LISTEN LIVE on Tuesdays from 3:30 to 4:30 on wxlv.org and iheart.com and CALL at 610.799.4141, or 610.799.1891.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

Bridget Jones Trivia Loser to Shave



I know we've kept our discussion light to date but please pardon us for a moment as we reflect on a very serious matter during this holiday season . . .

Our Beards!

Inspired by baseball players in Oakland and Boston, and as part of No-Shave November, Marc and John have been crafting and caring for these precious facial features more carefully than Mr. Miyagi did his Bonsai trees.  (It's a cultural reference from the 80s, young people, you know, before you were a consideration, and posting a link would require us to reflect on our advancing age.)

In a development we hardly understand, November was also Movember, in celebration of the mustache.  This seems to us an unnecessary conflation on behalf of the facial hair community, so much facial hair excitement all in one month, but we also see the mustache as -- though a symbol of unbridled virility in this guy and that guy -- a worthy consequence of losing a critical Read First, Ask Later contest.

So . . . for our end-of-the-year episode, on December 17th, listen in as Marc and John answer trivia questions related to the rich, elaborate, and complicated world of all things Bridget Jones, as a winner is decided.  The exact terms:                                                                 the winner chooses the style in which the loser will shave.

Again, extended adolescents, relevant google terms are mustache, mutton chops, and the connector.  Or just watch a movie from the 70s.  For the record, we're not saying which movies.And stay tuned for pictures of the build up -- mostly of crumbs and dander in our beards -- and the contest itself, all a precursor to a stylistic precedent in the arena of facial hair.

You know, in addition to books, stuff that really matters.

Sunday, November 24, 2013

Updates, Author Lineup, and Reading List!

Marc and John are shocked and awed by the show's lineups of guest authors, past and upcoming!

First a few Updates, from the Read First, Ask Later family:

Douglas James Troxell, guest author of our very first episode, has published a story, "The Working Dead," on DarkFutures.net . . .

Alissa Nutting, besides being poised for her novel to be on end-of-year lists everywhere, has published articles on banned books for Pen America and as part of John Boehner fan fiction on salon.com . . .

and Flavorwire.com named Darin Strauss' "Half a Life" as one of the "50 Books that Define the Past Five Years in Literature."

Upcoming Authors:

Nov. 26:  Jerome Lucido, LCCC English faculty member and writer of the novels, "Cotu" and "Shellfish College."

Dec. 3:  Howard Bryant, of ESPN, and author of the books "The Last Hero," "Shut Out," and "Juicing the Game."

Dec. 10:  Eric Spitznagel, contributor to Esquire, Men's Health, Bloomberg Businessweek, Rolling Stone . . . oh hell, just click on the link.

What We're Reading (or planning to read):

"Tenth of December," by 2013 National Book Award Finalist, George Saunders;  "The Good Lord Bird," by 2013 National Book Award Winner, James McBride;  "Best American Short Stories:  2013," edited by Elizabeth Strout and Heidi Pitlor;  "Bridget Jones's Diary," by Helen Fielding.

Sunday, November 3, 2013

Upcoming Authors Include Melville, Jesus

In response to listener requests, we've posted a schedule below of authors to be interviewed on our upcoming shows:

11/5:  C.J. Hribal, author of "The Company Car" (confirmed)

11/12:  Scott Beatty, of DC Comics (confirmed)

11/19:  Darin Strauss, author of "Half a Life" (confirmed)

11/26:  Herman Melville, author of "Moby Dick" (pending)

12/3:  Jesus of Nazareth, author of your redemption (pending)

Stay in touch for book news and discussions of what we're reading!  Marc and John will try to split the list of National Book Award finalists before the winner is announced November 20th.  (Considering there are 5, we'll need to borrow a saw.)  Listen, and call in!

Monday, October 28, 2013

Read First, Ask Later Spooktacular

Join us for our Tuesday, October 29 Gothic and Horror special, with guest A.T. Grant, author of "Collected Alex"!  We'll also discuss Shirley Jackson's "The Haunting of Hill House" and H.P. Lovecraft's stories, as well as the publishing industry . . .  speaking of horror!  Don't forget to call in with your questions and comments at approximately 4:15 p.m.  Marc and John can't wait to field your Twilight questions!

Monday, October 21, 2013

Episode 7 with Alissa Nutting

Join us this week as we discuss the National Book Award finalists, our favorite baseball books, and the 7 most effective habits of successful writers, none of which are exhibited by your hosts.  Listen also to our interview with Alissa Nutting, author of "Tampa" and "Unclean Jobs for Women and Girls"!

Sunday, October 13, 2013

Read First, Ask Later's Podcast Awareness Week!

Read First, Ask Later will celebrate its very own Podcast Awareness Week -- see the link above to our archive -- and post a brand new episode with guest author Elizabeth Crane later in the week;  in place of our live broadcast on wxlv and iheart radio on Tuesday at 3:30 we will air Episode 4 with Julianna Baggott.

If you haven't already, "like" our page on Facebook and follow us on Twitter @Read1stAskLater.  And check out last week's episode with guest author, Vu Tran!

Monday, October 7, 2013

Tuesday, October 7

This week we'll be discussing how reading literary fiction makes us mind readers (duh), why women outread men, and who's hot / who's not in Jane Eyre.  We'll also discuss literary forms -- and poker -- with guest author, Vu Tran

Listen and call in!  Or email us with questions to be discussed on air!

Sunday, October 6, 2013

Archive Link

Click here or the link above for an archive of our shows, including #4 with guest author Julianna Baggott!  Stay tuned for what's up next!

Thursday, September 26, 2013

10/1 Interview with Julianna Baggott!

We are smitten and flabbergasted in advance of the appearance of international literary superstar Julianna Baggott on our next show!  We'll discuss the first two books of her Pure trilogy -- Marc's reading them in French and I in Portuguese -- and other things writing and publishing. 

We'll also discuss book news, what we're reading, and in the final quarter of the show, you!  That's right -- we'll be talking about you so better to be a part of it.  Email us with questions or suggestions for the next show!

9/24 Show Rates #1 in Kazakhstan! (and 7th in Schnecksville, PA!)

Click here for Tuesday's broadcast on banned books and alcohol as the lubricating agent of love.  Historical romance author Sarah DiCello lends credibility to the show, even as the co-hosts contemplate their chronic singlehood with the benefit of a call-in from John's ex-girlfriend.

Sunday, September 22, 2013

What We're Reading for Tuesday, 9/24

In addition to our guest author Sarah DiCello (!), we're reading Mavis Gallant, Alice Munro, and Tom Perotta.  That, of course, is on top of periodicals on Lacan and the history of Nascar, which is, like, every week, hel-lo.

Saturday, September 21, 2013

Acclaimed Authors . . . and Us

In response to the overwhelming requests from listeners for a list of upcoming author appearances -- and that's just from the Philippines -- here's a tentative list of who's coming on.

No cheerleading, you say?  There will be with this group.  Marc and I have our pom-poms ready and have been practicing our pyramids!  (We're both bases.)

Read First, Ask Later:  Tuesdays, 3:30 to 4:30 p.m.

9/24:  Sarah DiCello, author of the Breaking Fate series (and former student of Mr. Marc Bonanni)

10/1:  Julianna Baggott, author of the Pure trilogy (and currently awesome person)

10/8:  Alissa Nutting, author of Tampa (and former peer of John Nardone and current Facebook friend of Marc Bonanni)

10/15:  Elizabeth Crane, author of We Only Know So Much (and former speaker at an event attended by John Nardone in 2007)

10/22:  Vu Tran, author of "The Gift of Years" (and current friend and former poker nemesis of John Nardone)

Remember:  Don't ask questions.  Start reading, for goodness sakes.

First Live Broadcast!

Here's the link to our first live broadcast, from Tuesday, September 17!

If our discussion of Jonathan Franzen's notice of the apocalypse isn't uplifting enough for you, our contemplation of Margaret Atwood's life after humanity in the MaddAddam trilogy will brighten your day!  Co-host Marc Bonanni discusses his iheart radio invitation (albeit lost in the mail) to meet Katy Perry.  Our special guest author, Mark Canter, discusses the dramatization of Jesus and our callers convey the essential, emotional-void plugging nature of the program.  Other bad-boy literary topics are discussed, as usual.

Listen in and try to catch us live, Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. on wxlv.org and iheart.com;   and call us at 610.799.4141 with questions.

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Tuesday's Upcoming Show

We'll be LIVE this Tuesday, September 17th, for our discussions on Jonathan Franzen v. Amazon, niceness in online book reviews, Margaret Atwood's final installment of the MaddAddam trilogy, and frankly whatever else comes up.  After all, we'll be LIVE. 

In the second half of the program we'll have on special guest author, Mark Canter . . . and YOU:  LISTEN -- did I mention we'll be LIVE? -- this Tuesday from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. on wxlv.org and iheart.com and CALL IN at (610) 799-4141 with any question or comment on the world of fiction and books.

Marc and John