The Book Case

Charlie challenged Kate to get him to consider horror literature. And she did just that. We assembled Stephen Graham Jones, Jennifer McMahon and Victor LaValle to talk about why horror speaks to them and how they write it so well. It’s an extended and deeper conversation of what aired on GMA a week ago, and we just love this conversation. Join us if you dare!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Off the Reservation by Stephen Graham Jones

The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones

The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones

My Heart is a Chain Saw by Stephen Graham Jones

Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

The Angel of Indian Lake by Stephen Graham Jones

Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones

Mapping the Interior by Stephen Graham Jones

Lone Women by Victor LaValle

The Ballad of Black Tom by Victor LaValle

The Devil in Silver by Victor LaValle

The Changeling by Victor LaValle

Big Machine by Victor LaValle

The Ecstatic by Victor LaValle

Stay Buried by Jennifer McMahon

The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon

The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon

My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon

The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon

The Invited by Jennifer McMahon

Burntown by Jennifer McMahon

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Bonnie Garmus’ follow up to GMA Book Club Pick Lessons in Chemistry, called Peck & Peck, is a wild and funny foray into the world of poetry. Compulsively readable with unforgettable characters, the novel centers around Batter, a poetry editor who ends up at a world renown poetry publication, called Peck & Peck. What is the world of poets and their editors occupy? What do they have to believe in to do well? We ask the author. Also, we are joined by Periwinkle books, a new store in Bronxville NY. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Peck & Peck by Bonnie Garmus

Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus

The General’s Daughter by Nelson DeMille

Less by Andrew Sean Greer

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Where’d You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

Demon Copperhead by Barbara Kingsolver

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When we visited with Ann Patchett a few months ago, she talked almost non stop about Yiyun Li’s newest, MUSIC AGAINST THE NIGHT, which she called “close the perfect novel”. We went right home and read it and booked Yiyun for her earliest availability, because she was right. Yiyun Li, the writer of MUSIC AGSINST THE NIGHT, joins us to talk about her beautifully written new book, and why she felt, at this stage in her career, she felt comfortable tackling a literary trilogy. We also talk to a not for profit, BINC, whose purpose is to financially support independent booksellers for any variety of reasons. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Music Against the Night by Yiyun Li

Things in Nature Merely Grow by Yiyun Li

Wednesday’s Child by Yiyun Li

The Book of Goose by Yiyun Li

Where Reasons End by Yiyun Li

The Vagrants by Yiyun Li

Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li

A Thousand Years of Good Prayers by Yiyun Li

Whistler by Ann Patchett

War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

Moby Dick by Herman Melville

The Story of Lucy Gault by William Trevor

Turtle Diary by Russell Hoban

The House in Paris by Elizabeth Bowen

The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot

The Portrait of a Lady by Henry James

The Transit of Venus by Shirley Hazzard

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This week we have to terrific authors in one show. Robert Kolker’s newest, The Vanishing Family, is a look at a family afflicted with an early onset dementia, and how this family could revolutionize the way we think about the aging mind. Chloe Benjamin was GMA’s September Book Club pick, and although we are late to the party, we are proud to get to attend at all. It’s a mind-blowing book about time flowing backwards, and forwards. Join us for a sit down with two great authors and their two great books.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Understory by Chloe Benjamin

The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin

The Anatomy of Dreams by Chloe Benjamin

The Vanishing Family by Robert Kolker

Hidden Valley Road by Robert Kolker

Lost Girls by Robert Kolker

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Up until now, there hasn’t really been a complete compendium on the Hindenburg disaster. Catherine Grace Katz gives it us in SHADOW BEFORE THE FLAME, and it is a page turner. Filled with top notch research, Katz drops readers squarely in the 1930’s so that they experience the majesty, mystery and looming fascism that cloaked the Hindenburg’s journey from Germany to the US. Something the size of three football fields was destroyed in 34 seconds. What did the people see on the ground? What did the passengers feel and see as it combusted? Did anyone live? These are all questions asked and answered on this week’s podcast. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Shadow Before the Flame: The Hindenburg Disaster and the Prelude to War by Catherine Grace Katz

The Daughters of Yalta by Catherine Grace Katz

Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie

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Jennifer McMahon has been called the Shirley Jackson of her generation. Her newest, Stay Buried, is a fascinating look at what can happen to a small town when beset with an almost inhuman pandemic, and how they turn on each other as the diseases claims victim after victim (sound familiar?). Come join us for a great conversation with Jennifer in which we talk abut her ides, her process, and how there is a touch of the scary in so many of the classics we love.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

Stay Unburied by Jennifer McMahon
The Children on the Hill by Jennifer McMahon
My Darling Girl by Jennifer McMahon
The Winter People by Jennifer McMahon
The Drowning Kind by Jennifer McMahon
Promise Not to Tell by Jennifer McMahon
Kin by Tayari Jones
The Lottery by Shirley Jackson
Beloved by Toni Morrison
Lord of the Flies by William Golding
Hamlet by William Shakespeare

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Jodi Picoult’s newest, Hollow Bones, is probably more topical than even she would have wanted. A book that heart wrenchingly twists the anniversaries of 9/11 along with a serious look at Post Partem Psychosis, Picoult acknowledges how relevant this story may be in the shadow of the Lindsay Clancy trial. She of course, could not know how riveting and frightening that trial would be for so many Americans to read about and watch, and this book treats the subject with sensitivity and care. Join us as we talk to Picoult about how she feels about PPP as a mother herself (and grandmother) and how the medical system needs to do better for new moms.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books featured in this episode:

Hollow Bones by Jodi Picoult

By Any Other Name by Jodi Picoult

My Sister’s Keeper by Jodi Picoult

A Spark of Light by Jodi Picoult

The Storyteller by Jodi Picoult

The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult

Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult

Leaving Time by Jodi Picoult

Lone Wolf by Jodi Picoult

Vanishing Act by Jodi Picoult

Sing You Home by Jodi Picoult

Between the Lines by Jodi Picoult

Perfect Match by Jodi Picoult

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by VE Schwab

The Life of Pi by Yann Martel

Gone With The Wind by Margaret Mitchell

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Plot Twist by Harlan Coben is a non fiction book that focusses on writing: the desperation, the inspiration, the execution…it’s all here. And it’s compulsively readable and wonderfully conversational, just like Harlan. Join us as we ask him about his tips and tricks, and why there is no substitution for getting your heart and mind on the page.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books featured in this episode:

Plot Twist: Life, Craft and the Messy First Draft by Harlan Coben

Gone Before Goodbye by Harlan Coben and Reese Witherspoon

Nobody’s Fool by Harlan Coben

Fool Me Once by Harlan Coben

Deal Breaker by Harlan Coben

Drop Shot by Harlan Coben

Fade Away by Harlan Coben

Back Spin by Harlan Coben

One False Move by Harlan Coben

The Final Detail by Harlan Coben

Darkest Fear by Harlan Coben

Promise Me by Harlan Coben

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Graceland, by the great Paul Simon, was always a big deal in our house. From the Boy in the Bubble to the Myth of Fingerprints, it was on almost constant repeat, the soundtrack of my childhood. Ashley Kahn’s book, Days of Miracle and Wonder, is a thorough, beautifully researched compendium of how the album was made. A real examination of Simon’s genius, this book breaks down the album and its effects on the music industry and the world. Join us as we discuss a seminal moment in music history, and a terrific book.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Days of Miracle and Wonder by Ashley Kahn

A Love Supreme: The Story of John Coltrane’s Signature Album by Ashley Kahn

The House that Trane Built: The Story of Impulse Records by Ashley Kahn

Kind of Blue: The Making of the Miles Davis Masterpiece by Ashley Kahn

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We love doing “classics” episodes. And since The Catcher in the Rye is turning 75 this year, it seems that lots of folks in the book world are talking about it and we thought we would hop on board. Our two distinguished guests for this conversation are Kenneth Slawenski, one of the world's foremost historians on J.D. Salinger, and Stephen B. Shepard, a magazine editor who penned a fascinating book on the complexities of Salinger’s character. We hope you will join us in thinking about how our readings of Catcher in the Rye change over the years, and how the novel continues to touch the souls of so many readers.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger

Nine Stories by J.D. Salinger

Franny and Zooey by J.D. Salinger

Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters and Seymour: An Introduction by J.D. Salinger

J.D. Salinger: A Life by Kenneth Slawenski

Salinger’s Soul: His Personal and Religious Odyssey by Stephen B. Shepard

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This is an interesting show, because the person who really championed the read this week was Arlene Gibson, the matriarch of the Gibson Family. A lifelong school teacher and administrator for girls’ schools, she fell in love with Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson. And when Arlene tells us to do something, we do it. Paradise Pawn in the story from the perspective of a young 14 year old girl named Jackie who works in a Pawn Shop in Florida. Full of humor, heart and an adolescent voice that is sincere and true to a very difficult age, this is a great book. If the age of young teenagers confuse you (maybe you are a mom, dad, caregiver or yourself a 14 year old girl) this book is an eye opener and a heartbreaker. We talk to both Arlene and Meg. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

Paradise Pawn by Meg Richardson

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Chris Bohjalian is prolific to say the least. With about 25 novels under his belt, he hits the bestseller list often with his unforgettable characters and twisty plots. But his newest, The Amateur, is his most personal novel to date. The narrator, Mira, was a caddy, just as Chris was for most of his high school career. And she is a writer, just like Chris, her sense of humor and feelings about writing are pure Chris. It’s a page turner with some terrific writing. And we talk to Elderberry and Plum, a new bookstore in Springfield, Illinois. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this episode:

The Amateur by Chris Bohjalian

The Jackal’s Mistress by Chris Bohjalian

The Princess of Las Vegas by Chris Bohjalian

The Lioness by Chris Bohjalian

Hour of the Witch by Chris Bohjalian

The Red Lotus by Chris Bohjalian

The Flight Attendant by Chris Bohjalian

The Sleepwalker by Chris Bohjalian

The Guest Room by Chris Bohjalian

Close Your Eyes, Hold Hands by Chris Bohjalian

The Light in the Ruins by Chris Bohjalian

The Sandcastle Girls by Chris Bohjalian

The Night Strangers by Chris Bohjalian

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

The World According to Garp by John Irving

Lolita by Vladimir Nabakov

All the World Can Hold by Jung Yun

Everything Was Beautiful and Nothing Hurt by Ben Reeves

Practical Magic by Alice Hoffman

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Should the Waters Take Us a is a novel of great beauty…centered around the swamp letters in the south of Louisianna. Whereas so many novels focus on story and character-this one focusses on place and how this place has shaped the lives of the characters that live there. As climate change shifts the land beneath our feet and oil companies have raided the Acadian swamps for their natural resources, the Cajun background is ever changing, and often full of tragedy. We also talk to Final Draft, the bookstore in Kansas that JUST opened. We check in to see how their opening went and how they are feeling now. Join us!

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302
Books mentioned on this episode:

Should the Waters Take Us by Stephanie Soileau

Last One Out Shut Off the Lights by Stephanie Soileau

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

As I Lay Dying by William Faulkner

Les Miserables by Victor Hugo

The Hill by Harriet Clark

Lincoln in the Bardo by George Saunders

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Pamela Colloff is an accomplished investigative journalist and has written "Catch the Devil" about a frighteningly prolific jailhouse snitch. Paul Skalnik testified in dozens of cases that inmates in Florida prisons had confessed their guilt to him. Often prosecutors won convictions based largely on Skalnik’s testimony including four cases where he was instrumental on putting men on Florida’s death row. One of them, Jim Dailey, was convicted of murdering a 14 year old girl. Despite evidence that has come out since Dailey’s conviction, he sits on Florida’s death row. He has been there over 40 years unable to get a new trial. Colloff repeatedly met Skalnik who said he would tell her the truth about all his testimonies. He never did. But Colloff has reported the story in brilliant detail and writes about how often prosecutors use jailhouse snitches knowing their testimony may be tainted. Skalnik’s repeated claims of jailhouse confessions defied credulity... so why did prosecutors continue to put him on the stand? Why didn’t judges disallow his testimony? Why did appellate courts accept his word? It’s a compelling story - worth a reader’s time.

Find books mentioned in The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302
Books mentioned on this episode:

Catch the Devil by Pamela Colloff

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Jenny Jackson’s newest, The Shampoo Effect, tells the story of an insular gang of year-round beach residents who have known each other all their lives. Until one member of their clique begins to date outside of the group-they are generally an exclusive “they go out on and off” type of friends. So how will they handle a new girlfriend they don’t know or with whom they have so little in common? The book is nuanced, funny and asks the question: what does marriage mean in the current world? We also talk to Scott D. Reich whose book One Day in September tells the story of a historic baseball game that evolved into the All-Star game we know today. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Shampoo Effect by Jenny Jackson

Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

One Day in September by Scott D. Reich

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Paul Tremblay has written a science fiction book that will prompt all sorts of important questions about AI, the role of consciousness in humanity, and how writers might have to work around AI in order to keep their work original and sustainable and it’s called DEAD BUT DREAMING OF ELECTRIC SHEEP. We love a book that poses important questions like these while still being a good page turner, and this is one of those. This is the story of Julia, a semi professional video gamer asked to take remote control of a body in a vegetative state. It’s suspenseful, strange, and will leave you with all sorts of questions about the age in which we live. We also talk to Final Draft Books in Wichita Kansas, which is opening this weekend (TAKE NOTE WICHITA). This husband and wife owner team bring a starry eyed excitement to the store that will charm the pants of all our listeners. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Dead But Dreaming of Electric Sheep by Paul Tremblay

Head Full of Ghosts by Paul Tremblay

The Pallbearer’s Club by Paul Tremblay

Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? By Phillip K. Dick

The Feeling of Life Itself: Why Consciousness Is Widespread but Can't Be Computed by Christof Koch

2666 by Robert Balano

Slaughterhouse Five by Kurt Vonnegut

Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez

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Kevin Powers’ Children of the Wild is a book about Roy and Ennis, two friends on a farm who sign up for WWI, one excited for battle, one a feral child baffled by war. What does war do to friendship? To the minds of men? We talk to Kevin, a veteran of the war in Iraq, about his ability to write war so well and the effects of PTSD on his characters. We also talk to Bartleby Books in Vermont…join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Children of the Wild by Kevin Powers

A Line in the Sand by Kevin Powers

A Shout in the Ruins by Kevin Powers

Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting by Kevin Powers

The Things They Carried by Tim O’Brien

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien

Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist

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2026 is half over. And Kate turned 50 on June 16th. So in honor of all of this half life, we decided to talk about our favorite books so far of 2026. Tana French, Tayari Jones, Ann Patchett and Allegra Goodman all made the list, but there are so many books we have loved this year that we think we mention just about all of them. Then we quiz each other on rapid fire and get sort of gooey about it. Join us!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case: ⁠

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned on this week's episode:

Kin by Tayari Jones

The Keeper by Tana French

This is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman

Whistler by Ann Patchett

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

A Prayer for Owen Meaney by John Irving

The Hero Next Door by Martha Raddatz

On Witness and Respair by Jesmyn Ward

More Than Enough by Anna Quindlen

The Things We Do Not Say by Elizabeth Strout

Python’s Kiss by Louise Erdrich

Bomb Shelter by Mary Laura Philpott

The Power Broker by Robert Caro

The Holy Bible

Martyr by Kaveh Akbar

There, There by Tommy Orange

The Heaven and Earth Grocery Store by James McBride

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Carlos Barragan’s book The Yahoo Boys schooled us on the huge and terrifying world of online moneymaking scams. From the romance scams (pretending to be a man or woman you are not, wooing others into sending you money), to celeb scams (pretending to be a celebrity for money), all the way to adoption scams (send us money, we will get you a baby). As horrible as these schemes are, Barragan takes an in depth look at the scammers, specifically in the community of Ikotun, Nigeria, painting a thorough portrait of the scammers and the loneliness in our world that allows them to thrive.

Find books mentioned on The Book Case: ⁠https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302 Books mentioned on this week's episode:

The Yahoo Boys: Love, Deception and the Real Lives of Nigeria’s Romance Scammers by Carlos Barragan

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Martha Raddatz is a war correspondent, one of the biggest household names in front line reporting. Her newest book, The Hero Next Door tells the story of the service men, women and the caregivers who bring honor to the uniform. From celebrations to heartbreak, these are the stories that have stayed with Martha throughout her decade of brave work, shadowing families and soldiers both on and off the battlefield. We are also talking to a mother daughter team that run LALA Books in Lowell, MA. Join us for two great conversations!

Find books mentioned on The Book Case:

https://www.goodmorningamerica.com/shop/story/book-case-podcast-reading-list-118433302

Books mentioned in this week's episode:

The Hero Next Door by Martha Raddatz

The Long Road Home by Martha Raddatz

Eragon by Christopher Paolini

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