Lit Society: Books and Drama

S2E1: We're Back! Let's Catch up (No Book)

After a lengthy and well-deserved winter break, we're back and ready to read, reflect, and roar with laughter! We're starting off our second season with book recommendations for people who hate reading (no judgment!). Then, we play a quick game of book trivia. Play along from home and see if you can beat Alexis – who LOVES being put on the spot (see: S1 Episode 36: Self Made). Finally, we chat about what we've been reading since we've been gone and what you can look forward to in 2021. Let's get LIT!. . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Season Finale: The Meaning of Mariah Carey by Mariah Carey and Michaela Angela Davis

Mariah Carey is a girl from New York state whose mom was Irish and her father, Black. She has a brother and sister but no family. 
What she does have is the following:
The most weeks at number one on Billboard's Hot 100 Chart for any artist in American history
19 number-one singles – second only to the Beatles
The honor of being the only artist to have a number-one single in each year of a decade (!!!)
The honor of being the first female artist to debut at number one in the States
5 Grammy Awards
19 World Music Awards
10 American Music Awards
15 Billboard Music Awards
A place in the Songwriters Hall of Fame
When people had to save up, wake up, stand in line, and wait to hear their favorite artist, they were buying her albums by the MILLIONS. Her talent is undeniable. 
 
This is the story of a real-life person named Mariah, aka Me-Me, aka the Elusive Chanteuse, aka M.C. The meaning of Mariah is a memoir by one of the greatest singer/songwriters of our generation. Within its pages, she talks about the people who almost killed her, tried to get her hooked on drugs, tried to get her pimped, and tried to kill her dreams - all before she turned 18 years old. She also gives her honest opinion regarding her triumphs and failures and the cast of people who opened their hearts to let her in when those tasked with the job failed to be reliable.
 
Please enjoy this, the final episode of our 2020 season. Thank you, all of you, for listening to our show and validating the time we spend on this project of which we're so proud. Please take care of yourself and those you love. We'll see you on January 14, 2021.
 
Alexis and Kari

Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires by Shomari Wills

This week's theme: How to Find Success After Losing Your Job. This theme is inspired by this week's book: The country has just suffered a civil war. Households are divided, as is the nation. From the last generation of men and women born into slavery, an industrious group of individuals will become the first Black American self-made millionaires. One book tells their true story. The book is Black Fortunes: The Story of the First Six African Americans Who Escaped Slavery and Became Millionaires . . . Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.
 
 
 

Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper

Word up! Words have meaning, and behind every great definition is a pale, emaciated lexicographer melting away under the fire of language. What does "take" mean in "to take a nap," and how is that "take" different from "take" in "taken aback" or "take a meeting" or "take a poop." With sharp wit and a terrifying large vocabulary, one writer busts wide open the complex, obsessive world of lexicography. The seemingly dullest profession in the world is painted like a new branch of the Marvel universe thanks to her keen knack for honest storytelling and her passion for logophilia. In the end, three things are clear: our language is constantly changing, the people who define it are insane, and no matter how hallowed you consider its page, the dictionary is not a holy book. The lexicographer: Kory Stamper. The book: Word by Word: The Secret Life of Dictionaries by Kory Stamper. . .Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The Diary Of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

Forgoing a theme this week, we're doing a COVID Quarantine check-in. How've you been? How's your mental and physical health? Let's talk about it. Then, on to our book: One vibrant, confident young german girl is successfully navigating her way through adolescence when her country revokes her citizenship, leaving her a stateless pariah. She is to suffocate her dreams, pause her life, and restrict her waking hours to the exhausting aim of survival, living day after day in a series of rooms behind a bookshelf, never knowing if this will be the last day of her life. Her name is Anne Frank. The Book: The Diary of a Young Girl. Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë

The theme this week: How to Deal with Disappointment. The story: It is a tale of undying passion born of loneliness and shame, a type of force that consumes everything in its path and leaves only gloom and death in its wake. Did we mention the two who share this love are foster siblings? They are. Anywhoo … not not judging. The lover's name: Heathcliff. The book: Wuthering Heights. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

White Like Her by Gail Lukasik

This week's theme: Tips for Finding Your Ancestors. Our book: One woman learns the secret her mother has spent a lifetime hiding. She vows to remain silent, but when her mother dies, she must decide: will she pass on her mother's lie or will she expose her family to the world. The woman's name is Gail Lukasik. The book: White Like Her. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Kindred by Octavia E. Butler

This week's theme: How to Deal with Hostile People. The book on which our theme's based: It is the first published science fiction novel written by a black woman, the story of a 26-year-old writer living in California. One day, she is inexplicably ripped from her home and thrown into antebellum Maryland. There awaits her more than a few tough decisions and a puzzle that must be solved before she can ever return home for good. Her name is Dana. The book is Kindred. And you're listening to LIT Society. Let's get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe

The theme this week: Fear and violent behavior. Circa 1890, somewhere in the southeast of present-day Nigeria, a powerful man has built his life on the foundations of pride and fearlessness. Determined to be the exact opposite of his lazy father, he rules his world with an iron fist. Still, he cannot escape the plagues of time and change. His name is Okonkwo. The book is Things Fall Apart. And you’re listening to lit society. Let’s get LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.

The Murder of Roger Ackroyd by Agatha Christie

The theme this week: Gossip. One death leads to another in this case involving two influential families in one small town. Word on the curb is that a few people could be the murderer, and local gossip may lead to an arrest. Fortunately, like Jordan in '95, a famous Belgian detective comes out of retirement and he's ready to save us all! But will he crack this case in time to save the accused? The detective: Hercule Poirot. The book: The Murder of Roger Ackroyd. LET'S GET LIT! ... Find Alexis and Kari online: Instagram — www.instagram.com/litsocietypod/; Twitter — twitter.com/litsocietypod; Facebook — www.facebook.com/LitSocietyPod/; and our website www.LitSocietyPod.com. Get in on the conversation by using #booksanddrama.