Lit Society: Books and Drama

Ellice Littlejohn escaped her dead-end town while healing from her traumatic childhood to earn an Ivy League law degree and become a firm's only black corporate attorney. But she is full of secrets even her closest friends don't know. When she arrives at work one morning and finds the married man she's dating, a man who happens to be her boss, is dead, her secrets are revealed publicly, one by one, to her horror.

The book: All Her Little Secrets

The author: Wanda M. Morris

LET'S GET LIT!!!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

 Sources for theme discussion: https://www.history.com/news/secret-societies-freemasons-knights-templar

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We must have Olympic fever because we begin with a brief history of the global games, which, from the beginning, always included swimming. Then, we dive into a small but mighty masterpiece by Julie Otsuka, The Swimmers. This is a book about routine. Comforting routine and unmindful routine. It is about what happens to us when we lose our routines. It is about who we are within the groups we form and who we are as individuals. It may also be about disruption and death. Judge for yourself.

You're listening to LIT Society. 

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.⁣

 We return next week with a new episode, but we'd never leave you without a dope book to discuss. So, here's another favorite episode from our past! 
 
Hyde yo' kids! Hyde yo' wife! A young doctor allows his obsession with the duality of human nature to lead him down a path littered with lies, murder, and destruction.
 
His name is Doctor Henry Jekyll; the book is The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.
 
You're listening to Lit Society.
 
LET'S GET LIT!!!
 
PS: This is our very first episode, released initially to a small group of test listeners in 2019. We like to think the quality of our show has improved since then, but this is still one of our favorite episodes!
 
Enjoy!
 
Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.⁣
 

Have you ever had to cut someone out of your life? No phone calls, texts, and your friends know not to invite both of you to the same event? This week, our theme is inspired by Educated, a memoir by Tara Westover.

Tara didn’t have a birth certificate until she was nine years old and she didn’t see her first classroom until the age of 17. It’s like The Village by M. Night Shyamalan, but interesting. . . Eventually, she’s forced to choose between a life without her family or most certain death by their hands. It got real, real quick. Travel with us from the peaks of Idaho to the halls of Cambridge in Educated.

Welcome to Lit Society.

Let’s get LIT!...

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

A man's enemies will be persons of his own household. In one of the most tragic classics, we are forced to stare unflinchingly into a household descending into madness and chaos.

The play: King Lear

The playwright: William Shakespeare

LET'S GET LIT!!!

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"As Gregor Samsa awoke one morning from uneasy dreams he found himself transformed in his bed into a gigantic insect.." The most kafkaesque book we've ever read is about isolation, capitalism, and the meaning of family - we think.

The book: The Metamorphosis

The author: Franz Kafka

LET'S GET LIT!!!

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 Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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One family's matriarch does all she can to honor her late husband's memory, save her son from despair, and support the dreams of her daughter — Is there hope for them, a family who the world is against, a family who already feels death inside the walls of their dwelling?

The play: A Raisin in the Sun 

The playwright: Lorraine Hansberry

LET'S GET LIT!!!

 - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

 Sources for theme discussion: The Lasting Effects of Covenants and Red-Lining

• https://www.npr.org/2017/05/03/526655831/a-forgotten-history-of-how-the-u-s-government-segregated-america
• https://www.npr.org/2021/11/17/1049052531/racial-covenants-housing-discrimination

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What would you give for 2.4M dollars? Would you give up everything, and if so, in what order would you choose to abandon your life and everyone in it? One man must quickly decide his answer. What he chooses and what happens next is a story that uncovers the not-so-secret depravity of an entire country.

The book: No Country for Old Men

The author: Cormac McCarthy 

LET'S GET LIT!!!

 - View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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This episode was first published on April 14, 2022, and it's still one of our favorites.  We return next week with a new episode covering No Country for Old Men by Cormac McCarthy. Enjoy!

America's Most Wanted was a television show launched by a man who knew what it meant to lose a child forever, in the blink of an eye, to the hands of a monster. He took his pain and helped others find their missing children before it was too late. Today, we discuss how that man, Jon Walsh, lost his son and what we all can do to be a little safer in these streets. Then, on to our book...

On the tenth anniversary of her youngest daughter's disappearance, one woman must choose to let go of her pain and reopen herself to life and love. After meeting a charming writer, who reminds her of her ex-husband, she begins a path that takes her somewhere she never imagined — to the truth about her daughter's disappearance a decade earlier.

The woman's name? Laurel Mack.

The book? Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Not all heroes wear capes or have long epic trilogies written about them. Some live quiet lives, doing what they can to protect the most vulnerable. In a small Irish town, one man must choose if he'll become a hero or remain a silent enabler of a horrific system perpetrated by the church of his community.

The book: Small Things Like These

The author: Claire Keegan 

LET'S GET LIT!!!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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An enslaved woman on a cotton plantation is considered an outcast by her fellow Africans, and as she comes into womanhood, her problems increase. What will she decide when a new enslaved man, Caesar, invites her to escape?

The book: The Underground Railroad

The author: Colson Whitehead

LET'S GET LIT!!!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Alexis and Kari are on a well-deserved break this week, so we'd like to share one of their favorite past episodes with you, The LITeratti. 

This week's theme, How to Survive a Crisis, is inspired by an amazing non-fic graphic novel, now turned into a film!

One girl, the beloved only child of progressive parents, is sent to school in Austria. This is the story of her childhood, growing up in a time of war and revolution. Her parents hope that she'll escape what they see as Iran's oppressive regime. Together, she and her country must decide who they're supposed to be and who they actually are.

The girl's name — Marjane Satrapi.

The book — Persepolis.

This is LIT Society.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Why do you travel? Is relaxation your strongest motivation, or is it a desire to fill your IG feed with enviable photos? Do you look for comfort when abroad? Or do you hunger to taste the culture of others? Would you like to be treated like royalty? Or do you humbly present yourself as a guest in the home of another? One woman shares with us her travel philosophy as she strives to become the first Black woman to visit every country in the world.

The woman: Jessica Nabongo

The book: The Catch Me If You Can: One Woman's Journey to Every Country in the World

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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When should you give your kids cell phones, and what's the best way to teach a child about technology? We discover the answer in this episode's theme of the week, but first — It is a riveting story of a company that toppled global giants before succumbing to the ruthlessly competitive forces of Silicon Valley. 

The book: Losing the Signal: The Untold Story Behind the Extraordinary Rise and Spectacular Fall of BlackBerry 

The authors: Jacquie McNish and Sean Silcoff 

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Do you have what it takes to endure in the wilderness if lost? Chances are you have everything you need to survive in your backpack. In this week's themed discussion, we'll explain how to use your tools to live another day if lost. Share this episode with your hike-loving friend. Then, it's on to our book. 

Helena has a loving husband and two beautiful daughters, but there is a deadly secret she's never told them. It is the mystery of her past, who she is and where she's from. When Helena's father escapes prison and grabs national news attention, she is forced to expose herself and her family to the truth of her identity: The Marsh King's Daughter.

The book: The Marsh King's Daughter

The author: Karen Dionne

From our theme of the week -

What to do if you get lost hiking:

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

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A filmmaker pulls together a writer's unfinished work to reveal truths about racial relations in America. 

The writer: James Baldwin 

The book: I Am Not Your Negro

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

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One of the most iconic figures of the 21st century faces the impact of a life-threatening conspiracy. After serving his country for decades, Oppenheimer's government proceeded on a campaign to take down this leader and burn his world to the root. This is the thrilling conclusion of American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer.

The Book: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

The Authors: Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

LET'S GET LIT!

"How the U.S. and Japan Became Allies Even After Hiroshima and Nagasaki" - Time.com 

 - View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

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A brilliant and ambitious physicist whose connection to communism makes the FBI suspicious pushes through moral dilemmas to become the father of the atomic bomb.

The Book: American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer

The Authors: Kai Bird and Martin J. Sherwin

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

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You just boarded a flight to New York. There are one hundred and forty-three other passengers onboard. What you don't know is that your pilot's family was kidnapped thirty minutes before the flight. For his family to live, everyone on your plane must die. The only way the family will survive is if the pilot follows his orders and crashes the plane.

Enjoy the flight.

The Book: Falling

The Author: T.J. Newman

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

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SEASON 5 IS HERE - and our first book is a doozie! 

The year is 1920, and the wealthiest people on earth all belong to one Native American tribe, The Osage Nation of Oklahoma. Soon, a trail of corpses unearths a sinister plot involving greed, murder, and the foundation of the FBI.

After a spoiler-filled discussion, we'll break down some of history's most notorious American crime cases.  

The Book: Killers of the Flower Moon: The Osage Murders and the Birth of the FBI

The Author: David Grann

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

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Hi readers!

Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week, we're rediscovering the thrilling heist of Harlem Shuffle by two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Colson Whitehead. 

• Looking for something new? Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod
• Support our show and grab something bookish chic at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/
• View the three Black Cake recipes we chose: https://www.litsocietypod.com/black-cake-a-novel-by-charmaine-wilkerson/

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ 

This week, we're talking jewelry heists. Which notorious thieves were caught by police, and which got away? Alexis has the answers. Then, it's on to our book.

Orphaned in high school, Ray Carney worked through college and now owns his own furniture store in 1960s Harlem. He's a family man living the American dream, but some dreams are no different from nightmares. Fighting familial and internal influences, Carney must outlast three separate heists to secure the lives of those he loves most. Will he survive? Or will this man lose himself trying to find his dream?

The book is Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead.

Let's get LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Hi readers!

Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week, we're rediscovering the book Black Cake, now an Oprah-produced miniseries on Hulu.

• Looking for something new? Check us out on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod
• Support our show and grab something bookish chic at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/
• View the three Black Cake recipes we chose: https://www.litsocietypod.com/black-cake-a-novel-by-charmaine-wilkerson/

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Our parents have a past. Sometimes that past catches up with them, leaving their children holding the pieces. Sometimes, though, that past reveals itself and helps their children realize more fully who they are and from where they come. One mother has chosen to expose the darkness of her life, but only after her death. Will her children be able to handle learning who the woman they know best really is?

The mom with the mystery? Eleanor Bennett

Our book: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Hi readers!

Our fourth season has ended, and we're preparing for year five (CAN YOU BELIEVE IT?!). In the meantime, we're revisiting our favorite episodes from the past and sharing them again with all of you. This week is for the LAMBLY.

Mariah Carey is a girl from New York State with Irish and Black American roots. She has a father, mother, brother, and sister but no family. 

What she does have is the following:

• The most weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for any artist in American history
• 19 number-one singles – second only to the Beatles
• The honor of being the only artist to have a number-one single in each year of a decade (!!!)
• The honor of being the first female artist to debut at number one in the States
• 5 Grammy Awards
• 19 World Music Awards
• 10 American Music Awards
• 15 Billboard Music Awards
• A place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame

When people had to save up, wake up, stand in line, and wait to hear their favorite artist, they bought her albums by the MILLIONS. Her talent is undeniable. 

This is the story of Mariah, aka Me-Me, the Elusive Chanteuse, aka M.C. The Meaning of Mariah is a memoir by one of our generation's greatest singer/songwriters. Within its pages, she talks about the people who almost killed her, tried to get her hooked on drugs, tried to get her pimped, and tried to kill her dreams - all before she turned 18 years old. She also gives her honest opinion regarding her triumphs and failures and the cast of people who opened their hearts to let her in when those tasked with the job failed to be reliable.

• Please enjoy this, the final episode of our 2020 season, originally airing November 19th, 2020. Alexis and Kari

While this season might be coming to a close, the world of literature continues to expand endlessly. With a fifth season on the horizon, we eagerly anticipate unearthing new narratives, unexplored genres, and captivating conversations with authors and bibliophiles alike.

Stay connected with us on YouTube, where we'll share weekly bonus content (https://www.youtube.com/@LitSocietyPod).

To our incredible listeners who have journeyed with us through the pages year after year, thank you for your unwavering support and enthusiasm. As we gear up for the next chapter, stay tuned for more literary adventures, insightful discussions, and the shared love for the written word that binds us together. The story doesn't end here—it's merely the closing of one captivating chapter, paving the way for countless more tales waiting to be explored.

View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Popular obsession with genealogy has some twisted roots. Let's talk about it - but first: An award-winning actress and gladiator receives a call from her parents on a routine afternoon. Their nervous hesitations let her know something is wrong. She turns her car around, drives to the home, and sits in the living of the people she's known all her life as mom and dad, her protectors, her withholding parents. There, in that familiar home, they share a secret that begins to unravel the loose ends of her childhood memories.

The Gladiator: Kerry Washington

The book: Thicker than Water by Kerry Washington

LET'S GET LIT!

View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Theme of the week discussion's source: https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2022/05/09/our-obsession-with-ancestry-has-some-twisted-roots-maud-newton-ancestor-trouble

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Two men have formed an unlikely friendship, traveling from place to place, working toward one united dream: Owning their own ranch, a place in the world where they'll belong. This dream becomes their life's purpose, but it is as unreachable as happiness.  

The men: George and Lennie

The book: Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck

LET'S GET LIT!

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LET'S GET LIT!

View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

THEME OF THE WEEK SOURCES:

PBS: https://www.pbs.org/opb/historydetectives/feature/20th-century-music/#:~:text=The%20most%20important%20influence%20on,within%20the%20bonds%20of%20slavery.

NBC NEWS: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/nbcblk/soundtrack-history-how-black-music-has-shaped-american-culture-through-n1258474

SMITHSONIAN: https://music.si.edu/story/musical-crossroads

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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SURPRISE! It's a bonus episode!!!

Today, we want to share an exciting preview of a Shakespeare podcast we think you will enjoy: Play On Podcasts! 

Each episode explores plays from Macbeth to A Midsummer Night's Dream in a way anyone can easily understand, created by some of America's most captivating playwrights, directors, and composers and performed by awarded stage and screen actors. This preview features the one and only Keith David. You know him from classic films such as Barbershop, Disney's Hercules and The Princess and the Frog, and Greenleaf, the television show Community and the list goes on. 

This is the first episode of Play On Podcasts!'s King Lear series, where Marcus Gardley sets his translation of King Lear in San Francisco. Here, anything can happen at any moment, and madness is barely constrained beneath the brittle veneer of gentrification. Infused with a jazz score that evolves in time with Lear's decline, this is a harrowing journey into the essence of life, death, love, and loss. 

Here's the first episode of King Lear. Enjoy!

From the streets of Baltimore to the big screen, this actress has done a lot of living. You may have heard about her, read the blogs, and listened to the gossip revolving around her marriage to megastar Will Smith, but this is her life, her story, in her own words.

The actress/mother/daughter/friend/wife/mother: Jada Pinkett Smith

The book: Worthy by Jada Pinkett Smith

YOU'RE LISTENING TO LIT SOCIETY

LET'S GET LIT!

View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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The former president of the United States is on a manhunt for his daughter's killers. With the help of current and ex-military and foreign operatives, he will travel half the world for the most significant moment of his life. Will he be successful? Is more at stake in this mission than he realizes?

The book: This is PART 2 of The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

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The Book: The President's Daughter by Bill Clinton and James Patterson

LET'S GET LIT!!!

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In an intimate letter to his son, a father explains his identity and fears within the galaxy of America, its race invention, and the mythology it has produced.

 The father: Ta-Nehisi Coates 

The Book: BETWEEN THE WORLD AND ME BY TA-NEHISI COATES

LET'S GET LIT!!!

*Businesses from our theme of the week:

• Not Ok (App) by Hannah and Charlie Lucas: https://www.notokapp.com/
• George Hofstetter: https://www.georgehofstettertechnologies.com/about
•  Moziah and Mo's Bows: https://mosbowsmemphis.com/meet-moziah-1
• Mr. Cory and Mr. Cory's Cookies: https://mrcoryscookies.com

View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Willa Noble is on a quest to discover who killed the person dearest to her. She discovers nearly everyone she knows is a suspect. Dancing with danger, she soon finds herself in the nation's capital alongside her benevolent employer, a strange and mysterious woman invested in the case's outcome.

The benevolent employer: Emily Dickenson

The Book: Because I Could Not Stop for Death by Amanda Flower

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Alex and Josie are from different worlds. They've come to know each other after discovering they're "birthday twins." Alex's work inspires Josie, and she soon decides she wants Alex to document her transformation story as she steps out of her tainted world into a new life.

The book: None of This Is True: A Novel by Lisa Jewell

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Obi Okonkwo, grandson of deceased village leader Okonkwo, is returning to Nigeria from England after earning a proper British education. He quickly finds his world is riddled with bribes and corruption, but Obi is determined never to accept an illegal payment and never compromise his principles. But as his black-and-white world becomes grey, he must wrestle with who he truly is versus who he'd like to believe himself to be. Does his African culture and Western lifestyle render him a hypocrite, and if so, which world is to judge him, the black world or the white?

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Hi readers! Kari here.

Just a reminder: This week, we're revisiting Things Fall Apart to properly set the tone for next week's book, No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe.

Published in the 1960s, No Longer at Ease is the second work of Achebe's African Trilogy. It deals with themes such as cultural integrity versus colonialization and assimilation. 

If you're stateside, enjoy your long weekend, and wherever you are in the world, we hope this book makes you feel something extraordinary, as it did with us.

Enjoy!

Hi readers! Kari here.

Alexis and I are switching up the schedule this and next week to correctly set the stage for No Longer at Ease by Chinua Achebe.

Published in the 1960s, No Longer at Ease is the second work of Achebe's African Trilogy, which begins with the distinguished High School required read Things Fall Apart. It deals with themes such as cultural integrity versus colonialization and assimilation. 

So, this week, we thought it's fitting to revisit one of our favorite works of historical fiction that also tackles these themes in a beautifully illustrious way — Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

Next week, we'll revisit Things Fall Apart by Achebe. Then, on the 14th, we'll return with No Longer at Ease, a book neither Alexis nor I have read before. We're excited to read it for the first time with all of you.

So, if you're stateside, enjoy your long weekend, and wherever you are in the world, we hope this book makes you feel something extraordinary, as it did with us.

Enjoy!❤️

From Herman Petty to LaVan Hawkins, Franchise tells the hidden history of the intertwined relationship between fast food and civil rights.

(Be prepared for surprises and thought-provoking discussions about this book for years to come!)

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Athena is a writing wunderkind, and June, an unsuccessful author, is jealous of her friend's success. When a tragedy leaves one dead, will the other exploit the memory of her companion for her personal gain?

After diving into the plot of this week's book, we'll discuss the question that keeps popping up while reading Yellowface: Is it right for authors to write about cultures outside of their own? Here's an honest discussion about a reoccurring topic in our nuevo-woke culture.

This week's book: Yellowface by R. F. Kuang

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In a novel that reads like nonfiction, two girls find love at the end of adolescence and the beginning of adulthood. The choices made with that newfound love lead to consequences neither imagined and in the end, they must fight for their destiny and future, alone or lonely.

The girls becoming women: Ruby and Eleanor

The book: The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson

LET'S GET LIT!!!

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Myriam loves her children, but after months of caring for her newborns, she feels they're literally "sucking the life out of her!" She's ready to get back to her craft as a lawyer. Fortunately, her family finds and hires the perfect nanny, a woman who is in many ways a child but utterly devoted to her duty and the children. She goes above and beyond consistently, but at what point is beyond too far? As the family realizes they cannot function without the nanny, love turns to jealousy, and devotion becomes an obsession.

The Nanny: Louise

The book: The Perfect Nanny by Leila Slimani

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!!!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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An English ship embarks on a covert mission to steal Spanish treasure, but as hunger and exhaustion seize the men, they enact a mutiny. Ultimately, it is not just the seamen who are on trial but the very ideology of colonialization. In this true story, who will live, who will die, and which side will be proved right by history?

LET'S GET LIT!!!

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Before we get into the book, we're discussing what to do if you're in the middle of being kidnapped. The short version:

• Call 911 if you can (preferably on speaker).
• Scream out "HELP!" along with your name.
• Go for the eyeballs.

Of course, there are a few more tips here that we hope you'll never need. Then, on to our book...

A five-year-old boy lets us into his world by describing what he loves, his mom, Dora the Explorer, and his room. But as we spend more time with Jack, we realize something is seriously wrong with his world. Does the room hold more than he knows? And is he in more danger than he understands?

The boy: Jack

The book: Room by Emma Donoghue

And you're listening to LIT Society.

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Can you stop a tragedy that's already occurred?

One woman is eagerly waiting for her 18-year-old son to return home before curfew. Relieved, she sees him walking along the street but notices a shadowy figure catching up to him. In an instant, one of the men is dead. After a restless night, the woman awakes ... to yesterday. 

The woman: Jen Brotherhood

The book: Wrong Place Wrong Time by Gillian McAllister

And you're listening to LIT Society.

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BONUS: A Lil' Literally - Welcome to A Lil' LITerally , ten minutes discussions of the bookish topics on our radar.

Since last week's episode, many of you have shared your opinion of Mr. Perry and his plays and films. No matter what you think of Tyler Perry, his work is undeniably prolific, life-changing, and unforgettable.

So here is your future favorite book based on your favorite Tyler Perry movie. Let's get to it!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

• And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie: https://www.litsocietypod.com/and-then-there-were-none/
• Spare by Prince Harry: https://www.litsocietypod.com/spare-by-prince-harry/

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(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ ReLIT ♥ The Wedding by Dorothy West

Before Tom Joyner was cruising with your parents, Black Americans enjoyed resorts and vacations for us by us. What is the history of Black getaways? That’s our theme this week. It’s a lot of fun. Then, on to our book...

There’s death in the air, even though this summer on the island of Martha’s Vineyard, a wealthy, upper-class Black American beauty is planning her wedding to a white jazz musician of little means. Her eagerness to pursue a new life with one outside of her class and race forces everyone in her family to face their fears and insecurities and drives one man to desperation as he vows to take the soon-to-be bride for himself. Within 24 hours, secrets are unloaded, hearts are broken. Will former sins bring new woes to the families both elevated and captivated by their past? By the end of summer, will they stand before an altar or a casket?

The bride-to-be? Shelby Cole

The book: The Wedding by Dorothy West

LET’S GET LIT!

BONUS: A Lil' Literally - Welcome to A Lil' LITerally , ten minutes discussions of the bookish topics on our radar.

No matter what you think of Tyler Perry, his work is undeniably prolific, life-changing, and unforgettable. Sir Perry is throwing babies out of windows and paraplegics into bathtubs. And we let him.

We've worked with the scientists at NASA to develop a formula for finding a reader's favorite book based on their favorite Tyler Perry movie.

So here is your future favorite book based on your favorite Tyler Perry movie. So, let's get to it!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 1): https://www.litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-1/
• Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 2): https://www.litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-2/
• The Wedding by Dorothy West: https://www.litsocietypod.com/the-wedding-by-dorothy-west/
• His Only Wife: https://www.litsocietypod.com/his-only-wife-by-peace-adzo-medie-and-arranged-marriages/

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Flight 587, which inspired this week's book, was the second deadliest aviation crash in history. It occurred just two months and one day after 9/11 and rocked families from NYC to the Dominican Republic. Today, we're diving into the details of that historic tragedy. Then it's on to our book, a unique novel written in poetic stanzas:

A tragedy in the sky forces two girls and their families on the ground to unpack their secrets, carry them across waters, and breathe life into a truth they've desperately tried to ignore.

The girls: Camino and Yahaira

The book: Clap when you land by Elizabeth Acevedo

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Visit Brooklinen.com today and receive a special discount plus free shipping on orders of $100+ with code [litsociety].

Grab Kari's "MORRISON" t-shirt here: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/products/womens-relaxed-t-shirt

A member of the Thursday Murder Club has received a letter from a dead man inviting her over for tea. The mystery that unravels next will involve more than the police. To crack this case, they'll need a drug dealer, an international broker, MI5, and 20M in diamonds. 

The member of the club: Elizabeth

The book: The Man Who Died Twice by Richard Osman

 And you're listening to LIT Society.

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After painfully losing her three children, a young wife is filled with joy when she and her husband find a newborn baby in an abandoned boat. She cajoles her husband into keeping the little girl, reasoning that she must be an orphan needing their help. But when they unexpectedly meet the biological mother years later, they must also meet the consequences of their choices and the truth they’ve desperately tried to ignore.

The man and woman: Tom and Isabel

The book: The light between oceans by M.L. Stedman

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

- Source for theme of the week: https://www.oprahdaily.com/entertainment/tv-movies/a30555637/kamiyah-mobley-true-story-facts/ 

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BONUS: A Lil' Literally - We have a surprise! Today, we're introducing a new bonus show within LIT Society. Welcome to A Lil' LITerally , ten minutes discussions of the bookish topics on our radar.

In the first season of our podcast, April 10th, 2020, we covered The Great Gatsby. This week, everyone's favorite play cousin, Keke Palmer, brought up a well-known theory regarding the story: Jay Gatsby was a black man, and Fitzgerald hid the evidence in plain sight within the dialogue and descriptions. However, is this theory credible? Let's discuss.

The year is 1926, and a quiet community on the island of Australia is recovering from the death and grief caused by a war that swallowed the world. It is in this setting that one man meets a woman. They fall in love. Their small family begins living on an isolated isle off the coast, guarding a lighthouse. Away from the eyes of anyone they've ever known, left to their own devices, they will make a decision and cross a line to a place from which they can never return. 

The man and woman: Tom and Isabel

The book: The light between oceans by M.L. Stedman

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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Tabitha is a woman with a plan. She's 33 years old, moving her way up the corporate ladder at her television anchor job, and is dating the man of her dreams. But she quickly realizes that her life may not be going to plan when her doctor gives her unexpected news that forces her to take a hard look at herself and her values. Will she pull it together in time to save the most precious thing she's ever wanted? Or will her ideal future be snatched from her grasp forever?

The book? Black Girls Must Die Exhausted by Jayne Allen

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Two young lovers from feuding families fall deeply in love and secretly marry. Due to a series of unfortunate events and miscommunication, they both tragically find their end. Before the final curtain, we will experience love, desperation, and the destructive nature of hatred. 

The lovers? Romeo and Juliet

The play? Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare

LET'S GET LIT!

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Checks over stripes: This week, we're learning where the sneaker originated and how it grew to become what it is today.

Shoes, shoes, shoes. A young runner follows his passion for creating an athletic shoe worn by winners around the world. Following him from the columns of Greece to the boardrooms of Japan, we watch courtside as he builds an iconic brand that is today a part of global culture and fashion.

The young runner with a dream? Phil Knight.

The book? Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of Nike

Let's get LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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We return Thursday, May 18th. Until then, please enjoy listening to the best shows from our archives. Here's one we love - it's like a new, sleeker James Bond.

Who do you love? Who deserves your loyalty? And are the two one and the same? One young, brilliant, beautiful FBI officer is tasked with betraying her heart in devotion to her country. Her mission will take her from the high rises of New York to the roads of West Africa to the island of her motherland. Will she have what it takes when the time comes to pull the trigger, or will she find herself on the wrong side of the gun?

Before diving into our book, we'll learn the truth about a woman many know as Mary Bowser, a former enslaved person, and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. (Psst! There will be a game, and Alexis WILL be put on the spot. Enjoy!

Our spy is Marie Mitchell.

The book is American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson.

LET'S GET LIT!
 

We return Thursday, May 18th. Until then, please enjoy listening to the best shows from our archives. Here's one we love, the first episode of season four - a royal riot!

Buy the book from our shop: https://bookshop.org/a/80860/9780593593806

An heir and a spare: One son, protected future king, and the other a dense, drug-using recluse, destined for failure – that is, if we are to believe the press. In the best-selling memoir of all time, a high-ranking member of the royal family gives us an inside look into the world he was born into and ultimately left for his sanity and health.

The spare: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

The book: Spare by Prince Harry

This week, we follow one curious and imaginative young girl down a rabbit hole and into a strange and surreal world called Wonderland. In Wonderland, she encounters a cast of eccentric characters, including the Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, and the Queen of Hearts, and experiences a series of absurd and nonsensical events. Throughout her ordeal, the girl must learn important lessons about growing up, identity, and the power of imagination.

The girl: Alice

The book: Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carrol.

And you're listening to lit society.

LET'S GET LIT!

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Love Kari's LIT mug? Grab your own! | https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/ ◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ It's 2009, and Tiffany, an intelligent, hard-working, first-generation American, faces foreclosure and bankruptcy. How did this happen? More importantly, how can you be sure this never happens to you?! Fortunately, this is only the beginning of Tiffany's story. She will soon morph into the fantastic financial forerunner she is today and host of her own - actually useful - Netflix series. But first, she needed to Get Good with Money! 

You're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

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Support our show by shopping our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ 

One decorated military commander falls in love with and marries a woman whose love and devotion to him are only exceeded by the hatred and jealousy held for him by his closest companion. Ultimately, madness and isolation will lead the commander to make the most regrettable mistake, sacrificing his world and killing his happiness.

The military man driven mad? Othello

Our play: Othello by William Shakespeare

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

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LIT Society is the weekly book podcast that's making thousands of listeners fall in love again with reading. Travel across worlds, real and imagined, via dramatic readings of passages., complete with sound effects. Listeners say this hilarious, literary show feels like a night out with friends. Isn't it time you take a break from your routine with a book club that's lit? Subscribe to LIT Society: Books and Drama wherever you listen to podcasts.

Support our show by shopping our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ 

No one ever considers what happens to the children of serial killers. When police arrested Chloe Davis' father, her planet shattered. She'd forever question her judgment and identity. Twenty years later, she's grown up and running her own private therapy practice. She seems to have it all together. But she must become more than a survivor when the killings start again. She must become the detective.

Our book: A Flicker in the Dark by Stacy Willingham

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

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View the three Black Cake recipes we chose: https://www.litsocietypod.com/black-cake-a-novel-by-charmaine-wilkerson/

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ 

Our parents have a past. Sometimes that past catches up with them, leaving their children holding the pieces. Sometimes, though, that past reveals itself and helps their children realize more fully who they are and from where they come. One mother has chosen to expose the darkness of her life, but only after her death. Will her children be able to handle learning who the woman they know best really is?

The mom with the mystery? Eleanor Bennett

Our book: Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson

And you're listening to LIT Society.

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Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Support our show by shopping our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

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Monday Charles is missing, and no one seems to care, except for her best friend Claudia. On her search to find Monday, Claudia must question if she ever really knew her friend or herself. In the end, she's left with an unimaginable task as her world changes forever. 

Our book: Monday's Not Coming by Tiffany D. Jackson

And you're listening to LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod

Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Support our show by shopping our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

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Remember: Both sides of the field aim to win, but one team has a better system. Stop making goals and start changing your habits. Atomic Habits is yet another self-help book telling us we're not the problem while assuring us that we are most definitely the problem. Its pages offer practical guidance and real-life anecdotes to illustrate that new habits make new results.

LET'S GET LIT!!!!

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod

Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

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Last week, we met a girl who became an orphan and then a thief. Learning from her foster parents, who proved to be more than what they seemed on the surface, she carefully hid the secret they unitedly shared, the secret friend living in their basement. This week, we learn what happens to that girl and everyone she loves before they meet the always-waiting hand of death.

The girl: Liesel

The book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod

Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ 

One girl is living in a world surrounded by death. Despite the chaos and the pain around her, she has one thing keeping her afloat, books. She steals them and has learned to read with the help of a loving, artistic foster father, but this story isn't about sadness. It's about color, life, and the people who paint our world.

The girl: Liesel

The book: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak 

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod

Our website — www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Start growing your channel with TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/litsocietypod 

We read this book for free on Hoopla, the app that's connected to your local library: https://www.hoopladigital.com/ 

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ Atomic Habits with a fiscal twist, We Should All Be Millionaires breaks down why the majority of women find themselves floating in a sea of debt with nothing but poverty on the horizon. But everyone should be a millionaire, according to the author, and she is convinced that her formula will be your raft to financial freedom.

The book: We Should All Be Millionaires: A Woman's Guide to Earning More, Building Wealth, and Gaining Economic Power by Rachel Rodgers

- View the video podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/@litsocietypod

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr 

Please support our show by shopping at our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

Start growing your channel with TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/litsocietypod 

This is an amazing audio book. Grab your copy here: https://apple.co/3Y2ujaR.

Buy the book from our shop: https://bookshop.org/a/80860/9780593593806

◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️◽️ An heir and a spare: One son, protected future king, and the other a dense, drug-using recluse, destined for failure - that is, if we are to believe the press. In the best-selling memoir of all time, a high-ranking member of the royal family gives us an inside look into the world he was born into and ultimately left for his sanity and health.

The spare: Prince Harry, Duke of Sussex

The book: Spare by Prince Harry

- View the video podcast here: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Subscribe to emails and get free stuff: http://eepurl.com/gDtWCr

Please support our show by shopping our boutique: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/

Start growing your channel with TubeBuddy: https://www.tubebuddy.com/litsocietypod

Tired of waiting for Season 4 to start? Head over to YouTube to watch our video podcast featuring Spare by Prince Harry. It's available now: https://youtu.be/OXCf8CaUJ2Q. 

Hate watching YouTube? All audio episodes will begin next Thursday. Until then, we're ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here's a favorite from our archives.

Rockwell tried to tell us: A dystopian novel that becomes more evocative as reality mirrors its bleak fiction, 1984 is a vision of a world controlled by a totalitarian regime where not even your thoughts are safe. Is your cell phone watching you, or are you watching it? Are your neighbors spying on you for their political leader's advantage? Does the government own Twitter? Of course, the answer to all of these questions is yes, and this book explains how it all started. Before we dive into 1984, we'll discuss how to keep your privacy as safe as possible today.

Let's get LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we're ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here's a favorite from our archives.

As always, before discussing this week's book, we discuss a theme inspired by the book. This week's theme is The Power of Traveling Abroad. Then, on to our story: Many have their opinions about him. But this is his story told in his own words through a series of uninhibited conversations with one of the most influential authors of his time. 
This is the story of Malcolm Little, who became Malcolm X.

LET'S GET LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we're ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here's a favorite from our archives.

Who raised you? The assumption is that our families shape who we become, but do our friends have more of an influence than we realize? In his autobiographical tale of being born and raised under apartheid in South Africa, Trevor Noah praises the people who gave him the vision and tools to make his path. He also paints the picture of his mother as a courageous visionary ahead of her time. Before diving into this heartwarming story, we discuss family vs. environment, which significantly influences our lives.

This is LIT Society.

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we're ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here's a favorite from our archives.

It is a tale of undying passion born of loneliness and shame, a type of force that consumes everything in its path and leaves only gloom and death in its wake. Did we mention the two who share this love are foster siblings? They are. Anywhoo … not not judging.

The lover's name: Heathcliff.

The book: Wuthering Heights. Let's get LIT!

... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we're ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here's a favorite from our archives.

Having abandoned her husband and son, one woman lives life one train ride at a time with her beautiful beau and new baby girl — but her decision to risk it all for "love" isn't without consequences. Will following her heart lead this woman to peace, misery, or the greatest happiness? 

The woman's name: is Anna. 

This is part 2 of Anna Karenina. 

Let's get LIT! 

... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We’re on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we’re ecstatic to share the shows still living rent-free in our heads. Here’s a favorite from our archives.

This week, Alexis makes Kari read the world's longest book (just kidding), written by a man some consider to be the greatest author of all time (not kidding). The setting is 19th-century Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the countryside. Noblemen and women are eating, drinking, marrying, and living. Among these aristocrats stands one woman who personifies beauty and grace. This woman catches the eye of an equally attractive officer. Driven by an undeniable chemistry, the two start down a path of deception and destruction from which neither may recover. 

The officer's name is Alexei Vronsky. 

The woman's name is Anna Karenina, and this is part one of our two-part episode. 

Before diving in, we discuss the usefulness of healthy distractions and learn how to escape in ways that don't destroy us. 

This is LIT Society. 

Let's get LIT! 

... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We’re on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we’re ecstatic to share the shows still rent-free in our heads. Here’s a favorite from our archives.

After losing her home, her husband, sobriety, and career, one woman is on the brink of losing her mind. Her life is dwarfed into a series of train rides, back and forth, morning and evening, until she sees something no one else sees from the window of her commute. She’s witnessed something that propels her into a series of events, forever changing her life and the lives of everyone she knows.

The woman’s name is Rachel.

The book, The Girl on the Train.

Let’s get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We’re on vacation until the start of season four, Thursday, February 2nd! Until then, we’re ecstatic to share the shows still rent-free in our heads. Here’s a favorite from our archives.

What do you know about arranged marriages? If you’ve ever watched The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Married at First Sight, Love is Blind, or a million other reality shows, you may know more than you think. This week, we’re discussing arranged hitching and clearing up a few misconceptions about the practice. 

Then, it’s on to our book: The search for happiness and peace is a difficult one, especially in a society that dismisses your thoughts and preys on your innocence. The distress of our Ghanaian protagonist is relatable to many women around the world. Will our heroine find love and acceptance in the manner she deserves and desires? What will she tolerate? What is she willing to risk for the sake of her sanity?

The woman: Afi Tekple

The book: His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

LET’S GET LIT!

 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

1714 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

https://www.semicolonchi.com/

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

They were the best of books; They were the worst of books! This is our end-of-year roundup, and we can't wait to share which works we loved (AND HATED WITH A PASSION)! Does our list match yours? Let us know!

A few episodes we mention include:

• Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi: https://www.litsocietypod.com/homegoing-by-yaa-gyasi/
• Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead: https://www.litsocietypod.com/harlem-shuffle-by-colson-whitehead/
• His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie: https://www.litsocietypod.com/his-only-wife-by-peace-adzo-medie-and-arranged-marriages/
• The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow: https://www.litsocietypod.com/the-other-bennet-sister-by-janice-hadlow-part-1/
• The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris: https://www.litsocietypod.com/the-other-black-girl-by-zakiya-dalila-harris/

Let's GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Alexis: https://www.instagram.com/alexisistraveling/

Kari: https://www.youtube.com/@chicagoings?sub_confirmation=1 

The Show: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Does therapy work? What do we need to do to get the most from treatment? Alexis breaks down specific tips to help us unpack our baggage while speaking with a specialist. Then, on to our book.

In this memoir, she gets frank about her struggles under the hands of an abusive stage mom in an industry that could care less if she lived or died. Others chose her path starting at the age of eight. Ever since, she has been pretending for her family, herself, and the world.

The actress: Jennette McCurdy

The Book: I'm Glad My Mom Died

And you're listening to LIT Society.

Let's GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Has a warped self-perception ever caused you to label yourself as weak, stupid, or ugly? This week's theme dives into how the actions and words of others affect how we see ourselves and what we can do to improve our self-perception. Then, on to our book.

One man's finest weapon is his tongue. It is a sharp sword crafted from wit and valor. However, his embarrassing face makes him feel doomed to live in solitude, always one degree away from the woman he loves.

The man: Cyrano

The Play: Cyrano de Bergerac de Edmond Rostand

And you're listening to LIT Society.

Let's GET LIT!

_____

Theme of the week source, including graphics: https://www.lifehack.org/882456/self-perception 

Performance of abbreviated version by LA Theater Works: https://latw.org/title/cyrano-de-bergerac

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

What is a toxic relationship, and have you ever been in one? What about a toxic friendship? Alexis starts our show by breaking down what makes a relationship unhealthy and what to do if you realize you're in a poisonous partnership. Then, on to our book, er play...

Her lips talk of wealth, grace, and power, but her eyes beg for forgiveness and grace. Blanche DuBois walks into her sister Stella's life after years of absence, unannounced, needing a place to live. Stella's husband, however, is angered by the woman's pride and pretentiousness. In the end, desire leads them all to damage.

The Play: A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams

You're listening to LIT Society.

LET's GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Do podcasts really solve crimes? If you followed the story of Adnan Syed, a case made famous by Serial, a podcast produced by the creators of This American Life, you know all charges against Syed were recently dropped. This exoneration arrived over 20 years too late for the victim's family, Syed's family and friends, and Syed himself. After listening to the first season of Serial for the 32nd time, we were left wondering – did any good come from opening this can of worms, or did the podcast only cause more pain than necessary to those affected by the murder? Let's talk about it. Then, on to our book.

Solving a real-life murder mystery nearly cost Pippa her sanity, her family, and her life. She vows to leave crime cases in the hands of the police, but when a close friend goes missing, she must decide if she's ready to risk it all … again.

The Book: Good Girl Bad Blood by Holly Jackson.

You're listening to LIT Society. 

LET's GET LIT!

_____

Listen to our episode on A Good Girl's Guide to Murder by Holly Jackson: https://www.litsocietypod.com/a-good-girls-guide-to-murder-by-holly-jackson/

Kari here! Looking for info on Adnan Syed? For a quick rundown, I recommend this episode of Crime Junkie: https://crimejunkiepodcast.com/infamous-what-serial-didnt-tell-you/.

Then, listen to season 1 of Undisclosed: https://undisclosed-podcast.com/. 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Listen to our episode on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen here: https://www.litsocietypod.com/pride-and-prejudice/.

In this passionate conclusion, we discover if the ugliest of the Bennett sisters will finally find her place in the world or if repeated disappointments will find her lost and alone for eternity. Or will she learn to make room for love by first loving herself?

The Book: The other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

You're listening to LIT Society. 

LET's GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Listen to our episode on Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen here: https://www.litsocietypod.com/pride-and-prejudice/.

The ugliest of the Bennett sisters, long forgotten by time, will have her story told. Just like her sisters, matters of pride and prejudice threaten to ruin her life, but will she prevail with the man she loves, or will circumstances forcer her into a painful spinsterhood under the thumb of a cruel, empty-headed mother?

Before diving into this week's book, we'll discuss women historians of the past and present. Super inspiring stuff.

The Book: The other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

You're listening to LIT Society. 

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Is the past ever in the past? Troy Maxson has been chewed up and spit out by life in a world where being black meant a man must face crushing assaults on his spirit and body. But the world is changing and leaving Troy behind. Will he adapt or become imprisoned by the fences built around him?

Before diving into this week's story, we discuss a theme inspired by the play: The Negro League. How much do you know about the Negro Leagues? Who were its star players, and from where in the world did they originate? Alexis breaks it down in this video podcast episode.

 LET'S GET LIT!!!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

What drives a man to murder another due to the hideousness of one physical attribute? Is it madness or pure evil? Can it be both? Will the guilt caused by the deed lead the murderer to confession or only sink him deeper into insanity?

This week, we're diving into Edgar Allen Poe's The Tell-Tale Heart, but first, we discuss the real-life murders which inspired the legendary short story. Stick around! This one's shorty but a goodie.

 LET'S GET LIT!!!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Let's start this week with the theme TRAVEL THE BOOK: SINGAPORE STYLE. We'll virtually visit two main attractions before quickly understanding why Singapore is one of the most visited cities in the world. Then, on to our book...  

The brilliant and beautiful Rachel Chu is shocked to find that the man she's been seeing for two years is wealthier than anyone she's ever known or heard of — ever. When she attends his best friend's wedding in Singapore and meets his family and inner circle, a shocking discovery about her own family will test the limits of her relationship and reveal she knows as little about herself as she does about the wealthy.

The Book: Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan

LET'S GET LIT!!!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

As a great poet once said, "You believe in things that you don't understand — superstition ain't the way." Today, we're discussing the harmful effects of superstitious thinking and group thought. We'll be honest. Kari led this discussion, and it's kind of all over the place. Then, on to our book...

A local philanthropic gentleman is slashed to death in the dead of night. The killer is suspected to be an unworldly hound - a dog larger than any earthly dog, fierce and fiery in appearance. However, one detective sets sights on finding the truth and exposing the cunning killer.

The detective: Sherlock Holmes.

The book: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Momma's baby, the preacher's maybe. A puritan community is rocked by a scandal involving a married woman found unfaithful to her husband. Instead of condemning her to death, they mercifully allow her to be branded for her crime with a scarlet "A." The red letter announces her as unclean, the fallen one, the adulteress. As the years pass, however, the town becomes less convinced of her evil nature while she becomes more committed to her solitude. When the opportunity arises to run away with the man she loves and with whom she's sinned, will she take it, or will her end be more painful than even her punishment?

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

What would you do if one of the people you admired most was accused of murder? Faced with this question, one teen decides to uncover the secrets her hometown’s been hiding for the last five years. She soon realizes that nearly everyone she knows is a suspect. What’s more, someone wants her quiet, and someone wants her dead.

You're listening to LIT Society.

Let's GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

____________

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're taking off this week! Enjoy this oldie but goodie...

Comprised entirely of dialogue, this is the first-hand account of one band's meteoric rise to fame in the 1970s. It openly relates the few triumphs and many failures, that took them from the top to the bottom and everywhere in between. More importantly, this story is about the destructive and healing power of love.

The name of the band is Daisy Jones and Six.

Our book is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid.

Let's GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

"Does the flap of a butterfly's wings in Brazil set off a tornado in Texas?" We begin this week's discussion with our Theme of the Week: The Butterfly Effect. How much does today affect our future? There's a theory that we'll do our best to break down. Then, on to our book...

From halfway around the world, an Egyptian archeologist is desperate to uncover the mystery that led to her younger sister's death at the hands of a suicide bomber IN CAIRO. 

The archeologist: Rose Hatfield

The Book: A Pure Heart: A Novel by Rajia Hassib

LET'S GET LIT!

Sources for this week's theme:

American Scientist: https://www.americanscientist.org/article/understanding-the-butterfly-effect

Farnam Street: https://fs.blog/the-butterfly-effect/#:~:text=Although%20the%20concept%20of%20the,disciplines%20to%20create%20chaos%20theory. 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

A silent killer lives among us and is everywhere. I've met him. So have you. So has everyone you know. Still, we prefer to pretend he doesn't exist. Hello, Loneliness, my old friend. This is your story. SEEK YOU brings to light the shameful parts of the human experience, namely our relatable need to touch, converse with, and receive recognition from the people around us. From the birth of the laugh track to what we choose to post on social media, she breaks down how we pacify ourselves when this need is not fulfilled and asks what is necessary to form the connections that feed us.

This week's book is a graphic novel, Seek You: A Journey Through American Loneliness by Kristen Radtke.

LET'S GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

It's the first Thursday of the month, and you know what that means The Importance of Being Ernest (Video Podcast) — a wild card episode. Or, should we say "Wilde" card, because this week we're reviewing The Importance of Being Earnest, the first play of our series on theatrical works. As official as that sounds, you should know that this episode is as unhinged as all others. We've also recorded the entire show for YouTube, so feel free to go over there and see our faces. Enjoy!

LET'S GET LIT!

 Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Remember "The Bubble Boy," the episode of Seinfield from season four? In it, George is taunted by a cantankerous boy who must spend life inside a protective shield because of his disease. It's funny. However, the actual disease is not. Alexis takes away one of our remaining joys in life by sharing the story of the real "Bubble Boy." Then, on to our book...

Deathly allergic to everything on earth, Maddy must spend her life inside her home with only her mother and nurse for company. She passes the time with surprising optimism, reading books, watching movies, and playing games. But when a new family moves in next door with their teenage son Olly, Maddy learns something about herself that tears her world apart and nearly destroys herself and everyone she knows.

The book is Everything Everything by Nicola Yoon.

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

A family is devastated by information that their mother, long dead, is helping people live longer, happier lives all around the world. How can this be? Rumors spread that scientists have cloned the matriarch and that the woman they love now has duplicates of herself around Europe. Still, another suspicion is that she's been shot into space, stuffed into a bomb, and inserted with AIDS, suffering alone in some cold lab halfway around the planet. The stress of all this news cripples her children, but what is the truth? A young writer and scientist takes it upon herself to help the family reach the thrilling conclusion of their mother's story.

The writer and scientist: Rebecca Skloot

You're listening to the conclusion of our deep dive into The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Before diving into this week's book, we'll talk about the medical industry's not-so-secret (and not-so-distant) questionable past in our theme of the week: Medical Murders. Then, on to our book...

Decades ago, while listening to her body's suggestion that something was wrong, a young wife and mother of five trusted the only healthcare facility in the area that would agree to treat her. True to their word, doctors provide the best treatment available, but they don't tell the woman they are stealing a portion of her body during their treatments. Those stolen cells proved extraordinarily incredible, saving people's lives worldwide, and they continue to marvel even in our day. Everyone benefits from the woman's unknowing sacrifice, except for her family and children. Where will her children end up in a world where they can't even afford healthcare?

The woman: Henrietta Lacks

The book: The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks by Rebecca Skloot

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

After weeks of reading copious news articles, we still don't know if Caresha and Diddy are dating. Why is it so difficult to harvest "the news" from The News nowadays? Also, when did our news sources get so sensational? These ponderings lead us to this week's theme: How to Avoid Misleading Information in the News and Social Media. Alexis walks us through how to avoid information that's sponsored and biased. Then, on to our book.

Cate's quiet English neighborhood has experienced several sexual assaults, and one beautiful young girl is missing. Across from Cate's family's home, police arrest a man. He's in his thirties, a loner no one has ever seen with a girlfriend. The man is said to have recently lost his job due to sexual misconduct. Cate sighs with relief now that the local creep is off the streets. But when the attacks continue, and clues lead to her bedroom door, she must confront her prejudices and blind spots to reveal a shocking truth.

The book: Invisible Girl: A Novel by Lisa Jewell

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week we're taking it back to our very first episode, featuring a book that's drowning in controversy.

As a kid, did you ever fantasize about running away from home? Ever dream about escaping to a place where no one could tell you what to do? Imagine for a moment that your fantasy came true but in reverse. Your parents ran away from home, leaving you to your own devices before you could even count to 30 — before you literally knew what number came after 29. It’s an age where you reasonably expect no one will ever leave you without food, guidance, and protection, and yet there you are, without the natural affection afforded to even the feral animals around your feet. Sobering, no?

Owens writes the world of Kay, our protagonist, with striking vividness. Through economical prose and an unpretentious vocabulary, she brings to life the colors and sounds experienced by a six-year-old girl, abandoned by her own in the marsh of North Carolina in the 1950s. While reading this book, the air around you will smell of buzzing micro-ecosystems and land wet with forgotten waters from the Pacific Ocean. More than anything, you’ll feel the numbing pain of Kay’s loneliness as if it’s your own.

Before we dive into Where the Crawdads Sing, we’ll get real about loneliness and depression: What battles have we had with both, and how does one cope?

Welcome to the first episode of Lit Society. Let’s get LIT

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

In the quiet village of St. Mary Mead, in the peaceful English countryside, the unthinkable happens — a murder. What is more, this is not just any murder. The dead man is found in the local's clergyman's office, blood on the desk and a note in his atrophying hand. Did the clergyman bring an end to the life of a man he envied? Or was it one of the many country folks who openly hated the deceased? One observant spinster aims to get to the bottom of the mystery before the wrong man is hanged.

The observant old maid? Miss Marple.

The book: The Murder at the Vicarage by Agatha Christie

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week we're talking jewelry heists. Which notorious thieves were caught by police, and which got away? Alexis has the answers. Then, it's on to our book.

Orphaned in high school, Ray Carney worked his way through college and now owns his own furniture store in 1960s Harlem. He's a family man living the American dream, but some dreams are no different than nightmares. Fighting both familial and internal influences, Carney must outlast three separate heists to secure the lives of those he loves most. Will he survive? Or will this man lose himself trying to find his dream?

The book is Harlem Shuffle by Colson Whitehead.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

It is the first week of June, and you know what that means. We're back with another WILD CARD episode. Instead of dissecting a book, we're discussing Kenneth Branagh's Death On the Nile, a film released in cinemas and streaming this year. We saw this film in theaters and at home, and we've got a LOT to say. Watch the flick before listening to see if our thoughts coincide with yours, and let us know if we finally pronounced Hercule Poirot correctly. (Spoiler: We didn't!)

Let's get LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Convenience Store Woman is the deadpan tale of one woman's happy life in a simple occupation before conformity-obsessed friends, family members, and strangers pressure her into confusion and despair. Will she find her way back, or will she end up like a sandcastle, washed away by the current of conventionality? As Beyoncé said, "This is for the 30-somethings that didn't turn out exactly how mom and dad wanted you to be."

Before diving into this dry humor, we discuss if anyone can indeed find happiness and fulfillment from their job. 

This is LIT Society. Let's Get LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

America's first Black-American established towns are our theme this week, inspired by the author's hometown in the state of Florida. How did these towns form, and what's the story behind them? Alexis has the details. Then, it's on to our book...

This Harlem Renaissance classic is the story of a woman too beautiful to be trusted and too innocent to be cautious. She battles nearly debilitating loneliness, floating through life unseen, despite marrying twice. At a time she least expected, she finds love and that love takes her on a journey of self-discovery to inner, untouchable liberation.

 The book is Their Eyes Were Watching God by Zora Neale Hurston.

 Let's Get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

No matter who you are, you're sure to relate to this week's theme: How Our Ancestors Effect Who Are Today. In a real, measurable way, the family members who came before us affect who we are and how we live. We'll chat about how this has proven true in our own lives. Then, on to our book...

Following the story of two sisters and the generations they birthed, this week's book covers each woman's journey from the tribe of their childhood to their children's lives and their children's children in America. Each new generation has new struggles, romances, passions, and pain. In the end, the sisters' families are united, brought home to the land and the water that bore them.

The book is Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi.

Let's Get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week's is a wild card episode. We're discussing song lyrics and our favorite musical storytellers. We've also got a game — because you all love to put Alexis on the spot (and Kari is more than happy to oblige). 

Joining us this week is acclaimed author Dawnie Walton. A seasoned publication editor turned novelist - Walton has worked for Essence and Entertainment Weekly, to name only a few. Her experience gives her first-hand knowledge of both the music and publishing industries. The Final Revival of Opal and Nev, her debut novel, is a fictional story written as a real-life profile of one of the greatest and most misunderstood rock duos in history. The book details Opal and Nev's rise to fame and the horrific event that led to a man's death, and the band's ostracization by industry insiders and wannabes for years to come.

How has music influenced you as a storyteller?

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week's episode is OUT OF THIS WORLD! First, we'll start with all the petty details of how NASA originated. It's like when that juice box bar opened in Chicago; Everyone went once for the IG pic and then never again. It's like that. By the way, did you know that only 12 men have walked on the moon? Unrelated fact, but true. Then it's on to our book...

Chris Hadfield is a real-life astronaut. His first novel is set in an alternate reality where Apollo 13 is happening, not as an exploration mission but as a military operation. The crew's task is to take down a foreign space station designed to spy on American citizens. Soviet activity forces American hands to action, but the Soviets are prepared with a canon-laden vessel and an American mole secretly working for them aboard the US spaceship. When the smoke clears, who will be left standing?

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

It's National Poetry Month, and we've got a special episode to celebrate this brilliantly unique form of literature. Whether or not you're a fan of poetic prose, we guarantee there's something for you. First, we're taking it back to AP English with a breakdown of poetic rhythm, including Shakespeare's fav iambic pentameter, in this week's theme, How to Read and Enjoy Poetry Correctly. Then, it's on to our book...

Black moments distilled into easily digestible verse, this book reminds us that literature lives outside classrooms or cringy rom-coms.

It's more than "To be or not to be" a "phenomenal woman" or a "brother to the night" or the "blues in your left thigh, trying to be the funk in your right. "Poetry is more than that. Poetry is life. This everyday, mundane, extraordinary life.

Poetry turns this life into a song.

Today's song is DIGGING DEEP DOWN IN THOSE ROOTS Poetry of Black Hair, Culture, Resilience, Personal & Collective Trauma by Katina Horton.

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

America's Most Wanted was a television show launched by a man who knew what it meant to lose a child forever, in the blink of an eye, to the hands of a monster. He took his pain and helped others find their missing children before it was too late. Today, we discuss how that man, Jon Walsh, lost his son and what we all can do to be a little safer in these streets. Then, on to our book...

On the tenth anniversary of her youngest daughter's disappearance, one woman must choose to let go of her pain and reopen herself to life and love. After meeting a charming writer, who reminds her of her ex-husband, she begins a path that takes her somewhere she never imagined — to the truth about her daughter's disappearance a decade earlier.

The woman's name? Laurel Mack.

The book? Then She Was Gone: A Novel by Lisa Jewell

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're taking a well-deserved break this week, but here's a favorite episode from our past!

What is love? Baby, don't hurt me.

Alicia Berenson is a beautiful, brilliant painter married to one of the best-looking fashion photographers in the world. Her life is seemingly perfect, so it is so unbelievable that she'd shoot her husband five times in the face and then refuse to speak again. What happened to push her over the edge? It becomes the mission of psychotherapist Theo Faber to find the answer. Will he succeed without losing himself in the process?

Before diving into this week's book, Alexis gives eight reasons why every one of us should be keeping a journal. We remember experiences better when we write them down (travel journal) and eat more thoughtfully when we jot down what we've put in our mouth (a food journal). Above all else, though, a journal can be a great way to get back at people posthumously (it will all make sense. Promise).

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Iconic American poet, activist, playwright, and holder of numerous awards and 50 honorary degrees, Maya Angelou, was a giant among humans- but like all giants, she started small before learning to grow. This, the first of her famous autobiographies, tells of her modest start and the beginning of her meteoric rise. The lesson — no matter what we've been through, we all decide where we're going.

Before discussing Ms. Angelou, we'll talk about a subject dear to her heart, language. What's the difference between slang and dialect? Are their rules to the Black-American dialect? If so, what are they? Learn all of this and more on the latest episode of LIT Society. Enjoy y'all.

Let's GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

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Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

What would you do if one of the people you admired most was accused of murder? Faced with this question, one teen decides to uncover the secrets her hometown’s been hiding for the last five years. She soon realizes that nearly everyone she knows is a suspect. What’s more, someone wants her quiet, and someone wants her dead. And You're listening to LIT Society.

Let's GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

____________

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Pack your bags! We're touring Egypt and the Nile River, courtesy of Alexis! This week's theme paints a picture so vivid you'll feel as if you're there with the pyramids. Enjoy! Then, it's time for our book:

Suffering through his retirement, a world-renowned detective stumbles upon a glamorous young heiress and her new husband. Quickly, he discovers a love triangle that ends in a murder. Wealthy and beautiful, the victim is not short of enemies, but the person who did the deed was incredibly close. Will our detective find the culprit before another life is tragically cut short?

The detective’s name is Hercule Poirot.

The book is Death on the Nile by Agatha Christie.

And You're listening to LIT Society.

Let's GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

____________

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

____________

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Alexis sits down for an intimate chat with renowned author Lisa Genova after our discussion of her book, Still Alice.

You can find more about Genova and her work here: https://www.lisagenova.com/

__________

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Café con Libros

724 Prospect Pl, Brooklyn, NY 11216

https://www.cafeconlibrosbk.com/

_________________________________________

It’s the first episode of the month, and you know what that means – A WILD CARD EPISODE! We’re discussing memories, and how to remember what matters.

This is the first wild card episode produced by Alexis and it’s AMAZING. She takes us through the inner workings of our minds and ties this complex subject to her favorite animated movie.

We’ll conclude with a few tips on how to improve your memory today so that you can remember what matters tomorrow.

Let's get LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

🕵🏽‍♀️ Who do you love? Who deserves your loyalty? And are the two one and the same? One young, brilliant, beautiful FBI officer is tasked with betraying her heart in devotion to her country. Her mission will take her from the high rises of New York to the roads of West Africa to the island of her motherland. Will she have what it takes when the time comes to pull the trigger, or will she find herself on the wrong side of the gun?

Before diving into our book, we'll learn the truth about a woman many know as Mary Bowser, a former enslaved person and spy for the Union Army during the Civil War. (Psst! There will be a game, and Alexis WILL be put on the spot. Enjoy!

Our spy is Marie Mitchell.

The book is American Spy by Lauren Wilkinson.

LET'S GET LIT!

 👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

1714 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

https://www.semicolonchi.com/

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

What do you know about arranged marriages? If you've ever watched The Bachelor, The Bachelorette, Married at First Sight, Love is Blind, or a million other reality shows, you may know more than you think. This week, we're discussing arranged hitching and clearing up a few misconceptions about the practice. 

Then, it's on to our book: The search for happiness and peace is a difficult one, especially in a society that dismisses your thoughts and preys on your innocence. The distress of our Ghanaian protagonist is relatable to many women around the world. Will our heroine find love and acceptance in the manner she deserves and desires? What will she tolerate? What is she willing to risk for the sake of her sanity?

The woman: Afi Tekple

The book: His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

LET'S GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

1714 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

https://www.semicolonchi.com/

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

🦀 This week, we discuss crabs and who's got them. No, this isn't a new celebrity gossip segment. We're talking crabs in a bucket syndrome, a.k.a. crabs in a barrel syndrome, a.k.a. crab mentality, a.k.a. tall poppy syndrome. These monikers all describe a phenomenon where people (usually peers, family, or close associates) try to hold back, criticize, or sabotage a person they perceive as too ambitious, non-conforming, or successful. So, who are the crabs in your life? How can we reach our goals despite those who downplay our progress? Let's talk about it!

Then, it's on to our book: Black girls, beware! Your biggest enemy is out to get you, and it's not who you may think. Nella Rogers realizes this, perhaps too late, when Hazel, a new black publishing assistant, moves into her department.

Will Hazel buoy Nella toward the promotion she's wanted for months, or will Hazel steal what's rightfully Nella's. 

The book: The Other Black Girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris

LET'S GET LIT!

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

1714 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

https://www.semicolonchi.com/

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

👩🏾‍🏫 🧑🏾‍🏫 Our Independent Bookstore of the Month: Semicolon Bookstore & Gallery

1714 W Division St, Chicago, IL 60622

https://www.semicolonchi.com/

_________________________________________

🗣 Season three of LIT Society is here, and we’re proud to sit down for a chat with the gorgeous Jo Franco of Netflix’s hit travel series The World’s Most Amazing Vacation Rentals.

Before conquering the world of travel vlogging for nearly a decade, learning countless languages, achieving her entrepreneurial dreams, and becoming a co-host for Netflix, Jo Franco was a writer.

In 2020, she founded JoClub, an online community for journalers bold enough to share their innermost thoughts with the world. JoClub’s membership program connects global writers for monthly meetings and discussions that help develop awareness, emotional intelligence, and self-discovery.

She joins us today to talk about the power of journaling and teach us how to live each day with intention by writing our thoughts and feelings down.

Let's get LIT!

Grab Kari's "Budweiser" inspired sweatshirt for yourself: https://www.litsocietypodshop.com/products/this-books-for-you 

Keep up with Jo Franco: https://www.instagram.com/jo_franco 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The premiere of season three is around the corner! A brand new episode is coming next week, Thursday, February 3rd. 'Til then, here's another favorite episode from our past!

Before we get into this week's book, we discuss forgiveness. Can you imagine? What does it take to forgive someone, and how do you know you've genuinely forgiven a person in your heart? Also, why do we need to be forgiving in the first place? We'll get into it.

And then it's on to the book that inspired this week's discussion. It's the early 1900s, and one quiet woman lives a happy life with her happy husband on a beautiful farm in Iowa. All is as it should be until a single act of betrayal puts her at odds against everyone she knows and trusts.

That woman's name is Margaret Stuart.

The book is Remembering Laughter, and you're listening to LIT Society.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Have you heard? We got cooties and so season three of our show will now start Thursday, February 3rd. So, here's another favorite episode from our past!

Have you ever had to cut someone out of your life? No phone calls, texts, and your friends know not to invite both of you to the same event? This week, our theme, How to Cut Someone Out of Your Life, is inspired by Educated, a memoir by Tara Westover.

Tara didn’t have a birth certificate until she was nine years old and she didn’t see her first classroom until the age of 17. It’s like The Village by M. Night Shyamalan, but interesting. . .

Eventually, she’s forced to choose between a life without her family or most certain death by their hands. It got real, real quick. Travel with us from the peaks of Idaho to the halls of Cambridge in Educated.

Welcome to Lit Society. Let’s get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Yo. It's crazy because season three of our show was supposed to begin Thursday, January 13th, but we're both super sick thanks to Apryl Jones' ex. Season three will now start Thursday, February 3rd. So, here's another favorite episode from our past!

This week's theme, How to Survive a Crisis, is inspired by the first comic book we ever featured, and it's a doozie! What's more, our comic is non-fiction!

One girl, the beloved only child of progressive parents, is sent to school in Austria. This is the story of her childhood, growing up in a time of war and revolution. Her parents hope that she'll escape what they saw as the oppressive regime of Iran. Together, she and her country must decide who they're supposed to be and who they actually are.

The girl's name — Marjane Satrapi.

The book — Persepolis.

This is LIT Society.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

That's right. We're still on vacation! But we'd never leave you without a dope book to ...um... discuss. So, here's another favorite episode from our past! Remember, we return with a NEW episode on January 13th, 2022, the start of our THIRD SEASON. 'Til then, we're ecstatic to share with you the shows still living rent-free in our heads.

Hyde yo' kids! Hyde yo' wife! A young doctor allows his obsession with the duality of human nature to lead him down a path littered with lies, murder, and destruction.

His name is Doctor Henry Jekyll; the book is The Strange Case of Doctor Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

You're listening to Lit Society.

LET'S GET LIT!!!

PS: This is our very first episode, released initially to a small group of test listeners in 2019. We like to think the quality of our show has improved since then, but this is still one of our favorite episodes!

Enjoy!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.⁣

Hey, y'all! This is Kari. Alexis and I are still enjoying a much-deserved vacation. So, here's another favorite episode from our past! Remember, we return with a NEW episode on January 13th, 2022, the start of our THIRD SEASON. 'Til then, we're ecstatic to share with you the shows still living rent-free in our heads.

Is fear the hairline to your inner Lebron James? Does it stop you from being great? Do you sometimes hear a negative voice inside of your head telling you you're not good enough? One psychologist wants you to take control of that voice with a system of positive thinking that leads to power. 

Her name is Susan Jeffers. 

The book is Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway. And you're listening to Lit Society. 

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We're throwing it back again this Thursday, with another favorite episode from our past! Remember, we return with a NEW episode on January 13th, 2022, the start of our THIRD SEASON. 'Til then, we're ecstatic to share with you the shows still living rent-free in our heads.

And now for the crass:

The life of the sometimes-brilliant Ignatius J. Reilly is one comedic tragedy after another. He lives with his mother, dresses funny, isn't particularly charming, but has enough self-assurance to compensate for all he's lacking — or at least that's what he tells himself. In A Confederacy of Dunces, we follow a particular chapter in Ignatius's life that involves a hot dog, a pet cockatoo, and a valve — all set in the beautiful city of New Orleans.

Written in the 60s, it is somehow an accurate study of 21st-century male loneliness and inertia in America. Yup. It's a comedy.

Before tackling Ignatius, we'll share some tips on dealing with obnoxious people. Save this one for your next family reunion.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; 

Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; 

and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

This Thursday, we're getting ReLIT with another throwback to one of our favorite shows from season one!

The topic of our opening discussion is "How to Deal with Hostile People." LISTEN UP! We're sharing the tools we all need for putting up with other people's (adult) children.

Then, it's on to our book: The first published science fiction novel written by a black woman, it is the story of a 26-year-old writer living in California. She is inexplicably ripped from her home and thrown into antebellum Maryland one ordinary day. On the other side awaits more than a few tough decisions and a puzzle that she must solve before returning home for good. 

The writer's name is Dana. 
The book is Kindred. 
And you're listening to LIT Society. 
Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/;

Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/;

and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. 

This Thursday, we're getting reLIT with a throwback to one of our favorite shows from season one!

Such a Fun Age is a story contrasting who we are as individuals against the role society has cast us to play. It follows Emira Tucker, a black 25-year-old who feels she's failing at adult life, and her white 30-something boss Alix who teeters around her own looming failures. As the two make efforts to dissolve their differences, a shocking realization shows the futility of doing the right thing for the wrong reasons. 

And speaking of the "A" word, ADULTING, we'll share some expert tips on how to grow up successfully, which we both are still figuring out how to do.

This is LIT Society. 

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

🗣Hear ye, hear ye! We are geeks and not afraid to show it.

Fortunately, we have found a community of fellow book-loving weirdos in you, and for that, we're grateful. Today, we bring you the weirdest thing we do – dramatic readings of our favorite passages from our favorite (and least favorite) books. We've taken sections from past shows and stuffed them into one very strange episode.

Please note! There will be spoilers. So, if you haven't read ALL the books below, maybe don't listen to this episode. Instead, plant a tree and call your mom. Okay, bye.

Episodes referenced in this show:

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow: https://litsocietypod.com/the-sound-of-stars 

Animal Farm by George Orwell: https://litsocietypod.com/animal-farm/ 

Remembering Laughter by Wallace Stegner: https://litsocietypod.com/remembering-laughter/ 

A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole: https://litsocietypod.com/a-confederacy-of-dunces/ 

Season Finale: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis: https://litsocietypod.com/the-meaning-of-mariah-carey/ 

The Autobiography of Malcolm X As Told to Alex Haley: https://litsocietypod.com/the-autobiography-of-malcolm-x-as-told-to-alex-haley/ 

Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: https://litsocietypod.com/pride-and-prejudice/ 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-1/ 

Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/anna-karenina-part-2/ 

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson: https://litsocietypod.com/jekyll-and-hyde/ 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-by-charlotte-bronte-part-1/ 

Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-part-2/ 

Persuasion by Jane Austen: https://litsocietypod.com/persuasion/ 

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-1/ 

Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton (PART 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-2/ 

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Some are good, some are great, and others are an abomination. We're talking books; specifically, we are discussing the books we loved (and hated) most from season two. If you're new to our podcast or a long-time listener, this is an excellent episode to find the books and discussion we enjoyed the most.

Which of these recommended reads are you bringing on your road trips and vacations this year? Let us know on social media or email us at [email protected].

A few of the episodes we mention this show are as follows:
Persuasion: https://litsocietypod.com/persuasion
Anxious People: https://litsocietypod.com/anxious-people
Convenience Store Woman: https://litsocietypod.com/convenience-store-woman
Jurassic Park (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-1
Jurassic Park (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jurassic-park-by-michael-crichton-part-2
The Wedding: https://litsocietypod.com/the-wedding-by-dorothy-west
Jane Eyre (Part 1): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-by-charlotte-bronte-part-1
Jane Eyre (Part 2): https://litsocietypod.com/jane-eyre-part-2
Deacon King Kong: https://litsocietypod.com/deacon-king-kong

Find Alexis and Kari online:

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod;

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod;

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod;

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

We talked about Passing by Nella Larsen three episodes ago. That book made an impact on our minds, and we won't soon forget the story of Clare and Irene. Fortunately for all of us, Netflix recently released a movie adaptation of that book, and we need to talk about it. Oooo chile, this movie!

The setting is Harlen in the 1920s. One Black woman, who sometimes passes as white, finds her world upended when her life becomes intertwined with a former childhood friend who's passing as white. Rebecca Hall (The Prestige, Iron Man 3, Transcendence, Godzilla vs. Kong) makes her directorial debut with this intimate drama of racial identity starring Tessa Thompson (Thor: Ragnarok, Creed, Sylvie's Love, Selma) and Ruth Negga (Loving, Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.).

Let's get MOVIE-D!

🎧 Listen to our review of Passing, the book by Nella Larsen: https://litsocietypod.com/passing-by-nella-larsen/. 

Find Alexis and Kari online: 
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

IT'S THE SEASON FINALE! Can y'all believe we've been reading books with you for TWO YEARS?! We're so grateful to you listeners who support our show and keep up with us on Instagram and Twitter. To close out the second season, Alexis has created a game you're sure to love: Is it a Song or a Movie? Guess correctly for a chance to win a virtual, nontransferable prize worth no monetary sum and which we will never provide you. Then, on to this week's book...

Moved to overcome the trauma of his youth, he attempts to build the perfect life. He finds success as a hip-hop artist, a television star, and one of the biggest movie stars of all time. His power to draw an audience is undeniable, but will his push toward perfection ruin his dreams?

The star: Willard Carroll Smith II
The book: Will by Will Smith

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Who doesn't love the smooth, mouthwatering goodness of chocolate? In bars, biscuits, and brownies, chocolate is the winning ingredient, but everything ain't always sweet when it comes to this treat. We'll tell you the story of a town that experienced the unthinkable, Death by Chocolate! 

Then, on to our book:

There are books – some big, some tall
That make you feel as if you're small
And like a kid who loves a story
You'll start to laugh at gloom that's gory
'Cause at the center of this tale
There is a man (it never fails)
His love for kids you won't find touching
Nor his indentured servants from other countries
But if you can stomach his dark fascinations
You may enjoy these prevarications
Even if you find him unsatisfactory
There's great fun to be had in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

The book: Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 
Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 
Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 
Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 
Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

This week, we're moving on up to the rooftop as Alexis takes us on a tour of the nation's top rooftop bars and restaurants.

Then, it's on to our book:

Honestly, the last few years have been more challenging than high notes for J.Lo.  Friends and family are helping us keep our joy, despite everything. What if, though, you don't have as many friends as you'd like or what if your family lives far away? There's an app for that. You can build a friend, customizing everything from their style to the cadence of their voice. Tech companies are doing all they can to help us feel less lonely, but are these artificial friends doing more harm than good? We'll talk about it. Then, it's on to our book.

One uniquely intelligent AI finds herself among a human family that constantly breaks promises and acts disloyally. Yet, the AI is willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for her new owner and their family. In the end, we must ask, "what is love," and does it belong only to those with a heart?

The intelligent AI: Klara

The book: Klara and the Sun

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

This week, Alexis puts Kari on the spot, for a change, with a game she invented based on the music of the '70s. Will Kari emerge the winner or suffer a defeat so humiliating that she quits the podcast and moves to Florida. Stay tuned.

Then, it's on to our book: A fictional story, written as a brilliant profile on one of the greatest and most misunderstood rock duos in history. Think Mick Jagger and Tina Turner - or Grace Jones + David Bowie. It interviews those responsible for Opal and Nev's rise to fame. Each producer, bandmate, and agent tell their side of who the two stars were and what role they played in the horrific event that led to a man's death and Opal and Nev's ostracization by industry insiders and wannabes for years to come.

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

We've invented another game for you this week! Play along and see if you can beat Alexis. The theme is banned books, and a few of your favorites are sure to be on the list. Then, it's on to this week's feature...

Books are illegal, and being caught with one could mean your life. Society is high on the pacifying pleasures fed to them constantly, including catchy jingles and family-centered television. In this world, firemen don't stop fires; they cause them, bursting into the homes of arrested offenders and setting their literature ablaze. But one fireman has a secret that turns into a problem sure to burn his existence, including everyone he knows, to ash.

The disillusioned firefighter? Guy Montag
The book: Fahrenheit 451

LET'S GET LIT!

______________________________________

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Before we dive into the thrilling conclusion of Jurassic Park, we have to get something off of our chest. Is this a safe space? Can we be honest about one of the darkest habits of society? That's right. Zoos.

Are memories of innocent animals restricted in cages the highlight of your childhood? Well, we're not judging, but let's be real about where menageries and zoos started and why so many people are turning away from them. Shout out to Bubbles.

Then it's on to part two of Jurassic Park by Michael Chrichton. Where we ended last week, the chaos was only beginning. Now the dinos are getting their Sha'Carri on all over the park, with no one able to stop them. Who will survive when the dust settles, and where did the movie diverge from the book?

LET'S GET LIT!

______________________________________

A brief look at Ming the Tiger, who lived in a Harlem apartment building: https://youtu.be/V_bhpR85mD4.

_______________________________________

This week's LIT Indie: Pilsen Community Books

1102 W 18th St, Chicago, IL 60608

(312) 478-9434

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Despite what we often hear, can the movie ever be better than the book? This week, our theme is just that, and we talk in detail about movies that outshined their source material. Yes, Devil Wears Prada is on this list. Then, it's on to our book...

What if dinosaurs walked the earth today? Like all questions, the subtext is about power. Who would profit, who would dominate, and who would die? In this page-turning, cliffhanger-packed novel, unbelievable ideas are presented in packages so digestible and feasible that they seem possible, and, in the end, the real monster is who we expected it to be all along. Man. (Oooo, that's deep.)

The man with a master plan? John Hammond

The book? Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Y'all don't wanna wear masks. Y'all don't wanna get a shot. But y'all still wanna be out here hoppin' on planes, trains, and automobiles. Okay, fine. Well, here are some fool-proof tips for staying safe while traveling right now. If you're not about a mask or a vax, pay special attention to tip number one. And then we're on to our book ...

Le Tour du Monde en Quatre-Vingts Jour is a story about a man so bored with his life that he may rob a bank, definitely beats up a priest, and travels around the world while learning nothing about the cultures that inhabit it.

Still, this mindful romp has delighted readers for over a century, proving there's perhaps no better vacation than the one we give our brain.

The traveler: Phileas Fogg

The Book: Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

NOTE: Avoid spoilers by skipping 48:23 - 58:08

Today, we go back to high school as Alexis teaches us the elemental points of Greek tragedy, prepping our discussion of this week's book (which itself is a tragedy in more ways than one). What is a Greek tragedy, and which notable writers lifted the formula for their works? Broaching this topic is sure to make you blind with delight. (See what I did there?)  

Then, on to our book: Folks are dying all over campus, and one therapist-turned-detective knows who's behind the bodies, or does she? Coming head to head with the university's most beloved professor will either land her on the right side of justice or six feet underground. Follow our self-appointed sleuth through the murky waters of speculation and circumstantial evidence until everyone knows the truth except her.

Let's get LIT!

This here's a very special episode! Before officially launching this podcast in 2020, we recorded months of episodes exclusively for a pool of private test listeners. Those listeners then provided feedback, and we improved the show based on their comments.

Now, we proudly would like to share with you the fourth episode, previously unreleased - it's a real LOCO motive. (groan.)

So, boom, here it is. The Orient Express, a luxurious train occupied by a motley group of passengers, is halted in the middle of the night by a blizzard — and a murder. (dun dun DUN!)

Under the darkness of night, a passenger has been brutally stabbed to death. One detective must solve the case before the killer strikes again! 

The book: Murder on the Orient Express

The detective: Hercule Poirot

Let's get LIT!

This Thursday we're getting reLIT with a throwback to one of our favorite shows from season one!

📖 Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem: A Memoir.

A streetwise hustler grows up during America’s fight against drugs, poverty, and civility. He takes the lessons he’s learned and marries them to the philosophies and ideologies he picks up as an avid reader. With this knowledge, and after two trips to Africa, which inspired his path, he begins working on his life’s biggest hustle. He’s all in, but will his underground lifestyle take him OUT for good?

The hustler’s name is Daniel Day.

The book is Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem.

LET’S GET LIT! See you Thursday!

Opening song: Men at Work by Kool G Rap;

Break Song: Money Makes Us Happy by Skyzoo f/ Black Thought and Bilal.

The video Kari refers to is by AT&T, found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_sjwUq7Jk

Before finishing our discussion of Caste by Isabel Wilkerson, we're talking about the first black pilots who helped us all get flewed out. Never forget, they broke boundaries and shattered ceilings so that none of us would have to fly Spirit today. They were uppity in more ways than one, and we can't help but aspire to their level flyness.

Then it's on to Caste, a book Kari calls "a history book somewhat like any other you'd find in a well-stocked high school classroom." Of course, there are a few key differences. For one, Caste doesn't fade to black when it comes to the horrors of post-slavery America. It also lays out Nazi obsession with the American caste system and the reasons why our brand of cruelty was so popular with "der Führer". 

Got the bandwidth for uncomfortable facts? This episode’s for you! 

LET’S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Caste is a history book somewhat like any other you'd find in a well-stocked high school classroom. The difference is that its contents dissect a country's most embarrassing and evil parts, lighting the anger and disbelief of purposely obtuse skeptics. However, it is complete with sources, and none of its information is new. It reminds us that no matter how embarrassed or angry we become by it, history does not change. 

The book? Caste: The Origins of Our Discontents 

The author? Isabel Wilkerson

LET'S GET LIT!

NOTE: Article from THE GUARDIAN is accidentally referenced as being from THE ATLANTIC: https://www.theguardian.com/uk/2004/feb/06/race.usa

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

In a memoir about standing up and standing out, one writer-slash-fashion editor must weave her way through society’s expectations, cheating boyfriends, and the racism, sexism, and doing-too-much-ism of corporate before finding she needs none of it to be enough.

The editor? Elaine Welteroth

The book: More Than Enough: Claiming Space for Who You Are (No Matter What They Say)

LET’S GET LIT!

Theme of the week topic source: https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/article/how-to-ask-for-a-pay-rise

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Before Tom Joyner was cruising with your parents, Black Americans enjoyed resorts and vacations for us by us. What is the history of Black getaways? That's our theme this week. It's a lot of fun. Then, on to our book.

There's death in the air, even though this summer on the island of Martha's Vineyard, a wealthy, upper-class Black American beauty is planning her wedding to a white jazz musician of little means. Her eagerness to pursue a new life with one outside of her class and race forces everyone in her family to face their fears and insecurities and drives one man to desperation as he vows to take the soon-to-be bride for himself. Within 24 hours, secrets are unloaded, hearts are broken. Will former sins bring new woe's to the families both elevated and captivated by their past. By the end of summer, will they stand before an alter or a casket?

The bride-to-be? Shelby Cole

The book: The Wedding by Dorothy West

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Who's black?
Who's white?
And who cares?

One researcher challenges us to re-examine our self-identity.
She explores how historical definitions of race continue to shape contemporary racial identities and lived experiences.
Through a series of interviews and profiles, we realize race isn't black and white.

The researcher? Dr. Yaba Blay

The book: One Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

The power of genius is considered the key to success in life and business. That genius, it is thought, cannot be earned; it is divinely gifted. Inexplicable.

However, one writer follows exceptional cases and arrives at one conclusion: The power of genius is nothing compared to The Power of Community.

The latter made the Beatles THE BEATLES. When you have the ability, this writer concludes, what gets you to the top is not genius. It's work. What's more, the exact amount of work necessary to reach outlier status is quantifiable: 10,000 hours = or 3 hrs per day / 20hrs per week for ten years.

The writer: Malcolm Gladwell

The book: Outliers

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

As travelers who fluctuate between Airbnb homes and hotels, we are no strangers to short-term rental living. But do you know what happens when Airbnb stays go wrong? Who's in charge of the cover-up, the investigations, and the big cash settlements? We've got the answers in our theme of the week discussion.

Then, it's on to our book: An infamous and influential family in a wealthy New England town finds their only daughter dead under suspicious circumstances. Naturally, attention turns to her best friend, Avery Greer, an unconnected wannabe with a suspiciously tragic past. Will the truth exonerate Avery or unearth secrets long hidden by the most twisted and powerful members of her circle.

The book? The Last House Guest by Megan Miranda

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; 

Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; 

Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; 

Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Are "BOHEMIANS" people from the Bahamas? Spoiler - no. No, they're not. But who exactly are the Bohemians and how did the moniker pass on to artists, writers, and the Kravitz family? We're getting to the bottom of the term BOHO, and (surprise!) its origins are pseudo-intellectual, semi-racist.

After our theme of the week discussion, we'll get into the nonfiction story of a writer, his subject, and the singular truth that both of them are hiding from the world. It is as much about an eccentric bohemian flophouse frequenter, as it is about a writer for the New York Magazine who's battling with doubt and depression. In the end, one will expose the other and, by doing so, perhaps free them both.

The writer? Joseph Mitchell. 

The book? Joe Gould's Secret.

Let's get LIT!

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This week we're taking it back, way back. Before we were on YouTube, when we were still recording in Kari's dining room and taking pizza breaks midway through each episode, we cut one of our favorite shows – Animal Farm by George Orwell, and Compliance and Power of Authority. This book prompted a discussion about conformity that listeners still reference to this day. 

While we're on break this week, we’re thrilled to revisit this episode with you during our extended weekend. We’ve even added a convo to the beginning that we know you'll love.

Enjoy, and we look forward to seeing you again on June 8th with a new episode: Joe Gould's Secret by Joseph Mitchell and Are Bohemians People from the Bahamas. See you next week!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

We'll cut to the chase. This week, we're teaching you how to convince someone they've committed a crime. Read that sentence again. That's right. We'll show you how to fake your family and friends into thinking they've done terrible things worthy of prison time. Do with this information what you will. Whatever.

Then, on to our book: Confined to a wheelchair, battling arthritis, one world-famous detective has reached the end of his season- but his core, his mind, is still sharp as ever and is leading him to a confrontation with a murderer. What are the murderer's motivations? Will the detective stop him before he overcomes the next victim? When will fall the final curtain?!

The detective is Hercule Poirot.
The book: Curtain by Agatha Christie

LET'S GET LIT!

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and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com 

This week, we're trying something new. We know many of you run out of time to read along with us each week. To not spoil the book before you've had a chance to finish reading it, we're experimenting with SPOILER-FREE episodes. This is our first try at the new format, and we couldn't have chosen a more conversation-inducing book – Deacon King Kong by James McBride.

Before we discuss the book, we'll try to cure you of the stresses of going back into the office after enjoying over a year of working from home. We'll share a few helpful tips for everyone who must now start wearing pants again and aren't sure what to do.

Then, on to our book: In broad daylight, seemingly for no reason, an old widower shoots a young drug-dealing orphan in the head. What happens next involves nearly everyone in one dying Brooklyn neighborhood.

LET'S GET LIT!

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and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com 

This week, we return to the story of a dowdy damsel and her lackluster beau, who are forced apart into a cold world of misery. Sound depressing? That's the Brontë sisters for you. Quite remarkably, however, this book has a happy ending (kinda)!

The book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte 

LET'S GET LIT! 

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week's theme is Do Ugly People Have Better Relationships, a subject on which there's no shortage of scientific studies. Harvard's most remarkable minds are on the case to figure out why Bennifer will never work while Danny DeVito has been in a committed relationship for 40 years. Then, on to our story: Two ugly folks find Love in the countryside of northern England. Our dowdy damsel, however, soon finds her lackluster Love is a liar! Will the hideousness he's hiding destroy their lives and her reputation, or will our mush-faced maiden find the inner courage to walk away with her dignity intact.

The hot mess heroine? Jane Eyre.

The book: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte

LET'S GET LIT!

Harvard Study: Do Beautiful People Have Better Relationships? 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/head-games/201704/do-beautiful-people-have-better-relationships.

Essay: The Case for Dating Someone Less Attractive Than You

https://www.thrillist.com/sex-dating/nation/the-beauty-of-dating-ugly-people.

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

If you watch us on YouTube or follow us on IG, you know how much we loved reading The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson. This book made us sit with the matriarchs of our family to learn their journeys, struggles, and successes. Not to be dramatic, but it brought us closer to knowing who we are. 

We're super excited to revisit that episode with you during this, our week off. We've remastered that episode from season one, trimmed the fat, and added a few more details and corrections that we missed initially.

Enjoy, and we look forward to seeing you anew next week when we dive into Jane Eyre (the third (and FINAL!) Bronte book we'll ever read).

This is LIT Society.

Let's get LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week we're discussing the real-life men and agents who inspired the fictional James Bond. These folks jumped out of planes fought Nazis while enduring chase and torture—incredible stuff. A suave super-spy with both daddy and mommy issues must use his skill with the cards to play his way out of death in a fancy French casino. His goal? Stay alive and gain victory for his country. His game? Baccarat. His weakness? Fast cars and faster women.

The AGENT? James Bond

The book? The graphic novel adaptation of Ian Flemming's Casino Royale by Van Jensen and Dennis Calero.

LET'S GET LIT!

Favorite line: "The scent and smoke and sweat of a casino are nauseating at three in the morning."

Sources for our theme:

Business Insider

Meet The Spy Who Inspired The Creation Of James Bond https://www.businessinsider.com/the-inspiration-for-james-bond-2012-9

Esquire Magazine: 

The Real Spies Who Inspired James Bond Are Far More Fascinating Than the Big Screen 007s

https://www.esquire.com/entertainment/movies/a30533681/james-bond-true-story-real-life-inspiration-ian-fleming/

History Extra: 

James Bond in real life: where did Ian Fleming's inspirations come from?

https://www.historyextra.com/period/20th-century/james-bond-who-based-on-inspiration-ian-fleming-villains-q-m/

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

Was it creepy when the great poet Billie Eilish waxed, "Let me hold you like a hostage"? Some folks are about that hostage life. So, what happens when your captor is totally chill, and all you can think about is going to see a movie with them before enjoying a long walk and watching the sunset together, but they have you locked in a bank vault at gunpoint? Stockholm Syndrome happens, that's what. 

After we discuss real-life cases of hostages turned homies, we'll dive into a story about idiots. Yes, idiots. In a way, this is a story about all of us because we're all idiots at times. But this is also a story about a bridge. Also, it's a story about people and how people need people. Actually, this is a crime novel about a bank robber and a room full of terrible captives who each have something in common. More than anything, though, this is a story about kindness. 

The book? Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. 

Let's get LIT!

Favorite quote: "This book is dedicated to the voices inside my head, the most remarkable of my friends. And to my wife, who lives with us." - Fredrik Backman

Find Alexis and Kari online: 

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Website — www.LitSocietyPod.com

A tenacious entrepreneur finds herself facing one heartbreak after another. Down but not defeated, she puts her inherent skills to use by launching a detective agency. Her cases start with awol husbands, con-men, and disobedient daughters, but when a local child goes missing, her abilities are put to the test. Does she have what it takes when it counts?

The detective? Mma Ramotswe

The book: THe no. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

LET'S GET LIT!

Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Rockwell tried to tell us. A dystopian novel that becomes more evocative as reality mirrors its bleak fiction, 1984 is a vision of a world controlled by a totalitarian regime where not even your thoughts are safe. Is your cell phone watching you, or are you watching it? Are your neighbors spying on you for their political leader's advantage? Does the government own Twitter? Of course, the answer to all of these questions is yes, and this book explains how it all started. Before we dive into 1984, we'll discuss how to keep your privacy as safe as possible in 2021. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

NOTE: This is a video podcast. Watch the visuals on YouTube (LITSocietyPodcast)! ... Readers and friends, we're proud to bring you a very special bonus episode. Last Tuesday, Kiley Reid's debut novel, Such a Fun Age, was released in paperback. In celebration of the new format, we were thrilled to interview the awarded author. During an evening hosted by Semicolon, Chicago's only black-woman-owned bookstore, we sat with Reid and asked her the tough questions, holding nothing back!

If you couldn't grab a ticket to the virtual release, no worries. This show is now for the people!

You don't want to miss this. Enjoy!

____________________________________________

About Kiley Reid:

An Arizona native, Kiley Reid is a graduate of the Iowa Writers’ Workshop, where she was the recipient of the Truman Capote Fellowship. Her New York Times-bestselling debut novel, SUCH A FUN AGE, is currently in development by Lena Waithe’s Hillman Grad Productions and Sight Unseen Pictures. The novel was longlisted for The 2020 Booker Prize and a finalist for the New York Public Library’s 2020 Young Lions Fiction Award, the VCU Cabell First Novelist Award, the NAACP Image Award for Outstanding Literary Work by a Debut Author, and the Mark Twain American Voice in Literature Award. Kiley’s writing has been featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Playboy, December, Lumina, where her short story was the winner in the 2017 Flash Prose Contest, and Ploughshares, where her short story was the winner of the 2020 Ashley Leigh Bourne Prize for Fiction. Kiley lives in Philadelphia.

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*BTW, the "popping" noises make sense if you watch this episode on YouTube!

A professional moderator turned author makes a living telling groups of listeners that the sky is blue, water is wet, and, yes, racism is a reality. A somewhat novel idea, she crafts her conversations with white, not black listeners in mind. She addresses the subject of oppression to the group of people consciously and subconsciously oppressing, and the result earns her a side-eye from every side involved. Should this book exist? Is it profiting from black pain? Let's discuss it. The author: Robin DiAngelo The book: White Fragility. LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Trigger warning: In this episode, we're discussing self-harm, including the taking of one's own life. If you or someone you know has thoughts of harming themselves, speak with someone today by dialing 800-273-8255 ... Usually, this is where we ask that if this subject is triggering, please don't listen. However, we want you to know that this isn't a downer discussion. It's genuine, honest, but we aimed to make it uplifting. Either way, if you listen or don't, you're awesome. You're valuable, and you are, without a doubt, loved by more people than you realize. Got it? ... Now, on to our book: A story about life, living, and the regrets in between, The Midnight Library is a unique invention created to tell a universal truth. It allows the reader to make some secret personal applications with the lessons of our protagonist and her desire to end it all. This story is like our better selves, begging us to listen, putting the medicine in the candy, and it does it all within 300 pages. Before diving in, we'll also break down how you - yes, even you! - can choose happiness every day. LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

A fiction writer and a historian walk into a bar and order a tall glass of racism. They then sit for days, simplifying the contents of their drink, removing all of the fluff, leaving only the truth. Finally, they serve the liquid in the form of a book to kids across the world. You and we are drinking that glass today, and by doing so, we'll find, easily digestible, the facts about the origins of racism and the meaning its history holds for us today. Before diving into Stamped, we'll discuss three reasons why it's so important to credit black creators (this one's for you, Jimmy Fallon). LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Freedom is knowing who you are while unobstructedly stretching toward your potential or something like that. Look, we're not as deep as Toni Morrison, but after reading this, the author's third novel, we were inspired to wax poetic about existential topics like survival and identity. Can a man named Macon "Dead" ever succeed at living freely? Can a boy known as Milkman mature into a confident guy? Is anyone more than just who their mothers, fathers, enemies, and friends think they are? Are you dizzy yet? The book: Song of Solomon by Toni Morrison. LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Like Google Maps on a long road trip, one top chef is helping us find our way through the endless recipes scattered inside of that junk drawer in our kitchen to the dish we're craving. That's right, by understanding just four cardinal directions of cooking, we can make anything delicious. Before diving into this culinary course, we discuss what our favorite foods really say about who we are. Our gourmet guide: Samin Nasraat. The book: Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat: Mastering the Elements of Good Cooking, and you're listening to LIT Society. LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod; Twitter — www.twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

As Beyoncé said, "This is for the 30-somethings that didn't turn out exactly how mom and dad wanted you to be." Convenience Store Woman is the deadpan tale of one woman's happy life in a simple occupation before conformity-obsessed friends, family members, and strangers pressure her into confusion and despair. Will she find her way back, or will she end up a sandcastle, washed away by the current of conventionality. Before diving into this dry humor, we discuss if anyone can indeed find happiness and fulfillment from their job. This is LIT Society. Let's Get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

As always, before discussing this week's book, we discuss a theme inspired by the book. This week's theme is The Power of Traveling Abroad. Then, on to our story: Many have their opinions about him. But this is his story told in his own words, through a series of uninhibited conversations with one of the most influential authors of his time. This is the story of Malcolm Little, who became Malcolm X...LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week is The Strange Case of a Podcast About Adnan Syed. Then, on to our story: Because two girls from her school are mean to her, one nosey Nancy seeks to ruin their family and leave them destitute. But how will this cautious Karen outwit her playground bullies? By collaborating with her father, a man who seems desperate to get rid of her by putting her in harm's way every chance he gets. In the end, the secret to the demise of those whom she despises is within an old clock. Our headstrong heroine must rely on happenstance and privilege to complete her fiendish mission and remain the queen bee of her hive. The messy meddler: Nancy Drew. The book: The Secret of the Old Clock by Carolyn Keen. And you're listening to LIT Society... LET'S GET LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

AN EXTRA SPECIAL EPISODE: Acclaimed author Liz Moore joins us – US?! – to discuss her book, Long Bright River. This book has been on every list known to man, including Barry's. It involves two sisters left as casualties of the opioid crisis. One must find the other before they both end up alone or dead. How far would you go for family, and is it far enough? LET'S GET LIT!... . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: The Benefits of Age-Gap Friendships. Sometimes having "old friends" means being friends with old people, and that's a great thing. Let's get into why elderly accomplices are good for our physical and mental health. Then, on to our book: In the twilight of their lives, a group of four unlikely friends discovers a shared passion for photos of grandchildren over liquid lunches and murder. Together, they form a club of amateur, capable sleuths who can talk their way into any room and out of any trouble. But when local police find a string of dead bodies around town, speculation turns to the group of golden gumshoes. Could one of the elderly analysts actually BE the murderer?⁠ The name of the group: The Thursday Murder Club. The book is by Richard Osman. LET'S GET LIT!... Golden Girls theme song remix by "Finally Aaron" (YouTube). . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: reform schools and their history in America. We promise to keep it frank without depressing you, friend. Then, on to our book: The Nickel Boys tells the story of a promising young student, blessed with a sharp mind and an innocent heart, plucked from the brightest future and thrown into the dark demonic dungeons reserved for America's unwanted and forgotten children in the Jim Crow south. He must face an unending test of his will, character, and capacity to suffer until one decision cements his future and the future of the one person closest to him. With a storyline and dialogue inspired by true accounts, it is more real and vivid than reality. The young boy: Elwood Curtis. The book: The Nickel Boys by Colson Whitehead. LET'S GET LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: We Heart 70s Rock. And before y'all start – no. We ain't nowhere near the age of those that created this music, but we love it nonetheless! Then it's on to our book: Comprised entirely of dialogue, this is the first-hand account of one band's meteoric rise to fame in the 1970s. It openly relates the few triumphs and many failures that took them from top to bottom and everywhere in between. More importantly, this story is about the destructive and healing power of love. The name of the band is Daisy Jones and Six. Our book is Daisy Jones and The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid. Let's get LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

After a lengthy and well-deserved winter break, we're back and ready to read, reflect, and roar with laughter! We're starting off our second season with book recommendations for people who hate reading (no judgment!). Then, we play a quick game of book trivia. Play along from home and see if you can beat Alexis – who LOVES being put on the spot (see: S1 Episode 36: Self Made). Finally, we chat about what we've been reading since we've been gone and what you can look forward to in 2021. Let's get LIT!. . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Mariah Carey is a girl from New York state whose mom was Irish and her father, Black. She has a brother and sister but no family. 

What she does have is the following:

• The most weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for any artist in American history
• 19 number-one singles – second only to the Beatles
• The honor of being the only artist to have a number-one single in each year of a decade (!!!)
• The honor of being the first female artist to debut at number one in the States
• 5 Grammy Awards
• 19 World Music Awards
• 10 American Music Awards
• 15 Billboard Music Awards
• A place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame

When people had to save up, wake up, stand in line, and wait to hear their favorite artist, they were buying her albums by the MILLIONS. Her talent is undeniable. 

This is the story of a real-life person named Mariah, aka Me-Me, aka the Elusive Chanteuse, aka M.C. The meaning of Mariah is a memoir by one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our generation. Within its pages, she talks about the people who almost killed her, tried to get her hooked on drugs, tried to get her pimped, and tried to kill her dreams - all before she turned 18 years old. She also gives her honest opinion regarding her triumphs and failures and the cast of people who opened their hearts to let her in when those tasked with the job failed to be reliable.

Please enjoy this, the final episode of our 2020 season. Thank you, all of you, for listening to our show and validating the time we spend on this project of which we're so proud. Please take care of yourself and those you love. We'll see you on January 14, 2021.

• Alexis and Kari

This week's theme: How to Find Success After Losing Your Job. This theme is inspired by this week's book: The country has just suffered a civil war. Households are divided, as is the nation. From the last generation of men and women born into slavery, an industrious group of individuals will become the first Black American self-made millionaires. One book tells their true story. The book is Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Word up! Words have meaning, and behind every great definition is a pale, emaciated lexicographer melting away under the fire of language. What does "take" mean in "to take a nap," and how is that "take" different from "take" in "taken aback" or "take a meeting" or "take a poop." With sharp wit and a terrifying large vocabulary, one writer busts wide open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography. The seemingly dullest profession in the world is painted like a new branch of the Marvel universe thanks to her keen knack for honest storytelling and her passion for logophilia. In the end, three things are clear: our language is constantly changing, the people who define it are insane, and no matter how hallowed you consider its page, the dictionary is not a holy book. The lexicographer: Kory Stamper. The book: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. . .Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: How to Deal with Disappointment. The story: It is a tale of undying passion born of loneliness and shame, a type of force that consumes everything in its path and leaves only gloom and death in its wake. Did we mention the two who share this love are foster siblings? They are. Anywhoo … not not judging. The lover's name: Heathcliff. The book: Wuthering Heights. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week's theme: Tips for Finding Your Ancestors. Our book: One woman learns the secret her mother has spent a lifetime hiding. She vows to remain silent, but when her mother dies, she must decide: will she pass on her mother's lie or will she expose her family to the world. The woman's name is Gail Lukasik. The book: White Like Her. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week's theme: How to Deal with Hostile People. The book on which our theme's based: It is the first published science fiction novel written by a black woman, the story of a 26-year-old writer living in California. One day, she is inexplicably ripped from her home and thrown into antebellum Maryland. There awaits her more than a few tough decisions and a puzzle that must be solved before she can ever return home for good. Her name is Dana. The book is Kindred. And you're listening to LIT Society. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: Fear and violent behavior. Circa 1890, somewhere in the southeast of present-day Nigeria, a powerful man has built his life on the foundations of pride and fearlessness. Determined to be the exact opposite of his lazy father, he rules his world with an iron fist. Still, he cannot escape the plagues of time and change. His name is Okonkwo. The book is Things Fall Apart. And you’re listening to lit society. Let’s get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The theme this week: How to Live Without a Man. (Yup. We're going there.) The Book: In the mountains surrounding Acapulco, there exists a town full of women. Only women. And being a woman is a deadly mistake here. Girls mascaraed as boys to evade would-be kidnappers. Their friends are buried in the ground alive by their mothers, and dead bodies pop-up like flowers, blooming in a land where drug lords are the earth. In this place, one girl must hide the lies of her family while relying on her mother, neighbors, and her own self-determination if she hopes ever to breathe again the air of freedom. The girl: Ladydi Garcia Martínez. The novel: Prayers for the Stolen. LET'S GET LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

After losing her home, her husband, sobriety, and career, one woman is on the brink of losing her mind. Her life as dwarfed into a series of train rides, back and forth, morning and evening, until she sees something no one else sees from the window of her commute. She's witnessed something that propels her into a series of events, forever changing her life and the lives of everyone she knows. The woman's name is Rachel. The book, The Girl on the Train. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Formerly, On Her Own Ground. One little girl is the first of six children born free in her family after the abolition of slavery. She is quickly orphaned forced to fend for herself from the tender age of 6 years old. Despite all of her obstacles, including three unsuccessful marriages, abuse by white media and civilians, and deteriorating health, she becomes America's first female self-made millionaire. The woman's name: Madame C.J. Walker. The book: Self Made, and you're listening to LIT Society. LET'S GET LIT!... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

A streetwise hustler grows up during America's fight against drugs, poverty, and civility. He takes the lessons he's learned from the street and marries them to the philosophies and ideologies he picks up as an avid reader. With this knowledge, and after two trips to Africa, which inspired his path, he begins working on his life's biggest hustle. He's all in, but will his underground lifestyle take him OUT for good? The hustler's name is Daniel Day. The book is Dapper Dan: Made in Harlem. LET'S GET LIT!...Opening song: Men at Work by Kool G Rap; Break Song: Money Makes Us Happy by Skyzoo f/ Black Thought and Bilal. The video Kari refers to is by AT&T, found here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jb_sjwUq7Jk . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Too black or not too black. That is the question. Lately, everyone seems to be talking about who is and who isn't black, and what that even means. Before diving into this week's book, we discuss what it means to be Black American — not racially — but ethnically. Then we talk Black Card, Chris L. Terry's novel about a man pushed out of adolescence into adulthood still unsure if he's black enough in a world that's trying to define him. Get into it! Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

"Every decision you make contributes to your character and shapes the kind of person you are." This week we remember not to forget as we discuss tips for improving our short and long-term memories. Then, we dive into one of the most talked-about science fiction novels of the last decade. It's a collection of brilliantly detailed short stories that allow us to time travel, swap lungs, question fact, faith, and our very existence. The agent for this adventure is Ted Chiang. The book is Exhalation. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Before we get into this week's book, we discuss forgiveness. Can you imagine? What does it take to forgive someone, and how do you know you've genuinely forgiven a person in your heart? Also, why do we need to be forgiving in the first place? We'll get into it. And then it's on to the book that inspired this week's discussion. It's the early 1900s, and one quiet woman lives a happy life with her happy husband on a beautiful farm in Iowa. All is as it should be until a single act of betrayal puts her at odds against everyone she knows and trusts.

That woman's name is Margaret Stewart. The book is Remembering Laughter, and you're listening to LIT Society. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Like an extraterrestrial attack, Coronavirus has overrun and uprooted our lives.  We start our discussion with a brief chat about ways to overcome Coronavirus induces anxiety. Then, it's time to get into some delicious YA literature: Ilori, highly-intelligent and resourceful aliens from a distant planet, have invaded earth. In New York City, under the threat of death, one beautiful teenage girl runs a secret library. Her mission is to help her community escape the terror around them with stories that remind them of the past and inspire them to continue living despite the present. One day, she notices a book missing from her hidden collection. It has her name inside and could expose her to the aliens. Who took it? The answer leads to a road trip that could save the world. The girl's name is Janelle Baker. The book is The Sound of Stars. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Having abandoned her husband and son, one woman lives life one train ride at a time with her beautiful beau and new baby girl — but her decision to risk it all for "love" isn't without consequences. Will following her heart lead this woman to peace, misery, or the greatest happiness? The woman's name: Anna. And it's time to enjoy part 2 of Anna Karenina. Before diving in, we discuss the "power of the middle", for our theme of the week. Need the motivation to complete a huge project? Feeling drained? This one's for you! Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

This week, Alexis makes Kari read the world's longest book (just kidding), written by a man some consider to be the greatest author of all time (not kidding). The setting is 19th century Russia: Moscow, St. Petersburg, and the countryside. Noblemen and women are eating, drinking, marrying, living. Among these aristocrats stands one woman who personifies beauty and grace. This woman catches the eye of an equally attractive officer. Driven by an undeniable chemistry, the two start down a path of deception and destruction from which neither may recover. The officer's name is Alexei Vronsky. The woman's name is Anna Karenina, and this is part one of our two-part episode. Before diving in, we discuss the usefulness of healthy distractions and learn how to escape in ways that don't destroy us. This is LIT Society. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Hey, all you glee gals and geeks! We're bringing a very special episode to you this week — Hamilton the Musical by Lin-Manuel Miranda! We know, we know. Last episode, we said we were taking the week off to read Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy. Rest assured, we're reading every bit of that billion-page book, but we've still got time to gush over one of our favorite musicals of all time. Did you know that without Hamilton, there would be no Lit Society Podcast? In the summer of 2019, we started a real-life book club because Alexis wanted to read Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow before seeing the musical in London's West End. The rest is history, much like this, the story of a founding father without a father who got a lot farther by working a lot harder and being a self-starter. Listen to this before or after watching the film on Disney Plus. Enjoy! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Our first comic book! And what's more — it's non-fiction! It inspires this week's theme: How to Survive a Crisis. One girl, the beloved only child of progressive parents, is sent her to school in Austria. Her parents hope that she'll escape what they saw as the oppressive regime of Iran. This comic is the story of her childhood, growing up in a time of war and revolution. Together, she and her country must decide who they're supposed to be and who they actually are. The girl's name — Marjane Satrapi. The book — Persepolis. This is LIT Society. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

From the projects to Paris: One woman's brutally honest story about surviving the vices of her neighborhood, only to be thrust into a world that neither wants nor accepts her is a sobering reminder of the disparities plaguing citizens of a nation still ignoring its history. Her undying drive to be recognized takes her in and out of ivy league schools, prisons, and psychiatric hospitals until she's finally drawn across the ocean to expatriation and rebirth. The woman's name — Janet McDonald. The book — Project Girl. This is LIT Society. Let's get LIT! Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.