EP95: Shepherds, Guards, and Murderers

Live from the Book Shop: John Updike's Ghost

This week, Sam is back from Iceland, where he read some Scandinavian literature and visited a bookstore, though mostly just looked at volcanoes, waterfalls, and icebergs. But, have no fear, we have plenty of books to talk about this week.

On the agenda this week:

- "The Salt Stones," by Helen Whybrow, which is a memoir about leaving publishing to become a shepherdess in Vermont. Sheep! Hannah loves it. - "Blood Ties," by Jo Nesbo, which is not a Harry Hole novel, but is rather a standalone about brothers who love each other, but also are trying to kill each other. Sam's not sure about the "moral dilemmas" it presents. - "Kill Your Darlings," by Peter Swanson, which tells the story of a marriage in reverse, starting with a wife who'd really like to kill her husband. But why? Peter's a local and does great work here. - "Until Alison," by Kate Russo, which is set at Colby College, where Kate went, and deals with a murder of a Colby student, which happened by Kate was at Colby, but is otherwise totally fiction. It's a little cartoonish. - "Mohawk," by Richard Russo, which is actually more similar than Sam was expecting. It's ALSO a little cartoonish while trying to do "small-town life." Sam doesn't believe it. But lots of stories are more lively than boring real life. - "All the Beauty in the World," by Patrick Bringley, which is another memoir, but gives you a ton of cool info about working at the Met in New York City and fits nicely in the pantheon of museum guard books. Also, this gets Sam talking about "The Clock," a piece of art by Christian Marclay that is completely amazing and you need to see.