The To Read List Podcast

Well, Page-Os, after six years of irreverent book reviews, we have come to the end of The To Read List Podcast. In this, our final episode, we reminisce about our most loved (and most hated) books and share memorable moments from the pod's 150-episode run. We give out our final Bookend Awards, play a final Andrew game, and face the final Russian Rou-List. Plus, a mini-review from the podcast baby,...

THE BRIGHT SWORD by LEV GROSSMAN THE CLAN OF THE CAVE BEAR by JEAN M. AUEL Du nuh nuh, nuh nuhhh (to the theme song of A Charlie Brown Christmas) Page-O's! It's our last review-centric episode, and boy howdy do we have some good ones. First Toby unsheathes his reviewing rapier to tackle Lev Grossman's new Arthurian epic The Bright Sword, then Bailey rakes her critical claws across the prehistoric...

HIS DARK MATERIALS by Philip Pullman WATERSHIP DOWN by Richard Adams   In our 148th episode, Andrew covers not one, not two, but three books! That's right, it's HIS DARK MATERIALS week on the pod. Will Andrew be captivated by this classic, which Toby reveres? And just in case you were worried that we didn't have enough touchstone works of fiction for children featuring animals, Bailey dives into W...

THE SHADOW OF THE TORTURER by Gene Wolfe / A SEPARATE PEACE by John Knowles Why, hello, Page-os. We apologize for the delay with this episode's release--we had an important announcement to make, and we wanted to do it right. Also, Bailey's been traveling and totally messing with the recording schedule. Shame! After our bittersweet announcement, Toby reads a book written by someone named Gene about...

ASSASSIN'S APPRENTICE by ROBIN HOBB THE LEFT HAND OF DARKNESS by URSULA K LE GUIN All hail King Smart, Page-O's! This episode is a genre fiction double-shot as Andrew checks out the Six Duchies and lets us know what he thought of Robin Hobb's Assassin's Apprentice (Toby has opinions). Meanwhile, Bailey travels light years away to the planet of Gethen and evaluates The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursu...

THE GUEST by Emma Cline / THE PROSPECTS by K.T. Hoffman This week, we review the classic film BULL DURHAM...I mean...we review books! After Toby writhes in the tense discomfort of Emma Cline's THE GUEST, Bailey joins the minor league with THE PROSPECTS, a romantic sports comedy featuring a bevy of trans joy. Finally, Andrew takes us out to the ballgame by testing our knowledge of ridiculous mascot...

SLEEPING MURDER & A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED by Agatha Christie / THE TURNOUT by Megan Abbott   Miss Marple has entered the chat! This week our valiant hosts cover not one - but two! - Agatha Christie mysteries, SLEEPING MURDER and A MURDER IS ANNOUNCED. Will they solve the crime before the murderer strikes again?? And - if that wasn't enough intrigue for you - Bailey read a twisty thriller of her own,...

GHOSTS by Edith Warton / FAMILY MEAL by Bryan Washington Set your plates and don your capes, Page-O's! This week on the pod Toby dives into GHOSTS by Edith Wharton, which is, well, maybe you can guess what it is. Bailey dines on FAMILY MEAL by Bryan Washington, Andrew serves up a game of ghostly food, and all the hosts absolutely tear apart the New York Times' Top 100 Books of the 21st Century!

TURTLES ALL THE WAY DOWN by John Green / THE LAST HOUSE ON NEEDLESS STREET by Catriona Ward In today's new episode, Andrew tries desparately to make John Green notice him, while Bailey tries desperately not to spoil the book she spoiled for herself. Plus, Bailey shares the shameful result of a trip to a romance bookstore, Andrew brags about his dream SSR vacation, and Dillon leads us down the turt...

THE NINE BILLION NAMES OF GOD (and RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA) by Arthur C. Clarke / ARE YOU THERE, GOD? IT'S ME, MARGARET. by Judy Blume Fellow "pleasures to have in class," join us this week for Toby's rollercoaster of a review plus a short journey through Bailey's puberty. First, Toby surprises us all with a review of the film ARMAGEDDON...oh wait, we mean the sci-fi classic RENDEZVOUS WITH RAMA by A...

THE SONG OF ACHILLES by Madeline Miller SPEECH TEAM by Tim Murphy   Prepare your position papers and make sure you have your humorous interpretation memorized, because this week, Bailey dives into SPEECH TEAM by Tim Murphy! High School competition not really your style? That's okay, Andrew has plenty of thoughts about Madeline Miller's bestselling novel, THE SONG OF ACHILLES to tide you over. Ther...

THE LATHE OF HEAVEN by URSULA K LE GUIN / THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD by CLAIRE LOMBARDO  Dream a little dream of us, Page-O's! In this episode, Toby gives an 'effective' review of Ursula K Le Guin's THE LATHE OF HEAVEN plus an explanation of what exactly a lathe is. Then Bailey has a rip-roaring good time reviewing Claire Lombardo's THE MOST FUN WE EVER HAD . All this AND a terrifying tale of plants...

THE SPLENDID AND THE VILE by Erik Larson / BEACH READ by Emily Henry In this episode, we get to talk about two of our favorite authors--Emily "The Love Book" Henry and Erik "The Larsman" Larson. Will we be able to stop ourselves from reading every book they've ever written? Will we ever stop talking about Winston Churchill's bathtime? Will our college crush return our texts? Tune in to find out!

PALE BLUE DOT by Carl Sagan / THE GIFT OF FEAR by Gavin de Becker Toby makes his triumphant return to the podcast only to reveal his greatest shame yet! While "reviewing" PALE BLUE DOT, he makes us question how much we all care about space. Next, Bailey dives into THE GIFT OF FEAR, a thrilling self-help book that demonstrates why you should listen to your gut feelings (and be friends with Meryl St...

THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR by Svetlana Alexievich / UNDER THE BANNER OF HEAVEN by John Krakauer   The choosening really brought some heavy hitters to the book nook this time--these tomes pack a punch! First Andrew learns about the women of the Soviet Army during World War II in Nobel Laureate Svetlana Alexievich's THE UNWOMANLY FACE OF WAR, a harrowing oral history. Then Bailey dives into John Krak...

THE LIAR'S CLUB by MARY KARR / SURVIVOR by CHUCK PAHLANIUK Tell the truth, Page-Os, you're excited for this one! In this episode, Toby reads Mary Karr's THE LIAR'S CLUB, a memoir so powerful that it is rumored to have revitalized the genre as a whole in the 1990s, and Bailey has her first Chuck Pahlaniuk experience (what!? I know, right?) with SURVIVOR, his slightly lesser-known but possibly-just-...

THE CITY OF BRASS by S.A. Chakraborty / THE MITFORDS edited by Charlotte Mosley Today's the day that Bailey finally reviews THE MITFORDS, the 800-page epistolary non-fiction that's been glaring at her from the shelf for over a decade. Plus, Andrew dives into a new fantasy series with THE CITY OF BRASS and gets a song stuck in our heads in the process. Don't miss a game that reveals our limited Bro...

SORROWLAND by Rivers Solomon THE WANGS VS. THE WORLD by Jade Chang Bailey and Dillon are back, baby! Now that the crew has re-assembled, Toby can introduce us to a new friend in Rivers Solomon, and Bailey can finally review the Jade Chang book she read two months ago. Plus, Dillon shares his latest reads, Andrew witnesses an unexpected fight, and we all leave Toby by the side of the road. Enjoy!

BABEL by R.F. Kuang BIRNAM WOOD by Eleanor Catton   This week the boys are joined by none other than composer extraordinaire (and Andrew's wife) Gillian Beth Durkee to discuss books, life, and New Zealand! First, Toby gives his verdict on BookTok sensation BABEL by R.F. Kuang. Then it's a group discussion of Eleanor Catton's eco-thriller BIRNAM WOOD off of resident bad boy Andrew's list. There are...

STAY TRUE by Hua Hsu IN THE MISO SOUP by Ryu Murakami   Lads episode! Andrew and Toby take the wheel this week and it is as ROWDY and CHAOTIC as you would expect a book review podcast recorded by two men in their 30s to be! So, pretty normal and chilled out! Andrew reviews Hua Hsu's Pulitzer-Prize-winning memoir Stay True and flirts with a band that threatens to dominate his aesthetic and Toby, se...

Call your headphone mechanic and your earbuds back from the shop, Page-O's, because HIATUS IS CANCELLED. We'll be back next week with a brand new episode - have a listen for the full details! 

Hi loyal Page-os! This is a quick announcement to explain the lack of new episode this week: we're taking a brief hiatus to regroup. We'll be back before you can say "shame." Stay tuned!

Check it, Page-O's: it's our favorite episode of the year, and also the most bowl-shakingly terrifying episode of the year — the Bookend Awards! Join us as we take a look at our stats, hand out superlatives (both positive and negative), and play a pair of games that alternately fill us with shame and dread. Plus, well, actually that's it for this episode. Trust us, it's plenty!

CRIME AND PUNISHMENT by Fyodor Dostoevsky / SOUR HEART by Jenny Zhang Sacre bleu! This week, Andrew digs into his first Dostoevsky—CRIME AND PUNISHMENT— while in Parisian quarantine. Plus, Bailey reviews SOUR HEART, a surprisingly lewd collection of short stories à clef. And of course, we learn how to feel shame in multiple languages. Raskolnikov!

THE LEFT-HANDED BOOKSELLERS OF LONDON by Garth Nix /  THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin Would you like to play a game? In this very special episode of The To Read List, comedian and podcast creator Ella Gale joins us to discuss the classic middle grade mystery THE WESTING GAME by Ellen Raskin. We riff on overly complicated inheritance schemes, methods of passive research, and the dark habits of rav...