Ep 32 Paperback Classics: Walden by Henry David Thoreau
Show Notes In this episode we will be discussing a defining classic of American Literature – Henry David Thoreau’s Walden is a philosophical reflection on simple living, self-reliance, and the pursuit of spiritual awakening. It documents the author’s experiment of living for over two years in a self-built cabin near Walden Pond in Massachusetts, critiquing
Ep 31 Ep 31 Dell Abyss Horror Paperbacks 1990sEp 31
Show Notes Launched in February 1991 by editor Jeanne Cavelos, the Dell Abyss imprint was a deliberate antidote to the fading, cliché-ridden 1980s horror boom. Instead of haunted houses, ancient burial grounds, or killer toys, Abyss championed visceral, boundary-pushing, highly psychological “splatterpunk” and literary dark fiction. It focused heavily on internal trauma, transgressive themes, and the monstrosities of
Ep 30 Book to Movie: Mickey 7 by Edward Ashton
SHOW NOTES The science fiction novel Mickey 7 was published in 2022. Author Edward Ashton then sold the film rights to a movie that was directed by Academy Award winner, Bong Joon Ho, in 2025. The Premise: Both versions revolve around Mickey Barnes, an “Expendable” on a colony ship sent to settle the brutal, icy world of Niflheim.
Cover of the Week: Go Away Death by John Creasy
Unfortunately, the specific graphic designer or illustrator for Arrow’s 1967 edition of Go Away Death is uncredited—a frustratingly common reality for British paperback publishing of that decade. During the mid-to-late 1960s, Arrow Books (much like Pan, Corgi, and Fontana) operated an in-house art department where staff designers, layout artists, and typographers churned out dozens of covers a month
A Brief History of City Lights Bookstore
City Lights Booksellers & Publishers is more than just a place to buy books—it is a literary landmark, a symbol of free speech, and the historic epicenter of the Beat Generation. Founded in San Francisco’s North Beach neighborhood, it transformed American literature by challenging censorship laws and championing countercultural voices. Poet Lawrence Ferlinghetti and Peter D.
Ep 29 Book to Movie: The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven
Show Notes In this episode, Matt Kelland and I discuss the 1935 (in English) novel The Treasure of the Sierra Madre by B. Traven and its subsequent movie adaptation by director John Huston in 1948. The film won Huston (and his father, Walther, who starred in the film) Academy Awards. Matt and I examine the
Ep 28 Favorite Books of 2025
Show Notes In this episode, Matt Kelland and I discuss our favorite books read in 2025. Both Matt and I read a lot of books every year, but a few stand above the others. These are the books we re-read and recommend to other people. Matt read almost 200 books in 2025. I read close
Ep 27 Book to Movie: Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin
Show Notes In this episode, Matt Kelland and I discuss the 1967 novel Rosemary’s Baby by Ira Levin and its subsequent movie adaptation by director Roman Polanski one year later in 1968. It was Polanski’s first American film (he also adapted the novel to the screen). Matt and I examine the background of the novel,
Ep 26 Our Personal Library, Conversations with Charles Duncombe & Frederique Michel
Show Notes (Note: Background Music by Migfus20 — https://freesound.org/s/609562/ — License: Attribution 4.0) This podcast is the first of a series of episodes, where, over the next year, we will talk with readers —both individuals and couples —about their personal, private libraries. We’ll discuss how they established their libraries, the types of books they contain,
Ep 25 Book to Movie: Running Man by Richard Bachman (Stephen King)
Show Notes The Running Man is a 1982 novel by Richard Bachman (a pseudonym for author Stephen King). The book was the last of four novels King wrote under the Bachman pseudonym before his identity was revealed. These novels were later collected in an omnibus titled The Bachman Books in 1985. The Running Man is set in
