The Book Case Podcast – "Best of Summer Review"

Hosts: Charlie Gibson & Kate Gibson

Date: October 2, 2025
Theme: The hosts round up their most beloved book picks from summer and share conversations with outstanding authors, offering listeners a handpicked, genre-spanning reading list and bookish wisdom for all kinds of readers.

Episode Overview

Charlie and Kate Gibson revisit the core philosophy behind the show: books are only featured if at least one host is truly enthusiastic. They present their top summer reading recommendations, discuss author interviews, and highlight the importance of independent bookstores in local communities (with a feature on Cranford Bookstore, NJ). The episode also offers insight into the creative processes of celebrated writers.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Podcast Philosophy & Curation Approach (03:00–03:10)

• Each book on the podcast is a genuine recommendation—if either host dislikes a book, it’s usually not featured.
  • Kate Gibson: “There’s no constitutional guide to the veto process… we really do feel strongly that by putting a book on the podcast, we are making a recommendation. We try to avoid the schlock if we can.” (02:11)

2. Best of Summer: Book Recommendations

a. Virginia Evans – The Correspondent

• Type: Epistolary novel, character-driven literary fiction
• Mutual Favorite: Both Charlie and Kate’s top pick
• Synopsis: Sybil Van Antwerp, a woman in her late 70s, tells her life’s story through a series of letters to various correspondents.
• Why They Love It: Masterful, distinct voices and emotional resonance. Inspired by classics like “84, Charing Cross Road” and “The Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society.”
  • Kate Gibson: “It made me wish I had spent my life writing letters. What a great way to see your life through your own letters.” (06:54)

Author Interview Excerpt:

• Virginia Evans on why she wrote the book:
  “I started writing this book really as an exercise... I liked reading that book in letters. I liked the Color Purple, I liked the Guernsey Literary Potato Peel Pie Society, I liked Dracula... I wanted to try letters.” (05:11)

Memorable Moment:

• Kate Gibson (on proselytizing for the book):
  “I literally pulled the car over, rolled down the window and yelled, ‘The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. You don't want to miss it.’” (06:54)

Timestamp: 03:26–07:33

b. Leigh Bardugo – Six of Crows & Crooked Kingdom

• Type: Fantasy, duology, heist novel
• Kate’s Pick: Appeal to non-fantasy and fantasy readers alike; only two books in the series.
• Why Recommended: Page-turning, flawed characters, rich world-building with humor and grit. Ideal for those daunted by longer fantasy series.

Author Interview Excerpt:

• Leigh Bardugo on world-building:
  “We have a misconception about world-building… World building exists in every book we read. … What do we have to establish if we’re going to take you into a world? How the power works there and how the sense of place impacts that power.” (08:58)

• Kate Gibson: “It’s a heist novel, which I think is terrific. … Once she sucked me into her world, I did not want to let go.” (07:36)

Memorable Moment:

• Charlie Gibson (on being convinced):
  “One of the problems I have with fantasy is that it’s a world I’m not sure I understand… but her point is very well taken. Every single book… creates a world, and you’re in it. Fantasy is not so much different in that regard.” (10:34)

Timestamp: 07:36–10:34

c. Sophie Elmhurst – Marriage at Sea

• Type: Nonfiction, survival memoir/psychological study
• Charlie’s Pick: Dramatic, emotional survival account.
• Synopsis: British couple Marilyn and Maurice survive 118 days adrift after a whale attack destroys their boat; focus is on psychological as much as physical survival.

Discussion Highlight:

• Charlie Gibson: “More than the physical problems they faced, Sophie Elmhurst writes about their emotional struggles… how do you exist with another human being in that concise a setting?” (11:40)
• Kate Gibson: “Marilyn did some things that, on land, would be considered whimsical... In some ways, that probably stopped them from… their mind snapping. Was there practicality to that?” (12:59)

Interview Excerpt:

• Sophie Elmhurst (on Marilyn’s coping):
  “She realized… the greatest task that lay ahead of her was trying to keep [Maurice’s] mind occupied to ward off those sort of circling negative thoughts… There’s nothing that’s worse for a mind than when it turns on itself.” (13:19)

Timestamp: 10:34–14:35

d. Dave Barry – Class Clown

• Type: Memoir, humor
• Kate’s Pick: Light-hearted, joy-filled, and insightful about humor and public life.

Discussion Highlight:

• Kate Gibson: “If Dave Barry writes about the rise of the American bedbug, I will read it. I will basically read anything that he writes.” (14:37)

Author Interview Excerpt:

• Dave Barry (on his career):
  “I have not done anything important with my life for the last 50 years. Just basically do whatever I want, write about whatever I want, meet wonderful people… by making jokes. … Until I was in my 30s, I didn’t think that was ever going to be me.” (16:06)
• Kate Gibson: “They don’t say that at career day. … Nobody ever says you can just be funny and someday somebody will give you the keys to the Oscar wienermobile so that you can pick up your son in middle school.” (17:00)

Family Tradition Moment:

• Kate Gibson: “It’s become a Gibson tradition that my father reads [Dave Barry’s year-end columns] to us… then he starts cackling like a fool.” (17:54)

Timestamp: 14:37–18:14

e. Joanne Harris – Vianne

• Type: Literary fiction, prequel to Chocolat
• Charlie’s Pick: Warm, charming, introspective.
• Synopsis: Follows Vianne Rocher, the protagonist of Chocolat, as a younger woman discovering her own path before running her famous chocolate shop. Stands alone for new readers.

Interview Excerpt:

• Kate Gibson (question): “Does she [Vianne] still surprise you? And how did she surprise you in this book?” (19:50)
• Joanne Harris (answer):
  “People always surprise us… This is true of fictional people just as much as it’s true of real people. … Over the years, I found that Vianne kept returning to me with other stories… A lot of things surprised me about Vianne. Initially, what really surprised me was the fact that she knows nothing about chocolate when the book starts.” (20:08)

Discussion Highlight:

• Kate Gibson: “It’s a cozy book. … It was a warm book. … Plus, you’ll want to eat all the chocolate in the world after you read it.” (21:34)

Timestamp: 18:14–22:14

3. Quick List: Hosts’ Best of Summer

| Book | Picked By | Timestamp | |-----------------------------------------------|---------------------|--------------| | The Correspondent — Virginia Evans | Both | 03:26–07:33 | | Six of Crows, Crooked Kingdom — Leigh Bardugo | Kate | 07:36–10:34 | | Marriage at Sea — Sophie Elmhurst | Charlie | 10:34–14:35 | | Class Clown — Dave Barry | Kate | 14:37–18:14 | | Vianne — Joanne Harris | Charlie | 18:14–22:14 |

4. Upcoming Book Teaser

• John Irving — Queen Esther (coming November)
• Discussion Highlight:
  • John Irving (on being a writer):
    “When you know you want to be a writer and you’re only a teenager... you’re living more in your imagination than you are in and of the moment… You often feel like you’re a bystander to your own life. Or I did.” (23:23)
  • Charlie Gibson: “There is no cookie cutter way to write a novel. … I can't get over how smart writers are.” (25:07)

5. Bookstore Spotlight: Cranford Bookstore, NJ (28:40–37:16)

Owners, Lauren King & Kate Lyden, share:

• Their journey from book pop-ups in bakeries to a brick-and-mortar store, driven by community demand (29:23–33:40).
• The joy and challenge of opening day (packed with locals and kids, lines out the door).
• Personalized book recommendations for customers; they highlight:
  • A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan
  • Life after Life by Kate Atkinson
  • Just Kids by Patti Smith
  • Rawls the Compound (described as “The Bachelor meets Hunger Games”)
• Lauren King: “For me, it’s like, whatever. When somebody finds something that they’re interested in reading, that’s what excites me so much. And that’s what I love about reading, because… we’re reading the same thing and building a community within that.” (35:46)

Notable Quote:

• Kate Gibson: “Anyway, they feel possessive about it. They’ll say, my bookstore.” (37:16)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

“If Dave Barry doesn’t make you laugh, I don’t think I want to know you.”
— Kate Gibson, on Class Clown (22:44)

“Every single book… creates a world, and you’re in it. So fantasy is not so much different in that regard.”
— Charlie Gibson, on fantasy fiction (10:34)

“People always surprise us, don’t they?... This is true of fictional people just as much as it’s true of real people.”
— Joanne Harris, on character evolution (20:08)

“Owning a bookstore is a great life, it’s not a great living.”
— (recounted by Charlie Gibson, advice from an independent bookstore owner) (33:20)

“Use your local bookstore. It’s a really, really important asset to your community.”
— Charlie Gibson, closing thought (37:24)

Episode Timestamps – Key Segments

• Podcast philosophy & curation: 03:00–03:10
• The Correspondent: 03:26–07:33
• Six of Crows / Crooked Kingdom: 07:36–10:34
• Marriage at Sea: 10:34–14:35
• Class Clown: 14:37–18:14
• Vianne: 18:14–22:14
• Upcoming: John Irving: 22:58–25:07
• Bookstore Spotlight (Cranford Bookstore): 28:40–37:16

Final Thoughts

This episode is a rich, heartfelt, and often funny literary journey, offering a diverse, trusted list of book recommendations—spanning genres, styles, and formats—all with the Gibsons’ trademark warmth and discernment. The authors’ own words and the bookstore feature reinforce how reading, writing, and bookstores knit communities and inspire lifelong curiosity.

Find more information, including book links, in the episode description. And don’t forget: Support your local bookstore!