The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

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. JamesBonjour Tristesse by Francoise SaganThe Bloody Chamber by Angela CarterHungerstone by Kat DunnSister Deborah by Scholastique MukasongaThe Library at Mount Char by Scott HawkinsSpent by Alison BechdelAll Systems Red by Martha WellsIs a River Alive? by Robert MacfarlaneWhen the World Tips Over by Jandy NelsonJust for the Summer by Abby JimenezMagnolia Wu Unfolds it All by Chanel MillerThe Unmaking of June Farrow by Adrienne YoungKatabasis by R.F. KuangEverything 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.