Beyond the PhIrst Page

Chapter 3 of the Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast is celebrating the 250th Anniversary of America by reading texts about the American Revolution in collaboration with the "We The People x Library of America Bookmobile Tour." The siblings decided to read "Common Sense" by Thomas Paine, selections from "Black Writers of the Founding Era" and selections from "American Women’s Suffrage: Voices from the Long Struggle for the Vote 1776–1965." Follow along this chapter as we read these inspiring texts and check out the Bookmobile Tour as it goes through the 13 original colonies.

In this episode of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast the siblings get to talk with Don who studied philosophy at Princeton and focused specifically on the presocratic philosophers. There is no place this discussion doesn't go from Hollywood all the way to feminism isim in ancient greek texts. As always they end the episode with their recommendations if you liked Stephen Fry's retelling of the Odyssey as well as their ratings of the book.

This episode the siblings are discussing a classic in Emily Brontë's Wuthering Heights. They discuss how the trailers to this new release give very different vibes than this novel does. This is less a love story and more of a revenge story. Phil also shares a few historical tidbits that really shed light on this story. As always, they end with book recommendations and their ratings of this book.

Beyond the PhIrst Page discusses Hamnet which is Maggie O’Farrell’s take on why Shakespeare wrote Hamlet. This book is unique because it is told from the perspective of Shakespeare’s wife Agnes or Anne Hathaway. The siblings discuss with Max who majored in Preforming Media Art at Cornell University about the subtle nods to Hamlet that this book had as well as the accessibility of this novel on the whole. As always they close with ratings and books to read if you enjoyed Hamnet. 

Chapter 2 is centered around recent books to movie adaptations.

The siblings saved the best for last! They close out Chapter One of 2026 with In the Woods by Tana French. The last installation in their detective novel chapter. They talk about how good this book is all around, plot, characters, and writing. This is a book for everyone but especially people who love a phycological murder mystery that will leave you wanting another book with these same characters! As always they close out with their ratings and books they recommend if you liked In the Woods.

Club Meeting 56 finds the siblings discussing book two in their Detective Novel Chapter: The Late Show by Michael Connelly. The siblings dub this book and series a classic for readers looking for a true cop book. They discuss the way that Connelly ties together his universe as well as somehow drawing a comparison between Renee Ballard, the main character, and a gynecologist?? Listen till the end to hear other detective novel recommendations and what the siblings rated this book!

This weeks episode kicks of the first book in Chapter One, our chapter on detective novels! We are starting off with a book by Anthony Horowitz called The Word is Murder. The unique aspect of this book is that Horowitz himself is a character in the book. The siblings discuss this nontraditional take on a detective novel, the parallels between this book and Sherlock Holmes and if red herrings are a cope out in mysteries. The siblings guest is an Oklahoma City Librarian and she gives great tidbits on using your local library and book clubs.

Happy 2026! This year the Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast is breaking up their segments into Chapters. Each Chapter will have a theme giving the second pagers a couple of really good options to read within a specific theme of book. To start of the siblings read 3 different detective novels and are going to discuss them for chapter one. Listen to this episode first to see which of the 3 you would be most interested in reading and then come back later in the chapter to hear the discussion about the books you read!

On the final episode of Season Two of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast, the siblings discuss The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho. This book is a great New Years book since it is all about following your dreams and achieving your goals. The siblings discuss the religious aspects of this book as well as the overwhelming amount of life lessons packed into the pages of this short novel. As always at the end the siblings give book recommendations and rate this read. 

This club meeting the siblings discuss Claire Keegan's Small Things Like These. A short story set in a small Irish town. They discuss how they saw the actions of the main character differently from each other. They also talk about how much they enjoyed Keegan's writing and were happy to read a second book by her for the podcast. As always they closed with their ratings and suggestions if you are looking for more books like this fabulous short story.

This week on the PhIrst Page Podcast the siblings talk with the one and only Evan Cornell or as they like to call him "Dad." Evan talks with them about one of his favorite children's books "The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane" by Kate Dicamillo. They discuss how great the characters are, how well executed the writing is and how deep and poignant the message is. This episode really shows where the siblings got their love of books from. As always they end with ratings and their book recommendations.

In episode 50 of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast the siblings discuss Gender Queer by Maia Kobabe with Summer Boismier. Summer is currently a doctoral candidate and was a former English teacher who resigned in protest of the HB1775 bill that was passed in the state of Oklahoma which mandated the censorship of some reading materials. To comply with this law, she covered those reading materials with the message books the state does not want you to read with a QR code to the Brooklyn Public Library Banned Books Initiative.  In the episode they discuss censorship and the importance of represenatioin in literature as well as the uniqueness of this memoir format because it is a graphic novel.

The siblings discuss one of their favorite reads this year. Project Hail Mary is a feel good sci-fi that had their attention from start to finish. The siblings discuss how Andy Weir makes all the scientific aspects of the book seem easy even to readers like them with no scientific background. They also discuss the amazing character development and how the story is a great balance of suspense and successes. As always they end with ratings, 5 stars all around, and recommendations for books like Project Hail Mary.

This book and club meeting gave the siblings quite the fright! We Used to Live Here by Marcus Kliewer was the perfect horror/thriller to tee up the Halloween season. The siblings discussed what differentiates a horror and a thriller as well as talked about how men writing female characters can be a total smash or a swing and a miss. As always the siblings discuss what books you would like if you liked this suspense filled book and closed out with their ratings for We Used to Live Here.

Don't have time to read a 1,200 page long book? Don't worry Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast has you! We read Mark Twain by Ron Chernow and are discussing the highlights of the book from the authors potential bias towards Twain to all the hilarious quotes the great American Author had. As always listen to the end for our ratings and recommendations if you liked Mark Twain!

This episode is a fan pick and surely a fan favorite! The siblings talk with their friend Kevin about the timelessness of this C.S. Lewis masterpiece. It has the bones of the ideal fantasy and you can look into the allegory of Christianity or just enjoy it for all the fantastical elements it offers. The siblings laugh about funny quotes and Turkish delight as well as discuss the merits of audio books for those who have busy lives but love to read! As always the siblings finish off with book recommendations and their ratings.

The siblings discuss Patriot by Alexei Navalny with Greg Wall who shares a great perspective on the background of the Russian opposition leading up to the attempt on Navalny's life and subsequent incarceration. The discussion really has the reader thinking with topics like Kissinger's Philosophy and Letter from Birmingham Jail. The siblings and Greg also discuss love of country vs state to round out the discussion. As always listen to the end to find out what the book clubbers recommend if you liked Patriot!

Beyond the PhIrst Page discusses another fantasy read this week! Blood Over Bright Haven has a shocking magical system for the siblings to discuss in this weeks book club. The book also has the siblings contemplating what real life injustices this book is drawing comparisons. They get a bit philosophical as well discussing intent versus' actions and what makes a good person. Listen till the end to get recommendations if you liked Blood Over Bright Haven and to hear what they are discussing next time on the podcast!

This episode will have listeners laughing along with the siblings as they discuss the hilarious novel by Jonas Jonasson. This book creatively weaves the past 100 years of history into one mans life in the most light hearted way possible. The siblings discuss the translation and how well done they think it is along with all their favorite parts from The 100-Year-Old-Man. As always at the end they discuss ratings and what listeners should read if they liked this book!

This weeks read got 5 stars from all 3 of the siblings! It was a must read book for the PhIrst Page Podcast and the siblings discuss many of the things they loved about this book. The historical aspect of this book spanned a time period and part of the world that none of them were familiar with and that is what really stood out to them. They also discuss the cultural aspect of this book and how the characters customs were very different than their own. As always the ended with recommendations on what to read next for readers if they like this book.

The siblings take on a gothic novel that delivers on all things grotesque for Club Meeting 41. Geek Love by Katherine Dunn is a masterpiece that the siblings speculate wouldn't have seen the light of day in today's day and age. The characters give the siblings endless things to discuss making this book yet another awesome read for the club. The siblings also reminisce about their favorite fair memories. They wrap up with their ratings and books people should read if they enjoyed Geek Love.

At the recommendation of the second pagers, the siblings discuss We Do not Part by Nobel winner Han Kang for their 40th club meeting. They are joined by Bo Stewart, a childhood friend and avid book recommender! Bo shares some great thoughts on the overall meaning he took away from the book as well as a few disclaimers on how this book is definitely one to pick up if you are looking to challenge yourself. As always the club meeting ends with books to read if you liked this book and the siblings shared what they plan on reading next club meeting to kick off Q3!

In episode 39 of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast the siblings get to talk to Sydney Mayes, the 2024 Only Poets, poet of the year. Sydney gives a mini master class in all things poetry. The siblings got the chills after hearing her read her poem the walker system which won the 2024 Academy of American Poets Prize. The discussion is centered around how to analyze poems for amateurs, structure of poems and all of Sydney’s amazing poems. Tune in at the end to get some more literary works like Sydney’s!

In Episode 38 of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast the siblings discuss the runner up of the 2025 Pulitzer Prize, Headshot, by Rita Bullwinkel. This unique novel follows young female boxers through a national boxing competition and the siblings talk about the themes of feminism throughout this novel. They also discuss the realistic characters and the way this book was written as a sporting event would be announced. As always the siblings sign off with recommendations for books like Headshot.

This episode the siblings get to discuss the winner of the 2023 Pulitzer Prize, Trust, by Hernan Diaz. This incredibly original novel is broken up into four parts weaving an extraordinary story with quite a few unexpected twists. The siblings discuss how the artful writing created very believable complex characters. The discussion also covered multiple instances of financial crashes throughout American history as well has some hot takes by Phil... as always! The episode concludes with all the siblings giving this award winner 5 stars and their thoughts on what people should read if they liked this unique novel.

In this lighthearted episode the siblings discuss Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murders by Jesse Q. Sutanto. This San Fransisco “cozy” murder mystery features Vera, a tea shop owner as the main character. The siblings discuss the believability of her character, the plot and who they would recommend this book to! As always they end the podcast with their ratings of the book and recommendations for their listeners for other books like this one!

The week the Phirst Pagers discuss Charlotte Brontë’s classic, Jane Eyre! They get into what a modern day retelling of this would look like, red flags and themes of feminism throughout the book. Phebe tries to get a good yap session going as they discuss if Jane should have made the choices she did throughout the novel. They close with book recommendations and their overall rating of Jane Eyre. 

On Episode 34 of the Beyond the Phirst Page Podcast siblings Phebe, Phil, and Isaac discuss The Wager by David Grann. This book outlines a little known shipwreck off the coast of South America and the struggles the captain and crew face during their time at sea. The siblings have a few differing opinions when it comes to what the crew should have done, and if this story was worth reading. Listen along as they discuss the take away, characters and writing of The Wager. As always listen to the end for other great book recommendations! 

This week’s discussion is the first fan pick of the podcast, Martyr! The siblings get to talk with Noelle about her favorite book of 2024. Martyr is the perfect book club book and a debrief on the ending is much needed. Nothing is off the table when theorizing how they think this novel ends. The foursome also discusses what it means to be a martyr and if they thought certain characters rose to that status. As always the end the discussion with their ratings and recommendations on what people would like if they enjoyed Martyr! by Kaveh Akbar. 

On this episode of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast, the sibs get to discuss Fire Weather by John Vaillant with BCG Climate and Sustainability Consultant Neil Slighton. Slighton offers insight around the call to action of this book which was centered around climate change and divesting from big oil. The book clubbers talk about the writing, event or topic and call to action of this book citing merits and short falls in all three categories. Listen to the end to get book recommendations if you liked Fire Weather and to hear what the club is reading next.

If you were confused about how Playground by Richard Powers ended this is the episode for you… because so were the second pagers. Club meeting 31 finds the siblings theorizing about what the books ending meant. They discuss how it was amazing to them that three people can read the same book and take away such different meanings from it. Listen along to see if any of the siblings had the same theory as you about Playground. As always the siblings end with a ranking of the book and suggestions if the listeners are looking for more books like Playground to dive into. 

In Club Meeting 30 The Rage of Dragons by Evan Winter, the siblings introduce club members to the epic world of the Omehi People. Their world is full of fighting, love and dragons! Listen along as the siblings discuss all their favorite characters, plot points and point of view changes that had them flipping pages for more of this epic fantasy! As always the siblings rank this book, 5’s across the board! And they give their recommendations if you are looking for something like The Rage of Dragons to get your fantasy fix.

In the second episode of 2025, the siblings dive into a full analysis of Night Watch by Jayne Anne Phillips, the 2024 Pulitzer Prize winner. They break down the characters, plot, and writing, and ultimately discuss whether the book deserves the Pulitzer, from the perspective of three average readers. They get into the intense and disturbing sexual assault scene, which they found incredibly memorable—and unsettling—in a way none of them had experienced before. The episode wraps up with their final rankings of the book and recommendations for other titles if you enjoyed Night Watch.

The siblings discuss award winning novel James by Percival Everett for their first book club book of 2025. This book did not disappoint! The siblings discuss how Everett artfully used philosophy and this old “American classic,” to create a true masterpiece. The siblings discuss the hallucinations that James is having, the relationship he has with Huck and the importance of diction and the written word in this story. They end with discussing remakes and if this book was a remake or an original work. As always they close with recommendations of books if the fans were looking for something like James.

On the first episode of the new year, the siblings are releasing a special book club. Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast got to talk with award winning Author RJ Barker about his newest trilogy the forsaken trilogy. They discussed everything from tropes to world building and RJ narrowly avoids spilling any of the details about the third and final book in the series that is coming out in the summer of 2025. As always the siblings end the conversation with recommendations from them and RJ if you are loving the Forsaken trilogy as much as they are!

In the final episode of Season 1 and 2024, the siblings hold A Calamity of Souls on trail. Phil and Isaac defend their opinions of the book in a court room style podcast with Phebe presiding as the judge and jury. Listen along as the prosecution and defense bring their cases forward with specific quotes and passages from the book. As always at the end, the siblings give you their recommendations if you liked A Calamity of Souls or are looking for another crime drama to sink your teeth into. 

Club Meeting 26 has the siblings discussing the first younger adult book they have read for the book club, Impossible Creatures by Kathrine Rundell. They discuss what makes a book suitable for readers who are just starting to get into chapter books and how this book is much more fast paced than the siblings are used to reading. They also compare and contrast books they read when they were in elementary school and middle school to Impossible Creatures for a little feeling of nostalgia for the listeners. They finish with talking about what they prefer when it comes to introducing fantasy worlds in books. Listen along as the siblings go Beyond the PhIrst Page of Impossible Creatures.

As the year draws to a close the siblings discuss Erik Larson’s Dead Wake in Club Meeting 25. They discuss things this nonfiction book taught them along with some of the short comings they thought it had. Since the siblings can’t pass up a good conspiracy they discuss the possibility that the Brits knew the Lusitania was going to be sunk. They also throw out some books they think listeners would enjoy if they enjoyed Dead Wake. 

On Club Meeting 24 of Beyond the PhIrst Page Podcast siblings Phebe, Phil and Isaac discuss Lev Grossman’s The Bright Sword. The siblings talk about representation in fantasy and fiction and discuss the merits or lack there of, of Arthurian lore. Isaac and Phebe also wish Phil a happy 26th birthday during the club meeting. As always the siblings end the club meeting with recommendations for the listeners if they liked The Bright Sword. 

In this special episode, siblings Phebe, Phil, and Isaac chat with author Aaron Fischman about his book A Baseball Gaijin: Chasing a Dream to Japan and Back. Together, they explore who deserves a biography and why Aaron chose to write about Tony Barnette. They also discuss how to introduce complex foreign concepts to readers and the challenges of becoming a professional athlete. A Baseball Gaijin has been selected as a finalist for the 2024 CASEY Award for Spitball Magazine’s Best Baseball Book of the Year, and this episode marks a special milestone as the podcast’s very first author interview! Win a Zoom with Tony Barnette:The next 34 people who purchase A Baseball Gaijin will be entered for a chance to win a Zoom call with Tony Barnette! To enter, simply send a proof of purchase (receipt or screenshot) to [email protected]. Join us for an insightful conversation and a peek into the world of professional baseball!

The Cornell siblings discuss one of their favorite books ever written during club meeting 23! Phil and Isaac especially enjoyed My Name is Red by Orhan Pamuk, a Nobel laureate. This book is a murder mystery that is steeped in philosophy and artful writing and explores art, the Islamic faith, vanity and originality. It really does have something for everyone. The siblings push back on each other in this episode allowing them to see deeper meanings through out the club meeting. As always at the end the siblings give their recommendation for books similar to My Name is Red. 

On club meeting 22, the Cornell siblings discuss Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. The siblings identify themes of masculinity and prosperity and discuss how the Igbo tribe viewed their mothers versus their fathers. They also give an early year in review of all the books the club has listened to outlining what books to read and what books to avoid from their diverse booklist. As always they wrap up the podcast with recommendations of books to read if you liked Things Fall Apart.

This week in book club meeting 21, Phebe Phil and Isaac discuss Mind Games by Nora Roberts. Starting off, the siblings play a few rounds of “This or That” book addition to get their literary juices flowing! They offer alternate endings to the novel as well as talk about Goodreads ratings versus the ratings they would give to this “thrilling” tale. Join them at the end for some recommendations if you liked Mind Games by Nora Roberts. 

This week's book club is filled with laughter and reflection as the siblings talk about niche hobbies they are passionate about as well as what they loved about Amy Tan's collection of essays, The Backyard Bird Chronicles. This novel had deeper meanings peppered throughout as well as beautiful hand drawn sketches by the author of birds from her backyard. Also, listen till the end for more books like this one recommended by the siblings! Go Beyond the PhIrst Page with Phebe, Phil and Isaac to discuss Amy Tan's latest hit!

An epic of a podcast for an epic of a novel!! This weeks read was Brothers K by Fyodor Dostoevsky and the siblings get candid about the amount of research and digging they had to do to get the most out of this 19th century philosophical Russian novel. The siblings take three passages from the book and help each other to understand the deeper meanings they believe the author intended from those excerpts. Go beyond the PhIrst page with siblings Phebe, Phil and Isaac in one of their best discussions yet!

In Club Meeting 18 Phebe, Isaac and Phil give their readers a complete break down of the massive cast of characters from Tommy Oranges critically acclaimed novel There There. This book follows native narrators from across Oakland as the prepare to attend The Big Oakland Powpow. The siblings also talk about privilege, the contemporary native voice and books they recommend if you liked There There. Come along as the siblings go beyond the PhIrst Page of Tommy Orange’s, There There.

In book club 17, Phebe, Isaac and Phil discuss Van Gogh: The Life. They discuss what “it” was to Vincent and also what “it” is to them. The siblings draw comparisons between Van Gogh and Micheal Jordan and provide commentary on what they would change about the way this biography was written. As always they provide great recommendations for their listeners on what to read next including a Game of Thrones doppelgänger that Phil recently enjoyed. 

This weeks episode the siblings are in their element talking about A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan! They talk favorite mythical creatures and what they like to see in a good fantasy series. They also discuss the unique way this story was written and how the memoir style of writing really captured them! As always they concluded the club meeting with recommendations for their listeners.

This week's club meeting dives into Beloved by Toni Morrison. The siblings discuss how they are blown away by the research Morrison did and the messages she conveyed throughout the book that really shed light on the atrocities of slavery and the repercussions it had on Sethe, the main character, and her family and community. Also in this episode they share books that readers would enjoy if they liked Beloved as well as books they are currently reading that they recommend.