Send us a Text Message.Two very special guests joined us for this episode - the other half of our sibling quartet, Bekka and Mike. Listen in as we talk about our early experiences with reading, the similarities in how our reading journeys started, where our tastes differ, and how we took different paths based on our personality traits.We really enjoyed reminiscing with our siblings and reflecting on some childhood nostalgia, and we hope you'll enjoy it, too!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:  The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard (The Cazalet Chronicles #1)Nettle and Bone by T. KingfisherA Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. MaasWhy Women Grow by Alice VincentNeuromancer by William Gibson (Sprawl #1)Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.The topic of this week's episode is one of the few book-related topics we've found where we disagree! Martha loves to re-read her favorite books, whereas Elizabeth thinks life is too short to re-tread old ground. Martha begins the episode by setting herself the challenge of changing Elizabeth's mind...listen to find out if she's successful!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:  The Light Years by Elizabeth Jane Howard (The Cazalet Chronicles #1)Nettle and Bone by T. KingfisherA Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas----------------------- Sources:   Allison. 2019. “Why You Should Reread Your Favorite Books and How to Make It Worth Your While.” Mind Joggle. January 14, 2019. https://www.mindjoggle.com/why-you-should-reread-your-favorite-books/  NA.  2021. “On The Particular Pleasures of Re-reading.” Penguin Random House. August 5, 2021. https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/2021/07/re-reading-books-again-returning-literacy Jenner, Natalie.  2020. “Doesn’t Everyone Reread Their Favorite Books All the Time?”  Literary  Hub. May 18, 2020. https://lithub.com/doesnt-everyone-reread-their-favorite-books-all-the-time/ Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.We have explored a lot of different components of the book publishing industry on the podcast, but neither of us know much about the work of literary translation. So, we were thrilled to get the chance to talk with Polly Mackintosh about her work. Polly is Commissioning Editor and in-house translator for Gallic Books, and is the translator of the forthcoming novel, Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier. We chatted with Polly about how she got started as a translator, what her favorite and most challenging parts of the work are, her process and how she captures each author's style and tone, what influence she thinks AI will have on the work of literary translators, and much more. Join us as we learn about the fascinating mix of art and craft that goes into translating a work of art like a novel!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:   Clara Reads Proust by Stéphane Carlier, Polly Mackintosh (Translator) (published in the UK on March 28th, forthcoming in North America - May 21, 2024) Birding With Benefits by Sarah T. Dubb (forthcoming - June 4, 2024)The Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore (A League of Extraordinary Women #4)A Stroke of the Pen: The Lost Stories by Terry PratchettBookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree (Legends & Lattes #0 )What I Know About You by Éric Chacour (forthcoming - September 24, 2024)A Certain Hunger by Chelsea G. Summers-----------------------  Additional notes from Polly:The ebook of Clara Reads Proust will be available to everyone (US and UK) starting on  March 28, 2024. There isn't a date for the audiobook release yet, but it will be coming at some point.  After the interview, I asked Stéphane whether he'd ever been a hairdresser, and he said he hadn't but shared the following insights:I asked one of my best friends, Quentin, who happened to a hairdresser, to help me. Sent him emails with questions like "What does it smell like when you get to the salon in the morning? Please be very specific" or "What's in the drawer of the counter at the entrance?" Poor Quentin, he was so nice and helpful! The "Proust parts" of the book (the second and third parts) were easy compared to the "salon part" of it (the first one)!Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.This episode was recorded in-person and on location during our sister vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii! We kept our reading choices for the trip a secret from one another and did a live reveal, then we talked all about vacation reading while getting a little tipsy on tropical fruit juice and rum cocktails. Among and around several digressions, we discuss questions like, what types of stories do you like to read on vacation? How many books do you bring? What format of book do you bring and why? What are the pros and cons of different formats on vacation? When and where do you read on vacation? We also talk about other bookish, touristy things you can do on vacation. Join us on island time for this fun episode! -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:    Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel MonaghanThe Mitford Murders by Jessica FellowesThe Bluest Eye by Toni MorrisonThe Dinner Lady Detectives by Hannah HendyWarbreaker by Brandon SandersonComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Even if you don't use TikTok, you've likely at least heard of the phenomenon known as BookTok. Individual videos sometimes get millions of views, and the combined hashtags for these videos on TikTok have had hundreds of billions of views. The publishing industry is paying attention - and so are we! Is BookTok really driving book sales? Or is it just creating yet another thing for people to envy online and feel bad about in their real lives? Is it lowering the quality of writing in books, turning them into fast fashion? And how is it affecting indie authors? Is it truly something new, or is it a new version of an old trend? And if it's encouraging young people to read more and see reading as something that's cool - does anything else really matter? Join us!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:   The Uncharted Flight of Olivia West by Sara AckermanClara Reads Proust by Stephane CarlierThe Gentleman's Gambit by Evie Dunmore----------------------- Sources: https://www.economist.com/culture/2023/09/21/tiktok-is-changing-the-way-books-are-recommended-and-soldhttps://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/01/books/tiktok-books-booktok.htmlhttps://www.theguardian.com/books/2023/aug/06/i-cant-stress-how-much-booktok-sells-teen-literary-influencers-swaying-publishershttps://www.thebookseller.com/news/more-than-half-of-young-readers-credit-booktok-with-sparking-passion-for-reading-pa-findshttps://www.ala.org/advocacy/sites/ala.org.advocacy/files/content/tools/Gen-Z-and-Millennials-Report%20%281%29.pdf Brookbank, E. 2023. “It makes you feel like more of a person:” The leisure reading habits of university students in the US and UK and how academic libraries can support them, College & Undergraduate Libraries, 30:3, 53-94, DOI: 10.1080/10691316.2023.2261918Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.What do you do with books that you're finished with? Books you've read or don't want anymore or spilled coffee on? In this episode we discuss what makes a book valuable - to individuals and to society - and why this can sometimes result in anxiety about how books are disposed of. We dig into the work libraries do to preserve books and the “weeding” they have to do to stay functional for the communities they serve. Elizabeth goes on a teeny-tiny rant about the controversy this weeding can sometimes cause, but why it should be embraced rather than resisted or feared. We also talk about various options for how and where to unload books you don't want anymore, and ideas for reading more sustainably. Don't miss it!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:   The Mitford Murders by Jessica FellowesThe Gentleman's Gambit  (A League of Extraordinary Women series book #4) by Evie DunmoreMy Life in France by Julia Child and Alex Prud'HommeHouse of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City #3) by Sarah J. Maas----------------------- Sources: Haider, Salman. 2022. “Five Laws of Library Science.” Librarianship Studies & Information Technology (blog). September 11, 2022. https://www.librarianshipstudies.com/2017/09/five-laws-of-library-science.html  Piepenburg, Scott. 2019. “The Five Laws of Library Science.” Librarian to Librarian. October 17, 2019. https://librariantolibrarian.wordpress.com/2019/10/18/the-five-laws-of-library-science/ Better World Books: https://www.betterworldbooks.com/Ben Krumholz, FOX 11 News. 2024. “Residents Outraged Over Dumpster Filled With Library Books at Marinette’s UWGB Campus.” WLUK. January 11, 2024. https://fox11online.com/news/local/northwoods/residents-outraged-over-dumpster-filled-with-library-books-at-marinettes-uwgb-campus https://twitter.com/elizabethbrookb/status/1131392411563728896———. 2024. “Books Published per Country per Year.” Wikipedia. February 25, 2024. Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Romance novels generate over $1.44 billion (with a 'b!') in revenue and are highest-earning, biggest, and fastest growing genre of fiction in the book industry. And yet, if you're a romance reader, you've probably had to defend it to someone at some point or maybe you've even been embarrassed of your reading. Why are these books that so many read still so fraught?We talk about our personal experiences with reading romance, the history of the genre, and discuss questions like, what defines romance today? Do men write romance? Is romance, even in its modern form, still limiting women? Or is it just harmless entertainment? Join us as we tackle a topic we've been circling around since we started the podcast.-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode: Elements of Cadence duology by Rebecca Ross (A River Enchanted; A Fire Endless)Flying Solo by Linda HolmesReturn of the King by J.R.R. TolkienThe League of Gentlewoman Witches by India Holton (Dangerous Damsels series)Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals by Oliver Berkeman----------------------- Sources (links provided when available and citations shortened to fit) listed in the order they appear in the episode: https://observer.com/2022/09/derided-for-centuries-romance-novels-are-a-huge-business/https://wordsrated.com/romance-novel-sales-statistics/ Lyons, Martyn. 2011. Books : A Living History. Los Angeles: J. Paul Getty Museum. Pgs. 177-179.Avery, Jessica. 2017. “Feminist Romance Novels from #RomanceNovelsforHillary.” Book Riot. December 12, 2017. https://bookriot.com/feminist-romance-novels-from-romancenovelsforhillary/Rodale, Maya. 2017. “That Thing with Hillary Clinton and Romance Novels...” HuffPost (blog). December 8, 2017. https://www.huffpost.com/entry/that-thing-with-hillary-clinton-and-romance-novels_b_5a2a862de4b04e0bc8f3b3b5."'He's a little obsessed with me': Hillary Clinton reflects with raw honesty on Trump and 2016." Washingtonpost.com, November 28, 2017.httpComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.If you're a reader, you know the feeling: you turn the last page of a book and want to cry that it's over. You immediately feel bereft. You can't stop thinking (and even talking) about the characters, the story. You wish you could turn back time to when you were still reading or somehow enter the pages of the book and live in the world. No other book appeals to you, and you might even start and then abandon books trying to move on. You have a book hangover!In this episode, we're talking all about book hangovers. What are they? What books have we gotten them from? What kinds of books tend to give us hangovers? Are book hangovers even a real phenomenon? If so, why do they happen? And, perhaps most importantly, what can we do to get over them? Join us to find out!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:  A Rip Through Time by Kelley ArmstrongThe Return of the King J.R.R. TolkienThe Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India HoltonHomegoing by Yaa GyasiHarry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling----------------------- Sources (links provided when available and citations shortened to fit) listed in the order they appear in the episode: https://www.bookbub.com/blog/signs-of-a-book-hangoverhttps://www.rd.com/article/book-hangover/https://bookriot.com/psychology-of-a-book-hangover/https://bookriot.com/7-cures-book-hangover/ Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.The idea that "the kids just don't read anymore" is a tale as old as time. And, it is something that Elizabeth decided to investigate head-on in her role as an academic librarian. The results of the research study she designed and ran, interviewing just under 100 university students in the U.S. and the U.K., were published a few months ago and we talk about them in this episode. Spoiler alert: young people (even when they're in college and even during the semester) do still read for fun! We get into the details of the study results and talk about what they read, how much they read, how they find new books, what they want from their reading lives, how they see themselves as readers, and more. We also figure out that a conversation we had in 2019 about this study design was actually the seed that led to us starting this podcast! It's a very full-circle moment -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode: Main Character Energy by Jamie VaronThe Golden Spoon by Jessa MaxwellJane Austen Book Club by Karen Joy FowlerHarry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban by J.K. Rowling ----------------------- Sources:Brookbank, E. 2023. “It makes you feel like more of a person:” The leisure reading habits of university students in the US and UK and how academic libraries can support them, College & Undergraduate Libraries, 30:3, 53-94, DOI: 10.1080/10691316.2023.2261918 Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Happy New Year! Who doesn't love a good year-end round up?! Join us as we talk about our year in reading, our favorite books of 2023, and what we're looking forward to reading in 2024. We discuss the pros and cons of setting reading goals, complete with research that will not only let you off the hook with your yearly reading goal (if that's what you want) but will also get you out of having to walk 10,000 steps a day :)-----------------------Books we talk about in this episode:  2023 reads we haven't talked about on the podcast:Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes Part of Your World by Abby Jimenez Ready Player One by Ernest Cline In The Likely Event by Rebecca Yarros Homegoing Yaa Gyasi A Secret Sisterhood: The Literary Friendships of Jane Austen, Charlotte Brontë, George Eliot, and Virginia Woolf by Emily Midorikawa, Emma Claire Sweeney, Margaret Atwood (Foreword)Under the Henfluence by Tove DanovichThe Hobbit, Fellowship of the Ring, Two Towers by J.R.R. TolkienThe House in the Cerulean SeaA Rip Through Time by Kelley ArmstrongOur favorite books of 2023:Happy Place by Emily HenryRomantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldBooks on our TBRs for 2024:Birnam Wood by Eleanor Catton10 Things That Never Happened by Alexis HallThe Cazalet Chronicles by Elizabeth Jane HowardDeath Comes to Marlow by Robert ThorogoodSong of the Huntress by Lucy Holland1000 Words: A Writer's Guide to Staying Creative, Focused, and Productive All Year Round by Jami AttenbergThe Paris Novel by Ruth ReichlThe Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches by Sangu MandannaMain Character Energy by Jamie VaronMy Life in France by Julia ChildRebecca by Daphne du MaurierThe Fragile Threads of Power (Threads of Power #1) by V.E. SchwabRuthless Vows (Letters of Enchantment #2) by Rebecca RossHouse of Flame and Shadow (Crescent City, #3) by Sarah J. MaasFunny Story by Emily HenryThy Empyrean (The Empyrean #3) by Rebecca YarrosLe Fay (Morgan Le Fay #2) by Sophie Keetch ----------------------- Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode:     Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. 2015. "Why Counting Your Steps Could Make You Unhappier." Dec 21, 2015. https://www.fuqua.duke.edu/duke-fuqComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.We say yes! But there's a way to do it well. As with any type of gift-giving, there are some pitfalls to avoid... For example, arbitrarily giving a book to someone because you like it, or because you've latched on to one detail about them and thus neglected the bigger picture. But never fear! We’ll help you match the right book to the right person using reading doorways. (If you haven't listened to our bonus episode about reading doorways...what are you waiting for?!)Bonus: we’re offering a bookish holiday gift guide as a supplement to this episode. Check it out on our website at: allbooksaloudpod.com/giftguide -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:The Snow Child by Eowyn IveyMorgan Is My Name by Sophie KeechBy the Book by Jasmine GuilloryMain Character Energy by Jamie VaronComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.If you're a reader, you've probably had someone ask you this question. We unpack what this question sometimes really means (How do you have so much free time? Must be nice having no obligations! I'm so busy I could never find time to read. You must be some kind of a superhero!) and explore the roots of some of these false beliefs about reading. We then talk about tips and tricks for reading more if you or someone you know is asking this question in earnest. Part sass, part research, and part practical suggestions - this episode has it all! -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:  And the Sea Will Tell by Vincent Bugliosi with Bruce HendersonPeople We Meet on Vacation by Emily HenryIn Love with George Eliot by Kathy O'ShaughnessyPortrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women series book #3) by Evie Dunmore ----------------------- Sources listed in the order they appear in the episode:    Quote Investigator®. 2010. “Time You Enjoy Wasting Is Not Wasted Time.” June 11, 2010. https://quoteinvestigator.com/2010/06/11/time-you-enjoy/. Tucker, Ian. 2011. “The Shallows by Nicholas Carr – Review.” The Guardian, July 2 2011. https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/jul/03/shallows-nicholas-carr-internet-neurology.Mills, Kim. 2023. “Why Our Attention Spans Are Shrinking, with Gloria Mark, PhD.” American Psychological Association, February 2023. https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/attention-spans.Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.In this bonus episode, we talk about something that didn't come up in the genres episode but should have. It’s a concept called the four reading doorways. Could it be an alternative to genres? Nancy Pearl thinks so! Join as we talk about what the four reading doorways are, learn how they're useful when recommending books to others, and explore how they show up in our own reading.Sources:Pearl, Nancy. “Check It Out with Nancy Pearl: Finding That Next Good Book.”  March 16, 2012. Publishers Weekly. https://www.publishersweekly.com/pw/by-topic/columns-and-blogs/nancy-pearl/article/51109-check-it-out-with-nancy-pearl-finding-that-next-good-book.html.  Childs, Tera Lynn. “Nancy Pearl’s Four Doors to Reading.” February 20, 2014. https://teralynnchilds.com/nancy-pearls-four-doors-reading/. Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.CW: discussions of sexual assault and other crimes, racism, antisemitism, and other forms of bigotry, as well as Zionism (all in reference to books and authors from the 19th/20th centuries, rather than to current news).Can you separate the book from the author? The art from the artist? What do we do with books that were written by people with views that we disagree with or who have done things we find morally objectionable? Can we entirely put these scruples aside and appreciate art on it's aesthetic merits alone? If not, and we stop consuming all art created by people who have done or said things we don't like, will there be any art left? Can we make some kind of rule or sliding scale (severity of crime vs. greatness of art...?) that will work for every situation? What about when the art was formative for us and holds a very important place in our life? What about when the art is based on something that really happened? What about when the offense the artist committed is something that we have personally survived? You might not be surprised to learn that we were not able to answer all these questions and solve the world's problems in this episode! But, we did grapple mightily with these questions and ended up in a place we both feel comfortable with. Will you feel the same? Listen to find out! -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:  In Love with George Eliot by Kathy O'ShaughnessyPortrait of a Scotsman (A League of Extraordinary Women series book #3) by Evie DunmoreBabel by R.F. KuangThe Crown of Gilded Bones (Blood And Ash Series Book #3) by Jennifer L Armentrout ----------------------- Sources listed in the order they appear in the ep:  https://www.theparisreview.org/blog/2017/11/20/art-monstrous-men/  https://www.theguardian.com/books/booksblog/2009/feb/10/zionism-deronda-george-eliothttps://www.bl.uk/collection-items/silly-novels-by-lady-novelists-essay-by-george-eliothttps://www.cbc.ca/radio/sunday/the-sunday-edition-september-9-2018-1.4806985/the-forgotten-real-life-story-behind-lolita-1.4807124  Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.What makes a good audiobook narrator? Is it enough to have a good voice? To be a good reader? A good actor? Something else? What about on the side of the reader? There are certainly things that make the experience of listening to an audiobook narrator better or worse for people. But are some of these things objective and common to everyone? Or is this a totally subjective preference? Join us as we dive into this topic!-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode: Romantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldHook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa BaileyHappy Place by Emily HenryFourth Wing by Rebecca YarrosCrescent City series by Sarah J. MaasIt Happened One Summer by Tessa BaileyBlame It On The Brontes by Annie SerenoAdam Bede by George Eliot----------------------- Sources:   Luis Daniel Gonzalez, How to Become an Audiobook Narrator, audible blog, August 23, 2021, https://www.audible.com/blog/article-how-to-become-an-audiobook-narrator.Comics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Do genres help or hinder your reading? Some people are very loyal to their genres of choice. Genres can be a way to connect with other readers, provide a language to talk about books you love using tropes, and help steer you in the direction of books you may like when you visit a bookstore. Genres can also help narrow down the world of reading choices. But do they narrow that world too much? Do genres keep you from reading books and discovering new types of stories you may enjoy? Do you enjoy different genres when you're reading in different formats? Are some genres objectively better or more beneficial than others? And what about books that fit into multiple genres?  Whether you only read certain genres or you read without reference to genre - or you're somewhere in between! - this conversation will give you something to think about. Join us as we wade into the world of genres.-----------------------Books we're reading in this episode: The Dead Romantics by Ashley PostonRed, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuistonUnder the Henfluence by Tove DanovichBeach Read by Emily HenryRomantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldHook, Line, and Sinker by Tessa BaileyThrone of Glass series and Crescent City series by Sarah J. Maas ----------------------- Sources (links provided when available and citations shortened to fit) listed in the order they appear in the episode: Dwyer, Meredyth, and Sandra Martin‐Chang. 2023. “Fact from Fiction: The Learning Benefits of Listening to Historical Fiction.” https://doi.org/10.1002/trtr.2177.Fong, Katrina, Justin B Mullin, and Raymond A Mar. 2013. “What You Read Matters: The Role of Fiction Genre in Predicting Interpersonal Sensitivity.” https://doi.org/10.1037/a0034084.Jensen, Jakob D., et al. 2016. “Narrative Transportability, Leisure Reading, and Genre Preference in Children 9-13 Years Old.” https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2015.1034351.Kidd, David Comer, and Emanuele Castano. 2013. “Reading Literary Fiction Improves Theory of Mind.”https://doi.org/10.1126/science.1239918.Mar, Raymond A., et al. 2006. “Bookworms Versus Nerds: Exposure to Fiction Versus Non-Fiction, Divergent Associations with Social Ability, and the Simulation of Fictional Social Worlds.” https://doi.orComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Do you finish every book you start? Why or why not? Some people feel a strong moral imperative to finish a book once they've started reading it. Other people will mark a book DNF (Did Not Finish) after a few pages if they're not able to get into it and move on to the next book. What pulls some people to keep reading a book if they're not enjoying it? And are people who give up missing out on a book they would love if they stuck with it? Do we owe it to the author to keep reading? And does the format you're reading in make a difference?Whether you're firmly on one side of this spectrum or fall somewhere in the middle, join us as we weigh the pros and cons of finishing (books, that is). Who knows, you might end up with a different philosophy by the end of the episode! -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode: Romantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldMarlow Murder Club by Robert ThorogoodTower of Dawn (Throne of Glass series) by Sarah J MaasBeach Read by Emily HenryComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Do audiobooks count as reading? And does it really matter? Why do some people seem to care so much about making this distinction? Where do the moral overtones surrounding reading that underlie this question come from? Arguments around this topic are often centered on the benefits of reading - and there are plenty, including educational, professional, psychological, social, and emotional. So, does the format we read in matter when it comes to the benefits we get from reading?  Whether you've found yourself justifying your audiobook listening to someone as "real" reading, or you're on the other side and you think audiobooks don't count as reading, this episode will give you something to think about. Join us as we dive into this topic![Note: there is some background noise in this episode (Elizabeth clacking on her keyboard), but rest assured it doesn't persist in future episodes. Thanks for bearing with us as we learn! :)] -----------------------Books we're reading in this episode:Love Marriage by Monica AliRomantic Comedy by Curtis SittenfeldThe Marlow Murder Club by Robert ThorogoodThe Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. TolkienEmpire of Shadows (Throne of Glass) Series by Sarah J. MaasThe Dead Romantics by Ashley Poston ----------------------- Sources (links provided when available!) listed in the order they appear in the episode:Irwin, William. "Reading Audio Books." Philosophy and Literature 33, no. 2 (2009): 358-368. doi:10.1353/phl.0.0057.Erica B. Michael, Timothy A Keller, Patricia A. Carpenter, and Marcel Adam Just. "fMRI Investigation of Sentence Comprehension by Eye and Ear: Modality Fingerprints on Cognitive Processes." Human Brain Mapping 13 (2001): 240, https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6872122/. N. Osaka et al. "The Neural Basis of Executive Function in Working Memory: An fMRI Study Based on Individual Differences." Neuroimage 21 (2004): 623–31, https://www.academia.edu/download/49498790/The_neural_basis_of_executive_function_i20161010-14367-1wyalxy.pdf. Winqwist, T. "Reading with Your Ears : A comparative study of reading and listening to Mark Haddon’s The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (Dissertation)." (2010), http://urn.kb.sComics Discourse 114Three friends having in-depth and entertaining discussions about current and classic...Listen on: Apple Podcasts   Spotify----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!

Send us a Text Message.Welcome to All Books Aloud. Here is a short intro to the show. Subscribe for more from us soon!----------------------- Intro and outro music: "The Chase," by Aves. Do you have thoughts, questions, or ideas for future episodes? Email us at allbooksaloudpod@gmail.com. And if you want to learn more about the podcast, visit our website at allbooksaloudpod.com.If you liked this episode, please consider leaving us a review to help us reach more listeners.And if you'd like to see more bookish content from Martha & Elizabeth, follow us on Instagram and TikTok @allbooksaloudpod.Read on!