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For the first episode of the season, Kathleen and James look at Caro Claire Burke’s disturbing novel Yesteryear, which is one of the most popular books at the library. They discuss the book’s divisive protagonist, the idea of living for an audience, and consider what might happen when someone turns their life and likeness into a product. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Featured Titles: Born in Flames by Bench Ansfield Neptune's Fortune by Julian Sancton Midnight Timetable by Bora Chung Angel Down by Daniel Kraus Go Gentle by Maria Semple   The Unicorn Hunters by Katherine Arden   Five Weeks in the Country by Francine Prose   Diavola by Jennifer Thorne All the Sinners Bleed by S.A. Cosby   Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep? by Philip K. Dick Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen and James fall into the supernatural world in George Saunders’s surreal book, Vigil. Join our hosts for a discussion on the author's vision of the afterlife, philosophy, and the expert use of humor throughout the book. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen and James talk about what they learned from the nonfiction book selection of the season, Everything is Tuberculosis, by John Green. The hosts discuss the surprising impact of tuberculosis on society, the difficulties and advances made in treating a disease that has been with us from antiquity, and how author John Green is able to make such a challenging topic approachable. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

This month, Kathleen and James look at a troubling vision of the near future in Laila Lalami's riveting book, The Dream Hotel. Join our hosts for a discussion on technology, surveillance, and the challenges of writing speculative fiction. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen and James step into a reimagining of the 1930s Dust Bowl in Karen Russell's genre-bending novel The Antidote. The hosts discuss the book's magical realism, its incredible use of language, and its argument for how history can be more deeply connected than one might expect. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

This month, Kathleen and James find far more than they expected in Daniel Mason's brilliant novel, North Woods. Join our hosts as they celebrate the Library's Lit Lunch pick with a discussion on the ways that the past influences the present and the joy of discovering unexpected connections. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

For the first episode of season 7, Kathleen and James visit the windswept island of Shearwater in Charlotte McConaghy's thrilling book, Wild Dark Shore. They discuss the book’s breathtaking setting, how the story explores the themes of climate change and despair, and why hope and community are so important in the face of disaster. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Featured Titles: Woodworking by Emily St. James Bonjour Tristesse by Francoise Sagan The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter Hungerstone by Kat Dunn Sister Deborah by Scholastique Mukasonga The Library at Mount Char by Scott Hawkins Spent by Alison Bechdel All Systems Red by Martha Wells Is a River Alive? by Robert Macfarlane When the World Tips Over by Jandy Nelson Just for the Summer by Abby Jimenez Magnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel Miller The Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne Young Katabasis by R.F. Kuang Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green   Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James get wrapped up in the mystery of Liz Moore’s thrilling novel, The God of the Woods. Join our hosts for a discussion on how they approach mystery fiction, narrative structure, and the importance of a good reveal. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James put their heads together and talk about the nonfiction book selection for the season, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. The group discusses nature, science, the environment, and the ways in which we see and understand the world. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James travel through time to discuss Kaliane Bradley’s science fiction romance book, The Ministry of Time. Our hosts talk about genre fiction, out-of-time romance stories, and all the questions they have about time travel ethics, shady government experiments, and the suspicious convenience of having an inadvisable roommate. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James explore the endless halls of the House and attempt to unravel its secrets in Susanna Clarke’s intriguing fantasy novel, Piranesi. Join our hosts for a discussion on liminal spaces, dark academia, and the ways in which we connect to the world around us. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

This month, Kathleen, Kat, and James get a taste of Italy with Jhumpa Lahiri’s excellent collection of short fiction, Roman Stories. Join us as we celebrate the Library's Lit Lunch pick with a discussion about the unique strengths of short stories, connection and belonging, and a deeper dive on three of our hosts' favorite pieces from the collection. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.

Kathleen, Kat, and James start the new season with a turbulent journey down the Mississippi River in Percival Everett’s excellent historical fiction novel, James. The group discusses the book’s clever use of language, the bizarre and harrowing situations our heroes find themselves in, and the challenges in retelling an American classic. Please take our survey to help us make Booked Solid even better! Let us know what you enjoy and what improvements we can make for the future. To place a hold on any of the titles mentioned in this episode, check out our Booked Solid reading list on the New Canaan Library website.