Happy To Be Here

Sure, lots of celebrities are hosting conversations and table reads on social media these days. But author and actor John Hodgman has been hanging out on Instagram Live for months already, interviewing random humans and their pets, in a show he calls … wait for it … “Get Your Pets.” Nerdette host Greta Johnsen talks to Hodgman about why he thinks “Get Your Pets” is maybe, actually some of the most...

A good book can get you through a lot of uncertainty. What’s better than diving into another world and staying there for hours and hours? In this episode, we’ll hear from a BUNCH of listeners about what’s getting you through these weird times. Plus, we’ll check in with Rebecca George, who owns Volumes Bookcafe in Chicago. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notic...

It’s a fair bet that stress baking is on the rise. (See what we did there?) So we thought it was time to check in with baker extraordinaire Shauna Sever, whose cookbook Midwest Made is full of amazing comfort foods. She has a recipe for the only banana bread you’ll ever need , and the name is true. And, of course, we hear from you! Your homework: We’d love to know what you’re reading these days. A...

Today we check in with  Nerdette  book club regular Heather Havrilesky. She also writes the Ask Polly advice column for  New York  magazine, so she gives us another perspective on how everyone's doing out there. And of course, we hear from a bunch of you, too, which is quickly becoming the best part of this show. If you’d like to chime in, just tell us how you’re adapting, along with your name and...

A lot of us are looking around and realizing the plans we had aren’t necessarily a reality anymore. Which can be scary and hard, but it’s also a great opportunity to adapt. Today, Greta checks in with her friend Shannon Downey. She’s a crafter with a big  online community , but most of the work she does involves meeting people in real life, something that can’t happen right now. Hear what she deci...

One thing for which Greta is grateful? Danielle Kurtzleben, who works on the  NPR Politics Podcast  team, and whose tweet about wearing a ball gown while working from home is  exquisitely delightful . We’ll hear what Danielle appreciates now more than ever, and we’ll also hear from some of you! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pr...

Today, we ask how we can help ourselves while helping others. We also hear from some of you in this episode, and we want to keep that up! Tell us your name, where you’re calling from, and what you’re grateful for. Just record yourself on your phone and then email the audio file to us at nerdettepodcast@gmail.com . Keep ‘em coming! See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Priv...

Now more than ever, we could all use a little pick-me-up. Starting today, we’re making regular mini-sodes with ideas on how to work from home, what you should be reading, and some things to help lift your mood. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

We get help from longtime tech journalist Kara Swisher to dissect Anna Wiener's 'Uncanny Valley,' a fish-out-of-water memoir about a young woman who abandons New York’s publishing industry in favor of big tech and Silicon Valley. Join us! We assure you, the Nerdette book club is just like a normal book club, except we don’t shame you if you didn’t do the reading.   See Privacy Policy at https://ar...

Welcome to the Nerdette Book Club! Where we read a book a month and chat about it with a rotating group of panelists. It’s just like a normal book club except no one shames you when you don't do the reading. This episode is all about Kiley Reid’s excellent debut novel, Such a Fun Age . It’s an incisive look at race and class in modern America, (and it also happens to be really funny.) Join  Nerdet...

Nerdette has always been a podcast for book lovers, but for the first few months of 2020, we’re doubling down. Join host Greta Johnsen and a rotating cast of panelists as they discuss the year’s buzziest books. Whether you can’t wait to dive in or just want to sound like you know what you’re talking about with your book nerd buddies, this is the podcast for you. First up: Such a Fun Age , Kiley Re...

Books! Books! Books! Greta read 72 books this year, and today she sits down and ranks her 10 favorites. (Plus, she speaks with the author of her favorite book of 2019, ‘Such A Fun Age’ by Kiley Reid.) Here's her full list, and you can get more details on each title  at this link :  10. Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes 9. The Secret Commonwealth by Philip Pullman 8. The Most Fun We Ever Had...

Spoilers ahead! WHAT. A. FINALE. In the latest His Dark Materials , Will hunkers down in lots of places, Mrs. Coulter becomes increasingly unhinged, and we finally learn what the prophecy about Lyra’s betrayal really means. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break down the final episode of the first season. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy...

Now that’s what I call a bear fight! In the latest His Dark Materials , Iorek Byrinson returns to his homeland, Will Parry engages in mortal combat and we finally meet back up with Lord Asriel, who is strangely pleased to see Roger Parslow. Join us as Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal break it all down ahead of next week’s season finale. Plus, we play Peter a clip of himself three weeks...

That was INTENSE. Lyra narrowly avoids disaster, has a heart-to-heart with mom, creates some chaos in Bolvangar, and … falls into a whole new disaster! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal have some thoughts on the latest episode, as did you. So join us! P.S. We want to hear from you! Tell us: In the final episodes, are you willing to endure the noticeable dearth of CGI daemons in exchange...

The first season of His Dark Materials is more than halfway done and while things are coming together, we still have a lot of questions. Like much does it cost to CGI a daemon? What exactly are the Gobblers up to? And if you dial up a friend in another dimension, will the phone still ring? Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode, which had more creepy cr...

Armored drinking bears! Sassy thieving cowboys! Dudley Dursley for some reason! Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to discuss the latest episode of His Dark Materials , which is either the moment this TV series comes to life or a terrible approximation of an excellent book, depending on who you listen to.  See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy No...

Holy plot developments! Based on how much we learned in Episode 3 of HBO’s His Dark Materials , it’s safe to say this young TV show is maturing quite rapidly! And as per usual, Greta Johnsen, Tricia Bobeda and Peter Sagal are here to break it all down. Listen to the latest recap, and remember that we also want to hear from you! Join the conversation and share your own theories with us on Twitter,...

Boy is it getting DUST-y in here. (Haw haw, get it?) The second episode of HBO’s His Dark Materials sees Lyra travel to London with Mrs. Coulter as the Gyptians track down the so-called Gobblers and try to find their kidnapped children. And after some monkey business in Mrs. Coulter’s study, Lyra discovers that her surrogate mother is up to something in the North, but it’s not entirely clear what....

Grab your daemons and put on your snow boots, because Greta Johnsen and Tricia Bobeda of Nerdette and Peter Sagal of NPR’s Wait Wait … Don’t Tell Me! are back together again to recap another HBO fantasy show: His Dark Materials . This week the team discusses the   series premiere, which aired Monday, so beware, there are some episode 1 spoilers (but we avoid book spoilers the best we can!). If you...

… Oxford! That’s right, just like Weezer, Sleater-Kinney, and the Spice Girls before them, the Nerdette Recaps crew is getting the band back together for the new HBO series His Dark Materials . Starting Tuesday, Nov. 5 — the day after the premiere episode of His Dark Materials airs — you’ll find all new episodes of Nerdette Recaps His Dark Materials with Peter Sagal right here in this podcast feed...

Good gravy! It's George R.R. Martin! If you're unfamiliar, he's the author of that little book series that became one of the most popular TV shows of all time,  Game of Thrones . These days, he’s in the midst of writing the final two novels in that series. Before he sat down with Greta, his team told us that he couldn’t answer the question on everyone’s mind ("So, like, when’s the next book coming...

To celebrate the approach of another wonderful two-day break, Nerdette host Greta Johnsen talked with Alison Roman, author of the new cookbook Nothing Fancy , about three ways to make sure you host the most badass dinner party possible (she prefers to call it “ having people over ”). And did you know that the largest 3D printer in the world just printed the world’s largest 3D-printed boat ? We tal...

We’ve finished The Testaments ! Press play and join Nerdette host Greta Johnsen, New York Magazine ’s Heather Havrilesky and Vocalo’s Jill Hopkins for this final installment of the #NerdetteBookClub . You’ll hear how each of us rated the book on a scale of 1-10 warm milks (10 being the best, obviously), what the professional reviewers thought, and how much your fellow book club members liked it! P...

We’re two thirds of the way through Margaret Atwood’s The Testaments, and we’ve got a lot to talk about. This week is all about chapters 24 through 46, and our panel of intrepid feminists questions whether these storylines are just a little toooo convenient, whether it’s really possible to rip a person apart with your bare hands … and what the deal is with all that warm milk. Want to be a part of...