EP99: The Second-to-Last Episode

That's right, folks. This is the second-to-last episode of "John Updike's Ghost," which will end with Episode 100. But not to worry! We'll be launching a new podcast not long afterward, with a new name and a little bit of a new focus. In the meantime, though, we've got a cracker-jack episode for you this week, with a bunch of books we really like. Here's the deal:  - "Flashlight" by Susan Choi, which is one of those books you tell other people about. The history of Korea-Japan-China conflict is at its heart.  - "The Wall," by Marlen Haushofer (translated by Shaun Whiteside), which is a classic of post-apocalyptic Feminist literature, and completely delivers, with a story of self-sufficiency that speaks to the essence of humanity's relationship with nature.  - "A Month in the Country," by J.L. Carr, which a classic of pastoral literature, a treatise on hard work well done and the value of rural community. - "Fonseca," by Jessica Francis Kane, which is the made-up story of author Penelope Fitzgerald's apocryphal trip to Mexico (look up who Penelope is; she's dope).  - "Heartbreaker," by Mike Campbell and Ari Surdoval, which is among the best musician memoirs ever produced, the story of the creation of Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers, but so much more than that.