Bookish: A Casual Book Club

Highbrow vs Lowbrow

Get ready to spill the tea on literary snobbery! This episode of Bookish: A Casual Book Club, Laura, Kofi, and Sylvia dive into the often-murky waters of "high brow" vs. "low brow" literature. Is it the Pulitzer, the plot, or the price tag that dictates a book's perceived worth? Join the crew for a lively discussion that might just change how you look at the books on your own shelf.
P.S. Every book lover should read what they love, guilt-free!

Razorblade Tears by S. A. Cosby

This month Bookish takes on S. A. Cosby's gripping crime thriller, Razorblade Tears. After their gay sons are brutally murdered, two ex-cons from vastly different worlds must set aside their prejudice and partner up to confront their shared tragedy. Join Sylvia, Kofi, and Laura as they explore race, sexuality, and classism in this powerful, relentless story of grief, fatherhood, redemption, and a desperate pursuit of justice in the face of deep-seated hate.

Summer Wrap Up 2025

The summer is over, the pages are settled, and it's time for Bookish to check in! In this highly anticipated follow-up episode, Sylvia, Kofi, and Laura revisit their ambitious Summer Reading Lists. They’ll discuss which books lived up to the hype, which ones got shelved for later, and how their seasonal reading expectations measured up to reality. Whether you’re into literary fiction, poetry collections, or “long reads,” join this honest, casual look at the joy (and occasional failure) of summer book challenges.

Summer Reading Picks 2025

What’s on your summer reading list? In this episode of Bookish: A Casual Book Club, Howard Community College English professors Sylvia, Kofi, and Laura share their top book picks for summer 2025 and unpack why summer reading just feels different.
From urgent poetry and experimental memoir to international fiction and visionary manifestos, the trio offers a vibrant set of book recommendations for every kind of reader. Whether you’re tackling a summer reading challenge or just looking for your next beach read, this episode is packed with literary gems and thoughtful takes on the idea of “seasonal reading.”
Sylvia’s picks include:
Bright Red Fruit by Safia Elhillo
Bluff by Danez Smith
Emergent Strategy by adrienne maree brown
Find Me As the Creature I Am by Emily Jungmin Yoon
Laura’s list features:
There There by Tommy Orange
Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
Bluff by Danez Smith
Kofi recommends:
The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz
Guapa by Saleem Haddad
In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad
Exit West by Mohsin Hamid
Listen now to discover new authors, unpack the power of summer reading rituals, and get inspired to start your own reading list.
More episodes of Bookish are available here.
Produced by Dragon Media Podcasts at Howard Community College

Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan

This week, join Laura, Sylvia, and Kofi as they dive into Claire Keegan's acclaimed novella, "Small Things Like These." The trio explores the book's themes, characters, and the powerful storytelling that has captivated readers worldwide. They also debate whether the book truly deserves the title of "the perfect book" as touted on TikTok. Tune in for thoughtful insights, lively discussions, and a few laughs along the way.
 
Follow us on socials for more updates & episodes on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook 

F’d Up Books

This week, our hosts Kofi, Sylvia, and Laura take a deliciously taboo deep dive into the books that mess us up—in the best way. From Faulkner’s Absalom, Absalom! to Nabokov’s Lolita, Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, Kesey’s One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest, and Yanagihara’s A Little Life, we’re talking about the reads that leave you gutted, haunted, and somehow... wanting more.
Why do we love books that break all the rules? What do these messy, morally complex stories say about the world—and about us? Buckle up for a bumpy ride through trauma, obsession, broken systems, and beautiful prose.
Because let’s be honest: the more f’d up the book, the deeper the obsession.

The Parade by Dave Eggers

In this episode, Kofi, Sylvia, and Laura discuss Dave Eggers’ novel, The Parade (2019). They dive into the allegorical story about two men, Four and Nine, who are charged with paving a road between two cities in a country that had been ravaged by war.

The Vegetarian by Han Kang

In this episode, Kofi, Sylvia, and Laura discuss The Vegetarian by Han Kang, translated by Deborah Smith. They talk about the novel's themes and the controversy around its translation. Han Kang is a South Korean author. She is the recipient of this year’s Nobel Prize in literature.

Joyful Readings

In this episode, Kofi, Sylvia, and Laura share their thoughts on readings that inspire joy or delight. They mention The Book of Delights by Ross Gay, What Comes Next and How to Like it by Abigail Thomas, One Man’s Meat by EB White, An Alphabet for Gourmets by MFK Fisher, and “Vertigo” by Les Murray.

James by Percival Everett

In this episode, Kofi, Sylvia, and Laura report back on their summer reading and dive into a discussion of James by Percival Everett. Spoiler Alert: We do talk about the ending of James!