That Pretentious Book Club

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #2 Episode #5 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy are joined by two very special guests as they dive into the thrilling and possibly most-impossible-to-put-down classic, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë. With a unicorn collection of four English lit majors with their own unique opinions on this novel, the insight shared in this episode...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #2 Episode #4 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this first-ever remotely recorded episode, Spoons and Wheezy discuss the masterpiece that is The Picture of Dorian Gray by all-time favorite author Oscar Wilde. From the low-down on Ash's mermaid retreat to personal anecdotes of the hosts' exploits in Dublin (including being inexplicably attacked by Iris...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #2 Episode #3 of That Pretentious Book Club!   Spoons and Wheezy are joined by darling guest and fellow writer Karissa (AKA Katherine) Harlow in this super special and hypothetically-much-anticipated episode on A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas.  The trio slides quickly from debate over the hottest Disney prince/villain and tales from introverted colle...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #2 Episode #2 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy discuss popular enemies-to-lovers YA fantasy, Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin. In this truly chaotic episode, the hosts debate everything from the legitimacy of Ash's main-character-syndrome and the appeal of star-crossed lovers to what a trope looks like when it's done...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #2 Episode #1 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In the first episode of Season 2, Spoons and Wheezy are thrilled to discuss the snootiest-of-literary-masterpieces - Emma by Jane Austen. From club updates and exciting plans for the new season to in-depth and philosophical discussions about whether Emma and Mr. Knightly are too siblingish for romance, this episode m...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome club members and new listeners alike! Spoons and Wheezy just want to remind everyone that That Pretentious Book Club is taking a one-week hiatus to celebrate the end of Season 1! Come back next week for the first episode of Season 2, Emma by Jane Austen, and until then enjoy catching up on any missed episodes, check out our Patreon, and reach out on social media to let us...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Season #1 Episode #22 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In the last episode of That Pretentious Book Club's first season, Spoons and Wheezy discuss the lightly steampunk fantasy masterpiece that is Clockwork Angel by Cassandra Clare. From   romantic leads that are exactly equal in their irresistibility to insanely compelling characters, it's hard to not to fall...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #21 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy discuss The War of the Worlds by potentially-quite-stuck-up father of science fiction, H.G. Wells. From conversation about unnecessarily healthy babysitting snacks to debating the merits of causing a scene, the hosts definitely don't stray off topic at all as they take on this early piec...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #20 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this  episode Spoons and Wheezy are finally back in their own studio and ready to discuss the gripping psychological thriller that is Nine Perfect Strangers by New York Times Bestselling Author Liane Moriarty. Join the hosts as they do their best (and worst) Australian accents, discuss the pains of never-drying nail polish...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #19 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this very special episode Spoons introduces the club to her long-deceased boyfriend, the infamous Billy the Kid. In this fast-paced, beautifully crafted Western by award-winning writer Larry McMurtry, readers get an inside look at the life and psyche of one fictional iteration of one of U.S. history's most mythologize...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #18 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this very nautical episode, Spoons and Wheezy discuss favorite drinks, mermaid-ing, and most importantly the horror-fantasy masterpiece that is House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig. In this re-telling of the twelve dancing princesses fairytale, Craig expertly weaves tragedy, magic, and romance into one truly terrifyi...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #17 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this somewhat echoey episode, Spoons and Wheezy discuss the merits of social media, origins of the word waifu , and whether or not Heathcliff truly can be called a romantic lead. From wuthering moors to a cast of intense characters that make you wonder who you're supposed to root for, this book presents a truly wild a...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #16 of That Pretentious Book Club!   Spoons and Wheezy are thrilled to invite you to their discussion of YA fantasy favorite The Raven Boys by author Maggie Stiefvater! From comparisons to popular anime characters and adoration of old muscle cars, to fangirling over each and every one of the Aglionby boys, this particularly nerdy episode has something for every...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #15 of That Pretentious Book Club!   Join Spoons and Wheezy as they share personal stories of gastrointestinally complicated pet adoptions, painful accents, and - of course - discussions of the The Scarlet Pimpernel by Baroness Orczy! If you like stories set against the backdrop of the French revolution, clandestine spies, romance, and him bos, this is the class...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #14 of That Pretentious Book Club!   Join Spoons and Wheezy as they revisit a childhood (and current) favorite: Rick Riordan's The Lightning Thief! Topics of conversation include:  the origin of the endearment "Uncle Rick," blue food, and why boxy car models are superior. Pour yourself a cup of nectar, raise a pinky, and join the club for this dis...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #13 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this week's episode, Ash and Kendall cover that timeless sci-fi classic, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?   which was the loose inspiration for Blade Runner. Of course, the convo doesn't end there. Enjoy as our hosts cover such important topics as misogyny TikTok, the importance of fiction, and why comedy/act...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #12 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode (recorded too late at night not to be a little silly), Spoons and Wheezy jump straight into the adventure, passion, and baby spice that is Tiger's Curse by Colleen Houck. From Indian mythology to tragic curses and adventure scenes that could put Indiana Jones to shame, this book was hard to put down. Whil...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #11 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy settle in to discuss the book which inspired popular Netflix series by the same name, The Queen's Gambit by Walter Tevis. The hosts discuss everything from cappucinos versus fries to the artful way Tevis represented the experience of childhood, puberty, and adulthood of chess prodigy and...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #10 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy step into popular YA thriller Wink Poppy Midnight by April Genevieve Tucholke. From conniving high schoolers to lovesick heroes and a plot that seems to bend the rules of reality without ever stepping outside the lines, it's hard to tell which way is up in this intensely complex, pseudo-...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #9 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode Spoons and Wheezy fly off to Neverland as they discuss J. M. Barrie's most famous work, Peter Pan, with a special appearance from Wheezy's cats. In a story rife with perplexing-yet-magical amounts of whimsy, bumbling pirates, salty fairies, and flying children, there is something nostalgic for everyon...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #8 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this last special episode on the Grisha trilogy by Leigh Bardugo, Spoons and Wheezy are joined by special guest Dr. Hal to discuss Ruin and Rising. From an underground cathedral with a creepy priest to the edge of a cliff over misty falls, Sankta Alina, Mal, and our favorite Prince Nikky have one more chance to stop the Dar...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #7 of That Pretentious Book Club!   Spoons and Wheezy are joined by none other than father-of-Kendall and former english teacher Darren Shaw in this episode on Of Mice and Men by the great John Steinbeck.   For those who are wary of classics, this book serves as a vibrant and fast-paced breath of fresh air (if you can look past the ending - which Wheezy is deter...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #6 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this special episode, Spoons and Wheezy focus down on an in-depth summary of Leigh Bardugo's second book in the Grisha trilogy, Siege and Storm.  What will Alina do when she is faced with choosing between her own freedom or that of her country? And is life without power freedom at all? With a maddeningly moody love int...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #5 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode, Spoons and Wheezy get into it over one of the world's most well-known tragedies, Hamlet by William Shakespeare. While Wheezy is skeptical of just about everything in this story, Spoons delights in the bard's darker side.  Whatever side of the Hamlet love-hate spectrum listeners fall on, there is undo...

Send us Fan Mail Welcome to Episode #4 of That Pretentious Book Club!   In this episode, Spoons and Wheezy explore the Grishaverse in the first book of Leigh Bardugo's Grisha Trilogy, Shadow and Bone. With another meet-the-author story and a dramatic summary, even those who haven't read the book will enjoy this episode. From marveling at Bardugo's world-building prowess to debating...