Don’t just read Begin Again…Experience it! 

I picked up Begin Again by Emma Lord after spending an afternoon browsing at the bookstore. This wasn’t quite as leisurely as it sounds, because I was accompanied by my whole family, which means even when I tried to sneak away from the children’s section to look at books for me, I ended up with one kid in tow who was being less than patient about my browsing. Nevertheless, when my eyes landed on Emma Lord’s books, I earmarked her name hoping I wouldn’t forget it before I had a chance to grab a new read. Luckily, despite the persistence of my four year old companion, I remembered. 

Here goes: Andie’s life is finally coming together. After a semester at community college, she’s transferring to the university of her dreams, where she will be reunited with her boyfriend, follow in the footsteps of her mother, and finally be able to start checking off items on her list of life goals. But when she discovers her boyfriend transferred to community college to be with her, flunks an exam on her first day of class, and has an important possession linking her to her mom confiscated, things go downhill fast. As Andie tries hard to stay motivated, she finds herself receiving support from unexpected people, feeling more distant from her boyfriend than ever before, and veering farther off her planned path. Although, at the same time she’s making really great memories, and it’s more than a little scary acknowledging what that could mean for her future. 

A big part of this book involves a secret radio broadcast, staring a particularly humorous on air personality. I’ve always appreciated a good laugh, especially if it’s a result of dry humor, sarcasm, or a joke that just keeps going. The fact of the matter is personality is key when it comes to any type of broadcast. Good subject matter is meaningless if the delivery is off. The flip side is also true. Otherwise uninteresting information can be transformed into something entertaining given the right delivery. 

…Which brings me to one particular podcast: First Issue Club. This podcast is inspired by comic books. Don’t get me wrong, I’m absolutely not saying their content is uninteresting. What I am saying is that because of the on air dynamic, even if you’re not a fan of comic books, you’ll likely find the hosts’ somewhat nerdy banter fun. In fact enough people have found what they have to say so entertaining that they have been recognized as one of the top ten comic book podcasts in the US. 

Let me be honest, I am not a person who reads a plethora of comic books. I think the last one I read was an issue of The Tick at the insistence of my son. That being said, listening to First Issue Club is a little like sitting down with your friends from high school and seeing where the evening takes you. I may be a bit biased when I say this because one of the on air personalities is one of my friends from high school, but I think even a random listener would agree.  

In the past few podcasts I have had the pleasure of gaining insight on James Bond’s down time, Dick Tracy’s watch, whether Leighton Meester would be in a Deliverance remake, horny gargoyles, the fact that comic books about Ash and the Army of Darkness exist, and Alfred going through ‘some stuff’ in the latest Batman issue. (If you’re not convinced to start listening at this point, I’m not sure what that says about you as a person.)  

In particular, a recent discussion centered on a comic book entitled A Haunted Girl sparked my interest. The plot follows a suicidal girl who turns out to be the last hope to save the world. The project is a collaboration between the writer of Marvel’s Old Man Hawkeye and Old Man Quill comics, Ethan Sacks, and his daughter Naomi, who struggled with mental health. The two wrote the four issue graphic novel series, inspired by their experiences during their mental health journey, striving to provide not only a compelling story, but also resources and hope to others who may be having similar struggles. If I hadn’t listened to this podcast, I would likely not have heard about this comic book, which I am now looking forward to getting my hands on. See, reading really does open you to new experiences. 

There you have it. Do yourself a favor and read Begin Again. Find a new radio show or podcast and give it a listen. Perhaps you’ll uncover a new on air personality you find entertaining. Or possibly you’ll discover a new topic of interest. Don’t know what to pick? Maybe try something like First Issue Club—wink, wink, nudge, nudge. 

If you haven’t already read Begin Again, what are you waiting for? If you already have, why not pick it up again? Either way, take my advice when you do—don’t just read it, experience it! 

Want information about purchasing this book from Neighborhood Reads, a local Washington, MO book store? Click the book cover above!