Booker Prize Winner Samantha Harvey on Writing, Time, and the Shape of a Life
Samantha Harvey traces her literary formation to watching her mother ghostwrite and to an early fascination with the passage of time, which she now explores obsessively through novels. Trained in philosophy, she turned to fiction as a more effective way to probe temporal experience, using narrative techniques to expand, compress and propel time. Harvey describes practical writing habits—needing quiet, sometimes working in a public library, and managing insomnia by redirecting her mind into lists—which also surface as formal elements in her work. Her latest novel engages themes of orbit, loss and isolation, informed in part by COVID-era experiences and personal ties to Japan.
IN THE WAKE OF THE WAKE: The Calf by Leif Høghaug - Translated by David M. Smith
The video reviews Leif Høghaug’s experimental novella The Calf, newly rendered into English by David M. Smith. Smith chose a Southern Appalachian dialect to mirror the original Norwegian regional speech, turning the translation itself into a literary performance. Chris explains how...
American Girl Book Series Author on Why She Didn't Shy Away From Stories of War and Slavery #shorts
The interview spotlights an American Girl author who deliberately includes war, poverty, and slavery in her books for eight‑year‑old girls. She explains that she does not dilute difficult truths, instead presenting them in a way that respects a child’s capacity...
Festival of Books 2026 Live April 19th, 2026
The Los Angeles Times Studios streamed day three of the 2026 Festival of Books, featuring panels ranging from a conversation with California Attorney General Rob Bonta to a deep‑dive into a “spooky” cookbook and a behind‑the‑scenes look at the LA...
Wake up Babe, They're Doing Return-to-Office Propaganda Again
Chelsea Curry, host of the Financial Diet channel, uses a Saturday video to push back against Emma Greed’s new book, *Start with Yourself*, which argues that remote work is a career‑killing choice for women. Greed, a high‑profile executive linked to Kardashian brands,...
Trying to Find 5⭐ Horror From a Decade Ago
The video introduces a new horror‑reading series aimed at completing a personal list of five‑star horror titles from each year, starting with the under‑represented 2016 slate. The creator explains the premise: using Good Readads’ decade‑long rankings as a springboard, she will...
Festival of Books 2026 | Day 2
The Los Angeles Times Festival of Books returned for its 2026 edition on Day 2, broadcasting live from the University of Southern California. The three‑day event gathered hundreds of authors, storytellers, and creators for panels, interviews, and performances across the USC...
Why Book Lovers Are Flocking to This Small Scottish Town
The video spotlights Wigtown, a once‑depressed Scottish town reborn as Scotland’s official Book Town. Central to its revival is The Open Book, a unique venture where travelers can rent the entire bookstore for a week, living on the premises and...
Festival of Books 2026 | Prize Ceremony | Day 1
The Los Angeles Times kicked off its 31st Festival of Books with the 46th annual book‑prize ceremony at USC’s Boulevard Auditorium, showcasing the largest U.S. literary festival and honoring works published in 2025. The ceremony highlighted 61 finalists across 13 categories—from...
A Genocide Scholar Asks “What Went Wrong” In Israel
In a recent interview, a genocide scholar interrogates the trajectory of Zionism, arguing that the term has shifted from a varied political movement to an extremist state ideology driving Israel’s policies. He contends that Israel’s lack of a formal constitution has...
Addressing The BookTube Author Stigma | Why I Started & Why I Chose To Keep My Own Story Private
The video tackles the stigma surrounding BookTubers who publish their own novels, with host Mike sharing his personal evolution from a reluctant storyteller to an aspiring author. He argues that launching a book from a channel isn’t a betrayal of...
Tiffany "New York" Pollard Ranks Her Most Iconic Reads #SelfRank
Tiffany "New York" Pollard, the reality‑TV star famed from "Flavor of Love," released a #SelfRank video where she lists her most iconic books. In the short clip she highlights titles ranging from classic romance to modern self‑help, explaining personal connections...
‘Sand & Water’ by #StephenColletti, Coming Soon—Or Is It?
The clip is a tongue‑in‑cheek interview with Stephen Colletti, promoting the upcoming second season of the web series “Everyone Is Doing Great.” Colletti riffs on a missing front tooth, a purported coffee‑table book titled “Sand & Water,” and a supposed...
What Is the Cosmere? — A SanderFAQ
The video explains the Cosmere, Brandon Sanderson’s shared fantasy universe that links his epic series much like a literary MCU. It outlines the basic premise—a dwarf‑galaxy of closely spaced worlds where magic flows from the ancient Shattering of Adonalsium, creating...
40+ Newly Announced Books
The video is a rapid‑fire rundown of more than forty newly announced titles, ranging from debut YA fantasies to adult literary experiments. Each book receives a brief synopsis, cover glance, and occasional early‑review snippet, giving viewers a snapshot of what’s...
How Apple Got the Mistborn Movie Rights | Intentionally Blank #movieadaptations #movies #writing
The video details how Apple secured the film rights to Brandon Sanderson’s Mistborn series after a competitive bidding process among major studios. The rights holder describes meeting with studio heads, noting that while many executives hadn’t read the books, their...
Why Sheinelle Jones Calls Her New Book a 'Love Letter to Motherhood'
Sheinelle Jones, longtime network anchor, announces her debut book, framing it as a “love letter to motherhood.” The memoir‑style work is intended to serve as a personal legacy for her children while offering guidance to any woman who nurtures others,...
8 Kubernetes Books Ranked — One Winner, and It's Not Even Close 🏆
The video pits eight popular Kubernetes books against each other to identify the most valuable resource for practitioners, ultimately crowning a single winner. The host evaluates each title on criteria such as foundational theory, day‑two operations, production‑grade troubleshooting, and breadth of...
The Fund - an Interview with Rob Copeland
In this interview, author Rob Copeland discusses his book *The Fund*, which pulls back the curtain on Bridgewater Associates and its founder Ray Dalio’s proclaimed culture of radical transparency. Copeland recounts vivid anecdotes—from a urinal‑spill investigation that prompted a firm‑wide...
Top 10 Reads of 2025 + Subscriber Wildcard Pick + Subscriber Shoutout + 2026 Thoughts
Chris’s latest "Leaf by Leaf" episode serves as a hybrid year‑end roundup and forward‑looking roadmap. He revives the subscriber wildcard pick—viewers comment a single title, and Chris randomly selects one to read and review before year‑end—while also giving a heartfelt...
Science Stories for Young Readers
The video spotlights three science‑focused books aimed at young readers, each exploring a distinct historical and scientific theme. One follows Nan Songer’s World War II spider‑farming venture, another delves into Rube Goldberg’s inventive contraptions, and the third examines the legal status...
Author Arthur Shipnuck Talks New Rory McIlroy Book
The interview centers on Arthur Shipnuck’s new biography of golf superstar Rory McIlroy, detailing the author’s approach to a subject who traditionally controls his own narrative. Shipnuck explains that while McIlroy initially resisted the project, the author’s access and respect...
Write What You Love | SanderFAQ #writing #storytelling #fantasyauthor
The video opens with the speaker reflecting on a period of self‑imposed snobbery toward popular fantasy conventions, especially the over‑use of elves and dwarves. After achieving publication, he questioned why he dismissed what many readers love, realizing his attitude was...
Hannes Bajohr - Making Worlds in Novels and LLMs
The talk by Hannes Bajohr explores how large language models (LLMs) and novels both construct "worlds" through sequential text generation. He begins by referencing recent research that treats navigation in Manhattan as a deterministic finite automaton, showing that LLMs can learn...
Girlboss or Trad-Wife?
The video contrasts the 2010 “girl‑boss” movement, epitomized by Sheryl Sandberg’s Lean In, with the recent “trad‑wife” backlash, highlighting Sandberg’s recent People magazine interview where she decries the traditional‑wife trend. It argues that the original promise—that career advancement would bring ultimate...
Francis J. Gavin Winner of the 2026 Lionel Gelber Prize
The video announces that Francis J. Gavin has been awarded the 2026 Lionel Gelber Prize for his new work on historical methodology. The prize, one of the most prestigious in international affairs, recognizes Gavin’s effort to codify how scholars...
Caught in a Sandstorm in the Sahara
The video documents the creator’s final off‑road leg of the Sahara Expedition, a three‑day, 300‑mile trek along Mauritania’s iron‑ore train tracks that unfolds amid a relentless sandstorm. Throughout the journey the truck suffers repeated mechanical failures—broken fridge, inverter, speedometer and a...
Best Served Cold Review | Joe Abercrombie Meets The Count of Monte Cristo | The First Law
The video is a review of Joe Abercrombie’s “Best Served Cold,” the fourth book and first of the standalone novels set in the First Law universe. The host explains why the standalones matter for readers of the original trilogy and...
How to Remake America
The podcast centers on John Wit’s book *The Radical Fund*, which chronicles a little‑known philanthropic foundation active from 1922 to 1941. The foundation funneled modest resources into landmark civil‑rights, free‑speech, and labor initiatives that helped shape mid‑century America. Wit details...
Inside The Complex: Family, Power, and India in Turmoil
Grand Tamasha hosted author Karan Mahajan to discuss his new novel, The Complex, a multigenerational saga of the fictional Chopra family set against India’s turbulent decades from the late 1970s to the early 1990s. The conversation, recorded at Carnegie’s Washington...
Are Book Deals Worth It for Workplace Tales?
The video examines whether securing a book deal is a prudent financial move for individuals whose workplace stories center on sexual harassment or other misconduct. The speaker contrasts a modest $20,000 advance with the possibility of a six‑figure settlement earned...
Babs Costello Discusses New Children's Book
Good Morning America welcomed internet‑favorite grandma Babs Costello to unveil her first children’s picture book, “Did Your Mother Ever Tell You?” The title riffs on her viral catchphrase, turning a familiar adult meme into a warm, family‑oriented story aimed at...
Oh Great in Paris: Unveiling a New Chapter with New Graphic Novel ‘Smoke’ • FRANCE 24 English
The segment spotlights a slate of Paris‑area cultural events, from a Titanic immersion at the Cité des Sciences to the launch of Japanese mangaka Oh! Great’s first colour graphic novel, “Smoke,” at the Paris Book Festival. It also previews a...
Writer Seán Hewitt: The Gift of Shame
Sean Hewitt uses a talk titled “The Gift of Shame” to explore how poetry, memoir, and religious imagery function as tools for arresting and revisiting time. He likens poems to photographs that freeze a single expression, allowing readers to return...
Ompong Remigio Pushes Reading Revival, Warns vs Viral Culture | The Long Take
Creative director Ompong Remigio highlighted the Philippines’ growing reading crisis, urging a national movement to revive book consumption. She warned that the nation’s increasing reliance on viral, short‑form digital content erodes empathy and critical thinking. Remigio emphasized the unique power...
March 2026 Wrap-Up | 4 Books, One Clear Winner
Mike’s March 2026 wrap‑up video recaps his quarterly reading haul and crowns a book of the month, focusing on four titles he finished in March and highlighting why one stood out. He revisits Anne Rice’s Interview with the Vampire as...
The Time Florence Had Enough of Its Nobles - Ada Palmer
The video recounts how Renaissance Florence broke with the Roman‑style aristocratic model and, after a near‑coup, violently purged its noble families. The massacre—heads on pikes, homes torched—cleared the way for a commoner‑run republic dominated by merchant guilds rather than hereditary...
S'more Is Enough Read by Brenda S. Miles
The video introduces "S'more is Enough," a new title in Brenda Miles’ Food for Thought series, illustrated by Monika Filipina. Miles, a child psychologist, frames the story around Graham, a whimsical s’more who questions whether he is sufficient as he...
Book Talk: A Life in the American Century
The video is a book‑talk interview with Joe, a distinguished Harvard professor and former U.S. national‑security official, promoting his new memoir *A Life in the American Century*. Hosted by NV King of the Aspen Security Forum, the conversation weaves personal...
Getting Real About Sex Ed | Gutman Library Virtual Book Talk
The virtual book talk introduced Shafia Zaloom’s new title, Getting Real About Sex Ed, a Harvard Education Press release that argues for a preventive, relationship‑centered approach to sexuality education. Zaloom, a veteran health educator and former social‑work practitioner, recounted...
Incredible (and Bad) Books! | March Wrap Up
The video serves as a March wrap‑up, detailing the creator’s four finished titles and previewing an ambitious six‑book slate for April. Two of the March selections earned five‑star ratings, while the other two fell short of expectations, prompting a candid...
Why Jo Nesbø Was “Not Impressed” With Detective Hole Lead Actor Initially - The Screen Podcast
The Screen Podcast episode features Jo Nesbø, the bestselling Norwegian novelist‑turned‑showrunner, discussing the launch of the Netflix crime drama Detective Hole. He explains why the series had to be filmed in Oslo with an all‑Norwegian cast, a condition he secured from Universal...
Machiavelli Chose Loyalty Over Power - Ada Palmer
The video examines Niccolò Machiavelli’s final years, focusing on his choice to prioritize loyalty to Florence over personal power after being exiled by the Medici. It recounts how the Medici, after returning from exile, arrested and banished Machiavelli to a...
The Da Vinci Code - Has the Mystery Been Solved? | DW Documentary
DW’s documentary asks whether the riddles of Dan Brown’s bestseller have been untangled, tracing the novel’s meteoric rise and its cinematic sequel while probing the line between historical fact and fiction. The film highlights that more than 80 million copies sold turned...
Will They Remember Your Name? | Simon Sinek
In this short talk, Simon Sinek argues that the ultimate measure of a life is not the size of one's bank account or the titles on a résumé, but whether one's name endures in the memories of others. He illustrates the...
Ruthie Rogers on Her New Book and How Food Tells Stories
Ruthie Rogers, co‑founder of New York’s iconic River Café, announces a new book that uses food as a lens to explore personal narratives. The memoir‑style collection draws on four decades of the restaurant’s history, where diners ranging from actors to...
How Shakespeare Manipulates An Audience
The video breaks down how Shakespeare engineers audience reaction in the pivotal Act III, Scene 2 of *Julius Caesar*. It focuses on the contrasting rhetorical strategies of Brutus and Mark Antony, showing how each speaker tailors language, pacing, and emotional cues to sway...
Lindy West's Memoir and Why People Are Mad at Polyamory #shorts
Lindy West, a prominent feminist journalist, debuted her memoir “Adult Braces” this month, chronicling a solo cross‑country van journey and her entry into a three‑person polyamorous relationship with her husband and a third partner. The book blends travelogue with intimate reflections...
How to Find Meaning in a Distracted World (W/ Arthur Brooks) | Cal Newport
Cal Newport opens the conversation by questioning whether smartphones caused modern misery or merely intensified an existing malaise. He invites Harvard professor Arthur Brooks, author of *The Meaning of Your Life*, to unpack the paradox. Brooks recounts returning to academia...
Why Nonlinear Stories Are so Powerful #shorts
The video explains why nonlinear storytelling captivates audiences more effectively than traditional chronological narratives. By breaking the usual "this happened, then this happened" sequence, authors can tap into deeper psychological triggers that keep readers hooked. A core argument is that humans...