Funds for Bookworm are provided in part by Lannin Foundation.

Boots!

Where would we be without boos?

Where would we be without good?

No, Timberg.

It's a rhetorical question, sir, but where would we need without books?

From KCRW and KCRW.com, I'm Michael Silverblatt, and this is Bookworm.

I want to begin with a confession.

When Mona Simpson, my guest, publisher, called me, I said, I've done Mona Simpson's last three books. It's very

unlikely that I'm going to do four in a row. And then I started reading her new book, Casebook,

and I love it. I not only love it, I've chosen it as our Angel Book Club book. You know, those of you

who join the Angel Book Club are those of you who are, you know, real lovers of KCRW. You can join still.

Don't miss the opportunity. Go to KCRW.com slash join, but Mona Simpson's case book is the new

angel book. There are only five of them a year. And, well, this book is about a boy named Miles

who is fascinated by his parents to the point of being like a private investigator of their lives.

And these parents are going to separate and then get divorced.

And he is going to have heard about it on his walkie-talkie

and his secret devices. So let's start by hearing the very opening of the book that tells

you his relationship to his parents and why he's listening so hard. Thank you so much, Michael.

I should say that when the publisher told me that Michael had said he'd done my last three books,

I said three books, I think he's done all of the books except for the first one,

and it doesn't feel like a publication without being on Bookworm.

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