BOOK CLUB: Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

On this special holiday episode, the staff of The Village Well recommends gifts for 2025! See what we picked out below:FictionKing Sorrow by Joe HillThe True True Story of Raja the Gullible by Rabih AlameddineAutomatic Noodle by Annalee NewitzNonfiction Empire of AI by Karen HaoStitching Freedom by Gary TylerThe Dry Season by Melissa FebosKids/YAGregor the Overlander by Suzanne CollinsLegendborn by Tracy DeonnImpossible Creatures by Katherine RundellThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

On this episode, Judith sits down with Amy Tangerine to talk about her book Craft a Life You Love. It’s a “permission slip to be creative” and encourages readers to tap into artistic expression without all the judgement. You can check out more of Amy’s work at the links below:Instagramhttps://www.instagram.com/amytangerine/?hl=enYouTubehttps://www.youtube.com/amytangerineWebsitehttps://www.amytangerine.com/Amy’s RecommendationsDie With Zero by Bill Perkinshttps://villagewell.com/item/kUXGnazpfgvwGOQdZLm_GgGuided by Laura Lynne Jacksonhttps://villagewell.com/item/ZoOPMvNQhqbQrVdbWihWqQThe work of Katherine Centerhttps://villagewell.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1xdWsi3CCJI0wThis episode is dedicated to Conor Proffitt. If you are struggling with depression or thoughts of suicide, please know you are not alone. You can call or text 988, the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. You can also reach the CalHOPE Warm Line at 833-317-4673 or Didi Hirsch Mental Health Services at 424-362-2900.The Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen.

This week on the pod, Jen sits down with author, advocate, and producer Kathy Eldon to chat about her new book Boundless. They had a great conversation, touching on justice, creativity, and healing from grief. We hope you enjoy!Check out Creative Visions:https://www.creativevisions.org/Kathy’s Recommendations:Real Magic by Dead Radinhttps://villagewell.com/item/rgHmVQkJfJ5x-Tv7qbHSVwA New Earth by Eckhart Tollehttps://villagewell.com/item/Jbk-o9rCuFfi-iAqY5ZewgLiving in the Light by Shakti Gawainhttps://villagewell.com/item/gzKvR2TDU-pF6xFBexgBxAThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

In this episode, Tom Rubio, facilitator of the SciFi/Fantasy book club at Village Well, hosts a conversation with two of the club's regulars to discuss last month's pick, Katabasis by R. F. Kuang. Click here to grab a copy:https://villagewell.com/item/MEgaIBq6_d8cx8Dg3TPwTwThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Colin Hinckley (our very own author of ⁠The Black Lord⁠) sat down with author Sarah Langan to talk about her recent book ⁠Pam Kowolski is a Monster!⁠, her upcoming work Trad Wives, and the joys and terrors of the horror genre. Check out Sarah’s Instagram and give her a follow!Sarah’s recommendations:Rejection by Tony TulathimutteFlesh by David SzalayHorror Movie by Paul TremblayHeadlights by CJ LeedeThe Haunting of Hill House by Shirley JacksonThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

On this episode, Tom sits down with members of the SciFi/Fantasy book club to discuss The Murderbot Diaries. They had a great conversation and saved all the spoilers till the end (don’t worry there’s a warning).If you’d like to grab a copy check out the link below:https://villagewell.com/item/MWp_c1qAP1yOIlKI7t1ZFQThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week, Jen sat down with Andrea Tetrick from Publishers Group West and Two Rivers to talk about exciting releases for 2025. We hope you enjoy!Andrea's Picks:Culpability by Bruce HolsingerMona's Eyes by Thomas SchlesserHeart the Lover by Lily KingThe Enduring Wild by Josh JacksonRocks and Riches by Gary L ProstBritannica All New Kids' Encyclopedia edited by Christopher LloydAndrea's Personal Faves:The Sea, The Sea by Iris MurdochMother’s Milk by Edward St. AubynThey by Kay DickThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This week on the pod, Jen and Brett sat down with writer, producer, and newly published author David Meyer. They chatted about his new book Five Minutes From a Meltdown, and got to the heart of poetry, or something like that.David's Recommendations:- You Don't Have to Have a Dream by Tim Minchin- How to Be Perfect by Michael Schur- Egghead by Bo BurnhamThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This episode, Tobi sat down with two of our Book Club attendees to chat about last month’s pick: You Dreamed of Empires by Álvaro Enrigue. It’s a wild, surreal book about the historically-inspired first encounter between Cortez and Moctezuma. We hope you enjoy!If you’d like to purchase a copy of the book, check out the link below:https://shop.villagewell.com/item/wCIDqQu6pg-qiKBk_SDvkwThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!

This episode, Jen and Shira sat down with the wonderful Lil Miss Hot Mess, drag queen and professor at the University of Arizona. We recorded during Pride month, and had a great conversation about Drag Story Hour, Drag culture more broadly, and queer and trans rights. We hope you enjoy!Lil Miss Hot Mess's Recommendations:- Tabitha and Magoo Dress Up Too⁠ by Michelle Tea- The Queen Bees of Tybee County⁠ by Kyle Casey Chu-Marsha: The Joy and Defiance of Marsha P. Johnson⁠ by TourmalineThe Village Well Podcast is brought to you by Village Well Books & Coffee⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ in downtown Culver City, CA. Each episode, we interview authors and readers about books that capture our imagination. New episodes every Wednesday.If you'd like to get in touch, you can email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.If you love the show and want us to keep creating, please consider subscribing on YouTube or leaving us a review wherever you listen!