Literal Neighbors

We're slowly hobbling our way to you this week to bring you our episode on Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson. We have some thoughts, but mostly we want some clarity on what makes something a jar, because we're pretty sure the behemoth being described may not fit the bill. Amidst that discussion, we also have some strong advice for you, which is basically this: stay off treadmills.

This week we finished up Witchcraft for Wayward Girls, and we just want to know why these witches don't give these girls a quick health class or two in the woods, if they really want to recruit. We'll discuss the way these characters were portrayed, the satisfaction (or lack thereof) in a flash forward, and naturally, paella and filipino food.

We read half of Grady Hendrix's Witchcraft for Wayward Girls this week, and it's all about teenage pregnancy in 1970. We're diving into the merits of drugs and the benefits of a doctor with bedside manner (or at least respect for their patients). So light a cigarette or twenty and join us in our discussion about the costs of running a house like this, and the effects it may have on the...

Well, we're 85 episodes in, and we've gotten our tagline -- these people need therapy. This week we've read The Twelve Tribes of Hattie by Ayana Mathis. We meet Hattie as a young girl new to Philadelphia as part of the Great Migration, then we move on and catch glimpses of the lives of her many children throughout the 20th century. As is the case with so many characters we read, our bi...

Surprise, November is still spooky season! We read the Stephen King classic Carrie, and we take it down a dark path (Even for a Stephen King novel) with some truly nightmarish statistics. On a lighter note, we're also planning to eat like it's the apocalypse, and we have some thoughts about what that might mean.

This episode we're covering Neal Shusterman's Unwind, a YA dystopian novel that says "I brought you into this world, and after thirteen years, I can take you out of it." It's our penultimate spooky season read, and while it's not really horror, it definitely has some parts (pun maybe intended?) that we'll be thinking about for quite a while.

We've survived to the halfway point of spooky season, so we're talking about Marcus Kliewer's We Used To Live Here. This grabbed us so much from the beginning that we decided we had to include it in the spooky season lineup -- and our only regrets are that we ever read any of it alone, but also that we read any of it in public. Turn on all the lights, find a buddy, and curl up with thi...

Spooky season continues, and we're veering into nonfiction to give you Mary Roach's Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers. This book takes us through how human remains have been treated throughout history, the good they've done, and the options for your body post-mortem. We get a LOT of answers, and we really only have one question about a joke that we just aren't really at peace with. This o...

Spooky season continues with Woodworm by Layla Martinez, so pour yourself a bowl of stew and tuck into this supernatural horror with us. We're talking about how much our feet can hang off the bed at night, night sweats, and the choose-your-own-horror of it all, and we've got plenty of thoughts about what might be lurking under the bed.

It's October, and that means one thing: spooky season is here! We are kicking off this cozy time of year with our first October read, The Road by Cormac McCarthy. The post-apocalyptic gray world we're reading about certainly fit the fall vibes, and so do our lighting choices. We've been waiting 11 months for this, so we're beyond stoked to kick off the spookiest time of year and we've got the intr...

We read Charles Balfoure's The Paris Architect this week, but we're way more excited that it rained while we recorded. We're talking about the WWII genre of historical fiction in general, where this book fits into it, and what kinds of desserts we like best. Bonus: some delightful rain sounds in the background. You're welcome!

This week we finished up Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything, so naturally, Jenn's going to give Anna an explanation of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles. We're also discussing the fashion accuracy of the book, how well you can hug if you're missing toes, and how much you would never want to marry your friends' spouses.

This week we read up to Part III of Jennifer Weiner's Mrs. Everything, and we're ready to see where this takes us. Have some dinosaur time, get some snake water, and join us as we discuss the first half of this book and all its terrible, mean characters (and maybe one we're really fond of).

This week we read Amanda Skenandore's book about a woman banished to a leper colony in the 1920s. Like quicksand and stop, drop, and roll, we can count on one leper's hand the times that we've encountered leprosy in our lives and it's much less than anticipated -- so we're happy to have the opportunity to chat about it now.

EWe're talking about Kevin Kwan's book Crazy Rich Asians this week, and we really think it needs to be clearer that they aren't crazy and rich, they're just crazy rich. And if they're crazy, it isn't in a fun way. If you came here looking for Vera Wong or hoping to Dial A for Aunties, you might be disappointed. If you came here to peek into how the 1% live (and what they we...

This week, we read Nathan Harris's The Sweetness of Water, and we are just a little concerned that some people might be staying at the party a bit too long. This post-war southern tale goes in a few directions we didn't expect, and then keeps on going. We're eager to dive into the sweetness (see what we did there?) and tell you all about how we feel.

We did NOT read a book this week...but we're here to chat about all the ones we've read so far! Are there some redemption arcs? Were we too harsh on some books? Do we want to go to Nigeria? Did we have enough snacks? You'll have to listen in for answers to all these burning questions and more!

This week, we've read Chris Cleave's Little Bee, and we're here to give you more than the inside cover summary! This unfortunately timely book is all about a refugee girl in the UK and the family she's associated with. Hold on to your fingers and buckle in for this good but depressing read this week!

We're reading a Tracy Chevalier, how do you like them apples? At the Edge of the Orchard is a story that pleasantly surprised us and made us super uncomfortable all at once. Grab some cider (or apple jack) and tuck into this family saga.

Charlotte McConaghy's Wild Dark Shore has us wondering just how often people randomly wash ashore on isolated, freezing islands -- and wondering how we'd do in that environment. Probably not well, considering we can't manage a day at the beach without a horrendous sunburn nor can we stand the sound of an air conditioner that sounds like it's about to explode. Join us while we chat...

This week, we wanted a light read about murder, adultery, and theft to balance out the sad news we have to share. We are getting back into the swing of things, and Bad Summer People by Emma Rosenblum might just be the book for us. Get your tennis rackets ready and ferry on over with us to this delightfully terrible vacation island.

This week, we read The Heaven & Earth Grocery Store by James McBride, and we are just a little disappointed in the lack of food options here. We're weighing in on how you leave your mark in the world, and on whether you prefer Reddi Wip or Cool Whip, so basically, we've got all the crucial bits covered.

We're baaaaaack! We have returned from our unscheduled hiatus to bring you Anne Tyler's French Braid, which might be a story by an octogenarian for octogenarians, but we'll get into it. Tune in to your local easy listening radio station to get you hyped up, then check out this episode discussing family life.

Richard Powers' Bewilderment gives us a glimpse into what other planets could be like, a little bit of what our country looks like, and a lot of what happens when a parent throws logic out the window and opts for unique ways of treating his not-quite-entirely diagnosed son. We're talking about the importance of science, the ethics of parenting, and the crucial role that themed beverages pl...

This week, one of us finds out about a snack she'd somehow never heard of, and we read Pam Jenoff's WWII historical fiction novel. This 'dual timeline' story gives us a glimpse into the lives of women who are trained to be spies using a machine that we're still not sure we understand -- but we probably won't be spies anytime soon, anyway.