Are You There, Pod?

Merry Christmas, fam! We recorded another Christmas episode to keep you going. This week we discuss Barbara Robinson’s Best Christmas Pageant Ever. We’ll be back next year! Thanks to Producer Blake for our theme song. His band is at moreofthat.bandcamp.com and wherever you stream music. You can follow us on Instagram @areyoutherepod or email us at areyoutherepodcast@gmail.com. We want your stories...

Merry (almost) Christmas, fam! This ep were talking Colleen O’Shaughnessy McKenna’s Merry Christmas, Miss McConnell! Get in the holiday spirit as the gang talks Hallmark Christmas movies, Christmas raps, Christmas trees, Christmas skits, and ... the opioid epidemic? Jessica and Josh talk class politics and Blake drops the hottest Christmas jam since the Mariah Carey classic. Join us for our next b...

Happy Black Friday, fam! We’re delivering a special ep on this most American of Holidays for you to listen to as you’re fighting over the last discounted Notting Hill blu-ray (you’re welcome). This episode we discuss Richie Tankersley Cusick’s early 90s Point Horror effort, *The Mall*. The gang talks dream mall jobs, hot boy names, undercover teens, and Joss Whedon. Josh does some great visual bit...

Warning: This ep we’re talking Norma Klein’s Beginner’s’ Love—a book that tackles teen sex, birth control, abortion, and hot doctor-ladies, so the content may get a bit explicit at times. Join us as the gang talks gettin’ horny at Simon & Garfunkel concerts, a dystopian six-day work week, and Fudgemania. Blake and Josh sing an S&G medley, and Jessica demands a better NYT app (get on it, Mi...

We’re bringing y’all a supersized spooky episode with special guest Steven King! Join us as we discuss almost everything but the RL Stine novels we read (okay, we DO talk about those, but reluctantly). This ep, Josh introduces Jimmy Goosebumps, Jessica and Producer Blake can’t stop talking Rap Snacks, and Steven is inspired to tackle his own YA horror novel. Tangents include GameStop & Babbage...

It's time for a bonus bananas Halloween episode, and this time we discuss R.L. Stine's The Babysitter with special guest Crystal Lane! Josh spends way too much time trying to think of a spooky name and can't seem to say the word "tank," Crystal reveals how her ninth birthday was ruined by President Bush, and Jessica drank three glasses of wine and seems a little confused. Blake and Josh try to do...

This episode we discuss Betsy Haynes's The Against Taffy Sinclair Club (maybe our favorite book so far?) The gang spends a lot of time talking about you-know-whats (boobs), being hot for teacher, pre-teen fundraising, the embarrassments of puberty, and hot school lunches. Josh's dad has a chili pepper; Jessica's dad has no chili pepper (and maybe no heart?) This episode's tangents: all the authors...

It’s back-to-school time, and you know what that means-—it’s #meangirlautumn. We kickoff the school year with Ann M. Martin’s *Slam Book*. Join us as the gang talks Freshman hazing, prestige camp TV, life in Connecticutville, and boys named Gooz. Josh goes on a political rant! Oskar blows up Jessica’s spot! Blake uses a record number of bleeps! WARNING: Sorry, we unknowingly picked a bummer. This...

Watch out, fam: there’s a lot of creeps in this one. Creepy brothers, creepy mothers, and creepy...monks? Listen as Josh, Jessica, and Producer Blake close the chapter on the never-ending Dollanganger Saga. Trigger warning: Look, it’s VC Andrews. If you’ve hung around this long, you probably know what to expect. Next episode we’ll be discussing Ann M. Martin’s Slam Book. (Spoiler alert: Josh maybe...

The gang gathers to discuss the third book in the Dollanganger series (and vow to never read VC Andrews again—after they read Seeds of Yesterday). Jessica wants incel Bart locked up and Josh and Blake reveal their peacocking pieces. The gang introduces a new rating system. Content warning: This episode contains brief discussions of rape, incest, and animal cruelty (RIP Clover & Apple). Also a...

Jessica, Josh, and special guest Jon Arnett discuss the second book in the Dollanganger Series. Jessica won’t stop talking about how her younger-self thought this book was hot, Jon has a suggestion for Tipper Gore, and Josh and Producer Blake have a side convo about spider-face women and hot skeletons. Content warning: This episode contains discussions of rape, incest, domestic abuse, and suicide....

Josh and Jessica go it alone on this ep (with only a few interruptions from Blake!) The gang talks Twitch and Tik Tok, Dresden Dolls, horse girls, that awkward PEN15 time, and the joys(?) of attic living. Content warning: This episode contains brief discussions of incest and rape. Also, Jessica spoils Three Identical Strangers. (Check it out on Hulu! It’s good!) Thanks to Blake for our theme song....

Oh Judas! It’s our second episode and we’ve been hit by satanic panic! Josh, Jessica, and special guest Emily read some choice poetry, Josh tries to talk about levitation for at least 20 minutes, Jessica throws some shade at the rural kids and gets disappointed by orgies, and Emily accurately sums up Jay (and reading this book) as the worst. (Un)officially brought to you by Iron Maiden’s Trooper—i...

It’s our first episode! Do we have any idea what we’re doing? Nope! Do we go off-topic at any point during this podcast? Of course! Join us as we discuss mandatory millennial podcasting, belt plugs, Ellen Hopkins, and teens wasting their drugs. Josh references a shirtless Gavin Rossdale at least twice, Jessica tarnishes her family name by sharing her first experience with alcohol, Blake suggests a...