BookCast is an ongoing series where we delve into novels set in an academic context.  For the 10th edition of BookCast, Garth Casbourn, Milan Mamman, and Mark Ambrogio discuss the 2006 novel Special Topics in Calamity Physics, by Marisha Pessl.
Special Topics in Calamity Physics is a darkly hilarious coming-of-age tale and a richly plotted suspense story, told with dazzling intelligence and wit.  This novel won the inaugural John Sargent, Sr. First Novel Prize in 2006.In their discussion, Garth, Milan and Mark share their analysis of the novel, combined with some first-hand experience of academic life.Recorded on Friday, February 27, 2026Produced by Mark AmbrogioTheme song provided by FreeBeats.io (Produced by WhiteHot)

For this edition of #BookCast, your hosts Garth Casbourn, Meghan Voll, and Scott Walters cover the unique writing of People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks, a tale based on a real and highly important Jewish prayer book told through fictional vignettes of its history. Hanna is a book conservator tasked with restoring a famous (and very real) copy of the Haggadah Jewish text that has experienced a tumultuous past. Blending actual history with fictional accounts of the text's origins and mysterious migrations through time, and telling the stories of the people, both real and imagined, that brought it to the present. We discuss the uncommon structure of this novel, the historic foundations of Brooks sweeping epic, and several of the principal themes. Join us in exploring what has been described as "an erudite Davinci Code".
This episode was recorded on June 4, 2025
Produced by Scott Walters
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For this edition of #BookCast, we dive deep into The Secret History by Donna Tart, the origin of the dark academia genre. Join us as we discuss the book, which follows a student at a prestigious New England College, where he experiences new friends, an eclectic professor, and murder. The Secret History is a novel heavily laced with classical symbolism, and we discuss some of the central themes as well as engage in a breakdown of the main characters.
This episode was recorded on March 5, 2025
Produced by Scott Walters
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For our seventh episode of #BookCast, we discuss “The Book of Two Ways” by Jodi Picoult—a story that explores whether we make our choices—or our choices make us. Our story begins with a plane-crash, where our main character, Dawn Edelstein is faced with the choice to return home to her life as a death-doula, or continue on to Egypt to complete her doctoral studies researching the coffin-texts and “Book of Two Ways”, a map of routes souls can take to the afterlife.
Join Riya Sidhu, Garth Casbourn, Scott Walters, resident Egyptologist: Maris Schneider, and Meghan Voll as we dive into the book’s main themes and quirks, such as it’s non-linear writing style, the duality of life and death, the nature of choices, and selfless versus selfish action. This podcast edit features a reveal of the next title in our ongoing series. 
Aired February 6th, 2025 at 11 AM on Radio Western, 94.9 FM in London, Ontario.
Recorded on January 28, 2025
Produced by Scott Walters
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

In our sixth installment of our #BookCast mini-series, we discuss Fifth Business, by Robertson Davies. The novel builds upon childhood events and grows into a personal epic spanning decades of national and world history, centered through the perspective of an older academic looking back over his life. The story begins, and the main characters all originate from, Deptford, a fictional town based on the real community of Thamesville, Ontario.  Join us as your hosts Garth Casbourne, Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and Scott Walters dive into some of the book's main themes, including spirituality, ageing & changing perspectives, and socioeconomics.
The podcast edit features an extended discussion by Mark on the concept of unreliable narrators, and Meghan reveals the next title in our ongoing series.
Aired December 5th at 11 AM on Radio Western, 94.9 FM in London, Ontario.
Recorded on November 27, 2024
Produced by Scott Walters
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For our fifth installment of our book club series, the #BookCast team read Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi.  Join us for a discussion led by Garth Casbourn with co-hosts Meghan Voll, Riya Sidhu, and Scott Walters. 
We dive into the complex narrative of Gifty, a young scientist getting her PhD at Stanford, attempting to discover secrets behind addictive behavior. This story is one of grief, hope, childhood trauma, conflicts between faith and science, and racism and immigration in North America.
We'll cover many of the books themes and writing devices, its approach at describing science and graduate student life, and talk about the challenges faced by the protagonist both in the lab and her difficult past.
ADVISORY: This book has themes of addiction and overdose that are central to the story. In the second part of our conversation, we dive into these topics. Some listeners may wish to either avoid or prepare for this portion of our episode.
Airing October 31th at 11 AM on Radio Western.
Recorded on October 2, 2024
Produced by Scott Walters
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For our August book of the month, the #BookCast team tackled The Love Hypothesis by Ali Hazelwood, the discussion led by Meghan Voll and joined by Mark Ambrogio, Garth Casbourn and Maria Khan. The team looks at the writing style, character development, accuracy to real-life academia and problematic elements in the storyline. Will this experiment combust in our protagonist's face? Airing September 5 at 11 AM on Radio Western.
Recorded on August 22, 2024
Produced by Maria Khan
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For our July book of the month, the #BookCast crew reads Lucky Jim by Kingsley Amis. Tune in a discussion of the novel led by Garth Casbourn featuring hosts Scott Walters, Meghan Voll, Mark Ambrogio, and special guest Helen Button! We discuss the literary format of the novel, its relation to our experiences as academics, and the historical context behind this witty work of fiction! Airing August 29 at 11am on Radio Western.
Recorded on August 13, 2024
Produced by Scott Walters, Edited by Amalie Hutchinson
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot
Audio clip from Lucky Jim (1957) - British Lion Films

Join us for our second edition of #BookCast where we discuss The Dreamers by Karen Thompson Walker. Your hosts for this episode are Mark Ambrogio, Amalie Hutchinson, Meghan Voll, Scott Walters and Garth Casbourn. Note for listeners, this episode contains many spoilers! Sweet dreams....
Recorded on July 16, 2024
Produced by Amalie Hutchinson
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot

For our first #BookCast recording, hosts Scott Walters, Amalie Hutchinson, Mark Ambrogio, Garth Casbourn, and Meghan Voll discuss The Idiot by Elif Batuman. Join our book club for a discussion about writing style, dissociation with the world around you, and how we can all relate to being a bit of an idiot. 
Note: no spoilers, so if you've read the book already or haven't yet, you'll be able to enjoy this podcast.
Recorded on April 9, 2024
Produced by Amalie Hutchinson
Theme song provided by https://freebeats.io/ Produced by White Hot