Required Reading

Actor and writer Olive Lorraine joins me to discuss a perfect misanthropist’s heaven: Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë from 1847. Summary: Lockwood, the new tenant of Thrushcross Grange on the bleak Yorkshire moors, is forced to seek shelter one night at Wuthering Heights, the home of his landlord. There he discovers the history of the tempestuous events that took place years before: of the inten...

This might be the most I've ever laughed in an episode? Slay. Adriene Vento joins me to discuss several entries into the Mercy Watson series written by Kate DiCamillo and illustrated by Chris Van Dusen. We cover Mercy Watson Goes for a Ride (book 2) and Mercy Watson Fights Crime (book 3), a series about a pig who loves toast and the people who love her. Check out an excerpt of the book ! To see th...

Rishi Mahesh joins me to discuss Randy Pausch's The Last Lecture from 2008. Carnegie Mellon computer science professor Randy Pausch delivered a "last lecture" of life lessons for his young children in the months preceding his death due to pancreatic cancer. I'm really eager to hear thoughts on this episode! Follow Rishi Follow Erin Support the podcast!

John Paul Sarni of Stampede Ventures and the Page and Screen podcast joins me to discuss Michael Crichton's 1990 staple: Jurassic Park! Listen to Page and Screen ! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Sometimes mosquitos get in the pancakes and you have to eat them anyway. Writer Emily Schmidt walks me through one of the most popular and traumatizing series of the late 90s/early 00s: Dear America and in particular its Oregon Trail diary Across the Wide and Lonesome Prairie from 1997 by Kristiana Gregory. Summary: After the death of her 2 sisters, 13-year-old Hattie and her family make for a fre...

I wouldn't have predicted that I would ever say the phrase "acquiescence mushrooms," but here we are. Bailey Benningfield joins me to discuss Gail Carson Levine's Ella Enchanted. And yes we discuss the movie, don't you know my passion for Anne Hathaway? Synopsis: At her birth, Ella of Frell was the unfortunate recipient of a foolish fairy's gift - the "gift" of obedience. Ella must obey any order...

What's this? A bonus episode? This week Jess Woodworth returns to discuss a seasonal staple that I had never seen before: THE NIGHTMARE BEFORE CHRISTMAS from 1993. The film tells the story of Jack Skellington, the King of "Halloween Town", who stumbles upon "Christmas Town" and schemes to take over the holiday. It was directed by Henry Selick and written by Caroline Thompson. Support the podcast!...

It's a picture book - with lore . Delaney Circe joins me to discuss Chris Van Allsburg's The Mysteries of Harris Burdick from 1984. In an encounter between a children's book editor named Peter Wenders and an author and illustrator named Harris Burdick – who says he has 14 stories that he has written – Burdick brings one picture from each story with a caption. He leaves with a promise to deliver th...

Shelby Copple joins me to discuss a book about lovin books: INKHEART by Cornelia Funke. The story follows bookish twelve-year-old Meggie, who learns that her bookbinder father Mortimer or 'Mo' has a special gift: he can bring fictional characters to life. Read Shelby's newsletter! Support the podcast! Follow Erin!

Get your freak on theater kids, we're doing Shakespeare. Kylie Brakeman joins me to discuss William Shakespeare's immortal classic: Macbeth. Listen to Kylie's podcast Artists on Artists on Artists on Artists ! Support the show! Follow Erin!

Kevin T Porter joins me to discuss the second book in Louis Sachar's Wayside series: Wayside School is Falling Down! Our original Wayside episode with Jenny Cavallero ! Listen to Kevin's podcast Good Christian Fun ! Support the podcast ! I'll send you MAIL!! Follow Erin!

Natalie Ortega (Wicked!!!) joins me to discuss Scott Westerfeld's 2005 library staple: UGLIES. Also, a movie of this 19 year old book is coming to Netflix in a few weeks. That's called serendipity, baby. Uglies is a 2005 science fiction novel by Scott Westerfeld. It is set in a future post scarcity dystopian world in which everyone is considered an "ugly," but then turned "Pretty" by extreme cosme...

Grace Bahler joins me to discuss the first book in Ally Carter's Gallagher Girls series: I'd Tell You I Love You, But Then I'd Have to Kill You from 2006! The Gallagher Academy for Exceptional Young Women is a fairly typical all-girls school—that is, if every school teaches advanced martial arts in PE, chemistry always consists of learning about the latest in chemical warfare, and everyone breaks...

Jess Woodworth joins me to discuss Newbery Medal winner The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo (one of only 6 authors to win 2 Newberys!) The main plot follows the adventures of a mouse named Despereaux Tilling, as he sets out on his quest to rescue a beautiful human princess from the rats. (Wikipedia) Support the podcast! Follow Jess! Follow Erin!

Chelsea Pope joins me to discuss Ken Kesey's One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest by Ken Kesey! Trigger warnings for discussions of mental health, institutionalization, suicide, and more. The book is narrated by Chief Bromden, a gigantic half-Native American patient at a psychiatric hospital, who presents himself as deaf, mute, and docile. Bromden's tale focuses mainly on the antics of the rebellious R...

It's another dealer's choice episode! Returning guests Hua Chen and Ashley Westover join me to discuss a book I hated in high school (I was wrong! I know!) Jane Austen's PRIDE AND PREJUDICE! Book summary: While the arrival of wealthy gentlemen sends her marriage-minded mother into a frenzy, willful and opinionated Elizabeth Bennet matches wits with haughty Mr. Darcy. (IMDB) Support the podcast! Fo...

I didn't mean to have the American Revolution episode come out on July 3rd, but! I'll take any serendipity I can get. Another Dealer's Choice episode - professor Carly O'Brien returns to discuss Esther Forbes' 1943 Newberry winning novel Johnny Tremain. Book summary: Johnny, a young apprentice silversmith, is caught up with Otis, Hancock, and John and Samuel Adams in the exciting and dramatic oper...

Don't look now, it's the Gruffalo! Book summary: Walk further into the deep dark wood, and discover what happens when a quick-witted mouse comes face to face with an owl, a snake . . . and a hungry Gruffalo! (Storygraph) Support the podcast! Follow Hayley Follow me!

I'm launching a series called DEALER'S CHOICE where I pick the book!! So I picked my middle school backpack staple, my entry into adulthood, the book that made me say "teenhood? i'm here!" it's Nick and Norah's Infinite Playlist by David Levithan and Rachel Cohn! The novel is told from the alternating perspectives of Nick, the only straight member of a queercore rock band, and Norah, the daughter...

ITS EPISODE 30! Don't bring back jelly sandals unless you're cosplaying the Big Lebowski!

Original guest Georgia Shenk joins me to discuss Meg Cabot's AIRHEAD - a book about modeling, full body transplants, and a chinchilla named Anna Nicole Smith. Check out Georgia's previous (and our first!) episode on The Summer I Turned Pretty ! Follow Erin ! Support the show !

Flop Soup's Justin Crosby joins me to discuss Lemony Snicket's first Unfortunate Event: The Bad Beginning! Why is Erin's audio so bad? We don't know but hopefully she'll figure it out. Or else!

Sarah Dessen has LANDED. Cassandra Kyriazis of Flop Soup joins me to discuss Sarah Dessen's novel LOCK AND KEY, 2008s jewelry, and the power of having 2-3 friends. Flop Soup: https://www.flopsoup.com/ Substack: https://goodlinksbycassandra.substack.com/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/CassandraKy

MERMAIDS, ARE YOU READY? Zannah Schorer joins me for episode 26 to discuss Liz Kessler's tale of a girl probing the mysteries of her absent father, the weird lighthouse operator, and why her legs are becoming a tail!

ITS EPISODE 25!!! And one of the best books in American literature in my opinion. Corryn Diemer joins us to read Louis Sachar's 1998 classic - its both twinkling fairytale and sweaty gritty story about the juvenile penal system. And of course, the movie. Follow Corryn! Support the show! Follow Erin!