It's officially Halloween and time for some spooky stories. This month, Ronnie choose C.G. Drew's: Don't Let the Forest In. An atmospheric story about a high school senior named Andrew, his best friend/crush Thomas, and twin sister Dove. Upon returning to school for the year, Andrew finds his sister keeping him at arm's length, Thomas being questioned for the disappearance of his parents, and worst of all, strange monsters who seem to come from Thomas' drawings. Together, the boys must fight the monsters and ensure that nobody dies.    Join us as we discuss this young adult, queer, horror story, and see what we thought! Next month's book is Ian's choice and he chose: The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo!

It's October already, and this episode is going up a little late (the evening instead of the morning) but this month was Ian's pick and he chose James Michener's: The Bridge at Andau which details the events of the Hungarian student revolution of 1956. Ian chose this book because of a familial interest, but both Ian and Ronnie found something to chew on in this text. The Bridge at Andau discusses the siege at Radio Budapest, the Battle at Killian barracks, and of course, the titular Bridge at Andau. In the this episode, we summarize the book, discuss the composite characters, and discuss how little of Eastern Europe is taught in US schools.   Next month's book is Ronnie's and she chose: Don't Let the Forest In by CG Drews. A perfect read for spooky month! 

The God Endings is a meditative take on the immortal vampire story. August's pick was a Ronnie choice, and this novel follows Collette LeSange, a vampire who has been alive for two hundred years, rungs a fine art school, and is suddenly experiencing strong cravings for blood. Told alternatively in present tense and flashbacks, The God of Endings asks readers to consider what it means to be alive, to be isolated, and to what it means for something to end. After all, every ending begins something else. Listen to this month's episode and let us know what you thought of The God of Endings if you've read it.  September's pick is Ian's choice and he chose The Bridge at Andau by James A. Michener. A non-fiction text that chronicles the Hungarian revolution of 1956

We're a bit late, but July was quite hectic for us! Between a bachelor's party, wedding, and some other family events, it took a little while for us to be able to sit down and record, but here we are.   July's pick was Ian's, and he chose: Bury Me Standing by Isabelle Fonseca which details her journey through eastern Europe while she lived among the Roma people. This text explores not only the culture and traditions of the Roma, but also how they fit into, and have been received by various parts of the world. Among the interactions, Fonseca stays with people in Albania, Romania, Germany, and more, and learns how they see and exist in the world. Although this book came out in 1992, there are a huge amount of interesting interactions to learn from, and may have motivated Ian and Ronnie to find a more contemporary text to see how things have changed over the last twenty years.    August's pick is Ronnie's, and she chose: The God of Endings by Jacqueline Holland!

A Dark and Drowning Tide is a novel that Ronnie has previously tried to get on the podcast, but unfortunately was delayed due to publishing issues. Now, the book is finally out, and it's Pride! Allison Saft's novel is a sapphic enemies to lover story which follows Lorelei and Sylvia as they embark on an expedition to find the Ursprung: the fabled source of all magic. This expedition has been ordered by the king who has recently "united" all of the kingdoms around him and seeks the Ursprung to cement his power. Along the way, the group deals with murder, infighting, romance, and magical beings, but this isn't just an expedition for fame and glory, Lorelei needs to succeed in this mission, not just for herself, but also for her people. Take a listen to the episode to find out what we thought about the book.   Next month's pick is Ian's and he chose: Bury Me Standing by Isabel Fonseca, a non-fiction piece that explores the lives of the Romani people.

Somehow it's June already and we're back with another episode of Shared Pages. May's book was an Ian pick, and he chose Yoko Ogawa's: The Memory Police.   The Memory Police takes place on an unknown island where people periodically forget things such as ribbons, perfume, and so on. However, some people seem to remember things that should have been forgotten and so a mysterious and sinister organization comes and takes those who remember. When the unnamed narrator-a novelist-discovers that her editor, "R" is one of these people who remember things, she decides to hide him. Along with a family friend known only as The "Old Man", they attempt to hold on to what has been forgotten all while navigating what it means to lose memories and even pieces of themselves.   We really enjoyed The Memory Police and we hope you enjoy our discussion of the novel! Next month is Ronnie's pick. For Pride, she's chosen, A Dark and Drowning Tide by Allison Saft!

Apologies for this month's episode being late. Unfortunately we have a sick kitty that we've been taking care of, but that didn't stop us from finishing Ronnie's April pick, which was The Seep, by Chana Porter. This novel follows the story of a trans woman named Trina who is going through a bit of a crisis after an alien species known as The Seep takes over Earth. The Seep in many ways makes things better. People are more empathetic, people no longer deal with illness, and people can do pretty much anything they can imagine. However, after Trina's wife leaves her to become a baby again, Trina is forced to reckon with a world she doesn't understand, and still, somehow find beauty in it.    Next month's book was chosen by Ian and is The Memory Police by Yōko Ogawa. A dream-like Orwellian, science fiction novel influenced highly by Kafka!

Fatelessness is a novel by Imre Kertész which won the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2002. Ian chose this novel out of familial interest as his father is from Budapest, but he also naturally is inclined to be interested in World War 2 literature. The novel is semi-autobiographical and tells the story of György, a young boy who is swept up and taken to Auschwitz, Buchenwald, and survives. It explores how people can become faceless, even during major historical events, and how one cannot separate themselves from the past, even when it is something horrendous.   Next month's pick is Ronnie's and she chose: The Seep, by Chana Porter which is set in a utopian world after an alien race invades the Earth!

For Black History month, Ronnie chose O. O. Sangyomi's: Masquerade. This novel is the author's debut and is an alternate universe were Yorubaland is a dominant tribe instead of the Oyo. This story follows Òdòdó’s, a young blacksmith in a world that treats them as witches, whose home of Timbuktu is conquered by the warrior king of Yorùbáland. Following this, she is abducted, engaged to the Alaafin- the king. Òdòdó's story follows her as she reconciles her past, her future, and the intrigues of court, all while searching for her mother who has gone missing. Listen to the episode and let us know if you agree with our takes! And make sure to join us on the Fable app for to discuss next month's read!   Next month is Ian's choice and were reading: Fatelessness (Sorstalanság), a Holocaust novel by Imre Kertész that won the Nobel Literature prize in 2002.   The music used in the intro and outro is Otterfunk from Streambeats.  

TW: Suicide and Self-Harm Happy New Year (despite the first time you hearing this episode being February 1st)!  We hope you had a nice holiday season and the beginning of 2025 is treating you well. This month's pick was Ian's, and he choose Sofia Ajram's: Coup de Grâce, which takes place in an ever-expanding, liminal, Montreal train station. The main character is a suicidal person named Vicken, who gets stuck and is forced to try and survive as they search for an escape from this place.   February's pick is Ronnie's and she's chosen: Masquerade by O.O. Sangoyomi.

It's a little late, but we're all caught up now on the podcast. Between Ian's sickness and traveling for the holidays we fell behind, but we did read Atalanta by Jennifer Saint. Both Ian and Ronnie are big into Greek mythology and have a lot to discuss. We end up comparing Atlanta to other famous characters like Jason and Medea and explore Atlanta's story in the larger context of Greek mythology.    For January 2025, Ian's pick is Coup de Grâce by Sofia Arjam which is a horror story that takes place in an infinite Montreal subway. Join us next month for our discussion and also check out the Fable app! We made a Shared Pages book club on there. All you have to do is download the app, import your Goodreads lists, and search the book clubs for Shared Pages!   

So this episode is very late. Unfortunately, Ian had an upper respiratory infection and was pretty much bedridden for three weeks. You can still hear the sickness in his voice, but we wanted to make sure that we at least discussed East West Street a little bit. East West Street is part memoir, part historical text, and part legal scholarship. The text explores many people's lives-including the author's grandfather-focuses largely on Raphael Lemkin who coined the term 'genocide' and Hersch Lauterpacht who introduced the term 'crimes against humanity'. This text was different from what Ian expected, but we still learned a lot and had an interesting conversation about history and what we learned in school.    Coming up at the end of December is Ronnie's pick which is Atalanta by Jennifer Saint. 

It feels like it's been forever (even though it's only been a month) but it's Halloween and time for Ronnie's book of the month which is R.F. Kuang's, Yellowface! Ian picked Babel last year and we both loved it, so now we're jumping in again with the story of Juniper Song, an author who steals her deceased "friend's" draft and publishes it as her own. From there, the story unravels in a satire about publishing, racism, and who can tell what stories. Listen to the episode and find out what we thought!   November's book is Ian's pick: Phillipe Sand's, East West Street.  

We're a little late this month. Sorry about that, but with hurricane Helene, flooding, and guests, we had to record a day late. This month is Ian's pick and he found Hannah Ritchie's: Not the End of the World via a Vlog Brother's video in which John Green recommended books. Not the End of the World addresses climate change, and the doom we all feel around it, but also gives us a reason to be hopeful. The book starts big and moves inward, addressing facts, myths, and worries we all have. We enjoyed learning about our world and the reasons to be optimistic about it!    October's book of the month is Ronnie's choice and she chose R.F. Kuang's, Yellowface. Join us next episode to hear us talk about our thoughts regarding the book! 

For the month of August, Ronnie chose, M. L. Wang's: "The Sword of Kaigen" which is a self-published novel set in an original universe created by the author. It's a pretty hefty tome, with a map, glossary, and all kinds of cool stuff inside. It turns out that we decided to read a heavy world-building novel the same month we moved but we got through it and have a lot to talk about. The novel follows a family living on the coast of Kaigen who defend the country from other country's initial attacks. As the novel progresses it explores ideas like misogyny, propaganda, honor, and duty.    September's novel is: "Not the End of the World: How We Can Be the First Generation to Build a Sustainable Planet" by Hannah Ritchie. 

July was Ian's pick and he chose Magda Szabó's: The Door which follows the lives of two women just after World War II. When the main character, Magda, whose work has been censored for some time begins to get attention, she realizes that she needs a housekeeper. Emerence is recommended to them by a friend but turns out to be a bit strange. She sets her own hours, tasks, and wages, but slowly a friendship grows between the women. However, Emerence lives alone and never lets anyone see through her door and what's behind it surprises everyone.    Next month's pick is The Sword of Kaifen by M.L. Wang. Read along with us and let us know what you think over at SharedPagesPod on Twitter. 

Originally, Bethany Baptiste's: The Poisons We Drink was supposed to be read earlier this year, but due to publishing delays, we had to move things around. Then, Ronnie's original pick for this month got delayed so we brought back The Poisons We Drink. Baptiste's debut novel explores an urban fantasy world where magical humans named Witchers live among us. One of these Witchers, a woman named Venus, brews love potions- an especially dangerous trade among Witchers. At the same time, the novel explores discrimination related to Witchers, political plots and intrigue, morally gray characters, and revenge. There's a lot going on in this story so take a listen a let us know what you think. For clarity, The Poisons We Drink wasn't our favorite novel but that doesn't mean we can't have a good discussion about it.    Next month's book is Ian's pick, The Door by Magda Szabó.

Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years is a memoir of Mary Poppins herself: Dame Julie Andrews. The memoir covers a broad range of years from Mary Poppins up until Victor/Victoria and details not only her rise to fame with movies like The Sound of Music but also focuses on her marriages to Tony Walton and Blake Edwards. In the memoir she also focuses on her relationships with her children, friends, and family, while adjusting to Hollywood and the demands of success. Ian is a big musical theater fan so he really enjoys chatting about the Queen of Genovia herself.   Next month's pick is Ronnie's and she choose, "The Poisons We Drink" by Bethany Baptiste. If you enjoyed the podcast be sure to leave us a rating or send us a message on Twitter! We like to hear from you!!  

Trigger warning: War, Violence, Assualt, and Starvation   Well, originally we planned to read The Poisons We Drink by Bethany Baptise, but due to printing delays, we had to change our book. So Ronnie chose Zoulfa Katouh's: As Long As the Lemon Tree Grows. The story is set during the Syrian Civil War and follows Salama whose family has been killed. She is reckoning with her survivor's guilt, as well as her desire to stay and fight for her country. During all of this, she meets Kenan who is trying to protect his two siblings as well as make sense of the state of his country. Together, the two of them help each other survive.    Next month's book is Home Work: A Memoir of My Hollywood Years by Julie Andrews. Be sure to read along and let us know what you think over at Twitter.Com/SharedPagesPod

Trigger warning: This podcast episode discusses racism, rape, eating disorders, and abuse.   For March, Ian chose Kiese Laymon's: Heavy as his reading choice. Heavy is a memoir that is, well, heavy, taking the form of a letter written to the author's mother. In the letter, Laymon opens up and discusses his life and upbringing to this point both from the viewpoint of a family dynamic, but also as a black man born in the 70s. Heavy explores not only the physical heaviness a person carries with them, but also the spiritual, and any other kinds that come with living a life.    For the month of April, Ronnie chose a debut novel by Bethany Baptiste: The Poisons We Drink! Make sure to read along and tweet any thoughts to us over at Twitter.Com/@sharedpagespod