Shows / Chatter on Books
Chatter on Books
Chatter On Books is a weekly podcast hosted by Torie Clarke, with co-hosts Claude Jennings and David Aldridge, plus a rotating crew of writers, journalists, and the occasional welcome surprise. Every week, the gang sits down with a new author, debates what they're reading, and lets the conversation wander wherever it wants to go. It's the kind of show where the guests are interesting, the hosts are opinionated, and nobody's pretending this is a book club.
Episodes
Chatter on BooksAndrew Sean Greer "Villa Coco" and Buzz Bissinger "The Mosquito Bowl"
"All Pulitzers all the time" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Mike Croley. Pulitzer Prize winner Buzz Bissinger (aka Harry and COB alum)…
Chatter on BooksDavid Kennerly "In the Room: 60 Years on the Front Lines of History"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and Lorraine Voles. They bemoan (again) the Washington Commanders (the curse continues). Book bans are on the rise…
Chatter on BooksJohn U. Bacon - "The Gales of November: The Untold Story of the Edmund Fitzgerald"
Chatter rolls with Kevin Stanfield, David, Jamie, and Torie. The jury is out on AI, but Torie is confident the Commanders are cursed. Trouble in Dollywood…
Chatter on BooksCamille Acker "A Very Special Episode"
Chatter rolls into fall with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They pay respects to Dolly, the great one and reflect on the 9/11 25th anniversary. "The Pitch"…
Chatter on BooksThomas Mallon — "A Book of One's Own — People and Their Diaries" and "The Very Heart of It - New York Diaries, 1983-1994"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Louis Bayard. They cover dance clubs, Pale Blue Eye(s) and Commaders fans. They marvel at Iowa City, home…
Chatter on BooksEmma Styles "The Shark"
"Agency" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They're sad the World Cup is done and doubt the US Mens team will be in the final four any time…
Chatter on BooksIsaac Fitzgerald "American Rambler: Walking the Trail of Johnny Appleseed"
"Walking away from loneliness and toward community." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, and Torie. They break down the country's 250th, World Cup drama and…
Chatter on BooksBruce Feiler "A Time to Gather: How ritual created the world and how it can save us"
"Remember we are we's not I's." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, and Torie. They break down the World Cup and the Williams sisters owning Wimbledon. Maggie…
Chatter on BooksErica Wright "Museum of Unusual Occurrence"
"Why is it always Florida?" Chatter rolls into June with Lauren at the wheel, David in NBA land, and Torie assisted by Lu Lu. Gayle from Wonderland Books…
Chatter on BooksJames Grady "Shadows on Sidewalks"
"Black leather jacket." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and icon James Grady. David did indeed cry at his son's graduation, and Torie lived Book…
Chatter on BooksBook Festival Palooza and More
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, Mike Croley, and Jud Ashman. Mike introduces Reggie, the cutest new member of the Chatter family. Staying with…
Chatter on BooksBerner "Becoming Legend: Get Rich and Leave a Legacy"
"Whatever he does he hits!" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie and Torie. Claude shares his Sperryville golf success, and David summarizes the NFL draft…
Chatter on BooksDavid Wright Falade "The New Internationals"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, James Grady, and Chatter's favorite Mayor, Jud Ashman. The wrap up March Madness and Torie's Duke animosity. James…
Chatter on BooksCharlotte Wood "The Natural Way of Things"
"Women versus nature?" Chatter rolls with Torie, David, and literary icon James Grady. They revel in UConn's win and Torie's roll in it. Is there anything good…
Chatter on BooksApril Reynolds "The Shape of Dreams"
Chatter rolls with Torie and COB fave Erica Wright, and Texas rules the show. Erica's busy with a new novel and book of poetry and will be back soon to chat…
Chatter on BooksMark Hertling "If I Don't Return: A Father's Wartime Journal"
"A gift." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They (finally) break down hockey and romance — and all have their picks for sports romance…
Chatter on BooksRebecca Lehmann "The Beheading Game"
"Bad ass." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave Louis Bayard. They revel in the Olympics glow and mourn again Washington Post layoffs, the…
Chatter on BooksMatthew Delmont "Until the Last Gun is Silent: A story of patriotism, the Vietnam War, and the fight to save America's soul."
"Protest and patriotism" Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and COB fave David Maraniss. In light of Washington Post layoffs David A shares his George Solomon…
Chatter on BooksMark Medley "Live to See the Day: Impossible Goals, Unimaginable Futures, and the Pursuit of Things That May Never Be"
"In the DNA." Chatter rolls through snowmageddon with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. Nancy Baenen of Arcadia Books returns to nominate their first author for…
Chatter on BooksWilliam Rankin "Radical Cartography: How Changing Our Maps Can Change Our World"
"Challenge the status quo." Chatter rolls (fast) into 2026. Torie, Claude, and COB's favorite Mayor Jud Ashman catch up and look ahead to the Gaithersburg Book…
- Chatter on Books
Steve Israel & Steve Vogel
Steve Israel - "The Einstein Conspiracy" & Steve Vogel - "A Task Force Called Faith: The Untold Story of the U.S. Army Soldiers Who Fought for Survival at…
- Chatter on Books
Eugenia Cheng "Unequal: The Math of When Things Do and Don't Add Up"
Group Therapy Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. Torie pitches Rob Dundon's wonderful cause in honor of his mother Cathy (go to…
- Chatter on Books
Thomas Dann "Midnight in Memphis"
"Unfinished Business" Chatter rolls live in an undisclosed secure location in the DMV with Claude, David, Torie, and Renaissance man Rodney. It's "boy time" as…
- Chatter on Books
DeMaurice Smith "Turf Wars: The Fight For the Soul of America's Game"
"More than football." Chatter goes live at Caddies on Cordell, the DMV's premier sports bar, with Claude, David, Torie, S.L. Price and DeMaurice Smith…
- Chatter on Books
Ann E. Butler "Wife, Mother, Spy: An Extraordinary Life Filled With Ordinary Days"
"Extracting information." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They cover Claude's equine role and the NBA cheating scandal. (Who knew the mob…
- Chatter on Books
Mary Roach "Replaceable You: Adventures in Human Anatomy"
"An interesting planet." Chatter rolls with Claude, David and Torie. They reveal Claude's latest acting role in the mansion murders podcast and continue…
- Chatter on Books
Hannah Pittard "If You Love It, Let It Kill You"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie and Jamie (fresh from Vegas). Get wells for Dolly the Goddess kick things off, and the gang shares thoughts on the…
- Chatter on Books
Susan Morrison "Lorne: The Man Who Invented Saturday Night Live"
"The definitive biography." Chatter rolls back with Claude, David, Torie, and COB fave James Grady. They hit summer highlights, why Barnes & Noble is on a…
- Chatter on Books
James Grady "American Sky"
"All the old ghosts are leaving town…" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie and COB fave Lou Bayard. Lou goes playwright, and David sheds a tear (a happy…
- Chatter on Books
S.L. Price "The American Game: History and Hope in the Country of Lacrosse"
"History and hope." Chatter rolls live at Wonderland Books in Bethesda, Maryland. Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie chat with Wonderland owner Gayle Weiswasser…
- Chatter on Books
Kyra Davis Lurie "The Great Mann"
"Better than Gatsby." Chatter rolls with Claude, Torie, and Jamie as David recovers from NBA finals. They break down DOD events, and Rocco's shot contest beats…
- Chatter on Books
Ling Ling Huang "Immaculate Conception
"To the Jealous." Chatter rolls with Kevin Stanfield filling in for Claude (in Hershey), Jamie, and Torie as David rocks the NBA finals. Horses rule as Torie…
- Chatter on Books
Ted Genoways "Tequila Wars: Jose Cuervo and the Bloody Struggle for the Spirit of Mexico"
"Untold" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, Torie, and COB alum Mike Croley. All agree that Charlotte Bronte was more talented at 13 than any of us as…
- Chatter on Books
Victoria Christopher Murray "Harlem Rhapsody"
"So many firsts." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, Jud, and Torie. After discussing Kaitlyn/Colin nuptials and cars they shockingly move quickly to…
- Chatter on Books
Jack Fairweather "The Prosecutor"
"Of a culture." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, Torie, and Jud Ashman. Chatter on Sports kicks things off — Final Four, Ovi, and the Masters. A hard…
- Chatter on Books
Kristen Arnett "Stop Me If You've Heard This Before"
"Wild, luxurious, and absurd." Chatter rolls into March madness with David, Jamie, and Torie. All eyes on David's beloved American Eagles, but Jamie's Gators…
- Chatter on Books
Charlotte Wood "Stone Yard Devotional"
"Mice — whatever it means to you." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They break down the CAPs resurgence and a great 2018 moment — off the…
- Chatter on Books
N.L. Holmes "Melody of Evil"
"Seeking something." Chatter rolls with Lauren filling in for Claude, Jamie, and Torie. They once again go down the memory lane of journalism. No contest in…
- Chatter on Books
David Maraniss
Chatter rolls with David, Jamie, and Torie. They go deep on DeepSeek and AI more generally. No Super Bowl for the Commanders but all rave about rookie…
- Chatter on Books
David Wright Falade "The New Internationals"
"Young people in Paris, 1948" Chatter rolls into the new year with Claude, Jamie, and Torie. David's off covering the Commanders' big win over Tampa Bay. Even…
- Chatter on Books
David Aldridge "The Basketball 100: The Story of the Greatest Players in NBA History"
"It's a David Aldridge moment." Chatter rolls Thanksgiving week with a very special show – live and in person: Claude, David, Torie, Jamie, and Jud. They shed…
- Chatter on Books
Tripp Whetsell "Norman Lear – His Life and Times"
Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and Jamie. They break down the Washington Capitals and answer listener email about favorite books beyond Chatter (who…
- Chatter on Books
Wright Thompson "The Barn: The Secret History of a Murder in Mississippi"
"Power of persuasion." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and our favorite writer/author/entrepreneur Michael Croley. Claude's going all in on the…
- Chatter on Books
Louis Bayard "The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts"
"Read it out loud." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. They break down Vanderbilt over 'Bama and do emails. The perennial "what are good books…
- Chatter on Books
Tommy Tomlinson "Dogland: Passion, Glory, and Lots of Slobber at the Westminster Dog Show.
"Happiness" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and her sister from another mother Liz Clarke. Manny's rocking: check out Foxden Fairways for awesome…
- Chatter on Books
Tevi Troy "The Power and the Money: The Epic Clashes Between Commanders in Chief and Titans of Industry
Chatter rolls into fall with Claude, David, Jamie, and Torie. David debriefs his epic Parisian Olympic adventures. DC Public Library Foundation head Rob…
- Chatter on Books
Erica Wright "Hollow Bones"
Chatter rolls with Torie and Jamie. David's in Paris and Claude is golfing, so Lauren fills in with the important work. They break down the Olympics (Lauren's…
- Chatter on Books
Erik Larson "The Demon of Unrest: A saga of hubris, heartbreak, and heroism at the dawn of the civil war."
"Political horror story." Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Torie, and man about town Rodney Ferguson. They break down Wimbledon, rave about "James" by…
- Chatter on Books
Karen Valby "The Swans of Harlem: Five Black Ballerinas, Fifty Years of Sisterhood, and Their Reclamation of a Groundbreaking History."
"Long overdue" Chatter rolls with Claude, David, Jamie and Torie. They do "Chatter on Weddings" (they used to be a lot less complicated), contemplate a live…
- Chatter on Books
Ben Rothenberg – "Naomi Osaka: Her Journey to Finding Her Power and Her Voice"
"Revealing" Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Torie's sister from another mother Liz Clarke. They do email (keep them coming!), share "worst ever injuries,"…
- Chatter on Books
Live at the Gaithersburg Book Festival with Anne Foster "The Long War on Drugs"
"It's important." Chatter rolls at the Gaithersburg Book Festival with David, Torie, and Jamie. They rave about now Pulitzer Prize winning author Ilyon Woo…
- Chatter on Books
Abraham Chang "888 Love and the Divine Burden of Numbers"
"Let's get busy living!" Chatter rolls with David, Claude and Torie. They debrief the Gaithersburg Book Festival and speculate on why whales attacks (aka…
- Chatter on Books
Elizabeth O'Connor "Whale Fall"
Chatter rolls into May with David, Torie, and America's favorite book festival founder Mayor Jud Ashman. They rave about the Derby, bemoan the celebrification…
- Chatter on Books
Susan Page "The Rulebreaker: The Life and Times of Barbara Walters"
"Relentless." Chatter rolls with David, Torie, Jamie, and Claude. Jamie's just back from Costa Rica – a definite yes for travel. They bid a fond farewell to…
- Chatter on Books
Eric Blehm "The Darkest White"
"You never know about tomorrow." Chatter rolls with Torie and COB's favorite Mayor, Jud Ashman. The eclipse eclipses March Madness. Shout outs to Rob Dundon…
- Chatter on Books
James Grady "The Smoke in Our Eyes"
"The book he was meant to write." Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and Jamie. March Madness rules and inspires book ideas. Torie spots COB authors in airports…
- Chatter on Books
Liza Mundy "The Sisterhood"
"Secrets that should be told." Chatter rolls in like a lion with David, Torie, Jamie, and special guest Ann Hornaday. In addition to the usual, they're talking…
- Chatter on Books
Louis Ferrante "Borgata: Rise of Empire – A History of the American Mafia."
"It's really life lessons." Chatter rolls with David, Torie, and celebrity mixologist Rodney Ferguson. They break down the Super Bowl and marvel at the life…
- Chatter on Books
Mark Wish – "Necessary Deeds"
"Ferrari Brain" Chatter rolls with Claude, Torie, and Jamie. They hope the best for King Charles, and Torie gets to rave about Pebble Beach. The "most checked…
- Chatter on Books
Chip Reid "Battle Scars"
"Effects that last a lifetime." Chatter rolls into 2024 with David, Torie, and Jamie. They praise Tara VanDerveer, the winningest NCAA basketball coach, break…