Episodes

  • 36. Twelfth Knight
    Oct 6 2024

    James and Melissa discuss Alexene Farol Follmuth's Twelfth Knight through themes of performance, identity, and greatness via their respective source texts of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night and the great 2006 romcom She's the Man.

    Join us next month for Slow Dance by Rainbow Rowell.

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    45 mins
  • 35. I Hope This Finds You Well
    Aug 29 2024

    James and Melissa discuss Natalie Sue's I Hope This Finds You Well through themes of power, personal growth, and whether or not you should be friends with your coworkers.

    Join us next month for Twelfth Knight by Alexene Farol Follmuth.

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    49 mins
  • 34b. How to End a Love Story Bonus - The Google Form
    Jul 23 2024
    3 mins
  • 34. How to End a Love Story
    Jul 12 2024

    James and Melissa discuss Yulin Kuang's How to End a Love Story, touching on forgiveness, genre, and how everything is just fanfiction. Notes: trigger warning for suicide of a loved one, and spiciness alert for lots of heterosexual intercourse.

    Join us next month for Natalie Sue's I Hope This Finds You Well.

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    46 mins
  • 33. Funny Story
    Jun 16 2024

    James and Melissa discuss Emily Henry’s Funny Story through themes of communication, community, and compromise.

    Join us next month for Yulin Kuang's How to End a Love Story (spiciness alert for lots of heterosexual intercourse.)

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    41 mins
  • 32. The Spirit Bares Its Teeth
    May 26 2024

    James and Melissa discuss Andrew Joseph White’s The Spirit Bares Its Teeth, talking about systems of power, resistance, and the use of violence in this book's (warning!) very graphic imagery.

    Join us next month when we return to lighter themes with Emily Henry's 2024 summer read, Funny Story.

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    43 mins
  • 31. Once More with Feeling
    Mar 27 2024

    Melissa and James discuss Elissa Sussman’s Once more with Feeling, touching on Broadway, Britney, Barbie, and more.

    Join us next month when we read The Spirit Bares Its Teeth by Andrew Joseph White.

    Meanwhile, check out Melissa’s cameo in the SF Chronicle’s feature on SF’s best karaoke bars. Very on-brand.

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    51 mins
  • 30. Check & Mate
    Feb 26 2024

    Melissa and James discuss Goodreads Choice Awards Young Adult Fiction winner of 2023, Check & Mate by Ali Hazelwood, through themes of caretaking, identities, and genre.

    Join us next month when we read Once More with Feeling by Elissa Sussman.

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    44 mins