We’re popping into the feed with a special episode. Leah and Graylin share their best reads of the year so far along with their least favorite…listen for some hot takes on popular titles!

“Read every day – it is a practice that dignifies humans. Become a great reader of books and it will help you with reality, you’ll more easily grasp the truth of things and that will set you up for life. And don’t expose your brain to low-quality art forms because there will be a certain measure of pollution.” — Susie Boyt, Loved and Missed

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Best:

A Long Game: Notes on Writing Fiction by Elizabeth McCracken

Tender Is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica

The Capital of Dreams by Heather O’Neill

Watership Down by Richard Adams

Every Exit Brings You Home by Naeem Murr

Lost Lambs by Madeline Cash

Strangers: A Memoir of Marriage by Belle Burden

The Land and Its People by David Sedaris

David Sedaris on his Duolingo obsession: ‘Today is the last day,’ I told myself – but I was powerless to stop

Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

The My Friends series by Jane Duncan

Loved and Missed by Susie Boyt

Worst:

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

Whistler by Ann Patchett

Today we taste test the new “naked” versions of Cheetos and Doritos products! What a journey. For this episode of Discovery Dialogues, we have a special guest join us, Graham Porter. In addition to chomping on chips, we discuss Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey, cave diving, and the 2026 Harrison County Popcorn Festival.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Diving into the Unknown

Underland: A Deep Time Journey by Robert McFarland

Caveman Hikes on Youtube

Listers on YouTube

Upcoming events at Bundlesticks Farm

Leah is back and today’s taste test is iced coffee, given the heat wave we’re currently experiencing!

After testing beverage from Starbucks, Kent Java, Dunkin, and a homemade version, we dive into the “algorithim” of our lives.

Today’s guests are Elizabeth Tobey and Brian Geier of Bundle Sticks Farm in Lanesville. Their craft based farm is so unique and we are lucky to have them in the community.

Click here to learn more about upcoming events at Bundle Sticks Farm

Click here to learn more about the flower bouquet CSA

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Harrison County Pride Festival

Popcorn Festival

Bundle Sticks Farm

For our next Discovery Dialogues episode, Leah, Elmer, and Gray do a blind tasting of chicken tacos from local restaurants with some surprising results! Also, they deep dive into Mac Barnett’s new book Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

A Kids Book Co series

Wiggly Words by Kate Rolfe

Big by Vashti Harrison

Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth

This episode is an interview with Kyle Kramer, co-founder of Eden’s Heart Collective in New Salisbury. Kyle is a writer, woodworker, former nonprofit CEO, farmer, podcaster, columnist, husband, and father who has dedicated his life to the study of silence, mindfulness, and a meaningful living. This conversation is right in line with other themes we’ve discussed so far this season — major thanks to Kyle for talking with us.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ridley Street Books

Make Believe: On Telling Stories to Children by Mac Barnett

Eden’s Heart Collective

Kyle’s substack

Against the Machine: On the Unmaking of Humanity by Paul Kingsnorth

On this episode we go deep into our music shapes an event and creates a mood. Alex Porter joins us to talk about work “DJing” at the Corydon Farmers Market and Stewart Penwell provides some much needed commentary from a true audiophile. In addition to music, Graylin teases the launch of Ridley Street Books!THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Ridley Street Books

JBL Partybox 110

Porter Mood Music Farmer’s Market playlist

On this episode in our Discovery Dialogues series, Leah, Elmer, and Gray go deep into what it means to live in the present. Graylin read a book that she could not put down, Leah is picking up the cello, and Elmer is thinking about neuroplasticity — we cover it all. In addition to these topics, we do a taste test of cheesecake, featuring local establishment Abruzzo’s Italian Food and Confections.

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Burke

Abruzzo’s Italian Food and Confections

Em on the Brain 

How Children Fail by John Holt

The Secret by Rhonda Byrne

Today we are joined by local poet Robert O’Neal. Robert has been writing and publishing poetry for over thirty years and his energy is infectious — his poetry, or his “narrative rants” as he calls them, are a full of life.

You can find Robert’s work at The American Dissident, The Blue Collar Review, and The Thorny Locust amongst other publications. THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Corydon Skatepark Opening Weekend Details

Graylin is teaching a workshop on balance at True You Yoga on April 25th

Entangled Life: How Fungi Make Our Worlds, Change Our Minds & Shape Our Futures by Merlin Sheldrake

KNEECAP

Dead Pioneers

A World Appears: A Journey into Consciousness by Michael Pollan

Harrison County Arts

Leah Porter is back for our first Discovery Dialogues episode of the season! The topics are wide and varied, but include books, daily drawing practices, podcasts, and our opinions on Girl Scout Cookies.

IMPORTANT: If you want to receive Leah’s daily book art via text, email us your phone number: [email protected]

THINGS MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:

Kate Bingaman Burt — artist in Portland, Oregon

Corydon Skatepark Opening Weekend Details