Likely Stories - The Wishing Game

As a child of the 80s and 90s, I grew up watching Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory—no, not the more eccentric remake with Johnny Depp, but the classic, heartwarming version with Gene Wilder. This book is written as an homage to that film and is a masterful work of nostalgia, a story within a story, full of riddles, games, and wishing with all your might.

Lucy Hart used to read Jack Masterson’s books when she was a young girl and became so enraptured with the magical, fictional world he created that she ran away to his mysterious home on the self-titled Clock Island, so she was devastated when he suddenly stopped writing. Now, years later, Lucy is a grade school teacher, and Jack announces a contest in which a select few adults can win the chance to receive the only copy of his forthcoming book.

Lucy is determined to be one of those lucky ones so that she can have enough money to adopt the little boy in her class who has stolen her heart. As Lucy returns to Clock Island, she meets the other players and discovers a series of enigmatic riddles and challenges in which they must compete. She also meets the irritating (and yet very alluring) book illustrator, Hugo.One by one the players are eliminated by the competitions and puzzles until just a few remain. Lucy has to face all her fears in the course of her time on Clock Island, but when her greatest fear is losing the one person she loves most, she will have to make difficult choices to win the ultimate reward.

This book was near-perfect for me; it was in my top 3 best books of 2023. The level of detail is unmatched—Shaffer wrote multiple excerpts for the fictitious books Jack Masterson authored, and many of the puzzles or challenges the contestants participate in are also ones the reader can play along with while you read. There are well-written relationship tensions on multiple fronts, and each pairing is developed and beautiful. The story mirrors the plot of Willy Wonka while still standing on its own merits, but the biggest praise I can give it is that is provides that undefinable emotion you get when you read a really terrific book—it just makes you feel the warm fuzzies all over. I think this one will stand the test of time for me, it truly is everything you could wish for.

RECENT EPISODES OF LIKELY STORIES

Likely Stories - Roman Stories by Jhumpa Lahiri

Hello, I'm Rebecca Flavin, director of engaged learning curriculum and senior lecturer of political science at Baylor University. My friends will all attest. Two of my favorite things are reading and traveling. And when I can combine the two by reading books about places I travel, I am in heaven.

Likely Stories - The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship, The Rise of Improv and The Making of an American Film Classic by Daniel De Vise

Kevin Tankersley is in the host seat for this weeks Likely Stories. Behind the music, the comedy, and the car chases, The Blues Brothers was a passion project fueled by friendship. The Blues Brothers: An Epic Friendship explores the rise of Belushi and Aykroyd, the film’s impact, and the legends it helped reignite.

Likely Stories - A Daughter of Fair Verona by Christina Dodd

As an English teacher. Shakespeare has been in my lesson plans for years. I could teach the bard with my eyes closed. But what if we could reimagine one of the most classic plays in a new light, and take the famous couplet 'for never was there a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo', and flip it on its end. For never was a story of more whimsy than this. Of the Montagues and their daughter Rosie.

Likely Stories - Hope by Pope Francis

Host - Likely Stories

Likely Stories - The Dictionary of Obscure Sorrows by John Koenig

Have you ever found yourself inexplicably moved by something incredibly simple and innocuous? A blinking street light in the dead of night. A solitary shopping cart in an empty parking lot. If so, then you might like to know, that sudden shift of emotion is known as a heartspur.

Likely Stories - Bitter Soil by Mahasweta Devi

This is Guilherme Feitosa DeAlmeida, senior lecturer of Musical Theatre at Baylor University. I'm here with this week's edition of Likely Stories. Award winning author Mahasweta Devi is an environmental crusader. Bitter Soil is her narrative manifesto.

Likely Stories - You're Not Listening: What You're Missing and Why It Matters by Kate Murphy

In my goal to read more nonfiction books, I picked up You’re Not Listening – what you’re missing and why it matters by Kate Murphy. I admit I can’t remember who recommended this book, I probably wasn’t listening… but reading it is a great opportunity to learn how to become a better listener and who doesn’t want that.I’m Lucy Petter. Welcome to today’s Likely Stories.

Likely Stories - I Who Have Never Known Men by Jaqueline Harpman

My name is Heather White, I teach Art History classes at Baylor and manage my household, I have two toddlers and a ten year old. Today I am reviewing, “I Who Have Never Known Men,” by Jaqueline Harpman. If you’ve never heard of it, don’t worry, it’s an older, obscure book with a somewhat wordy title.

Likely Stories - Midnight Cowboy by James Kendrick

If you haven’t seen the movie Midnight Cowboy, don’t read Baylor professor James Kendrick’s new book Midnight Cowboy. It is full of spoilers…full.

Likely Stories - The Favorites by Layne Fargo

You know, investing my soul into a story about fictional competitive ice dancers was not what I had on my 2025 BINGO card, yet there I was, poring over the pages of this book and pouring out my emotions over this debut that is an homage to Wuthering Heights and reads like part fictional account and part Netflix Olympic documentary. Dig in your toepicks to 'The Favorites' by Layne Fargo and get ready for one heck of a spin.