Happy To Be Here

This week, we are diving into the world of boarding school, wrongful conviction and true crime podcasts. Yes, we are talking about the book I Have Some Questions for You by Rebecca Makkai. It was a Nerdette Book Club pick after it came out in March of last year, and it just came out in paperback. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/pri...

Nerdette Book Club is keeping things moving in 2024 with Kiley Reid’s sophomore novel, ‘ Come and Get It .’ It’s a juicy, messy novel that takes place on a college campus and explores issues around class, ambition and constantly-shifting power dynamics. Our readers this month are the hosts of WBEZ’s ‘ The Rundown ’ podcast, Erin Allen and Adora Namigadde . We do get into spoilers in the conversati...

This week, comedian and Fake the Nation host Negin Farsad and Ted Talks Daily host Elise Hu join us to discuss a week’s worth of litigious news. We learn about the guy who’s suing Powerball for posting the incorrect numbers, the dating app users who say the platforms are too addictive, and the proposed “right to disconnect” law protecting workers in Australia. Plus, how many exclamation points are...

This week, Niala Boodhoo, host and editor of the Axios podcast 1 big thing , and Aubrey Gordon, subject of the upcoming documentary ' Your Fat Friend ' and co-host of Maintenance Phase , stop by to chat about retailers cracking down on frequent returns and the new dating app for people with good credit scores. Then, MacArthur “Genius Grant” fellow and Pulitzer finalist Kelly Link joins us to talk...

This week, Rhaina Cohen, author of ' The Other Significant Others ,' and The Stacks host Traci Thomas stop by to talk about the sports game happening this Sunday, whether aging Millennials are becoming culturally obsolete, and why algorithm recommendations might feel kind of … off. Plus, we take a listen to audio Valentines from Nerdette listeners to their friends! You are refurbishing Coach bags...

Our February selection is Come and Get It by Kiley Reid! Reid’s debut novel, ‘Such a Fun Age,’ was a salacious, fizzy novel about the messy power dynamics of work and life, and her second book is no different. Set on the campus of the University of Arkansas, the multi-perspective book revolves around Millie, a fifth-year senior saving up to buy a house in town. As an RA on campus, she oversees stu...

This week, we are beating the winter blahs and leaning into coziness. First, we talk to City Cast Chicago host Jacoby Cochran and WBEZ’s Araceli Gómez-Aldana about ads upending streaming services, a $3,000 train trip and cozy rituals. Then, Bon Appétit food editor Shilpa Uskokovic shares some of her favorite cold weather recipes. Here they are… Dark and Stormy Braised Pot Roast No-Knead Fougasse F...

Nerdette Book Club is off to an excellent start with our first selection of 2024, ‘Jonathan Abernathy You are Kind’ by Molly McGhee! It’s a deeply strange novel that dabbles in dreamscapes while also being a very real critique of capitalism. Our readers this month are Maya Lau, the host of the personal finance podcast ‘Other Peoples’ Pockets’ and Nick Quah, podcast critic for ‘Vulture .’ We do get...

This week, co-hosts of the Just Between Us podcast, Gabe Dunn and Allison Raskin, stop in to play Burden or Delight. This week’s topics: double dipping , the snow salt chococcino , and gummy vitamins ! Then, Greta and Book Riot ’s Liberty Hardy rave about some of the buzziest titles coming out this year. For a full list of the books mentioned in the episode, head to our website ! See Privacy Polic...

This week, we are distracting ourselves from the freezing cold weather with a game of Burden or Delight. Our panelists are Adora Namigadde, WBEZ metro reporter and host of the morning episodes of the WBEZ podcast The Rundown , and Erin Allen, host of The Rundown in the afternoons. We discuss the end of certain comedic road signs and the ethics of a husband’s hidden trust fund . Then, we head to a...

We’re back with our first pop culture panel of 2024! In that spirit, we are talking all about New Year's resolutions and the myth of fresh starts. Our guests are the host of Vox’s The Weeds podcast Jonquilyn Hill and the host of New Hampshire Public Radio’s The 13th Step podcast Lauren Chooljian. We also get into two recent trends: the rise of closed captioning and the extra trendy, extra large St...

This week we're sharing an episode we think you'll enjoy. It's from the podcast Missing Pages and it is the first part of their two-part series on book banning. Host and acclaimed literary critic Bethanne Patrick explores America’s history of banning books. Missing Pages is produced by The Podglomerate. Listen to more episodes of Missing Pages here: https://link.chtbl.com/M8oj-eXh?sid=NerdetteFee...

Nerdette Book Club is kicking off a new year of reading with Molly McGhee’s debut novel Jonathan Abernathy You Are Kind . Our protagonist, Jonathan Abernathy, is completely subsumed by debt. So, he takes a job editing the bad dreams of middle class workers. It’s a searing critique of late-stage capitalism that also manages to be funny and tender. Read along with us! The book club will be back on t...

Despite two historic writers’ and actors’ strikes, there was a lot of TV to watch this year. We turned to two TV critics to weigh in on their favorites: The New Yorker’s Inkoo Kang and Vulture’s Kathryn VanArendonk For links, pics and more details, head to our website ! Beef (Netflix) Reservation Dogs (Hulu) Succession (Max) Fellow Travelers (Showtime) The Bear (Hulu) Wrestlers (Netflix) For All M...

To find the best podcasts of the year, we talked to two veritable experts in the form: Leah-Simone Bowen, host of ‘Podcast Playlist’ from the CBC, and Nick Quah, podcast critic for Vulture. In order to make it on their lists this year, both Leah and Nick said shows had to really push the envelope in format or reporting. From heavy investigations to a show that Nick calls “cotton candy sprinkled wi...

We are reflecting on a year of reading by tallying up the books that we just can’t stop thinking about. Two professional readers – Miwa Messer, host of Barnes & Noble’s book podcast Poured Over , and Andrew Limbong, host of NPR’s Book of the Day podcast – join us to share their best of the year lists. Here are the books mentioned in the episode. For pictures, links and more details, head to ou...

It’s that time of year where we sit back, relax and reflect on some of the best stuff that came out this year! First up, we asked Alex Beggs — freelance food writer, former staffer at ‘ Bon Appetit’ and all-around friend of the show — to tell us about her favorite cookbooks of 2023. Here’s Alex’s list. You can find pictures, links and more details at our website ! - ‘ More is More’ by Molly Baz -...

This week, we're sharing a podcast from our public radio friends KUOW in Seattle. It's called "Text Me Back" and it's all about friendship and making your favorite people laugh, even when this dumpster fire of a world gets you down. Bestselling writer Lindy West and democracy policy expert Meagan Hatcher-Mays are two award-winning best friends from high school. Each week, Lindy and Meagan will hil...

This week, we are asking the important questions about 2024. Like, what plant will we fall in love with? And what body part will be in style? Those are some of the ponderings included in a recent story on next year’s trends in T: The New York Times Style Magazine . We put the co-hosts of ‘ Fanti ,’ Tre’vell Anderson and Jarrett Hill, to the test. They are also the co-authors of ‘ Historically Blac...

Nerdette Book Club is back to discuss our November selection, ‘ Land of Milk and Honey ’ by C Pam Zhang! It’s a novel about survival, privilege, and seeking pleasure at the end of the world. Our readers this month are Aliza Abarbanel, co-founder and co-editor of ‘ Cake Zine ,’ an independent print publication exploring society through sweets, and co-host of the podcast ‘ This is TASTE ,’ and Miria...

Academy Award winning writer, actor, and director Emerald Fennell tells us about her intoxicating new movie ‘ Saltburn ,’ which is out this week. It’s a British country house thriller about obsession, excess, and desire. See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info .

Thanksgiving is almost upon us, so it’s time to get cooking! First, we ask chef Tanya Holland to share some fun, fresh ideas for the big meal. Tanya is the author of three cookbooks, including most recently the gorgeous ‘ California Soul .’ You can find the recipes for her stuffed sweet potatoes and brussels sprouts salad at our website ! Since one of the best parts of Thanksgiving is the leftover...

This week, Vocalo host Nudia Hernandez and host of WBEZ’s ‘ The Rundown ’ Erin Allen join us to unwind from the week that was. We chat about Barbra Streisand’s extremely long memoir, The Simpsons’ attempts to keep up with the times, and how to cope with shorter days. Then, we talk to two of the showrunners on the Apple TV+ show ‘ For All Mankind ,’ Matt Wolpert and Ben Nedivi . The series supposes...

It is the month of November and our Book Club selection is C Pam Zhang’s Land of Milk and Honey . It takes place in an alarmingly conceivable future where the world is on the brink of ecological collapse. A smog is enveloping the earth, making it difficult for crops to grow. Our narrator is a chef who is straddled with inherited debt and locked out of the United States. She takes a mysterious job...

This week, we chat about long movie intermissions, the business of Taylor Swift, and the delight of keeping oddball rituals. Our panelists are Lauren Chooljian, senior reporter, producer and host of the NHPR podcast The 13th Step , and Anisa Khalifa, producer and host of the WUNC podcast The Broadside and the indie podcasts Dramas Over Flowers and Muslim in Plain Sight . Then, we talk to one of ou...