The Rest of Eternity And Whatever

Jenn Northington Jun 1, 2017

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Amanda and Jenn discuss travel audiobooks, under-the-radar magical realism, and more in this week’s episode of Get Booked.

This episode is sponsored by Amazon Kindle and Not A Sound by Heather Gudenkauf.

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Questions

1. Hi there! My boyfriend and I are moving from New York to California this summer and are taking a three week road trip to get there. We’re looking for audiobooks to help entertain us on the long driving days. We tend towards different genres as far as fiction goes but we both love travel narratives (Bill Bryson is a favorite) and history. We were thinking it could be fun to have an audiobook roughly about where we’re headed, but any audiobook tips would help! Some of our stops include: Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Denver, Yellowstone National Park, Grand Teton National Park, Lake Tahoe, and Big Sur. Thanks in advance! I always love to hear what you guys recommend.
–Erin

2. Hi! I am headed to Nova Scotia this summer on my honeymoon and am very excited! I am starting to read books with ties to the province (The Book of Negroes by Lawrence Hill and The Birth House by Ami McKay) which I am very much enjoying. I am really open to any type of literature, but would like to see a bit less historical fiction as I am already reading some for this trip. Additionally, I would ideally like to read a bit less on Cape Breton as it is the only part of NS that we will not get much time to see (which is a huge bummer!). That said, your recommendations are always excellent, so if you think it’s a great fit, I’m for it! Thank you so much!
–Elizabeth

3. I joined a postal santa giveaway on Litsy that I have to send out before June 21st and the person I got is really into magical realism. I don’t want to make the mistake of sending her a super popular book in this genre. Can y’all recommend some magical realism books that maybe fell under the radar and aren’t as well known? Love the podcast and thanks in advance!
–Britain

4. Hi guys! I adore your show and have been wanting to ask this question for a while, but have struggled with the way to pose it, because I didn’t want to sound like a bad person or someone who isn’t accepting of others. I finally decided to just dive in though because I feel like this is a thing that is very prevalent in the world right now. I am a white, upper middle class, 22 year old girl who has never really wanted for much. I try to not take that for granted and am a strong progressive who empathizes with other races, cultures, religions, etc, especially in this horrible political time. But I find myself only picking up books that are about people similar to me and I absolutely hate it. I really want to expand my reading list to include books by authors or about characters of other races, cultures, genders, religions, etc, but for some reason can never seem to find ones that I find really accessible. I am open to any suggestions and hope asking this question didn’t make me sound like too much of a jerk! Thanks guys!
–Maddison

5. Hi Amanda and Jenn!

Thanks so much for all the amazing recommendations! I am in a new true crime book club and would love some suggestions. The first book we read was The Stranger Beside Me by Ann Rule, which made for lots of interesting/morbid discussion. What are some ideas for future reading?

Thanks!
–Laura

6. Hello, ladies!

Love your show! It’s been a great resource for my book club when we get stuck and aren’t sure what to read next. Thank you!

I have an awesome little sister, who has Autism and severe Dyslexia. She’s a total gamer and a movie fanatic, but it’s been a struggle to get her to read. Since “traditional” books intimidate her, due to her dyslexia, I introduced her to comic books… She’s hooked! Can you recommend some comic series that are appropriate and easy to read? I’m not big into comics myself, so I’m a little lost. She loves the “Sonic the Hedgehog” comic series, so any comics that are gaming related is a bonus! Thank you for helping me share my love for reading with my little sis!
–Hannah

7. Hello!

All my life I’ve been interested in pursuing a career related to books and literature. Somewhere along the way I got off track, but having just turned 25, I’m inspired to return to that original goal.

I’m looking for books about books. I’m hoping to find more inspiration from books about people working in different careers related to literature. I read your recommendation ‘The Rabbit Back Literature Society’, which is all about reading, and loved it.

I’d just love more readings about reading:)
–Shannon

8. Hi Amanda and Jenn,

I recently spent a glorious 48 hours on a spontaneous trip to Manhattan and have not been able to stop thinking about it. I am convinced there is an alternate universe somewhere where I happily live there, but alas, in this universe I live in rural Pennsylvania with a husband and kids who are sold on staying right here. Since I got home I devoured Inside the Apple: A Streetwise History of New York City, and was hoping you had some other recommendations that could help me recapture the magic of my trip and live vicariously until I can plan another trip back.

Thanks!
–Jill

Books Discussed

Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck, narrated by Gary Sinise

Blue Highways by William Least-Heat Moon

Anne of the Island by LM Montgomery

Mercury by Hope Larson

Signal to Noise by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Safe as Houses by Marie-Helene Bertino

Listen, Slowly by Thanhha Lai

The Fortunes by Peter Ho Davies

Burglar’s Guide to the City by Geoff Manaugh

True Crime Addict by James Renner (rec’d by Stephanie)