The To Read List Podcast

THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA by Ernest Hemingway & REDWALL by Brian Jacques. Andrew takes us on the saddest fishing trip of all time in THE OLD MAN AND THE SEA. Then, we debrief our inaugural To Read List Book Club selection… REDWALL! Will Bailey love this middle-grade mice adventure? Will our listeners? Is it possible to love Cluny the Scourge as much as Toby does? Tune in to find out!

To celebrate our 600th episode, Bailey, Toby, and Andrew share their latest puzzling experiences and play "Puzzle Piece or Thing in My Apartment."        (April Fools!)

MIDDLEMARCH by George Eliot & EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER by Linda Holmes. In this week's episode, Toby travels to the 19th century with MIDDLEMARCH, while Bailey heads to modern-day Maine for the (much lighter) romance EVVIE DRAKE STARTS OVER. Plus, we check in from our quarantine pods and reveal the first-ever To Read List Book Club pick!

While we're all cooped up at home, you may be looking for your next favorite read. If so, please enjoy our list of top un-put-downable books! That is, the books that kept us up late reading "just one more chapter...." 

THE SYMPATHIZER by Viet Thanh Nguyen & COLD MOUNTAIN by Charles Frazier. This week, we discuss two beloved titles— bestselling historical romance COLD MOUNTAIN and 2016's Pulitzer Prize Winner, THE SYMPATHIZER. Will we love the books as much as everyone else seems to? Plus, we get a geography lesson, chat about how producing a podcast has influenced our reading, and check in with Dillon's cupboard...

Dillon leads the cohosts in an Apples to Apples-style game where they retitle classic books through anonymous pitches. The results are priceless. (Note: the episode contains spoilers about ANNA KARENINA and LITTLE WOMEN.)

PACHINKO by Min Jin Lee & A YEAR IN THE MERDE by Stephen Clarke & A YEAR IN PROVENCE by Peter Mayle & ENCORE PROVENCE by Peter Mayle. Why would you not recommend a four star read? How much extra credit is too much? Why is Frodo Baggins hanging out with the Rum Tum Tugger? We'll answer these questions and so much more in this very special episode.

In honor of Valentine's Day, we write stories about literary characters who should totally smooch. Bailey takes it very seriously—the boys less so. Even teenage Gillian gets in on the fun!

ROBINSON CRUSOE by Daniel Defoe & SIMON VS. THE HOMO SAPIENS AGENDA by Becky Albertalli. While Bailey tries to get through a reading slump, Toby goes above and beyond and reads two books, neither of which were assigned to him! With Toby's help, Andrew discusses troublesome character decisions in ROBINSON CRUSOE, and Bailey dissects the adorable YA romance that became the film LOVE, SIMON.

In this minisode, we share our top three animals from literature, with no basic choices allowed! How many REDWALL characters will Toby pick? You'll have to tune in to find out.

ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST by Ken Kesey & BRAVE NEW WORLD by Aldous Huxley. We discuss two very different books that both happen to be about rebels taking on corrupt power structures! Toby reads ONE FLEW OVER THE CUCKOO'S NEST and contemplates whether Nurse Ratched is scarier in the book or the movie. Then, Bailey questions how much Huxley got right about our future in BRAVE NEW WORLD. Plus,...

In this minisode, we share our reading resolutions for the new year. Some of our goals are conventional… and some of them are decidedly not. Enjoy!

THIS ONE SUMMER by Jillian & Mariko Tamaki & THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO by Alexandre Dumas. While Bailey tackles the longest book on her shelf, Andrew has time to read his graphic novel twice. Find out what makes the Tamakis' coming of age story THIS ONE SUMMER so evocative, then travel to nineteenth century France for THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO! The journey will be full of catty antiheroes and REVE...

In this bonus episode, we share the top three fictional settings we'd travel via a rock-shaped portal. You know, like in OUTLANDER. Don't think about it too hard.

We celebrate our first anniversary by reflecting on the books we've read this year. Who read the most pages? Who added more books than they read? Who remembers the most from the books they read six months ago? Plus, we share our favorite books and characters in our favorite new award show, the Bookends!

LINCOLN IN THE BARDO by George Saunders & READY PLAYER ONE by Ernest Cline. Happy Holidays from the To Read List! To celebrate, we review two beloved books, READY PLAYER ONE and LINCOLN IN THE BARDO! Will Toby appreciate the George Saunders novel more the second time he attempts it? Will Bailey understand Ernest Cline's video game references? Tune in to find out.

LITTLE WOMEN by Louisa May Alcott. *NOTE: THIS EPISODE CONTAINS SPOILERS.* In this very special episode, Bailey invites four of her favorite ladies to analyze Louisa May Alcott's coming of age classic, LITTLE WOMEN! We dig deep into the characters, such as how Jo breaks gender expectations, Amy masters the patriarchy, and Beth… is a bummer. Plus, we share facts about Alcott and a personality quiz.

OUTLANDER by Diana Gabaldon & JUST KIDS by Patti Smith. With only a few hours of sleep, Andrew reviews his longest book yet—OUTLANDER! His verdict may surprise you. Then Bailey discusses JUST KIDS and learns she might be too square for Patti Smith. Finally, Toby makes his debut as game master.

To celebrate the launch of Elaine's Cooking for the Soul, a post-apocalyptic cooking podcast, we talk with creator Alli Schleisman about the tools from literature we'd take with us into the apocalypse. Some of us will survive, some of us will thrive… and some will get a stomachache from too much pasta. Check out Elaine's Cooking for the Soul here.

EAST OF EDEN by John Steinbeck & NORMAL PEOPLE by Sally Rooney. The crew digs into two beloved books, one a classic, one a new release. Toby discusses biblical allusions and fun sociopaths in EAST OF EDEN, while Bailey reconnects with high school ex-boyfriends via Sally Rooney's NORMAL PEOPLE. Plus, Andrew teaches us the surprising things you can learn from a human dissection.

To celebrate the annual Goodreads Choice Awards, we compete in Goodreads' Never-Ending Book Quiz! The trivia questions are based on the books we've read, so you'd think that we'd be good at this. You'd think. Try the quiz for yourself here: https://www.goodreads.com/trivia/home

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS by John Green & MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION by Ottessa Moshfegh. This week, we dig deep into two recent bestsellers: THE FAULT IN OUR STARS and MY YEAR OF REST AND RELAXATION! We discuss teen romance, the allure of sleep, and famous events in Dutch history. (Spoiler alert, Toby hasn't heard of Mata Hari and thinks it's weird if you have.) Plus, Dillon fills us in on his p...

Inspired by both Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Taylor Swift, we choose the literary characters we wish were part of our best friend "squads." Unsurprisingly, Bailey picks multiple cats. Plus, Andrew reveals the person he'd most want to host his holiday party, and Toby shares his plan to survive the apocalypse.

DRACULA by Bram Stoker & THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW by Clive Barker. Spoooooky Halloween! We discuss two scary novels—THE GREAT AND SECRET SHOW by Clive Barker and DRACULA by Bram Stoker—using our best (worst) Transylvanian accents. As an extra treat, we break down the concept of an "unlikeable character" and what makes Count Dracula "extra."

To get you in the Halloween spirit, we talk about three spooky stories: "The Veldt" by Ray Bradbury, "House of Puppets" by Junji Ito, and "The Cask of Amontillado" by Edgar Allan Poe. Then, for our grand finale, we improvise the scariest story about flan you've ever heard. Hold on to your bats!