A dive into the archives* turned up this classic episode in which Diane, Teresa, David, and Joe chat about light summer reads!

* It wasn't really in the archives. Joe just dropped the ball and hadn't gotten this episode done yet.

The Four Friends discuss the North Texas State Fair parade, magnets and non-metallic appliances (and trucks), a spoiler about Capt. Andrew Luck, and, of course, boring campaign-y things.

Big shout-out from David and Teresa to BCI Plumbing, Heating & Air. These professionals in Denton kept Teresa and David from melting in the Texas heat.

The group also bade farewell to the godmother of childhood literacy, the legendary Dolly Parton. Sleep easy, Queen.

And here's the link to Dolly Parton's Imagination Library.

Here are this episode's reads:

• Teresa: And Then There Was You by Sophie Cousens
• Joe: Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth
• David: Sleigh Spells: A Christmas Paranormal Cozy Mystery by Bella Falls
• Diane: The Correspondent by Virginia Evans

Please note that the links above are to the books on Bookshop.org. When you order, you can select your favorite Independent Bookstore and they will receive a portion of the proceeds.

Support Bookshop.org and support your local Indie Bookstore!

Finally, submit your ideas for the new podcast name to [email protected]!

Diane, Teresa, David, and Joe put on their traveling hats and set out on the road to great books!

The group travels from Puerto Rico to London to Rhode Island and places between and beyond, determining what constitutes a "travel book."

Spoiler alert: Any book is a travel book if you dive into it deeply enough.

Take a journey with us through these great reads!

• The Rum Diary by Hunter S. Thompson
• The Valencia Ex Pat Club by June Patrick
• Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen
• Spectre of Hawthorne Manor: A Homefront Sleuths Mystery by Anna Elliot
• The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck

• My Ántonia by Willa Cather
• The Prince of Tides by Pat Conroy

• The Stand and The Gunslinger by Stephen King

• The Wedding People by Alison Espach
• Travel Hacks by Keith Bradford
• I’m a Fan by Sheena Patel

• Lion Women of Tehran by Marjan Kamali

• Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth

The Chickens are back!Diane, Teresa, David, and Joe dive into books about people -- memoirs, biographies, and autobiographies. What makes a good one, the differences between the genres, why Christina Applegate so angry, and why Lin-Manuel Miranda was inspired to develop Hamilton. Bonus! Joe explains why Kate McKinnon is the SNL GOAT!Join the Friends as they deep dive into the social context surrounding some of their favorite memoirs, autobiographies, and bios.

• Diane: Bossy Pants by Tina Fey
• Teresa: You With the Sad Eyes by Christina Applegate
• David: Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow
• Joe: The Last Folk Hero: The Life and Myth of Bo Jackson by Jeff Pearlman

After an extended break due to life things, the Four Friends reunite and take on the topic of banned books.

From classics to the latest book releases, the group dives into why books are challenged and banned and the dangerous impact of taking books out of circulation.

Four Friends hits the 25th episode milestone!

And what would the 'cast be without technical problems?

Teresa loses her hearing for a spell, but the group recovers strongly to talk about Teresa's chosen genre, non-political non-fiction!

Chaos ensues when Teresa's audio fails but she powers through to share how she never realized a book about Tuberculosis was missing from her life. Diane shares her love of Elyse Meyers' bestseller, prompting Joe to dig up the classic Elyse taco date video.

Teresa then bounces back with yet another banger, 99 Ways to Die, prompting Joe to dig up the Tangerine Kitty classic, "Dumb Ways to Die."

Joe brings things home with Simon Winchester's 1998 classic, The Professor and the Madman, about the creation of the Oxford English Dictionary and the unlikely friendship that developed between the two men -- Professor James Murray and Dr. W.C. Minor -- who did much of the heavy lifting.

A super fun episode with fun little side trips, following Joe's ADD down amusing rabbit holes!

This week's books:

• Teresa: Everything is Tuberculosis by John Green
• Diane: That’s a Great Question I’d Love to Tell You by Elyse Meyers
• Teresa: 99 Ways to Die: And How to Avoid Them by Ashely Alker MD
• Joe: The Professor and the Madman by Simon Winchester (aka The Surgeon of Crowthorne)
• David: Trapped in end-of-semester grading hell, but next up on his list is Everything is Tuberculosis

David leads Diane, Teresa, and Joe into a genre none of the three had ever explored: Graphic Novels.

The Friends explore how well traditional books translate to the graphic novel form, whether the graphic novel medium scratches the same reading itch that traditional books do, and the value and power of any format that encourages children to read.

David: Watchmen by Alan Moore, Dave Gibbons (Illustrator/Letterer), John Higgins (Colorist)Joe: The Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler, Damian Duffy and John JenningsDiane: The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood (Author), Renee Nault (Illustrator)Teresa: Donut the Destroyer by Sarah Graley, Stef PureninsOther: A Game of Thrones: The Graphic Novel Series by Daniel Abraham

This episode's topic: Strong women characters

Diane's pick kicked of a dynamite discussion of books featuring strong, memorable women characters.

Conversation included discussion of the Bechdel test as applied to books, what makes a memorable woman character, unforgettable villainous women characters, and whether or not men can write strong, independent, and memorable women characters well.

We visit with such memorable and lovable characters as Loretta Thurwar and Hurricane Staxxx, Frankie McGrath, Lauren Olamina, Lisey Landon, Avalon Dale and Primrose Meath, Elphaba and Glinda, Elizabeth Zott, and the inimitable, unforgettable Annie Wilkes.

Check out some of the titles discussed in this episode:

• Chain Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
• The Women by Kristin Hannah
• The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah
• Parable of the Sower by Octavia E. Butler
• Lisey's Story by Stephen King
• Educated by Tara Westover
• Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe
• Wicked by Jennifer L. Armentrout
• Finding Chika by Mitch Albom (not available from Patchouli Joe's)
• The Dead Detective by J.R. Rain and Rod Kierkegaard Jr.
• After Oz by Gordon McAlpine
• Girl With the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• The Red Tent by Anita Diamant
• Misery by Stephen King

The four friends -- still without a proper podcast name -- take on Political Satire.

For the first time in recorded human history, Teresa agrees with Joe, both declaring that non-fiction cannot be satire. Then Joe started waffling and chaos returned.

As the discussion unfolded, the breadth of Political Satire was surprising, bringing in discussions of everything from The Bonfire of the Vanities, Yellowface, Our Missing Hearts, America (The Book), and a book David mentioned, Something-something Merchant blah something-something. Bonus points for working the late, great Hunter S. Thompson into the discussion.

Can near-future dystopian be political satire? Can non-fiction be satire? Can the group ever land on a podcast name that hasn't already been chosen?

Next week: Diane discusses books with strong women characters

• Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe
• Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72 by Hunter S. Thompson
• American Hero (aka Wag the Dog) by Larry Beinhart (Wag the Dog)
• Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
• Our Missing Hearts by Celeste Ng
• Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
• America (The Book): A Citizen's Guide to Democracy Inaction by Jon Stewart (not available from Patchouli Joe's)
• I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert (not available from Patchouli Joe's)
• The Stand by Stephen King
• Animal Farm by George Orwell
• 1984 by George Orwell

Teresa shares her favorite selections from her favorite genre: Magical Realism.

The Four Bookish Friends discuss the distinction between fantasy and magical realism, different ways authors slip magical realism elements into other genres, and their overall love for the genre.

Teresa:Shark Heart: A Love Story by Emily Habeck

Diane:

The Murmur of Bees by Sofia Segovia

The World That We Knew by Alice Hoffman

Joe:

The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold

The Husbands: A Read with Jenna Pick: A Novel by Holly Gramazio

David:Curse of the Phoenix (The Arcane Irregulars Book 1) by Dan Willis (not available at Patchouli Joe's)

David brings the twistiest of genres to the Four Friends, with Henry VIII: Wolfman, and genre-bending retelling of the story of Henry VIII...if he were a werewolf.

The conversation was interesting and insightful, tracing the thematic elements -- the "connective tissue" -- of the original with the retelling.

• Austen Affair by Madeline Bell
• 11/22/63 by Stephen King
• Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: Dawn of the Dreadfuls by Steve Hockensmith
• It's a Wonderful Death by E. N. McMahon
• Henry VIII: Wolfman by A. E. Moorat (not available at Patchouli Joe's)

Next up: Magical Realism from Teresa!