What's Love Got To Do, Got To Do With Books?

Welcome to Dear Book Nerd, a bi-weekly podcast that answers YOUR questions about life, love, and literature! My guest co-host this week is the vivacious Allison Robicelli, pastry chef extraordinaire at Robicelli's bakery in Brooklyn and co-author of Robicelli's: a Love Story, With Cupcakes, a deliciously entertaining "cookoir" which can be purchased in many different places. Allison and I answer three listener-submitted questions about books and love and discuss issues such as: staying true to yourself and your own interests when in a relationship, the importance (or not) of loving the same kinds of books as your partner, whether or not you should look for a mate who is as book-crazy as you are, what to read when you've run out of "Dr. Who", and much, much more. Don't miss it! This episode was sponsored by Random House audiobooks. _______________________________________________________________ READER MAIL: Hello, Rita! Thank you ever so much for answering my question on the podcast [Episode #13: "What is Real Reading?" with Victor LaValle]. I was overjoyed to hear my email read back to me on the drive into work. The answers you and Victor provided were very illuminating and brought to my attention that I overall am unaware of how authors get compensated in general so I shall be investigating that a bit more for the future. Also thank you for the go ahead to prattle on about ALL the books. I'm reading EVEN MORE to my friends and family! Now when they get tired of hearing about whatever new novel I'm currently engrossed in I can cite the episode and explain that it's my civic duty to spread word about what I'm reading! (Just kidding. Kinda.) Keep up the excellent work! It's always a joy to listen to the podcast. Thanks again! - Jennifer _______________________________________________________________ QUESTIONS DISCUSSED: Dear Book Nerd, I am currently in a long distance relationship and book giving has become a way of communication for us. However, my book taste tend to gravitate towards classics while his rests on fantasy. My question is, how do I share the books I love with him without usurping his own preferences? Is it better to give books that you know the other person will love or to give them something that touched your soul and you want to share that piece of your life with them? When it comes to book giving, should we give with our hearts or with our brains? Please help. - Karla Dear Book Nerd, I love books and am currently studying literature. My husband doesn't read much that isn't a technical manual. We are running out of “Doctor Who” to watch together in the evenings. Any suggestions as to how I might share my literary love with the love of my life? - Married to the Unbookish Dear Book Nerd, I'm looking at an extended suitor-search for an impending arranged marriage that I've made peace with. I'm the bat-crazy bookworm, bibliophile, the kind that gets jitters when finishing a book on the train and there are two more stops to go before I can get home and pick up the next one. My question is, should I look for a man equally crazy about the written word as I am, for a better shot at my happily ever after? Or should I just add a huge bookshelf to my list of conditions and choose a good man who'll take me for all my quirks? Sylvia Plath messes up my resolve terribly, so here I am. What d'ya think? Cheers, Do I? _______________________________________________________________ LINKS DISCUSSED: Doctor Who: The Writer’s Tale _______________________________________________________________ Listen to past episodes and read past columns of Dear Book Nerd here! And you can subscribe to the podcast via RSS here, or via iTunes here. The show can also be found on Stitcher here. Do you have a bookish question about life, love, or literature for Dear Book Nerd? Fill out the form below or email DearBookNerd@bookriot.com. Don't be shy, ask away!