We talked to the renowned bilingual author Esmeralda Santiago a few months about her incredible trilogy of memoirs. So when she sent us her new novel, Las Madres, we couldn’t wait. Turns out she is just as good of a fiction writer as she is a memoirist. This is a searing, funny and fascinating portrait of mothers and daughters, the connection Puerto Ricans f ... Show More
Aug 21
Kathy Wang Believes in Satisfaction
Kathy Wang’s newest, The Satisfaction Café is the story of Joan Laing, her compromises, her victories, her loves and her loneliness. In this memorable story, Joan and her reflections lead us through the journey of her life…culminating in the opening of a unique, strange and lovel ... Show More
32m 11s
Aug 14
Our Writer in Residence Finishes His First Draft
J. Ryan Stradal is our Writer in Residence, if you have been following along. What does that mean? Well, we have been with him from step one since he started his fourth novel, as yet unnamed. A deeply personal novel that imagines the third act his mother might have lived if she h ... Show More
39m 28s
Aug 7
Classics Series: Invisible Man
Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man is a feverishly paced, lyrical portrait of an unnamed African American man in the 1930’s. Hauntingly beautiful and raw, this book changed how Americans think about race. Immediately popular and the winner of the National Book Award in 1953, Ralph Ell ... Show More
36m 12s
Mar 2023
Ep. 134: Deborah Goodrich Royce (Author of Reef Road) + Book Recommendations
In today’s episode, Deborah Goodrich Royce joins me to talk about her latest book, Reef Road. We discuss the personal story behind her book and the role of generational trauma in her writing niche, which she calls “Identity Thrillers.” We also covered the explosion of true crime ... Show More
51m 24s
Nov 2018
Ferrante Forever: We Revisit My Brilliant Friend
This week we’re talking about the Neapolitan novels, by Elena Ferrante. An adaptation of the first book in that series, My Brilliant Friend, is coming to HBO later this month... and we’re using that as an excuse to revisit Ferrante's world. With Ruth Spencer, Ann Goldstein, Samhi ... Show More
35m 54s
Jan 2024
Our Early 2024 Book Preview
It's gonna be a busy spring! On this week’s episode, Gilbert Cruz talks with Tina Jordan and Joumana Khatib about some of the upcoming books they’re anticipating most keenly over the next several months.Books discussed in this week’s episode:“Knife,” by Salman Rushdie“James,” by ... Show More
25m 20s
Aug 2019
Ep. #369 - A Big Heckin' Grab bag of Book Recs!
On today's episode... we had no plan! Therefore, we brought on Emma and Kristin and did a roundtable of book recommendations. There is, quite literally, something for everyone in this list. Book Mentioned in this episode Again but Better by Christine Riccio The Cozy Minimalist ... Show More
49m 37s
Jul 2021
A Heartbreaking Novel About Mothers, Daughters and Secrets
The latest pick for Group Text, our monthly column for readers and book clubs, is Esther Freud's “I Couldn’t Love You More,” a novel about three generations of women grappling with secrets, shame and an inexorable bond. Elisabeth Egan, an editor at the Book Review and the brains ... Show More
56m 44s
Dec 2019
#8 - Queer Women, Mysteries, and Retellings!
Raeleen finished a book and got deja vu, Ariel hasn't finished anything, but we both get excited to recommend books about queer women, a mystery, some retellings, a book with dual timelines, and essays about women! Submit your book requests to booksunboundpodcast@gmail.com and su ... Show More
49m 27s