Fiction Old and New on Accessible World. Meets the first Friday of each month at 8pm Eastern. Facilitator leads the discussion of that month's fiction title. Sponsored by Helping Hands for the Blind.
Fiction Old and New
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140 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Fiction Old and New on Accessible World. Meets the first Friday of each month at 8pm Eastern. Facilitator leads the discussion of that month's fiction title. Sponsored by Helping Hands for the Blind.
Language
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Publishing Since
8/14/2013
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Recent Episodes
June 15, 2026
Fiction Old and New to discuss The Proving Ground DB133660 by Michael Connelly. 06/05/2026
My review The Proving Ground DB133660 by Michael Connelly brings back Mickey Haller in a fast moving, gripping, and suspenseful legal thriller that will not let you sit still as you experience this compelling drama. This time, Mickey has stepped away from criminal law and is now working in civil court. If you are already a fan of the Lincoln Lawyer series, then you already know that these books deliver nonstop tension, sharp courtroom drama, and stories that feel current and real, almost as if they were pulled straight from today’s headlines. If you are new to the series, you are in for a real treat because this novel easily stands on its own. From the very first page, the story pulls you into the courtroom and makes you feel as if you are sitting there watching the lawyers argue right in front of you. At the center of the case is Aaron Colton, a sixteen year old boy who spends most of his time alone in his room talking to an AI companion named Clair. Over time, Clair becomes the voice he trusts most. One morning, Aaron takes his father’s gun to school and shoots his girlfriend, killing her instantly. The tragedy sets off a lawsuit that raises difficult questions and keeps the tension high from beginning to end. Carrying her grief to the point of tears, Brenda Randolph, the murdered girl’s mother, hires Mickey Haller to sue Tidalwaiv Technologies, the company that created the chatbot. What makes her character especially interesting is that she is not interested in becoming rich from the lawsuit. She wants the company to publicly admit that the chatbot is defective and dangerous for children. Aaron’s parents, Bruce and Trisha Colton, are also devastated by what happened to their son and believe the company should be held accountable for selling a harmful product. They want the company punished financially because they believe that is the only language a corporation that large will understand. In court, Mickey approaches the lawsuit like a battlefield, believing every case is a fight for survival. As the trial unfolds, he must convince the jury that the AI companion made Aaron believe that drastic actions were normal. Standing against him are the Mason brothers, the defense attorneys for Tidalwaiv Technologies. At first, they try to make the case disappear completely. When that fails, they delay the proceedings and later offer a large settlement to avoid trial. But once they begin to think they might actually win, they withdraw the offer and push forward aggressively. The legal arguments from both sides become increasingly fascinating as the trial moves forward. The defense insists that the chatbot never explicitly encouraged violence. Instead, they argue that it only suggested Aaron should find another girlfriend so he could move on from the relationship and be happy again. Mickey, however, argues that the AI companion manipulated the boy into believing harmful actions were justified. Judge Margaret Ruhlin stands between the two battling sides, keeping order in the courtroom. Her presence adds another layer of realism to the legal proceedings. Rikki Patel, a longtime Tidalwaiv Technologies employee, takes the stand and changes the entire feel of the trial. His explosive testimony raises the stakes dramatically and completely shifts the direction of the case. What makes The Proving Ground especially compelling is that it is about much more than winning or losing a lawsuit. The novel explores whether the law can keep pace with rapidly changing technology and asks difficult questions about accountability in a world where artificial intelligence is becoming more and more a part of everyday life. No matter what people think about AI today, it is here to stay. For our children and grandchildren, it will become as natural to talk to an AI companion as it once was for us to turn on the television and watch I Love Lucy. In this book, Michael Connelly once again proves why he remains one of the best writers of courtroom suspense. I hig
May 14, 2026
Fiction Old And New to discuss The book, The Book Club For troublesome Women A Novel by Marie Bostwick DB130925. 05/01/2026
This book gets a 4.3 rating on Goodreads with more than 100,000 reviews. The facilitator for this meeting will be LeDon: ledonb@outlook.com. The Meeting link is at heading level 1. My review Come and walk with me as we step back into yesteryear. Let us turn to the year 1963. That was the year that the book, “The Feminine Mystique” DB53797 by Betty Friedan was published and quickly became a bestseller. It would be hard to overstate the influence that book had on the culture of its time, as it urged society to reconsider the limits placed on women’s education, careers, and sense of self. In many ways, the book helped start what we now think of as the modern feminist movement. It encouraged the growth of organizations like the National Organization for Women and gave strength to groups calling for workplace pay and equality, reproductive rights, and legal reform. Even now, its influence can still be felt, reflecting forward into groups like the Me-Too movement. Marie Bostwick is a New York Times and USA Today bestselling author. She faithfully brings back those times and those attitudes with her absorbing historical novel, “The Book Club for Troublesome Women A Novel”, DB130925 which is a warm, character-driven story about women, friendship, and personal growth, blending historical settings of the nineteen sixties with emotional, relatable moments. At its heart, it gently follows women as they discover their voices and begin to step more fully into their own sense of being, showing how even the smallest acts of courage can slowly reshape a life. As the story starts, Margaret Ryan, A housewife and mother of three has decided that she would like to start a book club. She decides to look at her neighbors and friends to see if she could find others who would like to be a part of her new book club. She first finds Vivian a former nurse and mother of six who thinks that she would like to be in the book club. She discovers, Bitsy a young woman who has given up her childhood wish to become a veterinarian to become a wife and home maker. She thinks that being part of a book club would be fun. Lastly, she finds Charlotte, A wife and mother who is also an aspiring artist. She joins the club with the others. their first meeting is held at Margaret’s home. She prepares the food for the club meeting with care, and as they sit together eating and talking These women all know that they have The American Dream resting in the palm of their hand, A husband, children, a home in the suburbs and a new car in the driveway. They all have been taught that they should be happy and satisfied with their lives. However, deep down inside of their subconscious mind there is a little voice that whispers, there should be more. At the first meeting, they enjoy a splendid evening drinking wine and visiting with each other, they decide that the first book that they will read for their new book club will be “The Feminine Mystique”, At the next book club meeting, they find that they are all so excited by the concepts in Betty Friedan’s book that they name themselves the Bettys. They do not realize that the power of the innovative ideas in this book will over the coming years slowly change the landscape of each of their lives. — Reading The Book “the Book Club for Troublesome Women” ,is more than just a pleasurable way to spend a few hours, it is a unique experience.
April 12, 2026
Fiction Old and New to discuss The sunshine sisters DB88188 by Jane Green. 04/03/2026
The Fiction Old And New reading group meets the first Friday of each month. On Friday, April 3 , 2026 at 8 PM Eastern we will discuss The book, The sunshine sisters DB88188 by Jane Green. This book gets a 4.35 rating on “Good Reads” with more than eighty five thousand reviews. The facilitator for this meeting will be LeDon: ledonb@outlook.com. The Bookshare link to this title and the Zoom Meeting link can be found below. My review Jane Green is a “New York Times” bestselling author with more than twenty-three titles to her name. She writes in a warm and welcoming voice that explores the lives of contemporary women and the complicated bonds of family. In her novel “The Sunshine Sister” DB88188, she weaves a vivid story about three sisters growing up in the shadow of a famous mother. She creates characters who are imperfect yet vividly alive, each with their own strengths and weaknesses. Through these characters she draws the reader into a story that gently explores forgiveness, family ties, and the enduring power of love. At the center of the novel stands Ronni Sunshine, who as a young girl dreamed of becoming a movie star. She always believed that she had the talent to become successful, and she swore that when her chance for stardom came along, she would take it no matter how distasteful the step might be. After reaching stardom Ronni found that remaining a star was demanding and she had to work tirelessly to stay on top. Every day she had to push herself to be noticed in a world that required flawlessness. She had to be ambitious, disciplined, and always aware that her fame could evaporate overnight. Life in the limelight needed twenty-four hours a day effort, leaving Ronni exhausted with little time or energy for providing her children with the love and attention that they deserve. While growing up, the girls always knew they were the daughters of a famous actress, yet their lives were far from the fairy tale people imagined. Because their mother was always working, the girls often lacked the love and stability children normally get at home. The sisters often found themselves competing for the smallest scraps of her attention, and sometimes even competing. This competition shaped their relationships through all their lives and added tension between them. As the girls grew into women, each sister struggled in her own way to define herself outside of her mother’s fame. Nell, the oldest, grows into a quiet and lonely woman who finds it difficult to trust others with her heart. She escapes the turbulence of her childhood by building a simple life on a farm, where she raises her young son on her own. Meredith The Middle Sister has spent much of her life feeling inadequate because of her mother’s criticism. She now lives in London and works as an accountant but struggles with self-confidence. Wanting so badly to feel valued and secure, she becomes engaged to an English aristocrat even though deep down she knows she does not truly love him. Lizzy is the baby of the family. She is ambitious, and impulsive, just like her mother. She has built a career as a celebrity chef, a cookbook author, and a social media influencer. Yet behind the shining image lies a tangle of secrets, betrayals, and growing troubles in her marriage. — When Ronni calls her daughters home for a week together, she hopes it might open the door to forgiveness and healing. Perhaps the time together will allow the sisters to rediscover one another and begin to mend the fragile strands of their family. But as they return home, old hurts, memories, and grudges surface. Into this already fragile moment Ronni drops a piece of explosive news that shakes them all. The question at the heart of the novel is simple but powerful. After everything that has happened, will these sisters drift apart for good, or will they discover that they are still tied together by the invisible threads of love. Book
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