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PODCAST

Close Reads Podcast

Goldberry Studios

Close Reads is a book-club podcast for the incurable reader co-hosted by David Kern, Heidi White, Sean Johnson, and occasionally Tim McIntosh. We read good books and talk about them. This is a show for amateurs in the best sense. This is not an experts show: we’re book lovers, book enthusiasts. Our goal is have empathetic and intelligent conversations about good books. Close Reads is produced by Goldberry Studios, the podcast wing of Goldberry Books, a family-run indie bookshop in Concord, NC

arts books

All Episodes

65:50

The Jane Austen Heist Draft

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/03/17

Welcome to the Jane Austen heist draft, in which each of us will build a six-member crew of Jane Austen characters to perpetrate a heist, Oceans 11 style. In this case, we’re stealing back a long lost Turner painting from Captain Rushworth, who has (wrongly) claimed it as his own. Who has the best crew? That’s up to you. Happy listening! Note: The Q&A for A Tale of Two Cities will run next Monday. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus

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75:14

A Tale of Two Cities: Final Chapters

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/03/11

And so we come to the end of Charles Dicken’s A Tale of Two Cities! In this episode, we discuss the sometimes complicated nature of reading and writing historical fiction, the way Dickens ratchets up the drama in the section, the wonderful confrontation between Miss Pross and Madame Defarge, and much more! As always, thanks for listening and happy reading! Want to ask a quesiton for next week’s Q&A? You can do so here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers

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33:12

Now Available to Pre-order: "The Divided Soul: Duty...

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/03/04

In this very special episode we go behind-the-scenes with Heidi on her forthcoming book! What’s the origin story? Why is the topic so important to her? What was it like to write? How’s she feeling now? Plus Tim’s here! What a momentous day. Happy listening! Want to pre-order your copy? Click here. This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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71:36

A Tale of Two Cities: Book 3, Chapters 1-8

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/03/03

Welcome back to our ongoing series on Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities! This week we’re chatting about scenes that make this section exciting, the political context of the story, what Dickens’ worldview seems to be based on some of the metaphors he uses in the book, and much more. Happy listening!Click here to support Bandersnatch Book’s book of poetry for children! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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69:29

A Tale of Two Cities: Part 2, Chapters 7-13

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/02/10

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation about Charles Dickens’ classic novel! In this episode, we discuss what the book is revealing itself to be about, the question of villainy in the story, the importance of the historical context, the differences in the various men who love Lucie, Dickens use of symblism, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you'd like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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75:21

A Tale of Two Cities: Book 1, Chapters 1-6

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/01/28

Over the years, many of you have asked us to discuss a Dickens novel and it’s finally time! Over the next several episodes we are going to dig into A Tale of Two Cities. But fair warning: as we get into the book we do spend some time explaining why we’re not necessarily Dickens enthusiasts, before getting into what really works well. (Don’t worry, we won’t dwell further on the things we don’t love, but it would be strange to not address it given our collective reputation on this count). Happy

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70:36

The Bridge of San Luis Rey: To the End

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/01/14

It’s time to dig into the end of Thornton Wilder’s lovely novel and in this episode we’re discussing the impact (and epilogue-like nature) of the final chapter, the spiritual contemplations inherent in the narrative, the way Wilder manages to say something powerful about the nature of love, and much more. Happy listening!Video editionA quick note on video: some listeners have requested that we post videos of the show. We’re open to this and will try it, since it does seem to be the future of

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51:56

The Bridge of San Luis Rey: Parts 1-3

Close Reads Podcast ·

2025/01/06

Welcome to the first episode of 2025 here on Close Reads! Our first book of the year is a short but powerful contemplation of , well, the meaning of life and death. Great way to kick off a new year . . . Topics of conversation include whether this is an unbearably sad book, the complex (mirrored) relationships at the core of the story, the nesting doll structure of the narrative, the echoes of Jesus’ teaching that show up, and much more. Happy listening!Close Reads Podcast HQ is a

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83:35

The Great Passion: Q&A Episode

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/12/31

We’ve come to the end of our series on James Runcie’s novel, The Great Passion, which (as usual) means it’s time for a Q&A episode and this time we have a very special guest: our friend Greg Wilbur, who happens to a conductor and composer who has also authored a biography of Bach himself. Greg joined us to chat about his experience with The Great Passion and to answer some of your questions. Happy listening (and happy new year)! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other

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58:45

The Great Passion: To the End

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/12/24

Merry Christmas from all of us at Close Reads! In this episode we’re chatting about the final chapters of James Runcie’s lovely novel, The Great Passion. Topics of conversation include the way this book is perfect for the Christmas season, how Runcie portrays the performance of the Passion in the book, what the epilogue accomplishes, and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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90:12

The Year in the Reading Episode

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/12/21

It’s that time of year! In this annual tradition we’re sharing our top five reads of 2024 (as well as a slew of honorable mentions). Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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64:04

The Great Passion: Chapters 13-18

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/12/16

Welcome back to our ongoing conversation about James Runcie’s The Great Passion. In this episode we discuss the book’s ongoing contemplation about the way platitude’s rarely can solve the problem of real grief; how it explores spiritual questions; the complicated nature of Catharina’s relationship with Stefan; and much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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49:57

The Great Passion: Chapters 1-6

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/12/02

We’re on to a new book: James Runcie’s The Great Passion, a contemporary book that blends a variety of genres in a really delightful fashion. On this episode we discuss how he pulls it off. Plus: the way music is an ongoing motif in the construction of the story, why it’s such a re-readable book, how Bach is portrayed, and much more. Happy reading! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit

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54:01

Station Eleven: Parts 1 & 2

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/10/28

Welcome to a new series here on Close Reads, in which we’re digging into Emily St. John Mandel’s award-winning, best-selling contemporary novel, Station Eleven, a book which became eerily prescient during peak Covid days. Topics of conversation on this first episode include: * the experience of reading a book which fictionalized events which almost seemed to actually have happened (sort of) . . .* why this novel was so popular (including during Covid lockdowns)* the parallels between the events of

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51:42

Vipers' Tangle: Q&A Episode

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/10/23

As is our custom here on Close Reads, we’re concluding this series on Francois Mauriac’s Vipers’ Tangle by answering some of your questions. We talk about Mauriac’s bibliography and biography, conversion stories in literature, Louis’ evolving heart, and much more! Thanks for tuning in and happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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70:23

Vipers' Tangle: To the End

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/10/14

Now that we’ve read all of Mauriac’s Vipers’ Tangle, we can discuss the details. So in this episode, we dig into the degree to which we can trust the narrator as the novel goes on, the degree to which his children are malicious, and the degree to which he’s truly changed/saved in the end. And so much more. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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56:11

Live Episode: Is Flannery O'Connor Funny?

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/10/11

Flannery O’Connor’s fiction has been described as “gothic,” “violent,” “unsentimental,” even “grotesque.” Yet it is also often described as funny. How can both be true? Well in this episode the whole gang is back together to discuss that very question during a live recording that took place at our recent “Close Reads on the Road” event in Concord, NC. So join us as we explore O’Connor’s famous story, “Good Country People” and try to ascertain where the humor in her work comes from and why it

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59:38

Vipers' Tangle: Chapters 11-15

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/10/08

Welcome back to Close Reads. This week we’re discussing the way Vipers’ Tangle shift gears in this section and what it means for our understanding of the characters, the goals of the book, and our interaction with it. Plus: lots of conversation about Isa and marriage. Happy reading! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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70:11

Vipers' Tangle: Chapters 6-10

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/09/30

Welcome back to Close Reads! This week we discuss why Vipers’ Tangle isn’t better known, the degree to which the book wants to be sympathetic with the narrator, where we’re supposed to trust his perceptions, and some areas the book might fall short of being truly great (to David, anyway). Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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56:59

Viper's Tangle: Chapters 1-5

Close Reads Podcast ·

2024/09/24

This week we kick off a new book with some conversation about Sean’s obsession with Graham Greene, why books about spiritual struggle are so compelling, whether this book has an unreliable narrator, and the difference between a novelist who is Catholic and a Catholic who is a novelist. Happy listening! This is a public episode. If you’d like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit closereads.substack.com/subscribe

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