West Ihli
Suffer the Children - Craig DeLouie
In the Tall Grass - Stephen King and Joe Hill
J
Paranoia - James Patterson and James O. Born
Fantasticland - Mike Bockoven
Guards! Guards! - Terry Pratchett
The Only Good Indians - Stephen Graham Jones
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Volume 14! This time we have poems from 12 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Here's the Lineup:
Toy Box Apocalypse - Hallie Waugh
- IG: @halliewaugh_writer
- halliewaugh.substack.com
Fish Dream - Scott LaMascus
- scottlamascus.com
Chevy Blue - Brand Rackley
- IG: @brandrackley
Clouds and Lemonade - Rob Sturma
- IG: @ratpack_slim
Wildflowers - Alicia Daggs
- IG: @solatidont
The Universe is Big - Brea Lynnett
- IG: @breanne.lynnett
We Come Home Now - Grace
- IG: @_kristen_grace
Up Seven Parking Levels, On the Wall - David Jennings
- FB: @DJennPhotos
- davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
I Remember You - Nichole Yates
- IG: @nicholeyates
Tonight Held for Me a Dream - Jake Spann
- FB: @jake.spann.9
Missing You and Something Had to Change - Aubrey Green
- IG: @bluecloverediting
I Finally Used a Rhyme Scheme - Laken Quinn
- IG: @above.the.clouds.poetry
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 76 of the Okie Bookcast - Our 4th Bookcastaversary Show!
Stay tuned after the conversation for some updates as we move into Year 5.
For this special episode of the Bookcast, I sat down with the incredible Daniel H. Wilson. Daniel is a Cherokee citizen, Tulsa native, and the multiple New York Times bestselling author of techno-thrillers such as Robopocalypse, The Clockwork Dynasty, and The Andromeda Evolution (an authorized sequel to the Crichton classic). He earned a PhD in Robotics from Carnegie Mellon University, as well as Masters degrees in Machine Learning and Robotics. He just released a new novel, Hole in the Sky, a fantastic story of Native First Contact. In our conversation, we talk about the new book and its deep connection to his Oklahoma roots and Native heritage. We also talk about writing technology for non-technical folks, indigenous science fiction, and Daniel gives a quick impromptu masterclass on screenwriting.
Connect with Daniel: website
Mentioned on the show:
Robopocalypse - Daniel H. Wilson
How to Survive a Robot Uprising - Daniel H. Wilson
Earth 2 - Daniel H. Wilson and Jorge Jimenez
The Clockwork Dynasty - Daniel H. Wilson
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones
The Gilda Stories - Jewelle Gomez
HP Lovecraft
Roadside Picnic - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
The Doomed City - Arkady and Boris Strugatsky
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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I'm joined by my YNGR co-host and favorite oldest daughter, Hannah Herron, to talk about the 2025 film adaptation of the Richard Bachman / Stephen King classic - The Long Walk. What did the filmmakers get right? What did they miss? And what do we think of the changes?
If you love the book and / or the film, you'll love this conversation. If you haven't read or seen it, you're going to want to by the time we're through.
Check it out and let us know what we got right (or wrong).
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Purchase The Long Walk
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! Hannah and I welcome author Laura Vogt - her debut novel, In the Great Quiet, releases in March.
We have a lot of fun with Laura botching author names, giving family shout outs, and hearing Hannah’s first impressions of The Long Walk. Oh, and we talk about books too - historical fiction, fantasy, sci fi, and horror - something for every reader.
Connect with Laura: website | Instagram | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
This episode of YNGR is brought to you by Nouscraft World 1: The Zombie Apocalypse by Leonard Buford. On sale now!
Discussed on the show
Laura
Thirteen Moons - Charles Frazier
Mystic and Rider (12 Houses) - Sharon Shinn
Wild Dark Shore - Charlotte McConaghy
Never Let Me Go - Kazou Ishiguro
Hannah
The Book of Accidents - Chuck Wendig
The Giver of Stars - JoJo Moyes
The Night Guest - Hildur Knútsdóttir
The Magician’s Nephew - C.S. Lewis
J
Hole in the Sky - Daniel H. Wilson
Anji Kills a King - Evan Leikam
The Southern Book Club Guide to Slaying Vampires - Grady Hendrix
Watership Down - Richard Adams
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 75!
My guest is Mark Archuleta, the author of The Reel Thrilling Events of Bank Robber Henry Starr: From Gentleman Bandit to Movie Star and Back Again. Mark grew up in Oklahoma City where his father was a pioneering air traffic controller with the FAA. He now lives in California, but considers Oklahoma his second home state. In addition to this book, Mark is an Emmy-winning screenwriter, journalist, and performer. In our conversation, we talk about Henry Starr - one of the most prolific bank robbers of his generation - and about Mark’s process of researching and telling Starr’s story. You also get to hear a ton of great stories about this fascinating figure from turn of the century Oklahoma.
Connect with Mark: website | Instagram | Twitter | Book tour updates
Mentioned on the show:
Thrilling Events of Henry Starr - Henry Starr
Erik Larson
Dan Brown
David Grann
Henry Starr, The Last of the Real Badmen - Glenn Shirley
The Saga of Henry Starr - Robert J. Conley
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest - Ken Kesey
Sometimes a Great Notion - Ken Kesey
On the Road - Jack Kerouac
Electric Kool-Aid Acid Test - Tom Wolfe
Demon Box - Ken Kesey
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's our third anniversary! We brought together a bunch of friends of the show to help us celebrate. The conversation is all over the place, but we also got into some great books, so if you're into Taylor Swift, food, Edgar Wright, The Summer I Turned Pretty, OKC Thunder, or Glen Powell (and trapezoids) and fun conversations about great books - this show is for you!
Connect with Emma Jackson: website | IG | YNGR episode
Connect with Kenny Kemper: website | IG | YNGR episode
Connect with Magen Runyan: website | IG | YNGR episode
Connect with Luke Swanson: website | IG | Episode
Connect with Melissa Coast: website | IG | YNGR episode
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
This episode of YNGR is brought to you by Nouscraft World 1: The Zombie Apocalypse by Leonard Buford. On sale now!
Books discussed on the show:
Current Reads
Emma - All We Hunger For - Anna Mercier
Kenny - Boom Town - Sam Anderson
Hannah - Butter - Asako Yuzuki
J - Crooks - Lou Berney
Recent Reads
Magen - Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren
Luke - The Running Man - Stephen King
Hannah - We Were Liars - E. Lockhart
J - 11/22/63 - Stephen King
Backlist Picks (Trilogies)
Melissa - Chaos Walking Trilogy - Patrick Ness
Hannah - Bill Hodges Trilogy - Stephen King
J - Remembrance of Earth’s Past Trilogy - Cixin Liu
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 74! My guest is Candace Kade. Candace spends her time dreaming up stories typically involving technology, psychology, culture, and/or swords. She is the author of The Hybrid Series and a certified Krav Maga assistant instructor who loves writing action-packed martial art scenes. A third culture kid, she considers Chengdu and OKC to be her homes. When she’s not exploring new countries, she enjoys hiking in national parks, moving, teaching her husband Mandarin, and keeping two baby humans alive. She can be bribed with boba tea, fluffy puppies, and breakfast tacos.
In our conversation, we talk about the Hybrid trilogy with a focus on the third book - Augmented - that releases in September. We also talk about writing for YA audiences, how her experience of navigating cultures impacts her writing, and she gives some incredible thoughts on writing fight scenes. You’re going to love getting to know Candace Kade.
Connect with Candace: website | Instagram
Candace on Your Next Great Read (July 2024)
Books Mentioned on the Show:
Enhanced - Candace Kade
Hybrid - Candace Kade
Augmented - Candace Kade
Out of Time series - Nadine Brandes
The Selection series - Kiera Cass
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Red Rising - Pierce Brown
Me Before You - JoJo Moyes
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Volume 13 - our Year 3 Celebration!
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Here's the Lineup:
After an Open Mic, Someone Tells Me I Really Captured the Backwardness of Oklahoma - Seth Copeland
- IG: @sethtcope
- Site: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
One Horse OK Celebrates the 4th of July - Benjamin Myers
- X: @BenMyersPoet
- Site: Benjaminmyerspoetry.com
Crumbs of Body: A Psalm of Siblinghood and What I Would Say to the Girl in the Hand-Me-Down Sadie Oxford Shoes - Lydia Renfro
- IG: @lyd.fro
- Site: https://lydiarenfro.com/
East is the Beast - Michelle Lark
- IG: @fairylarks
Cry Baby - MAC Woods
- IG: @mac_since1985
Exceeding Idioms and My Nana - Ruth Key
- IG: @ruthkeypoetry
Snowman in Roland - Uriah Maravilla Greer
- IG: @uriahwrites
Somewhere - Nichole Yates
- IG: @nicholeyates
Disruption - Andrew Morris Gilman
- IG: @andrewmorrisgilman
When the Sun Sits Down - Brand Rackley
- IG: @brandrackley
Whipping Boy - Alicia Daggs
- IG: @solatidont
What's in a Name - Ky George
- IG: @kygeorgewrites
Zoo Owl - David Jennings
- FB: @DJennPhotos
- Site: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
A Quarter Century - Shy Norton
- IG: @shylascribblesart
Frolic and Prance - Jake Spann
- FB: @jake.spann.9
Heat - Cassie Grimm
- IG: @cassandrie_
After Mt. Moriah - Paul Juhasz
- IG: @paul_juhasz_author_poet
Fresh Air - Alice Vile
- IG: @alice.a.vile
Last Word - J Hall
- IG: @okiebookcast
Vagabond Hearts - Rob Sturma
- IG: @ratpack_slim
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read from the Okie Bookcast! This month, Hannah and I are joined by Clay Mattox, bookstagrammer and member of the Book Bros. We get into everything from scifi to horror to fantasy to love stories and more. If you like your bookish conversations with a side of Taylor Swift and New Girl, this is the show for you!
Quick note: The book Hannah discusses for her backlist pick contains some content that we thought might be a bit much for some listeners, so we pulled the conversation from the show. If you'd like to hear it, you can check it out on YouTube here. The book is Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica.
Connect with Clay: Instagram | Book Bros Instagram
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Discussed on the Show:
Clay
Death Troopers - Joe Schreiber
The Legend of Uh - Aaron N. Hall
Great Big Beautiful Life - Emily Henry
Parable of the Sower - Octavia Butler
Hannah
Homework: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years - Julie Andrews
The Queen - Nick Cutter
The Quiet Tenant - Clémence Michallon
Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica (listen to the conversation here)
J
The River Blade - T.R. Thompson (Available July 1)
The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
Mickey 7 - Edward Ashton
Never Let Me Go - Kazou Ishiguro
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 72!
I’ve got an incredibly fun conversation for you this month with the folks from Goblin Booth Productions which is a media production company from Norman that moved into the world of publishing in May by releasing their first book - First Degree Magic by J.M. Linkhart. In this conversation, I’m joined by the author of First Degree Magic, Jessica Linkhart, (who also happens to be the creative director of Goblin Booth Productions) and two other members of the GBP crew - Jamie Sykes (who handles the business side of Goblin Booth) and Mitchell Lewis (Goblin Booth’s art director and designer). We talk about First Degree Magic, how Goblin Booth got started, their work in the podcasting and audio space, the challenges and opportunities of independent content creation, and we get to the bottom of why they are called Goblin Booth.
Connect with Jessica: Instagram
Connect with Goblin Booth Productions: website | Instagram
Check out their podcasts: The Harrowing of Minerva Damson | Route 6.6 | Find the rest of their shows
Mentioned on the Show:
The Goblin Emperor - Katherine Addison
The Witchstone - Henry H. Neff
Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson
Dead Wake - Erik Larson
How to Marry a Millioinaire Vampire - Kerrelyn Sparks
Daisy Jones & the Six - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
Terry Pratchett
The Hollow Places - T. Kingfisher
The Old Kingdom Trilogy - Garth NIx
Spinning Silver - Naomi Novik
The Curse of Chalion - Lois McMaster Bujold
C.L. Polk
Rebecca Roanhorse
Storm Front - Jim Butcher
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! We're talking about books we can't wait to check out this summer, as well as books we're excited to see adapted for the screen. Horror, thrillers, scifi, even some romance in this edition of YNGR!
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Discussed on the Show
Hannah
When the Wolf Comes Home - Nat Cassidy
The Business Trip - Jessie Garcia
The Exorcist's House - Nick Roberts
The Long Walk - Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Summer Reads
Keep It In the Family - John Marrs
Funny Story - Emily Henry
Thirteen Storeys - Jonathan Sims
J
Middle of the Night - Riley Sager
Burn - Peter Heller
In Praise of Slowness - Carl Honore
The Murderbot Diaries - Martha Wells
Summer Reads
The Well of Ascension - Brandon Sanderson
Assassin’s Apprentice - Robin Hobb
Death of the Author - Nnedi Okorafor
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 71!
My guest today is Dr. Constance Squires. She holds a Ph.D. in English from Oklahoma State University and teaches Creative Writing at the University of Central Oklahoma in Edmond. In her new book, Low April Sun, Constance creates a novel around the events and the aftermath of the Murrah Bombing in Oklahoma City in 1995. She is also the author of the novels Along the Watchtower, which won the 2012 Oklahoma Book Award for Fiction and Live from Medicine Park, a 2018 Oklahoma Book Award finalist. In addition to these novels, Constance has a short story collection called Hit Your Brightsand her short fiction has also appeared in Guernica, The Atlantic Monthly, Shenandoah, Identity Theory, Bayou, the Dublin Quarterly, This Land, and a number of other magazines.
Constance’s nonfiction has appeared in Salon, the New York Times, the Village Voice, World Literature Today, the Philological Review, Largehearted Boy, and has been featured on the NPR program Snap Judgment. She contributed to the RollingStone500: Telling Stories in Stereo (thers500.com). and wrote the screenplay for Sundance fellow Jeffrey Palmer's 2015 short film, Grave Misgivings.
In our conversation, we talk a lot about Low April Sun and the challenges of creating fiction around significant real-world events. We also talk about the publishing journey and she gives some great advice for emerging writers.
Connect with Constance: website | Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the Show:
Falling Man - Don Delillo
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close - Jonathan Safran Foer
Libra - Don Delillo
The Secret Garden - Frances Eliza Hodgson Burnett
Little House on the Prairie - Laura Ingalls Wilder
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
University of Oklahoma Press
T.S. Eliot
Ezra Pound
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk
James - Percival Everett
Roots - Alex Haley
Blue Sky
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John le Carre
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! We are joined by historical romance author, Natalie Griffin (and her beautiful daughter Rylee!) to talk about what we're reading and why you might love it. We also talk a bit about the new Oklahoma Independent Booksellers Association and Hannah's (successful!) attempt at her first marathon. Something for everyone!
Connect with Natalie: website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Find Oklahoma Independent Bookstores: okiebookcast.com/bookstores
Discussed on the Show:
Natalie
A Court of Silver Flames - Sarah J. Maas
Malibu Rising - Taylor Jenkins Reid
The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner
Into the Wilderness series - Sarah Donati
Hannah
The Husbands - Holly Gramazio
Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
Cross My Heart - Megan Collins
The Lost Apothecary - Sarah Penner
J
Overgrowth - Mira Grant
Razorblade Tears - S.A. Cosby
Cold Eternity - S.A. Barnes
The Poisonwood Bible - Barbara Kingsolver
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Volume 12! This time we have poems from 15 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Here's the Lineup:
Spring Morning - Ruth Key
- Instagram @ruthkeypoetry
Sing to Me Ocean - Ken Hada
- Facebook: @ken.hada.3
- Website: kenhada.org
Goodbye to Talequah - Uriah Maravilla Greer
- Instagram: @uriahwrites
Barbed Wire Manual - Kristen Grace
- Instagram: @_kristen_grace
My Oklahoma Boy - Nichole Yates
- Instagram: @nicholeyates
The Slow Torment of Sunset - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Backyard Magic - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
Mr. Nonchalant Introduces Himself to the Party - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @durell.carter
Caregiver - Aubrey Green
- Instagram: @bluecloverediting
Howl at Night - Jake Spann
- Facebook: @jake.spann.9
Hope Like a Wildflower - Holly Jahangiri
- Bluesky: @jahangiri
- Website: https://jahangiri.us/2020
In the Garden on Lowell Street - Lydia Renfro
- Instagram: @lyd.fro
- Website: https://lydiarenfro.com/
Cruel Calculations - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Walking - Alice Vile
- Instagram: @alice.a.vile
Textilation - Andrew Morris Gilman
- Instagram: @andrewmorrisgilman
Observations on Fear - Ruth Key
- Instagram @ruthkeypoetry
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 70!
My guest is romance author Allison Ashley. Allison is an oncology pharmacist who has released five romance novels, including her brand new book, If Tomorrow Never Comes. In our conversation, we talk about the new book and about tropes she loves. We also talk about her interest in incorporating science and medical themes in her work and the challenge of keeping romance stories fresh.
Connect with Allison: website | Instagram
Get J's New Book, College Unpacked
Mentioned on the Show
Romance Round Table - Bookcast Chapter 68
Would You Rather - Allison Ashley
The Roommate Pact - Allison Ashley
Sherry Thomas
Adriana Herrera
Lisa Kleypas
Bridgerton - Julia Quinn
Throroughbred Series - Joanna Campbell
Black Stallion Series - Walter Farley
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! Our guest this month is Bookstagrammer (and Dad baker!) Kenny Kemper. We cover over a century's worth of books - from classic scifi to thrillers to horror to romance. You're going to find a book to love in this conversation!
Connect with Kenny: Instagram
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the Show:
KennyWhiplash River - Lou Berney
Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
The Four Winds - Kristin Hannah
Blood Evidence - Robin James
HannahThe Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides
Mistakes We Never Made - Hannah Brown
This Thing Between Us - Gus Moreno
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurie
JFirst-Degree Magic - J.M. Linkhart
The Invisible Man - H.G. Wells
Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones
The Children of Men - P.D. James
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 69!
My guests are Kelleigh Knight-Whitten and Tyler Whitten, owners of KNight’s Nook bookstore in Yukon, Oklahoma. We recorded at the store, so the audio may be a bit different than you’re used to. Kelleigh and Tyler launched Knight’s Nook in October of 2024 and are doing some really great things in their community. You are going to love getting to know Kelleigh and Tyler as we talk about how the store came about, their commitment to indie authors and to their community, and the incredible care they take as they curate their shelves.
Connect with Knight's Nook: website | Instagram | Facebook
My new book, College Unpacked: A Practical Guide to Choosing, Preparing For, and Excelling in College, is out! Find out more and get your copy at jhallwriter.com
Mentioned on the Show:
Rose Neal
Natalie Griffin
Berserk - Kentaro Miura & Jason Deangelis
Naruto - Masashi Kishimoto
Dragonball - Akira Toriyama & Toyotarou
JuJitsu Kaisen - Gege Akutami
Demonslayer - Koyoharu Gotouge
The Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
Cemetery of Forgotten Books Series - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Diviners Series - Libba Bray
These Shallow Graves - Jennifer Donnelly
Stalking Jack the Ripper series - Kerri Maniscalco
Cassandra Clare - City of Bones | Mortal Instruments
Columbine - Dave Cullen
Stiff - Mary Roach
Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
Mary Higgins Clark
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Captain Underpants - Dav Pilkey
Animorphs - K.A. Applegate
Hatchet - Gary Paulsen
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read!
Bookstagrammer Melissa Coast is back with us to talk book reviews and recommendations. We cover a wide variety on the show - everything from "fluffy" romances to horror to fantasy to books that defy classification. There's a book for you on this show!
Connect with Melissa: Instagram | Linktree
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the Show:
Melissa
The Light Brigade - Kameron Hurley
James - Percival Everett
Beartown - Frederik Backman
Even Though I Knew the End - C.L. Polk
Hannah
Better than the Movies - Lynn Painter
Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
Jane Darrowfield and the Madwoman Next Door - Barbara Ross
Beloved - Toni Morrison
J
Exposure - Ramona Emerson
Jade City - Fonda Lee
All the Water in the World - Eiren Caffall
Parable of the Sower - Octavia E. Butler
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 68 of the Bookcast!
It's February and that can only mean one thing - it's Romance Round Table time! I'm joined by 3 fantastic romance authors to talk about their work, expectations of the romance genre, writing spice, and representation. This thoughtful conversation is full of information about the genre, insights into writing romance, and laughs. So, Many. Laughs.
You've going to love getting to know Nichole Yates, Heather DuBree, and Holly Skinner.
Connect with Nichole: website | Instagram | Facebook
Connect with Heather: website | TikTok | Instagram
Connect with Holly (H.B.): Linktree | TikTok | Instagram
Join the Launch Team for J's new book - College Unpacked!
Mentioned on the Show:
Whispers of the Deep - Emma Hamm
Throne of Glass - Sarah J. Maas
Done and Dusted - Lyla Sage
Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
The Things They Carried - Tim O'Brien
Tender is the Flesh - Agustina Bazterrica
Tornado Ally - Lainey Ross
Shark Heart - Emily Habeck
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas
It Ends with Us - Colleen Hoover
Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue - V.E. Schwab
Sara Cate
Katee Robert
Erin Stirling
The Serpent and the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent
The Raven Boys - Maggie Stiefvater
Song of Achilles - Madeline Miller
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Happy 2025! We're looking forward on this edition of Your Next Great Read by sharing some books we're excited to check out in the coming year. We also talk about some things we've been reading and Hannah gets mad at me about a book she can't believe I've never read.
Get ready to fill your TBR !
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Books Discussed:
Hannah
The One - John Marrs
Before the Coffee Gets Cold - Toshikazu Kawaguchi
Three to look forward toOnyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
Sunrise on the Reaping - Suzanne Collins
The Unseen - Ania Ahlborn
Backlist
The Winter People - Jennifer McMahon
J
Gutshot Straight - Lou Berney
Children of the Neon Bamboo - B. Glynn Kimmey
Three to look forward to
King of Ashes - S.A. Cosby
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter - Stephen Graham Jones
Jade City - Fonda Lee
Backlist
11/22/63 - Stephen King
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's Volume 11 of Behind the Rain! I've got poems from 14 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
You can check out previous volumes at okiebookcast.com/behindtherain
Here's the lineup:
Supernatural - Andrew Morris Gilman
- Instagram: @andrewmorrisgilman
Twelfth-Hour Lightning Strike Piano Tunes Itself to Midnight - Michelle Lark
- Instagram: @fairylarks
The Land We Belong To - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
The Songbird - Shy Norton
- Instagram: @shylascribblesart
Haboob - Scott LaMascus
- Instagram: @scott_lamascus
An Aroma - Jake Spann
- Facebook: @jake.spann.9
The Waving Wheat Can Sure Smell Bittersweet - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
To Someone I Can't Fall With Again - Seth Copeland
- Instagram: @sethtcope
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
The Halls of Snow and Sleep - Kristen Grace
- Instagram: @_kristen_grace
You Were But a Batch of Bones and Fur - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Nocturne - Aubrey Green
- Instagram: @bluecloverediting
What I've Learned from Watching Yes Men Win - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @durell.carter
Gather - Alice Vile
- Instagram: @alice.a.vile
So Little Time - Linda Neal Reising
- Instagram: @nealreising
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 67!
My guest is indie author Luke Swanson. Luke has been a part of a couple of different shows, but this was my first chance to interview him and we had a blast!
Luke is an author with five published novels under his belt, each in a vastly different genre. He says that Much like Oklahoma's weather, what he's reading and what he's writing could change within the hour. If you want someone who can recite "The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" from start to finish but also gets really nerdy about Civil War history, he's your guy.
Connect with Luke: website | Instagram | TikTok
After the interview - I give some updates about where the show is heading in 2025, so be sure to stick around for that.
Mentioned on the Show:
Alex Rider series - Anthony Horowitz
The Book Thief - Markus Zusak
Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon
Nancy Drew - Carolyn Keene
The Pawn - Steven James
Havah - Tosca Lee
Mystic River - Dennis LeHane
Animal Farm - George Orwell
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
Team of Rivals - Doris Kearns Goodwin
My Thoughts Be Bloody - Nora Titone
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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We're wrapping up 2024 with a conversation about our favorite reads of the year! Hannah and J talk about what they're reading and then get into their 3 favorite reads of 2024. Check out our list and then let us know your favorite books of the year.
Fave Five From Fans episodes: J | Hannah
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Books Discussed:
Hannah
The Night Circus - Erin Morgenstern
The Family Game - Catherine Steadman
Fave 3
Episode 13 - Craig Dilouie
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
Horror Movie - Paul Tremblay
Backlist
Hell House - Richard Matheson
J
Dark Age - Pierce Brown
Service Model - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Fave 3
Starter Villain - John Scalzi
Everyone in my Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson
Chain Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei Brenyah
Backlist
The Running Man - Stephen King (writing as Richard Bachman)
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 66!
I got to sit down with Russ Fellows to talk about his new book - Children of the Ancient Heroes: Dreams and Nightmares - the first in a new middle grade fantasy series. We also talk about writing for middle grade readers and his podcast project, Enchanted Stories, that focuses on sharing great stories with kids.
List of Oklahoma Independent Bookstores: okiebookcast.com/bookstores
List of Oklahoma Children's Authors: okiebookcast.com/kidlit
Connect with Russ: website | Linktree
Enchanted Stories Podcast on YouTube
Mentioned on the Show:
Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Jules Verne
Neil Gaiman
The Princess and the Goblin - George MacDonald
The Patron Thief of Bread - Lindsey Eagar
Nevermore series - Jessica Townsend
The Thirteenth Child - Erin A. Craig
Story Thieves - James Riley
Stephen King
Dean Koontz
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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This month, we're joined by Emma Jackson to talk about what we're reading and why you might love it! We've got thrillers, romance, books on creativity, scifi, lots of YA, horror, and even a western. You're going to find a book or two to love in this fun conversation.
Connect with Emma: Instagram | Threads | Twitter | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the Show:
Emma
Inheritance of Scars - Crystal Seitz
Royal Blood - Aimee Carter
Jade City - Fonda Lee
An Ember in the Ashes - Sabaa Tahir
Hannah
The Paradise Problem - Christina Lauren
What I Talk About When I Talk About Running - Haruki Murakami
Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
J
The Butcher’s Masquerade - Matt Dinnimann
The Cannibal Owl - Aaron Gwyn
I Was a Teenage Slasher - Stephen Graham Jones
Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 65!
My guest today is James Cooper. James is the Oklahoma City Councilman for Ward 2 and an Artist in Residence for the English department at OCU, where he teaches courses on writing and horror. His work has been published in the Oklahoma Gazette and the Huffington Post and he was named a Champion of Pride by Advocate Magazine and received the Rising Star Award from the OSU College of Arts and Sciences.
We're talking about James' debut novel - Moonlit Massacre - a horror novel about a mass murder following in the vein of the infamous Sirloin Stockade murders in Oklahoma City in the 70s. Over the course of the conversation we also talk about Care Bears, Nightmare on Elm Street, Lil Wayne, jazz, a little OKC politics, and a particular influence that you'll have to hear to believe.
As you can imagine, the conversation turns to violence a bit, so be advised as you decide to listen.
Connect with James: website | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Mentioned on the Show:
Lou Berney
Stephen Graham Jones
Men, Women, and Chainsaws - Carol Clover
A Single Man - Christopher Isherwood
No Country for Old Men - Cormac McCarthy
Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy
OKC: Second Time Around - Steve Lackmeyer
Funny Money - Mark Singer
Reconstructing the Dreamland - Alfred L. Brophy
Invisible Man - Ralph Ellison
Moffie - Andre Carl Van Der Merwe
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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We are so excited to welcome back author Stacey Kade (S.A. Barnes) for this edition of Your Next Great Read! We talk about plenty of Spooky Season reads, but also some science fiction, romance, and thrillers.
Get ready to fill your TBR list with more great books!
Connect with Stacey: website | Instagram | Threads
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the show:
Stacey
So Thirsty - Rachel Harrison
White Line Fever - KC Jones
Four Weekends and a Funeral - Ellie Palmer
The Return Man - V.M. Zito
Hannah
Thriller: Stories to Keep You Up All Night - James Patterson (ed.)
Mary - Nat Cassidy
Like It Never Was - Faith Gardner
It - Stephen King
J
The Mountain in the Sea - Ray Nayler
Red Rising - Pierce Brown
Worst Case Scenario - TJ Newman
Into the Drowning Deep - Mira Grant
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's Volume 10 of Behind the Rain! I've got 14 poems from 13 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
Here's the lineup:
At Home In the Hills (for Paul Askew) - Paul Austin
- Website: paustin.net
Future of Sound - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
Noise and Haste - Andrew Morris Gilman
- Instagram: @andrewmorrisgilman
Early - Ruth Key
- Instagram @ruthkeypoetry
American Night - James Thomas Fletcher
- Facebook: James.Thomas.Fletcher
- Website: jamesthomasfletcher
In a Children's Museum - Paul Juhasz
- Facebook: Paul Juhasz Author
Silent Jubilee - Alicia Daggs
- Instagram: @solatidont
Cimarron - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
To the Spur-Throated Grasshopper, My Dog is a Villain and An Occasion When Summer Rain was too Severe for Outside Play - Lydia Renfro
- Instagram: @lyd.fro
- Website: https://lydiarenfro.com/
Whalefall- Hallie McGrath
- Instagram: @jackrabbit_soul
North for You - Seth Copeland
- Instagram: @sethtcope
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Work - Rilla Askew
- Instagram: @rilla_askew
- Website: rillaaskew.com
Barren Ground - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Chapter 64 of the Okie Bookcast! It’s a huge week for us as we celebrate our third anniversary! All I can say is thank you - I appreciate you more than you know, now onward to year four!
Speaking of anniversaries, my guests for this episode are from Best of Books, an independent bookstore in Edmond that is celebrating its 40th anniversary this week! I’m joined by Nan Hight and Dani Terrell to talk about the store, their huge anniversary celebration on October 10, and the incredible relationship the store has developed with authors through the years.
Nan is a former educator who, along with her husband Joe and daughter Elena, has owned Best of Books since 2014.
Dani is also a former educator who joined Best of Books two years ago and works on events and social media for the store.
Enjoy our conversation as we celebrate 40 years of this fantastic Oklahoma bookstore!
Connect with Best of Books: website | Instagram | Facebook | TikTok | Twitter
Mentioned on the Show:
Unnecessary Sorrow - Joe Hight
Camino Ghosts - John Grisham
Scarlett St. Clair
Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Ruta Sepetys
Steve Sheinkin
Ordinary Grace - William Kent Kruger
Touch of Darkness series - Scarlett St. Clair
The Dead Guy Next Door - Lucy Score
The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
Kwame Alexander
Being Henry: The Fonz...and Beyond - Henry Winkler
Stick Dog - Tom Watson
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read for September 2024! J and Hannah are joined by author, Tyler Lenz, to talk books. We cover a ton of ground - everything from rocky aliens to bridezillas to saber-toothed tigers. And a lot of love for Matt Haig. Something for every reader!
Get ready to fill your TBR list with more great books.
Connect with Tyler: Facebook
Get Tyler's Books: The Seam | Beyond the Seam
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the Show:
TylerScythe - Neal Shustermann
Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinnimann
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
11/22/63 - Stephen King
HannahHell House - Richard Matheson
Incidents Around the House - Josh Malerman
The Wedding People - Allison Espach
The Midnight Library - Matt Haig
JThe Life Impossible - Matt Haig
The Ministry of Time - Kaliane Bradley
The Seam - Tyler Lenz
The Rise and Fall of D.O.D.O - Neal Stephenson and Nicole Galland
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 63! My guest should be a familiar voice to long-time listeners - Rilla Askew joined me for Chapter 30 to talk about her novel, Prize for the Fire. She's back to talk about her new collection of short stories: The Hungry and the Haunted, available from Belle Point Press on September 17.
Rilla is the author of multiple novels, story collections, and creative non-fiction. She's the recipient of the Oklahoma Book Award and the American Book Award, among other honors.
In our conversation we talk about her short fiction and her novels, her use of place in her fiction, and we spend some time celebrating the incredible literary culture of Oklahoma.
Connect with Rilla: website | Instagram
Conversation with Casie Dodd from Belle Point Press (C. 55)
Conversation with Rob Roensch (C. 53)
Mentioned on the Show:Prize for the Fire - Rilla Askew
Belle Point Press (order The Hungry and the Haunted)
In the Morning, the City is the Prairie - Rob Roensch
Ben Myers
Best American Short Stories (2023)
I Can Hear Everything from Here - Mark Walling
Bruce Springsteen
William Faulkner
James Baldwin
Wolf Hall Trilogy - Hillary Mantel
okiebookcast.com/bookstores - The list of Oklahoma independent bookstores
Connect with J: website | TikTok | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We celebrated the second anniversary of Your Next Great Read by recording this show in front of a live audience at Second Story Books in OKC! In addition to the second anniversary of this show, this is also the 100th episode of the Okie Bookcast!
We talk about a ton of books with our guest, Magen Runyan, and also get quick reviews from a couple of special guests and recommendations from the crowd for our backlist category.
Connect with Magen Runyan: Instagram | YouTube | TikTok
Connect with Luke Swanson: website | Instagram | TikTok
Connect with Garrett Queener: Instagram | TikTok
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Second Story Books in OKC: website | Instagram
Mentioned on the Show:
Magen
Unlikeable Female Characters: The Women Pop Culture Wants You To Hate - Anna Bogutskaya
The Orchard - Jeffrey Stepakof
I am Number Four - Pittacus Lore
Luke
The Reappearance of Rachel Price - Holly Jackson
Garrett
The Mist - Stephen King
Hannah
We Used to Live Here - Marcus Kliewer
The Handler - Garrett Queener
Six of Crows - Leigh Bardugo
J
The Hungry and the Haunted - Rilla Askew
The Last Murder at the End of the World - Stuart Turton
Farenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Visit okiebookcast.com for links to all of the crowd backlist recommendations!
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 62 of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is children's author, Toby Rowland. Toby has been the Voice of the Sooners for the last 13 years. He is also the host of the “T-Row in the Morning Show” on KREF in Norman and is an on-air Sports Contributor for KWTV (OKC) and KOTV (Tulsa). Toby released his first children's book, featuring University of Oklahoma mascots Boomer and Sooner, in 2020 and has just released a second book - "Put the Ponies in the Barn: Boomer and Sooner Take Their Wagon to the SEC". In our conversation we talk about his books and his writing, working with his illustrator - Rob Peters, and the challenges presented by working with protected intellectual properties like college mascots. Whether you’re a sports fan or not, you’re going to enjoy hearing from Toby.
Connect with Toby: Twitter | Instagram
Mentioned on the Show:
Go Cubs Go - Marv Levy and Rob PetersA Good Walk Spoiled: Days and Nights on the PGA Tour - John Feinstein
Open: Inside the Ropes at Bethpage Black - John Feinstein
Play by Play - Verne Lundquist
Quiet Strength - Tony Dungy
The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to the July edition of Your Next Great Read! J and Hannah are joined by YA author, Candace Kade, to talk books. We cover a ton of ground - everything from murder mysteries to teen angst to Japanese dragons. Something for every reader!
Get ready to fill your TBR list with more great books.
Connect with Candace: website | Instagram
Get Candace's Books: Enhanced | Hybrid
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
CandaceCalculated - Nova McBee
Suspended in the Stars - E.A. Hendryx
Saints and Monsters - Ellen McGinty
The Water Child - Ellen McGinty
Uglies - Scott Westerfeld
HannahLiar’s Beach - Katie Cotugno
Sundown - Hudson Haskins
Brother - Ania Ahlborn
Seed - Ania Ahlborn
A Flicker in the Dark - Stacy Willingham
The Fault in Our Stars - John Green
JEveryone In My Family Has Killed Someone - Benjamin Stevenson
I Must Say: My Humble Life as a Comedy Legend - Martin Short
Machine Learning - Hugh Howey
Ender’s Game - Orson Scott Card
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Welcome to Volume 9 of Behind the Rain - our second anniversary edition!
We've been celebrating Oklahoma poetry for two years now and have, in total, presented 105 poems from 46 fantastic poets. For this volume we have 14 poems from 12 poets.
Here's the lineup:
Spring High Noons - Abigail Pappas
- Instagram: @actually_belle
On the Banks of the Canadian - Lydia Renfro
- Instagram: @lyd.fro
- Website: https://lydiarenfro.com/
Mother Raccoon - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Double Rainbow, Just East of Wanette - Ken Hada
- Facebook: @ken.hada.3
- Website: kenhada.org
Bugs - Cassie Grimm
- Instagram: @cassandrie_
Rattlin' Bones - Alicia Daggs
- Instagram: @solatidont
The Reason We Gather for the Solar Eclipse - Linda Neal Reising
- Instagram: @nealreising
- Website: lindanealreising.weebly.com
If You Missed the House Concert - Rob Sturma
- Instagram: @ratpack_slim
- Website: www.freezeraypoetry.com
Like a Leaf and Sleep Comforts - Ruth Key
- Instagram @ruthkeypoetry
Radical Acceptance - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @durell.carter
Last Look at Indiahoma before Old 62 Takes You Somewhere Else - Seth Copeland
- Instagram: @sethtcope
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
The End of Summers - Abigail Pappas
- Instagram: @actually_belle
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's Chapter 61 of the Bookcast!
This month, I sat down with three amazing Bookstagrammers - Grace Filer, Clay Mattox, and Jessica Berg - to talk about the Bookstagram community and each of their unique approaches to being a part of the ecosystem. We talk about a ton of books, but also about talking about books and building community around a shared passion for reading.
Grace Filer is the Cofounder of If Books Could Thrill, a thriller book club in the metro OKC area and she’s been on Bookstagram for 2.5 years.
Grace's Bookstagram: @gracevelynreads
Clay Mattox is a reader who rediscovered a love of books in adulthood. He’s one of the four Book Bros OK on Bookstagram who host book clubs at Bluebird Books in Edmond and Second Story Books in OKC.
Clay's Bookstagram: @madoc_grams_literature and @book_bros_ok
Jessica Berg is a Librarian who works in cancer research & runs multiple monthly book clubs.
Jessica's Bookstagram: @biblioberg
Books and Resources Mentioned on the Show:
Monstrulio - Gerardo Sámano Córdova
House on the Cerulian Sea - TJ Klune
The Women - Kristin Hannah
The Ex Talk - Rachel Lynn Solomon
Emily Henry
It - Stephen King
We Are All the Same in the Dark - Julia Heaberlin
Dreamland Burning - Jennifer Latham
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
Wanderers - Chuck Wendig
The Stand - Stephen King
Cell - Stephen King
Under the Dome - Stephen King
Books in the Freezer Podcast
Instagram: Michael Laborne
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Wayfarers Series - Becky Chambers
Monk and Robot Series - Becky Chambers
Nothing to See Here - Kevin Wilson
Now is not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson
Tunneling to the Center of the Earth - Kevin Wilson
The Dark Tower Series - Stephen King
Wayward - Chuck Wendig
Outlander series - Diana Gabaldon
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome back to Your Next Great Read! Hannah and J are back with tons of recommendations and reviews for curious readers like you.
Remember - you can purchase any of the titles we discuss via the links below or on our Bookshop.org online store. Every book you buy helps out the Bookcast AND a local bookstore of your choosing. Win. Win. Win.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
HannahHorror Movie - Paul Tremblay
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
Landline - Rainbow Rowell
The Last House on Needless Street - Catriona Ward?
Tress of the Emerald Sea - Brandon Sanderson
The Mist - Stephen King
JYou Like It Darker - Stephen King
Swan Song - Robert McCammon
Bird By Bird - Anne Lamott
Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinnimann
The Peace War and Marooned in Realtime - Vernor Vinge
Why Call Them Back From Heaven? - Clifford Simak
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 60! And welcome back! I'm so excited to be back from hiatus and bringing you bookish conversations with great authors like Jeff Schmidt.
Jeff is the author of the brand new book Here Today: Oklahoma’s Ghost Towns, Vanishing Towns, and Towns Persisting against the Odds. Jeff is an Associate Professor of Marketing in the Price College of Business at the University of Oklahoma where he has taught since 2005. Jeff specializes in innovation and he also serves as Associate Division Director of Marketing and Supply Chain Management. Jeff has been exploring ghost towns for more than 25 years and spent 4 years and traveled 8,000 miles working on the Here Today book.
In our conversation we get to hear a ton of stories about these towns across Oklahoma as well as the thought and care and passion Jeff brought to this project. It is a fascinating look at our wild state that I know you’re going to love.
Connect with Jeff: Website | Twitter |Instagram | Facebook | LinkedIn
Check out the brand new FREE course: Marketing through Podcast Appearances
Mentioned on the Show:
Ghost Towns of Kansas - Daniel C. Fitzgerald
Ghost Towns of Oklahoma - John Morris
From Strength to Strength - Arthur Brooks
Build the Life You Want - Arthur Brooks and Oprah Winfrey
The Time Keeper - Mitch Albom
The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom
Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon
All the Light We Cannot See - Anthony Doerr
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's Volume 8 of Behind the Rain! I've got 11 poems from 10 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
Here's the lineup for this edition of the anthology:
April and Winter - Aubrey Green
- Facebook: @BlueCloverEditing
- Website: www.bluecloverediting.com
Local News From Where We Met - Seth Copeland
- BlueSky: @brushwithseth.bsky.social
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Unhatched and Broken - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
And I See It Clearly - Abagail Pappas
- Instagram: @actually_belle
Gut Shot - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Approaching Seventy - Ron Wallace
- Website: www.ronwallacepoetry.com
Murrah - Paul Juhasz
- Facebook: Paul Juhasz Author
Next Time - Holly Jahangiri
- Facebook: @author.hollyjahangiri
- Website: https://jahangiri.us/2020
Trying - Clay Mattox
- Instagram: @madoc_grams_literature
Untitled #5 - Jes McCutchen
- Instagram: @jesmwrites
- Website: jesmccutchenwrites.com
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Nine of Behind the Rain (releasing July 15, 2024), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details. Submission deadline is June 15!
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Hannah and I are joined by Andie Schulz to talk about what we've been reading and why you might love it. We cover everything from mind-bending horror to sweeping space operas to warm fuzzy rom-coms. There may also be some conversation about elements that would go into a YNGR Drinking Game.
Enjoy the conversation and let us know your thoughts on the books we discuss.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Discussed on the Show:
Andie
Apples Never Fall - Liane Moriarity
The Girl in Cabin 13 - A.J. Rivers
The Long Game - Elena Armas
All the Missing Girls - Megan Miranda
Hannah
A Psalm for the Wild-Built - Becky Chambers
Ask For Andrea - Noelle Ihli
Episode Thirteen - Craig Dilouie
Monster - Walter Dean Myers
J
This New Dark - Chase Dearinger
After World - Debbie Urbanski
Eyes of the Void - Adrian Tchaikovsky
House of Leaves - Mark Z. Danielewski
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 59!
My guest is author and poet, Paul Juhasz. A graduate of the Red Earth M.F.A., Paul’s work has appeared in several literary journals, most recently Concho River Review, Poetry Quarterly, Oklahoma Review and Main Street Rag. He has served as curator and coordinator of the Woody Guthrie Poets since 2020. He has four books, including his most recent - As If Place Matters - a collection of short fiction.
In our conversation we talk about all of Paul’s work across genres and forms and his approach to connecting his lived experiences to his writing. We also get into how he unravels problems in his writing. This is a great conversation for readers and writers alike with some important things to say about how our history informs what we create. Quick content note: We talk about coping with childhood trauma and self-harm so please be aware of that content going into the conversation.
Connect with Paul: Instagram | Facebook
Paul's Books:
Fulfillment: Diary of a Warehouse Picker
Ronin
The Inner Life of Comics
As If Place Matters
Mentioned on the show:
Running with Scissors - Augusten Burroughs
Joseph Conrad
Lou Berney
Jeannetta Calhoun Mish
Letters to Wendy’s - Joe Wenderoth
Fine Dog Press
TC Boyle
Cormac McCarthy
Dave Eggers
Hamlet - William Shakespeare
No Country for Old Men - Corman McCarthy
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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I'm joined by the host of Fave Five From Fans, Jamie Ray, to talk about the film adaptation of the Richard Bachman / Stephen King classic - The Running Man. We talk about the book and the film and all of the many (so many) ways in which the two are different. It's a celebration of spandex and catchphrases - all of the 80s Arnold magic you can stand.
If you love the book and / or the film, you'll love this conversation. If you haven't read or seen it, you're going to want to by the time we're through.
Check it out and let us know what we got right (or wrong).
Connect with Jamie: website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Purchase The Running Man
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 58! We've got a Round Table talking about all things romance writing. It's a fun and thoughtful conversation with something for everyone - even those of you (like me) who don't typically read romance.
Magen Runyan - Podcaster (3 Book Girls) and Bookstagrammer
Connect with Magen: Instagram | 3 Book Girls
Clay Mattox - Bookstagrammer
Connect with Clay: Instagram | Book Bros OK
Collette Carmon - Author and VP of ORWG
Connect with Collette: website | Facebook | Instagram
Sabrina A. Fish - Author and President of ORWG
Connect with Sabrina: website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Mentioned on the Show:
Icebreaker - Hannah Grace
Book Lovers - Emily Henry
Vampires of El Norte - Isabel Canas
A Game of Gods - Scarlett St. Clair
Under the Dome - Stephen King
The Greatest Love Story Ever Told - Nick Offerman and Megan Mullally
Cold Blood - Marnie Vinge
Vampire Queen's Search - Sabrina A. Fish
How the Penguins Saved Veronica - Hazel Prior
Mexican Gothic - Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Red, White, and Royal Blue - Casey McQuiston
Mistborn - Brandon Sanderson
Nalini Singh
Love in the Time of Serial Killers - Alicia Thompson
Butcher and Blackbird - Brynne Weaver
Firekeeper's Daughter - Angeline Boulley
A Psalm for the Wild-Built - Becky Chambers
Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
The King of Spring - Collette Carmon
Oklahoma Ro
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Looking for great books? We've got you covered!
Our guest is Bookstagrammer Grace Filer who runs the "If Books Could Thrill" book club in OKC.
Connect with Grace: Instagram | If Books Could Thrill IG
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Recommendations in this episode:
Grace
I Am, I Am, I Am: Seventeen Brushes with Death - Maggie O’Farrell
The Swimmers - Julie Otsuka
Monstrilio - Gerardo Sámano Córdova
The Midnight Club - Christopher Pike
Hannah
A Court of Wings and Ruin - Sarah J. Maas
Nestlings - Nat Cassidy
The September House - Carissa Orlando
Holes - Louis Sachar
J
Day of the Triffids - John Wyndham
Starter Villain - John Scalzi
Chain Gang All-Stars - Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Ringworld - Larry Niven
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 57! My guest today is Missy Hancock.
Missy describes herself as a wife of one, mom of six, and grammy of one. She’s lived in Oklahoma since she was ten and is happily settled in Guthrie, America. She says her motto in life is to live by love, not by fear. In the fall of 2023 Missy released three books in her Ele Charmichael series, under her pen name - M. Sparks Clark.
We have a fun conversation about her work, self-publishing, staying true to your characters, and, of course, Bigfoot.
Connect with Missy: website | Instagram | TikTok
Mentioned on the Show
Ele Carmichael series - Missy Hancock
Holly Samson Hall
The Floating Bookshop
The Scent Keeper - Erica Bauermeister
Liane Moriarty
Kelly Harms
Amy E. Riechert
Kathrine Center
Louise Miller
Beth O’Leary
Other Birds | The Sugar Queen - Sarah Addison Allen
Heather Webber
A Man Called Ove - Fredrick Backman
Phaedra Patrick
Madeleine L’ Engle Time Quartet
Codex Alera series - Jim Butcher
Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's Volume 7 of Behind the Rain! I've got 11 poems from 9 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
Here's the lineup for this edition of the anthology:
Pretty Wordy - Rachel Waters
- Instagram: @rachelwaters.co
- Website: https://rachelwaters.co/poet/
Let It Burn - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Tornado Alley - Holly Jahangiri
- Facebook: @author.hollyjahangiri
- Website: https://jahangiri.us/2020
Yoked - MAC Woods
- Instagram: @mac_since1985
To Nowhere and Blue Balloon - Ruth Key
Cherry Creek - Andrew Gilman
- Instagram: @andrewmorrisgilman
Return to the Sea - Abagail Pappas
- Instagram: @actually_belle
My Power - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
What He'd Done - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
New Year's Musings - Rachel Waters
- Instagram: @rachelwaters.co
- Website: https://rachelwaters.co/poet/
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Eight of Behind the Rain (releasing April 15, 2024), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details. Submission deadline is March 15!
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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I'm joined by author and podcaster, Betsey Kulakowski, to talk about the 1974 film adaptation of an Oklahoma classic - Where the Red Fern Grows by Wilson Rawls. We talk about the book and the film and ways in which the movie got it "right" and a place or two where it might have missed the mark. Spoiler alert, I've got some strong thoughts on that front.
If you love the book and / or the film, you'll love this conversation. If you haven't read or seen it, you're going to want to by the time we're through.
Check it out and let us know what we got right (or wrong).
Connect with Betsey: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Unfreakingbelieveable Podcast: Instagram
Purchase Where the Red Fern Grows
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 56!
Today I get to introduce you to the owner of one of the great comic shops in Oklahoma - Buck Berlin from New World Comics in OKC. New World has been a fixture in Oklahoma City for decades and Buck has been its owner and chaos coordinator for the last couple of those.
In our conversation we cover:
- The origins of the store and what it has to offer
- The comic creation scene in Oklahoma
- The role Buck and a group of superhero cosplayers perform in the community
- Advice for those just getting interested in comics
- What to expect when you walk into a comic shop for the first time
- The value of comics for reluctant readers
- the significance of comics as a medium for storytelling
Connect with Buck at New World Comics: Facebook
New World Comic Con: website
Titles and Creators Mentioned on the Show:
Watchmen - Alan Moore
Maus - Art Spiegelman
Charles Martin / Literati Press
Glamorella’s Daughter - Charles Martin and Jerry Bennett
Heathen - Natasha Alterici
The Black-Jack Demon - Nick Hermes
We Promised Utopia
Scud the Disposable Assassin - Harmon, Carter, Schrab, Grey
Arsenic Lullaby
Daniel Warren Johnson
Kyle Starks
Stan Lee
Characters Mentioned on the Show:
Superman
Batman
The Crow
Blade
XMen
Spiderman
Captain America
Mr. Fantastic / Fantastic Four
Guardians of the Galaxy
Red Tornado
Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's the December 2023 edition of Your Next Great Read! This is a special one as Hannah and I are actually recording in the same room for the first time. We don't have a guest for this episode, but we do talk about our favorite three books of 2023 in addition to our usual conversation.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Recommendations:
Hannah
A Court of Thorns and Roses - Sarah J. Maas
Iron Flame - Rebecca Yarros
One Day in December - Josie Silver
Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren
Hannah's 2023 Top 3:
Black Sheep - Rachel Harrison
Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubica
Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
J
Worth Dying For - Lee Child
Horrorstor - Grady Hendrix
The Lost Cause - Cory Doctorow
Dogs of War - Adrian Tchaikovsky
J's 2023 Top 3:
Piranesi - Susanna Clarke
Shutter - Ramona Emerson
The Long and Faraway Gone - Lou Berney
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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My guest for Chapter 55 is Casie Dodd. Casie is originally from Tulsa, Oklahoma but now lives in Fort Smith, Arkansas with her husband and two children. Her work has appeared in This Land, Oxford American, Image, Arkansas Review, and other journals. Casie is the founder and publisher of Belle Point Press, a fantastic independent press that has published several books from Oklahoma authors and poets, including Ben Myers, Damon McKinney, and Rob Roensch. In our conversation, we talk about the origins of Belle Point Press and its mission and heartbeat. We also talk about the advantages and challenges of small presses and about Casie’s work, as well as that of many others. It’s a great look behind the curtain of publishing from the perspective of a small press.
Connect with Casie: writing website | Belle Point Press website | Substack | Instagram
Mentioned on the show:
Mid-South Anthology:
- Ben Myers
- Tyler Justin Smothers
- Kristen Grace
Beer Breath Kisses - Damon McKinney
In the Morning, The City Is the Prairie - Rob Roensch
Deep Vellum Books
Headless John the Baptist Hitchhiking: Poems - C.T. Salazar
Night Angler - Geffrey Davis
Hub City Press
Cleave - tiana nobile
Texas Review Press
Bull City Press
The End of the Affair - Graham Greene
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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I'm joined by author Luke Swanson to talk about our favorite adaptation of Charles Dickens' 1843 classic, A Christmas Carol. Not to give it away, but Kermit may be involved.
We talk about the book and the film and look at faithfulness and changes - including all of the music. If you're a fan of the story or the film, you're going to love the conversation. If you've never seen the movie, you'll be looking for it as soon as you finish listening.
Check it out and let us know what we got right (or wrong).
Connect with Luke: website | Instagram | TikTok
Grab Luke's new book - Curtains on a Christmas Carol
Purchase A Christmas Carol
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 54!
My guest is debut novelist, Emily Habeck, author of Shark Heart: A Love Story. Emily has a BFA in Theater from Southern Methodist University’s Meadows School of the Arts as well as master’s degrees from Vanderbilt Divinity School and Vanderbilt’s Peabody College. Since it's release in August, Shark Heart has been named a USA Today Bestseller, a Book of the Month selection, a New York Times book review editor’s choice, and was the #1 Indie Next pick for August 2023. She is from Ardmore, Oklahoma and currently lives in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
Connect with Emily: website | Instagram | Twitter
Purchase Shark Heart: A Love Story from Bookshop.org
Books mentioned on the show:
You Could Make This Place Beautiful - Maggie Smith
Smile - Sarah Ruhl
Bluets - Maggie Nelson
Fellowship Point - Alice Elliot Dark
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Your Next Great Read! We're taking an international spin this month with our special guest, Lydia Filiou, who oversees the Translated Fiction Book Club in Oklahoma City. Translated Fiction meets once a month at a local bookshop in town to discuss a work translated into English.
You can find out more about the club, including upcoming books for discussion on their Instagram: @translatedokc.
Lydia Filiou
Battle Royale - Koushun Takami
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit - Jeanette Winterson
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
Notes of a Crocodile - Qiu Miaojin
Hannah
The Only One Left - Riley Sager
Everyone Here is Lying - Shari Lapena
Friends, Lovers, and the Big Terrible Thing: A Memoir - Matthew Perry
The Vegetarian - Han Kang
J
The Wager: A Tale of Shipwreck, Mutiny, and Murder - David Grann
The Balloon Hunter - Hugh Howey and Elinor Taylor
Red Sneaker Writers series - William Bernhardt
The Remembrance of Earth’s Past Trilogy - Liu Cixin
Other books mentioned
Elena Knows - Claudia Piniero
Death and the Penguin - Andrey Kurkov
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead - Olga Tokarczuk
Silo series - Hugh Howey
Sand series - Hugh Howey
A Stranger in the House - Shari Lapena
The Couple Next Door - Shari Lapena
Hurricane Season - Fernanda Melchor
Seasons of Migration to the North - Tayeb Salih
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 53 of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is Rob Roensch, Rob is an award-winning author of short fiction and author of three books, including his latest, In the Morning, the City is the Prairie. In addition to his writing, Rob teaches at Oklahoma City University.
In our conversation, we talk about Rob’s new book, setting books in Oklahoma City, and using description and dialog to generate and maintain momentum through a book. We also talk about the author Rob would most like to take to Sonic.
Connect with Rob: website | Twitter
Our reviewer, Sydney Aerin, should be a familiar voice. Sydney contributed a review back in Chapter 48 and her poetry has been featured in Volumes 5 and 6 of Behind the Rain, our audio anthology of Oklahoma Poetry. Sydney is a licensed therapist who is passionate about mental health education, disability awareness, and equality for all. You can find Sydney's performance and publication information on her Instagram @sydneysometimes.
Sydney is reviewing a book by another Oklahoma poet - Mr. Monday Morning's Broken Songs and Testimonies by Durell Carter.
Mentioned on the Show:
Belle Point Press
The Long and Faraway Gone - Lou Berney
Boom Town - Sam Anderson
The Moviegoer - Walker Percy
Edisto - Padgett Powell
Annie John - Jamaica Kinkaid
The Chocolate War - Robert Cormier
Walden - Henry David Thoreau
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We're talking about the 1974 adaptation of Agatha Christi's Murder on the Orient Express.
I'm joined by Jamie Ray, host of Fave Five From Fans, to talk about the book and the film adaptation. What did they get right? What got changed? Which actors nailed the characters and which might have missed (our interpretation of) the mark?
If you've never read or seen Murder on the Orient Express, we'll give you plenty to whet your appetite and talk about whether you should read the book or watch the film first. If you're a fan, listen along and let us know where we got it right (or wrong).
We also try to avoid spoilers and we do not give away the ending.
Connect with Jamie: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Purchase Murder on the Orient Express
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 52!
My guest is Vanessa LIllie. Vanessa is the best-selling author of the thrillers Little Voices and For the Best. She also co-authored the instant bestselling Audible Original Young Rich Widows. Her latest novel, titled Blood Sisters, released October 31st, and is the first in a new series with missing and murdered indigenous women at the heart of the stories. Vanessa is an enrolled citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma living on Narragansett land in Rhode Island.
In addition to her writing, she also hosts an Instagram Live show where she talks with crime fiction authors.
In our conversation, we talk about Vanessa’s new novel and why it was important to her to set it in Northeast Oklahoma. We also talk about writing for audio versus writing for the page and why she finds it important to support the work of other authors.
Connect with Vanessa: Website | Instagram | Facebook | Twitter
Mentioned on the show:
Never Whistle at Night: An Indigenous Dark Fiction Anthology
And Then She Fell - Alicia Elliot
Bad Cree - Jessica Johns
Sisters of the Lost Nation - Nick Medina
Man Made Monsters - Andrea L. Rogers
Tommy Orange
Stephen Graham Jones
Firekeeper’s Daughter - Angeline Boulley
Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's a deluxe edition of Your Next Great Read!
Our guest is S.A.Barnes (Stacey Kade), author of Dead Silence - one of J and Hannah's favorite reads of the last couple of years. In addition to our dozen recommendations, we talk about including the COVID-19 pandemic in fiction and the progression of fan fiction authors in publishing. We also talk about another dozen or so books in the process of our recommendations. Best of luck to your TBR pile!
Connect with SA (Stacey): website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Recommendations:
Stacey
The Death of Us - Lori Rader-Day
Whalefall - Daniel Kraus
Black Sheep - Rachel Harrison
Tangled Planet - Kate Blair
Famous Last Words - Katie Alender
Hannah
The Minds of Billy Milligan - Daniel Keyes
Holly - Steven King
The Love Hypothesis - Ali Hazelwood
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
J
Fractal Noise - Christopher Paolini
Dark Ride - Lou Berney
The Android’s Dream - John Scalzi
The Lion, The Witch, and The Wardrobe - C.S. Lewis
All of the extra books
Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes
Ghost Station - S.A. Barnes
The Black Hour - Lori RaderDay
To Sleep in a Sea of Stars - Christopher Paolini
Paradise-1 - David Wellington
Flowers for Algernon - David Keyes
The Long and Faraway Gone - Lou Berney
Redshirts - John Scalzi
Mr. Mercedes - Steven King
The Return - Rachel Harrison
Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo - Taylor Jenkins Reid
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Something a little different for this episode. I'm joined by Garret Castleberry and Scott McMurry from the Special Topics in Media podcast to talk about the film version of Killers of the Flower Moon and how it works as an adaptation of David Grann's book. We talk a lot about different elements and how they compare between the two versions and ultimately answer the question of whether someone should read the book or watch the film first.
This is Part One of our conversation. Part Two focuses on an analysis of the film itself and will be posted to the Special Topics in Media feed soon.
Special Topics in Media: Facebook | Listen to the show
For further reading:
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
Rich Indians: Native People and the Problem of Wealth in American History - Alexandra Harmon
Oklahoma's Poor Rich Indians - Bonnin, Fabens, and Sniffen (1924)
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 51!
My guest for this episode is crime novelist, Lou Berney. Lou is the author of several novels, including November Road and The Long and Faraway Gone, which is on the Okie Bookcast list of 50 Essential Oklahoma Reads. His latest novel - Dark Ride - was released earlier this fall. Lou has lived most of his life in Oklahoma City where, in addition to his writing, he teaches in the MFA program at Oklahoma City University. Lou’s work has won Edgar, Hammett, Steel Dagger, Barry, Macavity, Lefty, and Anthony awards, and he has been a finalist twice for the Los Angeles Times Book Prize.
In our conversation Lou and I talk about his books, why he prefers to write ordinary people as his heroes, and setting books in Oklahoma City. We also talk about a shared memory that he describes as the secret handshake of Oklahoma City residents from a particular time period.
Connect with Lou: Website | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook
Our review comes from Vanessa Lillie - Vanessa is the bestselling author of the thrillers Little Voices, For the Best and coauthor of the Young Rich Widows series. Her forthcoming novel, Blood Sisters, launches a new suspense series and releases on October 31. Vanessa will be touring around Oklahoma in early November in support of her book release. You can find details about her appearances on her instagram - @vanessalillie
Vannessa reviews Man Made Monsters by another great Oklahoma author - Andrea L. Rogers.
Connect with Vanessa: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the show:
Elmore Leonard
Happy Hollisters books - Jerry West
Happiness Falls - Angie Kim
Walking Through Needles - Heather Levy
Mysteries and Manners - Flannery O' Conner
Man Made Monsters - Andrea L. Rogers
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's Volume 6 of Behind the Rain! I've got 13 poems from 11 Oklahoma poets cued up and ready for you to enjoy. Be sure to connect with the poets across their social media (linked below) to let them know how much you appreciate their work.
Here's the lineup for this edition of the anthology:
Citizen Eagle - Seth Copeland
- BlueSky: @brushwithseth.bsky.social
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Dragonfly - Stevie Guymon-Clemens
- Instagram: @royal_scumbag_
I Grew Some More Today - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
The Weather and Pruning - Britta Newton-Tarron
- Instagram: @brittanewtontarron
Choreography - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Crisis of Faith - Rebecca Lemke
- Instagram: @newcrunchymom
- Website: rebeccalemke.com
Grandmother Trueshot - Jackie Kraft
- Facebook: @jackie.kraft.58
Don't Love Me for Who I Was in the 90s - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @durellrc
- Twitter: @DurellCarter90
Stepping Out of Your Own Shadow - Xander Thomas
- Facebook: @xanderbooks
- Website: xanderthomasbooks.com
My Fall - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
The Sky For Me and Magical - Ruth Key
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Seven of Behind the Rain (releasing January 15, 2024), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details. Submission deadline is December 15!
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 50 AND our second birthday! The Bookcast launched 2 years ago this week and it's been a great ride so far. Stay tuned after the interview to hear a bit about where we're heading as we move into year 3.
My guest is Mary Kay Zuravleff. Mary Kay is a graduate of the original Putnam City High School in Oklahoma City and, although she now resides in Washington, D.C., she comes back often to visit her parents and sister. Her latest novel, American Ending, is her fourth book. Released in June, American Ending has won critical acclaim, including being selected to Oprah’s 2023 Spring Reading List. Her first book, The Frequency of Souls, was a finalist for the Oklahoma Book Award and the winner of the James Jones Award and the Rosenthal Award from the American Academy. She spent years editing and writing for the Smithsonian, which inspired her second novel, The Bowl is Already Broken, And her third novel, Man Alive!, was a Washington Post Notable Book.
In our conversation, we talk about American Ending and it’s connections to both history and Mary Kay’s family. We also talk about her approach to research and writing and have a great conversation about genre. You’re going to love getting to know the fantastic Mary Kay Zuravleff.
Connect with Mary Kay: Website | Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the Show:
Ghost Wall - Sarah Moss
Now Is Not the Time to Panic - Kevin Wilson
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon
How to Be Both - Ali Smith
Orlando - Virginia Wolff
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to the September edition of Your Next Great Read from the Okie Bookcast!
Our guest, Bookstagrammer Mellisa Coast, is back for a second round of recommendations and reviews.
Connect with Melissa: Instagram | Linktree
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Melissa
The Spaceship Next Door - Gene Doucette
Demon Copperhead - Barbara Kingsolver
The Bodyguard - Katherine Center
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
Hannah
The Night Parade - Ronald Malfi
Love and Other Words - Christina Lauren
Ghost Summer: Stories - Tananarive Due
The Shining - Stephen King
J
Final Girls - Riley Sager
American Ending - Mary Kay Zuravleff
The Long and Faraway Gone - Lou Berney
Life of Pi - Yann Martel
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 49!
My guests are Britni Brecheen and Kathryn Lynn - two friends who are launching a new bookstore and cafe in OKC.
Britni has worked in bookstores and libraries for 12+ years and is currently a homeschool mom of two. Kathryn's first job was in a bookstore at the age of 15. They have had many jobs in many places, but reading and writing has been constant, and for them, it all comes back to books.
In our conversation we talk about their vision for the new bookstore and its place in their geographic community, but also the wider bookish community of Oklahoma City. We also get into what led them to want to open the store, the ups and downs of getting the store off the ground, and a brief interlude about time spent in an international jail. You’re going to love hearing about the level of detail with which they are chasing their dream and their passion for books and readers.
Connect with Second Story Books: Instagram | Facebook | Website | Bookshop.org
Our review for this episode comes from blogger, aspiring author, and new mom, Samantha Bailey. She is a former educator who is taking some time out of the classroom to focus on raising her daughter and working on finishing her works in progress, including a children’s book that will release in 2024.
Samantha is reviewing Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy.
Connect with Samantha: Instagram | Website
Mentioned on the Show:
Frog and Toad - Arnold Lobel
Homegoing - Yaa Gyasi
Shark Heart - Emily Habeck
Babel: Or the Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution - R.F. Kuang
To Shape a Dragon's Breath - Moniquill Blackgoose
The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Garlic and the Vampire - Bree Paulsen
Garlic and the Witch - Bree Paulsen
Under the Whispering Door - T.J. Klune
Migrations - Charlotte McConaghy
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 48 of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is Susy Smith, author of Ascendant, the new book in her award-winning Asylum series, a set of dystopian novels set in Oklahoma that explore the intricacies of survival, freedom, and the dark side of human nature. In our conversation we talk about her novels and about starting her writing career a bit later in life. We also talk about setting books in Oklahoma, her poetry, and her important work with the Kanza tribe in the area of language learning and retention.
Connect with Susy: website | Facebook | TikTok | Instagram | Twitter
Our review for this episode comes from poet Sydney Aerin. Sydney is a licensed therapist who is passionate about mental health education, disability awareness, and equality for all. You can find Sydney's performance and publication information on her Instagram (@sydneysometimes), including a couple of performances coming later in September at the Sunny Dayz Mural Festival and Norman Arts in the Wind. You can also hear Sydney perform her poetry in Volume 5 and the upcoming Volume 6 of Behind the Rain, our audio anthology of Oklahoma poetry at okiebookcast.com/behind the rain.
Sydney is reviewing Love Letters for Women, a poetry collection by another Oklahoma City poet (and Behind the Rain contributor) Kristen Grace.
Connect with Sydney: Instagram
Mentioned on the Show:
Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
The Walking Dead - Robert Kirkman and Tony Moore
Robert Frost
Edgar Allen Poe
The Inheritance Games series - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
The Brothers Hawthorne - Jennifer Lynn Barnes
Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls
A Wrinkle in Time and A Wind in the Door - Madeline L'Engle
Emily of New Moon series - Lucy Maud Montgomery
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's the birthday episode of Your Next Great Read!
Hannah and I talk about books we've discovered through the show and have our usual conversations about what we're reading and why you might love it.
We also have a speed round segment of favorite books our listeners read in high school.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Hannah
Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding... Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis - Sam Anderson
Uncle Paul - Celia Fremlen
In My Dreams I Hold a Knife - Ashley Winstead
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here - Jeneva Rose
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
J
The Long Walk - Stephen King
All the Sinners Bleed - S.A. Cosby
Remarkably Bright Creatures - Shelby Van Pelt
The Ferryman - Justin Cronin
Les Miserables - Victor Hugo
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 47! Today I'm joined by 3 of the hosts of the 3 Book Girls podcast - Martha, Magen, and Vonnie. We have a blast talking about their podcast, a ton of books from every genre, and how the 3BG are essentially The Avengers.
Since they review books, I asked Magen to provide the review for this episode and she talks about Love and Other Great Expectations by Becky Dean.
Connect with 3 Book Girls: website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter | TikTok
Mentioned on the Show:
Vonnie
Ken Follett
The Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
The Burning: The Tulsa Race Massacre of 1921 - Tim Madigan
The Tattooist of Auschwitz - Heather Morris
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Odd Thomas - Dean Koontz
Magen
Ali Hazelwood
Book Lovers - Emily Henry
So This Is Christmas - Tracy Andreen
If This Gets Out - Sofie Gonzalez and Cale Deitrich
Unmasked - Paul Holes
First King of Shannara - Terry Brooks
Shadowhunters - Cassandra Clare
Martha
Stephen King
Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman
Undercurrents - Mary Anna Evans
Small Gods - Terry Pratchett
Children of Time - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Empire of Silence - Christopher Ruocchio
Maeve Fly - C. J. Leede
The Princess of Mars - Edgar Rice Burroughs
Others
Frog Music - Emma Donoghue
The Evening and the Morning - Ken Follet
The Power - Naomi Alderman
Love and Other Great Expectations - Becky Dean
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 46!
My guest is Eileen Hobbs, author of the five books in the The Heath Cousins Series. Eileen grew up in Thailand as the child of missionaries and those experiences have found their way into her work, especially her most recent standalone book, Under the Golden Rain Tree. Eileen worked and taught at the University of Oklahoma for over 20 years, but is now focused on her writing career.
In our conversation we talk about Eileen’s work and the inspirations behind her books. We also talk about the importance of character progression in book series, some advice for emerging middle-grade authors, and the fun of getting to interact with students and teachers around her books.
Connect with Eileen: Website | Instagram | Facebookhttps://www.instagram.com/jensenbloom3000/
Jensen Bloom is our reviewer. Jensen is a medical writer and editor who lives in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In the rest of her time, she enjoys science fiction, humor, movies, and writing children's literature. She loves to travel and would go to outer space if they would let her.
Jensen reviews Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Connect with Jensen: Twitter | Instagram
Mentioned on the Show:
The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides
Rizzo and Isles series - Tess Gerritsen
Not a Happy Family - Shari Lapena
Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden
The Ginger Tree - Oswald Wynd
The Enchanted April - Elizabeth Von Arnim
Little Women - Louisa May Alcott
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We've got a special episode of YNGR! Hannah is traveling so I've got a special guest co-host joining me, my friend and sister-in-law, Kami Weems.
Kami and I are joined by author and podcaster, Chad Lehrmann. Chad has written a variety of horror and paranormal novels as well as nonfiction work about education and history.
Connect with Chad: Instagram | TikTok | Author Page
Chad
Chasing the Devil: My Twenty-Year Quest to Capture the Green River Killer by Sheriff David Reichert
In the Garden of Beasts by Erik Larson
The Eradic By S. Goody
Shattering the Perfect Teacher Myth by Aaron Hogan
Kami
Anxious People by Fredrik Backman
The Pilot’s Daughter by Audrey J. Cole
The Simple Wild by K.A. Tucker
The Outsiders by S.E. Hinton
J
Drowning: The Rescue of Flight 1421 by T.J. Newman
The Bomber Mafia by Malcom Gladwell
Kindred by Octavia Butler
The Girl With All the Gifts by M.R. Carey
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 45! For this conversation, I had the joy of sitting down with married authors Will and Julia Thomas.
Will is a two time Oklahoma Book Award winner and the author of fourteen Victorian Era mysteries, the Barker and Llewelyn novels. His books have received Shamus and Barry nominations and numerous starred reviews. The latest book in the series - Heart of the Nile - released earlier this year.
Connect with Will: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Julia Bryan Thomas is the author of two contemporary British mysteries (under the name Julia Thomas) and two historical novels. Her WWII-era novel, For Those Who Are Lost, was an Oklahoma Book Award finalist and has been selected by the Library of Congress to represent Oklahoma at the 2023 National Book Festival. Julia’s latest book - The Radcliffe Ladies Reading Club - also released earlier this year.
Connect with Julia: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
Mentioned on the show:
Anna Karinina - Leo Tolstoy
Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
A Room of One's Own - Virginia Woolf
Gift from the Sea - Anne Morrow Lindbergh
The Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitzgerald
The Splendid and the Vile - Erik Larson
Some Danger Involved - Will Thomas
For Those Who Are Lost - Julia Bryan Thomas
A Gentleman in Moscow - Amor Towles
The Secrets We Kept - Lara Prescott
Close to Shore: The Terrifying Shark Attacks of 1916 - Michael Capuzzo
Dead Wake: The Last Crossing of the Lusitania - Erik Larson
Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to the first anniversary volume of Behind the Rain! We've been at this for a year and have had the joy of presenting 56 poems from 31 Oklahoma poets.
Here's the lineup for this edition of the anthology:
Dream Walking - Rebecca Lemke
- Instagram: @newcrunchymom
- Website: rebeccalemke.com
Bull Headed - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Spider - Jackie Kraft
- Facebook: @jackie.kraft.58
Where--In That Dark Deep--Are You? - David Jennings
- Facebook: @DJennPhotos
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Event Horizon - Henbit
- Instagram: @henbits.daffodils
Delivery - Carson Baumann
- Instagram: @carsonsarahh
- Website: kindacraftyokc.com
Red From Roses - Thomas Juarez
- Twitter: @thomasj66714281
Sweat Dreems - Sydney Aerin
- Instagram: @sydneysometimes
Oklahoma City Is: - Lucas Dunn
- Website: There Is Nothing You Can Possess
The National Geographic Article Claims the Spiders Have Dreams - Gary Reddin
- Instagram: @reddinwrites
Shoveling Out - Seth Copeland
- Twitter: @SethTCopeland
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Six of Behind the Rain (releasing October 13, 2023), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details. Submission deadline is September 15!
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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It's Chapter 44!
My guest is John J. Dwyer, author of The Oklahomans and several other history and historical fiction titles. John grew up in Duncan and taught History and Ethics at Southern Nazarene University from 2006-2021. He also had a successful career in journalism and broadcasting before making the switch to writing books. John’s books have won both state and nationals awards, including the Will Rogers Medallion award for Western literature. When he’s not writing, John is president of the Red River Institute of History and is part of the Oklahoma Gold! radio program and podcast that features colorful and inspiring tales from Oklahoma History.
Connect with John: website | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Oklahoma Gold!
Steven Wedel provides our review for this episode. Steven has published 37 books under his own name and two pseudonyms. Steve is an English teacher by day, who previously worked as a journalist, public relations director, corporate writer, and a lot of other things that didn't have to do with writing. His latest book - First Born - released earlier this summer. Steven is keeping with our theme of cowboys and history with his review of Deer Run Trail by David R. Lewis.
Connect with Steven: website | Instagram | Twitter
Mentioned on the show:
The Oklahomans (Book 1 and Book 2) - John J. Dwyer
James Michener
Dr. Bob Blackburn
Jerry Bennett
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Photographic History Volume 1 - Dr. Karlos K. Hill
Oklahoma Gold! podcast
Winds of War - Herman Wouk
War and Remembrance - Herman Wouk
Lonesome Dove - Larry McMurtry
Horseman, Pass By - Larry McMurty
Pretty Boy Floyd - Larry McMurtry
Michael Wallace
Bob Burke
Washington: The Indispensable Man - James Thomas Flexner
Oklahoma Gold! on Waddy Young
Deer Run Trail - David R. Lewis
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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This month, Hannah and I are joined by author and editor Rebecca Inch-Partridge.
Rebecca is an author, an editor, and an avid science fiction fan who grew up imagining a more inclusive world for women writers. Today, she is shaping that reality with the publication of her first YA science fantasy novel, Escaping the Dashia, from Black Rose Writing.
Connect with Rebecca: website | Facebook | Instagram
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Rebecca
War Mage, Book 2 of the Spellmonger series by Terry Mancour
The Case for Mars - Robert Zubrin
Trainee - Margaret McGaffey Fisk
Terrier: The Legend of Beka Cooper #1 - Tamora Pierce
Hannah
The Boy From the Woods - Harlen Coben
Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
The Husband’s Secret - Liane Moriarity
Half Resurrection Blues - Daniel Jose Older
J
61 Hours - Lee Child
All the Pretty Horses - Cormac McCarthy
- Check out Aaron Gwyn's obituary of McCarthy
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C.A. Fletcher
Mort - Terry Pratchett
- Discworld novels by themes or characters
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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I had so much fun talking with children's author, Tammi Sauer!
Tammi is a former teacher and library media specialist, who now works as a full-time children's book author. Her books have received accolades including starred Kirkus reviews, the NPR Best Book of the Year, Bank Street College Best Book of the Year, and the Oklahoma Book Award. Her books have been translated into several languages and some of them have even been adapted into musicals.
In addition to her writing, Tammi speaks at schools and writing workshops all over the country, talking about her books and encouraging kids to be both readers and writers. In our conversation, you’ll hear a lot of the advice she shares with young authors and also about her books, her writing process, and the inside scoop on working with illustrators.
Connect with Tammi: website | Twitter | Instagram
Since we’re talking about picture books on this episode, I’m throwing things back to the November edition of Your Next Great Read for our review. Our guest for that show - retired elementary teacher and my Mom, Susan Hall - talks about Giraffes Can’t Dance by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
Mentioned on the Show:
The Mitten - Jan Brett
You Go First - Ariel Bernstein (Author) and Marc Rosenthal (Illustrator)
Chez Bob - Bob Shea
Paper Towns - John Green
Giraffes Can't Dance - Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Books by Tammi Sauer
Cowboy Camp - w/ Mike Reed
Mary Had a Little Plan - w/ Vanessa Brantley-Newton
Mary Had a Little Glam - w/ Vanessa Brantley-Newton
All Kinds of Special - w/ Fernando Martin
The Underpants - w/ Joren Cull
Not Now, Cow - w/ Troy Cummings
One Sheep, Two Sheep - w/ Troy Cummings
Nugget and Fang - w/ Michael Slack
Knock, Knock - w/ Guy Francis
Chicken Dance - w/ Dan Santat
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's Chapter 42! For our conversation today, we're taking a look at indie authorship with a couple of fantastic young independent authors - Tyler Lenz and Amy Prokopis.
Tyler Lenz was born in Enid, OK, and attended college at Oklahoma State University. He lives in Moore, OK with his wife, Roxanne, and two children where he currently works as the communications manager for a trucking company. Tyler has always enjoyed writing but only recently started taking it seriously after releasing his first book, "The Seam: Book One of Texas Accelerated."
Connect with Tyler: TikTok | Facebook | Instagram
Amy Prokopis is a friend of the podcast. She provided a review way back in episode 17 and was also featured in our Where Are They Now episode from January. Amy writes young adult fiction - everything from science fiction to fantasy to contemporary romance. Amy’s latest book is the second in her Guardians of the Sixth Gate trilogy. It’s called Shade of the Shadowlands and released just a few days ago!
Connect with Amy: website | Instagram | TikTok
Our review is from debut author Christina Rost. Christina’s contemporary romance novel, called The Decision, just released from Scrivenings Press.
Connect with Christina: website | Facebook
Christina is reviewing a book called UnDistracted: Capture Your Purpose Rediscover Your Joy by one of my favorite authors and speakers - Bob Goff.
Mentioned on the Show:
The Seam - Tyler Lenz
The Arena - Amy Prokopis
Guardians of the Sixth Gate - Amy Prokopis
Shade of the Shadowlands - Amy Prokopis
Adrian's Undead Diary - Chris Philbrook
Bobiverse Series - Dennis E. Taylor
The Serpent and the Wings of Night - Carissa Broadbent
Harry Potter Series - J.K. Rowling
Hatchet - Gary Paulson
The Decision - Christian Rost
Undistracted: Capture Your Purpose. Rediscover Your Joy - Bob Goff
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We're back! No guest for this month's YNGR, so Hannah and I are taking a look at some books we're excited to read this summer.
Hannah
The Roanoke Girls - Amy Engel
Confessions - Kanae Minato, Stephen Snyder
Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chobsky
Fourth Wing - Rebecca Yarros
The Husband’s Secret - Liane Moriarty
You Shouldn’t Have Come Here - Jeneva Rose
J
A Boy and His Dog at the End of the World - C.A. Fletcher
Dogs of War - Adrian Tchakovsky
Tell Me an Ending - Jo Harkin
Wayward - Chuck Wendig
The Ferryman - Justin Cronin
Children of Memory - Adrian Tchaikovsky
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Chapter 41! My guest is J.J. Johnson, a husband, father, podcaster, and Award Winning Middle-Grade author. He grew up in Pryor Oklahoma, attended Oklahoma Baptist University where he majored in Theology. He now lives in Edmond with his wife and two boys who are commonly known online as - Hobbit 1 and Hobbit 2.
J.J. and I talk about his award-winning Iggy and Oz series and his passion for writing books that connect with middle-grade boys. We also talk about being an independent author and how J.J. integrates his faith into his work for both kids and adults.
Connect with J.J.: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Mentioned on the Show:
Bobbsey Twins - Laura Lee Hope
Hardy Boys - Franklin W. Dixon
Trapped in Death Cave - Bill Wallace
Danger on Panther Peak - Bill Wallace
Wheel of Time - Robert Jordan
Realm Makers
Diary of a Wimpy Kid - Jeff Kinney
Goosebumps - R. L. Stein
I Survived series - Lauren Tarshis
Kim Ventrella
Charlotte's Web - E.B. White
Ray Bradbury
Dark Tower Series - Stephen King
Dead Zone - Stephen King
The Long Walk - Stephen King
Old Man's War - John Scalzi
Mistborn Trilogy - Brandon Sanderson
Fahrenheit 451 - Ray Bradbury
Heir to the Empire - Timothy Zahn
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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J and Hannah are joined by Aubrey Stanley, a Bookstagrammer who is part of The Bookish BFFs.
Connect with Aubrey: BookishBFFs
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Bookcast conversation with Hannah about The Ashford House.
Aubrey
The Man Who Died Twice - Richard Osman
The Thursday Murder Club - Richard Osman
Never Lie - Freda McFadden
Don’t You Cry - Mary Kubica
Hannah
When All the Girls Have Gone - Jayne Ann Krentz
Frankenstein - Mary Shelley
The Echo Wife - Sarah Gailey
Murder On the Orient Express - Agatha Christie
J
The Ashford House - Hannah Joy Herron
Sand - Hugh Howey
The Nickel Boys - Colson Whitehead
Watchmen - Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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We're talking about the Oklahoma Center for the Book and the Oklahoma Book Awards with OCB Executive Director, Connie Armstrong. Connie has led the Center since 2009. She holds degrees in history and political sciences from the University of Oklahoma and the University of Central Oklahoma. The Oklahoma Center for the Book is a state affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress, and is organized to focus attention on the vital role of books and reading in our lives. The Center promotes the past, current, and future works of Oklahoma authors; promotes the literary heritage of the state; and encourages reading for pleasure by Oklahomans of all ages.
In our conversation we talk about the work of the Center and the upcoming Awards, being held on April 22.
Connect with the Center for the Book: website | Twitter | Facebook
I’m taking a few episodes to highlight some other bookish podcasts by inviting hosts to provide reviews. Our review for this episode comes from Pamela Wilson, host of the Picky Bookworm, a podcast aimed at introducing lesser-known authors to the world through weekly chats. Pamela also owns The Picky Bookworm, a website dedicated to promotion of indie books, and editing and proofreading services. Her dream is to have a community where authors and bloggers alike can feel supported and encouraged.
Pamela reviews Falling Through The Weaving by Leia Talon.
Connect with Pamela: website | Twitter | Instagram
Mentioned on the show:
The Boy Who Carried Bricks - Alton Carter
Hannah E. Harrison
S.E. Hinton
Ralph Ellison
Alexander Lawrence Posey
Woody Guthrie
Angie Debo
John Berryman
Lynn Riggs
Dr. H. Wayne Morgan
Muriel Wright
Errol Gibson
Toni Hillerman
Rilla Askew
Bob Burke
Sheldon Russell
Michael Wallace
All that is Wicked - Kate Winkler Dawson
Sherlock Holmes
Barker & Llewelyn Novels - Will Thomas
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Welcome to Volume Four of Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry.
I'm excited to share with you the work of these 11 Oklahoma poets.
Open Mic Night - Kara Lisa
Soft As Cotton - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
The Honesty of Grief - Alannah Benae
- Instagram: @alannah_benae
Some Days - Sally Hoch
- Instagram: @sallyhochwriter
Cabin - David Jennings
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Chrono - MAC Woods
- Instagram: @mac_since1985
Forever - Shy Norton
- Instagram: @shylascribblesart
Heart of the House - Breanne Lynnett
- Instagram: @breannelynnett
Cartridge - Thomas Juarez
- Website: thomasjuarez.com
- Twitter: @thomasj66714281
Wildflowers at Dusk - Ken Hada
- Twitter: @KhadakhadaKen
- Website: kenhada.org
Stillwater and Muffled Underwater Thoughts - Ruth Key
- Website: thesouljar.blogspot.com
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Five of Behind the Rain (releasing July 14, 2023), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details.
Connect with the Bookcast @okiebookcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Oklahoma voices.
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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I'm really excited to interview my Your Next Great Read cohost and favorite oldest daughter, Hannah Herron for this chapter of the Bookcast! Hannah has a new book coming out this month - The Ashford House - so this felt like the perfect time for a conversation about her work.
Hannah is an author, screenwriter, and educator from Norman, Oklahoma. She’s written two books - Sleep Tight and Awake, the latter of which was an Oklahoma best seller, and her latest book The Ashford House releases on April 18. In addition to her novels, Hannah has written a screenplay called Sawtooth that was honored at the 2022 Broadcast Education Association in the feature film screenwriting category. In our conversation we talk about her interest in writing horror and thrillers, as well as her work across other genres. We talk about the new book and Hannah also shares things she’s learned about her own writing from teaching others.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Our review for this episode comes from my fellow bookish podcaster, Raye, host of Being Bookish, a great podcast featuring reviews and conversations with authors. She describes herself as an Avid reader and book collector who reads anything but thrillers. Raye reviews Circe by Madeline Miller.
Connect with Raye: website | Twitter | Instagram | TikTok
Mentioned on the Show:
Awake - Hannah Joy Hall
Stephen King
Paul Tremblay
Riley Sager
Ruth Ware
Chronicles of Narnia - C.S. Lewis
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
Being Bookish podcast
Circe - Madeline Miller
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Hannah and J are joined by OKC Bookstagrammer, Melissa Coast (AKA stickynote_bookrecs on Instagram). The conversation ranges from haunted houses to classic sci-fi to some surprise romance entries. As always, something for everyone.
We also have a special announcement from Hannah about her new book - The Ashford House - coming April 18!
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Books discussed on the show:
Melissa
I, Robot - Isaac Asimov
The Vanishing Half - Brit Bennett
What Follows Is True: Crescent Hotel - Sean Fitzgibbon
Gregor the Overlander - Suzanne Collins
Hannah
Crazy Rich Asians - Kevin Kwan
Home Before Dark - Riley Sager
Anatomy: A Love Story - Dana Schwartz
And Then There Were None - Agatha Christie
J
I Am All Crying Inside: and Other Stories - Clifford D. Simak
How to Sell a Haunted House - Grady Hendrix
Hyperion - Dan Simmons
Patriot Games - Tom Clancy
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Chapter 38 finds me in Crescent, OK at Paper Pages Bookstore talking with owner Karen Payne. Paper Pages is a fantastic store featuring a wide variety of books, as well as gifts and locally-sourced pastries and coffee. In our conversation we talk about the role of the store in the community, Karen's commitment to supporting local vendors and authors, and the joys and challenges of owning a store in a smaller community.
Connect with Paper Pages: Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Check out pictures of the store.
For our review this episode, I'm revisiting one of my favorite reads of 2022 - Oscar Hokeah's Calling for a Blanket Dance - winner of the 2023 Pen/Hemingway Award for Debut Novel. You'll hear Oscar talking about his novel from our conversation in Chapter 25 and then a few comments from me from the September edition of Your Next Great Read.
Listen to the full interview with Oscar.
Listen to the September YNGR.
Mentioned on the show:
Anne of Green Gables - L.M. Montgomery
Outlander - Diana Gabaldon
The Baptist Bootlegger - Nicholas Lyon
Verity - Colleen Hoover
Finlay Donavan Series - Elle Cosimano
The Nightingale - Kristin Hannah
Calling for a Blanket Dance - Oscar Hokeah
Paper Pages Vendors:
Quincy Bake Shop
Rural Route Coffee Roasters
Kelsey's Pens
Serendipity Pottery
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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Chapter 37 of the Bookcast focuses on the Oklahoma Writers' Federation, Inc. - a non‑profit federation of writers' groups from across Oklahoma and beyond dedicated to promoting higher standards for the written word. I sat down with Nick Lyon (President) and Bre Lockhart (Conference Coordinator) about OWFI and it's mission and the upcoming conference.
Connect with OWFI: website | Facebook
Nicholas Lyon is the author of the historical novel The Baptist Bootlegger and current president of the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. For his day job, he teaches English to high school students who would rather be on TikTok. He is also a woodturner and musician. He lives with his wife and two kids in Guthrie, OK.
Connect with Nick: website | Twitter | Facebook
Bre Lockhart is a fantasy and sci-fi author with pen names in the genres of mystery and poetry. She’s also a fiction editor, an admin for Tulsa Writers Syndicate, a writer for Indie Author Magazine, and the conference coordinator for OWFI.
Connect with Bre: website | Facebook | Twitter
Our review for this episode comes from Bookcast guest and friend of the show, Betsey Kulakowski. Betsey is the best-selling author of The Veritas Codex paranormal thriller series. Her 5th book in the Series, The Lost Templar was released in December of 2022, and she's preparing for the spring launch of the 6th book -- The Pirate's Curse.
Betsey reviews Stranger in the Woods by Anni Taylor.
Connect with Betsey: website | Instagram
My book is available for preorder on Kindle! Order now and get yours when it drops on March 14!
God Help Me! I'm a Young Dad
Mentioned on the show:
Paper Pages Books
Dear Writer, You Need to Quit - Becca Syme
First Blood - David Morrell
How to Sell a Haunted House - Grady Hendrix
Josh Malerman
My Heart is a Chainsaw - Stephen Graham Jones
Stephen King
Neil Gaiman
Tao Wong
Matt Dinniman
Dawn Chapman
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Lance Hawvermale
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
Silence of the Lambs - Thomas Harris
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
Our guest for this month's YNGR is Mel Odom. Mel is the author of over 200 novels and is a professor in the Professional Writing department at the University of Oklahoma. He's also a Bookcast alum, appearing on Chapter 4 of the show way back in 2021.
Listen to chapter 4 of the Bookcast.
Be sure to stay through the end of the conversation for a big announcement!
Connect with Mel: website | Facebook
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Books Discussed on the Show:
Mel
The Girl From Everywhere - Heidi Heilig
Sleep No More - Jane Ann Krentz
The Never Game - Jeffery Deaver
The Gray Man - Mark Greaney
Hannah
Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes
Book Lovers - Emily Henry
Local Woman Missing - Mary Kubica
Shutter Island - Dennis LaHane
J
The Book of Accidents - Chuck Wendig
The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
Shutter - Ramona Emerson
The Children of Men - P. D. James
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
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My guest for Chapter 36 is author, historian, and attorney Bob Burke. Bob has written over 150 books about Oklahoma and Oklahomans, ranging from topics like The Oklahoma City Bombing to the Oklahoma State Fair to Oklahoma legends like Wiley Post and Ralph Ellison. Bob is a 3-time winner of the Oklahoma Book Award, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book, and has been inducted into the Oklahoma Journalism Hall of Fame, the Oklahoma Historians Hall of Fame, and the Oklahoma Hall of Fame.
Bob and I talk about his interest in Oklahoma, his passion for writing biographies, his extensive writing process and working with co-authors. I also got to hear a ton of stories from Bob about everything from baseball to Donald Duck.
Connect with Bob: website | Facebook
Our review is from Sheeva Azma, Sheeva is a freelance science writer, digital and strategic communicator, and science policy wonk who merges her interests in science, writing, and policy to solve hard problems through effective messaging with her science communications company, Fancy Comma, LLC. She is a scientist turned science writer who has written two books designed to encourage scientists to try their hand at science writing.
Sheeva reviews Who Can Hold the Sea by by James D. Hornfischer.
Connect with Sheeva: website | Twitter
Mentioned on the show:
Typically I try to include all of the books mentioned, but Bob talked about so many different books and projects that it seemed best to point you to his catalog.
Books by Bob Burke
David McCullough
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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Love fantasy stories and dragons? Then I've got the conversation for you!
My guest, Kathryn Fogleman-White, describes herself as Keeper of Dragons, and lover of coffee. As a Master Storyteller, Kathryn believes in providing quality books that give readers a chance to pause and take a brain break from the rest of the world. She the author of the Tales of the Wovlen series of novels and co-author of Books 4 and 5 of the Heroes of Ravenford series. As a writing coach, Kathryn believes that authors - published and aspiring - should never feel alone in their writing. We cover a lot of ground in our conversation, talking about her unique approach to writing, working on her first novel at 10 years old, and of course, dragons.
Connect with Kathryn: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Our review today comes from Nicholas Lyon. Nicholas is the author of the recently published novel The Baptist Bootlegger about a Baptist preacher bootlegging hooch in 1950's Oklahoma. He is also the current president for the Oklahoma Writers Federation, Inc. and a high school English teacher. He lives in Oklahoma with his wife and two boys.
Nicholas reviews The Discretionist by Lance Hawvermale.
Connect with Nicholas: Twitter | Facebook
Mentioned on the Show:
Eragon - Christopher Paolini
Dragonheart
The Hobbit - J.R.R. Tolkien
Tales of the Wovlen - Kathryn Fogleman
Nigel Andreola - Starry Night Media
Heroes of Ravenford - F. P. Spirit
Dr. Caroline Leaf
Dr. John Townsend
Dr. Henry Cloud
Lord of the Rings - J.R.R. Tolkien
The Baptist Bootlegger - Nicholas Lyon
The Discretionist - Lance Hawvermale
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to the January edition of Your Next Great Read! Hannah and I are joined by Oklahoma author Jamie (J. L.) Hyde to talk about the books we're loving and why you might love them too! Plenty of thrillers and true-crime this month, with other great books thrown in as well.
Connect with Jamie: Website | Facebook | Instagram | TikTok
Purchase Jamie's books: jlhyde.com/books
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Books discussed on the show:
Jamie
The Turn of the Key - Ruth Ware
Lessons in Chemistry - Bonnie Garmus
All Good People Here - Ashley Flowers
Murder In Greenwich: Who Killed Martha Moxley? - Mark Fuhrman
Hannah
The Pale Blue Eye - Louis Bayard
Fairy Tale - Stephen King
Murder at Archly Manor - Sarah Rosett
The Stranger Beside Me - Ann Rule
J
Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story - Bono
All Systems Red - Martha Wells
Gone Tomorrow - Lee Child
In Cold Blood - Truman Capote
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Welcome to Chapter 34! I had the joy of talking with Andrew Berzanskis, Editorial Director for the University of Oklahoma Press. Andrew has worked in publishing for two decades, during which his work involved acquiring books for the University of Washington Press, West Virginia University Press, and the University of Georgia Press. He got his start in university press publishing through an editorial fellowship at the University of Texas Press.
In our conversation, you’ll learn about the mission of OU Press and some of the similarities and differences between university presses and the larger commercial publishers. We also talk about the kinds of books featured by OU Press and Andrew walks through the publication process from acquisition to production, including some incredible advice for authors interested in working with these presses.
Connect with Andrew and OU Press: Website | Andrew on Twitter | OU Press on Twitter
Doing something a little different with the review this month. The book is Rilla Askew's Prize for the Fire, reviewed by Rilla (giving a synopsis of the book from Chapter 30 of the show) and me providing a short review (from the November episode of Your Next Great Read).
Mentioned on the show:
Prize for the Fire - Rilla Askew
The Good Country: A History of the American Midwest, 1800-1900 - Jon Lauck
A Promise Kept: The Muscogee (Creek) Nation and McGirt v. Oklahoma - Robert J. Miller and Robbie Ethridge
Brandon Hobson
Joy Harjo
Sanora Babb
Way I See It - Wampus Reynolds
Pekolah Stories - Amanda Bales
Garth Brooks: The Road Out of Santa Fe - Matt O'Meilia
Woody Guthrie
Literati Press Comics and Novels
Magic City Books
Full Circle Books
Music by JuliusH
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Welcome to Volume Three of Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry.
I'm excited to share with you the work of these 11 Oklahoma poets.
Darkness Comes to Me - Ken Hada
- Twitter: @KhadakhadaKen
- Website: kenhada.org
Old Car - David Jennings
- Website: davidjenningsartinphotographyandpoetry.com
Estelle and Rain in the Forecast - Ruth Key
- Website: thesouljar.blogspot.com
A Circle Seen from all Sides - Caleb Jordan
- Twitter: @gkmonthly
Selections from A Wichita Mountains Ontology - Seth Copeland
- Twitter: @SethTCopeland
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
Preservation - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
to do list - Nicholas Allen
- Twitter: @nallenwrites
- Website: nallenwrites.com
No, Thank You - Shayla Raquel
- Instagram: @shaylaleeraquel
- Website: shaylaraquel.com
The Ghosts Still Live Here - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @Durellrc
Cicadas and Sycamores - Thomas Juarez
- Twitter: @thomasj66714281
Remembering Oklahoma - Linda Neal Reising
- Twitter: @nealreising
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Four of Behind the Rain (releasing April 15, 2023), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details.
Connect with the Bookcast @okiebookcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Oklahoma voices.
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
As we turn the calendar over to 2023, some of my former guests and reviewers have checked in for this special "Where Are They Now?" episode of the Bookcast.
I've included each guest's name and the episodes where you can hear more from them, as well as a link to their websites.
Enjoy this opportunity to catch up with these friends!
Charles J. Martin - Chapter 1
literatipressok.com
Betsey Kulakowski - Chapter 27
authorbetseykulakowski.com
Debra Chandler - Chapter 3
dechandlerwrites.com
Mark Edward Jones - Chapter 2
mejbooksllc.com
Hannah Herron - Chapter 1
hannahjoyherron.com
Amy M. Le - Chapter 2
quillhawkpublishing.com
Jerry Bennett - Chapter 19
thejerrybennett.com
Amy Prokopis - Chapter 17
amyprokopis.com
Ginny Myers Sain - Chapter 7
ginnymyerssain.com
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
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It's the year-end edition of Your Next Great Read. No guest this month so Hannah and I took a few minutes to talk about our favorite and least favorite reads from this year as well as our regular conversation about what we're reading and why you might enjoy it too.
Remember - you can purchase all the books mentioned on the show through the links below or by visiting the Next Great Read store on Bookshop.org.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Hannah
Best of the Year: Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
Leave No Trace - Mindy Mejia
The Power - Naomi Alderman
Verity - Coleen Hoover
Into the Water - Paula Hawkins
J
Best of the Year: Dead Silence - S.A. Barnes
Blowback - James Patterson and Brendan DuBois
The Invention of Sound - Chuck Palahniuk
We Could Be Heroes - Mike Chen
Time and Again - Clifford D. Simak
Other books mentioned
The Martian - Andy Weir
Resurrection Day - Brendan DuBois
Everything You Want Me to Be - Mindy Mejia
Fight Club - Chuck Palahniuk
The Girl on the Train - Paula Hawkins
City - Clifford D. Simak
Way Station - Clifford D. Simak
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
It's Chapter 32 of the Okie Bookcast!
Today I talk with Kylar Merrell, comic writer and artist and the driving force behind Foreign Press Comics - an Oklahoma-based publisher. Kylar has created several titles, including Terminal, Valkyrian, and his contributions to the newly released Fletcher Cross anthology. He's also the host of the Comics Unscripted podcast. He describes himself as a fifth grade science teacher by day and a comic creator and publisher by night. We have a great time talking about the world of independent comics, but also about the creative process and the cool ways in which Kylar is using Foreign Press Comics to bring artists together.
Connect with Kylar: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website | Podcast
Our reviewer for this episode is John-Eric Osborn. Eric is a comic artist and creator whose work includes one of my favorite comics - We Promised Utopia - and one of my Next Great Read cohost Hannah’s favorites - Hiro Doggie: Space Corgi.
Eric is reviewing Desolation Jones by Warren Ellis and J.H. Williams.
Connect with Eric: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Mentioned on the show:
DC New 52
Francis Manapul
Adora and the Distance - Mark Bernadin, Ariela Kristantina (Illustrator) and Bryan Valenza (Illustrator)
Pandemics in Panels - Foreign Press Comics
Fletcher Cross - Foreign Press Comics
SoonerCon
New World ComicCon
New World Comics
New Star Comics
The Rez Detectives: Justice Served Cold - Steven Paul Judd (Author), Tvli Jacob (Author), M. K. Perker (Illustrator)
Heathen - Natasha Alterici
Blankets - Craig Thompson
Skim - Mariko Tamaki and Jillian Tamaki
Fun Home - Alison Bechdel
Comics Unscripted Podcast
Outlaw Country - Kylar Merrell
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
It's Chapter 31 of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is award-winning children's author, Mariana Llanos. Mariana is a Peruvian-born writer of children’s books who has lived in Oklahoma since 2002 and started her publishing career in 2013 with her book Tristan Wolf. She is the author of 12 published books, the latest of which, Run Little Chaski, an Inka Trail Adventure, won the 2022 Oklahoma Book Award in the children’s books category. She also recently released an audio story titled Qoritika and the Three Alpacas, produced by Sony Music Entertainment.
Connect with Mariana: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | Website
Our review comes from June Coleman. June is a retired Language Arts teacher from Yukon. Always wanting to write a book, reading about Fred Rogers caught her attention when he wrote, “Let some word that is heard be yours.” June says we are never too old to change our trajectory; but we must be willing to step WAY OUT of our comfort zones. So, she did just that in releasing her debut Christian children’s book “Introducing Joyfull Lee” for ages 5-9. Her purpose was to promote reading and show children what forgiveness and grace looks like in a world somewhat lacking in both. June says that chocolate won’t solve many problems, but it’s a fine place to start.
June reviews 96 Miles by J. L. Esplin.
Connect with June: Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the Show:
Run Little Chaski - Mariana Llanos
Run Little Chaski song in English and Spanish
Qoritika and the Three Alpacas - Mariana Llanos
LatinX Pitch
SCBWI
The Last Cuentista - Donna Barba Higuera
Singing with Elephants - Margarita Engel
Introducing Joyfull Lee - June Coleman
96 Miles - J. L. Esplin
Music by JuliusH
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
It's a family affair on Your Next Great Read! Co-hosts J Hall and Hannah Joy Herron are joined by special guest, Susan Hall (J's Mom and Hannah's Grammie). We're talking about what we're reading, why we love it, and why you might love it, too.
We've got something for everyone in this conversation - children's books, comics, thrillers, historical fiction, and more.
Remember - you can purchase all the books mentioned on the show through the links below or by visiting the Next Great Read store on Bookshop.org.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Susan
Her Hidden Genius - Marie Benedict
The Boys from Biloxi - John Grisham
Horse - Geraldine Brooks
Giraffes Can’t Dance - Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees
Hannah
The Missing - C L Taylor
What Alice Forgot - Laine Moriarty
Dark Places - Gillian Flynn
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone - J. K. Rowling
J
Heat 2 - Michael Mann and Meg Gardiner
Prize for the Fire - Rilla Askew
Glamorella’s Daughter - Bennett and Martin
Encyclopedia Brown, Boy Detective - Donald J. Sobol
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
My guest for Chapter 30 of the Bookcast is Rilla Askew.
Rilla is the author of five novels, a book of stories, and a collection of creative nonfiction, MOST AMERICAN: NOTES FROM A WOUNDED PLACE, which was long-listed for the PEN/America Award for the Art of the Essay. She’s a PEN/Faulkner finalist, recipient of the Western Heritage Award, Oklahoma Book Award, and a 2009 Arts and Letters Award from the American Academy of Arts and Letters. Her novel about the Tulsa Race Massacre, FIRE IN BEULAH, received the American Book Award in 2002. Her essays and short fiction have appeared in AGNI, Tin House, World Literature Today, Prize Stories: The O. Henry Awards, and elsewhere. In addition to writing, Rilla currently teaches creative writing in the English Department at the University of Oklahoma.
Her latest novel, PRIZE FOR THE FIRE, published by OU Press, is about the Early Modern English martyr Anne Askew.
In our conversation we talk about Prize for the Fire and about the challenges of writing a historical fiction biography. We also discuss the themes of strong women in difficult circumstances and religion across all of Rilla’s work. Finally, Rilla provides some incredible advice for emerging authors that I think you’ll find really encouraging.
E. Joe Brown provides our review for this chapter. Joe’s latest novel "A Cowboy's Destiny" released in August and has made several best seller lists in Oklahoma. In support of the book, he launched three book signing tours across Oklahoma, Kansas, and New Mexico this fall. Joe has been a guest on several radio programs in Oklahoma and New Mexico, most recently appearing on the LA Talk Radio program Rendezvous with The Writer.
Joe is reviewing Chandler is Dead by Robert D. Kidera.
Mentioned on the Show:
Nimrod International Journal
Fire in Beulah - Rilla Askew
Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel
Strange Business - Rilla Askew
The Mercy Seat - Rilla Askew
The Hummingbird's Daughter - Luis Alberto Urrea
Joan: A Novel of Joan of Arc - Katherine J. Chen
A Cowboy's Destiny - E. Joe Brown
Chandler is Dead - Robert D. Kidera
Music by JuliusH
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Chapter 29 of the Bookcast welcomes back Oklahoma author and entrepreneur, Jeremie Kubicek to talk about his latest book, The Peace Index, which released this fall.
Jeremie is the Co-Founder of GiANT, a company that certifies coaches and consultants that serve companies and their employees. Jeremie has started over 20 companies while living in Oklahoma City, Moscow, Atlanta and London. He is also a sought-after communicator and content creator.
In our conversation we talk about Jeremie’s new book and why personal peace is such an important topic for the times in which we find ourselves. We also talk about conquering chaos and provide some tools to help you think about what peace looks like in your life.
Take the Peace Index Assessment: https://www.thepeaceindexbook.com/
Connect with Jeremie: website | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter
Our review today is from Oklahoma author JM Holmes. JM was Born and raised in Canada, has lived in the US since 1995and says he finds Oklahoma's slower pace and laid-back atmosphere the perfect environment for keeping his creative juices flowing and helps him find inspiration for writing such diverse fare as crime noir novels set in Texas and sci-fi adventures that span the galaxy.
JM reviews The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime by Mark Haddon
Connect with JM: website | Facebook
Mentioned on the Show:
Wylie Publishing
Making Your Leadership Come Alive - Jeremie Kubicek
5 Voices: How to Communicate Effectively with Everyone You Lead - Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram
5 Gears: How to Be Present and Productive When There Is Never Enough Time - Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram
The 100X Leader - Jeremie Kubicek and Steve Cockram
The Peace Index - Jeremie Kubicek
Absolute Surrender - Andrew Murray
The Supreme Commander: The War Years of Dwight D. Eisenhower - Stephen E. Ambrose
The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Nighttime - Mark Haddon
Music by JuliusH
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Find your next favorite book with co-hosts J Hall and Hannah Joy Herron and special guest, Devin Green. We're talking about what we're reading, why we love it, and why you might love it, too.
We've got something for everyone in this conversation - sharks to pop stars to space opera to happiness to the end of the world.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
This month's books:
Devin
There Are No Ordinary People - Jeff Lucas
Jaws - Peter Benchley
I'm Glad My Mom Died - Jennette McCurdy
Back to Amy - Charles Moriarty
Hannah
Pet Sematary - Stephen King
Fool Me Once - Harlen Coben
See What I Have Done - Sarah Schmidt
The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor
J
Wanderers - Chuck Wendig
Shards of Earth - Adrian Tchaikovsky
A Prayer for the Crown-Shy - Becky Chambers
Boom Town - Sam Anderson
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
My guest for Chapter 28 is William Bernhardt, best-selling author of over 50 books who has sold millions of copies in his three legal thrillers series featuring Ben Kincaid, Daniel Pike, and Kenzi Rivera, respectively. He’s also written several standalone novels, including his most recent book - Plot / Counterplot - which is available now. Beyond fiction writing, Bill has authored two books of poetry (with a third on the way) and a series of books on writing fiction. He has received distinguished author awards from the U of Pennsylvania and Oklahoma State University, is a two-time winner of the Oklahoma Book Award, and in 2019 received a lifetime achievement award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book.
In addition to his work as an author, Bill founded the Red Sneaker Writers Center to support and develop authors as they work toward their literary goals. The Center offers small group retreats, an annual cruise, WriterCon - an annual conference in Oklahoma City, and the WriterCon podcast where Bill interviews authors about specific topics useful to writers. As if all of this weren’t enough, Bill also works as a publisher through his Babylon Books imprint.
Connect with Bill: website | Facebook | Twitter | WriterCon
Our review for this episode comes from Steven Wedel. Steve is an Oklahoma author and teacher who lives in Midwest City. He’s published over 35 books, in a variety of genres, but is best known for his Werewolf Saga series and his young adult paranormal novels written with Carrie Jones. Steve reviews Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone by Phaedra Patrick.
Connect with Steven: website
Mentioned on the Show:
Grendel - John Gardner
A Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes - Suzanne Collins
Ben Kincaid Series - William Bernhardt
Daniel Pike Series - William Bernhardt
Splitsville - William Bernhardt
Mysterious Press
Stuart Woods
Dean Koontz
Lemony Snicket
Rod Serling
John Grisham
Babylon Books
CJ Box
Lee Child
Encyclopedia Brown: Boy Detective - Donald J. Sobol
The Martian Chronicles - Ray Bradbury
Birdie and Jeeves - P. G. Wodehouse
Rise and Shine, Benedict Stone - Phaedra Patrick
Music by JuliusH
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
It's the Bookcast Birthday! This episode marks a year since the podcast launched on October 5, 2021. A huge "Thank you!" to everyone who has been with it from the beginning and to those who are just finding us. If you enjoy the podcast, consider taking a second to share it with a friend or twenty.
My guest is Betsey Kulakowski. Betsey is a federally trained investigator and full-time safety professional with a degree in Emergency Management who has served on disaster response teams at the Murrah Federal Building Bombing, the World Trade Center, and Hurricanes Katrina/Rita, as well as other disasters in Oklahoma. Betsey is the author of the Best-Selling paranormal thriller, The Veritas Codex, and the series of the same name. She has experience as an amateur paranormal investigator and is an avid history buff and family genealogist
Connect with Betsey: website | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram
Our review is from Kristy Werner. Kristy is a new Oklahoma author whose debut novel Resurrection won first place in the Fiction Writing Contest at WriterCon. Resurrection releases on October 24 and is currently available for preorder.
Kristy reviews Maggie by Sharon Srock.
Connect with Kristy: website | Facebook | Instagram
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Shop the Bookcast on Bookshop.org
Mentioned on the Show:
Devolution: A First-Hand Account of the Rainier Sasquatch Massacre - Max Brooks
The Sasquatch Seekers Field Manual - David Gordon
Autumn Tales Collection
Sole Survivor - Dean Koontz
Darkfall - Dean Koontz
Peculiar Activities - Mark Edward Jones
The Veritas Codex - Betsey Kulakowski
The Jaguar Queen - Betsey Kulakowski
The Alien Accord - Betsey Kulakowski
The Monk's Grimoire - Betsey Kulakowski
Resurrection - Kristy Werner
Maggie - Sharon Shrock
Music by JuliusH
Find your next favorite book with co-hosts J Hall and Hannah Joy Herron and special guest, Scott McMurry. We're talking about what we're reading, why we love it, and why you might love it, too.
This episode we range from month-old titles to a book from 1895. There's something for every reader.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
This month's books:
Scott
Leadership - Henry Kissinger
Brothers of Earth - by C.J. Cherryh
Wyrms - Orson Scott Card
Ambergris: City of Saints and Madmen; Shriek: An Afterword; Finch - Jeff Vandermeer
The Yellow Sign and Other Stories - Robert W. Chambers
Hannah
Slow Fire Burning - Paula Hawkins
For the Wolf - Hannah Whitten
The Woman in Cabin 10 - Ruth Ware
The Haunting of Hill House - Shirley Jackson
J
The Island - Adrian McKinty
Calling for a Blanket Dance - Oscar Hokeah
Hidden Pictures - Jason Rekulak
The Strain - Guillermo del Toro and Chuck Hogan
Music by JuliusH
The 50 Essential Oklahoma Reads list is live! Head to okiebookcast.com/50reads to get your copy today. Let the reading (and debating?) begin!
My guest for Chapter 26 is Kevin DeShazo. Kevin is a speaker, consultant, author, and podcaster whose single focus is on helping people get better. His primary work is in the leadership space, particularly with student athletes and college athletic departments. He's authored three books: iAthlete: Impacting Student-Athletes of a Digital Generation, Leadership Interrupted, and his latest - Keep Chopping Wood. In our conversation we talk about about his written work with some focus on his non-traditional approach to both writing and publishing. We also talk about the ideas of helping people get better and his work with student athletes and athletic leadership in the areas of social media and team culture.
You can connect with Kevin and his work across multiple media forms at deshazo.me.
Our review is by OKC author Kat Lewis, reviewing The Escape Artist by Brad Meltzer. Kat recently launched her writing career with her electrifying debut thriller novel, Rogue Defender. She is a passionate advocate for those escaping the horrors of human trafficking and uses her writing an avenue to spread awareness. She has served as the President and Vice President for the Oklahoma Christian Fiction Writers (OCFW) and is an active volunteer with WriterCon.
Connect: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the episode:
Jeremie Kubicek - GiANT Worldwide
David A Man Of Passion And Destiny - Chuck Swindoll
Humility - Andrew Murray
The Power of a Humble Life - Richard Simmons
Hardy Boys
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Volume Two of Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry.
I'm excited to share with you the work of these 11 Oklahoma poets.
Hollis and Poteau - Seth Copeland
- Twitter: @SethTCopeland
- Website: https://neutralspaces.co/seth_t_copeland/
A Whitman Kind of Worship - Kara Bullen
Heart Memory - Breanne Lynnett
- Instagram: @breannelynnett
Super Man - MAC Woods
- Instagram: @mac_since1985
No Questions Asked - Abhi Sukhdial
The Change that Exists in Numbers - Durell Carter
- Instagram: @Durellrc
Redbuds - Kristen Grace
- Instagram: @_kristen_grace
- Website: www.kristengracewrites.weebly.com
Facades - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
My Father's Son - Thomas Juarez
- Twitter: @thomasj66714281
Run Without the Cane - Amy M. Le
- Twitter: @amy_m_le
- Website: amy-m-le.com
Another Poem in October - Ken Hada
- Twitter: @KhadakhadaKen
- Website: kenhada.org
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Three of Behind the Rain (releasing January 15, 2023), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details.
Connect with the Bookcast @okiebookcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Oklahoma voices.
I got to hang out at WriterCon in OKC for a couple of days where I spent time talking with authors about their work. This episode is a compilation of those conversations with each author giving a 60-second talk about one of their books.
In this episode, you'll hear from 22 authors from all over the country. Everything from children's books to mysteries to thrillers about Bigfoot. You're sure to find a book or two to love.
You can connect with all of these authors and their work in the notes below or at okiebookcast.com/writercon22.
Featured authors and books:
Kat Lewis - Rogue Defender
Kristy Werner - Resurrection
Jenny Simard LaBranche - Kingdoms of Shadow and Flame
Adele Holmes - Winter's Reckoning
Mark Jones - Shadowed Souls
Kathleen Park - The Code Talkers
Walda Collins - A Warrior’s Sword: 10 Strategies to Build Hope and Stand Strong in the Midst are of a Battle
Marlys Gallagher - When Elephants Roar
Cary Herwig - The Ghost's Daughter
Super Author Granny - You Can Be A Super Author Too!
Cheri Decker - Heaven Hill
Barbara Mehnert - Max Sterling Privately Investigating
Shel Harrington - Over 50, Even More Defined
Bryan Farney - Four Ways Dead
Cherie Waggie - No More Heroes
Cynthia Jenkins - BUD
Melonie B. Hylan - Ashes, Ashes...
Christy Johnson - Love Junkies: 7 Steps for Breaking the Toxic Relationship Cycle
Shelley White - Penny Gothic
Betsey Kulakowski - The Veritas Codex
Kimberly Atkins - Empowering Women to Walk in God's Glory
Sheila Gunlock - Groovy Granny and the Character Bees
My guest is Oscar Hokeah. Oscar is a regionalist Native American writer of literary fiction, interested in capturing intertribal, transnational, and multicultural aspects within two tribally specific communities: Tahlequah and Lawton, Oklahoma. He is a citizen of Cherokee Nation and the Kiowa Tribe of Oklahoma from his mother (Hokeah and Stopp families), and he has Mexican heritage from his father (Chavez family) who emigrated from Aldama, Chihuahua, Mexico. Oscar has written for Poets & Writers, Literary Hub, World Literature Today, American Short Fiction, and elsewhere. His debut novel, Calling for a Blanket Dance, released earlier this year to critical acclaim. You can connect with Oscar at oscarhokeah.com or on twitter and instagram.
In our conversation, we talk about the novel, the need for and challenges of telling multicultural stories, and the importance of honesty in storytelling. We also talk a lot about Oklahoma - from OKC to Goteboh.
Our review comes from Jes McCutchen, a Science-Fiction & Fantasy YA author whose works are full of ensemble self-proclaimed disaster queer casts and usually feature the occasional tiny crime and/or alien. Her debut novel Chronicles of My Alien Invasion Life came out in July 2022 and her next book, "A Mean Piece of Water" about Oklahoma lake mermaids fighting a giant demon octopus to save the dam is coming out this fall. You can connect with Jes at jesmwrites on instagram.
Jes reviews The Monsters We Defy by Leslye Penelope
Connect: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
Mentioned on the Episode:
House Made of Dawn - M. Scott Momaday
The Way to Rainy Mountain - M. Scott Momaday
Alice Munro
Child's Play - Alice Munro
100 Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
Music by JuliusH
Since the Bookcast is dedicated to helping curious readers like you find your next great read, we're trying something new to introduce readers to even more books.
Your Next Great Read is a conversation between co-hosts J Hall and Hannah Herron about the books they are reading and ones they love.
Connect with Hannah: website | Twitter | Instagram
Connect with J: website | Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
This Month's Books:
Hannah
Intensity - Dean Koontz
Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir
A Head Full of Ghosts - Paul Tremblay
The Long Walk - Stephen King
J
Dead Astronauts - Jeff Vandermeer
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Tomorrow and Tomorrow and Tomorrow - Gabrielle Zevin
Ready Player One - Ernst Kline
The Road - Cormac McCarthy
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wish I could get more books read"? Then this is the conversation for you! I talk with professor, content manager, and uberreader Kenna Griffin about her tips and strategies for reading 150 books a year. We also talk about how her reading informs the writing she does as a blogger, editor, and academic.
If you’re a writer of any kind and any level of experience, I have a quick two-question survey that I’d love for you to take a couple of minutes and fill out - okiebookcast.com/survey. It would be a huge help to me as I work on some exciting things for the days ahead.
I’m so excited to introduce you to my friend Dr. Kenna Griffin. Kenna is the content director for Content Journey, an Oklahoma-based content marketing company. She also is an adjunct journalism and public relations professor. Before her work in content marketing, she was a full-time professor and college media adviser, following a career as a professional journalist. Kenna has been a writer, editor, and educator for more than two decades and is a self-proclaimed word nerd, reading 100 to 150 books a year.
You can connect with Kenna via Twitter (@profkrg), on Facebook (Real Nerds Read page), the Real Nerds Read blog, or on her website - profkrg.com.
Luke Swanson does our review this episode. Luke is a fledgling Oklahoma author with four novels under his belt. His newest book, an action satire titled Spectators of War, dropped in July. You can find out more about Luke and his work at lukeswansonauthor.com.
Luke is reviewing one of my favorite books - The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
Connect with the Bookcast: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WebSite
Check out Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry
Mentioned on the show:
The Body Keeps the Score - Dr. Bessel van der Kolk
Goodreads
On Writing: A Memoir of the Craft - Steven King
Best of Books
Everybody Writes - Ann Handley
Platform: Get Noticed in a Noisy World - Michael Hyatt
The Stranger Beside Me - Ann Rule
False Witness - Karin Slaughter
Louis L'Amour
Zane Grey
Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine - Gail Honeyman
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 23!
My guest is Oklahoma children's literature legend, Anna Myers. Anna has published 20 books for children, including award-winning titles like Red Dirt Jessie, Graveyard Girl, Assassin, and Tulsa Burning. She is a four-time Oklahoma Book Award recipient, received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Oklahoma Center for the Book in 2012, and was inducted into the Oklahoma Writers’ Hall of Fame in 2013. You can find out more about Anna and her work at her website - annamyersauthor.com.
In our conversation, we talk about Anna’s writing career, her process, some tips for young writers, and her firm belief in the power of story.
We have a special reviewer for this episode. Anna's daughter, Oklahoma author Ginny Myers Sain, is reviewing one of Anna's books. Ginny is the author of the award-winning YA novel Dark and Shallow Lies and her new book, Secrets So Deep, releases in September. You can connect with Ginny and her work through her website ginnymyerssain.com and you can hear my conversation with Ginny about Dark and Shallow Lies way back in Chapter 7 of the Bookcast.
Ginny is reviewing Assassin by Anna Myers.
Connect with the Bookcast: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WebSite
Check out Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry
Mentioned on the show:
Anne of Green Gables - Lucy Maud Montgomery
The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood - Howard Pyle
Green Lantern
The Yearling - Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
The Book Thief - Markus Zusac
Our Town - Thorton Wilder
The War that Saved My Life - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
The War I Finally Won - Kimberly Brubaker Bradley
Kate Morton
Kristin Hannah
Tumbleweed Baby - Anna Myers
Fire in the Hills - Anna Myers
Jerry Bennett
Music by JuliusH
I'm excited to talk with Amanda Bales and Chris Murphy - authors who tell Oklahoma stories using short fiction.
Amanda Bales is the author of Pekolah Stories, a collection about life in SE Oklahoma. Born and raised in Oklahoma, Amanda has since lived in many places, including Fairbanks, Alaska, where she completed her MFA at the University of Alaska. She now lives and writes in Champaign, Illinois and teaches at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. You can find out more about Amanda and her work through her website - amandabales.com - or on Twitter or Instagram.
Chris Murphy is an Assistant Professor at Northeastern State University in Talequah where he teaches creative writing. He received his MFA from the University of Arkansas and his work has been featured in a number of literary journals. Chris recently released a flash fiction collection about life in NE Oklahoma called Burning All the Time. You can connect with Chris at his website - chrisjmurphy.com - or on Instagram and Facebook.
This episode's review comes from Dee Dee Chumley. In 2008, Dee Dee retired from teaching high school English and “re-fired” to pursue her passion for writing. She has won numerous awards for her short stories, essays, and poems, including Best Juvenile Book from the Oklahoma Writers’ Federation, Inc. for her YA novel Beyond the Farthest Star and she was a finalist in the Southern Writers short story competition. In her latest writing effort, Dee Dee collaborated with grandson Brooks to write Ron Finds His Courage, a children’s chapter book inspired by Brooks’s pet bearded dragon. You can connect with Dee Dee and find her work on her website - deedeechumley.com.
Dee Dee reviews Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce
Mentioned on the show:
The Adventures of Tintin - Georges Remi
Winesberg, Ohio - Sherwood Anderson
Cowboy Jamboree Press
Mongrel Empire Press
Jeanetta Calhoun Mish
Scissortail Creative Writing Festival
David Joy
Courtney Milan
Nora Roberts
Slow Horses - Mick Herron
Mortals - Norman Rush
Spy Who Came in from the Cold - John Le Carre
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy - John Le Carre
A Tree Grows in Brooklyn - Betty Smith
Bastard Out of Carolina - Dorothy Allison
Stoner - John Williams
Miss Benson's Beetle - Rachel Joyce
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 21 of the Okie Bookcast!
My guests for this episode are Bill Price and Dr. Michael Hightower. Bill and Michael recently released Bill’s biography, called At War with Corruption, chronicling Bill’s life and involvement in prosecuting high-profile cases in Oklahoma. The book recently won the 2022 Nonfiction Book of the Year from the Oklahoma Book Awards.
Bill Price was the Assistant U.S. Attorney Western District Oklahoma from 1975-1982 and U.S. Attorney Western District of Oklahoma from 1982-1989. He was the Republican nominee for Governor 1990, and is now in Private practice Phillips Murrah. In addition to his law career, Bill has been instrumental in causes related to kids and education, something we get to talk about in our conversation.
Dr. Michael Hightower was born and raised in Oklahoma City and lived in Tulsa in the 80s and 90s. He was a co-founder and president of Council Oak Books, a trade publishing house. in Tulsa. Since completing his PhD in sociology at the University of Virginia, Michael has written several histories and biographies based in Oklahoma. You can find more of Michael's work at his website - michaeljhightower.com.
Jeff Clark is our reviewer. Jeff is an author, speaker, and veterans advocate born and raised in Oklahoma. Jeff recently released his first book, "Hear These Truths: The Ultimate Guide to Building Your Leadership Algorithm". You can connect with Jeff on social media @officialJSClark and on his website - jeffclarkofficial.com. You can also hear Jeff on his podcast - Course of Action with Jeff Clark.
Jeff is reviewing Brooklyn to Baghdad: An NYPD Intelligence Cop Fights Terror in Iraq by Christopher Strom with Jerome Preisler and Michael Benson
Connect with the Bookcast: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WebSite
Check out Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry
Mentioned on the Show
Bobby Baker
Roosevelt's "Man in the Arena" Speech
Thomas Sowell
Matt Ridley
Ron Chernow
Evan Osnos
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
Pillars of the Earth - Ken Follett
Free to Choose - Milton Friedman and Rose Friedman
Animal Farm - George Orwell
1984 - George Orwell
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Music by JuliusH
Connect with the Bookcast: Twitter | Facebook | Instagram | WebSite
Check out Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry
Welcome to Chapter 20! This one is all about Summer Library Reading Programs. I have a great lineup of librarians and other library-connected folks, giving us a bird's-eye view of summer reading and a picture of what it looks like in a couple of local contexts. We get to cover quite a bit of ground across the state - OKC east to Shawnee then north to Claremore and out west to Enid - and get tons of ideas about how to connect with reading and learning opportunities through local libraries for kids of all ages. We also talk about the importance of helping students avoid the summer reading slide by connecting them with reading opportunities that they enjoy.
I first talk with Bill Young and Adrienne Butler from the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. Bill has worked in the Oklahoma Department of Libraries' Public Information Office for 35 years, and has served as the PIO Director for 28 years. Adrienne is the Youth & Regional Services Consultant at the Oklahoma Department of Libraries. She's been with the State of Oklahoma over 25 years.
For our local libraries segment - I talk with Ashley Welke from the Pioneer Library System and Nikki Lunk and Leslie Rogers from the Will Rogers Library in Claremore. Ashley is the Director of Community Engagement and Learning for the Pioneer Library System where she oversees programming, outreach, and readers' services.
Nikki is a first year children’s librarian with the Will Rogers Library and Leslie is the Assistant Director and Adult Programming and Outreach Coordinator. She has been with the library for 9 years.
Our review comes from Theri Ray, who is the acting library director at the Enid Public Library. Theri is a Former middle school teacher who earned a Master of Library and Information Services from the University of Oklahoma in 2021. She describes herself with one word - bibliophile.
Theri reviews Legendborn by Tracy Deonn.
Mentioned on the show:
Oklahoma Department of Libraries
Pioneer Library System
PLS Connect App
Will Rogers Library, Claremore - Facebook | Instagram
Enid Public Library
Tana French
Doomsday Book - Connie Willis
To Say Nothing of the Dog - Connie Willis
Firekeeper's Daughter - Angeline Boulley
Shine - Lauren Myracle
Hercule Poirot Novels
Fred and George Weasley - Harry Potter Novels
Legendborn - Tracy Deonn
Welcome to Volume One of Behind the Rain: An Audio Anthology of Oklahoma Poetry.
I'm excited to share with you the work of these 10 Oklahoma poets.
Cotton Candy Skies - Hallie McGrath
- Instagram: @jackrabbit_spiritual
Coyote Communion - Brand Rackley
- Instagram: @brandrackley
Worse than My Bite - Rob Sturma
- Twitter: @ratpackslim
- Website: freezeraypoetry.com
The City Dump - Benjamin Myers
- Twitter: @BenMyersPoet
- Website: benjaminmyerspoetry.com
Spare Change - MAC Woods
- Instagram: @mac_since1985
In Oklahoma, You Don't Need to be Strangers to Talk about the Weather - Nathan Steinman
- Twitter: @barsvontrier
A Heart Warrior's Creed - Amy M. Le
- Twitter: @amy_m_le
- Website: amy-m-le.com
Visitation Hours - Rebecca Lemke
- Instagram: @newcrunchymom
- Website: rebeccalemke.com
All the Things I Should've Told You - Shayla Raquel
- Instagram: @shaylaleeraquel
- Website: shaylaraquel.com
(No) Mercy From Ghosts - Gary Reddin
- Twitter: @andrewreddin
- Website: GaryReddin.com
If you'd like to submit a poem for consideration for Volume Two of Behind the Rain (releasing September 15, 2022), visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for details.
Connect with the Bookcast @okiebookcast on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook for more Oklahoma voices.
Welcome to Chapter 19 of the Okie Bookcast!
Jerry Bennett is a full time illustrator and art director and is one of the great comic creators in Oklahoma. He has done work for local film company Reckless Abandonment Pictures, Invisible Layers, Oklahoma Today magazine, Okie Comics, Stan Lee, Marvel, DC and Lucasfilm. He also creates the Chicken Fried News illustrations in the Oklahoma Gazette and serves as the illustrator Coordinator for the Oklahoma/Arkansas region of the Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators. He is currently working with Charles J Martin (who you met way back in chapter one) on an incredible comic called Glamorella’s Daughter which has just finished its first four-issue run and has a volume one trade releasing later this month. You can see Jerry's work at his website - thejerrybennett.com or connect with him on Twitter or Instagram.
Rachel Elliott is an author-illustrator of comics for young readers. Her debut middle grade graphic novel, THE REAL RILEY MAYES, is an LGBTQ+ story set in Oklahoma and has received multiple starred reviews. Rachel grew up in Pryor, Oklahoma, and took drawing lessons at a neighbor's farm. She now teaches first-year composition, multimedia writing, and writing comics at the University of Kentucky.
Rachel is reviewing Come Over, Come Over by Lynda Barry
Mentioned on the show:
Star Wars - Marvel Comics
Transformers - Marvel Comics
John Byrne - Fantastic 4 and X-Men
Art Adams - Longshot
Stewart Immonen
Darwyn Cooke
Salt Magic - Hope Larson and Rebecca Mock
This Was Our Pact - Ryan Andrews
March - Rep. John Lewis, Andrew Aydin, and Nate Powell
The Murder of Emmett Till - Dr. Karlos K. Hill and David Dodson
Literati Press Comics and Novels
Glamorella's Daughter - Jerry Bennett and Charles J. Martin
Image Comics
Laron Chapman - You People
Stray Dogs - Tony Fleecs
Immortal Hulk - Al Ewing and Joe Bennett
Sea of Stars - Jason Aaron and Dennis Hopeless
Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing - Judy Blume
Come Over, Come Over - Lynda Barry
The Greatest of Marlys - Lynda Barry
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 18 of the Okie Bookcast! Couple of quick reminders:
- Our first Bookcast Newsletter will drop June 1. If you haven't subscribed yet on the website, take a minute to sign up at okiebookcast.com.
- I've had an incredible response to the Behind the Rain audio anthology and a fantastic lineup of poets and poems is coming your way on June 15.
CONTENT NOTE: My guest, Dr. Karlos Hill, studies and writes about difficult topics related to racial violence so there are some terms and events referenced in our conversation that might be difficult for younger listeners to understand and might be triggering to other listeners.
My guest is Dr. Karlos K. Hill. Karlos is Chair and Associate Professor of the Clara Luper Department of African and African-American Studies at the University of Oklahoma. He is an author and community-engaged scholar, who brings historical perspective to difficult racial events that impact the Black experience and our culture today. Karlos is the author of three books and is the founder of the Tulsa Race Massacre Oklahoma Teachers Summer Institute and serves on the Board of the Clara Luper Legacy Committee. He is a sought-after speaker and interview guest for outlets like CNN, USA Today, and Time Magazine and also a regular contributor to The Nation. You can connect with Karlos and find his work at karloskhill.com.
Jamie Hale provides our review for this episode. Jamie is an Information Services librarian for with the Pioneer Library System where she's been involved in adult and teen programming for 14 years. She enjoys jigsaw puzzles, trivia, musical theater, and anything Disney related. In addition to her work with Pioneer Libraries, Jamie spent three years involved with the Sequoyah Book Award on the High School Reading Team division and says she enjoys young adult literature as well as mystery and suspense novels. Jamie is reviewing The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams.
Mentioned on the Show:
The 1921 Tulsa Race Massacre: A Photographic History - Dr. Karlos K. Hill
Tulsa Race Massacre Oklahoma Teachers Summer Institute
Greenwood Cultural Center
John Hope Franklin Center
Watchmen (television series)
The Nation
The Murder of Emmitt Till: A Graphic History - Dr. Karlos K. Hill and Dave Dodson
Dave Dodson
Robinson Crusoe - Daniel Defoe
Behold the Walls - Clara Luper
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 17 of the Bookcast! Some quick reminders:
Submissions for the Behind the Rain audio poetry anthology are due May 15. Visit okiebookcast.com/behindtherain for more information and to submit your poetry. Volume 1 of the anthology will drop June 15.
I’d love to have you on the Okie Bookcast mailing list! You’ll be the first to get my brand new newsletter when it launches in June and other updates about special Bookcast events.
Finally, be sure to connect with me on social media - @okiebookcast on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
My guest for this episode is Shel Harrington. Shel is a humorist who writes for a (chronologically!) mature audience at FatBottomFiftiesGetFierce.com and has over 490,000 followers on her smile-inducing Fat-Bottom-Fifties Get Fierce Facebook page. In her other life, Shel is a seasoned Family Law attorney who writes and speaks about how to put her out of business by doing marriage better. Shel is the author of Over 50, Defined – Words Just For Us That Aren’t in the Dictionary . . . Yet! and her upcoming book, Over 50, Defined – More Quinbloits! is due out later this year. You can also connect with Shel through Twitter.
In our conversation, Shel and I talk about her book and some sample quinbloits, how her faith influences both her approach to family law and her writing, and we even get into some marriage and parenting advice - it’s a full-service conversation.
Amy Prokopis is our reviewer for this episode. Amy is an Oklahoma author writing for young adults. She graduated from Oklahoma State University with a degree in English and German and has since gone on to get her masters in School Counseling. Her latest book, "The Arena" is a science fiction book fit for lovers of "The Hunger Games" and bookworms who enjoyed the political thrill of "Dune." You can get updates about her writing from her Instagram (@amyprokopis) and read the first chapter of "The Arena" for free on her website - amyprokopis.com. You can also connect with Amy on TikTok and YouTube.
Amy is reviewing Everyone in this Room Will Someday be Dead by Emily Austin
Mentioned on the show:
Remember - you can purchase the books mentioned on this or any episode through my partnership with bookshop.org. 10% of your purchase goes to support your preferred indie bookstore and another 10% goes to support literacy organizations in Oklahoma.
Fat Bottom 50’s Get Fierce Website
Fat Bottom 50’s Get Fierce Facebook Page
Shel Harrington Relationship Advocate Facebook Page
Oh For the Love of God Facebook Page
Sniglets - Rich Hall
Erma Bombeck
Dolly Parton
WriterCon
Write Well, Sell Well
Red Sneaker Writers
A Time to Kill - John Grisham
The Firm - John Grisham
Think Again - Adam Grant
The Outsiders - S.E. Hinton
The Velvet Room - Zilpha Neatly Snyder
Music by Juliu
Welcome to Chapter 16 of the Okie Bookcast! We're celebrating National School Libraries Month by talking with a couple of amazing Oklahoma librarians! This is Part 2 of our conversation, so I strongly encourage you to check out Part 1 (in Chapter 15) and then come back and enjoy the rest.
My guests are Jill Slay, librarian at Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City, and Eric Dabney, librarian at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond. You can connect with Jill on Twitter (@msjillslay11) and Instagram (@jillslay11) and also check out her library on Twitter (@PCWlibrary) or Instagram (@pcwestlibrary). You can check out one of the videos Eric made reading to his students here.
In this part of our conversation, we talk about their approaches to curating their collections, hear their responses to the 3 Questions, and find out how they are celebrating National Library Month with their students (spoiler alert: pickle ball).
Hailey Carrell provides our review for this chapter. Hailey has worked in libraries for 12 years and recently started a blog to share their love of books. You can check out Hailey's reviews at https://haileyannereads.weebly.com/. When not reading, Hailey says they enjoy hanging out with their dog or listening to kpop.
Hailey reviews Home Before Dark by Riley Sager.
Mentioned on the Show:
I Am Enough - Grace Byars
Bad Guys series - Aaron Blabey
The Mystery of Mrs. Christie - Marie Benedict
Agatha Christie
Unhoneymooners - Christina Lauren
The Boys: A Memoir of Hollywood and Family - Ron Howard and Clint Howard
The Lincoln Highway - Amor Towles
Herve Tullet - Press Here and I Have an Idea
Laura Vaccaro Seegar - Bully, Blue, Green, and Red
Where the Red Fern Grows - Wilson Rawls
Summer of the Monkeys - Wilson Rawls
Go Set a Watchman - Harper Lee
To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
Where the Wild Things Are - Maurice Sendak
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 15 of the Okie Bookcast! We're celebrating National School Libraries Month by talking with a couple of amazing Oklahoma librarians!
Jill Slay is the librarian at Putnam City West High School in Oklahoma City. Jill has been an educator for 23-ish years and was a high school English teacher before moving into the Library about 10 years ago. She is currently working on her doctorate in Education in Curriculum Studies and Supervision. You can connect with Jill on Twitter (@msjillslay11) and Instagram (@jillslay11) and also check out her library on Twitter (@PCWlibrary) or Instagram (@pcwestlibrary).
Eric Dabney is the librarian at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond, OK. As a longtime researcher and editor for prolific author Bob Burke, Eric spent more than two decades rediscovering his home state over kitchen-table interviews and the family photo albums of many of its favorite sons and daughters including Gary England, Abe Lemons, Jane Jayroe, and George Nigh. He is the co-author of several books and taught in the education department at UCO for more than a decade. Eric began his career in public school education as a first-grade teacher at Orvis Risner Elementary in Edmond in 2014 and later moved down the street to Central Middle School, where he taught 7th-grade English and Literacy. He returned to Orvis Risner as the school's librarian in 2019. Married to Shelley for 30 years, the couple lives on a farm northeast of Edmond, where they raised three daughters and are now very happy grandparents.
You can check out one of the videos Eric made reading to his students here.
We had so much to talk about in this conversation that I've split it into two episodes. In this part one, we talk about their libraries, the role of librarians in the greater school community, and helping kids fall in love with reading. Part Two of our conversation is also available in Chapter 16.
Our review for this chapter is from Shereen Rasor - Shereen has been a teacher in Mustang Public Schools for 28 years and a school librarian for 10 years. She is married to her high-school sweetheart and is the mother of two sons, both in the military, and the grandmother of the two cutest kids ever! Her favorite past times are reading, horseback riding, and motorcycle riding… especially if she gets to do these things on the beach.
Shereen reviews The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth.
Mentioned on the Show:
Orca Soundings Collection
Jason Reynolds
Judy Blume
Avi
Treasure Island - Robert Louis Stevenson
Wonder - R. J. Palacio
Tony Hawk
Wizard of Oz - L. Frank Baum
The Good Sister - Sally Hepworth
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 14 of the Okie Bookcast!
April Read Oklahoma Challenge category - Read a Sequoyah Award winner from any year
My guest is Onikah Asamoa-Ceasar, book lover and founder of Fulton Street Books and Coffee in Tulsa, OK. Fulton Street is a bookshop on a mission to increase intergenerational literacy and build better community by focusing on conversations and keeping people at the center of everything they do. The store carries a wide selection of fiction and nonfiction and they also offer a drink menu that has something for everyone. Fulton Street is a passion project for Onikah who describes herself as “Mom to Hadassah, enneagram 8, lover of history, daughter of the middle passage”. In our conversation we talk about the store and books, but we also talk about literacy, community, representation, book deserts, and all of the many ways Fulton Street is living out its mission in Tulsa.
You can connect with Fulton Street at their website - fultonstreet918.com or on social media @fultonstreet918.
Our review is by Tulsa emerging author Jace Hyman. Jace says She knows far too many things about video games, movies, and anime and wants desperately to tell stories like the ones that inspire her. Her favorite genres are sci-fi, cyberpunk, and horror, with an emphasis on stories that include trans representation. In fact those are the types of characters she wants to bring to the fore with her own writing. When not writing, she can be found over-analyzing her favorite (or least favorite) stories and petting her cat Eliza. Jace is reviewing Skullduggery Pleasant by Derek Landry.
Mentioned on the show:
Americanah - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
1921 Commemorative Box
Black Wall Street Times
Alex Tamahn
Little and Lit subscription boxes
Black History Collection - Tyler Lockett
Syllabus Book Club
The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story - Nikole Hannah-Jones
How the Word Is Passed - Clint Smith
Octavia Butler
Audre Lorde
Cooking with Chef Tiff - Tiffany Tisdale-Braxton
The Victory of Greenwood - Carlos Moreno
A Kids Book about the Tulsa Race Massacre - Carlos Moreno
Little Man - Brian A. Smallwood
Diamonds from the Tisdale - Steph Simon
Pedagogy of the Oppressed - Paulo Freire
The Warmth of Other Suns - Isabel Wilkerson
Skullduggery Pleasant - Derek Landy
Music by JuliusH
In this chapter of the Okie Bookcast, our focus is on the Sequoyah Book Awards and the Donna Norvell Award. The Sequoyah Awards are sponsored by the Oklahoma Library Association and are one of the oldest child-selected book awards in the country. The awards are presented at the end of March every year, so this is the perfect time to learn more about them and I've got the perfect guests to shed some light.
Kirsten Walker is the Chair for the Sequoyah Administration Team for 2021-2022. She is a librarian at the Southwest Oklahoma City Library which is part of the Pioneer Library System. Kirsten has previously served on the Intermediate Sequoyah Reading Team and was chair of the Children and Teen Services Roundtable.
Molly Dettmann has served on the Intermediate and High School Sequoyah Reading Committees and served as the 2020-2021 Sequoyah Administration Committee Chair. She works as a school librarian at Norman North High School and was named her school's 2021-2022 Teacher of the Year.
In our conversation we talk about the history of the Sequoyah Awards, the selection process for masterlists and winners, and get a peek behind the scenes.
In keeping with the Sequoyah Awards theme, our review is from Mandi MacDonald, who is the librarian and AP English teacher at North Rock Creek High School in Shawnee, Oklahoma. Mandi is also the current chair for the Intermediate Sequoyah masterlist.
She reviews the 2023 Sequoyah Intermediate Masterlist book Alone by Megan E. Freeman.
Mentioned on the show:
The Night Ride - J. Anderson Coats
Love In English - Maria E. Andreu
Legendborn - Tracy Deonn
The Inheritance Games - Jennifer Barnes
The Charm Offensive - Alice Cochrun
Dark Rise - C.S. Pacat
All Systems Red - Martha Wells
Hola Papi: How to Come Out in a Walmart Parking Lot and Other Life Lessons - John Paul Brammer
Crying in H Mart: A Memoir - Michelle Zauner
Goosebumps Series - R.L. Stine
Fear Street - R. L. Stine
Lady Sherlock Series - Sherry Thomas
The Color Purple - Alice Walker
Full Circle Books
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 12 and happy sixth month anniversary to the Bookcast!
I got to take the show on the road to Tulsa to talk with Victoria Moore, owner and curator of Whitty Books - a bookshop she opened in 2018 in the Kendall Whittier district in Tulsa. Since they opened, Whitty Books has been a community hub for book clubs, live music, black-out poetry, and other events. As curator, Victoria has a particular interest in small press titles and weird fiction, and is always looking for the next great horror novel. You can connect with Whitty Books on social media @shopwhittybooks on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.
In our conversation, we talk about the origins of the store, the role of bookshops in the community, and how they embrace their identity as Tulsa’s “weird” bookstore.
Our review for this episode comes from Jude Bayton. Jude is originally from Kingston-Upon-Thames, near London in the UK and has also lived in Scotland, Wales, Africa, Yemen and Germany – but now makes her home in Oklahoma. Jude is the author of three Historical Mysteries set in Victorian England: The Secret of Mowbray Manor, The Secret of Hollyfield House, and The Secret of Pendragon Island. You can connect with Jude at Judebayton.com and @judebayton on Twitter, Facebook & Instagram.
Jude reviews The Word is Murder by Anthony Horowitz.
Mentioned on the show:
Mary Make N Do
Arsenal Pulp Press
Unnamed Press
Rivers Solomon
Queen of Teeth - Haley Piper
Stephen Graham Jones
Literati Press Comics and Novels
Coach House Books
Silver in the Wood - Emily Tesh
Drowned Country - Emily Tesh
Dr. Edith Vane and the Hares of Crawley Hall - Suzette Mayr
Fever Dream - Samanta Schweblin
The Cipher - Kathe Koja
Meerkat Press
The Tommyknockers - Stephen King
Every Heart a Doorway - Seanan McGuire
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter Eleven of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is Heather Zeoli from Metropolitan Library System in Oklahoma County. Heather is the director of development and volunteer services for Metro Libraries. She has worked in fundraising for 20 years and has been with the library system for the past 6.
In our conversation, we talk about the history and scope of the Metro System and a number of programs designed to engage and develop different groups of readers. Heather also previews the Friends of the Library Book Sale, coming up February 26 and 27 at the OKC Fairgrounds. She provides some tips for enjoying the Sale and some insider information for those who are planning to attend this year.
Oklahoma author James D. Jackson is our reviewer for this episode. James is reviewing The One by John Marrs.
James is an Oklahoma native and University of Central Oklahoma alum who has worked as a sports journalist for The Oklahoman newspaper for the last 2 years. James has released two books in his Adam Avraham series. The Curse of Simon Jones, his debut sports mystery, which blends the exciting world of journalism with the thrilling twists and turns of a classic murder mystery, and it’s sequel, Internal Clocks, a chilling science fiction mystery that will leave readers on the edge of their seats. In his free time, James enjoys reading, exercise and traveling. You can connect with James on Twitter and Instagram @jamesdjackson15, and on Facebook @JamesDJackson.
Remember - you can purchase all of the books mentioned on the Bookcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org. 10% of your purchase goes to support independent bookstores and we are pledging an additional 10% to support literacy initiatives in Oklahoma.
Mentioned on the episode:
Oklahoma Archive Special Collection
1000 Books by Kindergarten
Metro Library Winter Reading Challenge
Nancy Drew
Save Me From Myself - Brian "Head"' Welch
Over the Top - Jonathan Van Ness
Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood
The Carrie Diaries - Candace Bushnell
Bridget Jones' Diary - Helen Fielding
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to Chapter 10(!) of the Okie Bookcast! I'm excited that we've made it to this milestone and thankful for all of you who have joined the ride.
Quick reminder - the category for the Read Oklahoma Challenge this month is "A Book Set in Oklahoma". You can find a list of suggested titles on the web site - okiebookcast.com/readoklahoma - don't forget you can also sign up to let me know you're joining me in the Challenge.
My guest today is Kim Ventrella. Kim is the award-winning author of four middle grade novels, including HELLO, FUTURE ME and THE SECRET LIFE OF SAM (HarperCollins), a 2021 Oklahoma Book Award winner and one of Kirkus Reviews' Best Books of 2020. Her novel BONE HOLLOW (Scholastic) was chosen as a 2019 Best Book for Kids by the New York Public Library, and SKELETON TREE was nominated for the 2019 Carnegie Medal in the UK. In addition to these novels, her short fiction has appeared in the anthology DON'T TURN OUT THE LIGHTS.
Beyond her own writing, Kim is dedicated to helping other authors - particularly young authors - improve their work. She has a couple of YouTube channels with content for emerging authors, does school visits, and teaches writing to kids through the Outschool platform. Kim is also one of the organizers of Spooky Middle Grade - a collection of authors who write spooky middle grade fiction - and offers editing services for writers needing a bit of assistance.
In our conversation, we talk about Kim's work, her process, her work with writers of all ages, and how a 5th-grade yearbook signing helped launch her career. You can connect with Kim and her work at kimventrella.com or on social media @kimventrella.
Our reviewer is Casie Bazay. Casie is a former middle school teacher who now works as a freelance writer, editor, and author. Her debut YA novel, Not Our Summer, released from Running Press Kids/Hachette in May of 2021. In her spare time, Casie enjoys exploring the great outdoors, spending time at the barn with her horses and goats, reading, and watching movies. She lives on a hay farm in Oklahoma with her husband and two children but loves traveling to new and exciting destinations whenever she can.
You can connect with Casie and her work at casiebazay.com or on social media @casiebazay on Twitter or @casiebazayyaauthor on Facebook.
Casie reviews Bad Witch Burning by Jessica Lewis.
Mentioned on the Show:
Scary Stories to Tell in the Dark - Alvin Schwartz
Goosebumps - R.L. Stine
Spooky Middle Grade
Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators
Out to Get You - Josh Allen
Only if You Dare - Josh Allen
A Touch of Ruckus - Ash Van Otterloo
Josephine Against the Sea - Shakirah Bourne
Arc of a Scythe series - Neal Shusterman
Bad Witch Burning - Jessica Lewis
Remember, you can purchase all of the books discussed on the podcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org.
Music by JuliusH
Thanks for checking out Chapter Nine of the Okie Bookcast!
My guest is Jeremie Kubicek, founder of GiANT Worldwide, serial entrepreneur, and author. Jeremie is a powerful communicator and content builder whose work is used by some of the largest companies and organizations around the globe. He is the author of multiple books, including: 100X Leader, 5 Gears, 5 Voices, and the National Bestseller - Making Your Leadership Come Alive. In addition to his content creation, Jeremie is the Executive Chairman of GiANT, a company that licenses coaches and consultants that serve companies and their employees. Jeremie has started over 20 companies while living in Oklahoma City, Moscow, Atlanta and London. You can connect with Jeremie at jeremiekubicek.com or giant.tv/jk or on social media at @jeremiekubicek.
In our conversation we talk about Jeremie's passion for helping others "level up", his writing process, talking to statues, and his vision for the future of content creation. I'm confident you're going to leave this conversation energized and encouraged.
Our review for this episode is by Dr. Jesus Sampedro. Jesus trains people around the world on the integration of leadership, management, and spirituality-related topics. He has also taught leadership and business at Regent University (USA), IESA Business School, UC (Venezuela), and is currently Program Director for the Master of Arts in Leadership & Assistant Professor at Mid America Christian University (Oklahoma). He has authored and co-authored various books, including: On becoming a leader (2021) and A Leadership Framework for Transformation (2008). Jesus is the founder of Global Leadership Consulting, a leadership training, coaching, and consulting firm and is a Certified and Licensed Leadership Coach-Trainer at Lifeforming Leadership Coaching (USA) for Latin America. He is currently the Latin American Regional Director for Generosity Path. Jesus holds a Doctorate in Strategic Leadership (DSL) and an MBA from Regent University (Virginia, USA). Jesus is originally from Venezuela, is married to Gaby, a worship leader and award-winning Christian singer. They have two girls and live in Edmond, OK. You can connect with Jesus on Facebook, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube.
Jesus reviews Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose by John Whitmore.
Mentioned on the Show:
John Maxwell
Henry Cloud
Ragamuffin Gospel - Brennan Manning
Andrew Murray
David McCullough
Will Rogers
GiANT Worldwide
The Supreme Commander - Stephen Ambrose
The Age of Eisenhower - William I. Hitchcock
Unusual Tale of Mary and Joseph's Baby
Andrew Robinson and the Old Souls
Wisdom Hunter - Randall Arthur
Coaching for Performance: GROWing Human Potential and Purpose - John Whitmore
Remember, you can purchase all of the books discussed on the podcast through our partnership with Bookshop.org.
Music by JuliusH
Happy 2022 from The Okie Bookcast! There is so much great stuff coming in the days ahead! If you haven't heard the New Year's Resolutions interlude, I strongly encourage you to take a few minutes to check out the big goals for 2022 and how you can be a part of them.
One of those goals is launching the Read Oklahoma Challenge. I'm encouraging everyone to read one Oklahoma-connected book a month through 2022. There are new categories each month and I'll provide some recommendations along the way. For January, we're reading any work by Oklahoma great, S.E. Hinton. You can find a list of her books here.
For more on the Challenge and to sign up to let us know you're in, visit the Read Oklahoma Challenge web page.
Dr. Beth Brown is my guest for this chapter. Beth is a life-long educator who says she is on a mission to inspire families and kids to have fun, become more active and learn life skills through sports in her children’s book series “Adventures with Divot & Swish.” She was a college athlete at the University of Oklahoma and holds a Ph.D. in sports psychology from the University of Kansas. Since finishing her degree, she’s gone on to impact thousands through her roles as a golf coach, an educational program developer at First Tee and LPGA-USGA Girls Golf, and the founder of the coaching and consulting agency, Team Aureus.
Beth's latest book - Adventures with Divot and Swish in the Ozark Mountains: The Superpower of Confidence - is releasing in January and can be found at her website or at several of the OK Indie Bookstores (see below). In addition to her books, Beth has created resources for educators to use the books in the classroom, and those are also available from her website. Beyond her site, you can connect with Beth on Instagram and Facebook (@adventureswithdivotandswish).
Beth and I talk about her books, the importance of helping kids develop superpowers like confidence and courage, her work with children in a variety of spaces, and how her experiences in sports have shaped the stories she tells. You're going to love hearing from Beth.
For our review this episode, M. Jane Hawkins reviews three books from award-winning Oklahoma children's author Tammi Sauer - Nugget and Fang, Wordy Birdie, and Not Now, Cow. Jane is a former educator and editor who has worked with kids in a variety of capacities. Her books - A Truck Named Tony and Tony the Truck and the Christmas Delivery are available from her website - janehawkins.net.
You can connect with Jane at her website or on Twitter (@mjchawk) and Instagram (@maryjanehawkins).
Mentioned in the episode:
Letty Watt
Charlotte Strickland
Karl Brune
Full Circle Bookstore
Best of Books
Magic City Books
Dr. Carol Dweck
Legacy - James Kerr
The Culture Code - Darren Coyle
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success - Dr. Carol Dweck
Winnie the Pooh
Nugget and Fang - Tammi Sauer
Wordy Birdie - Tammi Sauer
Not Now, Cow - Tammi Sauer
Music by JuliusH
In this short interlude episode, J talks about five goals (resolutions) for the Bookcast for 2022.
- 24 quality shows - Check out upcoming guests and past conversations at okiebookcast.com/episodes.
- Growing the scope of the show - 77 counties and 50 states. Track progress at okiebookcast.com/reach.
- Growing the community - connect with @okiebookcast across social media.
- Launching the Read Oklahoma Challenge - 12 Oklahoma-connected books across 2022. Check out the challenge at okiebookcast.com/readoklahoma.
- Launching the Bookcast Newsletter - more information coming soon.
Thanks for starting with the Bookcast in 2021. Excited to see where we go in 2022!
Welcome to Chapter Seven of the Okie Bookcast! I get to talk with the delightful author Ginny Myers Sain. Ginny's debut YA novel, Dark and Shallow Lies, has exploded this fall, becoming an Indiebound bestseller and showing up on multiple top books of the year lists. Her book is a mystery-thriller that explores the question, "How do you keep a secret in a town full of psychics?". You can find out more about Ginny and her work on Twitter (@stageandpage) and Instagram (@ginnymyerssain) or at her website - ginnymyerssain.com. You can find Dark and Shallow Lies everywhere books are sold.
My conversation with Ginny includes her book and its unique setting, the connection between her work in theatre and her writing, and why she chooses to write for young adult audiences. She also drops some information about her new book coming in 2022!
This chapter's review comes from Oklahoma author J.L. Hyde. J.L. is an Okie transplant from a small town in northern Michigan and says she's not leaving any time soon. She became an author after losing her job in hospitality management due to COVID-19 and has published two books - Underground and Delta County. You can connect with J.L. on Facebook (AuthorJLHyde), Instagram (@bookandbeerreview) and her website - jlhyde.com.
J.L. reviews The River at Night by Erica Ferencik.
Mentioned on the Podcast:
Anna Myers
Benjamin Myers
Tennessee Williams
- Night of the Iguana
- A Streetcar Named Desire
- The Glass Menagerie
- Cat on a Hot Tin Roof
That Weekend - Kara Thomas
The Forest of Stolen Girls - June Hur
The Corpse Queen - Heather M. Herman
Park & Fine Literary and Media
Underground - J. L. Hyde
Delta County - J. L. Hyde
The River at Night - Erica Ferencik
Remember, you can purchase any of the books mentioned on the podcast by visiting our Bookshop.org shop. 10% of your purchase goes to support indie bookshops and another 10% will be donated to literacy initiatives in Oklahoma.
Music by JuliusH
My guest is Nick Bremmer. Nick is the owner of Word of Mouth Bookshop X Goods located in Prelude Coffee Roasters at the 8th Street Market in Oklahoma City. We talk about Word of Mouth's beginnings as a pop-up shop, his approach to curating a collection of "books that love to be talked about", and the connection between books and breweries.
Our review is from Stillwater eighth-grade author, Abhi Sukhdial. His first novella, Three Days Till EOC, is a sci-fi thriller about climate change and was recognized as an Honor Winner in the Young Adult Fiction category of the Green Earth Book Awards in 2021. Abhi has been reviewing books and movies for a couple of years and contributed a fantastic review of his favorite book - See You in the Cosmos by Jack Cheng.
Mentioned on the episode:
Prelude Coffee Roasters, OKC
8th Street Market, OKC
The Stand - Stephen King
Where the Crawdads Sing - Delia Owens
This is How You Lose the Time War - Amal El-Mohtar and Max Gladstone
Jacket Weather - Mike DeCapite
J.R.R. Tolkien
Lies of Locke Lamora - Scott Lynch
A Darker Shade of Magic - V.E. Schwab
Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief - Rick Riordan
Literati Press Comics and Novels, OKC
Bookshop.org
Libro.fm
Three Days Till EOC - Abhi Sukhdial
See You in the Cosmos - Jack Cheng
Music by JuliusH
At the halfway mark of National Novel Writing Month, we have great conversation with author and writing teacher Roger D. Colby. Roger teaches writing and literature at Norman High School and is the author of six science-fiction novels and a ton of short stories and poetry. He also hosts a couple of podcasts that we talk about on the show. You can connect with Roger and find all of his work at rogerdcolby.com.
Our conversation ranges from Roger's work and process to tips for writers to the worst movie he's ever seen. It's a fun, informative, and encouraging interview that I'm sure you'll enjoy.
Our review for this episode comes from Laurie Ward, reviewing Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. Laurie's newly released first novel - The Book of Life: Part One - just released and she is hard at work on Part Two, which will release in early 2022. In addition to her work as a writer, Laurie can be found hiking trails, kayaking, quilting with her mom on Zoom, painting, drawing, cheering on her daughter at the soccer field, or cozied up on the couch watching the latest documentary with her husband. Laurie is a transplanted Okie, now living in North Carolina, but still faithful to her Sooners.
In addition to our conversation and review, this episode includes an update about our NANOWRIMO social media contests.
Mentioned on the podcast:
Typerspace: Tales from Planet Pantser - Podcast by Roger D. Colby
3 Cylinder Stardrive - Podcast by Roger D. Colby and Richard Kutz
Peter Straub
Stephen King
Story Clock Method - Seth Worley
Magic 2.0 Series - Scott Meyer
The Book of Strange New Things - Michel Faber
Ready Player One - Ernest Cline
Armada - Ernest Cline
Cannibal Amazon Women in the Avocado Jungle of Death
Scrivener
Norwood - Charles Portis
True Grit - Charles Portis
Foundation - Isaac Asimov
Star Wars and Philosophy: More Powerful than You Can Possibly Imagine - Kevin S. Decker
The Matrix and Philosophy: Welcome to the Desert of the Real - William Irwin
You can find expanded show notes and links to all of the books, authors, and organizations listed above at okiebookcast.com. You can also subscribe to receive updates when new material goes live on the site and connect with us through comments on the individual shows.
Music by JuliusH
We're kicking off National Novel Writing Month with a fun and encouraging conversation with author and professor, Mel Odom. Mel has published over 220 novels in genres ranging from science fiction to westerns to romance to tie-ins with popular movie and television franchises. In addition to his writing, Mel has taught in the Professional Writing department at the University of Oklahoma for several years.
Mel says of his work that he writes "with the hope of telling an interesting tale that will incite a reader to think for himself or herself, to examine his or her own place in the world, and offer a little nudge in the direction of dreams, faith, and personal growth in spite of whatever odds a person has to face. I also believe we were all put here for a purpose. Hopefully, several purposes." You can connect with Mel and find his entire catalog at melodombooks.com.
Our conversation covers Mel's story and career, the challenges of writing across genres, the advantages of self-publishing, and a ton of great tips for both new and experienced writers who are tackling NANOWRIMO.
Our review comes from Tulsa author Bre Lockhart, reviewing Fragile Things - a short story collection by Neil Gaiman. Bre is a fantasy and science-fiction writer from Tulsa, who also publishes mystery and poetry under different pen names. In addition to her writing, Bre is an editor for Three Point Author Services and serves as an administrator for the Tulsa Writers' Syndicate. You can find out more about Bre and her work, including links to her social media, at brelockhart.com.
Mentioned on the podcast:
Mark Twain
Swiss Family Robinson
Andre Norton
Robert A. Heinlein
Mack Bolan: The Executioner Series
Raymond Chandler
Dashiell Hammett
Robert B Parker
Blackpool Mystery Series - Harlequin Novels by Mel Odom writing as Jordan Gray
Debra Webb
Nora Roberts
Buffy the Vampire Slayer
NCIS
Forgotten Realms
Sabrina the Teenage Witch
La Brea
International Association of Media Tie-In Writers
Titan Books
Chris Fox
Craig Martel
Robert Crais
Hardy Boys
Nancy Drew
Grosset and Dunlap
Three Point Author Services
Tulsa Writers' Syndicate
Indie Author Magazine
Tulsa Library
Fragile Things - Neil Gaiman
Harlan Ellison
Ray Bradbury
Tori Amos
American Gods - Neil Gaiman
You can find expanded show notes and links to all of the books, authors, and organizations listed above at okiebookcast.com. You can also subscribe to receive updates when new material goes live on the site and connect with us through comments on the individual shows.
Music by JuliusH
We're celebrating Halloween at the Okie Bookcast! Our guest for Chapter Three is Jeff Provine - author, professor, and ghost tour guide. Jeff grew up on a Land Run farm outside of Enid and now is a Professor of English at Oklahoma City Community College. Jeff's fiction work ranges from The Academy - a long-running web comic to Celestial Voyages - a series of steam-punk novels. He is also the author of a series of books in the Haunted Oklahoma series (some with Tanya McCoy) that focus on ghost stories and urban legends from around the state. His latest book, Secret Oklahoma City, focuses on unusual stories about OKC. In addition to his writing about Oklahoma, Jeff leads ghost tours of the haunted sites around OKC and Norman featured in his books. You can access Jeff's work at jeffprovine.com.
Our conversation centers on Haunted Oklahoma and ghost stories from our state, but we also cover Oklahoma history, pigeons, comics, and an incredible choice for his meal with a fictional character.
Our review is by D.E. Chandler, reviewing Hex by Thomas Olde Heuvelt. D.E.'s work ranges from novels (Bone Sliver and Nova Wave) to award-winning short fiction and poetry. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Oklahoma City University’s Red Earth MFA program, and lives with her husband Tom in Oklahoma. She is a member of Oklahoma Writers Federation’s Prosateurs chapter. You can find out more about D.E. and her work, as well as links to her social media, at her web site - dechandlerwrites.com.
Mentioned in the Chapter:
Reading Rainbow
Haunted Oklahoma Books - Jeff Provine
- Norman Campus
- Norman
- Shawnee
- Guthrie
- Oklahoma City
- Oklahoma
The Academy w/ Commentary - Jeff Provine
The Academy Classic - Jeff Provine
Okie Comics
Celestial Voyages series - Jeff Provine
Stone of Thor - Peggy Chambers and Mike Kennedy
Secret Oklahoma City: A guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
M.R. James - "The Mezzotint"
Edgar Allen Poe - The Raven
Book of Dwarves
Book of Elves
The Life and Times of Scrooge McDuck - Don Rosa
Hex - Thomas Olde Heuvelt
Bone Sliver - D.E. Chandler
Nova Wave - D.E. Chandler
Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com
Music by JuliusH
Welcome to the first episode of the Okie Bookcast! In this chapter, I sit down with Charles Martin, Steve Gooch, Chloe Harrison, and James McGough from Literati Press Comics and Novels. We talk about the history of the publishing house and bookstore, how they make decisions about publishing projects and the curation of their store, their commitment to Oklahoma storytelling and their role in the community, and some past, present, and future projects to check out. You can find out more about Literati Press at literatipressok.com and @literatipress on social media.
Our review of a favorite book for this chapter is from Hannah Joy Herron. You can find her novels Awake and Sleep Tight on Amazon and at bookstores in OKC. You can also find out more about Hannah and her work at hannahjoyherron.com.
Books and Authors mentioned in this chapter:
Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
Killers of the Flower Moon - David Grann
Heathen - Natasha Alterici
The Black Jack Demon - Nick Hermes
We Promised Utopia - Charles J. Martin, Adrian Morales, and Robert Holman; Art by John Eric Osborn, Jonathan Koelsch, and Chloé Elimam
Open - E. Scott Jones
Rez Detective - Steven Paul Judd and Tvli Jacob; Art by M. K. Perker
Glamorella's Daughter - Jerry Bennett and Charles J. Martin
S. (Ship of Theseus) - Doug Dorst and J.J. Abrams
Pale Fire - Vladimir Nabokov
Oklahoma Heroes
Lew Archer Series - Ross Macdonald
Easy Rawlins Series - Walter Mosley
Harvey Pekar
Misery - Stephen King
Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com
Voice Talent (in order of appearance): Bennett Waggoner, Hannah Herron, Matthew Vaughan, Scott McMurry
Music by JuliusH
For this chapter of the Okie Bookcast, we talk with Oklahoma author Amy M. Le, author of the Snow Trilogy (Snow in Vietnam, Snow in Seattle, and Snow's Kitchen) and The Copper Phoenix. Amy immigrated with her mother and cousin to the United States from Vietnam in the aftermath of the war and is proud of her strong connections to both her Vietnamese roots and the Vietnamese community in Oklahoma City and beyond. In addition to her writing, Amy is the founder of Quill Hawk Publishing - a company dedicated to assisting indie authors publish their work. She works with a number of community organizations and is active in several writing organizations in Oklahoma and beyond.
In our conversation we discuss her experience as a refugee and the importance of her dual identity as Vietnamese-American and how these experiences informed the Snow Trilogy. Additionally, we cover her writing process, Quill Hawk Publishing, cooking, the Seattle Seahawks, and Oompa Loompas - what more could you ask for?
You can connect with Amy and find out more about her story and her work at Amy-M-Le.com or on social media at @amy_m_le (Instagram and Twitter) or @authoramymle (Facebook).
Our review this week comes from Mark Edward Jones, reviewing Dissolution by C. J. Sansom. Mark's debut novel, Peculiar Activities, launches October 6. He has won awards for mystery writing and has a flash fiction piece entitled Alone in Warsaw published in the UK publication, Painted Words. Mark has also worked as an editor and consultant on multiple projects. You can find out more about Mark and his work at mejbooksllc.com.
Be sure to follow us on Twitter and Instagram at @okiebookcast and visit okiebookcast.com for updates and information.
Mentioned in this Chapter:
Snow in Vietnam - Amy M. Le
Snow in Seattle - Amy M. Le
Snow's Kitchen - Amy M. Le
The Copper Pheonix - Amy M. Le
Quill Hawk Publishing
The Mountain Sings
House of Sticks
Together for Good Refugee Film School
Peculiar Activities - Mark Edward Jones
Dissolution - C. J. Sansom
Links to all of these titles and organizations available at okiebookcast.com
Music by JuliusH
In this trailer for the Okie Bookcast, host J Hall talks about the heart behind the podcast and outlines what listeners can expect as it launches in October.
Special thanks to voice talent contributors, in order of appearance:
Kenda Hall
Scott McMurry
Madeline Kenedy
Ainsley Kapsa
Noah Castleberry
Works and authors mentioned in the episode:
- S.E. Hinton
- Ralph Ellison
- Grapes of Wrath
- Boom Town: The Fantastical Saga of Oklahoma City, Its Chaotic Founding, Its Purloined Basketball Team, and the Dream of Becoming a World-class Metropolis
- Killers of the Flower Moon
- N.K. Jemisen
- John Scalzi
- Becky Chambers
- Andy Weir
- Ray Bradbury
- Clifford Simak
- City
Music by JuliusH