The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast 106: Bookshelf Roulette: Surprises from the Shelf
In this episode we’re shaking things up with Bookshelf Roulette! No pre-planned selections—just pure randomness. Using a random number generator, we each pick a few books from our shelves and dive into spontaneous discussions. Did we read them? Do we love them? Do we remember them? From forgotten gems to books we’ve been meaning to get to, we explore what’s lurking in the corners of our collections. Tune in for some unexpected literary discoveries, personal stories, and maybe even a few surprises as we take a fresh, unplanned look at what’s on our shelves.
What surprises are hiding on your bookshelf? Join in the fun—pull out a random book, whether you follow our rules or come up with your own way to pick, and share what you find with us! From forgotten classics to books you’ve been meaning to read, we’d love to hear about the unexpected gems in your collection.
We’ve got some fantastic author-focused episodes lined up for the foreseeable future, and we want to give you plenty of time to dive in if you’d like to read along with us. These episodes come around every ten episodes, and with our bi-weekly release schedule, you'll have a few months to get ready for each. Here’s what we have in store:
* Episode 115: Kazuo Ishiguro
* Episode 125: Flannery O’Connor
* Episode 135: William Faulkner
* Episode 145: Elizabeth Taylor
* Episode 155: Naguib Mahfouz
There’s no rush—take your time, and grab a book (or two, or three) so you’re prepared for these as they come!
Join the Mookse and the Gripes on Discord
Want to share your thoughts on these upcoming authors or anything else we’re discussing? Join us over on Discord! It’s the perfect place to dive deeper into the conversation—whether you’re reading along with our author-focused episodes or just want to chat about the books that are on your mind.
We’re also gearing up for our second novella book club, where we'll be reading Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin at the start of July. It’s a fantastic book, and we’d love to have you join the discussion. It’s a great space to engage with fellow listeners, share your insights, and discover new perspectives on the books you’re reading.
Shownotes
Books
* Lesser Ruins, by Mark Haber
* Your Absence Is Darkness, by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, translated by Philip Roughton
* Three Summers, by Margarita Liberaki, translated by Karen Van Dyck
* Great Granny Webster, by Caroline Blackwood
* The Short Stories of Elizabeth Hardwick
* Giovanni’s Room, by James Baldwin
* Gould’s Book of Fish, by Richard Flanagan
* Question 7, by Richard Flanagan
* Quartet in Autumn, by Barbara Pym
* Hopscotch, by Julio Cortázar, translated by Gregory Rabassa
* The Nose and Other Stories, by Nikolai Gogol, translated by Susanne Fuso
* Dead Souls, by Nikolai Gogol
* A Swim in the Pond in the Rain: In Which Four Russians Give a Masterclass on Writing, Reading, and Life, by George Saunders
* The Namesake, by Jhumpa Lahiri
* The Master and Margarita, by Mikhail Bulgakov
* First Love, by Ivan Turgenev
* The Forgery, by Ave Barrera, translated by Ellen Jones and Robin Myers
* Cautery, by Lucía Lijtmaer, translated by Maureen Shaughnessy
* On Earth as It Is Beneath, by Ana Paula Maia, translated by Padma Viswanathan
* Chilco, by Daniela Catrileo, translated by Jacob Edelstein
* The World We Saw Burning, by Renato Cisneros, translated by Fionn Petch
* The Oppermanns, by Lion Feuchtwanger, translated by James Cleugh
* The Aesthetics of Resistance, by Peter Weiss, translated by Joachim Neugroschel
* Hotel du Lac, by Anita Brookner
* A Start in Life, by Anita Brookner
* Providence, by Anita Brookner
* Look at Me, by Anita Brookner
* Proustian Uncertainty: On Reading and Rereading In Search of Lost Time, by Saul Friedländer
* Paintings in Proust: A Visual Companion to In Search of Lost Time, by Eric Karpeles
* Monsieur Proust, by Céleste Albaret, translated by Barbara Bray
* Lost Time: Lectures on Proust in a Soviet Prison Camp, by Józef Czapski, translated by Eric Karpeles
* Strike Your Heart, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson
* Pétronille, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson
* Life Form, by Amélie Nothomb, translated by Alison Anderson
* The Neapolitan Quartet, by Elena Ferrante, translated by Ann Goldstein
* H Is for Hawk, by Helen Macdonald
* Vesper Flights, by Helen Macdonald
* Is a River Alive?, by Robert Macfarlane
Other
The Mookse and the Gripes Podcast is a bookish conversation hosted by Paul and Trevor. Every other week, we explore a bookish topic and celebrate our love of reading. We’re glad you’re here, and we hope you’ll continue to join us on this literary journey!
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