“The Great Winnowing”

Choosing Books for a Literary Podcast

Photo by David Kern

As an enthusiastic, diverse and somewhat well-rounded reader, I have taken part in, been a member of, organized and sometimes managed book clubs. These book clubs have been as varied in their appearance as those in attendance, ranging in size from an intimate handful of literary individuals to as many as might fill a room. The clubs have also ranged in discussions from what one thought of a book or character to all-out heated discussions when someone’s political agenda entered. It’s been an interesting journey.

Recently, I’ve ditched book clubs. I’ve ditched everything that has been distracting me from getting the most from a good read; ditched reading awful books simply because they have made a “bestseller” list; and in the place of another club of literature posturing, I have found a community of like-minded readers in Close Reads.

For those who do not know what Close Reads is, it’s a “podcast for the incurable reader”, hosted by David Kern, proprietor of Goldberry Books in Concord, North Carolina. The panelists on the podcast vary, but are at it’s core, strong, literary individuals who bring a wealth of knowledge and diverse backgrounds to the discussions; and all are as incurable a reader as the community they address. It’s a breath of fresh air to belong to this community, to witness a book, or a character come to life through the discussions, and to feel a certain satisfaction with one’s own reading life at the end of the year — finishing the year, not by the number of books read, but the quality of the books that were read and the vibrant discussions about them.

Will there be a discussion of Victorian society and morals as played out in Thomas Hardy’s classic, Tess of the d’Urbervilles; or will the refurbished fresco in an old church reveal who is buried beyond the church wall in unconsecrated ground, as discovered in J.L. Carr’s A Month in the Country; or maybe there is a contrasting of characters, both good and evil and their ability to make choices as found in John Steinbeck’s East of Eden. Whatever is discussed, it’s always fun, always a lively discussion, and if you’ll pardon the pun, a close read.

Each year, the host and a group of panelists sit down together and choose 12 books that will be read throughout the coming year. The community covers all genres of literature… from the classics to contemporary fiction to science fiction and anything one may find in

between. For the incurable reader, it’s an exceptionally exciting time when the books are chosen, much like an early Christmas present.

I invite anyone who is a reader or would like to be a better reader, to listen to the following podcast where four panelists winnow down a listing of book suggestions from the Close Reads community. This podcast will introduce anyone who may be interested in listening to good literate discussions on books of all typeom bestsellers to those a little more obscure or one that is a true classic of literature. I hope you enjoy Close Reads as much as I do. Many thanks to David Kern for allowing me to provide this podcast for you.

The List

The books that were chosen for 2023 by the panelists represent a diversity of reads: three classics, two Pulitzer winners; a Hugo winner; a British mystery; a look into a Siberian labor camp and man’s will to prevail over conditions; a story of man’s futile resistance to change; and an autobiographical novel in the voice of an Iranian refugee. It’s going to be a very good year for reading, indeed!

Scarlett Letter, Nathanial Hawthorne (Karen Swallow Prior, annotated edition. Professor Prior is Research Professor of English and Christianity and Culture at the Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and will be joining the panelists for the discussions. She is amazing!)

Persuasion, Jane Austen

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde

Pygmalion, George Bernard Shaw

The Optimist’s Daughter, Eudora Welty, Pulitzer Prize

A Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, Alexander Solzhenitsyn

The Diary of a Country Priest, George’s Bernanos

Things Fall Apart, Chinua Achebe

The Moving Toyshop, Edmund Crispin

Everything Sad is Untrue, Daniel Nayeri

The Netanyahus, Josh Cohen, Pulitzer Prize

A Canticle for Liebowitz, William Miller, Hugo Prize

For anyone who may be interested, you can find Close Reads on Substack. I encourage you to, at the very least, to sign up for their podcasts and newsletters.