A Scary Spiral of Audiobooks
Erin Walker on "Endurance" by Alfred Lansing
On the Pod This Week:
Y'all already know how much I love Canadians, and today you get to hear from one of my favorites.
I've previously interviewed Erin Walker on Episode 101: Cookbook-Palooza with the women of the Three Kitchens Podcast. Their mission is to inspire fellow home cooks to try something new and have fun in the kitchen. They take a deep dive into a recipe, giving ideas and tips for making it, and they also talk to interesting guests from the food world.
Today I get a solo show with Erin, who is a mother, knitter, lover of the great outdoors and (of course) an avid reader. We talked about the book "Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage" by Alfred Lansing and let me tell you: this is a jaw-dropping story. Erin is the type of human who likes to do treacherous, outdoorsy things, and I am the type of human who only goes outside to acquire more books. But we agree that this book, and the story of this particular adventurer, is an incredible read.
Show Notes:
Guest: Erin Walker
Discussed in this episode:
Endurance: Shackleton’s Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing.
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 049, when Ysaura Vanegas talked to me about The Alchemist)
A Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens
Detransition, Baby by Torrey Peters
The Strangers by Katherena Vermette
Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 024, when Jaimie Morimoto talked to me about Pride and Prejudice)
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 089, when Stephen Pelton talked to me about Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, and we veered into a discussion about Damon Galgut’s books.)
Endurance: My Year in Space, a Lifetime of Discovery by Scott Kelly
More Than You’ll Ever Know by Kate Gutierrez
Lords of the Bow by Conn Iggulden
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 143, when Katy Leep Arditti talks to me about The House in the Cerulean Sea)
Under the Whispering Door by TJ Klune
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Hidden Valley Road: Inside the Mind of an American Family by Robert Kolker
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 089, when Tori Snow talked to me about Hidden Valley Road)
Tastes Like War: A Memoir by Grace M. Cho
(Check out Best Book Ever Episode 110, when Jasmine Vyas talked to me about Tastes Like War).
Because of All The Life Things, I was not able to do the Bosom Caresser Speakeasy Episode with the Three Kitchens Gals, but they did it, and it is wonderful. Check it out HERE!
Julie’s Current Read:
This is the story of a woman who reads a book, gives it a 1-Star review online, and the author stalks her and tries to kill her.
So yes, obviously I loved this book and thought it was the best thing ever written. A Great American Novel. Perhaps THE Great American Novel. 1 I will never need to read another novel again as long as I live.
Julie’s Current Listen:
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Yes, I am on the third book of the ACOTAR series even though I don’t like fantasy.2
Here is the text exchange I had last week with my bestie Lisa, who turned me on 3 to these fairy tales.
Julie’s Current Obsession:
I’m in a phase of life where I am wildly in love with my girlfriends. What would we do without them??? Thank the gods above for the women who hold us up, who ask for and give help, who stand by us no matter what. It’s been an absolutely bullshit year for my family, but my gal pals have shown up, shields in hand and swords at the ready. And, of course, because they prop me up, I can turn around and take better care of my family.
So I was really excited to learn about Julia Louis Dreyfus’ new podcast, Wiser Than Me. JLD interviews significantly older women and is not afraid to ask candid questions about friendship, love, sex, work, and life. So far I’ve listened to her talk to Isabel Allende, Jane Fonda, Ruth Reichl, and Darlene Love, and I’m really looking forward to the rest. These conversations appear to be genuine women with honest friendships and it’s really refreshing not to have any cattiness or cruelty in the conversation.
My fingers are crossed for this one. I tend to give up on celebrity podcasts pretty quickly, because it bums me out when I realize that celebrities I previously admired are really just good-looking dimwits with nothing particularly interesting to say unless they have a script in front of them. SO FAR that has not been the case here.
(Note: Some of the above links are affiliate links. If you shop using my affiliate link on Bookshop, a portion of your purchase will go to me, at no extra expense to you. Thank you for supporting indie bookstores and for helping to keep the Best Book Ever Podcast in business!)
That was a total lie. But I’m freaked out by internet weirdos and I’m convinced that everyone else in my book club said they loved it because they are afraid this author is going to kill them. For what it’s worth: I was the only one out of 15 other readers who didn’t like the book. Make of that what you will.
Yes, I know. All evidence to the contrary.
Get it???