Book Explained

An astronaut is left for dead on Mars with a habitat built for a month. Hailey reviews Andy Weir's The Martian spoiler-free, recommends six books to read next, then, after a spoiler warning, explains the rescue, the sugar bomb and the final launch, and checks how much of the science is real. Content note: frequent strong language in the book.

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Books mentioned in this episode
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson
Seveneves by Neal Stephenson
Lost Moon by Jim Lovell and Jeffrey Kluger
Packing for Mars by Mary Roach
Robinson Crusoe by Daniel Defoe
Artemis by Andy Weir

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:31 Welcome
1:10 The Review
6:33 What To Read Next
8:58 Spoiler Warning
9:16 The Ending Explained
15:49 The Science
20:34 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Carefree" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Disquiet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

A reclusive Hollywood legend picks one unknown reporter to hear the truth about her seven marriages, and refuses to say why. Hailey reviews Taylor Jenkins Reid's The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo spoiler-free, recommends six books to read next, then, after a spoiler warning, explains the ending and shares the book club questions that start the best arguments. Content note: domestic violence, the sexual exploitation of a teenage girl, homophobia, abortion, grief and a death by choice are discussed.

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Books mentioned in this episode
Daisy Jones & The Six by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Malibu Rising by Taylor Jenkins Reid
Beautiful Ruins by Jess Walter
Funny Girl by Nick Hornby
Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo
Atmosphere by Taylor Jenkins Reid

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:26 Welcome
1:19 The Review
6:36 What To Read Next
9:13 Spoiler Warning
9:33 The Ending Explained
16:29 Book Club Highlights
18:06 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Almost Bliss" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

A broke writer moves into a stranger's Vermont mansion to finish a famous author's series, and finds the author's hidden autobiography. Hailey reviews Colleen Hoover's Verity spoiler-free, with an honest spice level and content notes, recommends seven books to read next, then, after a spoiler warning, explains the ending, the hidden letter and the clues planted before the twist. Content note: this episode discusses explicit sexual content, the deaths of children and harm to babies.

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Books mentioned in this episode
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides
Sometimes I Lie by Alice Feeney
The Housemaid by Freida McFadden
We Need to Talk About Kevin by Lionel Shriver
The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks and Sarah Pekkanen
It Ends With Us by Colleen Hoover

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:35 Welcome
1:13 The Review
8:01 What To Read Next
11:15 Spoiler Warning
11:39 The Ending Explained
18:00 The Clues
22:54 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Reminiscing" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Disquiet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

A bat and a ball cost one dollar and ten cents, and your gut gets it wrong. Hailey reviews Daniel Kahneman's Thinking, Fast and Slow, summarizes its five parts, shares six practical habits and one caution, and recommends six books to read next. No spoilers, because the plot is your own brain.

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Books mentioned in this episode
Nudge by Richard H. Thaler and Cass R. Sunstein
Predictably Irrational by Dan Ariely
Misbehaving by Richard H. Thaler
The Black Swan by Nassim Nicholas Taleb
Noise by Daniel Kahneman, Olivier Sibony and Cass R. Sunstein
Blink by Malcolm Gladwell

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:26 Welcome
0:58 The Review
4:27 The Summary
7:40 Putting It To Work
9:39 What To Read Next
11:45 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Why do we keep getting in our own way? Hailey reviews Brianna Wiest's The Mountain Is You, summarizes it chapter by chapter, shares six exercises to try this week plus two cautions, and recommends six books to read next. No spoilers, and this is a book review, not therapy or medical advice.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
Atomic Habits by James Clear
The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk
Man's Search for Meaning by Viktor Frankl
The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown
Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:23 Welcome
1:05 The Review
4:45 The Summary
7:57 Putting It To Work
10:14 What To Read Next
12:15 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

A woman's cells changed medicine, and her family was never told. Hailey reviews Rebecca Skloot's The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks, summarizes its three parts, goes through the real story and the questions about consent that are still open, and recommends six books to read next. Content note: racism, illness and medical mistreatment are discussed.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
Medical Apartheid by Harriet A. Washington
The Emperor of All Maladies by Siddhartha Mukherjee
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
Being Mortal by Atul Gawande
Bad Blood by John Carreyrou
When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:27 Welcome
1:10 The Review
4:56 The Summary
7:44 The Real Story
10:37 What To Read Next
12:45 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

One of the most famous self help books ever written, from the nineteen thirties. Hailey reviews Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People, walks through all thirty principles in four parts, shares six habits that still work plus one worry, and recommends six books to read next. No spoilers.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
Influence by Robert Cialdini
Crucial Conversations by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler
Never Split the Difference by Chris Voss
Getting to Yes by Roger Fisher and William Ury
Nonviolent Communication by Marshall B. Rosenberg
The Charisma Myth by Olivia Fox Cabane

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:25 Welcome
1:00 The Review
4:42 The Summary
7:48 Putting It To Work
9:58 What To Read Next
12:16 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Why work and save for decades, only to die with a pile of money you never enjoyed? Hailey reviews Bill Perkins's Die With Zero, summarizes all nine rules, shares six ways to put the ideas to work plus two cautions, and recommends six books to read next. No spoilers, and this is a book review, not financial advice.

Get the book
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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
The Psychology of Money by Morgan Housel
Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman
Your Money or Your Life by Vicki Robin and Joe Dominguez
The Top Five Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
The Millionaire Next Door by Thomas J. Stanley and William D. Danko
Die Broke by Stephen Pollan and Mark Levine

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:22 Welcome
1:06 The Review
4:53 The Summary
8:43 Putting It To Work
11:23 What To Read Next
13:35 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

A Scottish student, a girl she meets at a party, and a creature who has been hunting across five hundred years. Hailey reviews V. E. Schwab's Bury Our Bones in the Midnight Soil spoiler-free, shares twelve book club questions and six books to read next, then, after a spoiler warning, explains the ending. Content note: explicit scenes, violence, death and grief.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V. E. Schwab
Carmilla by Sheridan Le Fanu
Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:25 Welcome
1:06 The Review
4:45 Book Club Guide
7:10 What To Read Next
9:20 Spoiler Warning
9:44 The Ending Explained
13:47 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Disquiet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

Nesta Archeron has not been okay since the war, and her family has decided she cannot go on this way. Hailey reviews Sarah J. Maas's A Court of Silver Flames spoiler-free (it assumes you have read the first three books), shares twelve book club questions and six books to read next, then, after a spoiler warning, explains the Blood Rite and the ending. Content note: this is an adult book with explicit scenes, violence and trauma.

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As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Books mentioned in this episode
Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros
Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
From Blood and Ash by Jennifer L. Armentrout
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco

Chapters
0:00 Cold Open
0:25 Welcome
1:11 The Review
4:53 Book Club Guide
7:23 What To Read Next
9:47 Spoiler Warning
10:14 The Ending Explained
14:30 Outro

Scores, the full written review and the videos

Narrated by Hailey, the Book Explained host voice (AI-generated with Kokoro TTS).

Music
"Friday Morning" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Fresh Air" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0

"Disquiet" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0