Late Show Book Club features Tom Perrotta

The Late Show with Stephen Colbert posted a new Book Club video on YouTube on May 16 featuring novelist Tom Perrotta discussing his new book “Ghost Town.” The official channel described the interview as a conversation about Perrotta’s “free range childhood in the 1970s,” his experience with screen adaptations of his work and his teenage interest in “The Lord of the Rings.” The video was labeled the program’s “May (and final) book club pick,” according to the channel description. YouTube’s indexed listing showed the clip had drawn about 3,674 views and 391 likes when crawled on May 17. ### What exactly did The Late Show publish on May 16? The Late Show with Stephen Colbert published a video titled “Late Show Book Club with ‘Ghost Town’ Author Tom Perrotta” on May 16 on its official YouTube channel. The listing identifies the segment as part of the show’s Book Club programming and tags it with “#Colbert,” “#LateShowBookClub” and “#GhostTown.” YouTube’s page description says the segment features Perrotta talking about childhood nostalgia, screen adaptations of his books and his teenage reading habits. (youtube.com) The official Late Show Book Club playlist was also available on YouTube, indicating the Perrotta interview sits within an established series rather than as a one-off upload. ### What is “Ghost Town,” the book discussed in the segment? (youtube.com) Simon & Schuster’s official publisher page says “Ghost Town” is a novel by Tom Perrotta set in 1970s suburban New Jersey and told from the perspective of a middle-aged writer looking back on events that changed his life. The publisher describes the book as following an eighth grader named Jimmy after a tragedy, as he is drawn into friendships with two older teenagers and toward a Ouija board that may offer contact with the dead. (youtube.com) The New York Public Library Shop lists “Ghost Town: A Novel” with a publication date of April 28, 2026. Simon & Schuster’s page and Perrotta’s own website both present the book as a newly released title in the author’s catalog. ### Why was Perrotta a fit for this Book Club installment? Tom Perrotta is presented in the video description as both an author and a guest whose work has crossed into film and television. (simonandschuster.com) The Late Show’s description says the conversation covers “what it’s been like to work on the screen adaptations of his books,” pointing viewers toward Perrotta’s broader cultural profile beyond the novel itself. Simon & Schuster’s page identifies Perrotta as a bestselling author, and the publisher frames “Ghost Town” as part of his continuing work on suburban American life and memory. That matches the Late Show clip’s emphasis on nostalgia and literary discussion rather than a standard promotional appearance. ### What details from the clip description stand out? The official YouTube description says Perrotta discussed “nostalgia for his free range childhood in the 1970s.” It also says he spoke about “his teenage obsession with ‘The Lord of the Rings,’” giving the segment a reading-group format built around influences and themes as much as plot. (youtube.com) The phrase “May (and final) book club pick” is the clearest programming detail in the listing. (youtube.com) The Late Show playlist page invites viewers to read along and post using “#LateShowBookClub,” suggesting the show has treated the series as an audience-participation feature. ### Where can viewers find the segment now? The May 16 video remained available on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert’s official YouTube channel as of May 17. (youtube.com) The same channel also hosts the broader Late Show Book Club playlist, which groups the Perrotta installment with other selections in the series. May 17 is the first full day after publication reflected in YouTube’s indexed listing, and the clip’s page continued to identify Tom Perrotta and “Ghost Town” by name. (youtube.com) Viewers looking for the next step can watch the interview on the official channel and use the playlist page to locate other Book Club entries.