Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Bailey Cline, Program Coordinator at Ballou Recreation Center and our certified number one fan. We discuss finding your way back to reading despite the responsibilities of adult life, the joy of audiobooks, and our strong opinions about movie adaptations.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “The Rainbow Fish” by Marcus Pfister
• “Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs” by Judi Barrett, illustrated by Ron Barrett
• “How To Be Okay When Nothing Is Okay” by Jenny Lawson
• “I Know What You Did Last Summer” by Lois Duncan
• “His & Hers” by Alice Feeney
• Freida McFadden
• “The Menagerie” Series by Tui T. Sutherland, Kari H. Sutherland
• “Your Baby’s First Word Will Be DADA” by Jimmy Fallon
• “The Night Before Christmas” allegedly by Clement Clarke Moore
• “How the Grinch Stole Christmas” by Dr. Seuss
• Carl Hiaasen
• “The Green Ember” series by S.D. Smith, illustrated by Zach Franzen
• “Hamlet” by friend of the pod, William Shakespeare

Russell, Rachael, and Rachel discuss the April Reading Challenge to read a dystopian or alternate history novel. Oppressive governments, controlling factions, structured existence and more, we discuss the tropes and themes that define this often bleak, but always profound genre. **Correction: George Orwell died 6 months after the release of 1984, not before.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “Zoo” by James Patterson, Michael Ledwidge
• “1984: The Graphic Novel” by George Orwell, adapted/illustrated by Fido Nesti
• “The Handmaid’s Tale” by Margaret Atwood
• “Brave New World” by Aldous Huxley
• “The Giver” by Lois Lowry
• “Legend” by Marie Lu
• “Divergent” by Veronica Roth
• “The Hunger Games” by Suzanne Collins
• “Fourth Wing” by Rebecca Yarros
• “Parable of the Sower” by Otavia E. Butler
• “Red Rising” by Pierce Brown
• “Ready Player One” by Ernest Cline
• “The Last Christian” by David Gregory
• “Automatic Noodle” by Annalee Newitz
• “The Electric State” by Simon Stålenhag
• “The Dream Hotel” by Laila Lalami
• “Our Missing Hearts” by Celeste Ng
• “The City of Ember” by Jeanne DuPrau
• “The Long Walk” by Stephen King
• “The Shadow Road” by K.D. and Kurt Kirchmeier

Russell, Rachel, and Rachael chat with our guest Ken Larking, Danville City Manager. In our first mini book club, we review “The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook and the deep themes it explores including love, kindness and absolution. We discuss the delight of quirky characters, the importance of finding the right book for you, and Russell’s quest for a fun book about owls.

Books/Authors we discuss include:

• “The Which Way Tree” by Elizabeth Crook
• Michael Crichton
• Tom Clancy
• “Jack Reacher” series by Lee Child
• Dick Francis
• “Our Country Friends” by Gary Shteyngart
• “The Catcher in the Rye” by J.D. Salinger
• John Grisham
• “Joe Pickett” series by C.J. Box
• “Walt Longmire” series by Craig Johnson
• “Crime and Punishment” by Fyodor Dostoevsky
• “Tuck Everlasting” by Natalie Babbit
• “Demon Copperhead” by Barbara Kingsolver
• “Razorblade Tears” by S.A. Cosby
• “The Monster at the End of this Book (Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover)” by Jon Stone