Send us a text A fun chat with comedian and actor ARIES SPEARS, who is performing at The Improv in Schaumburg this weekend with 7 and 9:30 shows on Friday, 3:30, 7, and 9:30 on Saturday, and 6:00 on Sunday. ARIES SPEARS Biography Ever since New York native Aries Spears was 14 years old, he has been a force to be reckoned with in the comedy scene th…

Send us a text Sandra Magsamen returns to the show for a chat about her new book Silly Witch along with her career writing for children. SANDRA MAGSAMEN is the author and illustrator of many books for young children, including the picture book When I Grow Up I Want to Be Me, as well as a number of bestselling novelty titles, including Everybody Goe…

Send us a text Nation gifting expert Lindsay Roberts, founder of TheGiftInsider.com, discusses entertainment options and deals for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Learn why entertainment tops the list of smart gifts that bring family and friends together this holiday season, from streaming services and sports packages to mobile upgrades.…

Send us a text MILLIE FLEUR SAVES THE NIGHT is Christy Mandin’s entertaining sequel to her New York Times bestseller Millie Fleur's Poison Garden that encourages readers to find beauty in the darkness. Millie Fleur is a character that embraces age-appropriate dark comedy for kids. This charmingly macabre story is perfect for Halloween reading but a…

Send us a text You may know Olivie Blake is the New York Times bestselling author of speculative fiction for adults, including The Atlas Six trilogy, Alone with You in the Ether, Masters of Death, the short story collection Januaries. Her new book is Girl Dinner, a darkly fun novel about power, lust, and eating your fill, as wealthy moms and sorori…

Send us a text HGTV star Matt Blashaw joins us for the 5th time (5-Timers Club!) with practical tips from smarter home design to how propane can keep the heat and lights on when the grid goes down. Licensed contractor Matt Blashaw is everything you want in a versatile handyman and then some. His home improvement company once used the slogan “One Ca…

Send us a text Digital safety expert Kristin Lewis shares some great advice on staying safe online during Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Kristin Lewis is Chief Product Officer at Aura, where she oversees the company’s suite of products that keep families safe online—from parental controls and child digital wellness tools to identity protection, dat…

Send us a text Brian “Uncle John” Boone returns to the show for a fun chat about the 38th Edition of "Uncle John's Know-It-All Bathroom Reader." There are almost as many adventures both personal and professional in the life of Brian “Uncle John” Boone as there are fun facts in the average Bathroom Reader volume, the series to which he has been a co…

Send us a text Travel expert and chief meteorologist Jennifer Broome discusses fun getaway ideas for National Thrive Outside Day. Jennifer Broome is a multimedia travel and environmental journalist documenting her journey in the Swept Away With JenniferBroome YouTube channel focusing on adventure travel, solo travel, national parks, road trips, wea…

Send us a text Author J.L. Spears talks about AI and its chilling possibilities in his new thriller "Daemon Protocol." J.L. (Joseph) Spears is a software engineer and author with over 25 years of experience in the technology industry. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science from Indiana University and a Master of Science in Computer Scie…

Send us a text Claribel A. Ortega, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Squad and the Witchlings series, and Pura Belpre and Eisner Award-winning author of the graphic novel Frizzy, is a former reporter who writes middle grade and young adult fantasy inspired by her Dominican heritage. When she's not busy turning her obsession with pop cultur…

Send us a text Naeem Bari is Co-Founder & President of Linxup. Linxup provides easy-to-use tracking and dash cam solutions for vehicles, tools, and workers. Trusted by 20,000+ businesses since 2004, Linxup delivers reliability, flexibility, and live US-based support across industries like field service, construction, and logistics. Prior to Linxup,…

Send us a text Ryan La Sala is a bestselling and award-winning author known for his genre-defying, queer-centered horror and fantasy, including The Honeys and Beholder. His work has been featured in The New York Times, NPR, Entertainment Weekly, and more. He writes to you from New York, overseen by his cat, Haunted Little Girl. He can hold his brea…

Send us a text Former Newsweek legal affairs editor and best-selling author David A. Kaplan called in to discuss his new book "The Most Dangerous Branch: Inside the Supreme Court's Assault on the Constitution." It's too bad the Supreme Court wasn't top of mind for most of us as we talked about his book. (From 9-5-18)…

Send us a text Stand-up comedian Dan Crohn called in to talk about his appearance on a new compilation comedy album, "Valentine's Day is for Suckers." Dan also has a solo comedy album called "It's Enough Already." We discussed whether or not a comedy show is good for a first date, dealing with second show Friday, the Boston and Chicago comedy scene…

Send us a text Caity Weaver from the New York Times called in for a lively chat about her article taking a look behind the scenes (and on the actual boat) at Bravo's "Below Deck Mediterranean." (From 7-2-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Widely recognized as a two-time All-Pro NFL veteran, Ovie played nine seasons with the Baltimore Ravens and Atlanta Falcons. He called in to share fantasy football tips for the new season.Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Emily Schultz is the co-founder of the influential "Joyland" magazine and author of "The Blondes", an international bestseller named a Best Book of 2015. She dialed us up for a lively chat about her newest book, "Little Threats." (From 11-11-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Annie Duke is a best-selling author, former professional poker player, and an sought-after consultant in the decision-making space. Her new book is “How To Decide: Simple Tools for Making Better Choices.” (From 10-22-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Elisha Cuthbert joined the show way back when (how is this interview 10 years old already?) to talk about the season finale of "One Big Happy." (From 4-28-15)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Juliette Faye is the bestselling author of 8 novels, including City of Flickering Light and the USA TODAY bestseller The Tumbling Turner Sisters. We discussed her new book, The Harvey Girls, including how the book has a Chicago connection.Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Dylan Thuras, cofounder and creative director of Atlas Obscura, and Jennifer Swanson, an award-winning children’s author of more than forty-five nonfiction and fiction books, called in for an entertaining chat about their new book The Atlas Obscura Explorer’s Guide to Inventing the World.…

Send us a text As we find ourselves in the middle of another serious heatwave, with temperatures in the mid-90s and high humidity, I'm joined by Dr. Andie Lee Gonzalez, a registered dietitian with nearly 15 years of nutrition and public health experience. Dr. Gonzalez shared important summer hydration tips and resources.…

Send us a text It's almost back-to-school time! Tucker Perkins, president and chief executive officer for the Propane Education & Research Council, returned to the show to chat about how students can have a safer, healthier ride to school that also benefits teachers, parents, and the community.Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Candace Bushnell joined the show for a chat about her new book "Is There Still Sex in the City?" (From 8-30-19)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Gavin Edwards is the author of “Kindness and Wonder: Why Mister Rogers Matters Now More Than Ever.” We discussed what Mr. Rogers meant to us growing up and why its timeless messages can (and should) reach a new generation of kids...and adults. (From 10-31-19)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Mark Bego is a best-selling author who has written books about Aretha Franklin, Michael Jackson, and the Supremes. Mark called into the show to discuss his book "Rocket Man: The Life of Elton John." (From 1-28-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Katherine McNamara is an award-winning actress you know from her role as Mia on “Arrow.” The complete eighth and final season is out now on Digital, DVD and Blu-Ray. (From 4-22-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Steve Barry joins us for a third time as we discuss his latest book "The List."Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Brad Meltzer, one of our all-time favorite guests, is enshrined in our 5-Timers Club as we chat about his new book "We Are The Beatles," the newest in his "Ordinary People Change The World" series. A fun read for kids as well as adults. As a ridiculously huge Beatles fan, I absolutely love it. A fantastic introduction for kids to the…

Send us a text Andy Mulvihill called in for a fun chat about his book "ACTION PARK: Fast Times, Wild Rides, and the Untold Story of America’s Most Dangerous Amusement Park." Andy's dad was the founder and creator of the park and Andy was the original test subject for all of the rides. (From 6-30-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Brian Trenchard-Smith is a film and television director, producer and writer who Quentin Tarantino has called “his favorite obscure director.” He’s the author of “Adventures in the B Movie Trade,” now available on Amazon and Kindle. (From 10-22-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Camilla Pang holds a PhD in bioinformatics from University College London and is a postdoctoral scientist. Her career and studies have been heavily influenced by her diagnoses of Autistic Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and ADHD and she is driven by her passion for understanding humans and how we work. She joined us to discuss her book "An O…

Send us a text The Daily Show with Trevor Noah correspondent Michael Kosta called in to talk about his first one-hour stand-up special on Comedy Central, “Michael Kosta: Detroit. NY. LA.,” which was filmed in each of those three cities in a hilarious and nostalgic reminder of pre-pandemic life. (From 12-9-20)…

Send us a text "American Idol" winner Abi Carter called in to talk about her appearance on PBS's "A Capitol Fourth," her new album, and her upcoming appearance in Chicago at the Beat Kitchen on October 23rd. ABI CARTER BIO After charming judges, audiences, and voters during her journey on Season 22 of American Idol, singer-songwriter Abi Carter wen…

Send us a text Gordon Korman is a household name in the middle grade space. With over 100 titles to his name, he’s written a book for every kind of reader in this age group—from reluctant to voracious and all the shades in between. We discussed his brand-new adventure: SNOOP is the story of a screen-obsessed boy who finds himself trapped at home—an…

Send us a text One of my all-time favorite ballplayers, Dave "Cobra" Parker passed away June 28th at age 74. Dave's numbers speak for themselves and he should be in the Hall of Fame. We revisit our conversation from April 12, 2021. Original episode description: Dave Parker won two batting titles, an MVP award, three silver sluggers, and played in 7…

Send us a text New York Times culture reporter, best-selling author, and Twitter superstar Dave Itzkoff dialed into the show to talk about his new book Robin: The Definitive Biography and Untold Story of Robin Williams. We discussed why fans felt such a connection to Robin, how he dealt with a rocket-like ascent to fame from comedy clubs to Mork an…

Send us a text Justin “MR. FASCINATE” Shaifer is nationally renowned as one of the top advocates for science education in the nation. He is a LinkedIn Top Voice in Technology, Science Communicator, popular TV host and producer who has starred in shows for ABC News, Hulu, PBS, and Travel Channel. On June 13th, Shaifer hosted the world’s largest K-12…

Send us a text Chicago Fire star Joe Minoso joined the show to talk about tonight's crossover episodes of Chicago Fire and Chicago PD, beginning tonight at 8 CT on NBC-5 Chicago. Joe and I also discussed the stupidest Chicago winter ever and his roots in the area. (From 2-25-19)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Debi Mazar called it to talk about her new series, “Arde Madrid: Burn Madrid Burn,” which is streaming on the Megahertz choice service. Debi plays Ava Gardner in 1960. We also discussed meeting Frank Sinatra with Madonna, her battle with COVID-19, and the future of her series "Younger." (From 5-4-20)…

Send us a text Jonathan McHugh is the director of a new documentary, “Long Live Rock: Celebrate the Chaos,” now available on demand. (From 3-12-21) Jonathan McHugh has been producing, directing and music supervising films and TV for decades. He has produced over 35 films and TV shows, music supervised over 75 films and produced many gold, platinum,…

Send us a text Chef Marcus Samuelsson called in to give me some tips on putting a new spin on the 5 dishes I can semi-successfully make, including getting out my olive oil rut and exploring avocado oil. Plus: Marcus talks about his new restaurant and gives a shout out to Chicago. (From 2-20-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text Best-selling author Joanna Ho makes her 5th appearance on the show and earns the coveted prize as we talk about her fun new book "Becoming Boba." Joanna Ho is the award-winning and New York Times bestselling author of many children’s books, including We Who Produce Pearls, Eyes That Kiss in the Corners, and The Silence That Binds Us,…

Send us a text The Award-Winning Story of Illegal Drugs and Famous Baseball Stars On DVD and Digital Platforms on June 4, 2019 "Another masterpiece of wild and woolly Floridiana from Florida's documentarian laureate." - Vincent Mancini, FILMDRUNK Some of the biggest U.S. sports stars come under harsh scrutiny in the eye-opening - and queasily funny…

Send us a text Paul Rees is an award-winning writer who has been covering rock and roll for three decades. His new book is “The Ox: The Authorized Biography of The Who’s John Entwistle.” (From 4-29-20)Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text (From 5-17-20) It was nice to welcome Clive Standen back to the show for a chat about his new show "Council of Dads." Will there be new additions to the circle? Will Tom Everett Scott return to the show as a ghost? Listen for the spoiler-free details!Ryan Gatenby

Send us a text May is National Water Safety Month, which makes it the perfect time for parents and caregivers to contact their local Y and sign their children up for a Safety Around Water program or swim lesson. The YMCA’s Safety Around Water program provides children of all ages and backgrounds with the tools they need to be confident in and aroun…

Send us a text Ben Cohen joined us to discuss his new book "The Hot Hand: The Mystery and Science of Streaks." We talked about the lack of Michael Jordan on NBA Jam for Sega Genesis, the difference between "hot hand" and "dumb luck," how to write songs like John Lennon, and a special "hot hand" Spotify playlist. (From 3-12-20)…

Send us a text Will Vought has joined the cast of the multiple Emmy Award-winning "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel." We discussed his character (an Army Major who wants to be Bob Hope), the accuracy and detail of their 50s setting and re-creation of the era's comedy scene, and his on-screen relationship with Midge. (From 12-9-19)…