Required Reading

Favorite person alert: Justina Engel returns to discuss Ali Sparkes' 2009 sci-fi novel FROZEN IN TIME. During summer vacation siblings Ben and Rachel dig up a bomb shelter in their backyard. Inside the bomb shelter are their great aunt and uncle, cryogenically frozen (and there's a puppy there too). Family mysteries, government conspiracies, and international intrigue come to light - and fingernai...

An ode to the magic and miseries of girlhood - but mostly the magic. Comedian and Emmy-winning producer Britt Migs joins me to discuss Louise Rennison's 1999 British classic: Angus, Thongs, and Full-Frontal Snogging. Follow Britt! Follow Erin! Support the podcast !

Yes, it's the incest book. This week Lauren Badillo Milici joins me to discuss VC Andrew's salacious and iconic first novel Flowers in the Attic . Four siblings are trapped in an attic by their mother and grandmother in an attempt to hide their existence from their grandfather. Check out Lauren's book and her work at GamesRadar ! Follow Erin ! Support the podcast !

Miracle of miracles! Kevin T Porter of Good Christian Fun returns to discuss one of the best-selling book series of all time: Artemis Fowl by Eoin Colfer. Artemis Fowl is a twelve year old criminal mastermind, on a quest to save his family's reputation and gold. But a little fairy named Holly Short just might get in his way. Check out Kevin's previous appearance on the show where we discussed the...

Comedian Enor Bishop joins me to discuss Stephen King's immortal classic from 1987: Misery. Author Paul Sheldon's life is saved after he is pulled from the wreckage of his car by his number one fan: Annie Wilkes. Trouble is, she won't let him leave. Get tickets to Enor's show on November 15th 2025 ! Follow Erin ! Support the show !

Another week, another Goosebump! Book 4 in the series is Say Cheese and Die, where a mysterious camera causes misfortune to whoever appears in a pic! Goosebumps episode one ! Two ! Three ! With Chelsea Pope ! With Keara Sullivan ! Support the podcas t! Follow me !

It's a mini episode and a solo episode so you know it's gonna be absolutely whack-a-doodle. I talk about my favorite Halloween movies! Here's my letterboxd list ! Follow me ! Support the podcast !

AAAAAH! Legendary director Paul Feig joins me to discuss Mary Shelley's immortal Frankenstein from 1818. Check out Paul's newest film The Housemaid only in theaters December 19th!

Original guest and girlhood expert Georgia Shenk returns to discuss a book I was not allowed to read and the touchstone for "mean girl"-hood of the 00s.....other than the one you're thinking of. It's THE CLIQUE by Lisi Harrison! When new girl Claire moves into mean girl Massie's guest house, worlds collide. Claire eats sugar and does not fit in with the Pretty Committee (Massie's group of friends)...

This week on the podcast it's an all-time classic of girlhood: Frances Hodgson Burnett's A LITTLE PRINCESS with podcaster Caroline Ely! Sarah Crewe enters Miss Minchin's boarding school as a wealthy heiress, but when her father dies finds herself shoved into servitude, poverty, and hunger. Check out Caroline's podcast Good Christin Fun ( Erin was on it! ) Follow Caroline ! Follow Erin ! Support th...

TV writer Jillian Tsai of Netflix's Haunted Hotel joins me to discuss the first entry into the mega-series WARRIORS from 2003! Rusty is a cozy house cat who chooses to join Thunderclan, a group of feral cats who live in the woods behind his house and are having a land dispute with other clans. He becomes a warrior apprentice, Firepaw, and uncovers mysteries within the clan and within himself.... C...

Author Sierra Marilyn Riley ( The Dark Cove Theatre Society ) joins me to discuss one of MY all-time favorite books from childhood: THE WESTING GAME! When wealthy paper magnate Samuel Westing dies he leaves a complicated will demanding 16 "heirs" - most of whom live at an apartment building across a field from his creepy mansion - partake in a game to inherit his fortune. Check out Sierra's book,...

Mind-blowing writer Jenny Bicks (Welcome to Flatch, Sex and the City) joins me to discuss our second Roald Dahl book JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH. Fun fact: same year as Phantom Tollbooth! Little James finds himself inside a giant peach, surrounded by several very large and very friendly bugs! Support the podcast!

Bellbottoms, capris, cargos: its the summer of pants. Kelly Krauter joins me to discuss Ann Brashare's 2001 immortal classic THE SISTERHOOD OF THE TRAVELING PANTS. And don't you dare roll your eyes. Best friends Carmen, Tibby, Lena, and Bridget are about to spend a summer apart for the first time in their 15 years of life. Just before they go their separate ways they find a magical pair of jeans t...

Kelsey Buckley returns to wrap up our summer camp series with a nonfiction book: THEATER GEEK. Theater Geek by Mickey Rapkin chronicles one summer at renowned theater camp Stagedoor Manor. Follow Kelsey ! Follow Erin ! Support the podcast ! As of this writing (8.26.25) we have earned $3.56 from ad revenue! Thank you for listening!

Writer Joanna Truman joins me to discuss one of the most iconic characters in children's literature: Harriet M Welsch AKA Harriet the Spy !! From Louise Fitzhugh in 1964, Harriet the Spy follows Manhattanite 11 year old kid spy Harriet M Welsh as she writes infinitely in her trusty notebook about her pesky classmates in order to survive the departure of her dear nanny, Ole Golly. Follow Joanna ! F...

Comedian Maggie Winters joins me to discuss THE PHANTOM TOLLBOOTH by Norton Juster with illustrations from Jules Feiffer! The Phantom Tollbooth follows bored schoolboy Milo as he enters a mystical and very unreasonable land in search of the princesses of Rhyme and Reason! AND - episode 100 is approaching! Let me know what you'd like me to do! I have very few ideas! Follow Maggie ! Follow Erin ! Su...

Broadway's Natalie Ortega returns to discuss another entry in Camp Required Reading: CAMP ROCK! From 2008, the DCOM (Disney Channel Original Movie, of course) Camp Rock follows Mitchie (Demi Lovato) at the celebrated music camp where dreams are made, as long as no one finds out her mom is the new cook! Follow Natalie! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Keara Sullivan returns to Required Reading to go to camp and, frankly, it's horrifying. We dive into Goosebumps THE HORROR AT CAMP JELLYJAM by RL Stine. Wendy and her brother Elliot fall off their parent's car, down a mountain, and into Camp Jellyjam where something STINKS. Follow Keara ! Read her Substack ! Support the podcast ! Follow Erin !

Camp Required Reading is BACK, campers! Victoria Harley (A Breath of Fresh Movie podcast) joins me to discuss RL Stine's 12th book in the Fear Street saga: Lights Out . Holly doesn't like the outdoors, but she'll be a camp counselor to help her uncle save his failing camp - but someone's trying to sabotage it all! Check out some of our other camp episodes: Sunkissed and Goosebumps: Welcome to Camp...

Author, creator, and marketing maven Madeline North returns to discuss a dragon classic: ERAGON by Christopher Paolini. Young Eragon finds a dragon egg and quickly Saphira the dragon hatches. All matter of mayhem breaks loose as forces from throughout the kingdom seek out the egg. Follow Madeline! Check out Madeline's new marketing agency! Listen to Madeline's previous episode on The Princess Brid...

It's week two of Camp Required Reading and Chelsea Pope returns to discuss Goosebumps #9: Welcome to Camp Nightmare! The food at Camp Nightmoon isn't great. The counselors are a little strange. And the camp director, Uncle Al seems sort of demented. OK, Billy can handle that. But when other campers disappear... and his parents don't answer his letters... Camp Nightmoon is turning into Camp Nightma...

This week I am debuting a special summer camp series!! Haley OC joins me to discuss SUNKISSED by Kasie West, a YA romance inspired by Dirty Dancing. Avery has always used music as an escape. But after her best friend betrays her, even her perfectly curated playlists can't help her forget what happened. To make matters worse, her parents have dragged her and her social-media-obsessed sister to a re...

Writer Chad Morton (Abbott Elementary) joins me to discuss the most banned book of the 21st century: Captain Underpants by Dav Pilkey. Fourth graders George and Harold accidentally hypnotize their terrible principal into actually becoming Captain Underpants, the comic book hero they drew! See Chad's work on Abbott Elementary on ABC! Check out the work of Beetle Moses ! Follow Erin ! Support the po...

Krista Moy returns to discuss William Golding's 1954 classic Lord of the Flies! Also it's EPISODE 75!! We did it babes! A group of boys crash-land on an island and all hell breaks loose. Check out Krista's previous episode about A Streetcar Named Desire! Follow Krista! Follow Erin! Support the podcast!