#76: Author Interview - “At the Corner of Fantasy and Main: Disneyland, Midlife, and Churros” by Matt Mason

The Most Magical Place on Earth is sometimes more than meets the eye…so let’s meet our magical private eye! When mischievous magical mysteries arise, that is when Miles Mitchell, private eye, takes the case. Courtney and Emily are joined by Aaron Forringer to discuss his collection of short stories, “The Miles Mitchell Mysteries: A Private Eye At A Magical Place”. As a private investigator and now a Walt Disney World Cast Member, Aaron’s unique experiences help him combine his passions to write modern noir mysteries set in Mickey’s backyard. 

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!
Official Instagram: @BookoftheMouse
Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby and Goodreads
Emily: Instagram @emily_mickde and Goodreads

Aaron Forringer: Instagram @aaforringer
Website: https://aaforringer.com/

You can purchase the Miles Mitchell Stories at:
Dorrance Publishing
Amazon.com
Audiobooks 

The Walt Disney Company has been wishing on stars since 1923 and Disney’s Wish is a tribute to the 100 years of animation from the studio. Courtney and Emily kick off season 7 with “The Art of Wish” celebrating Disney Animation Studios’ 62nd film. Its unique “moving painting” animation pays tribute to the golden age of Disney animation and there are dozens of easter eggs to make you nostalgic for your favorite films.  

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram @emily_mickde and Goodreads

The Villains are trying to ruin Christmas! Classic Disney villains are up to their usual dastardly deeds, but the spirit of Christmas cannot be defeated. Courtney and Emily discuss Serna Valentino’s picture book “Disney Villains: How the Villains ruined Christmas” in their concluding episode of season 6. Picture books and reading are synonymous with the holiday season and make great gifts for the kids and kids at heart in your lives. The book features beautiful rhyming storytelling from Valentino and vibrant, joyful illustrations from Joey Chou. So gather around for story time and have a merry Christmas, a happy Hanukkah, a joyous Kwanzaa, and a happy new year!

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Serena Valentino Instagram @serena_valentino_author and Disney Books Author Page https://books.disney.com/book-author/serena-valentino/ 

Joey Chou Instagram @choochoojoey and website https://www.joeyart.com/ 

Those zany Szalinskis are at it again! Back on episode #54, your hosts talked with Jeff DiPaoli about the junior novelization of Honey, I Shrunk the Kids and now they are back to discuss the sequel, Honey, I Blew Up the Kid. Junior novelizations are a great way to engage young readers with their favorite films. Released in 1992, the novelization was released by Scholastic 7 months before the film to get readers excited for the sequel. Three years after the success of the shrink ray, Dr. Wayne Szalinski is hired to develop a growth machine. In the process of testing the ray, baby Adam is enlarged to 112 feet tall. So get ready for this larger than life episode and don’t let the baby out of the play pen!

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Jeff DePaoli: Instagram and Twitter @JeffDePaoli

Disney Coast to Coast: Instagram and Twitter @DizneyCTC

Dizney Coast to Coast Podcast iTunes and Spotify

Website: https://www.dizneycoasttocoast.com/ 

During the Disney100 centennial celebration of the Walt Disney Company, Disney’s animated films and theme parks have been getting a lot of attention. But what about its live action legacy? Many may associate Disney live action with recent remakes or Marvel and Star Wars, but with over 300 films, Disney has 70+ years producing live action films. To celebrate this medium, hosts Courtney and Emily welcome back author Spencer Wright to talk about his new book, “The Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film.” Wright wanted to celebrate actors of the Hollywood era in which Walt created the Walt Disney Studios. Actors such as Suzanne Pleshette, Debbie Reynolds, Maurice Chevalier, and Peter Lorre may be best known for films from other cinema studios, but they also shared their talents with Disney and helped shape the contemporary live action Disney studio we know today. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Spencer: Instagram @spencerwtight1989 and @waltoasis (podcast page)

Amazon Link to Voices Behind the Magic

Amazon Link to The Enchanted Disney: Stories of Walt, Hollywood, and Live-Action Film

You can also buy directly from the publisher at bearmannermedia.com

What’s better than one podcast episode? Two podcast episodes! It's a Disney Leadership Duo crossover between Book of the Mouse Club and Notably Disney.

Courtney and Emily welcome Brett Nachman of the Notably Disney podcast back to the show to talk about Disney Legend Jim Cora’s memoir, “Not Just a Walk in the Park: My Worldwide Disney Resorts Career.” Cora started his career as a park operations trainer and went on to lead Disneyland International which was responsible for bringing the magic of Disney parks to Tokyo and Paris. From his grandmother yogurt starter to his encounter with Walt Disney to opening Disneyland Paris, Jim Cora’s story teaches us to grow roots wherever life plants you.

In tandem with this discussion, your hosts join Brett on a new episode of Notably Disney to talk about Dick Nunis’ memoir “Walt's Apprentice: Keeping the Disney Dream Alive.” Both Nunis and Cora worked in park operations and helped transition and grow the Walt Disney Company and theme parks after Walt’s passing and have many lessons in leadership to share from their combined 87 years of experience in the company. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Brett Nachman: Check out Notably Disney wherever you listen to podcasts and follow on Twitter @bnachmanreports and Instagram @drnachman

Consider yourself at home with this final installment of the British Invasion Summer Series. Hosts Courtney and Emily welcome back Dr. Doug Kern and Dr. Paul Cote as guest readers to compare Charles Dickens’ 1838 novel, Oliver Twist, to Disney’s 1988 animated film Oliver and Company. Drastically different, you will not recognize Billy Joel’s beloved portrayal of Dodger from the Artful Dodger in Dickens’ original story, but both the film and the novel have their own merits that make each a classic. You do not have to worry, the conclusion of this summer series has plenty of street savoir faire which might encourage you to revisit this pre Disney Renaissance film. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Paul: Twitter @paul_the_cote and @paul-the-cote@bsky.social and Instagram @bigpjamas 

Video: Oliver & Company - Segment from 1988 Walt Disney World Christmas Day Parade

Curiouser and Curiouser! Caroline from the Poor Unfortunate Podcast joins Courtney and Emily’s unbirthday  party in this next installment of the Book of the Mouse Club’s British Invasion Summer Series. Follow your hosts down the rabbit hole to compare Disney’s 1951 film Alice in Wonderland to Lewis Carrol’s original work. And if you lose your head over our hot takes about Alice, it's okay - we are all a little mad here. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Caroline: Instagram/Threads @carolaim, and CarolineAimetti.com 

Poor Unfortunate Podcast:

Podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify

Instagram @poorunfortunatepodcast / Twitter @unfortunatepod / Threads @unfortunatepod

Facebook Page Poor Unfortunate Podcast  and Facebook Group Poor Unfortunate Fam

Tally Ho! Courtney and Emily are merrily merrily on their way to discuss their second selection for the British Invasion Summer Series, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame. Your hosts welcome back Conor Perkins, one half of the The Poor Unfortunate Podcast, to compare this children’s classic novel to Walt Disney’s 1949 adaptation of The Adventures of Ichabod and Mr. Toad and the classic Disney theme park attraction, Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads

Conor: Instagram and Twitter @ConorPerkins

Poor Unfortunate Podcast:
Podcast available on Apple Podcasts and Spotify
Instagram @poorunfortunatepodcast and Twitter @unfortunatepod
Facebook Page Poor Unfortunate Podcast  and Facebook Group Poor Unfortunate Fam

Save Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride website: https://www.math.miami.edu/~jam/toad/
History of Mr. Toad’s Wild Ride Attraction: Yesterland, AllEars.net
Original letters from Kenneth Grahme to his son Alistar: Bodleian Libraries Exhibit
The Wind in the Willows (1995) Animated Film

It's time for another summer reading series! The start of the British Invasion Summer Series has Courtney and Emily traveling across the pond to the second star to the right and straight on ‘til morning! Your hosts welcome back guest reader, Leeann, to discuss J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan”. The Boy Who Never Grew Up was the source material for the 1953 Disney animated film by the same name and the inspiration for the 2023 live action remake, “Peter Pan and Wendy”. So with a little faith, trust, and pixie dust, come fly with Courtney, Emily, and Leeann to compare the two Disney films to the original story and discuss what makes Peter Pan a literary classic. 

Review Book of the Mouse Club on iTunes and Google Play and send any questions, comments, or suggestions to the hosts at bookofthemouseclub@gmail.com

Follow Our Reading Journey On Social Media!

Official Twitter and Instagram: @BookoftheMouse

Courtney: Instagram @greatguthsby, Twitter @Courtney_Guth, and Goodreads

Emily: Instagram and Twitter @emily_mickde, and Goodreads